US3639735A

US3639735A - Multiple product fluid dispensing system

Info

Publication number: US3639735A
Application number: US64302A
Authority: US
Inventors: John H Bickford
Original assignee: Veeder Industries Inc
Current assignee: Veeder Industries Inc
Priority date: 1970-08-17
Filing date: 1970-08-17
Publication date: 1972-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 1989-02-01

Abstract

A multiple product gasoline dispensing pump with two multiple product gasoline delivery subsystems independently operable from opposite sides of the pump for selectively dispensing a plurality of different grades of gasoline and for computing the cost of the gasoline dispensed in accordance with the established unit volume price for the selected grade. A single-price programming unit comprising three rotary price decades for each grade is provided for both delivery subsystems for establishing and posting the unit volume prices. The price decades are coaxially mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and each comprises a number wheel with two numeral sequences of 0-9 providing for posting the unit volume prices on the opposite sides of the pump. The price decades have binary switches providing encoded signals of the established unit volume prices and are connected via a selector circuit for setting each delivery subsystem to compute the cost of gasoline dispensed in accordance with the established unit volume price for the selected grade.

Description

14s; Feb. 1, 1972 MULTIPLE PRODUCT FLUID DISPENSING SYSTEM [57] ABSTRACT A multiple product gasoline dispensing pump with two multi- 72 Inventor: John a. Biclttord, Middletown, Conn. P Product gasoline delivery subsystems independently operable from opposite sides of the pump for selectively [73] Assgnefi Vader lndusmes Hartford Comb dispensing a plurality of different grades of gasoline and for [22] Filed: Aug. 17, 1970 computing the cost of the gasoline dispensed in accordance with the established unit volume price for the selected grade. Appl' 64302 A single-price programming unit comprising three rotary price decades for each grade is provided for both delivery [52] US. Cl ..235/94, 222/26, 235/61 M subsystems for establishing and posting the unit volume prices. [51] Int. Cl. ..B67d 5/22, 867d 5/06 The price decades are coaxially mounted for rotation about a [58] Field of Search ..235/94, 61 M, 94 A; 222/25, vertical axis and each comprises a number wheel with two nu- 1 4- 4 meral sequences of 0-9 providing for posting the unit volume prices on the opposite sides of the pump. The price decades References Cimd have binary switches providing encoded signals of the established unit volume prices and are connected via a selec- UNITED STATES PATENTS tor circuit for setting each delivery subsystem to compute the 2,858,049 10/1958 Young et al. ..222/26 cost of gasoline dispensed in accordance with the established 3,082,945 3/ 1963 Copony ....235/61 M unit volume price for the selected grade. 3,122,312 2/1964 Daniele ..235/61 M Primary ExaminerRichard B. Wilkinson l6 Elaims, 3 Drawing Figures Assistant Examiner-Stanley A. Wal AttarneyPrutzman, Hayes, Kalb & Chilton VOLUME s Eh W PRICE VARIATOR VARlATOR SELECTOR CIRCUIT msmcm 1m:

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mtmcom Inn SHEET 3 [IF 3 MULTIPLE PRODUCT FLUID DISPENSING SYSTEM BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to multiple product fluid dispensing systems having notable utility in dispensing a plurality of different grades of gasoline and relates more particularly to a multiple produce fluid-dispensing system having two or more delivery subsystems independently operable for selectively dispensing each of the available fluid products and for computing the cost of the fluid dispensed in accordance with the established unit volume price for the selected fluid product.

It is a primary aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved multiple product gasoline dispensing system having two or more delivery subsystems independently operable for selectively dispensing a plurality of gasoline products and computing the cost of the gasoline dispensed in accordance with an established unit volume price and having a single-price programming unit for preestablishing the unit volume prices of the gasoline products and setting each delivery subsystem to compute the cost of gasoline dispensed in accordance with the preestablished unit volume price for the selected gasoline product.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved multiple product fluid-dispensing pump having two independently operable fluid-dispensing systems.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved price posting unit for a multiple product fluiddispensing pump adapted for displaying the preestablished unit volume prices of the available fluid products on both sides of the pump.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved multiple product fluid-dispensing system having two or more delivery subsystems independently operable for selectively delivering a plurality of fluid products and for computing the cost of the fluid dispensed in accordance with a preestablished unit volume price for the selected fluid product.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved price programming system for a multiple product fluid dispensing system for preestablishing the unit volume prices of the available fluid products and operable with two or more multiple product delivery subsystems independently operable for selectively delivering the available fluid products for setting each delivery subsystem for computing the cost of fluid delivered in accordance with the preestablished unit volume price of the selected fluid product.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings of illustrative applications of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. I is a generally schematic representation, partly broken away and partly in section, of a multiple product gasoline dispensing pump incorporating the present invention; and

FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic representations, partly broken away, of two different embodiments of a selector circuit of the multiple product gasoline dispensing pump of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detail to the drawings wherein like parts are designated by like numerals, a multiple product gasolinedispensing system incorporating an embodiment of the present invention is shown comprising two delivery subsystems 10,]1 independently operable for selectively delivering a plurality of different grades of gasoline and for computing the cost of the gasoline dispensed in accordance with an established unit volume price. Each delivery subsystem 10,11 comprises a delivery control unit 12 having a pair of motor driven pumps 14 for delivering separate grades of gasoline to a dispensing nozzle 16 via a pair of fuel meters 18, a proportioning valve 20 and a pair of

coaxial conduits

22,24. The output shafts 25 of the meters 18 are connected to a summation differential 26 to drive suitable blend ratio gearing 28 in accordance with the total amount of fuel dispensed. In a conventional manner, the rotation of the output shaft 29 of blend gearing 28 is compared with the rotation of the output shaft 25 of one of the meters 18 by a subtraction differential 30 to control the proportioning valve 20 and thereby establish the blend proportions in accordance with the setting of the blend gearing 28.

The output of the summation differential 26 is also connected for driving a suitable variator 32 and for driving a volume counter 34 for registering the total volume of gasoline dispensed. The output 35 of the variator 32 is connected for driving a cost counter 36 for registering the cost of gasoline dispensed in accordance with the volume of gasoline dispensed and a unit volume price within a three place price range established by the variator setting. Preferably the volume and cost counters 34,36 are resettable and are connected to be reset to zero before the commencement of each fuel delivery.

Three banks 37-39 of variator input leads are provided for setting the variator, more particularly, for setting the variator for establishing the three places respectively of the unit volume price. Each input lead bank 37-39 comprises four electrical leads which provide a BCD input signal of the established amount of the respective place of the unit volume price. The variator 32 may, for example, be an electromechanical variator of the type shown and described in my copending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 868,070 filed Oct. 21, 1969 and entitled Computing Device" or, for example, be an electronic variator of the type disclosed in the commonly assigned US. Pat. application Ser. No. 64,337 filed Aug. 17, 1970 of Reed H. Johnston and entitled Computing Device." Also, a price indicator 42 operated by the three input lead banks 37-39 via suitable decoder-driver circuits 44 may be provided for indicating the unit volume price at which the variator is set.

A product selector 62 having a rotatable product selector knob 64 is provided for selecting each of the available grades of gasoline, five grades in the shown embodiment which, for example, may include each of the two separate grades of gasoline individually and three different blends of the two grades of gasoline. The five position product selector knob 64 is connected to the blend gearing 28 and proportioning valve 20 for setting the delivery control unit 12 for delivering the selected grade of gasoline. The product selector knob 64 is also connected to operate a price selector switch 66 for setting the variator (via the three banks 37-39 of variator input leads) for computing the cost of the gasoline dispensed in accordance with a unit volume price preestablished for the selected product.

The two delivery subsystems 10,11 are mounted in the same pump housing 70, for example as shown in FIG. 1, such that the two delivery subsystems 10,11 may be operated from opposite faces or

sides

72,73 of the pump housing 70. Thus, the selector 62, price indicator 42, and volume and cost counters 34,36 of each subsystem 10,11 are located on the same side of the pump housing 70and the corresponding delivery nozzle 16 may, as shown in FIG. 1, be stored in a storage receptacle 76 located on the same side of the pump housing 70. Accordingly, the two multiple product delivery subsystems 10,11 may be independently operated from opposite sides of the pump.

