US1638189A

US1638189A - Liquid-vending device

Info

Publication number: US1638189A
Application number: US579792A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pont Francis I Du
Original assignee: DELAWARE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
Current assignee: DELAWARE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING; DELAWARE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Co
Priority date: 1922-08-05
Filing date: 1922-08-05
Publication date: 1927-08-09
Anticipated expiration: 1944-08-09

Description

Aug. 9,1927.

F. l. DU PONT LIQUID VENDING DEVICE Filed AuiZ. 5, 1922 anc/6], du 73,7/

Patented Aug. 9, 1927.( Y

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l`

FRANCIS I. DU PONT, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOB TO DELAWARE Cnn- CAL EN GINEEBING COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION Ol' DELAWARE.

LIQUID-VENDING DEVICE.

Application led August 5, 1982. Serial No. 579,782.

This invention relates to an improvement in liquid vending devices, and more particularly relates to devices for vending gasoline in which the price varies from time to time.

'I' he object of my invention is to provide a simple and eilicient device of this character which will enable a purchaser to obtaina predetermined quantity of liquid for each coin inserted, and which is' so arranged that the purchaser can ob'serve theamount of liquid to be delivered for the coin inserted.

A furtherobject f my invention is to provide means for preventing the operation of the device if the parts are tampered with to obtain gasoline without insertmg a coin.

The specilicdevice illustrated comprises a measuring device which is so arranged thatv the purchaser can observe the quantity of gasoline contained therein before he inserts the purchase coin, together with mechanism for delivering the gasoline to the measuring device from a reservoir at a lower level. The delivery mechanism is arrangedto deliver a greater quantityvof gasoline to the measuring device than the maximum capacity of said device, the surplus flowing back to the reservoir. The said mechanism 1s Valso arranged to be actuated by the purchaser before the insertion of the coin, and is also so arranged that no gasoline will be raised from the reservoir if the observation windows or any portion of the enclosin casing is open. The deviceis also provi ed with coin-controlled mechanism which is: arranged to prevent the discharge of gasoline from the measuring device until the ro r coin has been inserted. and the mec anlsm has been released by the coin.

Theprecise nature of my invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which will now be de provided,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the coin slide. Y

Fig. 4 is a side' elevation of xthe coincontrolled releasing device.

In these drawings, the reference character a designates an 011 reservoir or tank, such as is usually located underground, and which is provided with the usua filling pipe, not shown. y v

Mounted above the reservoir in any de-l sired position for dispensing gasoline is an, air-tight casing b. c is a measuring device within the casing b, which is supported on trunnions d which are rotatably mounted in bearings on the casing. One of these trunnicns extends through the casing and is provided with an operating crank e. The bearing through whlch this trunnion extends is provided with a stuiling boxer an other suitable means for ormin an air-t1 t joint for the purpose hereina er descrl d.

Mounted within the casing is an air pump having a cylinder g anda liquid pump having a cylinder h. These pumps are also provided with pistons which are connected to each other by means of a rod i, which is provided with a rack engaged b a toothed sector The sector is connecte toa shaft journa ed in bearings on the 'casing .and is also provided with an operating1 lever l: on one end thereof. The end of t is shaft to which the lever k is connected also extends through the casin and is so mounted as to form an` air-tig t joint. l is a pipe cxtending from the reservoir a to the cylinder h and f is a second pipe extending from said cylinder to the measurin device c. Both of these pipes are provid 'with checkvalves which are so arranged that when the iston in cylinder h is raised liquid will'be wn from the reservoir to the cylinder and when the piston is de ressed, liquid will be forced from the cylin er to the measuring device c, owever, the parts are in their normal operating positions. from pipe l is a pipe n lha. an outlet controlled b a valve o. The ve o is carried bya v connectedtoabellows ,which is supported at. one -end from an instable ExtendingY spring g supported from the while its other end is supported on the a pipe with .atmosphere and by which the interior of the bellows is maintained under atmospheric pressure, while the exterior thereof is acted on by the pressure within the casing b, the parts being so arranged that when the pressure within the casing falls to atmosphere the valve ,will be raised from its seat, as illustrated.

