Hydraulic brake system bleeder

Claim 1

Apparatus for filling a hydraulic system with hydraulic fluid, comprising a substantially spherical, unitary plastic tank having a large opening centrally located in the top thereof and a small opening near the bottom but spaced from the center thereof, a bladder formed of a resilient, flexible material for holding a supply of hydraulic fluid and having a fill opening at the top and an outlet opening at the bottom, first sealing means sealably securing the top of said bladder to said tank with said fill opening adjacent said large opening at the top of said tank, second sealing means sealably securing the bottom of said bladder to said tank with said outlet opening adjacent said smaller opening in said tank, a cover sealably and removably connected to said tank over said inlet opening, a connector sealably and removably connected to said tank over said outlet for connecting the cavity in said bladder to a hydraulic system, a pneumatic inlet mounted by said tank exteriorly of said bladder for pneumatically pressurizing the chamber in said tank, said tank having a centrally located circular protrusion at the bottom, said protrusion including an annular flange, and a base formed of a plurality of angular segments secured together around said protrusion with each segment grooved to receive a portion of said flange thereby to secure said base to said tank.