US3822808A

US3822808A - Fuel supplying apparatus having a reversible plate type flow indicator

Info

Publication number: US3822808A
Application number: US00343118A
Authority: US
Inventors: S Katakura; S Nojima
Original assignee: Tokico Ltd
Current assignee: Tokico Ltd
Priority date: 1973-03-20
Filing date: 1973-03-20
Publication date: 1974-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 1991-07-09

Abstract

A fuel supplying apparatus comprises a flowmeter and a reversible plate type flow indicator. The reversible plate type flow indicator includes shift means of a decimal system actuated in a mechanical manner and resetting means for zero-resetting the indication. This reversible plate type flow indicator is preferably provided in a stationary stand post secured to an island in a servicing area of a fuel supplying station.

Description

United StatesPatent [191 Katalrura et al.

n 3,822,808 [451 July 9,1974

[ FUEL SUPPLYTNG APPARATUS HAVING A REVERSIBLE PLATE TYPE FLOW INDICATOR [75] Inventors: Shiro Katakura, Tokyo; Shinichi Nojima, Yamanashi, both of Japan [73] Assignee: Tokico Ltd., Kanagowa-ken, Japan [22] Filed: Mar. 20, 1973 [21] Appl. No: 343,118

[52] US. Cl. 222/33, 222/71, 235/94 R, 40/734 [51] lint. Cl. 1B67d 5/26 [58] Field of Search 73/272 .A; 222/14, 23, 32, 222/33, 34, 71 40/684, 67,734, 111, 112,

113, 114; 235/92 EA, 92 FL, 94 R; 58/124,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,833,067 5/1958 Moller 40/73.4

3,128,910 4/1964 Calhoun 222/32 Primary ExaminerStanley H. Tollberg Assistant Examiner-Larry Martin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Eric H. Walters [5 7] ABSTRACT A fuel supplying apparatus comprises a flowmeter and a reversible plate type flow indicator. The reversible plate type flow indicator includes shift means of a dec- V imal system actuated in a mechanical manner and resetting means for zero-resetting the indication. This reversible plate type flow indicator is preferably provided in a stationary stand post secured to an island in a servicing area of a fuel supplying station.

fiiClaims, 13 Drawing Figures was BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a fuel supplying apparatus and more particularly, to a fuel supplying apparatus having a flow indicator of a reversible plate type in a stationary stand post fixedly secured to the ground in a servicing area of a fuel supplying station.

A conventional flow indicator of a fuel supplying apparatus adapted for an inflammable liquid such as gasoline is either of an analog type or of a digital type. In the analog type indicator which-uses, like a clock, two rotating nointers, values of flow quantity are read from a relation between two pointers and an indication plate. This type of indicator is disadvantageous in that an operator frequently commits misreading of the indicated value.

There are two types of digital indicators, i.e., a rotating index ring type indicator and an electric light indication type indicator. The electric light indication type indicator is very expensive. Besides, it requires a sufficient anti-explosive construction if it is for use in a measuring instrument of an inflammable liquid such as gasoline, because of its electrical actuation. Further, the indicated value disappears in this type of indicator when stoppage of electricity occurs during the fuel supplying operation. The rotating index ring type indicator is actuated in a mechanical manner and its construction is simple and relatively inexpensive. This type of indicator, however, is disadvantageous in that the values are indicated by figures on the index ring and, accordingly, the size of the figures are small and it is not very easy to read these small figures. The size of the figures can be made larger by enlarging the diameter of the index ring, but the diameter of the index ring is limited by the size of a frame of apparatus in case, for example, of a gasoline measuring apparatus. Therefore, it is difficult to'enlarge the size of the figures due to such construction of the apparatus.

On the other hand, in a field which is entirely different from the fuel'supplying apparatus, there is a digital clock which employs reversible plates of four digits representing hours and minutes. The size of figures on the reversible plates is much larger and easier to read than that of the aforementioned figures on the index ring. This digital clock, however, is adapted for indicating time and therefore employs sexagesimal scale of notation. Besides, the digital clock is lacking in a zero resetting mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore, a general object of the invention to provide a fuel supplying apparatus comprising a novel and useful reversible plate type flow indicator which has eliminated the above described disadvantages of the prior art apparatuses.

