US3082945A - Proportionate price increment selector - Google Patents

Description

March 26, 1963 E. L. coPoNY PROPORTIONATE PRICE INCREMENT SELECTOR Filed Dec. 30, 1959 4 She ets-Shed'l 1 #D 1D 1T vl VE vVALVE GEAR :Box

BASE fMrEmER Toul. :GALLON fcouNT-ER March 26, 1963 E. L. coPoNY 3,082,945

PROPORTIONATE PRICE INCREMENT SELECTOR Filed Dec. 50, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 @A @ma March 26, 1963 E. coPoNY 3,082,945

PROPORTIONATE PRICE INGREMENT SELECTOR Filed Dec. 30, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 March 26, 1963 E. L. coPoNY 3,082,945

PRoPoRTIoNATE PRICE INCREMENT SELECTOR Filed Deo. 5o, 1959 4 sheets-sheet 4 United States Patent Office I 3,082,945 Patented Mar. 26, 1963 This invention relates to a device for determining a proportional increment to be added to the cost of a base lluid to which an additive fluid is mixed at various ratios by a lblending dispenser, and it more particularly relates to such a device for use in conjunctio-n with a gasoline pump which dispenses a range of blends of gasolines having different octane ratings.

The wide range of compression ratios of automobile engines in current use has made i-t necessary for gasoline dealers to provide a wide variety of gasolines of different octane ratings. Some gasoline stations, therefore, pro- Ivide as many as nine different grades of gasolines instead of the two formerly conventionalv high and low tes-t grades; `and to avoid the necessity of providing a storage ltank and associated dispensing equipment for each grade, it has been yfound highly advantageous to store only two grades of ygasoline and to blend them at various ratios to suit the individual motorist.

Various types of blending and dispensing equipment have been proposed for this purpose, and these dispensers all must in some way calculate the price of the blended mixture which is governed by the cost of the base and additive fluids and the amounts of each that are used. Some of these units have individually priced the costs of two fluids dispensed and added them to provide a total price. Other units change the setting of a single price variator in accordance with the change in cost of each blended mixture. Still another unit which is described in U.S. Letters Patent 2,880,908 determines the cost of the base fluid by means of a conventional variator, and it adds to this cost a price increment which is calculated in accordance with the amount of higher octane additive fluid which is dispensed.

This price increment is determined, from a selective set of gears whose output may be varied in discrete steps throughout the price spread between the base and additive grades. This selective gearing may beset, for example, to provide one-half cent increments between the various blends. However, these fixed increments do not reect a true lproportionate price for the blended mixture, but permit accurate non-proportionate pricing of the blended mixtures where the weight and measure laws do notprohibit a variance from an exact proportionate pricing system. Furthermore, this pricing in accordance with a set of fixed price increments severely limits the number of intermediate blends that may be Idispensed when the spread in price between the pure higher and lower octane fluids is very close, and nonproportionate pricing arrangements yfor blended mixtures are absolutely prohibited by the weight and measure laws of some localities such as those of various foreign countries.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a price increment selector of the type described which proportionately prices intermediate blends; and

Another object is to provide a selector of this type which is compact, simple and economical to manufacture and simple to operate.

In accordance with this invention, a proportionate price selector incorporates a compound gear train which is connected to the metering portion of the blending dispenser `which provides an input thereto corresponding to the rate at which it dispenses the blended mixture. This compound gear train includes two stages which are connected in series with each other and include a number of selectable sets of gears. One `of these stages selects a ratio corresponding Ito the proper price increment for the additive fluid, and the other selects a ratio corresponding to the blending ratio to which the dispenser is set. A shifting means is associated with each of these stages to permit selection of both price increment and .blending ratios. The price increment stage is relatively lpermanently set in accordance with the price of the particular higher octane iluid being utilized; however, the ratio of the blending stage varies with each change in blend that is dispensed. These two series-connected stages provide an overall output which is a combined function of the selected blending ratio and price increment, and this output is added to that of the base price variator to accurately reilect the amounts of base and additive fluids in the dispensed mixture.

