Patent Publication Number: US-6336422-B1

Title: Full tank marker

Description:
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/158,383 filed on Nov. 29, 1993, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to an indicating device to indicate that the tank of gaseous matter to which the device is attached is “FULL”. In many instances a person who is charged with selecting a tank from which gas is to be drawn, has very little time to attach a gauge to the tank to determine whether or not the tank is “FULL” or “EMPTY”. Selecting an empty or partially filled tank could be costly or even dangerous. The marker may be color-coded per industry standards to indicate the contents of the tank to which it is attached. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,703,546 to S. E. Allen on Mar. 08, 1955 for a Fire Extinguisher Discharge Indicator describes a rectangular tag that is torn when the extinguisher is put into operation. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,513,801 to G. Osorio on May 26, 1970 for an Anti-tampering Device shows an element having a breakaway portion that whose integrity is destroyed when someone attempts to put a fire extinguisher into operation. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,081 to M. A. Maxfield on Nov. 15, 1977 for a Full Tank Marker describes a protective body, covering the valve on a tank, that must be removed before the valve can be operated, There is a sign on the protective body that indicates that the tank to which the protective body is attached is full. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The Full Tank Marker shows at a glance that the pressurized gas cylinder is fully charged. This is to reduce the need to check the amount of gas in the tank by weighing or gauging. Users of the tanks can select a tank for use or determine quickly which tanks in a group are full when taking inventory of their stock. The Full Tank Marker could be made of a paper-like material but is preferably made of a thin flexible plastic material which allows it to be inserted into the slotted cap usually found on a gas cylinder. The marker is secured around the valve and locked within the cap. The composition and structure of the marker is such that when someone attempts to remove the tag or cap from a full cylinder to which the marker is attached, the marker tears warning the next user of that tank that the tank may not be “FULL”. If carefully removed, a knowledgeable user may utilize the tag again. The Marker may be color-coded to indicate the type of gas contained in the tank and may have indicia on the handle or tab that protrudes from the cap indicting that the tank is full or it may provide other information. 
     A first embodiment of an indicating device, for a pressurized tank having a slotted cap covering a valve attached to the tank, has a bifurcated body member forming a retaining slot and a retaining slot entrance channel. There is a locking surface on the bifurcated body member and an insertion handle member attached to the locking surface. 
     A second embodiment of the indicating device, for a pressurized tank having a slotted cap covering a valve attached to the tank, is described herein and has an arcuate bifurcated body member forming a retaining slot and a retaining slot entrance channel. An insertion handle member is attached to the arcuate bifurcated body member and there is at least one locking surface on the arcuate bifurcated body member. 
     It is an object of this invention to provide a Full Tank Marker that will indicate to users of pressurized tanks which tank is “FULL” by just glancing at the marker that is inserted through the slots of the tank cap and releasably locked therein. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a partial tank having a cap. A perspective view of a Full Tank Marker, slightly bent for ease of insertion, is shown being inserted into the slots of the cap of a full tank. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a cap attached to a tank, the cap having a cutaway section, showing a Full Tank Marker inserted into the cap and positioned around a valve of the tank. 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the Full Tank Marker; the bottom plan view being a mirror image thereof. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cap attached to a tank showing the Full Tank Marker inserted into the cap to indicate that the tank to which the marker is attached is “FULL”. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, an indicating device  10 , for a pressurized tank  100  having a slotted cap  101  covering a valve  102  attached to the tank  100 , is shown that has a flexible arcuate bifurcated body member  11 . The flexible arcuate bifurcated body member  11  has a first arm member  12  and a second arm member  13  forming a retaining slot  14  and a retaining slot entrance channel  15 . A flexible insertion handle member  16  attaches to the flexible arcuate bifurcated body member  11 . There is a first locking surface  17  on the flexible arcuate bifurcated body member  11  and a second locking surface  18  on the flexible arcuate bifurcated body member  11 . A first guide member  19  is attached to the first arm member  12  and a second guide member  20  is attached to the second arm member  13 . 
     There may be a first deflection surface  21  on the first guide member  19  and a second deflection surface  22  on the second guide member  20 . There may be at least one indicia application surface  23  on the flexible insertion handle member  16 . The first locking surface  17  may releasably lock on an inner surface  103  of the slotted cap  101  of the pressurized tank  100  and the second locking surface  18  may releasably lock on the inner surface  103  of the slotted cap  101  of the pressurized tank  100 . 
     In operation, The Full Tank Marker or indicating device  10  usually has a one time use. A tank  100  is filled with pressurized gas, the slotted cap  101  is screwed onto the tank  100  and the Full Tank Marker  10  is folded in approximately the center lengthwise (see FIG. 1) and inserted through one of the slots  104  in the cap  101 . The marker  10  is allowed to unfold and the valve  102  of the tank is allowed to pass through the retaining slot entrance channel  15  and enter the retaining slot  14 . As the valve enters the retaining slot, the deflection surfaces  21  and  22  of the first and second guide members  19  and  20  contact the inside entrance of the opposing slot  104  in the cap and facilitate the passage of the first and second guide members through the opposing slot. At this time, the marker  10  comes to rest having the first and second guide members resting in the opposing slot and having the first and second locking surfaces  17  and  18  abutting or locking on the inside surface  103  of the cap  101 . This serves to reduce the chance that the marker will be removed from its inserted position without tearing the marker. A torn marker serves to alert the person intending to utilize the tank that the selected tank may not be “FULL”. 
     The foregoing descriptions and drawings of the invention are explanatory and illustrative only, and various changes in shape, sizes and arrangements of parts as well certain details of the illustrated construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the true spirit of the invention.