US2599162A

US2599162A - Combination venting, filling, and gauging device for fuel oil tanks

Info

Publication number: US2599162A
Application number: US740212A
Authority: US
Inventors: Brown Joseph
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-04-08
Filing date: 1947-04-08
Publication date: 1952-06-03
Anticipated expiration: 1969-06-03

Description

June 3, 1952 BROWN 2,599,162

COMBINATION VENTING, FILLING, AND GAUGING DEVICE FOR FUEL OIL TANKS v 2 Sl-IEETSSHEET 1 Filed April 8, 1947 IN VEN TOR. JOSEPH BROWN.

I BY

ATTORNE).

June 3, 1952 .1. BROWN 2,599,162

COMBINATION VENTING, FILLING, AND GAUGING DEVICE FOR FUEL OIL TANKS Filed April 8, 1947 2 SI-iEETS-Sl-IEET 2 f 486 1 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH BROW/V,

21b 1! BY Z 213 V75 1 Mum 414.-

ATTOKNEY Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION VENTING, FILLING, AND GAUGING DEVICE FOR FUEL OIL TANKS Joseph Brown, Drexel, Pa. Application April 8, 1947, Serial No. 740,212

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for filling and venting fuel tanks and to be disposed distant from the tank and embedded in the wall of a house or building and available to the fuel distributor from the outside of the building.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable device composed of a minimum number of parts which are rugged and can be easily assembled in position and can be as easily and quickly operated to fill and vent the tank.

A further object is to provide a receptacle having parts to receive fill and vent pipes, said receptacle including a louvered lid pivotally secured to the receptacle in such manner that it may be swung to one side to make the fill pipe accessible while being retained on the receptacle.

A further object is to provide a device in which the parts are so related that when the attendant leaves the spot he can lock up the parts so that tampering is prevented while permitting free venting and protection of the connections to the tank from inclement weather and other factors.

Still further, it is an object to provide a device which can be made by simple casting operations and assembled with equal economy to be locked against opening except by one with authority so to do.

Another object is to provide in such a receptacle, an indicator or guage that can be read at the fuel filling position to indicate the level of the fuel in the tank so as to eliminate overflowing of the tank and. thus prevent loss of fuel oil and lessen the fire hazard, and at the same time to permit of delivery of the fuel without regard to the presence or absence of the home owner or building superintendent.

A further object is to provide a receptacle and closure for the outer ends of a fill and a vent pipe of oil storage tanks which hold the fuel oil of oil burners to make the inlet end of the fuel pipe accessible to the attendant on fuel oil delivery trucks at the street level without requiring anyones presence at the tank to determine the level of the fuel in the tank. The attendant can tell by reading the indicator outside the building whether or not fuel oil is required.

Further and more specific objects, features and advantages will more clearly appearfrom the detailed specification hereinafter set forth especially when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate present preferred forms which the invention may assume and which form part of the specification.

Briefly and in general terms, the invention comprises a simple box casting having venting and filling openings, and in some cases a recess for an indicator, with sockets at the rear in line to receive connections from the tank, for venting, filling, and for indicating liquid level. The filling opening walls are preferably sloped with the threads therein to receive a cap sloped at an angle preferably of sixty degrees to the horizontal, which has been found the most convenient angle for such use. The casting is related to a cover pivoted thereon and simple fastening means is provided which also acts as a pivot means. The cover and casting have related projections which prevent swinging of the cover when the fastening device is effective so that the door, when in closed position, may be drawntightly against the casting and held there securely.

The present preferred form which the invention may assume is illustrated in the drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the device with the cover plate in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal section through the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the device with the cover removed.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the device in situ with the cover swung aside for filling.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modified form of the device with the cover plate in closed position.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the device shown in Fig. 6 with the cover removed.

Fig. 9 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Figs. 6, '7, and 8.

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of another modified form of the device with the cover plate in closed position.

Fig. 11 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the device shown in Fig. 10.

Referring now merely to the preferred specific forms shown inthe'drawings, it is seen that, with reference to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the device comprises a casting l0 having a peripheral flange I l and three openings therein; a vent passage I2 at the rear of which is a socket l3 for the reception of a vent pipe, shown in dotted lines (Fig. 2), from the fuel tank; a recess [4 to receive a fuel indicator I5 of any desired type, at the rear of which there is a threaded socket [6 to receive a cable, shown in dotted lines (Fig. 2), or other transmission means from the level gauge in the fuel tank; and a lower opening I! for filling purposes, having front threads H to engage a threaded nipple on the filling pipe from the fuel supply tank truck. The slope of this threaded bore is preferably about 60 to the horizontal, which has been found to be the best angle for the proper engagement with the filling nozzle when it is inserted into said opening ll. At the rear of the opening-or passage I1; is .a threaded socket l8'toreceive a pipe, shown in dotted lines (Fig. 2), extending from the fuel tank.

