Method and tool for assembling an impact resistant gasoline tank

Claim 2

In a method for assemblying an annular body of resiliently deformable material within a circular opening of an automobile fuel tank to provide a seal between said tank and a filler tube slidably axially within said body without destroying the seal, said body having an annular radially outwardly opening sealing groove therein for containing in fluid sealing relationship an annular edge of said tank defining said opening, said groove being defined by axially spaced interior and exterior annular sides, the outer radius of said interior annular side being greater than the outer radius of said exterior annular side, the surface of said interior side confronting said exterior side being engageable with the interior of said tank around said opening in fluid sealing relationship when said seal, tank, and tube are assembled, said body having a tubular sealing portion extending interiorly from said interior side and engageable with the outer periphery of said filler tube in fluid sealing relationship within said tank when said seal, tank, and tube are assembled, said body having an annular radially inwardly opening channel located exteriorly of said radially outwardly opening groove and defined by axially spaced annular sides engageable at their inner peripheries with said outer periphery of said filler tube in fluid sealing relationship exteriorly of said tank when the said seal, tank, and tube are assembled, the last named sides being spaced axially by an annular base of said radially inwardly opening channel having an outer radius less than the outer radius of said interior side, the steps of gripping said body adjacent a peripheral edge portion thereof exteriorly of said exterior side and forcing said resiliently deformable body edgewise and inwardly completely through said opening by deforming said body, thereafter pulling said edge portion of said body outwardly completely through said opening adjacent in edge portion of the latter to force the last named edge portion into said sealing groove and to force the juxtaposed portion of said interior side against the adjacent interior of said tank, thereafter forcing said annular edge of said opening into said sealing groove entirely around said opening and forcing said annular interior side against the interior of said tank entirely around said opening by continuing said pulling on said edge portion of said body to deform and elongate the latter axially until said base of said inwardly opening channel is pulled completely outwardly through said opening.

Claim 3

In the method according to claim 1, the step of providing a tool having radially inner and outer jaws, each having a clamping portion for clamping a section of the base of said inwardly opening channel therebetween, said gripping comprising clamping said section radially between said jaws, said forcing inwardly comprising pushing said jaws completely through said opening with said section clamped between said jaws and with said body following said jaws edgewise, said pulling comprising pulling said jaws outwardly through said opening with said section clamped therebetween and ahead of the major portion of said body.

Claim 4

In the method according to claim 2, dipping said body into a lubricant prior to said forcing to facilitate the latter.

Claim 5

In the method according to claim 3, said pulling also comprising pulling said jaws toward an edge of said opening as well as outwardly and thereafter pulling said jaws outwardly through said opening from adjacent said edge until the latter is sealed within an adjacent portion of said sealing groove.

Claim 6

In the method according to claim 4, said pulling also comprising cocking said tool and the gripped portion of said body as said edge enters said adjacent portion of said sealing groove to urge the diametrically opposite portion of said body outwardly from said tank.

Claim 7

In the method according to claim 5, the clamping portion of said inner jaw being dimensioned to substantially fill said channel at the region of said base and to engage said base and the axially outer side of said channel at said region, and said pulling comprising pulling said base and outer side at said region outwardly through said opening from adjacent said edge.

Claim 8

In the method according to claim 6, each clamping portion comprising a U-shaped member secured at the U-base to its respective jaw and having the ends of its U-arms remote from the U-base spaced a distance less than the diameter of the portion of said body gripped therebetween, said gripping comprising the elongation of said annular body by clamping said section of said base between said U-shaped members.