Another objectof the invention is to provide a fuel tation transmission mechanism suchas gears.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fuel supplying apparatus comprisinga reversible plate type flow indicator capable of resetting an indication on a plurality of reversible plates corresponding to a plurality of digits to zero.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the description made hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like parts'are designated by like reference numerals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIGS. IA and IB are respectively a front view and a partially cut out elavational view showing a construction of one embodiment of the fuel supplying apparatus according to the invention;

F162 is a front view of one embodiment of reversible plate type flow indicator adapted to the fuel supplying apparatus of FIG];

FIG.3 is a front view of one example of a two-teeth gear wheel adapted for use in the reversible plate type flow indicator'shown in F162;

FIG.4 is a vertically sectional front view of a rotary element for a reversible plate of a first digit;

FIGS is a vertically sectional side view showing the right side of the rotary element for the reversible plate of the first digit along V-V line in FIG.2;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are enlarged front and side views showing the manner of indication by a pair of reversible plates;

FIGfi is a front view of one example of the reversible plate adapted to the indicator shown in FIG.2;

FIG.9 is a'vertically sectional side view along IX-IX line in FIG.2;

z FlG.ll0 is a vertically sectional side view along X-X line in FIG.2;

FIGII is a front view, partly in section, of another embodiment of the reversible plate type flow indicator according to the invention; and I FIG.I2 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the fuel supplying apparatus according to the invention. I

" DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring first to FIGS. IA and 18, an outer shell II) of the fuel supplying apparatus is fixedly secured to an island formed at a predetermined position on the ground in the servicing area of a fuel supplying station. The apparatus includes a motor II, a section pump 12, a fiowmeter I3 and other elements inside of the outer shell IQ. When the pump I2 is actuated by the motor Ill through suitable transmission means such as a belt, fuel contained in a fiel reservoir M is sucked up through a fixed pipe llSa, which is submerged at the open lower end thereof in the fuel, and sent to the flowmeter 13. The fuel, thereafter, passes through fixed pipe llSb and a flexible hose 16 to a fuel supply nozzle 17 attached to the end of the hose 16. A nozzle valve of the nozzle I7 is manually opened and the fuel starts to be supplied to a fuel tank of an automobile. The fiowmeter 13 starts its measuring and the rotation of the output shaft of the fiowmeter I3 is transmitted, through a rotation transmission mechanismilfi comprising a rotation transmission shaft and gears, to a rotary element of a reversible plate representing the first digit of a reversible plate type flow indicator I9tobe described later.

FIG.2 is a front view, partly in vertical section, of one preferred embodiment of the reversible plate type flow indicator. A pair of

support frames

20a and 20b are attached to the outer shell of the fuel supplying apparatus. A driving shaft 21 and a driven shaft 22 are rotatably supported between the support frames a and 20b. A pinion shaft 23 is fixedly supported between the

support frames

20a and 20b. The driving shaft 21 is rotated by the actuation of the flowmeter 13 through the rotation transmission mechanism 18. A two-teeth gear wheel 24 as shown in F103 is fixedly secured to the driving shaft 21 at the right side thereof as viewed in FlG.2 and is rotated integrally with the driving shaft 21.

Rotary elements

25, 26 and 27 for reversible plates which are provided in correspondence to indication digits of the indicator 19 are independently rotatably supported on the driven shaft 22. A V-shaped groove 28 which is used in resetting the indicator is formed along the whole length of the driven shaft 22. A resetting handle 29 is secured to a portion of the driven shaft 22 extending out of the support fram 20a.

