Abstract:
Safety shield apparatus for a bottled gas tank valve includes a cover which fits over the valve and an internal flange or plate within the cover that fits underneath the valve handle. A tail portion secured to the cover extends outwardly beyond the vertically extending flange which is disposed arcuately about the valve handle and which comprises also a handle for the bottle. The tail portion includes holes which receive a lock to prevent the shield apparatus from being removed from the bottled gas tank.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to bottled gas tank valves and, more particularly, to a safety shield for a bottled gas tank valve. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Tanks of bottled gas, such as propane tanks, typically used for portable grills and the like, generally include a generally vertically extending protective flange or shield disposed about the valve. The valve is, of course, on the top of the tank. The shield generally extends about the valve for more than 180 degrees, and the shield typically includes three slots. The slots are hand holds for the purpose of carrying the tank. 
     The shield disposed about the valve generally prevents accidental damage to the valve itself, but does not prevent the valve from being turned on. In contemporary valves, there is generally an O ring sealing element about the valve stem. The O ring seal takes the place of metal to metal seals which were typical of the valves in past years. The metal to metal seal was occasioned, of course, by the brass metal used in the valve. The use of the O ring seal reduces the cost of the valve since it is no longer necessary to have the relatively close tolerances which formerly were involved in the metal to metal seals. With the metal to metal seals, the valves could be closed rather tightly, with the amount of force required to open the valves probably exceeding the strength of children. However, with the O ring type seal in the valves, it is virtually impossible to hand tighten a valve sufficiently to prevent a child from opening the valve. 
     Since propane is the type of bottled gas generally used, propane tanks and gas will generally be referred to hereafter. However, it will be understood that any type of liquefied bottled gas may use the apparatus of the present invention. 
     A typical problem involving children is simply that a child may turn on the valve of the bottled gas tank and then the gas may flow through the unit to which it is connected, such as a grill, or the like. If the gas is not ignited substantially coincidentally with the turning on of the valve, there is a potential problem of an explosion of some type and the possible injury to a child, and to anyone else nearby. The primary problem is, of course, a child being involved with the tuning on of the tank valve and with the lighting of a burner on a propane stove or grill to which the tank is connected. 
     Piezoelectric igniter elements have been used in the last several years in conjunction with gas stoves and grills. The piezoelectric elements are normally built into the burner units. A person typically turns on the gas valve and then pushes the piezoelectric igniter handle to light a propane burner. If there is a problem with igniter, then the gas will not be immediately lit. The gas valve may be left on by a child, and the flowing unlit gas obviously is a potential fire and explosion hazard. There may also be other problems associated with the propane gas flowing from the tank and stove or grill. 
     The apparatus of the present invention provides a safety guard to prevent a child from turning on a propane tank valve. The guard apparatus of the present invention prevents the valve from being opened by anyone other than an authorized person, or one who has either a key or a combination to a lock which secures the guard to a propane tank. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention described and claimed herein comprises a safety shield for a bottled gas tank valve by providing a cover for the valve handle. The cover includes a tail portion which extends outwardly beyond the shield secured to a tank and disposed about the tank valve. There is also a flange or plate within the shield which fits under the valve handle, restricting access to the handle while the shield apparatus is in place. A padlock is inserted through the tail piece outside of the shield and about the valve handle on the top of the tank to prevent the safety shield from being removed from the handle as long as the lock is in place. 
     Among the objects of the present invention are the following: 
     To provide new and useful safety shield apparatus for a bottled gas tank valve; 
     To provide new and useful cover for the valve handle of a gas valve; 
     To provide new and useful shield apparatus for a propane tank valve which includes a cover portion and a tail portion which extends away from the propane tank; 
     To provide new and useful cover apparatus for substantially enclosing the handle of a propane tank valve; and 
     To provide a new and useful safety shield for a propane tank valve having a tail piece which receives a padlock for securing the safety shield in place. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of the present invention in its use environment. 
     FIG. 2 is a view in partial section taken generally along line  2 — 2  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the apparatus of the present invention with its use environment shown in dash/dot lines. 
     FIG. 4 is a view in partial section taken generally along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a view in partial section sequentially illustrating the installation of the apparatus of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a side view in partial section sequentially following FIG.  5  and illustrating the continuing installation of the apparatus of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of safety shield apparatus  30  of the present invention disposed in its use environment, which includes a propane tank  2 . The propane tank  2  includes a valve  4 , only a portion of which is illustrated in FIG.  1 . Extending upwardly from the top of the propane tank  2  is a valve protective flange or shield  10 . The valve protective flange or shield  10  is appropriately secured, as by welding, to the tank  2 . The flange  10  extends about the valve  4  for less than 360 degrees. There is an opening  12  between the ends of the protective flange to allow access to the valve  4 . 
     Extending through the flange  10  are typically three apertures, including a central aperture  14 , and a pair of side apertures  16  and  18 . In FIG. 1, the central aperture  14  is illustrated as being round. The side apertures  16  and  18  are illustrated as being generally rectangular. Obviously, the opening or aperture  14  may also be rectangular in some cases. The side apertures  16  and  18  generally comprise hand holds for carrying the tank  2 . The central aperture  14  is generally aligned with the opening  12 . 
     FIG. 2 is a view in partial section taken generally along line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1, illustrating the safety shield apparatus  30  in its use environment. FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the safety shield apparatus  30  in its use environment, and taken generally along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  2 . FIG. 4 is a view in partial section through the safety shield  30  taken generally along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  3 . FIGS. 2,  3 , and  4 , illustrate the safety shield  30  in place on the valve  4  of the tank  2 . FIGS. 5 and 6, which are sequential views in partial section, illustrate the installation of the safety shield  30 . 
