Gasket removal and venting tool
AssigneeStrato, Inc.
InventorsMichael J. Foxx, Edgardo Jimenez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tool, method and system are provided adapted to remove a gasket from a glad hand fitting, and also to vent pressurized air from between two coupled glad hand fittings. A tool is provided with an angled tool head, adapted to be received in a glad hand fitting and to be positioned against a surface of the guard arm of the glad hand. The tip of the tool head is positioned against the gasket and the tool is pivoted against the glad hand to bias the gasket out of the recess in the glad hand fitting.
Claims17
A tool for removing a gasket from a recess in a glad hand connector of a railway car brake line, comprising, in one piece:
- a handle;
- a first shank contiguous with the handle;
- a second shank contiguous with the first shank and forming a first angle of 0-90 degrees with the first shank;
- a tool head having about the same width as the second shank, being thinner than the second shank, and having a tip and at least two tines separated by an air release slit and forming a second angle of 35-65 degrees with the second shank;
- a step contiguous with and joining the tool head and the second shank;
- the second shank and the step forming a curved bottom surface adapted to be slidingly positioned against the guard arm of a glad hand;
- wherein the length of the tool head from the tip of the tool head to the curved surface extends from the top edge of the recess in the glad hand to the surface of the guard arm of the glad hand.
A method for venting air under pressure between two coupled glad hand fittings, comprising the steps of:
- inserting a tool between two adjacent gaskets received in two respective coupled glad hand fittings, wherein the tool has a handle, a first shank contiguous with the handle, a second shank contiguous with the first shank and forming a first angle of 0-90 degrees with the first shank, a tool head having about the same width as the second shank and forming a second angle of 35-65 degrees with the second shank, and a step contiguous with and joining the tool head and the second shank, the tool head being thinner than the second shank, and having a tip with a chamfered edge and at least two tines separated by an air release slit having a length of 0.625 inch or greater;
- placing the tool so that one end of the air release slit is on the inside of the glad hand fittings while an opposed end of the air release slit is on the outside of the fittings until pressurized air is vented between the coupled glad hand fittings.
A system for removing a gasket from a glad hand and gasket combination, comprising:
- a glad hand having a recess to receive a gasket and a guard arm having a sidewall surface;
- a gasket secured in the recess of the glad hand and having a planar mating surface extending beyond a top edge of the recess;
- and
- a gasket removal tool comprising, in one piece:
- a handle;
- a first shank contiguous with the handle;
- a second shank contiguous with the first shank and forming a first angle of 0-90 degrees with the first shank;
- a tool head having about the same width as the second shank, being thinner than the second shank, and having a tip and having at least two tines separated by an air release slit, and forming a second angle of 35-65 degrees with the second shank;
- a step contiguous with and joining the tool head and the second shank;
- the second shank and the step forming a curved bottom surface adapted to be slidingly positioned against the sidewall surface of the guard arm;
- the guard arm of the glad hand having a sidewall surface contacting the curved bottom surface of the tool, so that applying downward force on the handle of the tool causes the curved bottom surface to slide along the sidewall surface of the guard arm, pivoting the tool and biasing the gasket inward and out of the recess.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.