Valve having multi-part valve housing

A valve having a multi-part valve housing for insertion into a tank through an opening through a wall of the tank comprising:

• a valve member having a cylindrical wall that has a first outer diameter that is no greater than the diameter of the opening through the wall of the tank whereby the valve member is adapted to be inserted into the tank through the opening through the wall of the tank,
• the valve member including a top wall having an upper collar and a passage that extends through the collar to a lower valve seat,
• a cap member having a flange that has a second outer diameter that is greater than the diameter of the opening through the wall of the tank whereby the flange is adapted to be attached to an exterior surface of the wall,
• the cap member including an annular skirt that fits inside the cylindrical wall of the body member, a lower collar and a passage through the lower collar that extends to an exit above the flange,
• the upper collar and the lower collar cooperating to form a sealed passage from the valve seat to the exit when the cap member is coupled to the valve member, and
• means for coupling the cap member to the valve member including a circumferential key way in the annular skirt of the cap member,
• a radial lug on the cylindrical wall of the valve member that extends radially inwardly and is engaged in a coupling position in the key way of the cap member by rotating the cap member relative to the valve member, and
• means for retaining the radial lug in the coupling position in the circumferential key way.

A snag-proof arrangement for coupling a first member to a second member comprising:

• the first member having a cylindrical wall that has a first outer diameter,
• the second member having a flange that has a second outer diameter that is greater than the first outer diameter of the first member and an annular skirt that fits inside the cylindrical wall of the first member,
• a circumferential key way in the annular skirt of the second member,
• a radial lug on the cylindrical wall of the first member that extends radially inwardly and is engaged in a coupling position in the key way of the second member by rotating the second member relative to the first member, and
• means for retaining the radial lug in the coupling position in the circumferential key way.

A coupling mechanism for acting upon two members in a radial, an axial and a tangential plane, comprising:

• a first member cooperatively engageable upon a second member,
• the first member having a key-way that has an axial entrance portion and a circumferential terminal portion,
• the second member having a retention lug and a resilient locking element that are cooperatively engageable with the key-way,
• the retention lug being engageable with the terminal portion of the key-way and the resilient locking element being resiliently and selectively engageable with a wall portion of the entrance portion of the key-way to secure the first and second members together and to prevent relative rotation of the first member relative to the second member,
• the resilient locking element being relaxed when the first and second members are secured together and being stressed while the first member is being secured to or released from the second member;
• and
• depression of the resilient locking element being necessary while the first member is being secured to or released from the second member.

A valve coupling mechanism for acting upon two members in a radial, an axial, and a tangential plane, comprising:

• a first member cooperatively engageable upon a second member;
• the first member having a plurality of L-shaped key-ways that have entrance ends and terminal ends;
• the second member having a plurality of lugs that are engageable with the terminal ends of the plurality of key-ways to secure the first member relative to the second member axially and in one rotational direction, and
• the second member having a plurality of resilient fingers that are resiliently and selectively engageable with wall portions of the entrance ends of the plurality of key-ways to secure the first-member to the second member in an opposite rotational direction.