An extremely simple and compact selector of this type is made by mounting the two series-connected stages upon two parallel shafts with one set of ygears of each of these stages being secured upon remote portions of separate shafts and another set of gears of each of these stages rotatably mounted upon the opposite corresponding portions of these shafts; A connecting gear engages the rotatably mounted gears with each other to couple lthe two stages together. Selection of the blending and price increment ratios is conveniently accomplished byA selective engagement of idlers with predetermined sets of gears in each of thetwo stages. The selection of the blending ratio is, for example, automatically accomplished when the dispenser is set at the selected blending ratio, and the price increment ratio is relatively permanently selected by the operator and left in position as long as the price of additive lluid does not change.

Novel features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

FIG. f1 is a schematic block diagram of a variable ratio blending fluid dispenser incorporating a selective gear ing element which is one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in lFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an idler portion of the embodiment sho-wn in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4--8 are cross-sectional views respectively taken through FIG. Z along the lines 4--4, 5 5, 6-6, 7--7 and A8-8;

FIG. `8A is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 8 in an alternate condition of operation; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the gear train em,- p'loyed. in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2.

In FIG. l is shown an embodiment 10 of the type shown in FIG. 2 as it is incorporated in the schematic diagram of a blending dispenser i12 which is, for example, of the type described in U.S. Letters Patent 2,880,908. As indicated in FIG. l, the price of the lluid mixture 14 discharged from dispenser 12 through nozzle 16 is determined by adding the price'information derived from a conventional variator 18 -which is driven in accordance with the total quantity delivered as calculated from the outputs of base meter 20 and additive meter 22. These outputs are added in a differential 24 and fed to variator 18 `and selective gearing block :10. Variator I18 is set to price the fluid with the assumption that it is totally composed of the less expensive base fluid. Selective gearing unit 10 provides a price increment corresponding to the extra cost entailed by the additive fluid. This extra or incremental cost is added to the base cost determined in variator 18 by a differential 26 which feeds this total cost information to a price counter 28 which displays it to operator and purchaser. The total gallonage delivered is displayed in counter 30 which is connected to summing differential 124.

Selective gearing replaces the corresponding portion of the blending dispenser described in U.S. Letters Patent 2,880,908. FIGURES 8-13 of that patent describe a xed increment pricing unit. Unit `10 herein is connected to the other units in an identical manner to that utilized in corresponding portions of that patent. However, the constituent portions of block 1i) are quite different as is explained in detail in the following description of FIGS. 2-9 hereof.

`In FIG. 2 is shown a proportionate price increment selector 10 incorporating a compound gear train 32 which is schematically represented in FIG. 9. The spaeial conguration of FIG. 9 is expanded from the true situation to more clearly indicate the individual stages of gear train 32. However, it should be kept in mind that the disposition of certain of its parts is altered from th true situation shown in FIG. 2. Now referring to FIG. 9 and to similarly described and numbered portions of FIG. 2, compound gear train 32 is shown to include two stages which are a price increment stage 34 and a blending ratio stage 36. These stages `are connected in series to each other through a connecting gear 38.

Price increment stage 34 incorporates aligned sets of price increment gears 34a, b, c, d, e, f, g, l1, z`]', k, m, n and p, which are `selectively engageable with each other to provide a ratio setting for price increment setting stage 34 in accordance with a predetermined price dierential of additive fluid over more inexpensive and lower octane rating base iluid. This selective interconnection of associated sets of gears 34a-34p to each other, for example, 341'1 to 341'2 is made through an idler gear 40` which is selectively engageable with any one of associated price increment gear sets 34a-34p.

Blending ratio stage 36 incorporates sets of coordinated gears 36h, c, d, e, f, g, l1 and i. A selective interconnection of the gears 36e1 to 36e2 of a set of coordinated gears 36e of sets 36h-361' of blending ratio stage 36 is accomplished through a respective associated idler 42h-421', such as 42e, which is shown in FIG. 9 and all of which are indicated in FIG. 2 as later described.

