Patent ID: 7124987

Claim:
A vacuum disk apparatus adapted to engage a support surface, comprising: a hollow base having a shape of predetermined geometrical configuration; said hollow base including a top wall having sidewalls that depend from a periphery of said top wall; a sealing member that abuts a bottom side of said top wall; said sealing member being formed of a flexible and resilient material; said sealing member having a thickness greater than a length of said sidewalls; a vacuum space defined by said top wall, said sealing member, and said support surface when said sealing member is disposed in abutting relation to said support surface; said sealing member adapted to substantially seal said vacuum space when said sealing member is pressed firmly against said support surface so that ambient air may not substantially enter into said vacuum space; a hub formed integrally with said top wall of said base; a hub airflow passageway formed in said hub; a base airflow passageway formed in said top wall of said base; said hub airflow passageway and said base airflow passageway being in fluid communication with one another; a valve including a flexible valve body, a neck, and a retainer; a hollow cylinder having a leading end adapted to abut said top wall of said base and to sealingly engage said hub about an outer periphery of said hub; a piston head slideably positioned within said hollow cylinder; a piston rod secured to a trailing end of said piston head, said piston rod having an axis of symmetry coincident with an axis of symmetry of said hollow cylinder; a handle secured to a trailing end of said piston rod; sealing means disposed about a periphery of said piston head to substantially prevent air from flowing around said piston head; said valve allowing airflow from said vacuum space to flow through said base airflow passageway and said hub airflow passageway into said hollow cylinder on a leading side of said piston head when said piston head is displaced within said hollow cylinder in a direction away from said valve; said valve being fully seated and substantially preventing flow of ambient air into said vacuum space from said hollow cylinder after said piston head is fully withdrawn from said hollow cylinder; whereby a vacuum is created in said vacuum space by withdrawal of said piston head from said hollow interior of said cylinder; and whereby ambient air rushing into the hollow interior of said cylinder abruptly closes said valve before said vacuum is lost.