US1933198A - Dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

Oct.- 31, 1933. w G. WATKINS DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 19, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet, l

Oct. 3l, 1933.

'w. G. wATKlNs 1,933,198

DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 31, 1933 PATENT oF1-1cE DISPENSING DEVICE Walter G. Watkins, Kansas City, Mo., assigner toSkelly Oil Company, El Dorado, Kans.

Application January 19, 1932. serial No. 587,602

1'2 claims.

My invention consists in new and useful im provements in a method of distribution and apparatus for supplying lquened petroleum gas or like uid to consumers for heating and cooking purposes.

A11 object o f my invention is to provide apparatus which will enable standard equipment such asgas cylinders, valves and regulators to be employed rst for demonstration and later in- ,iii stalled as permanent equipment. To this end I provide a cylinder support which isadapted to accommodate gas cylinders of varying standard sizes, and equipped with protectors for the main valve and for the pressure and flow regulator,

'l5 whereby when the installation is made either for demonstration purposes or as permanent equipment, the valve and regulator cannot be tampered with.

A further object of my invention resides in the structure of the valve and regulator protecting elements which are readily removable for the purpose of inspection or adjustment but which are adapted to be locked rmly in place after once being adjusted.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed. out in au the appended claims. 4

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views, y

Fig. l is a view in side elevation showing the support installed as permanent equipment, withy a cylinder in place.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the upper portion of the equipment shown in Fig. l.

Fig; 3 is a top plan view 'of the same.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective of the pressure regulator hood or closure.

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of apparatus installed for demonstration and also shows a modified form of valve and regulator protecting devices.

Fig. 6 is a rear view of this modified form.

Fig. I is a top plan view of the same,^and

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the modiiied form oi regulator hood or closure.

In the drawings, referring to the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, 1 represents an upright support preferably composed of a length of channel iron, the lower extremity of which is adapted to )ze driven into the ground outside of a dwelling or other building to which ill gas is to be supplied. In the case of a peru/1anent installation as shown in Fig. 1, a base of concrete 2 is poured around the upright 1 and forms a foundation for the gas cylinder 3.

The gas or other iiuid containing cylinder 3 60, may be of any standardtype or design having a main control valve 4 at its upper extremity which is connected to a pressure regulator 5 by means of a iiexible conduit 6. llt will also be noted that the pressure regulator may be of any suitable design, that shown in the drawings consisting of a diaphragm chamber 7 and adjusting means 8. The regulator 5 is in turn connected to a pipe line 9 which leads into the dwelling or to the point where the gas is to be utilized.

10 represents a valve hood or cover which is carried at the end of a suitable yoke 11, the latter slidably embracing the upper end of the upright 1 and being retained in its proper relative position by means of inturned vlugs or guides l2, formed on the yoke adjacent the front face of the channel as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The end of the channel iron 1 above the lowermost position of the yoke 11 is provided with a plurality of apertures 13 for the accommodation of a padlock or the like 14, whereby when the hood 10 is 4placed over the valve 4, the yoke 11 may be locked in this position. l

The upper extremity of the channel iron 1 is preferably provided with notches 15 in its front face, said notches acting in co-operation with the lugs 12 to support the yoke 11 in its uppermost position when a cylinder is being installed as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

16 designates a protector 'for the diaphragm chamber '7 and adjusting member 8 of the pressure regulator 5, and consists1 of a suitably shaped hood member having secured to its upper portion a bowed strip l'which terminates at its free extremity in the bifurcated end 18. At the proper point in the upright channel iron l, I provide complementary apertures 19 through which the bifurcations 18 are adapted to be inserted as. shown in Fig. 1 which not only retains the hood in place but acts in the capacity 'of a hinge for the protector 16. On the lower side of the hood 16 I provide' a second strip 20 secured to the hood by suitable means such as rivets or Welding, (Fig. 4) its free end being apertured as at 21 to accommodate the connection 22 on the end of the pipe line 9,

whereby when said pipe line is connected to the regulator 5, the connection 22 extending through the aperture 21 locks the hood or pro- 110 tector 16 in place over the diaphragmchamber and adjusting element.

In order to retain the bottom of the tank in place I preferably provide a transverse support 23 which is secured by any suitable means to the lower portion of the upright channel iron 1 and is adapted to be partially set in the concrete base 2 as clearly shown in. Fig. 1. The upper face of thev support 23 is grooved as at 24, said grooved portion projecting upwardly above the upper surface of the concrete base, whereby the conventional bead 25 extending around the bottom of the cylinder 3 is received and supported.

It will be .noted that the series of superposed apertures 13 in upright 1 permits the accommodation of cylinders of varying height, and by providing an oversized groove 24 in the base support 23, cylinders of varying diameters as well may be employed. Of course, by using a longer arm or yoke 11, it would be possible to take larger diameter cylinders and by substituting a shorter arm, a smaller diameter cylinder may be accommodated.