The subscript l gears of associated sets 34b-34p of stage 34 are, for example, secured to a shaft 44 which is rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 46 `and 48, and the subscript l gears of coordinated sets 36b-36 of stage 36 are secured to a shaft 50 which is rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 52 Iand 54.

The subscript 2 gears of associated sets of gears 34a-34p of stage 34 are rotatably mounted upon one end of shaft 50, for example, by `securing them to a sleeve 56 which is rotatably mounted upon the portion of shaft 50 shown in FIG. 9 aligned with stage 34; and the subscript 2 sets of coordinated gears 36u-361 are rotatably mounted upon the portion of shaft 44 shown in FIG. 9 aligned with stage 36, for example, by being secured to a sleeve 58 which is rotatably mounted upon that portion of shaft 44. FIG. V9, therefore, differs from the actual physical arrangement in that sleeves 56 and 58 are shown displaced from the portions of shafts 50` and 44 upon which they rotate as actually shown in FIG. 2.

A rotational input 64 obtained from summing differential `24 is fed into one end of compound gear train 32, for example, through end 63 of shaft 44, and a rotational output 60 which is a combined function of the selected blending and price increment ratios is derived from the end 62 of shaft 50. The actual physical disposition and operative mechanism which accomplishes transmission of the information and shifting of the ratios is fully described in conjunction with FIGS. 2-8 and 8A in the following.

In FIG. v2, as previously discussed, stages 34 and 36 are nested upon shafts 44 and 5()` to provide a simple and compact compound gear train having two individually selective ratios. The ratio of stage 36 is determined by selective engagement of a set of coordinated gears 36b- 36z` in the manner described in FIG. 9 by selective engagement of one `idler 42h-421, such as 42e, with gears 36e1 and 36e2 of a coordinated set 36e. This selective engagement is accomplished as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 by rotation of idler carriage 68e about shaft 70 by actuation upon the peak o-f cam 72e which bears against follower spring 74e, the remote end 76e of which bears against a projection 78e upon carriage 68e. `Cams 72e-7.2i are secured -to cam shaft 69 which receives a rotational input through a linkage 81 from blending dispenser control knob 30 which is mounted outside of the dispenser and rotated by the operator in accordance with the blending ratio selected to set the base and additive gear boxes to dispense a preselected blend of base and additive fluids. Dispenser 12 is, for example, of the type which dispenses 9 different blends of uid ranging from a pure base fluid A to a pure additive fluid I whose angular dispositions are indicated accordingly in FIG. 5. `One of cams 72a-72i has its peak oriented at the particular angular orientation for engaging its corresponding idler `421%421 with a corresponding set of coordinated gears 36h-361 when its blending ratio is called for in a similar manner to that shown and described in FIG. 5.

In FIG. 4, in the place of a first coor-dinated set of gears only Va single gear 36h11 is provided which is immobilized by a pawl S2 mounted upon the end of -a oarriage 63a which carries no idler gear but is ,actuated by a cam 72a in a similar manner to that described in FIG. 5. Carriage 68a is actuated by cum 72a when the pure base fluid A is selected. The price of the base fluid is determinable solely through variator 18, and no price increment need be added through device 10. Pawl 82, therefore, locks the output shaft 62 to prevent any undesired rotation from occurring when the Ibase uid is dispensed.

FIG. 3 shows a plan View lof one of the idler carriage `arms 68h, for example, which mount idler gear 42h between them for balanced support of idler 42h. The portion 84 broken out of FIG. 2 further describes the disposition of idler gear 42h and carriage 68h below coordinated set of gears 361'1 and 3612.

In FIG. 6 is shown one of idler gears 4212-421' such `as 42b which is maintained out `of engagement with gears 36h, and 36112 by rotation of the peak of cam 72b out of engagement with follower spring 74b which lallows carriage 63h and idler gear 42h to -disengage lfrom gears 36b1 `and 36b2 permitting the drive through stage 36 to `be accomplished solely through one engaged set of gears, such as 36e when cam 72e 'has been rotated to engage gears 3661 and 3662 as shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows iixed connecting gear 38 permanently connecting stage 34 to stage 36 through associated gears 34x and 36x in a series -forrn of connection.