     For the following discussion, reference will be made to all of the Figs. in general. Appropriate reference to a specific Fig. will be made as required. 
     As best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the valve  4  includes a handle  6 . The safety shield apparatus  30  includes two portions, a cap portion  32  and a tail portion  50 . The cap portion  32  is disposed over the handle  6  to prevent the handle  6  from being inadvertently turned to open the valve  4 . 
     As indicated above, the safety shield apparatus  30  includes two portions, a cap portion  32  and a tail portion  50 . The cap portion  32  fits over the handle  6  of the valve  4  to prevent inadvertent opening of the valve  4  by rotating the handle  6 . The tail portion  50  extends through the opening  14  and outwardly from the protective flange  10 . 
     The cap portion  32  includes a top wall  34 , a front wall  36 , and a pair of side walls  40  and  42 . Extending rearwardly from the bottom of the front wall  36 , remote from or spaced apart from the top wall  34 , is a bottom flange  38 . The flange  38  extends rearwardly, generally parallel to the top wall  34 . The flange  38  terminates adjacent to the handle  6 . The front wall  36  and the side walls  40  and  42  are appropriately secured to the top wall  34 . 
     A sloping rear wall  44  is also secured to both the top wall  34  and the side walls  40  and  42 . The rear wall  44  extends to the tail portion  50 . The side walls  40  and  42  also extend to the tail portion  50 , and, as best shown in FIG. 3, the side walls  40  and  42  curve inwardly to the tail portion  50 . Similarly, the rear wall  44  tapers downwardly and rearwardly to join the tail portion  50 . 
     The five walls  34 ,  36 ,  40 ,  42 , and  44  define a chamber  46  which relieves the handle  6  of the valve  4 . The flange  38  comprises a bottom front “floor” of the chamber  46  beneath a portion of the handle  6 . 
     The tail portion  50  is a generally solid or barreled element. The tail portion  50  includes a generally rounded top surface  52 , a generally flat or planer bottom surface  54 , and a pair of generally flat side surfaces  56  and  58 . The side surfaces  56  and  58  are generally parallel to each other. 
     The top surface  52  and the side surfaces  56  and  58  extend to a generally flat end surface  60 . 
     A pair of transversely extending apertures or bores  62  and  64  extend through the tail portion  50 . The apertures or bores  62  and  64  are generally parallel to each other and are spaced apart from each other. They extend between the side surfaces  56  and  58  of the tail portion  50 . 
     The reason for having at least two apertures or bores is to enable the safety shield apparatus to be used with tanks of various sizes. The bores receive the shackle of a lock. Shown in FIG. 1 is a padlock  70 . The padlock  70  includes a case  72  and a shackle  74 . In FIGS. 2 and 3, the shackle  74  is shown in dash/dot line extending through the bore  64 . In FIG. 1, the shackle  74  is shown extending through the bore  62 . The shackle is preferably horizontally disposed to prevent the lock from being manipulated through the aperture  14 . 
     It will be noted that the apparatus  30  is referred to as a safety shield. The purpose of the shield is for safety reasons, not security reasons. The purpose of the lock  70  is for securely locking the safety shield apparatus  30  over the handle  6  of the valve  4 . With the shackle  74  of the lock extending through the bore closest to the flange  10 , the safety shield may not be removed from covering the handle  6  by a child, or by someone not authorized to do so. 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 indicate sequentially the installation of the safety shield apparatus  30  over the handle  6  of the valve  4 . In FIG. 5, the cap portion of the safety shield apparatus  32  is disposed above the handle  6 , with the tail portion  50  disposed adjacent to the aperture  14 . The tail portion  50  is placed into the aperture  14  and is moved therethrough, at the same time the cap portion  32  is moved downwardly over the handle  6 , as indicated by the curved arrow in FIG.  6 . With the cap portion  32  disposed over the handle  6  as shown in FIG. 6, the tail portion is moved outwardly through the aperture  14  until the flange  38  is disposed beneath the handle  6 . See FIGS. 2 and 3. The padlock  70  is then secured to the tail  50  adjacent to the vertical flange  10 . 
     In FIGS. 2 and 3, it is graphically illustrated that the padlock  70  prevents the apparatus  30  from being moved away from the handle  6 . The flange  38  is disposed beneath the handle  6 , preventing access to the handle  6 . Accordingly, the handle  6  cannot be inadvertently rotated to open the valve  4 . 
     To provide access to the handle  6 , the reverse procedure from that illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 is accomplished. The padlock  70  is first removed from the tail portion  50 , and the safety shield apparatus  30  is then moved inwardly and upwardly until the flange  38  is free from the handle  6 . The cap portion  32  of the safety shield apparatus  30  is then moved upwardly, in the reverse direction from the curved arrow illustrated in FIG. 6, to the position shown in FIG.  5 . The forward and upward movement of the apparatus  30  then allows the tail portion  50  to be withdrawn from the aperture  14 , and the safety shield apparatus  30  is then removed from the propane tank  2  and its valve  4 . 
     While the principles of the invention have been made clear in illustrative embodiments, without departing from those principles, there may occur to those skilled in the art modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, the elements, materials, and components used in the practice of the invention, and otherwise, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements. The appended claims are intended to cover and embrace any and all such modifications, within the limits only of the true spirit and scope of the invention.