Patent ID: 7677270

Claim:
A method of plugging a hydraulic fitting, using a plug consisting of a head portion and an elastomeric body portion that is compressible and resilient, the head portion of greater dimension than the body portion to define an external shoulder portion between the head and body portions, the body portion being cylindrical and having an internal open ended bore which is also cylindrical, the open end of the body portion containing an external inwardly tapering sealing face adjacent the open end of the bore and an internal outwardly tapering portion within the bore adjacent the open end thereof, and adapted to seal both a male hydraulic fitting or a female hydraulic fitting to which the male hydraulic fitting corresponds, the method including the step of deforming the internal bore of the elastomeric body portion of the plug over the male hydraulic fitting such that an internal wall of the open ended bore of the plug seals against an external portion of the male hydraulic fitting when in use with a male fitting and deforming the body portion by pressing the body portion into an opening when in use with a female fitting in the female hydraulic fitting to seal the opening, thereby plugging the hydraulic fitting whether male or female.