US1525861A

US1525861A - Check valve for liquid-fuel tanks

Info

Publication number: US1525861A
Application number: US609245A
Authority: US
Inventors: John B Franklin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1922-12-27
Filing date: 1922-12-27
Publication date: 1925-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 1942-02-10

Description

Feb. 10. 1925. 1,525,861

J; B. FRANKLIN GIIECK VALVE FOR LIQUID FUEL TANKS Filed Dec. 27. 1922 $7 Quota mg:

Patented Feb. ltd, 1925.

JOHN B. FR-ANKLEN, OFPARKERTON,WYQMING.

CHECK VALVE FOR LIQUID-FUEL TANKS.

Application filed December 27, 1922. Serial No. 603,245.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. FRANKLIN, citizen of the United States, residing at Parkerton, in the county of Converse and State oi Wyoming, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check Valves for Liquid-Fuel Tanks,of which the following is a specification.

Ely invention relates to improvements in check valves used in the air vents of liquid fuel tanks and more particularly to a check valve for use in the gasoline tanks of cars.

The caps or covers for the filling openings in such tanks are usually provided with a small vent for admitting air into the tank to replace the drained of? gasoline during the running of the automobile.

It is a well known fact that a considerable amount of gasoline splashes out through these vents and collects on the top of the tank. This gasoline gradually evaporates and spreads a disagreeable odor, not to mention the danger of fire in case a match or other open light is held near the tank. Aside from the splashing out of the gasoline through this vent,'the gases collecting in the top of the tank will escape through the vent and provide source of danger from fire, as well as producing an unpleasant odor.

One object of the present invention is to obviate this danger of fire and the spreading of the odor from the evaporated gasoline by the provision of a suitable check valve to be inserted in the vent.

The provision of this check valve also tends to save gasoline, which is otherwise lost through the vent, and the advantages of having a check valve of this character for gasoline tanks are accordingly the prevention of fire and the saving of gasoline.

In the accompanying drawing, one embodiment is illustrated, and

Figure 1 shows a fragmentary perspective view of a gasoline tank with my check valve in position;

Figure 2 is a vertical axial section of the check valve, together with the related parts of the tank; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal section along line 3-8 of Figure 2.

In the drawing reference numeral 10 represents a gasoline tank of the usual construction, provided with a cylindrical portion 11, having a filling opening 12. This cylindrical portion has external threads 18 for a cover 11, fitting over the same and having correspondingthreads for closing the opening. In order to receive the check valve 15, the vent 16in the center of the cover 1a is threaded to correspond with the threads on a shank 1'? formed at the lower ene 01": the barrel 18 of the checkvalve 15. The upper end of the barrel 18 has a threaded portion 19, which is of smaller diameter than the barrel itself and adapted to engage the correspondingly threaded lower end or a cap 20. The outside diameters of the cap 20 and the barrel 18 coincide, so that when the cap is screwed down upon the barrel, they provide a smooth surface. The top of the cap 20 is rounded and a small vent 21 is drilled axially through the cap 20 and in alinement therewith, the lower vent 22 being drilled through the barrel 18 and its shank 17.

An enlarged chamber 23 is formed at the inner ends of the vents in the barrel 18 and the cap 20, and in this chamber is inserted a small valve plunger 24, which fits loosely in the chamber, but is adapted to be seated against the upper end of the chamber in the cap 20, so as to close the vent 21 when in this position. The plunger has a small wart or lug 25 on the under side adapted to engage the upper end or" a compression spring 26, seated against the plunger 2%. The lower end of the spring 26 rests on the bottom of the chamber 23. In this manner, when the plunger 24 is pressed upwardly by the spring 26 to close the vent 21, with the parts assembled, the strength of the spring is so selected that, when the internal pressure in the tank becomes less than atmospheric, the plunger will descend slightly in the chamber, thereby permitting atmospheric air to enter the vent 21 and pass by the plunger 2 1 through the lower vent 22 into the tank 10.

It will now be evident that, when the tank is partly or completely full and the cover 1 1 screwed down over the filling opening 12, and with the check valve 15 in position in the cover, there is no chance for escape of gases collected in the tank through the vent 21, unless the pressure within the tank is less than the pressure without. Accordingly, as long as the automobile is standing still there will be no escape of gases through this vent.

When the car is set in motion and gasoline is fed from the tank into the engine, a suction will be set up within the tank which gradually will overcome the strength of the spring 26 and lower the plunger 24: when a certain quantity of atmospheric air will enter the vent 21 to replace the drained ofl' gasoline. The only chance for gasoline to splash through the vent is prevented by the intercepting plunger 24, so that, should any gasoline run up through the vent 22 into the chamber 23, it will return into the tank as there is no chance for it to pass the plunger 24.

In this manner all danger of fire is prevented; no bad odor will be found around the tank and a saving of gasoline will be the consequence.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

A check valve of the class described com tending shank and a downwardly extending shank, said downwardly extending shank being firmly secured in the filling cover of a fluid tank, a cap for said barrel having threaded engagement with said upwardly extending shank, a smooth bored chamber being formed in said valve extending with one end into the barrel and with the other end into the cap, vents being provided in said barrel and said cap connecting said chamber with the interior of the tank and with the atmosphere respectively, a fiat faced valve seat being formed around the vent in the cap, a flat faced, cylindrical plunger slidab-ly arranged in said chamber, and a yieldable element tending to press the plunger over the vent against the flat faced seat to close the same.

In testimony whereof I affix my signa ture.

JOHN B. FRANKLIN. [1,. s]