The front of the casting, which is to be em.- bedded in a well, as shown in Fig. 5,.istobe nor? mally covered by a plate 19, which is provided with a rearwardly extending projection or finger 2| which, when the cover is in closed position, projects into a recess 22 formed at the lower pertion of the front face of the casting; The cover is supported on the front face of the casting by means of a key-operated screw 23 which thiieadably engages a lip 24 dependent from the top wall of the casting I and its head is housed in: a recess in the frontxface of. the cover l9. By tightening up on. the screw 23, the cover: is held rigidlyin .closed'position-against the face-oi the casting) with thefinger'Zl projecting into the recess 22 toprevent force-being used toswing the'cover plate aroundthepivot without using therkeyto loosen the screw 23. Whenv thetfuel attendant operates his; key to release the screw 23,- the-cover is loosened: enough to-swing. it aside, as-shown in Fig. 5, sufficiently to'insert a filling nozzle-into the fillingopening and alsoto view theind'icator. In line with-filling passage 1-2, the front. cover I9. is provided withvent apertures-2B protected biz-downwardly sloping lipsv 2:! so that the-ventin of the tank' is always, operative-although thepase sage is inaccessible when the "cover is closed and rain. snow, etc.-,, cannot reach the inside.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs; 6 to 9, inclusive, theshape-of the casting is triangular and resembles somewhat theinstrument boardt'ofanrautomobile: In this :form; the casting is Illa, the cover-319a, with the venting passage l3a, the-filling "passage 1 Ia-and the socket-for the indicatorconnection at 16a; The indicator-casing l5a is disposed in the lower right corner of the casting and the'fillingpassage and socket I8a in the lower left hand corner. The ventin passage. is disposed at, the apex of the'casting, on armedi'anvertical line. The recessZZa isQdisposed on this line at the bottom of the casting. The slope of the passage-is as. before." The screw 23a is housed i-n-recess. 25a and the vent openings 26a and protecting :lips 2111 provided on the cover 1912.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the shape of the casting and the cover is substantially thesame as: in Figs. 1 to 5';inclusive, but in this form, the indicator is omitted. In this form are shown'the casting (0b: with the peripheral flange llb, withthe vent: passage 12b and its: associated pipe socket 1312 at thesr'ear. There is also the filling-passage lib 'with'the threads: llc sloped 'at 60 as before, and'the threaded socket 18b at :the rear thereon The cover 1912, as before, is pivoted on:a.screw"2i3b engaging the dependent ;lip.24'b, the head of the screw lying in a recess 25b in the face of the cover. The cover isralso 'providedzwith a finger tlb projecting. into 'a'recess- 22b in the. face of the casting and acting as before described.-

In the operation of the device, and considering the parts in closed position shown in Fig. 2, it will be obvious that as the driver of the fuel truck wishes to fill the tank, he inserts his key into engagement with the head of the screw 23 and turns it until the cover is withdrawn an amount suii'icient for the projection or finger 2! to be clear of the recess 22 whereupon he can swing the cover-to onesid'el, assh'own' in Fig. 5,

'sothat' he may inspect theindicator and thereupon insert his filling nozzle into the filling passage l'l. When a sufiicient supply of fuel is passed intothe tank, he withdraws the nozzle, swingsthezcoverback into the proper position, and then tightens up on the screw 23 thereby locking-the cover into place. All the time, Whether thecoverisopened or closed, the venting operation is not obstructed in any way, and when the parts are locked closed, the venting action will continue but access to the interior is prevented and rain and otherelements cannot'reach the venting passage and therefore get into the tank.

Wliilethe invention has been described in detail, and'with respect to present preferred forms which the invention may assume, it is not to .be limited to such forms. and details since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest. aspects. Hence, it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which may come within the language or scope of the appended claim.

Having thus describedumyinvention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patout, is:

A venting and filling device which comprises a casting. having a front face with an extending peripheral flange therea-round and having venting and fillingpassages and a first recess, an indicator in said. first recess, socketson the rear of the casting and-in linewithsaid passages and first recess to receive connections from a remote tank. and from a-liquid level responsive device in said tank, azcover pivoted tozthecasting; means acting as a fastening meansand a pivot means to hold the cover tight against the casting and: to loosen the same therefrom, said casting having a second recess remote'from the'pivot axis of the cover and a5 finger on the cover extending into said second recess when the fastening meansis tightened, to abut thewallsof saidlrecess toprevent thecover from'swinging fromits closed position.

JOSEPH BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 365,232 Bingham June 21, 188? 1,307,494 Hawxhurst June 24,1919 1,473,162. Sage Nov. 6, 1923 1,823,377 Remington Sept, 15,1931 2,309,80 Smith Feb. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 145.387 Great Britain July 2, 1920