Claims
- 1. In an apparatus for removing a stopper from a container, said apparatus being of the type including a gas cylinder for the storage of gas under pressure, hollow needle means for piercing the stopper and injecting gas into the container thereby to pressurize the container and eject the stopper, and gas passage means for establishing a gas flow path from the gas cylinder to said hollow needle means, the improvement of pressure actuated valve assembly means comprising:
- A. valve body means interposed in the gas passage means, said valve body means including:
- i. valve seat means formed in one portion of said valve body means for defining a valve body sealing surface, and
- ii. valve body passage means for conveying gas from said valve seat means to said hollow needle means,
- B. piston-driven valve means for controlling the flow of gas under pressure from the gas cylinder to the hollow needle means, said piston-driven valve means having:
- i. actuator stem means extending through said valve body passage means to terminate at a free end, said actuator stem means guiding said valved means between sealing and open positions, and
- ii. piston means connected to the other end of said actuator stem means, said piston means being located upstream of and overlying substantially all of said valve seat means,
- c. sealing means carried on said actuator stem means for being interposed between said piston means and said valve seat means for effecting a seal with said valve seat means, and
- D. actuator means for engaging said free end of said actuator stem means to move said valve means to an open position whereby the gas passes through said gas passage means to the hollow needle means, said valve means being moved to the sealing position when said actuator means is released, gas pressure acting on said piston means providing the dominant force for displacing said piston toward said valve seat means and producing a seal by forcing said piston means and said sealing means against said valve seat means.
- 2. A stopper removing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said gas cylinder includes a seal for maintaining the gas under pressure in storage and said valve body means additionally comprises:
- (1) gas cylinder piercing means spaced from said valve seat means for piercing the gas cylinder seal, and
- (2) input port means for conducting gas, under pressure, from the gas cylinder and said gas cylinder piercing means to a gas reservoir defined by said valve body means, said valve seat means and said gas cylinder piercing means.
- 3. A stopper removing apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said actuator stem means extends through valve body means to engage said actuator means and includes:
- (1) an extension on the end of said actuator stem means proximate said actuator means that is slidable in said valve body means and
- (2) sealing means operative with said extension to effect a seal between gas reservoir and the atmosphere prevent the escape of gas to the atmosphere.
- 4. A stopper removing apparatus as recited in claim 2 additionally comprising biasing means acting on said piston means for maintaining said piston in sealing position when the gas reservoir is at atmospheric pressure.
- 5. A stopper removing apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said biasing means comprises spring means in said gas reservoir means.
- 6. A stopper removing apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein the gas cylinder has a thin seal at the exit thereof, said stopper removing apparatus additionally comprising push rod means in said gas cylinder piercing means and contacted by said piston means for clearing the gas path to said gas cylinder piercing means in response to movement of said actuator means and said piston means.
- 7. A stopper removing apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said actuator means includes:
- (1) a pivot in said housing external to and displaced from said valve body means, and
- (2) actuating button means mounted on said pivot means, including a surface for engaging said actuator stem means and,
- (3) bias means to force said actuating button means to a first position whereby said actuating button can be pivoted to a second position that causes said surface to engage said extension and displaces said valve means thereby allowing gas to transfer to the needle means.
- 8. A stopper removing apparatus as recited in claim 1, additionally comprising pressure relief means in the housing including a relief passage from said gas passage means adjacent needle means to the atmosphere and a pressure relief valve means in said relief passage.
- 9. An apparatus for removing a stopper from a container of the type that uses gas under pressure to eject the stopper, said removal apparatus including:
- A. a first housing,
- B. valve body means in said first housing including a first end with an aperture therethrough and a second open end, said first end defining a valve seat at the inner surface thereof adjacent said aperture, said second end securing a gas cylinder to said valve body means,
- C. input port means mounted in said valve body means and spaced from said first and second ends of said valve body means for piercing a gas cylinder and conducting gas from the cylinder through an aperture in said input port means to a gas reservoir defined by said valve body means between said input port means and said first end,
- D. piston-driven valve means for controlling the flow of gas under pressure from the gas cylinder through the aperture in said first end of said valve body means, said piston-driven valve means having piston means disposed in said gas reservoir and actuator stem means extending from said piston means through the aperture in said first end of said valve body means thereby to guide said valve means between an open position and a sealing position,
- E. sealing means carried on said actuator stem means in said gas reservoir between said piston means and said valve seat means,
- F. means for providing a sliding seal between said actuator stem means and said valve body means, the input of said gas passage means being located between said piston means and said sliding seal means,
- G. actuator means for applying an opening force to said actuator stem means outside said gas reservoir for moving said valve means to an open position whereby gas passes from said reservoir through said valve body means, said valve means moving to the sealing position when the opening force from said actuator means terminates, gas pressure in said gas reservoir acting on said piston means for producing the sole force that displaces said valve means to the sealing position and produces a seal by forcing said piston means and said sealing means against said valve seat means,
- H. gas cylinder means including:
- i. a hollow cylinder for storing the gas under pressure with means for engaging said securing means,
- ii. an exit port for said gas including a seal formed there across prior to use of said cylinder,
- iii. a sealing member mounted to said cylinder means adjacent said exit port, said sealing member preventing the escape of gas from said cylinder means when said piercing means breaks exit said port seal,
- I. a second housing being detachably mounted to said first housing and including:
- i. a first portion surrounding the gas cylinder and communicating with said gas passages,
- ii. a transverse wall with a gas exit port therethrough,
- iii. pressure relief means for exhausting the volume around said cylinder,
- iv. hollow needle means connected at a first end to the exit port for passing through a stopper and conducting gas under pressure into the container through a second end of said needle means thereby to force the stopper out of the container,
- v. open-ended cylindrical cover means connected to said first end of said needle means and extending coaxially with said needle means, said cover means inclduing longitudinal slots formed therein,
- vi. disk means having a central aperture for receiving said needle means and inclduing means for engaging the slots in said cover,
- vii. capture means mounted to said cover means at the open end thereof to capture said disk means, the longitudinal dimension of said cover means and said capture means exceeding the length of said needle means,
- vii. spring means mounted in said cover and bringing said disk means toward said capture means, said capture means being positioned as said disk means normally covers the second end of said needle means.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation of my application Ser. No. 07/278,980, now abandoned filed Dec. 1, 1988, which was a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 07/222,163, filed July 21, 1988, which was a continuation of my original application Ser. No. 07/002,871, now abandoned filed Jan. 13, 1987.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Continuations (2)
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278980 |
Dec 1988 |
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2871 |
Jan 1987 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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222163 |
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