Protective device for compressed gas cylinders

Claim 3

The device as defined in claim 1 including first groove means in said first cap end wall in alignment with said first aperture means for the receipt therein of said strap means, and second groove means in said second cap end wall in alignment with said second aperture means for the receipt therein of said strap means.

Claim 4

The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral skirt of said second cap includes a pair of diametrically opposite inwardly projecting rib means for partially dividing said second chamber into a pair of chamber portions adapted to receive radially oppositely directed portions of an associated valve assembly.

Claim 7

The deivce as defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral skirt of at least one of said caps includes means for preventing rotation of said at least one cap about its axis when resting upon a supporting surface, and said rotation preventing means being a pair of circumferentially spaced outwardly directed projections.

Claim 8

The device as defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral skirt of at least one of said caps includes means for preventing rotation of said at least one cap about its axis when resting upon a supporting surface, said rotation preventing means being a pair of circumferentially spaced outwardly directed projections, said at least one cap has an exterior circumferential surface, and said projections project outwardly beyond said exterior circumferential surface to a common imaginary line tangent to said exterior circumferential surface.

Claim 9

The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said second cap is of a generally frusto-conical configuration having a peripheral terminal edge portion axially remote from said second cap end wall, a pair of diametricaly disposed grooves in said second cap peripheral skirt merging with a groove in said second cap end wall, and said grooves and second plurality of aperture means being disposed in an axial plane whereby said strap means also pass through said grooves.

Claim 10

The device as defined in claim 7 wherein the peripheral skirt of said second cap includes a pair of diametrically opposite inwardly projecting rib means for partially dividing said second chamber into a pair of chamber portions adapted to received radially oppositely directed portions of an associated valve assembly.

Claim 11

The device as defined in claim 7 wherein the peripheral skirt of at least one of said caps includes means for preventing rotation of said at last one cap about its axis when resting upon a supporting surface, and said rotation preventing means being a pair of circumferentially spaced outwardly directed projections.

Claim 12

The device as defined in claim 8 wherein the peripheral skirt of said second cap includes a pair of diametrically opposite inwardly projecting rib means for partially dividing said second chamber into a pair of chamber portions adapted to received radially oppositely directed portions of an associated valve assembly.

Claim 13

The combination of a comrpressed gas cylinder and a protector cap comprising a compressed gas cylinder of the type including a bottom end portion, an opposite top end portion and a valve assembly carried by the latter, a protector cap of a generally cup-shaped configuration defined by an end wall and a peripheral skirt, said end wall and peripheral skirt defining a chamber within which is received said valve assembly, said peripheral skirt being of a generally frusto-conical configuration and terminating in a peripheral terminal edge portion axially remote from said end wall, a pair of diametrically disposed grooves in said peripheral skirt merging with a groove in said end wall, an aperture in said peripheral terminal edge porton adjacent to and aligned with an associated one of said pair of grooves, and strap means disposed in said grooves, passing through said apertures, and underlying said compressed gas cylinder bottom end portion whereby said protector cap is captively secured upon said compressed gas cylinder to protect said valve assembly.

Claim 14

The combination of a comrpressed gas cylinder and a protector cap comprising a compressed gas cylinder of the type including a bottom end portion, an opposite top end portion and a valve assembly carried by the latter, a protector cap of a generally cup-shaped configuration defined by an end wall and a peripheral skirt, said end wall and peripheral skirt defining a chamber within which is received said valve assembly, said peripheral skirt being of a generally frusto-conical configuration and terminating in a peripheral terminal edge portion axially remote from said end wall, a pair of diametrically disposed grooves in said peripheral skirt merging with a groove in said end wall, an aperture in said peripheral terminal edge porton adjacent to and aligned with an associated one of said pair of grooves, and strap means disposed in said grooves, passing through said apertures, and underlying said compressed gas cylinder bottom end portion whereby said protector cap is captively secured upon said compressed gas cylinder to protect said valve assembly.

Claim 15

The combination as defined in claim 11 including a second cap defined by an end panel and a peripheral skirt, said second cap end panel and peripheral skirt defining a second chamber receiving therein the bottom end portion of said comressed gas cylinder, a pair of diametrically disposed grooves in the peripheral skirt of said second cap merging with a groove in the end wall of said second cap, an aperture in said second cap peripheral skirt adjacent to an aligned with an associated one of said pair of grooves of said second cap, and said strap means being additionally respectively disposed in and passing through said grooves and apertures of said second cap.

Claim 16

The combination as defined in claim 11 wherein said valve assembly includes opposite radially outwardly directed portions, said protector cap grooves are defined by inwardly directed ribs, said ribs partially divide said protector cap chamber into a pair of chamber portions, and each of said chamber portions receives one of said valve assembly portions.

Claim 17

The combination as defined in claim 11 wherein said peripheral terminal edge portion includes means for preventing rotation of said combination about its axis when resting upon a supporting surface.

Claim 18

The combination as defined in claim 12 wherein said valve assembly includes opposite radially outwardly directed portions, said protector cap grooves are defined by inwardly directed ribs, said ribs partially divide said protector cap chamber into a pair of chamber portions, and each of said chamber portions receives one of said valve assembly portions.

Claim 19

The combination as defined in claim 12 wherein said peripheral terminal edge portion includes means for preventing rotation of said combination about its axis when resting upon a supporting surface.