I was going through stuff from my dad's estate recently, and I ran across a plastic bag containing twelve of these:
(https://conservativepoliticalforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1103.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fg463%2Ftbone0106%2FTiltiteCaps_zps18562c52.jpg&hash=634dd051ed2747bb0efe55af00bf8fc759040e8a) (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/tbone0106/media/TiltiteCaps_zps18562c52.jpg.html)
Just based on some digging on the internet (Google is my friend as well as my enemy! :tounge:) I'm thinking they're safety caps for lead-acid batteries. I'm getting twitches on uses as diverse as private airplanes and power-chairs, but the strongest click I get is race cars, especially off-road. They seem to consist of a hollow plastic shell, vented top and bottom, with a metal ball or plug inside that slides to allow pressure ventilation under normal operation and block leakage in case the battery is turned over.
Any of you boys ever seen or heard of these things? I have 12 of them brand new, with gaskets.
Quote from: TboneAgain on August 23, 2014, 06:45:30 PM
I was going through stuff from my dad's estate recently, and I ran across a plastic bag containing twelve of these:
(https://conservativepoliticalforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1103.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fg463%2Ftbone0106%2FTiltiteCaps_zps18562c52.jpg&hash=634dd051ed2747bb0efe55af00bf8fc759040e8a) (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/tbone0106/media/TiltiteCaps_zps18562c52.jpg.html)
Just based on some digging on the internet (Google is my friend as well as my enemy! :tounge:) I'm thinking they're safety caps for lead-acid batteries. I'm getting twitches on uses as diverse as private airplanes and power-chairs, but the strongest click I get is race cars, especially off-road. They seem to consist of a hollow plastic shell, vented top and bottom, with a metal ball or plug inside that slides to allow pressure ventilation under normal operation and block leakage in case the battery is turned over.
Any of you boys ever seen or heard of these things? I have 12 of them brand new, with gaskets.
Yep. and they actually work. I sold a load of T-120 Trojan batteries to a golf course that needed about 100 batteries replaced, of course I needed the cores, so when it came time to do the exchange the owner was screaming at his employees to grab those damn caps, they cost me a lot of money.
He swore by them, and the proof was in the cart, no acid, or corrosion, just the minimal gassing that ate some paint from over charging.
And that's not normal in electric golf carts, from all the bouncing around.
I don't know if you can still get those particular ones, but the new and improved versions that recycle eve the gasses, but at twelve bucks a pop, not really worth it.
Hang on to those, and use them, and by all means, avoid maintenance free batteries.
Quote from: Solar on August 23, 2014, 07:58:57 PM
Yep. and they actually work. I sold a load of T-120 Trojan batteries to a golf course that needed about 100 batteries replaced, of course I needed the cores, so when it came time to do the exchange the owner was screaming at his employees to grab those damn caps, they cost me a lot of money.
He swore by them, and the proof was in the cart, no acid, or corrosion, just the minimal gassing that ate some paint from over charging.
And that's not normal in electric golf carts, from all the bouncing around.
I don't know if you can still get those particular ones, but the new and improved versions that recycle eve the gasses, but at twelve bucks a pop, not really worth it.
Hang on to those, and use them, and by all means, avoid maintenance free batteries.
Here's the problem. My caps are threaded, and almost no batteries have threaded cells these days. Most are smooth throats, and the caps just push in.
I'm beginning to think I've just got a dozen anachronisms. What the hell, I'll put 'em on eBay and maybe get a couple bucks.
Quote from: TboneAgain on September 01, 2014, 07:12:58 PM
Here's the problem. My caps are threaded, and almost no batteries have threaded cells these days. Most are smooth throats, and the caps just push in.
I'm beginning to think I've just got a dozen anachronisms. What the hell, I'll put 'em on eBay and maybe get a couple bucks.
I'll be damned. Either they were a specialty item, or they're from the 40s or earlier, maybe even an aircraft or boat.
