Patent ID: 8464749

Claim:
A protective device for use in connection with a four-sided valve body for gas bottles, said valve body having a gas port, said protective device comprised of: a unitary molded tubular body comprising four sides and having opposite open ends, at least one projection extending from an interior surface of said protective device adapted to physically engage with a portion of an opposing surface of said valve body, whereby said protective device is prevented from being easily removed from said valve body upon being placed over an end of said valve body due to engagement of said at least one projection with said portion of said opposing surface of said valve body, said tubular body having such size and configuration such that the sides of said tubular body are each adjacent to a corresponding portion of an opposing side of said valve body, with a portion of one of said sides of said tubular body covering said gas port in said valve body, when said protective device is placed over said valve body in engagement therewith, at least one tear strip provided within at least a portion of at least one side surface of said protective device, whereby tearing said tear strip permits disengagement and removal of said protective device from said valve body, a grip member attached to a portion of said tear strip to facilitate tearing of said tear strip, and wherein said device includes two flanges extending laterally outwardly from opposite sides of said device.