FIG.4 is a front vertical section of the rotary element for a reversible plate representing the least order digit. A bush 30 is rotatably engaged with the driven shaft 22. A shoulder 30a is formed adjacent a left end portion of the bush 30 as viewed in the figure. A disc 31 is fixed to the left end portion of the bush 30 with the inside surface thereof engaged with the shoulder 30a. A disc 32 is fixed to the right end portion of the bush 30. The pair of

discs

31 and 32 respectively have four equally spaces openings on a circumference of the same radius. Rods a through 35d are provided to determine a distance between the two

discs

31 and 32 with their reduced diameter portions 33a through 33d inserted in the openings of the disc 31 and with their reduced diameter portions 34a through 34d inserted in the openings of the disc 32. Further, the

discs

31 and 32 respectively have equally spaced ten openings 36a through 36j and 37a through 37j of a small diameter near their peripheries at positions opposite to each other. Among the opposite openings 36a through 36j and 37a through 37 j, the opening 36a receives, as shown in FlG.7, short projection a of a reversible plate 39a shown in F168 and the opening 37a receives a long projection 41a of the reversible plate 39a. Thus, the reversible plate 39a is rotatably supported by the

discs

31 and 32. A reversible plate 39b is also rotatably supported between the two

discs

31 and 32 with its short projection 40b engaged in the opening 36b and its long projection 41b engaged in the opening 3712. Other reversible plates 39c through 39j are likewise rotatably supported between the

discs

31 and 32 with their short and long projections engaged in the openings formed in the two discs.

The

reversible plates

39a and 39b are of a configuration as shown in FIGS, 6 and 8, having

stopper engaging portions

42a and 42b besides the

short projections

40a, 40b and the

long projections

41a, 41b. The reversible plates 39a and'39b receive a counterclockwise rotational force as viewed in FIGS. 5 and 7 due to resilient force of torsion springs 43a and 43b provided respectively around the

long projections

41a and 41b of the

reversible plates

39a and 39b with one end thereof being engaged with the peripheral portion of the disc 32 and another end thereof being engaged with the reversible plate. The other reversible plates 39c through 39j likewise receive a counterclockwise rotational force. Thus, all of the reversible plates 39a through 39j are inclined forwardly relative to the direction of intermettent rotation of the rotary element 25.

The pair of reversible plates (39a and 39b in FIGS. 5 and 6) located at the front of the rotary element 25 respectively have their stopper engaging portions engaged by

stoppers

43 and 44 secured to the support frame 20b thereby being restricted in their counterclockwise rotation urged by the torsion springs 43a and 43b. Thus, the reversible plates 39a and 3% form a substantially flat plane and the rear surface of the upper reversible plate and the front surface of the lower reversible plate can be observed through an indication window of the indicator 19. Hence, with regard to two adjacent reversible plates, a lower half of figure is drawn on reversible plate which precedes in the direction of rotation and an upper half of the figure is drawn on a immediately following reversible plate. When both of the preceding and following reversible plates are stopped by the

stoppers

44 and 43 and form a substantially flat plane, the whole figure is indicated on these two plates.

As shown in FIG.9, a zeroresetting pawl 45 is rotatably provided on the rod 35a in such a manner as the side surface of the pawl 45 will engage the shoulder portion of the rod 35a. A torsion spring 45, which is secured at one end to the rod 35d and is engaged at the other end with the pawl 45, urges the pawl 45 to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG.9. The peripheral portion of the bush 30 is formed with an aperture 47 through which the foremost end portion of the pawl 45 extends and engages the peripheral surface of the driven shaft 22. If the driven shaft 22 is rotated clockwise, the foremost end portion of the pawl 45 engages the V-shaped groove 28. The shape of the foremost end portion of the pawl 45 is so constructed that a. further clockwise rotation of the driven shaft 22 causes the pawl 45 to be disengaged from the V-shaped groove 28, and a counterclockwise rotation of the driven shaft 22 causes the rotary element 25 to be to tated integrally with the driven shaft 22 with the fore most endportion of the pawl 45 kept engaged in the groove 28.

A spur gear wheel 48 is integrally constructed with a ratchet wheel 49 by means of

pins

50a and 50b and is rotatably mounted on the bush 30 adjacent the disc 32. The gear wheel 48 is restricted by a washer or the like from disengagement from the bush 30. The gear wheel 48 is arranged in its position so that it meshes with the teeth of the wheel 24. Ratchets 51a and 51b mounted on the portions 34c and 34a are provided around the ratchet wheel 49. The ratchet wheel 49, the ratchets 51a and 51b constitute a ratchet mechanism in association with