A single price programming unit 80 is provided for both of the delivery subsystems 10,11. The price programming unit 80 comprises five banks 81-85 of rotary decades 86 for the five available grades of gasoline. Each decade bank 81-85 comprises three decades 86 for the three places respectively of the three place unit volume price range, and each decade 86 comprises a relatively large 20-position number wheel 88 bearing two sets of the numeral sequence of -9 and asuitable binary switch (not shown) having output leads 90-93 such that the number wheel 88 setting can be read at two diametrically opposed locations-on opposite sides of the pump housing 70 as shown in FIG. 1and the binary switch provides a BCD signal in output leads 90-93 corresponding to the number wheel reading. The binary switch may, for example, be a 20-position switch of the type shown in FIG. 6 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,445,636 of Joseph A. Richards entitled Single Wheel Counter Circuit." The four output leads 90-93 of each switch have binary values of l, 2, 4 and 8 respectively such that, for example, lead 90 would be energized when the number wheel 88 is set at 1," lead 91 would be energized when the number wheel is set at 2," leads 90 and 91 would be energized when the number wheel is set at 3," etc. Each decade 86 may, for example, be set by manually rotating the numberwheel 88, and a suitable detent (not shown) may be provided for retaining the wlieel in its set position.

The decade banks 81-85 are adapted to be set to preestablish the unit volume prices of the five available grades of gasoline and the decade banks are connected via a selector circuit 96 for separately setting each variator 32 in accordance with the position of the corresponding product selector knob64.

All of the decades 86 of the price programmer 80 are coaxially mounted for rotation about a vertical axis to provide a vertical stack of price wheels 88 providing a visual indication of the preestablished prices of the available fuel products on both sides of the fuel pump. Also, the operative price of each delivery subsystem 10,11 is preferably suitably indicated as by an index 98 mounted on an endless belt 100 and adapted to be positioned by the corresponding product selector knob 64 through bevel gearing 102 and drive pulley 104.

One embodiment of a selector circuit 96 for separately setting each variator 32 in accordance with the position of the corresponding product selector knob 64 is shown in FIG. 2. In that embodiment the output leads 90-93 of corresponding decades 86 are connected in parallel to corresponding banks of selector leads 114-117, 118-121, and 122-125 respectively as shown in part in FIG. 2. Corresponding decades 86 are suitably isolated as by the provision of diodes 126 in the output leads 90-93 to prevent feedback through inactive switches such that the BCD signals in the selector leads 114-117, 118-121, and 122-125 for the three places respectively of the unit volume price are dependent upon the setting of the decades 86 of the active decade bank 81-85.

Each selector lead 114-125 is connected to a DC source via a suitable resistor 128 and the leads 114-125 are adapted to be selectively grounded or shorted by the active decades 86 to produce the BCD signals for setting the variators. More particularly, selector switch commons 130,132 are alternately grounded by a suitable sequencing gate 134 operated by a multivibrator 136 to provide for alternately producing BCD signals in the units, tens, and hundreds leads 114-117, 118-121, and 122-125 respectively in accordance with the settings of the decade banks 81-85 activated by the price selector switches 66 of the two delivery subsystems 10,11. Also, suitable control gates 138,140 are operated by the sequencing gate 134 for alternately connecting the selector leads 114-125 to the input leads of the two variators 32 for setting each variator 32 in accordance with the setting of the corresponding price selector switch 66.

The BCD signals produced in the units, tens, and hundreds" output leads 114-117, 118-121, and 122-125 respectively are therefore the BCD complements of the BCD signals produced by the active decades 86. Of course, the binary switches of the decades 86 may be designed to produce a complementary BCD signal of the number wheel position in which case the selector leads 114-125 would provide straight BCD signalsofthe active price. The complementary BCD signals would be useful in setting the variator shown in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. application of Reed H. Johnston entitled Computing Device" and straight BCD signals would be useful in setting the variator described in my aforementioned U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 868,070.

