US3435991A - Fuel delivery unit with pump switch cut-off - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent U.S. Cl. 222-20 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A fuel delivery unit of the type to be installed at gas stations and the like which can be preset to automatically deliver a selected amount of fuel corresponding to a specified price as, for example, when a customer asks for a quantity of fuel in terms of price.

Summary of the inventory The unit has a pump, a hose and a. nozzle and either contains or is connected to a supply of fuel. The fuel is delivered from the supply under pressure by the pump to the hose for passage through the nozzle.

An on-off valve is connected to the nozzle. The valve has an open position at which fuel can flow through the nozzle. The valve is manually operable between these positions.

The unit has a price meter which can be manually preset to a selected price which corresponds to the delivery of a corresponding quantity of fuel through the nozzle.

The unit is further provided with means responsive to the flow of fuel through the open valve andnozzle to close the valve when the corresponding quantity of fuel has been delivered.

Thus, when a customer asks for a specified quantity of fuel in terms of price, as for example Two dollars worth of high test, he receives exactly two dollars worth. In the absence of our invention, an attendant may start fuel delivery and then undertake other actions such as cleaning Windshields and the like only to discover that the customer has accidentally received an additional quantity of fuel before the delivery of fuel can be cut off. Since the attendant cannot charge for the additional amount, there is a financial loss which the customer will not be responsible for. Hence, our invention eliminates such losses.

Brief description of the drawings In the drawings:

'FIG. 1 is a perspective view of our unit;

FIG. 2 is a cut away side view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail side view of certain of the parts thereof;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the part shown in end view in FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a view through 55 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view through 6-6 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a view through 77 in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 8 is a side view of the nozzle and valve used in our unit.

Detailed description: of preferred embodiment A knob 10 for setting a selected price and disposed on the outside of housing wall 12 is secured by screw 14 into hole 16 in one end of shaft 18. When the knob is pulled, shaft 18 must slide outward. Spring 22 retracts the knob.

Shaft 18 midway between its ends carries a disc 20 disposed thereabout. A first coil spring 22 is disposed about that portion of the shaft 18 between housing wall 12 and disc 20.

The other end of the shaft 18 has an axial bore 24 and a transverse key 26.

A pulley 28 rotatable about its center has a hollow hub with a central slotted seat 33. Shaft 38 extends through clutch plates 34 and 36 as well as pulley 28 and uses shaft 18 as a bearing. Plate 36 and gear 42 are rigidly secured to shaft 18. With the knob in the position shown, plates 34 and 36 are engaged. (When the knob is pulled out these plates are disengaged.) With the knob positioned to engage these plates, there is a small clearance between key 26 and seat 33. Plate 36 is secured to one end of a shaft 38 rotatably supported intermediate its ends by bearing 40. The other end of shaft 38 is secured to a first gear 42 which is coupled to a second gear 44 disposed on shaft 46 which supports three number wheels 48 which are part of conventional price meters of fuel delivery units installed at gas stations. Each such conventional wheel has digits from one to nine disposed circumferentially whereby any price up to $9.99 can be set thereon.

A cable 50 is wound about pulley 28 with one end secured thereto and the other extending vertically downward through a hole 52 in one end of arm 54, the other end of arm 54 being pivot-ally secured to wall 12. The end of cable 50 below the arm is secured to an enlarged plug 56 which in turn is connected by a flexible strand 58 to a switch 60 which turns the pump on and off. The pivotally secured end of arm 54 is connected via linkage 62 to a second cable 64, one end of which is secured to pivot lever 66, the cable 64 extending along hose 68 and being connected at its other end to manual on-oif lever 70 of valve 72 on nozzle 74.

In use, knob 10 is pulled out to disengage plates 34 and 36, engaging key 26 and seat 33 and is turned to preset a selected price, turning pulley 28 to provide a corresponding slack in cable 50. When the pump is turned on, and lever 70 is set to open valve 72, fuel is discharged through the nozzle. Means (not shown) rotates shaft 46 and the member wheels because of the conventional price meter action. Shaft 46 turns gear 44 which rotates gear 42 and shaft 38. The clutch plates 34 and 36 insure that shaft 18 rotates the pulley to tighten cable 50. When the cable is taut, plug 56 bears against the hole carrying end of arm 54, pivoting same to operate linkage 62 and pull cable 64 to move lever 70 to close valve 72. Hence fuel flow through nozzle 74 stops. The knob can be pulled out only after the pump has been reset. The countersunk seat between 0 and 1 holds the knob out. This seat is effectively a protrusion which holds the knob outward. If the knob is pulled out, the valve 72 can be opened manually and fuel can again flow through the nozzle without any preset price control. However, if the knob remains pushed in, and valve 72 is manually opened, additional fuel flow causes cable 50 to become more taut, pulling plug 56 further and opening switch 60 to turn the pump oil: before further cable motion can damage the mechanism.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a fuel delivery unit having a pump, a hose and a nozzle wherein fuel is delivered by said pump to said hose for delivery through said nozzle, in combination,

a price meter which can be manually preset to a selected price which corresponds to delivery of a corresponding quantity of fuel through said nozzle;

an on-off valve connected to said nozzle, said valve having an open position at which fuel can flow through said nozzle and a closed position at which fuel flow through said nozzle is blocked, said valve being manually operable between open and closed positions;

means responsive to the flow of fuel through the open valve and nozzle to close said valve when said corresponding quantity has been delivered; and

additional means actuated when said quantity has been delivered and the meter remains preset and the valve is manually opened to de-energize said pump.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means responsive to the flow of fuel includes a length of cable which is originally slack when the flow of fuel is first initiated and gradually loses slack as the flow continues, said length becoming taut when said corresponding quantity has been delivered, and a linkage operative when said length becomes taut to close said valve.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said valve has a lever which when in one position opens same and when in another position closes same, said linkage including an arm pivoted to one position when the length is slack and to another position when the length is taut, and cable means connecting said arm to said lever to place said lever in said another position when said arm is in its another position.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein said arm is pivotally secured at one end to a fixed surface, the other end of said arm having an opening through which said length of cable passes.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 further including apparatus directly interconnecting the price meter to said responsive means and said additional means to actuate both of said means under direct control of said meter.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,704,619 3/1955 Fraser 222-35 X 3,037,667 6/1962 Chin 22220 3,278,082 10/1966 Thielen et a1 222-20 STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 22275

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