In the modied form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8, the general structure is ostensibly the same as that heretofore described with the exception of the specific arrangement of the valve and regulator protectors. In Fig. 5 .I have shown for the purpose of illustration, an installation for demonstration wherein the upright channel iron 1 is driven into the ground at its lower end with the base support 23 projecting slightly above the surface of the ground. In this arrangement there is no concrete base and the bottom of the cylinder 3 rests directly upon .the ground, being retained in place by the base support 23 on the upright channel iron.

The protecting hood 26 for the valve 4 at the upper end of the cylinder is carried by a supporting yoke 27 which is hinged or pivoted as at 28 to the upper end of the channel iron 1, at least one wall of said yoke being elongated and terminating in a downwardly extending angular plate 29, the lower extremity of which is provided with an aperture 30 adapted to register with a complementary aperture 31 in one of the .wardly on its hinge.

transverse walls of the channel iron to accommodate a suitable padlock or the like 32.

In this modiied form of my invention the valve 4 is connected to the pressure regulator 5 by the flexible connection 6, saidregulator being in turn connected into the dwelling or other point of utilization of the gas by a flexible hose 33. e

The modied pressure regulator protector 34 l `consists of a suitably shaped hood for enclosing the diaphragm chamber 7 and adjuster .8, the

walls 35 of said hood extending inwardly and completely enclosing the regulator 5.k The lower extremity of the wall 35 is hinged or pivoted as at 3B to the upright channel iron'l, said wall beingslotted as at' 37 immediately adjacent the hinge to accommodate the connection 38 and the hose 33 when said protector is swung down- The. upper portion ofthe wall 35 terminates in a vertically extending neck 39, .one side of which is apertured as at 40, said aperture being arranged to fall in alignment with the apertures 30 .and 31 in the yoke and channel iron respectively, whereby both the valve protecting hood 26 and the regulator protecting hood 34 may be locked in closed position by a single padlock or other locking means 32.

The operation of my improved gas cylinder equipment is obvious. In the form shown in Fig. 1, the valve hood 10 and its supporting yoke 11 are slid upwardly on the channel iron 1 until the inturned lugs 12 are adjacent the notches 15 in the channel iron, and when in this posi- ,tion, the tilting of the yoke causes said lugs to engage said notches, thus supporting the yoke and hoodin its uppel` position as shown in dotted lines in the drawings.

A cylinder 3 containing gas or other suitable iiuid is then placed on the concrete base 2 or upon the ground as the case may be, with its bead 25 resting in the grooved support 23. The valve 4 is then connected to the pressure regulator 5 by means of the exible conduit 6, said regulator being properly adjusted to suit the needs of the particular installation and the protecting hood 16 is applied and locked in place. As before stated, this is accomplished by inserting the bifurcations 18 in their complementary openings in the upright 1, swinging the hood 16 down over the diaphragm chamber and adjusting means 8, and locking the lower end in closed position by means of the strip 20 and the connection 22 on the gas pipe 9.

'I'he valve 4 is then turned on and the hood 10 and yoke 11 are lowered to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, after which the lock 14 is inserted in the proper aperture 13 to retain the hood in this position.

With the modied structure shown in Fig. 5, the operation is practically the same with the exception that the hood 26 and yoke 27 are swung upwardly on the pivot 28 to insert the cylinder 3, and .when the regulator is properly adjusted and the valve 4 turned on, the hood 26 and hinged protector 34 are locked in closed position by the insertion of the padlock 32 through the registering apertures 30, 31 and 40 in the angular plate 29 of the yoke 27, the wall of the channel iron,l and the neck 39 of the protector 34, respectively.

My improved system of distribution of liqueiied petroleum gas or the like consists in installing a complete demonstratingequipment at the residence of a prospective purchaser, located for example in a rural community which does not have the facilities of manufactured gas or other heating means, said equipment including a gas range and either type of installation' described, but instead of the permanent pipe line, I preferably employ a exible hose or the like which is usually inserted through the window of the kitchen or other room to which the gas is to be conveyed, where it is connected to the stove or other point of utilization.

In this connection I have found it convenient to employ a strip of wood or other material cut 4to -t beneath a slightly raised window and provvided with an opening to receive the hose 33,

thereby avoiding the necessity of marring or altering the structure of the windows or walls of a dwelling in the installation of a demonstrator.

After the demonstrator has been tested and tried by the' prospective purchaser for a predetermined period and it is decided to install a permanent equipment, this may be accomplished with a minimum otinconvenience to the customer and without interrupting the useof gas for more than a fractionv of a minute. A complete set of equipment, identical in all respects tothe demonstrator set is installed in the proper place, preferably just outside the wall of the dwelling, the permanent installation including a concrete base 2 for supporting the gas cylinder. through the wall into the house and when the piping is completed, the coupling of the hose 33 tothe stove is disconnected and the permanent pipe line 9 is substituted therefor, thus trans# ferring the source of gas flow from the demon.- strator to the lpermanent installation.

