US2231907A - Indicating nozzle - Google Patents

Description

Feb- 18, 1941- J. 1 HARRIS A 2,231,907

INDlcATING NOZZLE i Filed Jan. 19, 1959 Patented Feb. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INDICATING NOZZLE John L. Harris, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application January 19, 1939, Serial No. 251,723

19 Claims.

This invention relates in general to tank 0r container lling devices and is particularly concerned with devices of this type which give a visual signal when the container is iilled to the desired level.

In the filling station business, considerable diiculty has been experienced in the filling of automobile gasoline tanks without allowing gasoline to Overcw. This is due primarily to the design of the later model automobiles in which the streamlined body extends over the gasoline tank thus requiring a relatively long ller tube which runs from the tank to the outer wall of the body. With this arrangement, when a gasoline tank is 'being lled, it it is full until gasolin ller tube.

cannot be ascertained that e appears at the top of the These ller tubes are of only a few inches in diameter so that when a filling nozzle is in a filling tube, the interior of the tube is quite dark and the gasoline cannot be seen until its level is within an inch or two of the top. This is too late to shut oli the flow of gasoline as the volume of the nozzle will usually `be greater than the uniilled 4portion of the ller tube and thus even when the gasoline flow is shut 01T, the gasoline in the nozzle will continue to flow into the lfiller tube with overflowing almost inevitable.

slow and cautious about lling a gasoline tank and in the majority of cases the exercise of the highest degree of caution will still not avert overiiowing.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a tank which provides an i or container filling device nstantaneous visual signal form ot" the indicatin Figure 2 is a View taken on line 2-2 of g nozzle;

of the flow area restrictor Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top View of the lnozzle showing the indicating portion;

Figure 4 is a sect Figure 1; and

ion taken on yline 4--4 :of

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 oi Figure `1.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, reference character l indicates a tank filling nozzle which is especially adapted for iilling station equipment, `5 this nozzle being formed of a curved tubular member preferably brass which is screw threaded at 2 for attachment to the usual control valve, a portion of which is indicated at 3. A yieldable gasket II formed of any suitable material such as 10 soit metal is provided for preventing leakage and also for permitting screwing of the nozzle so as to permit a slot 5 in this nozzle to be face upper.- most When the nozzle is screwed tightly into the valve. The slot 5 is preferably elongated and .15 extends longitudinally of the nozzle as shown.

Located within the nozzle or tubular member I is a flow area restrictor member 6. This restrictor member is formed partially tear drop in shape so -as to cause a minimum pressure drop 23 of the liquid flowing through the nozzle. This restrictor member is also provided with a tail portion l. This member covers the opening 5 and is secured to the nozzle or tubular member I by means of screws 8, rSi, and I il, a gasket II being provided for preventing leakage of the liquid through the slot 5. Formed within the restrictor member 6 and coinciding with the slot -5 is a sight passage I2, this passage communicating with a suction passage I3 which leads to the interior of the nozzle at a point wherein the flow area is most restricted by the member 6. This passage I3 is preferably inclined in the direction of flow of the stream of liquid so that liquid will not enter the passage I2 through this passage IS, The sight passage I2 also communicates with a liquid inlet passage I4 which lextends towards the outlet of Athe nozzle through the tail portion l, and opens into the interior of the nozzle at a point near the center of the' nozzle and where the ow area is only slightly restricted as shown in Figure 5. The sight passage also communicates with a pilot passage I5 which extends through the ytail portion 1 and to `which is attached a tube `l'which extends longitudinally of the nozzle toa point adjacent the outlet thereof, then passing through the nozzle wall so as to open to atmosphere.

The `outer .portion .of restrictor member 6 is recessed at Il as moreclearly shown in Figure 4, `for receiving a sight glass I8. This glass may be sealed in a leak-proof manner to member 6 by any suitable cement, or if desired a gasket betweenzmember 6 and this sight glass may be provided, the entire assembly being held to-` distance into the filler tube.

gether by the screws 8, 9, and I which hold the restrictor member against the nozzle wall portion. It will be noted that sight glass I8 is fiat, this causing a space to exist between the nozzle wall portion and the glass adjacent the slot 5. AThis arrangement fully protects the sight glass I8, rendering accidental breakage thereof almost impossible. While the arrangement disclosed in the drawing is considered preferable, if desired, the sight glass may be located on the outer surface of the nozzle Wall and held in place by a slotted cover plate. In such case however the sight glass must be curved and would not be as well protected against breakage.