FIG. 2 in conjunction with FIGS. 8 and 8A show the mode in which idler gear 40 `selectively engages a set of associated price increment gears 34a-34p to provide a selective price increment ratio. In contrast to stage 36, only ,one idler gear 40 is provided. Nevertheless, an idler gear `40 could be provided for each set, and one of them optionally utilized, for example, by Camectuated engagement in a simil-ar manner to that shown in stage 36. However, the use of only one idler simplifies the structure `and does not unduly complicate operation because the ratio setting of price increment stage 34 need not be changed anywhere near the `frequency of variation of` the blending ratio stage 36. Price increment stage 34 need only be adjusted when the price of the additive tluid [is varied which thereby varies the additional cost which is reflected in the price through price increment stage 34.

FIG. 8 shows idler 40 mounted upon a pair of carriage arms `86 only one of which is shown in FIG. 8. Idler `40 is maintained in engagement with associated gears 341'1 and 341'2 by the bearing of follower spring 88 upon a higher portion `90 of cam shaft 92 which is, for example, an axial continuation of cam shaft I69 yassociated with stage 36. Cam. surface 90 includes, 'for example, only one depressed portion 94 which is angularly aligned with the A or pure base fluid orientation of knob -80 to permit follower spring -88 to `fall into depression '94 in the manner shown in FIG. 8A when knob 80 is turned to the position providing pure base fluid. In this position, idler gear 40 drops out of engagement with aligned set 341 of associated gears 3411 and 341'2 thereby permitting it to be manually slid axially back and Iforth along shaft 92 in the direction of arrows 96 shown in FIG. 2 lby manipulation of tab 97, thereby permitting the price increment ratio setting rto be conveniently varied by the operator b-y realigning with any other aligned set of gears in section 34. It is not too inconvenient to require :the operator to open up the pump casing to do this since the price increment -setting is not varied very often, but a convenient type of remote actuation could be utilized if desired.

As indicated-in IFIGS. 8 and 8A, this price increment ratio can only lbe varied when lthe dispenser is set to dispense the purefA iluid since this is the only time that idler 40 is out of engagement with lan .associated set of gears 34a-24p. Furthermore, it is not necessary to have idler 40 enga-ging a set of these -gears when a base iluid is provided because there is no output required from device 10 at that time to be added to that of vari-ator 18` for correctly pricing the base fluid.

The thirteen sets of gears in price increment stage 34 may be arranged, for example, to provide a price spread between the base and additive price ranging, or example, from as little as three cents per gallon to eleven and one- Ihalf cents per gallon. Half-cent increments may, for example, be arranged at any convenient intervals such as between the lower values, or they may be interspersed between all whole-cent increments. It is conceivable that suicient sets of gears to provide increments ranging up to as much as sixteen and more and down to even less than one cent might be advantageous, and the number of increments provided is only limited by the -space requirements of the required gears `and the allowable length of the selective unit. Since the blending ratio stage 36 governs the output from unit 10 ystrictly in proportion to the amount of additive in the mixture, Ithe output #from selective gearing 10 provided through output channel 64 to price summing differential 26 is strictly governed by the proportion of additive in the base mixture. The total price, therefore, accurately reliects the proportions of b-ase and additive iluids in the mix dispensed.