Extending from the cylinder g to the atmosphere is a pipe vr, having check valves arranged to admit air to the cylinder g when its piston is lowered and to force air into casing Z) when said piston is raised.

s is a receiver in the casing I) having an outlet pipe to the exterior ot' the. casing through which the liquid or gasoline is delivered. This pipemay be provided with a suitable flexible pipe or hose for delivering gasoline to supply tanks of automobiles. The outlet from the receiver is controlled by a valve t, which is seated by gravity and is raised from its seat by the lever u when the lever is tipped by the measuring device, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 2 to 4, I have shown one form of I coin-controlled mechanism for locking the measuring device c in its upright position. This mechanism is located within the casing Z) and comprises a cam member u connected to the trunnion d on the end opposite the trunnion to which the crank e is connected. The cam is provided with a slot 16 which is arranged to be engaged by a locking pin 'w when in its elevated position, and is also provided With a hgh portion for actuating the coin clearing mechanism. The locking pinfw is provided with a stirrup in its, central portion, -as shown in Fig. 4, which straddles a coin slide and is provided with a table 14 for the reception of a coin from a coin slot in slide w. The lower end of the locking pin 'w is connected to a counterbalance y by means of link and lever connections, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the arrangement being such that when no coin is on the table of the pin fw said pin is raised by the weight .y and when the parts are in the positions shown in the drawings the slot in cam c is in line with pin fw. Mounted to slide in tion of cam o guides belowl slide m is a slide z, having a rack thereon which is arranged to be actuated by a sector 6. This sector 6 is actuated by a bell crank 7 connected thereto by a link 8. The vbell crank 7 is arranged to be moved in one direction by the high yporand in the other direction by a spring 9.

The side of the measuring device as well as the side of casing b are provided with glass portions so that the purchaser may see the amount of fluid in the measuring device, as hereinafter described.

The side of the measuring device may be graduated in .any desired manner to indicate quantity or price of the fluid, which will be denoted by the level of the fluid in the measuring device.

The measuring device 'c is provided with overflow openings at various heights, which are closed by any suitable plugs 10, in the form shown there being three such openings, the lower two 'of which are plugged, while the upper opening is open so that the level of the liquid, which can be retained therein, will be on a level with the lower edge of the upper opemng.

he receiver s may also be provided with glass sides and graduations if desired so that the purchaser can see the amount 'of fluid delivered to the receiver from the meas.- uring device.

The device is operated in th-e following manner: The crank or lever is depressed, which will raise the pistons of both pumps. In the preliminary upward movement of the plstons, the upper end of the piston rod 7 1 will enter and pass through an opening 17 1n the trunnion (Z and lock -th-e measuring device c in its elevated position. During thls upward movement, the air draw/n into the cylinder g through pipe r, on the' downward movement of the piston will be forced into the casing b, increase the pressure thereln, and close valve 0 through the medium of bellows p. lThis closing of the valve o will permit gasoline to be sucked from reservoir a to cylinder it and the pumps are now operated to fill the measuring device c. When the gasoline overflows from the -measuring device. lever 7c is raised to the `-position shown to release the measuring del vice. A coin 18 is now placed in the .coin slot in slide which is then pushed into the case until the stop 11 on the lend of the slide and stop 12 extending from the casing engage each other. This shifting of the slide will bringthe coin slot and coin over table 14 on pin fw and the coin will be deposited on the table. The weight of the coin will depress pin fw and withdraw the upper end from the slot in cam i; and thereby unlock the measuring device c. Lever e is now raised and the contents of measurmg device c are dumped into receiver s, in

which they are retained until valve t is x' opened. If the purchaser` desires to check up the quantity of Huid delivered to receiver s. he can do so by allowing-the fluid t-o flow from the measuring device to the receiver without resting the weight of the measuring device on lever u. When it is desired to empty receiver s, the measuring device' is allowed to rest on lcver u. which will raise valve t and permit the liquid to flow out through the outlet, past valve t. After all of the liquid flows from the receivers s, the air pressure in casing b will be relieved through valve t, and as the pressure is the same on both sides` of bellows p, valve o will be opened,

During the dumping of the measuring device, slide a: Will be actuated and move the coin from the table 14 of pin w and deliver it to chute 13, through which it will' pass to a coin box in casing b.

When the measuring device is in its dumping poiition or in any position other than an upright position', the pumpswill be locked as the piston rod z' cannot be actuated as the upper end thereof is locked against upward movement by the trunnion (l.

Then it is desired to refill the measuring device. it is necessary to move the. measuring device to its vertical position. to align the opening in trunnion d Witlipiston rod This shifting of the measuring device Will permit valve t to close, permit spring 9 to Areturn slide a to the position shown. and as Isoon as the slot in cam lv is in line with rod w, the ,rod Will be shifted to locking position by the Weight y and lock the measuring device in its vertical position and align the opening in trunnion d lwith' piston rod z'.

-As the pumps cannot be operated ivhen the measuring evice is in dumping position .With valvet open, there is no danger of fluid being stolen when valve t is open by i operating `the pump and collecting fluid,

I to the atmosphere may be placed in the Wall which would splash or drain into the receiver.

The overflow from measuring device c passes to casing b, which is -returned to reservoir a through pipe m, having a check valve l'therein. The pressure of the spring of check valve 15 is suflicient to overcome the light air pressure required in casing b for actuating bellows 12, but the pressure of this spring is not suflicient to overcome the Weight of a column of iluid in pipe m extending from reservoir a to casing b.