springs

52a and 52b. While the ratchet wheel 49 is intermittently rotated in a counterclockwise direction by the gear wheel 48 in FIG. 10, the pawls of the ratchet wheel 49 are locked by the ratchets 51a and 51b so that the rotary element 25 is rotated integrally with the gear wheel 48. While the rotary element 25 is rotated in a counterclockwise or forward direction with the ratchets 51a and 5 lb, the pawls of the ratchet wheel 49 are free from the ratchets 51a and 51b so that the ratchet wheel 49 and the gear wheel 48 are rotatable independently from the rotary element 25. Rotary ele ments 26 and 27 are of the same construction as the rotary element 25 and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Nextly, a shift mechanism provided between two adjacent rotary elements will be described. A wheel 53 with two teeth which is substantially of the same shape as the Wheel shown in FIG.3 is formed integrally with the bush 30 at the left side of the rotary element as viewed in FIG.2.

Pinions

54 and 55 are rotatably mounted on the pinion shaft 23 secured fixedly between the support frames 2Ila and 29b. The pinion 54 is provided between the rotary element 25 representing the first digit and the rotary element 26 representing the second digit and is in meshing engagement with both the two-teeth wheel 53 fixedly secured to the rotary element 25 and a spur gear wheel 56 provided on the right side of the rotary element 26. The pinion 55 is provided between the rotary element 26 representing the second digit and the rotary element 27 representing the third digit and is in meshing engagement with both a wheel 57 with two-teeth fixedly secured to the rotary element 26 and a spur gear wheel 58 provided on the right side of the rotary element 27.

In FIG. 1, the fuel supply nozzle 17 is operated to start supplying of fuel from the reservoir 14. The Ilowmeter 13 starts measuring and rotation of the flowmeter shaft is transmitted through the rotation transmission mechanism 18 to the driving shaft 21 as a clockwise rotation. Each time the driving shaft 21 makes one rotation, the teeth of the two-teeth wheel 24 mesh with the teeth of the gear wheel 45 and rotate the gear wheel 48 with the ratchet wheel 49 by a predetermined angle in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. As the ratchet wheel 49 is rotated, the pawls of the ratchet wheel 49 are locked by the ratchets 51a and 51b. Hence, the rotation of the ratchet wheel 49 is transmit- .ted to the rotary element 25 through the ratchets 51a and 5112. As the rotary element 25 is intermittently rotated in the arrow direction as shown in FIGS, two adjacent reversible plates indicate a figure in association with each other with their stopper engaging portions engaged by the

stoppers

43 and 44 at each predetermined angular displacement of the rotary element 25. If, for example, a figure 3 is indicated by the reverse side of the reversible plate 39a and the outside of the reversible plate 39b respectively stopped by the

stoppers

43 and 44 in the state shown in FIG.5, the predetermined angular displacement of the rotary element 25 due to the measuring operation of the flowmeter13 causes the reversible plate 39a to be disengaged from .the stopper 43 and rotate counterclockwise due to force of the torsion spring 43a until the stopper engaging portion 42a is brought into abutting engagement with the stopper and the outside of the reversible plate 39a is exposed. Simultaneously, the reversible plate ll9j is rotated clockwise against force of a torsion spring 43j with its stopper engaging portion engaged by the stopper 43 resulting in exposure of the reverse side thereof. Thus, a figure 4 which is a combination of the outside of the reversible plate 390 and the reverse I 53 mesh with the pinion 54 and thereby to cause the pinion 54 to rotate by a predetermined angle in a clockwise rotation. The rotationof the pinion 54 is transmitted through the gear wheel 56 to the rotary element 26 representing the second digit thereby to change the fig ure indicated by a pair of reversible plates provided thereon. Thus, shift of digit from the rotary element 25 to the rotary element 26 is effected. Shift of digit from the rotary element 26 to the rotary element 27 is likewise effected by means of a two-teeth wheel,- the pinion 55 and the wheel 58.