What is claimed is:

l. A device 4for ydetermining the proportionate increment to be added to the cost of a base Huid to which an additive is mixed :at predetermined variable rati-os by a blending dispenser having a metering element, said device -comprising a compound gear train which is connected to the metering element of said blending dispenser which provides `an input to said gear .tra-in which corresponds to the rate at which it is dispensing the blending mixture, said compound gear train including two stages, one of said stages including associated sets of price increment gears and means `for selectively individually engaging the price .increment gears of said associated sets with each other, said associated sets individually providing outputs corresponding to various price increments `for sai-d additive fluid over the price of said base fluid, Ia manual shifting means connected t-o said lone stage for individually engaging the price increment gears of one of said associated sets with each other in accordance With a predetermined additive price increment, the other of `said stages including coordinated sets of blending rat-io gears and means for selectively engaging the blending ratio gears of said coordinated sets with each other, said coordinated sets individually providing outputs corresponding to the various blending ratios of additive iluid to base fluid which are provided by said blending dispensers, a shifting means connected to said other stage for individually engaging the blending ratio gears of one of said coordinated sets with each other in response to a control input, said shifting means including an input means for providing -a control input which is governed by the blending ratio being utilized by said dispenser whereby the blending ratio gears of the set of coordinated gears corresponding to said utilized blending ratio are engaged with each other, said stages being connected in series with each other to provide an overall output which is a combined lfunction of the blending ratio to which said other stage is set and the price increment ratio to which said one stage is set, said compound gear train including two parallel shafts, said other stage including a rst group of blending ratio gears secured to the tirst one of said shafts, said one stage including a first group of price increment gears rotatably mounted upon said first shaft, a second group of said price increment gears being Isecured to the second `of said shafts in line with said rst group of price increment gears, a second group of said blending ratio gears being rotatably mounted upon said second shaft in line with said rst group of blending ratio gears, a connecting gear engaging said groups of gears which `are rotatably mounted upon said shafts to couple said stages in series with each other, said shifting means including a series of cam-operated idlers which are aligned with said coordinated gears of said other blending ratio stage lfor permitting one of said idlers to be engaged at a time with its aligned gears to provide a ratio corresponding to the blending ratio to which s-aid dispenser is set, said cams being equal in number to the number of diierent ratios to which said dispenser may be set, said cams being Iangularly oriented for engaging said idlers with one of said coordinated sets of gears at ,a time, a locking projection being provided Ifor engagement with one of said blending ratio gears for ini-mobilizing said device when base iluid only is being dispensed, and ione of said cams being arranged to actuate said locking projection.

2. A `device for `determining the proportion-ate increment to be `ad-ded to the cost of a base iluid to which an additive iluid is mixed yat predetermined Variable ratios by a blending `dispenser having a metering element, said device comprising a compound gear train which is connected to the metering element of said blend-ing dispenser which provides an input to said gear train which corresponds to the rate at which it is dispensing the blending mixture, said compound gear train including two stages, one of said stages including associated sets of price increment gears and means for selectively individually engaging the price increment gears of said associated sets with each other, said associated sets individually providing outputs corresponding to variou-s price increments for said additive iiuid over the price of said base fluid, =a manual shifting means connected to said one stage for individually engaging the price increment gears of yone lof said associated sets with each other in accordance with a predetermined additive price increment, the other of said stages inclu-ding coordinated sets of blending ratio gears and means for selectively engaging the blending ratio gears of said coordinated sets -witih each other, said coordinated sets individually providing outputs corresponding to the various blending ratios of additive iiuid to base fluid which are provided by said blending dispensers, a shifting means connected to said other stage for individually engaging the blending ratio gears of one of said coordinated sets with each other in response to a control input, said shifting means including -an input means for providing a control input which is governed by the blending ratio being utilized by said -dispenser whereby the blending ratio gears of the `set of coordinated gears corresponding to said utilized 7 blending ratio are engaged with each other, said stages being connected in `series with each other to provide an overall output which is a combined function of the b1ending ratio to` which said other stage is set and the price increment ratio to which said one stage is set, said com pound gear train including .two parallel shafts, said other stage including a first group of blending ratio gears secured to the tirst one of said shafts, said one stage including ya rst group of price increment gears rotatably mounted upon said iirst shaft, a second gnoup of said price increment gears being secured to the lsecond of said shafts in line with said tirst group of price increment gears, a second group of said blending ratio gears being rotatably mounted upon said second shaft in line with said fir-st group of blending ratio gears, a connecting gear engaging Isaid groups of gears which -are rotatably mounted upon said shafts to couple said stages in series with each other, said shifting means including a series of cam-operated idlers which are aligned with said coordinated gears of said other blending ratio stage -for permitting one of said idlers to be engaged lat la time with its aligned gears to provide a ratio corresponding to the blending ratio to which said d-ispenser is set, said cams being equal in number to the number of different ratios to which said dispenser may be set, said cams being angularly oriented for engaging said idlers with one of said coordinated sets of gears at a time, said `manu-al shifting means including an idler gear which is -alignable with one of said sets of associated price increment gears at a time, a rotatable cam means being associated with 4said idler gear, and said rotatable `cam being arranged to engage said idler with its aligned set of associated price increment gears when a blend incorporating said 'additive uid is being dispensed land allowing said idler to become disengaged from said associated gears rwhen a blend including no additive is being dispensed to permit said idler to be shifted from one set of associ-ated price increment gears to the other at that time.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 829,068 Fox Aug. 21, 1906 1,169,388 Fay Jan. 25, 1916 -2,836,361 Haupt May 27, 1958 2,880,908 Young Apr. 7, 1959 2,886,211 McGaughey et al a May l2, 1959 2,898,002 Blanchett et al Aug, 4, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 903,263 France Sept. 28, 1945