With the device as described above, when Ya tank is'to be filled, the nozzle is inserted well down into the tank ller tube, for instance, four or iive inches. The flow of. liquid throughthe nozzle past the restrictor member 6 will create a zone of low pressure at this point, and due to the flow area at passage I3 being substantially more restricted than at the passage I4, the pressure at passage I3 will be considerably lower than at passage I4. 'I'his will tend to cause a ow of liquid through the inlet passage I4, the sight passage I2 and the outlet passage I3. However, as long as the liquid level in the ller tube does not cover the end of the pilot .tube I6, instead of this action occurring, air will flow through this tube and the passage I into the sight passage I2 lthereby breaking the vacuum tending to be created in passage I3. This will prevent drawing of liquid through inlet passage I4 into the sight passage I2. In other words, at this time, the resistance lto flow of air through the tube I6 will be much smaller than the pressure differential required to force liquid through inlet passage I4 and consequently no liquid will iiow through this passage. In fact, due to the inlet of this passage .I4 being located at a point in the nozzle where the flow area is restricted, the pressure at the inlet of this passage will actuallybe slightly below atmospheric, this passage now acting as an aspirator and causing air to flow from the sight passage I2 through this passage, thus positively preventing any liquid from owing upwardly through this passage.

When the liquid level in the filler tube rises to within four or ve inches of the top of the filler tube, it will now cover the end of the pilot tube I6 due to the nozzle being inserted this Covering of the end of pilot tube I6 by the liquid will prevent further flow of air through this tube and thus render the outlet or aspirator passage I3 effective to draw the liquid through passage I4 into the sight passage I2. This liquid contains a large number of small air bubbles and thus may be readily seen. In the case of gasoline which is invariably colored, the color aids considerably in viewing the liquid, especially when the side walls of the sight passage I2 are provided with a white finish. It will be noted that due to the inlet passage I4 being relatively short, the liquid must be lifted only a short distance before it is visible in the sight passage I2. This requires only a very slight drop in pressure within the sight passage and consequently, it is not necessary for the pilot tube I6 to become lled before liquid appears inthe sight passage. In fact, due to the resistance to iiow of the liquid through tube I6, a partial vacuum sufficient for causing flow of liquid through passage I4is createdA withoutappreciable rise of liquid in tube I6. Therefore, inasmuch as it is not necessary for liquid toiiow through tube I6, the flow of liquid through passage I3 into the sight passage will occur at the instant that the liquid in the filler tube rises to cover the end of tube I6, thereby notify- 5 ing the attendant of this fact in time to shut off the flow before overflowing occurs.

It will be noted that the pilot passage I5 and the suction passage I4 are separate and lead directly to the sight passage I2, and that when 10 the nozzle is in working position, the pilot passage is disposed above the inlet passage. This arrangement prevents the pilot passage from intercepting flow of liquid through the inlet passage, thereby causing the liquid to appear in the sight passage the instant it starts iiowing through the inlet passage. It will also be noted that the sight passage I2 and the pilot passage I5 are in alignment so that the interior of the sight passage and the sight glass may be readily cleaned without disassembling the device, merely by inserting a iiexible cleaning tool through the pilot tube I6.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that this invention provides a simple, 2.5 rugged, and practical device for giving instantaneously a visual signal when the liquid level in a container being filled rises to a predetermined level. While this invention is of particular utility in the suing station business, it is not limited thereto and will provide satisfactory results with a large variety of liquids. Also, while the preferred embodiment has been shown and described, this is for illustrative purposes only. Inasmuch as various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is desired to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a device for iilling containers with liquid, in combination, a liquid discharge passage having an inlet and an outlet, means for creating a region of relatively low pressure, a second passage communicating with said low pressure region creating means, said passage also commu- VA nicating with a portion of said liquid discharge passage wherein the liquid pressure is higher than at said region of low pressure and having a .transparent wall portion whereby liquid is Withdrawnfrom the stream of liquid flowing through '50 the liquid discharge passage and passed adjacent said transparent wall portion where it may be viewed, and means for preventing ow of liquid through said second passage until the liquid level .in the container being iilled rises to la predetermined height.