The multivibrator 136 may, for example, have a frequency of 100 kHz. such that the programming unit 80 operates to repetitively set the variators 32 on a time-sharing basis at a relatively high frequency. In addition if the variator 32 is designed to require a constant rather than an intermittent input signal to maintain the unit volume price setting of the variator, a suitable signal storage circuit 146 could be provided as shown in FIG. 2 to store the BCDprice signals between pulses. 1

Referring to FIG. 3, another embodiment of a selector circuit 96 is shown in which the output leads 90-93 of the decade banks 81-85 are adapted to be selectively connected to the variator input leads. A bank of five gates 154 is provided for each variator 32 and the gates of each bank are adapted to be selectively operated by the corresponding price selector switch 66 so that each bank of decades 86 is adapted to be selectively connected for operating each variator in accordance with the position of the corresponding price selector switch 66.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications, adaptations andyariations of the foregoing specific disclosure can be made without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

lclaim:

1. In a multiple product fluid-dispensing system having a plurality of multiple product delivery subsystems independently operable for selectively dispensing a plurality of fluid products, and presettable means presettable for preestablishing the unit volume price of each of the available fluid products; each delivery subsystem comprising a cost accumulator operable for accumulating the cost of fluid dispensed, settable variating means connected for operating the cost accumulator in accordance with the volume of fluid dispensed by the subsystem and a unit volume price established by the setting of the variating means, and setting means selectively operable for selectively setting the subsystem for selectively dispensing the fluid products and for setting the variating means and therefore the unit volume price in accordance with the corresponding setting of the presettable means; the improvement wherein the presettable means comprises a plurality of encoders for the plurality of fluid products respectively each settable for producing a coded price signal of the unit volume price of the respective fluid product, and selector means for connecting the setting means of each delivery subsystem to the plurality of encoders for setting the respective variating means in accordance with the coded price signal corresponding to the fluid product setting of the subsystem and independently of the fluid product settings of the other subsystems.

2. In a multiple product fluid-dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the selector means comprises time-sharing means sequentially connecting the setting means of the delivery subsystems for setting the respective variating means.

3. In a multiple product fluid-dispensing system according to claim 2 wherein the selector means comprises signal storage means for each delivery subsystem for storing the coded price signal corresponding to the fluid product setting of the subsystem and for continuously providing the stored signal for setting the respective variating means.

4. In a multiple product fluid-dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein each encoder is settable to produce a binary coded price signal of the unit volume price of the respective fluid product.

5. In a multiple product fluid-dispensing system according to claim 4 wherein each encoder produces a plurality of binary signals of the amounts of a plurality of places respectively of a multiple place unit volume price.

6. In a multiple product fluid-dispensing system according to claim 5 wherein each encoder comprises a plurality of encoder decades for the plurality of places respectively of the multiple place unit volume price.

7. In a multiple product fluid-dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein each encoder comprises a plurality of number wheels for producing visual readouts of the amounts of a plurality of places respectively of a multiple place unit volume price.

8. In a multiple product fluid-dispensing system according to claim 7 wherein the plurality of number wheels of each encoder are coaxially mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis and having two sets of the numeral indicia sequence of 0-9 for producing a visual readout of the multiple place unit volume price of the respective fluid product at diametrically opposed locations of the wheels.

9. In a multiple product fluid-dispensing system according to claim 8 wherein the number wheels of the plurality of encoders are coaxially mounted for rotation about a single generally vertical axis.

10. In a multiple product pump having two multiple product fluid delivery subsystems independently operable for selec tively dispensing a plurality of fluid products, and presettable means presettable for preestablishing the unit volume price of each of the fluid products; each delivery subsystem comprising a cost accumulator operable for accumulating the cost of fluid dispensed, settable variating means connected for operating the cost accumulator in accordance with the volume of fluid dispensed by the subsystem and a unit volume price established by the setting of the variating means, and setting means selectively operable for selectively setting the subsystem for selectively dispensing the fluid products and for setting the variating means and therefore the unit volume price in accordance with the corresponding setting of the presettable means; the improvement wherein the presettable means comprises a plurality of encoders for the plurality of fluid products respectively each settable for establishing a coded price signal of the unit volume price of the respective fluid product, and selector means for connecting the setting means of each delivery subsystem to the plurality of encoders v for setting the respective variating means in accordance with the coded price signal corresponding to the fluid product setting of the subsystem and independently of the fluid product setting of the other subsystem.

