Pressure-locked cap

Claim 2

A pressure-locked cap, comprising a tubular collar, a tubular cage rotatably mounted in the collar, means carried by one of said collar and cage for gripping a nipple or the like upon which the cap is placed, said means being movable into gripping position by relative rotary movement between the collar and cage in a given direction and movable out of gripping position by relative movement thereof in an opposite direction, an actuator within said cage keyed for axial movement relative thereto and restrained against rotary movement relative thereto, a seal ring within said actuator for receiving the nipple on which the cap is to be fitted, said actuator providing an uninterrupted closure wall axially beyond the seal ring and across the same whereby to seal the open end of the nipple on which the cap is placed, spring means yieldably urging said actuator toward the inner end of the cap, and interengaging pressure-actuated locking means on said actuator and collar effective, in a predetermined relative rotary position of the cage and collar, to permit said actuator to move axially against the force of said spring means under the influence of fluid pressure in a nipple to which the cap is applied and, upon such movement, prevent relative rotation of the cage and collar, said actuator being restrained against axial movement except in said predetermined relative rotary position of said cage and collar.

Claim 3

The cap set forth in claim 1 in which the interengagIng locking means on said actuator and collar comprises a radial projection on the actuator, a circumferential groove on an inner circular surface of the collar into which the projection extends and an axial groove is said collar intersecting said circumferential groove.

Claim 4

The cap set forth in claim 1 in which said actuator comprises a central main wall having an outwardly stepped axially extending section defining radial shoulder intermediate with ends of the section, and in which said seal ring is seated inside said section between said shoulder and the end edge of the section.

Claim 5

The cap set forth in claim 3 in which said spring means yieldably urging the actuator toward the inner end of the cap comprises a coil compression spring between said radial shoulder on the axially extending section of the actuator and an abutment forwardly thereof.

Claim 6

A pressure-locked cap adapted to be mounted on a nipple or the like having a peripheral groove adjacent its end, comprising a cylindrical collar, a cylindrical cage rotatably mounted within the collar, radially displaceable locking members carried by said cage, cam means in the collar engageable with said locking members to displace them radially inwardly in response to relative rotary movement of said collar relative to said cage in a given direction for engagement of said locking members in the groove of said nipple, an actuator within said cage, interengaging means on said actuator and said cage permitting axial movement of said actuator relative to the cage and preventing relative rotary movement between said actuator and said cage, a seal ring in said actuator for receiving the nipple on which the cap is fitted and effecting a seal between the nipple and actuator, said actuator providing an uninterrupted closure wall across the seal ring, spring means yieldably urging said actuator toward the inner end of said cap, and interengaging pressure-actuated locking means on said actuator and said collar effective, in a predetermined relative rotary position of the cage and collar, to permit said actuator to move axially against the force of said spring means under the influence of fluid pressure in a nipple to which the cap is applied, and effective, upon such movement, to prevent relative rotation of the cage and collar, said interengaging locking means between said actuator and collar preventing relative axial movement thereof except in said predetermined relative rotary position.

Claim 7

A pressure-locked cap adapted to be mounted on a nipple or the like having a peripheral groove adjacent its end, comprising a cylindrical collar, a cylindrical cage rotatably mounted within the collar, radially displaceable locking members carried by said cage, cam means in the collar engageable with said locking members to displace them radially inwardly in response to relative rotary movement of said collar relative to said cage in a given direction for engagement of said locking members in the groove of said nipple, an actuator within said cage, interengaging means on said actuator and said cage permitting axial movement of said actuator relative to the cage and preventing relative rotary movement between said actuator and said cage, a seal ring in said actuator for receiving the nipple on which the cap is fitted and effecting a seal between the nipple and actuator, said actuator providing an uninterrupted closure wall across the seal ring, spring means yieldably urging said actuator toward the inner end of said cap, and interengaging pressure-actuated locking means on said actuator and said collar effective, in a predetermined relative rotary position of the cage and collar, to permit said actuator to move axially against the force of said spring means under the influence of fluid pressure in a nipple to which the cap is applied, and effective, upon such movement, to prevent relative rotation of the cage and collar, said interengaging locking means between said actuator and collar preventing relative axial movement thereof except in said predetermined relative rotary position.

Claim 8

A pressure-locked cap, comprising a cylindrical collar, a cage in the collar and rotatable relative thereto, locking members carried by the cage for gripping a nipple or the like on which the cap is to be placed, cam means carried by said collar, effective upon rotation of the collar relative to the cage in a given direction, to force said locking members radially inward, an actuator within said cage including a main uninterrupted wall terminating in an axially extending outwardly stepped section defining an annular shoulder intermediate the ends of such section, a seal ring seated within said stepped section between said shoulder and the end of said section for receiving the end portion of a nipple on which the cap is mounted, a pin fixed to said actuator and extending radially thereof, said cage having na axial groove freely receiving said pin, said collar having an internal circumferentially extending groove and having an axially extending groove intersecting the same, the end portion of said pin on said actuator normally extending into said circumferentially extending groove and being received in said axially extending groove when said collar and cage are oriented in a position to urge the locking members radially inward and said actuator is subjected to fluid pressure from the nipple upon the actuator member, and spring means yieldably urging said actuator toward the end of the cap receiving the nipple.

Claim 9

A pressure-locked cap, comprising a cylindrical collar, a cage in the collar and rotatable relative thereto, locking members carried by the cage for gripping a nipple or the like on which the cap is to be placed, cam means carried by said collar, effective upon rotation of the collar relative to the cage in a given direction, to force said locking members radially inward, an actuator within said cage including a main uninterrupted wall terminating in an axially extending outwardly stepped section defining an annular shoulder intermediate the ends of such section, a seal ring seated within said stepped section between said shoulder and the end of said section for receiving the end portion of a nipple on which the cap is mounted, a pin fixed to said actuator and extending radially thereof, said cage having na axial groove freely receiving said pin, said collar having an internal circumferentially extending groove and having an axially extending groove intersecting the same, the end portion of said pin on said actuator normally extending into said circumferentially extending groove and being received in said axially extending groove when said collar and cage are oriented in a position to urge the locking members radially inward and said actuator is subjected to fluid pressure from the nipple upon the actuator member, and spring means yieldably urging said actuator toward the end of the cap receiving the nipple.

Claim 10

The cap set forth in claim 6 which a closure disc is mounted in said collar at the outer end thereof and in which said spring means is interposed between said disc and said actuator.