Comprehensive coolant system tester

Claim 2

A comprehensive automotive cooling system testing apparatus for testing all of the portions of said system, including the radiator filler cap, radiator, an engine block cooling passage portions of said system, not withstanding variations in radiator hose diameter or the like, said apparatus comprising: master pressurization test means for selectively pressurizing said portions with air, said master test means including a central open chamber, means for connecting a source of pressurized air to said central open chamber, said means including a coupling for connecting said chamber to said portion under test, means for visually observing the level of pressure within said portion, and means for releasing said pressure from said portion, whereby the integrity of said portion is determined by the level of pressure said portion will withstand without leaking; adapting means for securing to said coupling and for attaching said pressurizing means to said radiator filler cap portion of said system; means for testing said radiator, with said radiator disconnected from said block via said radiator hoses, said testing means including stepped plug means for sealing at least one of said radiator hoses; and means for testing said block with said radiator disconnected, said means including stepped hollow cylindrical means for coupling said master test means to one of said hoses; whereby a single master test means may be selectively employed to separately test (1) the filler cap (2) the entire coolant system excluding the filler cap, (3) the radiator and (4) the engine block.

Claim 3

A cooling system testing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for connecting pressurized air comprises: coupling cap means for selectively engaging in sealing relation said adapting means or said means for testing said radiator; spring-biased air inlet valve means for allowing pressurized air to enter said portion under test from an external source of air and for preventing air from escaping from said portion when said source of pressurized air is removed; and air conduit means, including a central air chamber and connected to said cap means and containing said air inlet valve means, for passing air from said inlet valve means into said portion of said system under test through said cap means and for connecting said means for visually observing said level of pressure to said portion.

Claim 4

A cooling system testing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for visually observing said level of pressure comprises a Bourdon-type low pressure gauge connected to said air conduit means.

Claim 5

A cooling system testing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for releasing pressure from said portion of said cooling system under test comprises: manually operable spring-biased valve means, attached to said air conduit means, for releasing pressure from said portion upon the manual application of a force against said valve means; and automatic spring-biased valve means, mounted in said cap means and disposed toward said portion of said cooling system under test, for automatically relieving pressure from said portion when said pressure reaches a predetermined level, thereby preventing damage to said portion.

Claim 6

A cooling system testing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said adapting means comprises: a hollow flanged tube sealingly connectable between said cap means and said radiator cap portion of said cooling system.

Claim 7

A cooling system testing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for testing said radiator comprises: a solid, cylindrical plug having a plurality of adjacent sections of decreasing diameter, said plug being insertable into one of said radiator hoses to seal said hose, with said master pressuring test means being inserted into the other of said hoses.

Claim 8

A pressure testing device as defined in claim 6, wherein said pressurizing means comprises: gauge means for visually observing said level of pressure; air inlet means for connecting a source of pressurized air to said cooling system; manual pressure relief means for manually releasing pressure from said cooling system; automatic pressure relief means for automatically releasing pressure from said cooling system when said pressure reaches a predetermined level; and means for coupling all aforesaid means to said radiator hose.

Claim 9

A pressure testing device as defined in claim 7, wherein said coupling means comprises: a hollow cylindrical member having a plurality of adjacent sections of decreasing diameter, said member being inserted into said radiator hose and sealing said hose; cap means, containing said automatic pressure release means, for sealingly engaging said cylindrical member; air conduit means, connected between said cap means and said gauge means and containing said air inlet means and said manual pressure relief means, for passing air from said inlet means into said cooling system through said cap and said cylindrical member and for connecting said gauge means to said cooling system.

Claim 10

A pressure testing device as defined in claim 8, wherein said automatic pressure release means comprises: a spring-biased valve member mounted within said cap means and disposed toward said cylindrical member, whereby, when pressure in said cooling system reaches a predetermined level, said valve opens and maintains said pressure at said predetermined level.

Claim 11

A pressure testing device as defined in claim 9, wherein said automatic pressure relief valve opens when said pressure reaches approximately 25 lbs. per square inch.

Claim 12

A pressure testing device as defined in claim 7, wherein said gauge means comprises: a Bourdon-type low pressure gauge.

Claim 13

A pressure testing device as defined in claim 8, wherein said air inlet means comprises: spring-biased valve means, connected to said air conduit means, for allowing pressurized air to enter said air conduit means from an external source of pressurized air and for preventing pressurized air from leaving said conduit means when said external source of pressurized air is removed.

Claim 14

A pressure testing device as defined in claim 8, wherein said manual pressure relief means comprises: a manually-operable spring-biased valve connected to said air passage means and disposed to allow air to escape from said air conduit means only upon the application of a manual force to said valve.

Claim 15

A cooling system testing apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said means for testing said block comprises: a hollow cylindrical member having a plurality of adjacent sections of decreasing diameter and adapted to connect to said cap means, said member being insertable into said one of said radiator hoses to sealingly connect said pressurizing means to said radiator hose.

Claim 16

A pressure testing system as defined in claim 1 wherein said master test means includes a cap having a configuration similar to that of the radiator filler cap; and wherein said stepped hollow cylindrical means includes a coupling configuration similar to that of the radiator mouth.