11. In a multiple product pump according to claim 10 wherein the pump comprises a pump housing and the two multiple product fluid delivery subsystems are operable from respective opposite sides only of the pump housing, wherein the cost accumulator of each subsystem provides a cost readout on the respective side only of the pump housing, and wherein the setting means of each subsystem comprises a manually operable selector knob mounted on the respective side of the pump housing.

l2. In a multiple product pump according to claim I] wherein each encoder provides a multiple place unit volume price readout for the respective fluid on both of said opposite sides of the pump.

13. In a multiple product pump according to claim 10 wherein the pump comprises a pump housing and the two multiple product fluid delivery subsystems are operable from respective opposite sides of the pump housing, and wherein each encoder comprises a plurality of number wheels for producing visual readouts of the amounts of a plurality of places respectively of a multiple place unit volume price, the plurality of number wheels of each encoder being coaxially mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis and having two sets of the numeral indicia sequence of 0-9 for producing two visual readouts of the multiple place unit volume price at diametrically opposed locations on the wheels on said opposite sides of the housing.

14. In a multiple product pump according to claim 13 wherein the number wheels of the plurality of encoders are coaxially mounted for rotation about a single generally vertical axis.

15. A multiple product pump having a pump housing, two

multiple product fluid delivery subsystems independently means presettable for preestablishing a multiple place unit volume price of each of the fluid products; each delivery subsystem comprising a cost accumulator operable for accumulating the cost of fluid dispensed, settable variating means connected for operating the cost accumulator in accordance with the volume of fluid dispensed by the subsystem and a unit volume price established by the setting of the variating means, and setting means selectively operable for selectively setting the subsystem for selectively dispensing the fluid products and for setting the variating means and therefore the unit volume price in accordance with the corresponding setting of the presettable means; the presettable means comprising a plurality of price wheel banks for the plurality of fluid products respectively, each comprising a plurality of coaxial price wheels mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis and having two sets of the numeral indicia sequence of 0-9 for producing readouts of the established multiple place unit volume price at diametrically opposite locations on the wheels on said opposite sides of the pump housing.

16. A multiple product pump according to claim 15 wherein the price wheels of the plurality of price wheel banks are mounted for rotation about a single generally vertically extending axis.

Claims

10. In a multiple product pump having two multiple product fluid delivery subsystems independently operable for selectively dispensing a plurality of fluid products, and presettable means presettable for preestablishing the unit volume price of each of the fluid products; each delivery subsystem comprising a cost accumulator operable for accumulating the cost of fluid dispensed, settable variating means connected for operating the cost accumulator in accordance with the volume of fluid dispensed by the subsystem and a unit volume price established by the setting of the variating means, and setting means selectively operable for selectively setting the subsystem for selectively dispensing the fluid products and for setting the variating means and therefore the unit volume price in accordance with the corresponding setting of the presettable means; the improvement wherein the presettable means comprises a plurality of encoders for the plurality of fluiD products respectively each settable for establishing a coded price signal of the unit volume price of the respective fluid product, and selector means for connecting the setting means of each delivery subsystem to the plurality of encoders for setting the respective variating means in accordance with the coded price signal corresponding to the fluid product setting of the subsystem and independently of the fluid product setting of the other subsystem.

12. In a multiple product pump according to claim 11 wherein each encoder provides a multiple place unit volume price readout for the respective fluid on both of said opposite sides of the pump.

15. A multiple product pump having a pump housing, two multiple product fluid delivery subsystems independently operable from opposite sides of the pump housing for selectively dispensing a plurality of fluid products, and presettable means presettable for preestablishing a multiple place unit volume price of each of the fluid products; each delivery subsystem comprising a cost accumulator operable for accumulating the cost of fluid dispensed, settable variating means connected for operating the cost accumulator in accordance with the volume of fluid dispensed by the subsystem and a unit volume price established by the setting of the variating means, and setting means selectively operable for selectively setting the subsystem for selectively dispensing the fluid products and for setting the variating means and therefore the unit volume price in accordance with the corresponding setting of the presettable means; the presettable means comprising a plurality of price wheel banks for the plurality of fluid products respectively, each comprising a plurality of coaxial price wheels mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis and having two sets of the numeral indicia sequence of 0-9 for producing readouts of the established multiple place unit volume price at diametrically opposite locations on the wheels on said opposite sides of the pump housing.