Next to be described is a resetting operation which is effected by turning the resetting handle 29. When the resetting handle 29 is rotated clockwise as viewed in the direction of the arrow A shown in the center of FIG.2, the driven shaft 22 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed in FIGS. 9 and 10. Actually, the handle 29 is not operated during a normal fuel supplying operation. When the nozzle 17 is taken off from the nozzle hanger of the shell 11), an electric motor (FlG.llB) for zero resetting drives the driven shaft 22 to rotate. As the resetting pawl 45 is brought into engagement with the groove 28, the rotary element 25 is rotated in the direction of the arrow as viewed in FIG.9. Since the ratchets 51a and 5112 are moved in a direction in which they are disengaged from the ratchet wheel 49, the rotation of the rotary element 25 is not transmitted to the ratchet wheel 49. Hence, the rotary element is rotated independently from the transmission mechanism of the driving shaft 21 until a figure indicated by a pair of reversible plated becomes 0.

The resetting pawls are respectively provided in correspondence to a predetermined reversible plates among the plurality of reversible plates attached to the

rotary elements

25, 26 and 27 so that these rotary ele ments indicate the same figure when they are rotated integrally with the driven shaft 22 during the above described resetting operation. It is-therefore possible to indicate 0 simultaneously on all-of the

rotary elements

25, 26 and 27 by rotating the resetting handle 29 to a predetermined position.

Instead of operating the resetting handle 29, it is possible to construct the zero-resetting mechanism so that the indicator may be zero-reset by, for example, hanging the nozzle 17 on a predetermined position or rotating the driven shaft 22 by means of a motor.

As will be apparent from the foregoing description, operations of the digital indication mechanism, shift mechanism and resetting mechanism of the indicator are all of a mechanical nature dependent upon meshing of the gears, engagement of the stoppers with the grooves etc. without including an electric system. The

indicator, therefore, does not require any antiexplosive construction even in a case where the indicator 'is disposed in an inflammable atmosphere.

FIG.11 shows a reversible plate type indicator incorporating an index ring counter. In this figure, the same component parts as those employed in the flow indicator shown in FIG.2 are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof is omitted. An index ring counter 60 comprises an index ring 61 secured to a disc 31 among two

discs

31 and 32 respectively fixed to either side of a bush 30 which is rotatably mounted on the driven shaft 22. The disc 31 has a two-teeth wheel 62 secured thereto. A pinion 63 is in 32. The gear wheel 45 which is integrally constructed with a ratchet wheel 49 is opposed to the two-teeth wheel 24 secured to the driving shaft 21. Accordingly, an intermittent rotation of the wheel 48 which is rotated by a predetermined angle through the wheel 24 at each one rotation of the driving shaft 21 is transmitted to the index ring counter 60 through the ratchet mechanism thereby to rotate the index ring counter in a forward direction.

If the index ring is used for the part representing the least order digit, a good response characteristic can be obtained because the least order digit is represented in analog. Further, the incorporation of the index ring counter is advantageous in a case wherein a quantity of flow per unit time is so large that the driving shaft of the indicator is rotated at a high speed. According to this embodiment, it is also possible to indicate a very small value which cannot be indicated by an indicator using only a digital indication system.

FIG.12 shows another embodiment of the fuel supplying apparatus incorporating a reversible type flow indicator. in the figure, the same component parts as those shown in FIG.1 are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof is omitted. A pipe 65 branching off from a pipe lb downstream of a flowmeter 13 extends through a wall 66 and a ceiling 67 of a structure in the fuel supplying station and opens into a delivery unit 68 suspended from the ceiling 67. The delivery unit 68 comprises a microswitch 69 for controlling the drive of the motor 11 and a hose reel 72 on which a flexible hose 71 having delivery nozzle 70 at one end thereof is wound.

If fuel is desired to be supplied by using the delivery nozzle 17, the microswitch 69 is actuated upon taking up of the delivery nozzle 17 from the outer shell in preparation for staring the supply of fuel. If the supply of fuel is to be made by using the delivery .nozzle 70, the microswitch 69 is actuated by a cam 75 which is rotated integrally with the hose reel 72 when the delivery nozzle 70 and the hose'71 are pulled down.

' When the delivery nozzle 17 is used, an indicator 19 provided in the outer shell 10 is actuated to indicate the measured value of the flow quantity. When the delivery nozzle 70 is used, the measured value of the flow quantity is likewise indicated by the indicator l9.