2. In a device for lling containers with liquid, in combination, a liquid discharge passage having an inlet and an outlet, means for creating a region of relatively low pressure, a second passagex communicating with said low pressure region creating means, said passage also communicating with a portion of said liquid discharge passage wherein the liquid pressure is higher than at said region of low pressure and having a trans- G5 parent wall portion whereby liquid is withdrawn from the stream of liquid flowing through the liquid discharge passage and passed adjacent said transparent Wall portion where it may be viewed, and a third passage communicating with T70 said second passage and extending towards the outlet of said liquid discharge passage, said third -passage opening to atmosphere, whereby' airflow through`said third passage prevents said low pressure creating means from being effective to i draw liquid through said second passage until liquid in the containerbeing filled prevents flow through which a stream of liquid iiows to the' container being filled, means in said liquid discharge passage and actuated by the flow of liquid for creating a region of relatively llow pressure, a second passage extending longitudinally of said liquid discharge passage and communicating with said low pressure creating means, said second passage communicating with the liquid discharge passage downstream of said low pressure creating means and having a transparent wall portion whereby liquid is withdrawn from said stream and passed adjacent said transparent wall .portion where it may be viewed, and means for preventing flow of liquid through said second passage until the liquid level in the container being filled rises to a predetermined height. i

4. In a device for lling containers with liquid, in combination, a liquid discharge passage through which a stream of liquid flows to the container being filled, means in said liquid discharge passage and 4actuated by the iiow of vliquid for creating a partial vacuum, a second passage extending longitudinally of said' liquid discharge passage and communicating with said vacuum creating means, said second passage communicating with the liquid dischargepassage downstream of said vacuum creating means and having a transparent wall portion whereby liquid is withdrawn from said stream and passed adjacent said transparent wall portion where it may be viewed, land a thirdV passage extending from said second passage towards the outlet end of said liquid discharge passage, said third passage opening to atmosphere whereby air iiow through said third passage prevents said vacuum creating means from being effective to draw liquid through said second passage until liquid in the container being filled prevents flow of air through said third passage.

5. A device for filling containers with liquid as recited in claim 4 wherein the second and third passages join at a point adjacent the transparent wall portion.

6; A device for filling containers with liquid as recited in claim 4 wherein the second and third passages join at a point adjacent the transparent wall portion and in which the third passage at the point of joining is above the secondpassage when the device is in oper-ating position.

7. In a device for filling containers with liquid, in combination, -a tubular portion having an inlet and an outlet, said tubular portion forming a nozzle, an opening in the wall of said tubular portion at a point spaced from the outlet thereof, an elongated flow area restrictor member located within said tubular lportion and covering said opening, said restrictor member cooperating to form a passage adjacent said opening, a transparent member covering said passage, a second passage in said flow restrictor member extending transverselir of said first passage and communieating said iirst passage with the interior of said tubular portion at a point where the flow area is substantially restricted, and a third passage extending from said rst passage through said restrictor member and the interior of said tubular portion, said third passage extending through the side wall of said tubular portion at a point downstream `of said restrictor member.

8. In a device for filling containers with liquid,

in combination, a tubular portion having an inlet and an outlet, said tubular portion forming a nozzle, an opening in the wall of said tubular portion at a point spaced from the outlet thereof, an elongated iiow area restrictor member located within said tubular portion and covering said opening, said restrictor member cooperating to form a passage adjacent said opening, a transparent member covering said passage, a second passage in said iiow restrictor member extending transversely of said first passage and communieating said first passage with the interior of said tubular portion at a .point Where the flow area is substantially restricted, a third passage extending from said first passage through said restrictor member and the interior of said tubular portion, said third passage extending through the side wall of said tubular portion at a point downstream of said restrictor member, and a fourth passage extending through said restrictor member from said first passage, said fourth passage opening into the interior of said tubular portion at a point wherein the flow area `is less restricted than at said second passage.

9. A device for filling containers with liquid as recited in claim 8 wherein the third and fourth passages join said rst passage adjacent the transparent member.

10. A device for filling containers with liquid as recited in claim 8 wherein the first and third passages are in alignment so that said first passage and said transparent member may be cleaned by inserting a cleaning member through said third passage.

l1. In a device for filling containers with liquid, in combination, a generally tubular shaped conduit having an inlet, an outlet, and side wall means, said side wall means having an outer surface which is generally circular and even in crosssection, said side wall means also including a thickened portion at a substantial distance from said outlet, said thickened portion extending into the interior of said conduit for reducing the iiow area for the liquid adjacent said thickened portion for thereby providing an aspirator, a sight passage formed in the thickened portion of said side wall means, said sight passage communicating at one end with the interior of said conduit adjacent said thickened portion, said sight passage also having a transparent wall portion adjacent the outer surface of ysaid side wall means,

and a passage communicating with said sight passage and extending within and longitudinally of said conduit, said last recitedpassage extending through said side wall means at a point near said outlet.

