Stopcock and plug retainer therefor

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, A STOPCOCK COMPRISING A VALVE BODY OF GLASS HAVING A TAPERED BORE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH, A TAPERED VALVE MEMBER OF GLASS HAVING A CORRESPONDINGLY FORMED MATING SURFACE SEATED IN SAID BORE FOR ROTATION AND IN SURFACE CONTACT WITH THE WALLS OF SAID BORE, SAID VALVE BODY AND SAID VALVE MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH COMPLEMENTAL DUCT MEANS WHICH PROVIDE FLOW THROUGH THE VALVE WHEN THE PARTS ARE IN ONE POSITION AND THE CONTINUITY OF WHICH DUCT MEANS IS BROKEN WHEN THE PARTS ARE IN A SECOND POSITION, THE SMALL END OF THE VALVE MEMBER PROJECTING FROM THE VALVE BODY AND BEING PROVIDED WITH AN ANNULAR SHOULDER DISPOSED THEREON IN SPACED RELATION TO THE VALVE BODY, AND A GENERALLY DOME SHAPED RESILIENT RETAINER WASHER HAVING AN AXIALLY DISPOSED APERTURE DIMENSIONED TO SNAP OVER SAID ANNULAR SHOULDER ENGAGED UNDER COMPRESSION BETWEEN SAID ANNULAR SHOULDER AND THE BODY MEMBER AND TENDING TO DRAW THE VALVE MEMBER INTO SAID TAPERED BORE TO MAINTAIN THE MATING SURFACES OF THE VALVE MEMBER AND SAID VALVE BODY IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT, SAID RESILIENT RETAINER BEING MADE OF NON-MARRING PLASTIC AND CONSTITUTING THE SOLE MEANS FOR RETAINING THE VALVE MEMBER IN OPERATIVE RELATION WITHIN SAID TAPERED BORE.