Claims (1)

1. A DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE PROPORTIONATE INCREMENT TO BE ADDED TO THE COST OF A BASE FLUID TO WHICH AN ADDITIVE IS MIXED AT PREDETERMINED VARIABLE RATIOS BY A BLENDING DISPENSER HAVING A METERING ELEMENT, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A COMPOUND GEAR TRAIN WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE METERING ELEMENT OF SAID BLENDING DISPENSER WHICH PROVIDES AN INPUT TO SAID GEAR TRAIN WHICH CORRESPONDS TO THE RATE AT WHICH IT IS DISPENSING THE BLENDING MIXTURE, SAID COMPOUND GEAR TRAIN INCLUDING TWO STAGES, ONE OF SAID STAGES INCLUDING ASSOCIATED SETS OF PRICE INCREMENT GEARS AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY INDIVIDUALLY ENGAGING THE PRICE INCREMENT GEARS OF SAID ASSOCIATED SETS WITH EACH OTHER, SAID ASSOCIATED SETS INDIVIDUALLY PROVIDING OUTPUTS CORRESPONDING TO VARIOUS PRICE INCREMENTS FOR SAID ADDITIVE FLUID OVER THE PRICE OF SAID BASE FLUID, A MANUAL SHIFTING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ONE STAGE FOR INDIVIDUALLY ENGAGING THE PRICE INCREMENT GEARS OF ONE OF SAID ASSOCIATED SETS WITH EACH OTHER IN ACCORDANCE WITH A PREDETERMINED ADDITIVE PRICE INCREMENT, THE OTHER OF SAID STAGES INCLUDING COORDINATED SETS OF BLENDING RATIO GEARS AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVLY ENGAGING THE BLENDING RATIO GEARS OF SAID COORDINATED SETS WITH EACH OTHER, SAID COORDINATED SETS INDIVIDUALLY PROVIDING OUTPUTS CORRESPONDING TO THE VARIOUS BLENDING RATIOS OF ADDITIVE FLUID TO BASE FLUID WHICH ARE PROVIDED BY SAID BLENDING DISPENSERS, A SHIFTING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID OTHER STAGE FOR INDIVIDUALLY ENGAGING THE BLENDING RATIO GEARS OF ONE OF SAID COORDINATED SETS WITH EACH OTHER IN RESPONSE TO A CONTROL INPUT, SAID SHIFTING MEANS INCLUDING AN INPUT MEANS FOR PROVIDING A CONTROL INPUT WHICH IS GOVERNED BY THE BLENDING RATIO BEING UTILIZED BY SAID DISPENSER WHEREBY THE BLENDING RATIO GEARS OF THE SET OF COORDINATED GEARS CORRESPONDING TO SAID UTILIZED BLENDING RATIO ARE ENGAGED WITH EACH OTHER, SAID

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