Claim 9

In a tool for assembling an annular body of resiliently deformable material within a circular opening of an automobile fuel tank to provide a seal between said tank and a filler tube slidably axially within said body without destroying the seal, said body having an annular radially outwardly opening sealing groove therein for containing in fluid sealing relationship an annular edge of said tank defining said opening; said groove being defined by axially spaced interior and exterior annular sides, the outer radius of said interior annular side being greater than the outer radius of said exterior annular side, the surface of said interior side confronting said exterior side being engageable with the interior of said tank around said opening in fluid sealing relationship when said seal, tank, and tube are assembled, said body having a tubular sealing portion extending interiorly from said interior side and engageable with the outer periphery of said filler tube in fluid sealing relationship within said tank when said seal, tank, and tube are assembled, said body having an annular radially inwardly opening channel located exteriorly of said radially outwardly opening groove and defined by axially spaced annular sides engageable at their inner peripheries with said outer periphery of said filler tube in fluid sealing relationship exteriorly of said tank when the said seal, tank, and tube are assembled, the last named sides being spaced axially by an annular base of said radially inwardly opening channel having an outer radius less than the outer radius of said interior side, said tool comprising raidally inner and outer jaws, said outer jaws having a clamping portion engageable with the radially outer surface of a section of said base, said inner jaw having a clamping portion extending radially outwardly toward the first named clamping portion for entering said channel and engaging the radially inner surface of said section in opposition to the first named clamping portion, and means for selectively operating said jaws to clamp said section firmly therebetween or for releasing the latter by withdrawing the radially outwardly extending portion of said inner jaw from said channel, said clamping portion of said inner jaw being dimensioned to engage the base and axially outer side of said channel, said clamping portions comprising a pair of interfitting U-shaped members dimensioned to clamp said section therebetween, each being secured at its U-base to its respective jaw, the ends of the U-arms of each U-shaped member remote from its associated U-base being spaced transversely of the axis of said annular body a distance less than the corresponding spacing of the undeformed portions of said section to be clamped by said ends when said jaws are operated to clamp said section, thereby to elongate said yieldable body when clamped between said clamping portions.

Claim 10

In a tool for assembling an annular body of resiliently deformable material within a circular opening of an automobile fuel tank to provide a seal between said tank and a filler tube slidably axially within said body without destroying the seal, said body having an annular radially outwardly opening sealing groove therein for containing in fluid sealing relationship an annular edge of said tank defining said opening; said groove being defined by axially spaced interior and exterior annular sides, the outer radius of said interior annular side being greater than the outer radius of said exterior annular side, the surface of said interior side confronting said exterior side being engageable with the interior of said tank around said opening in fluid sealing relationship when said seal, tank, and tube are assembled, said body having a tubular sealing portion extending interiorly from said interior side and engageable with the outer periphery of said filler tube in fluid sealing relationship within said tank when said seal, tank, and tube are assembled, said body having an annular radially inwardly opening channel located exteriorly of said radially outwardly opening groove and defined by axially spaced annular sides engageable at their inner peripheries with said outer periphery of said filler tube in fluid sealing relationship exteriorly of said tank when the said seal, tank, and tube are assembled, the last named sides being spaced axially by an annular base of said radially inwardly opening channel having an outer radius less than the outer radius of said interior side, said tool comprising raidally inner and outer jaws, said outer jaws having a clamping portion engageable with the radially outer surface of a section of said base, said inner jaw having a clamping portion extending radially outwardly toward the first named clamping portion for entering said channel and engaging the radially inner surface of said section in opposition to the first named clamping portion, and means for selectively operating said jaws to clamp said section firmly therebetween or for releasing the latter by withdrawing the radially outwardly extending portion of said inner jaw from said channel, said clamping portion of said inner jaw being dimensioned to engage the base and axially outer side of said channel, said clamping portions comprising a pair of interfitting U-shaped members dimensioned to clamp said section therebetween, each being secured at its U-base to its respective jaw, the ends of the U-arms of each U-shaped member remote from its associated U-base being spaced transversely of the axis of said annular body a distance less than the corresponding spacing of the undeformed portions of said section to be clamped by said ends when said jaws are operated to clamp said section, thereby to elongate said yieldable body when clamped between said clamping portions.