Hell, they might be worth something to a collector, if not, you're the only guy on the block with threaded battery caps, that must be worth an hours worth of serious discussion over a beer. :biggrin:
Now that I think about it, the only threaded battery tops are motorcycle, or small tractors etc. that I remember ever coming across in the last 30 years.
OK, now you've piqued my curiosity, so I'm doing sum searchyn.. :laugh:
Quote from: Solar on September 01, 2014, 08:34:56 PM
I'll be damned. Either they were a specialty item, or they're from the 40s or earlier, maybe even an aircraft or boat.
Hell, they might be worth something to a collector, if not, you're the only guy on the block with threaded battery caps, that must be worth an hours worth of serious discussion over a beer. :biggrin:
Now that I think about it, the only threaded battery tops are motorcycle, or small tractors etc. that I remember ever coming across in the last 30 years.
OK, now you've piqued my curiosity, so I'm doing sum searchyn.. :laugh:
The photo above is one I pulled off the internet, but it shows the white plastic tops of my caps perfectly, as well as the exact same patent number. Here are two shots that I just took, showing the threads and the rubber washer -- much like a garden hose washer -- that comes with each one. The washers are unmarred and kinda powdery -- absolutely unused.
I've seen other plugs like these with threads, but much finer threads, never this coarse. These caps would turn tight in maybe 1 1/2 turns, or even less.
(https://conservativepoliticalforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1103.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fg463%2Ftbone0106%2FBatteryCaps011_zps30b9d77b.jpg&hash=fbe87dfe2c9f3114748def76f400e6d1a54dec2e) (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/tbone0106/media/BatteryCaps011_zps30b9d77b.jpg.html)
(https://conservativepoliticalforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1103.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fg463%2Ftbone0106%2FBatteryCaps010_zpscc46e7ec.jpg&hash=9bfae6153b737f473d4b4e1d5263cf631fe8433c) (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/tbone0106/media/BatteryCaps010_zpscc46e7ec.jpg.html)
Found this, and as I suspected, around the 40s for aircraft and race cars.
http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/originality-forum/121465-real-faux-g-35-rebat-batteries-how-guide.html (http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/originality-forum/121465-real-faux-g-35-rebat-batteries-how-guide.html)
Quote from: Solar on September 02, 2014, 09:49:51 AM
Found this, and as I suspected, around the 40s for aircraft and race cars.
http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/originality-forum/121465-real-faux-g-35-rebat-batteries-how-guide.html (http://www.clubcobra.com/forums/originality-forum/121465-real-faux-g-35-rebat-batteries-how-guide.html)
LOL! I already found that article -- in fact, that's where I lifted the photo I used in the OP. Based on what that guy said, the caps I have are of a more recent vintage than the ones with the fine threads. Next time I get into town, I'll stop at the NAPA store and show one of these to the old geezer that runs the place. (He's older than me! :scared:) I'll bet he'll have the answer.
Quote from: TboneAgain on September 02, 2014, 12:30:09 PM
LOL! I already found that article -- in fact, that's where I lifted the photo I used in the OP. Based on what that guy said, the caps I have are of a more recent vintage than the ones with the fine threads. Next time I get into town, I'll stop at the NAPA store and show one of these to the old geezer that runs the place. (He's older than me! :scared:) I'll bet he'll have the answer.
Found this patent by Gill battery, the cap resembles the one you have, though I thought your's was older, maybe not.
Click on the pic.
https://encrypted.google.com/patents/US2717610https://encrypted.google.com/patents/US2717610
Quote from: Solar on September 02, 2014, 01:25:08 PM
Found this patent by Gill battery, the cap resembles the one you have, though I thought your's was older, maybe not.
Click on the pic.
https://encrypted.google.com/patents/US2717610https://encrypted.google.com/patents/US2717610
Dead link -- '404 not found.'
Quote from: TboneAgain on September 02, 2014, 01:39:47 PM
Dead link -- '404 not found.'