According to the above construction, the size of the figures of each digit of the indicator 19 can be made visually sufficiently large without being restricted by the sizeof the outer shell 10 of the fuel supplying apparatus. This enables operators of the fuel supplying station to read the indicated figures very easily thereby improving efficiency in dealing of slips. The design of the fuel supplying apparatus is also improved by incorporation of the indicator according to the invention.

Further, this invention is not limited to these embodiments but various variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

What we claim is:

l. A fuel supplying apparatus having a reversible plate type flow indicator comprising: a fuel reservoir for storing fuel; a stand post outer shell secured at a 4 suitable place on the ground in a servicing area of a fuel supplying station; a delivery hose extending through said outer shell and having a delivery nozzle attached to the foremost end thereof; pump means for delivering the fuel from said reservoir to said delivery hose through a pipe extending through said outer shell and opening at one end thereof into said reservoir; a flowmeter for measuring the flow quantity of the fuel delivered through said pipe and thereby to produce a rotation output in accordance with the measurement; flow quantity indication means including a reversible plate type indicating element which comprises a plurality of rotary elements corresponding in number to the number of digits to be indicated and ten reversible plates for indicating figures reversibly mounted on each of said rotary elements; a rotation transmission mechanism for transmitting in a mechanical manner the rotation output of said flowmeter to one of said reversible plate type indicating elements of said flow quantity indication means which represents the lowest order digit; and zero-resetting means for rotating the indicating element for each digit in a predetermined direction so as to reset all figures on the reversible plate indicating the flow quantity to zero, said flow quantity indication means having shift means .for effecting shifting based on a decimal scale of notation from a reversible plate type indicating element representing a lower order digit to that representing a higher order digit, each of said reversible plate being constructed so that either one of figures 0 through 9 may be indicated by combination of a reversible plate preceding in the direction of rotation which has been reversed and an immediately following reversible plate which has not been reversed yet and the reversible plates of the reversible plate type indicating element for respective digits as a whole indicating the flow quantity of fuel measured by said flowmeter.

2. A fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said shift means comprise a wheel with a reduced number of teeth provided on the rotary element of said indicating element represeting a lower order digit, a wheel provided on the rotary element of said indicating element representing a higher order digit and interlocking means provided between said wheel provided on the rotary element representing a lower order digit and said wheel provided on the rotary element representing a higher order digit for intermittently rotating by a predetermined angle said latter mentioned wheel together with said rotary element representing a higher order digit at each one rotation of said wheel provided on the rotary element of a lower order digit, said rotary element representing a higher order digit being rotated by a predetermined angle through said shift means at each one rotation of said rotary element representing a lower order digit whereby the figure indicated on said indicating element representing a higher order digit is shifted by one in a forward direction.

3. A fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said zero-resetting means comprise a V-shaped groove formed axially in a shaft member which rotatably supports said rotary element and a pawl member which is provided on each of said rotary element and is brought into engagement with said V-shaped groove by rotation of said shaft member in the same direction as the forward rotation of said rotary element, the resetting being made by a mechanical operation to bring said pawl member into positive engagement with said V-shaped groove thereby to rotate said rotary member integrally with said shaft member.

4. A fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which said shift means comprise a wheel with a reduced number of teeth provided on the rotary element of the indicating element representing a lower order digit, a

wheel provided on the rotary element of the indicating element representing a higher order digit and an interlocking means provided between said wheel with a reduced number of teeth and said wheel provided on the rotary element of the indicating element representing a higher order digit for intermittently rotating said latter wheel together with said rotary element of the indicating element representing a higher order digit by a predetermined angle at each one rotation of said wheel with a reduced number of teeth, a ratched wheel fixedly secured to said latter wheel and rotatable relative to said rotary element and locking means mounted on said rotary element for locking said ratchet wheel and releasing same during the forward rotation of said rotary element and said shift means are maintained in a non-operative state by disengagement of said ratchet wheel from said locking means during the forward rotation of said rotary element in the zero-resetting opera tion.

5. A fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim l in which said reversible plate type indicating element further comprises first stopper means for stopping a preceding reversible plate and second stopper means for stopping an immediately following reversible plate, said first and second stopper means being so constructed that release of said preceding reversible plate from said first stopper means precedes release of said following reversible plate from said second stopper means during the forward rotation of said rotary element.