12. In a device for filling containers with liquid, in combination, a conduit having an inlet, an outlet, and side wall means, said side wall means for the major portion of the length of said conduit providing a passage of generally uniform cross-section, but at a point spaced from the outlet of the conduit having a portion extending inwardly from one side of said passage toward the other for thereby restricting said passage, the portion of the side wall means opposite said inwardly extending portion conforming substantially in cross-section with the remainder of the side wall means for thereby causing said inwardly extending portion to provide substantially all of the restriction of said passage adjacent said inwardly extending portion, a sight passage formed in said inwardly extending portion of said side wall means, said sight passage communicating at one end with the interior of the conduit adjacent said inwardly extending portion, said' sight passage also having a transparent wall portion adjacent the outer surface of said side wall means, 'and a passage communicating with 'said sight passage and extending within and longisaid conduit providing a passage of generally uniform cross-section, but at a point spaced from the outlet of thelconduit having a portion extending inwardly 'from one side of said passagef'toward 'the other for thereby restricting said passage, the portion of the side wall means opposite said inwardly extending portion conforming substantially in cross-section with the remainder of the side wall means for thereby causing said inwardly extending portion to provide substantially all of the restriction of said passage adjacent said inwardly extending porltion, an indicator chamber formed within said inwardly extending portion of said side wall means, means associated with said indicator chamber for providing a visual signal, and a passage` extending from said indicator chamber within and longitudinally of said conduit, said last mentioned passage extending through said side wall means at a point near said outlet.

14. In a device for iilling containers with liquid, in combination, a liquid discharge passage having an inlet and an outlet, means for creating a region of relatively low pressure, a second passage communicating with said low pressure region creatingmeans, said second passage alsov communicating with a portion of said liquid discharge passage wherein the liquid pressure is higher than at said region of low pressure and having a transparent Wall portion whereby `liquid is withdrawn from the stream of liquid flowingk through the liquid discharge passage and passed-adjacent saidV transparent Wall portion where it may be viewed, and means controlled |by the level of liquid in the container being lled for controlling the flow of liquid through said sight passage.

15. In a devicefor iilling ycontainers with liquid, in combination, a conduit having an inlet and an outlet for the liquid, means providing an indicator chamber having means associated therewith for providing a visual signal exterior of the device, means for passing liquid flowing through said conduit from said conduit through said indicator chamber and back throughsaid conduit, and means responsive to the level of the liquid in the container being filled by said device for controlling the iiow of liquid through said indicator chamber.

16. In a device for lling containers with liquid, in combination, a conduit having an inlet and an outlet for the liquid, means providing a chamber, means for passing liquid flowing through said conduit from said conduit through said chamber, and means responsive to the level of the liquid in the container being iilled by said device for initiating ow of liquid through said chamber when the level rises to a predetermined height.

1'7. In a device for filling containers with liquid, in combination, a conduit having an inlet and an'outlet for the liquid, means providing an indicator chamber having means associated therewith for providing a visual signal exterior of the device, means for passing liquid owing through said conduit from said conduit through said indicator chamber and back through said conduit, and means responsive to the level of the liquid in the container being lled by said device for initiating flow'of liquid through said indicator chamber when the liquid level rises to a predetermined height. i

18. In a device for filling containers with liquid, in combination, `a conduit having an inlet and outlet for-the liquid, means providing a chamber, means for passing liquid owing through said conduit from said conduit through said chamber and back to said conduit, and means responsive to the level of the liquid in the container being iilled by said device for controlling the flow of liquid through said chamber in a manner to initiate such flow when the level rises to a predetermined height.

19. In a device for filling containers with liquid, in combination, a conduit having an inlet, an outlet, and side wall means, said side wall means for the major portion of the length of said conduit being substantially annular in cross-section providing a passage of generally uniform cross-section, but at a point spaced from the outlet of the conduit having a portion extending inwardly from one side of said passage toward the other for thereby restricting said passage, the portion of the side wall means opposite said inwardly extending portion conforming substantially in cross-section with the remainder of the side wall means as compared with said inwardly extending portion for thereby causing said inwardly extending portion to provide the majority of the restriction of said passage adjacent said inwardly extending portion, a sight passage formed in said inwardly extending portion of said side wall means, said sight passage communicating at one end with the interior of the conduit adjacent said inwardly extending portion, said sight passage also having a transparent wall portion adjacent the outer surface of said side wall means, and a passage communicating with said sight passage and extending within and longitudinally of said conduit, said last mentioned passage extending through said side wall means at a point near said outlet.

JOHN L. HARRIS.

Images