Arrangements are made for periodic installations of fresh cylindersy of gas to replace those which are partially empty. The fresh cylinders are weighed before leaving the charging plant and partially filled cylinders which they replace are weighed upon returning to the plant, the customer being charged for the difference between the two ngures. I propose to time the service visits to the customer so as to insure the installation of fresh tanks before the gas in the old tanks hasA been entirely spent, thus causing the least possible inconvenience and delay in gas service, the equipment being shut off only for that period of time necessary to switch from one tanh to the other.

Among the many advantages accruing from the employment of my improved system and apparatus are the followingz 1. Substantial saving in oost over previous demonstrator sets and systems.

2. No special equipment or parts necessary for making repairs 'due to standardization of parts.

3. Safer installations. f

4. Lasting qualities of equipment.

5. Minimum time required in installing a demonstrator set.

6. A prospective purchaser in seeing a demonstrator in use obtains a more satisfactory irnpression of the actual equipment due Ito the fact that the demonstrator set is of full size and in all respects identical with a permanent set.

7. Minimizing danger of leaks due to simplification of equipment.

It will thus be seen that I have designed a novel system of distributing liquied petroleum gas or other fluid and an improved apparatus for carrying out such system of distribution.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and operation of my invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in thevfollowing claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. A support for gas cylinders or the like including an upright standard having at its upper extremity a protecting device for the valve on said cylinder, said protecting device being movable on said standard with respect to ysaid valve, a pressure regulator housing carried by said standard and movable thereon to engage and disengage a pressure regulator connected to said cylinder, and means for locking sads valve protecting device and regulator housing in position over the valve and regulator respectively.

2. A support for gas cylinders or the like including 4an upright standard, means carried by The pipe line9is then carried said standard for supporting the base of a cylinder, a cap carried at the upper extremity of said standard and movable thereon for engaging and dsengaging the valve of said cylinder, a pressure regulator housing carried by said standard and movable thereon to engage and disengage a pressure regulator connected to said cylinder, and means on said standard for locking said valve protecting cap and regulator housing in position over4 the valve and regulator respectively.

3. In a support for a fluid supply cylinder or the like having a' main uid control valve, an upright standard having at its upper extremity a valve protecting device for the valve on said cylinder, said protecting device being movableA on said standard with respect to said valve; a pressure regulator housing hinged to said standard and adapted to' engage and disengage a pressure regulator connected to said cylinder, and means for locking said valve protecting device and regulator housing in position over the valve and regulator, respectively.

4. In a support for a fluid supply cylinder or the like having a ma' fluid control valve, an upright standard, -means on said standard for supporting the bottom of said cylinder, a yoke embracing the upper end of said standard and carrying at one end a valve protecting hood, saidv yoke and hood being movable on said standard so that the latter may engage and disengage the valve on saidcylinder, and means for locking said yoke. and hood in said valve engaging position.

5. In a support for a iiuid supply .cylinder or the like having a main fluid control valve, an upright standard, means on said standard for supporting the b'ottom of said cylinder, a yoke embracing the upper end of said standard and carrying at one end a valve protecting ioo 4hood, said yoke beingverticallly slidable on said said yoke being vertically slidable on said standardso that the hood may engage and disengage the valve on said cylinder, means forV lockingsaid yoke and hood in said valve engaging position, and means'for supporting said hoodand yoke in a raised position out of engagement. with the valvev on said cylinder.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein said last named means consists of n notch in one face of said upright, and a lug on said yoke adapted to-engage said notch.

8. In a support for a fluid supply cylinder or the likes-having a main fluid control valve, an upright standard, means on said standard for supporting the bottom .of-said cylinde a yoke hinged to the upper 4vend of said standard, and carrying at one end a valve protecting hood, said yoke and hood being movable on said hinge so that the latter may engage and disengage the valve on said cylinder, and meansy hood in said valve valve protecting device hinged at the upper extremity of said standard and adapted to engage and disengage the valve on said cylinder, a pressure regulator housing hinged to said standard and adapted to engage and disengage a pressure regulator connected to said cylinder, and common means for locking said hood and housing in engaging position.

10. In a support for a uid supply cylinder or the like having a fluid control valve, an upright standard, means for supporting the Vbottom of said cylinder, a yoke slidably embracing the upper end of said standard and projecting substantially at right angles therefrom, a valve protecting hood carried at the free end of said yoke and adapted to enclose the valve on said cylinder, means for locking said yoke on said standard to retain said hood in engaging position with the valve, a pressure regulator protecting hood movably secured to said upright and adapted to engage and disengage a pressure regulator connected to said cylinder, and means for locking the last named hood in engaging position'with said regulator.

11. Apparatus as claimed inclaim 10 wherein said yoke is provided with inturned lugs adapted to engage the forward face of said standard to guide the vertical movement of the yoke.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said regulator protecting hood is secured at one end to the standard by means of a bifurcated strip, the bifurcations of which are adapted to engage complementary apertures in the standard, the other portion of said hood being locked in closed position by the fluid connection oi' the pressure regulator.

WALTER G. WATKINS.

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