Widening the hole is preferred for most, you can also make your own key hole by drilling off to the side of your existing hole and letting them overlap. This is difficult.
Slide-Loc LLC – Quick Release Lever Patent Pending – All Rights Reserved Slide-Loc continues striving to come out with innovative ideas for the aquarium industry, this time to solve a simple and persistent problem. Taking on the meek and humble thumb screw, often a thorn for hobbyists, and replacing it with a patent pending quick release lever that makes maintenance faster & easier among other things.
Some will share the frustration & tedious nature of a thumb screw. Issues often being swelling from moisture, lining up holes, breaking, difficulty tightening / loosening, or inconsistent clamping pressure. Alternatively, Slide-Loc’s lever offers consistent repeatable pressure, reduces gasket wear, no unscrewing, is made of high strength materials, and is easy on hands.
The lever works with existing reactors, either a teardrop keyhole or a retrofit standard hole. The base of the handle has a clever built in hex tool for minor adjustments & screw sizes are available to replace standard US thumb screws as well as international brands (1/4-20, M5, M6, M8 currently). Healthy reef systems are paramount so it’s nice to know it’s made of surgical grade stainless steel & anodized aluminum.
Additionally this lever helps reduce premature gasket failure. Most gaskets reefers use are designed to be compressed without twisting or sliding as with screw tops. This is similar to most scuba diving equipment. It also leverages a method used in aircraft manufacturing, by pulling the stud when clamping instead of rotating there is less strain on parts. Lastly, the lever’s head is wider than typical to disperse pressure and eliminate using a washer.
Manufacturers will appreciate alleviating the need for undersized bulkheads which limits access, providing an alternative to complex machined lids, & better preserving the integrity of the gasket.
Making maintenance faster and easier is the key to keeping our pets happy and healthy.