Weird. Try this one.
https://encrypted.google.com/patents/US2717610
Quote from: Solar on September 02, 2014, 01:25:08 PM
Found this patent by Gill battery, the cap resembles the one you have, though I thought your's was older, maybe not.
Click on the pic.
https://encrypted.google.com/patents/US2717610https://encrypted.google.com/patents/US2717610
Hmm...
404. That's an error.
The requested URL /patents/US2717610https://encrypted.google.com/patents/US2717610 was not found on this server. That's all we know.
Quote from: walkstall on September 02, 2014, 02:51:50 PM
Hmm...
404. That's an error.
The requested URL /patents/US2717610https://encrypted.google.com/patents/US2717610 was not found on this server. That's all we know.
Try reply #9
Quote from: Solar on September 02, 2014, 02:58:30 PM
Try reply #9
Number 9 worked.
https://encrypted.google.com/patents/US2717610
Quote from: Solar on September 02, 2014, 02:46:11 PM
Weird. Try this one.
https://encrypted.google.com/patents/US2717610 (https://encrypted.google.com/patents/US2717610)
That link works. But as you can see by looking at Figure 1 below, the threads on my caps are radically different. I still think mine are a later design, if for no other reason than I know Dad didn't race cars or fly airplanes -- ever. But he did farm starting in the 1970s (thinking tractor battery), and later he had three different powerchairs.
(https://conservativepoliticalforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1103.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fg463%2Ftbone0106%2FVentCapSections_zps9f533999.png&hash=eaa7017bd4bb18d28b8652b8c9e774ec225ecd24) (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/tbone0106/media/VentCapSections_zps9f533999.png.html)
Quote from: TboneAgain on September 02, 2014, 03:09:57 PM
That link works. But as you can see by looking at Figure 1 below, the threads on my caps are radically different. I still think mine are a later design, if for no other reason than I know Dad didn't race cars or fly airplanes -- ever. But he did farm starting in the 1970s (thinking tractor battery), and later he had three different powerchairs.
(https://conservativepoliticalforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1103.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fg463%2Ftbone0106%2FVentCapSections_zps9f533999.png&hash=eaa7017bd4bb18d28b8652b8c9e774ec225ecd24) (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/tbone0106/media/VentCapSections_zps9f533999.png.html)
Most likely, because today's batteries tend to lean toward the least turns possible, like quarter turn locking caps.
I found this pic, showing how they used to be sold, in sets of six. Can't see the threads, but otherwise these appear identical to the ones I have. (Sorry about the glare -- there are as many crappy photographers as there are cameras, I think.)
(https://conservativepoliticalforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1103.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fg463%2Ftbone0106%2FTiltiteBatteryCapDisplay_zpsc971ab1f.jpg&hash=069775545f36c8c58ecb02d206eb24113cfd9ee3) (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/tbone0106/media/TiltiteBatteryCapDisplay_zpsc971ab1f.jpg.html)
Also, here (http://mail.holidays.net/store/Nos-Ford-Autolite-Shelby-Boss-Mustang-24-Battery-Cap-Display-Bb-40_171417226239.html) is a guy trying to sell 24 of these for $260 plus freight.
I think I'll just put six of 'em up for bids on eBay, maybe start 'em at $30/set and see what I get.
Interesting. Definitely has that late 60s early 70s advertising look about it.
Tbone
I sent you a PM.
Regards
Since this post began, I've been getting PMs from folks interested in buying the Tiltite caps in the pictures. Here's an announcement....
I already sold them, and I do not have, nor will I likely obtain, any more of them.
Thanks for the interest! :tounge:
Quote from: TboneAgain on September 15, 2014, 10:04:44 AM
Since this post began, I've been getting PMs from folks interested in buying the Tiltite caps in the pictures. Here's an announcement....
I already sold them, and I do not have, nor will I likely obtain, any more of them.
Thanks for the interest! :tounge:
You got any more of those caps left bro?
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: