Patent Publication Number: US-6041812-A

Title: Regulator protector

Description:
This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of the U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/099,332 filed Sep. 8, 1998. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to pressurized tanks and more particularly to the safe transport of pressurized tanks commonly known as cylinders and typically used in the welding and cutting trade. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In the past, all portable welding trucks carry at lease one oxygen and one fuel gas cylinder to be used in the trade of welding and cutting. Attached to the oxygen cylinder is an oxygen regulator. Attached to the fuel gas cylinder, which is an acetylene or propane tank, is a fuel gas regulator. The purpose of the regulator is to reduce the cylinder pressure to a working pressure usable for applicable processes--oxygen 2700 PSI reduced to 50-70 PSI, fuel gas 300 PSI reduced to 5-10 PSI. The fuel gas, either acetylene or propane (flammable or explosive), creates a flame from a spark or a flame and causes a burn. The oxygen, on the other hand, is noncombustible but supports or enhances a flame or spark. 
     Both oxygen and fuel gas regulators need to be protected at all times. When attached to the cylinders, they are subject to falls and collision damages. It is common for the inlet fitting of the regulator (1/4&#34; threaded brass) to be broken off the regulator. If this happens, full cylinder pressure exhausts from the valve of the cylinder which, when full, is 2250 PSI at 70° on the oxygen side and as much as 300 PSI on the fuel gas side. If there is a spark or flame, such as in a collision, oxygen supports this cause of action and accelerates this situation to intolerable circumstances, and the best of fire departments cannot deal with it. 
     Some states have adopted a policy already that the regulators cannot be attached to the cylinders in transit. They must be removed. In any case, there is nowhere for the cylinder regulators to go, except on the floor of the truck, where they are subject to dirt, grease guns and old oil cans. You should never allow oxygen components to come in contact with grease or oil, as these products contain carbon and become very unstable after they are compressed more than 18 PSI. 
     Walker No. 4,625,949 discloses a cabinet assembly having mounts for rigidly supporting regulators within the cabinet with passageways permitting hoses from the cylinders to extend into and be connected to the input line of the regulators. 
     Salvucci, Ser. No. 5,071,148 discloses a cart having a guard structure which protects the valve and gauge assembly from damage when separated from the cylinder. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     A regulator protector for one or more pressurized tanks is disclosed. A regulator protector includes a housing that mounts on a support on the transport vehicle and has the regulator removed from the top of the pressurized tank and is mounted inside the housing. An elongated flexible hose of a selected length connects from the valve inlet flow line on the regulator to the pressurized tank located a distance from the regulator and carried by the transport vehicle. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Details of this invention are described in connection with the accompanying drawings which like parts bear similar reference numerals in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the regulator protector with flexible lines and cylinders shown schematically. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the regulator protector suitable for both an oxygen cylinder and fuel gas cylinder with the support and transport vehicle shown schematically. 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the regulator protector for a single pressurized tank which may be either an oxygen cylinder or fuel cylinder only. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The regulator protector shown has a housing assembly including a cover or case 1 and a back wall 3 made as a separate part from the cover 1. The cover has a front wall F, top wall T, and opposed side walls S and is open along the back. The back wall 3 has a raised, flat plate 3a with opposed top and bottom mounting flanges 3b and 3c with holes 3d in the flanges that receive fasteners F such as bolts to attach the housing to a support SS on a suitable transport vehicle V such as a trailer box or trailer. A bolt 6 with external threads is affixed to the raised plate 3a and extends through an aperture 9 in the cover 1 so the back wall 3 nests in the cover 1 and is fastened thereto by a nut 7 threaded on the bolt 6. 
     The oxygen regulator 4 has a cylinder pressure gauge 4a and working pressure gauge 4b mounted on a valve body 4c having an adjusting screw lever 4f along the front for adjusting the working pressure, a rigid inlet flow line 4d connected into the valve body 4c with a connector or fitting 4e shown as a male fitting. Fitting 4e is used to fasten the regulator directly to the top of the cylinder during the normal use of the regulator and cylinder. 
     The front wall F of the cover 1 has a first hole 1a positioned to be in register with the cylinder pressure gauge 4a, a second hole lb positioned to be in register with working pressure gauge 4b, and a third hole 1c positioned to be in register with valve body 4c. A resilient means in the form of a rubber grommet 2 fits around the valve body 4c and in hole 1c which serves as a cushion to reduce vibration and wear. 
     A U-shaped opening 1e that opens along the back edge of the side wall is provided in the side wall to allow the flexible flow line or hose 22 to extend through and connect to the oxygen cylinder 21. The cover has three keyhole openings 1d. Two openings 1d are in the top wall and one is in the side wall to receive the free end of the flexible hose 22 when the hose is not connected to cylinder 21. A holder 15 is fastened on the back wall and has a base section 15a secured to the wall and a C-shaped section 15b sized to fit around the cylinder valve body to index or locate the regulator 4 in the correct position on the back wall 3. 
     A fuel gas regulator 10 shown has a cylinder pressure gauge 10a, a working pressure gauge 10b mounted to the valve body 10c having an adjusting screw lever 10f at the front for adjusting the working pressure, and a rigid inlet line 10d connected to the valve body 10c with a connector or fitting 10e shown as a female fitting. The fitting 10e is used to fasten the regulator to the top of the fuel gas cylinder during the normal use of the gas cylinder. The front wall of the cover has a fifth hole positioned to be in register with the cylinder pressure gauge 10a, a sixth hole positioned to be in register with the working pressure gauge 10b, and a seventh hole positioned to be in register with the valve body 10c. A rubber grommet 2 fits in the hole and around the valve body and serves to cushion the valve body to reduce vibration. 
     The holder 15 is fastened on the back wall and has a base section 15c secured to the back wall 3 and a C-shaped section 15d sized to fit around the valve body 10c to index or locate the regulator 10 in the correct position in the back wall. 
     In use, the regulators 4 and 10 are carried in the regulator protector housing located preferably 3 to 4 feet from the cylinders. The cylinders are connected to the regulators by the flexible lines 22 and 24. Referring to FIG. 1 the oxygen cylinder 21 and flexible flow line 22 are shown schematically as connected to the line 4d of regulator 4 and the fuel cylinder 23 and flexible flow line 24 are shown schematically as connected to the line 10d of regulator 10. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3 only the top portion of the housing 1 is shown to accommodate only one cylinder with the same parts bearing the same reference numerals. Thus the housing can be operated for one or more regulators. When it is properly attached, bolted or welded to a transport vehicle such as a truck or trailer, the chances of explosion or fire will be greatly reduced. 
     Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example and that changes in details of structure may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.