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A vent cap system includes a top plate, a center stem assembly, a retainer assembly attached to the top plate, a bottom plate, a flange assembly with a connection end for installation on a suction pile and a plurality of perimeter stem assemblies. The center stem assembly extends from the top plate,

A vent cap system includes a top plate, a center stem assembly, a retainer assembly attached to the top plate, a bottom plate, a flange assembly with a connection end for installation on a suction pile and a plurality of perimeter stem assemblies. The center stem assembly extends from the top plate, through threaded engagement to the retainer assembly, and to the bottom plate. Rotation of the center stem assembly moves the bottom plate between opened and closed positions, relative to the top plate and flange assembly. The perimeter stem assemblies hold the relative position of the top plate to the flange assembly, and the bottom plate seals against the flange assembly, when the system is in the closed position. The bottom plate has a bottom alignment pin to assure alignment of the bottom plate to the flange assembly for any orientation of the vent cap system.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A vent cap system, comprising: a top plate having a center top plate hole;a center stem assembly being comprised of a center stem handle, and a threaded center stem bolt body, said center stem handle being mounted on an end of said threaded center stem bolt body above said top plate, said threade

1. A vent cap system, comprising: a top plate having a center top plate hole;a center stem assembly being comprised of a center stem handle, and a threaded center stem bolt body, said center stem handle being mounted on an end of said threaded center stem bolt body above said top plate, said threaded center stem bolt body extending through said top plate;retainer assembly being comprised of a nut retainer plate with a retainer center hole, and a stem nut contained in said retainer center hole, said stem assembly threadedly engages said nut retainer plate in said retainer center hole;a bottom plate being comprised of a stem retainer, a bottom alignment pin and a sealing means, said stem retainer being centered on a top surface of said bottom plate and removably attached to a terminal end of said threaded center stem bolt body, said bottom alignment pin being in alignment with said threaded center stem bolt body and said center top plate hole and extending downward from a bottom surface of said bottom plate, said sealing means being on an outer circumference of said bottom plate;a flange assembly having a connection end and a flanged end, said connection end being oriented adjacent a suction pile for installation, said flanged end facing said bottom plate, wherein said flanged end removably engages said bottom plate, and wherein said flange assembly is comprised of a rod guide disposed within said flange assembly toward the connection end, said rod guide being comprised of a frame with a center frame hole aligned with said bottom alignment pin; anda plurality of perimeter stem assemblies, each perimeter stem assembly being arranged on a perimeter of flanged end of said flange assembly so as to maintain position of said top plate relative to said flange assembly during raising and lowering of said bottom plate between an opened position and a closed position. 2. The vent cap system, according to claim 1, wherein said center stem handle is comprised of gripping members and a housing cover, and wherein a portion of said threaded center stem bolt body above said top plate is disposed within said housing cover. 3. The vent cap system, according to claim 1, wherein said stem nut is threaded and in threaded engagement with said threaded center stem bolt body. 4. The vent cap system, according to claim 1, said retainer assembly further comprising: an eye nut having an eye nut handle and threaded eye nut body, said nut retainer plate having an eye nut hole, said threaded eye nut body extending through said eye nut hole. 5. The vent cap system, according to claim 4, wherein said eye nut handle mounts on a top side of said top plate, said top plate being positioned between said handle and said retainer assembly. 6. The vent cap system, according to claim 1, wherein said stem retainer is comprised of a flange piece in removable threaded engagement to said top surface of said bottom plate and in friction fit engagement to said terminal end of said threaded center stem bolt body. 7. The vent cap system, according to claim 1, said bottom alignment pin being made integral with said bottom plate. 8. The vent cap system, according to claim 1, wherein said sealing means comprises an O-ring on an outer circumference of said bottom plate. 9. The vent cap system, according to claim 8, wherein said sealing means comprises a plurality of O-rings, each O-ring being adjacent to another O-ring on an outer circumference of said bottom plate. 10. The vent cap system, according to claim 8, wherein said flanged end sealingly engages said bottom plate, wherein said 0-ring on said bottom plate forms a seal with said flanged end of said flange assembly. 11. The vent cap system, according to claim 1, further comprising: at least one pipe plug placed in said flanged end of said flange assembly, said at least one pipe plug forming a port for testing O-ring seals between said bottom plate and said flanged end. 12. The vent cap system, according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of rod guide mounts attach to an interior of said flange assembly to fix said rod guide in position within said flange assembly. 13. The vent cap system, according to claim 1, wherein said center frame hole is aligned with said bottom alignment pin of said bottom plate so as to insert said bottom alignment pin back and forth through said center frame hole. 14. The vent cap system, according to claim 13, wherein said frame is comprised of an outer rim, an inner rim forming said center frame hole, and a plurality of elongate members connecting inner rim to outer rim. 15. The vent cap system, according to claim 1, wherein each perimeter stem assembly is comprised of perimeter stem handle, perimeter stem bolt body, retaining screw, and a spacer, said spacer maintaining a position of said top plate relative to said flange assembly. 16. The vent cap system, according to claim 15, wherein each perimeter stem assembly has said perimeter stem bolt body with perimeter stem handle on one end, said perimeter stem handle being mounted above said top plate, said perimeter stem bolt body extending from said perimeter stem handle through said top plate. 17. The vent cap system, according to claim 15, wherein each perimeter stem assembly has said perimeter stem bolt body with an engagement end in threaded engagement with said flange assembly, said engagement end opposite said one end with said handle. 18. A method of forming a suction pile assembly with a vent cap system according to claim 1, said suction pile assembly being comprised of a generally cylindrical body with a top pile surface with vent holes on a closed end and a skirt on an opened end, said method of forming comprising the steps of: covering a vent hole on a top pile surface with the vent cap system by placement of the connection end in alignment with said vent hole;separating the perimeter stem assemblies from the flanged end of the flange assembly so as to separate the top plate, center stem assembly, retainer assembly, and bottom plate from the flange assembly;making said connection end of said flange assembly integral with said closed end of said suction pile assembly;re-engaging the perimeter stem assemblies to the flanged end of the flange assembly, said bottom alignment pin inserting through said center frame hole of said rod guide in said flange assembly so as to align said bottom plate and said flange assembly; andactuating said threaded center stem bolt body between an opened position and a closed position of the vent cap system. 19. The method of forming a suction pile assembly with a vent cap system, according to claim 18, wherein said vent cap system is in an opened position during the step of separating the top plate, center stem assembly, retainer assembly, and said bottom plate from the flange assembly and during the step of re-engaging the perimeter stem assemblies to the flanged end of the flange assembly. 20. The method of forming a suction pile assembly with a vent cap system, according to claim 18, wherein the step of actuating said threaded center stem bolt body lowers said bottom plate to engage said flanged end of said flange assembly, said vent cap system being in a closed position, forming a seal with said sealing means on said bottom plate.