If desired, a suitable check valve leading of casing b to prevent the building up of air pressure thereinbeyond a .predetermined maximum.

The 'valve 0 provides meansfor preventing the operation of the fluid vpump if any of the glasses' covering the windows are breken, as. the pump would not -raise the fluid, but would only suck air if the valve o were open. f

Thea-dvantages of'my invention result from the provision'of a vending device in which thegpurchaser can' measure-and note the amount of fluid to be delivered Avbefore depositing the purchasing coin, and which lis so arranged that on further fluid can be drawn from the reservoir, or supply after the measuring device is shifted from its receiving position. .l

A still further advantage results from the provision of means for preventing the drawing of fluid from the main reservoir and delivering it to the delivery outlet ifthe pressure in the casing is not above atmosthat any type of detector can be used in connection therewith.

` Havingnow fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent-is:

1. A fluid vending machine having means for elevating fluid from a supply reservoir to ameasuring device, means controlled by the elevating device for preventing discharge from the measuring device when the elevating device is delivering, means for discharging the fluid from the measuring device, a locking device for the discharging mechanism, and coin-controlled means for the lo( king device.

2, A fluid vending device comprising a l fluid measuring device, means operable to supply fluid to the measuring device, means for shifting the measuring device to a discharging position, meansassociated with the means for supplying fluid and the measuring device adapted to cooperate to prevent operation of the means for supplying fluid when the measuring device is shifted to a discharging position and to prevent shifting of` the measuring device when the means fo supplyinf fluid is delivering. 3. A fltiiid vending machine comprising a measuring device, means operable to lsupply fluid to the measuring device, means operable for discharging fluid from the measuring device, means operable b the measuring device for the delivery of uid discharged in said measuring device, and means adapted to prevent operation of said fluid supply means when said means for discharging fluid from said measuring device is operated.

4. A fluid vending machine havin a measuring device, a pump for raisin uid from a supply to the measuring evice, means operable tov dischar e the contents ofthe measuring device an deliver it to 'a suitable delivery means, means for preventing the. operation ofthe pump when the means for discharging the contents ofthe measurin device is operated, and a. coincontrolle lock for preventing operation of the means for discharging the contents of the measuring device.

5. A fluid vending device having a pivoted measuring device, means for varying the uantity of fluid tobe retained thereby, a uid suppl at a lower ,level .than the measuringvv evice, a fluid pump for raising fluid 'from the supply to the measuring' device, a receiver for receiving the flui from the measuring device, means to shift the measuring device' from a filling ition to a discharging position or from a discharging position to a filling position, and means associated with the pump and the measuring device adapted to cooperate to prevent shifting of the measuring device to a discharging position when the pump is actuated and to prevent actuation of the pump When the measuring device is shifted to a discharging position.

6. A fluid vending device having a casing, a fluid reservoir, a fluid delivery pipe extending from the reservoir to the casing, a fluid outlet pipe leading from the casing 'means for increasing the pressure in ,the casing above atmospheric pressure, means in the casing for delivering fluid from the reservoir to` the outlet pipe through the 'delivery pipe, pressure-controlled means for preventing the delivery means from acta ing when the pressure in the casing is below a predetermined point, and a coin-con trolled lock for a-portion of the fluid delivery means.

7. A fluid vending devicehaving a fluid reservoir, a fluid measuring device, a casing surrounding the measuring device, an air pump for raising vthe pressure in the casing above atmospheric pressure, 'a pump fon raising fluid from the reservoir to the measuring device, means controlled by the pressure in the casing for rendering the fluid pump. active or inactive, means for discharglng the measuring dev1ce to an outlet,

for delivering the fluid to the outlet.

8. A fluid vending device having a fluid reservoir, a fluid measuring device, a casing surrounding the reservoir, means for raising the pressure in the casing, a pump for raising fluid from the reservoir to the measuring device, means controlled by the pressure in the casing rendering the pump effective or ineffective, and means for discharging the measuring device to an outlet.

9. A fluid vending device having afluid reservoir, a fluid measuring device, a casing surrounding the reservoir, an air pump for raising the pressure in the casing above atmospheric pressure, a pump for raising fluid from the reservoir to the measuring device, means controlled b the pressure in the casing for rendering t e fluid pump effective or ineffective, means for discharging the measuring device to an outlet, a coin-controlled lock for vthe means for delivering the fluid tothe outlet, and means associated with the fluid pump and the measuring device arranged'to cooperate to prevent delivery from the measuring device to the outlet While the pump is delivering.

In tcstimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Wilmington Delaware, on this l2nd day of August, 1922.

FRANCIS I. DU PONT.