Rotary valved vacuum cleaning system outlet

Claim 2

An outlet for a vacuum cleaning system of the type having a central exhauster connected to piping extending to different areas of a building with one of the outlets provided at each area for connecting a detachable cleaning hose to the exhauster and in which each outlet comprises a housing having a generally cylindrical wall with a port opening connected to the piping, a generally cylindrical valve plug rotatable in the housing and having a passageway therein forming port openings at one end and in its periphery, respectively, and a nipple at one end of the cleaning hose adapted to be inserted into the port opening in the end of the plug, that improvement comprising an end wall on the housing having an opening in alignment with the port opening in the end of the valve plug through which a nipple at one end of the cleaning hose is inserted, a keyhole in the end wall at one side of the opening, a key slidable in a keyway in the periphery of the valve plug and having an end projecting into the keyhole and interlocking with the end wall of the housing at the sides of the keyhole to lock the valve plug against rotation in the housing, and a pin projecting radially from the hose nipple to engage the end of the key and slide it rearwardly out of the keyhole when a hose nipple is inserted in the port opening in the valve plug to release the valve plug only when the hose nipple has been seated therein.

Claim 3

An outlet for a vacuum cleaning system comprising a central exhauster, piping connected to the exhauster and extending to different areas of a building, outlets from the piping at the different areas, a detachable cleaning hose having a nipple at one end for insertion into an outlet for connection to the exhauster, each of said outlets comprising housing having a generally cylindrical wall with a port opening therein connected to the piping, a generally cylindrical valve plug in the housing having a passageway forming a port opening at one end to receive the nipple of the cleaning hose and a port opening in its periphery movable into and out of register with the port opening in the housing when the valve plug is rotated, an end wall on the housing having a circular opening through which the hose nipple is inserted into the port opening in The end of the valve and a keyhole extending radial from one side of the circular opening, a keyway in the valve plug, a key mounted in the keyway and having one end projecting into the keyhole to interlock with the end wall of the housing at the sides of the keyhole, a spring biasing the key to move its end into the keyhole, and a key actuator projecting radially from the hose nipple to engage the end of the key and move it rearwardly out of the keyhole when the hose nipple is seated in port opening in the valve plug whereby to release the valve plug for rotation in the housing.

Claim 4

An outlet for a vacuum cleaning system comprising a central exhauster, piping connected to the exhauster and extending to different areas of a building, outlets from the piping at the different areas, a detachable cleaning hose having a nipple at one end for insertion into an outlet for connection to the exhauster, each of said outlets comprising housing having a generally cylindrical wall with a port opening therein connected to the piping, a generally cylindrical valve plug in the housing having a passageway forming a port opening at one end to receive the nipple of the cleaning hose and a port opening in its periphery movable into and out of register with the port opening in the housing when the valve plug is rotated, an end wall on the housing having a circular opening through which the hose nipple is inserted into the port opening in The end of the valve and a keyhole extending radial from one side of the circular opening, a keyway in the valve plug, a key mounted in the keyway and having one end projecting into the keyhole to interlock with the end wall of the housing at the sides of the keyhole, a spring biasing the key to move its end into the keyhole, and a key actuator projecting radially from the hose nipple to engage the end of the key and move it rearwardly out of the keyhole when the hose nipple is seated in port opening in the valve plug whereby to release the valve plug for rotation in the housing.

Claim 5

An outlet for a vacuum cleaning system in, accordance with claim 2 in which the spring for biasing the key is a coiled spring mounted in the keyway at the rear of the key, an abutment bar in the keyway at the rear of the spring and a stop in the keyway at the rear of the abutment.

Claim 6

An outlet for a vacuum cleaning system in accordance with claim 2 in which the end of the key adjacent the outer periphery of the valve plug is recessed to form a forwardly projecting tongue and a shoulder rearwardly of said tongue, and said keyhole extends radially from the circular opening for a distance less than maximum radial width of the key to cause the tongue to project into the keyhole and the shoulder to engage the rear of the end wall to limit the forward movement of the key.

Claim 7

An outlet for a vacuum cleaning system in accordance with claim 2 in which the key actuator is a pin, and the forward end of the valve plug is slotted under the keyway to provide shoulders engageable by the pin to turn the valve plug when the hose nipple is turned in opposite directions.

Claim 8

An outlet for a vacuum cleaning system in accordance with claim 5 in which the valve plug is recessed at its forward end adjacent the end wall of the housing, a stop projecting rearwardly from the end wall of the housing into the recess in the valve plug, and shoulders on the valve plug engageable with the stop to align the peripheral port opening in the valve plug with the port opening in the housing when the valve plug is turned to one position and align the key with the keyhole when the valve plug is turned to another position.

Claim 9

An outlet for a vacuum cleaning system in accordance with claim 2 in which the end wall is detachably connected to the housing whereby to adapt the valve plug to be withdrawn from the housing for repair and replacement.

Claim 10

An outlet for a vacuum cleaning system in accordance with claim 7 in which the end wall is detachably connected to the housing by screws passing through openings in the end wall, washers underlying the heads of the screws, and the holes in the end wall being larger than the screws to adapt the end wall to be adjusted relative to the generally cylindrical wall to align the circular opening therein with the port opening at the end of the valve plug.

Claim 11

An outlet for a vacuum cleaning system according to claim 5 in which the inner surface of said end wall has a shallow slot formed therein and positioned to receive said pin and act as a detent therefor when said valve plug has been rotated to fully open said outlet.