US1756535A - Rheostat tank fitting assembly - Google Patents

Description

April 29, 1930; M. E. CHENEY RHEOSTAT TANK FITTING ASSEMBLY Filed April 11, 1929 avwantoz wwmwamw Patented Apr. 29, 1930 UNlTElD STATES PATENT OFFICE MOSES E. CHENEY, OF LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO MOTO METER GAUGE & EQUIPMENT CORPORATION. OF LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW

YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE RHEOSTAT TANK FITTING ASSEMBLY This invention relates to improvements in rheostat. tank fittings for electric indicating instruments, particularly those suitable for use with gasoline tanks applied to motor cars.

An important characteristic of this improvement is that it is a unitary tank fitting easily assembled and one that reduces to a minimum the binding of the shaft to which the rheostat arm is attached. It also permits a limited amount of gasoline to pass into the housing or cap of the rheostat to act as a lubricant, which eliminates any tendency of the movable contact button sticking to the rheostat strip or other parts becoming sticky.

In particular, it dispenses with any seal between the cap and the gasoline tank, and by reason of the reduction in the number of bearings for the shaft and the simplified arrangement of parts presents a construction in which the hearings for the shaft can be readily reamed in alignment. thereby insuring that the shaft will not bind. In this construction a bushing is employed which has a loose fit with the shaft of such character as to permit gasoline to seep into the cap, and this bushing is elongated sutliciently to make a desirable form of bearing and also to regulate the amount of gasoline that can pass through it to the rheostat cap.

Other objects and advantages will be in part indicated in the following description and in part rendered apparent therefrom in connection with the annexed drawings.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to apprehend the underlying features hereof that they may embody the same in the various ways contemplated by this invention, drawings depicting a preferred typical construction have been annexed as a part of this disclosure and, in such drawings, like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, of which Tn the drawings Figure 1 isan elevation of the tank fitting; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof: Fig. 8 is an enlarged portion of the fitting more clearly showing the sealless elongated bushing.

Referring to Fig. 2 the. float arm which projects into the gasoline tank is marked l and it has a beveled gear 2 secured to the free end Application filed April 11,

1929. Serial No. 354,374.

which is pivotally-mounted on the shaft 3 supported by the bracket 4. This bracket 4 is secured to the circular supporting plate 5, and has a cross arm 6 on which is reamed a bearing for the lower end of the rheostat shaft 7 This shaft 7 projects up through the circular supporting plate 5 into the cap or housing 8 for the rheostat and to the upper end of said shaft 7 is securely mounted the rheostat arm 9. y

A bushing'lO is securedto the combined bracket 4 and circular plate 5 and this hashing is for that reason preferably shown as having an upper reduced end which projects above. the circular plate 5 and by means of a punch, metal from said bushing is forced against the upper surface of the plate 5- thereby clamping the bushing in position with its shoulder 11 against the bottom of the plate 5 or the bracket 4. The shaft 7 is inserted through the bushing before the arm 9 is secured thereto, and a loose fit is formed between the shaft and the inner bore of the bushing. Preferably the parts lit reasonably close, say 2 to 2, thousandths of an inch. By reason of this extended bearing, forming such a tit with the shaft of the character specified, the gasoline is permitted to pass through the bearing in a sufliciently limited amount to act as a lubricant for the parts within thecap 8. It has been found that in this way the arm can be prevented from sticking to the button and yet all danger of explosions or fire is avoided.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that applicants sealless electric tank fitting is one in which the two bearings can be reamed in sufficient alignment to obviate the objectionable binding of the shaft within its bearings. By dispensing with one of the bearings heretofore employed and employing a bushing of the character heretofore de scribed not only can the two bearings be reamed readily and properly, but the parts can be readily assembled and the necessar amount of gasoline permitted to splash through the upper bearing into the rheostat cap.

The fitting is preferably connected up to a one wire circuit. the tank being grounded and the cap having a terminal (see Fi 3) which consists of a stud 13, a fiber ga et 14 and insulating and lock washers.

Without further analy will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can, by applying current knowlconstitute essential characteristics of either the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should be, and are intended to be, comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims.

Having thus revealed this invention, I claim as new and desire to secure the following combinations and elements, or equivalents thereof, by Letters Patent of United States 1-- 1. In a gasoline tank fitting the combination of a rheostat cap having a chamber therein with a bracket projecting below said cap having unen'closed sides, a rotatable shaft journaled in a bearing positioned in the lower art of said bracket, a float member also ournaled in said bracket, an elongated bushmg projecting into said chamber and secured adjacent the upper part of said bracket having a lax' fit with said shaft, said upper and lower bearings constituting the sole supports for said shaft whereby a limited amount of gasoline can enter said rheostat chamber from said float chamber.

2. In a tank fitting for a receptacle containing an explosive liquid the combination of a rheostat cap forming a chamber with a bracket projecting from said cap, a rotatable shaft journaled in a bearing positioned in the lower part of said bracket, an upper elongated bushing extending into said receptacle and secured to the top of the tank, said shaft having an exposed area intermediate said bearings, the upper elongated bearing having a working fit with said shaft forming a reduced passage extending from said receptacle to said chamber whereby a limited amount of explosive liquid can pass from the exposed area of said shaft through said elongated bearing to said rheostat chamber.

3. The combination of a receptacle containing a volatile explosive fluid with a rheostat chamber adjacent said receptacle and subject to the vapors from said volatile fluid; a movable member within said chamber, a connecting member extending from the rheostat chamber into said receptacle, a float operated member controlled by the buoyancy of the fluid, an elongated bearing for the connecting member having a loose fit with .said connecting member, forming an attenuated passage for permitting a limited amount of said explosive fluid to pass to said chamber for lubricating the parts in said chamber, a part of said connecting member having an exposed sis, the foregoing ,ing for the float-operated member having a loose fit with said member forming a passage for permitting a limited amount of said explosive fluid to pass to said chamber for lubricating the parts in said chamber.

5. The combination of a receptacle containin a volatile explosive-fluid with a rheo stat c amber adjacent said receptacle and subject to the vapors from said volatile fluid: a wi er in said chamber; a float-operated mem er extending from the receptacle into said rheostat chamber and actuatin said wiper, said member being controlled y the buoyancy of the fluid; and a bearing for the float-operated member having a loose fit with said member forming a passage for permitting a limited amount of said explosive fluid to pass to said chamber for lubricating the parts in said chamber.

6. The combination of a gasoline tank with a rheostat chamber adjacent said tank and subject to the vapors from gasoline in said tank; a wiper in said chamber; a float-open ated member extending from the tank into said rheostat chamber and actuating said wiper; said member being controlled by the buoyancy of the gasoline in said tank; and a plain bearing for said member permitting seepage of gasoline between said bearing and chamber; a float-operated member, said bearing being supported by-a wall of said rheostat chamber.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

MOSES E. CHENEY.

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