Claim 19

A pressure testing device as defined in claim 16, wherein said means for connecting pressurized air to said cooling system comprises: a hollow cylindrical member having a plurality of adjacent sections of decreasing diameter, said member being inserted into said remaining radiator hose to seal said hose; cap means for sealingly engaging said cylindrical member; spring-biased air inlet valve means for allowing pressurized air to enter said device from an external source of air and for preventing air from escaping said device when said source of pressurized air is removed; air conduit means, connected between said cap means and said means for visually observing said level of pressure and containing said spring-biased air inlet valve means, for passing air from said inlet valve means into said cooling system through said cylindrical member and said cap means and for connecting said means for visually observing said level of pressure to said cooling system.

Claim 20

A pressure testing device as defined in claim 16, wherein said means for visually observing said level of pressure in said cooling system comprises: a Bourdon-type low pressure gauge.

Claim 21

A pressure testing device as defined in claim 16, wherein said means for releasing pressure in said cooling system comprises: manually operable spring-biased valve means, attached to said air conduit means, for releasing pressure from said cooling system upon the manual application of a force to said valve means; and automatic spring-biased valve means, mounted in said cap means, and disposed toward said cylindrical member, for automatically relieving pressure from said cooling system when said pressure reaches a predetermined level in order to prevent damage to said cooling system, said level being determined by said spring-bias.

Claim 22

A pressure testing device as defined in claim 19, wherein said predetermined level is approximately 25 lbs. per square inch.

Claim 25

A pressure testing device as defined in claim 21, wherein said plug means comprises: a solid, cylindrical plug having a plurality of adjacent sections of decreasing diameter, said plug being inserted into said radiator hose to seal said hose, said diameters allowing said plug to be used with hoses of various size.

Claim 26

A comprehensive automotive cooling system testing apparatus for testing all portions of said system, including the radiator filler cap, radiator and engine block cooling passage portions of said system, notwithstanding variations in radiator hose diameter or the like, said apparatus comprising: (a) a pressurizing device for selectively pressurizing one or all of said portions of said cooling system, said pressurizing device including (i) a flanged cap, (ii) a spring-biased air inlet valve for allowing pressurized air to enter said device from an external source of air and for preventing air from escaping from said device when said external source of pressurized air is removed, (iii) a low-pressure gauge for monitoring the level of pressure within said portion of said cooling system being tested, and (iv) an air conduit, interconnecting said cap, said air valve, and said gauge, for passing air from said inlet valve to said gauge and to said portion of said system under test through said cap, whereby the integrity of said portion is determined by the level of pressure said portion will withstand without leaking, said pressurizing device being directly connectable to the filling neck of a radiator to test said radiator; (b) a hollow flanged adapting tube sealingly connectable between said cap and said radiator cap portion of said cooling system, said flanged cap thereby allowing said pressurizing device to test said radiator cap; (c) a stepped plug for sealing one of said radiator hoses to allow said pressurizing device to test said radiator, with said radiator disconnected from said engine block via said radiator hoses; and (d) a stepped flanged cylinder for coupling said pressurizing device to said engine block with said radiator disconnected.

Claim 27

A comprehensive automotive cooling system testing apparatus for testing all portions of said system, including the radiator filler cap, radiator and engine block cooling passage portions of said system, notwithstanding variations in radiator hose diameter or the like, said apparatus comprising: (a) a pressurizing device for selectively pressurizing one or all of said portions of said cooling system, said pressurizing device including (i) a flanged cap, (ii) a spring-biased air inlet valve for allowing pressurized air to enter said device from an external source of air and for preventing air from escaping from said device when said external source of pressurized air is removed, (iii) a low-pressure gauge for monitoring the level of pressure within said portion of said cooling system being tested, and (iv) an air conduit, interconnecting said cap, said air valve, and said gauge, for passing air from said inlet valve to said gauge and to said portion of said system under test through said cap, whereby the integrity of said portion is determined by the level of pressure said portion will withstand without leaking, said pressurizing device being directly connectable to the filling neck of a radiator to test said radiator; (b) a hollow flanged adapting tube sealingly connectable between said cap and said radiator cap portion of said cooling system, said flanged cap thereby allowing said pressurizing device to test said radiator cap; (c) a stepped plug for sealing one of said radiator hoses to allow said pressurizing device to test said radiator, with said radiator disconnected from said engine block via said radiator hoses; and (d) a stepped flanged cylinder for coupling said pressurizing device to said engine block with said radiator disconnected.

Claim 28

A comprehensive automotive cooling system testing apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein said pressurizing device further comprises: a manually operable spring-biased valve attached to said air conduit, for releasing pressure from said portion of said system under test upon the manual application of a force against said valve; and an automatic spring-biased valve, mounted in said cap, for automatically relieving pressure from said portion when said pressure reaches a predetermined level, thereby preventing damage to said portion.

Claim 29

A comprehensive automotive cooling system apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein: said hollow cylindrical member includes a plurality of adjacent sections of decreasing diameter and a flange adapted to connect to said cap, said cylindrical member being insertable into one of said radiator hoses to sealingly connect said pressurizing device to said radiator hose; and said stepped plug includes a plurality of adjacent sections of decreasing diameter, said plug being inserted into the other of said radiator hoses to seal said hose.