6. A fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim l in which said reversible plate type flow indicator further comprises an index ring representing the lowest order digit, said index ring being marked with figures 0" through 9 on the periphery thereof and being continuously rotated upon application thereto of the rotational force from the flowmeter thereby to rotate intermittently an indicating element of a reversible plate type representing a higher order digit through said shift UNl'IED S'lA'lES PATENT m uzm CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 2 80 Dated Julv 1974 Shiro Katakura et a1. Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the cover sheet insert:

M [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Japan 47/28341 March 21, 1972 Japan 7 47/28343 March 21 1972 Japan 47/78570 August 5, 1972 Signed and sealed this 29th day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON 'JR. 0. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 u s uovzmmcm PRINTING OFFICE: 93 0 FORM PO-105D (10-69) UNI'IEI) S'IA'IES PATENT wuzn: v

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. ,822,808 Dated July 9 1974 Shiro Katakura et a1. Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the cover sheet insert:

[3'01 Foreig ri'Application Priority Data v Japan y 47/28341 March 21, 1972 Japan 47/28343 March 21 1972 Japan 47/78570 August 5, 1972 Signed and sealed this 29th day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY Mu GIBSON JR. 0. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 u s (sovznnmzm PRINTING OFFICE: 8 93 F ORM PO-1OSO (10-69)

Claims

1. A fuel supplying apparatus having a reversible plate type flow indicator comprising: a fuel reservoir for storing fuel; a stand post outer shell secured at a suitable place on the ground in a servicing area of a fuel supplying station; a delivery hose extending through said outer shell and having a delivery nozzle attached to the foremost end thereof; pump means for delivering the fuel from said reservoir to said delivery hose through a pipe extending through said outer shell and opening at one end thereof into said reservoir; a flowmeter for measuring the flow quantity of the fuel delivered through said pipe and thereby to produce a rotation output in accordance with the measurement; flow quantity indication means including a reversible plate type indicating element which comprises a plurality of rotary elements corresponding in number to the number of digits to be indicated and ten reversible plates for indicating figures reversibly mounted on each of said rotary elements; a rotation transmission mechanism for transmitting in a mechanical manner the rotation output of said flowmeter to one of said reversible plate type indicating elements of said flow quantity indication means which represents the lowest order digit; and zero-resetting means for rotating the indicating element for each digit in a predetermined direction so as to reset all figures on the reversible plate indicating the flow quantity to zero, said flow quantity indication means having shift means for effecting shifting based on a decimal scale of notation from a reversible plate type indicating element representing a lower order digit to that representing a higher order digit, each of said reversible plate being constructed so that either one of figures ''''0'''' through ''''9'''' may be indicated by combination of a reversible plate preceding in the direction of rotation which has been reversed and an immediately following reversible plate which has not been reversed yet and the reversible plates of the reversible plate type indicating element for respective digits as a whole indicating the flow quantity of fuel measured by said flowmeter.

4. A fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which said shift means comprise a wheel with a reduced number of teeth provided on the rotary element of the indicating element representing a lower order digit, a wheel provided on the rotary element of the indicating element representing a higher order digit and an interlocking means provided between said wheel with a reduced number of teeth and said wheel provided on the rotary element of the indicating element representing a higher order digit for intermittently rotating said latter wheel together with said rotary element of the indicating element representing a higher order digit by a predetermined angle at each one rotation of said wheel with a reduced number of teeth, a ratched wheel fixedly secured to said latter wheel and rotatable relative to said rotary element and locking means mounted on said rotary element for locking said ratchet wheel and releasing same during the forward rotation of said rotary element and said shift means are maintained in a non-operative state by disengagement of said ratchet wheel from said locking means during the forward rotation of said rotary element in the zero-resetting operation.

5. A fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said reversible plate type indicating element further comprises first stopper means for stopping a preceding reversible plate and second stopper means for stopping an immediately following reversible plate, said first and second stopper means being so constructed that release of said preceding reversible plate from said first stopper means precedes release of said following reversible plate from said second stopper means during the forward rotation of said rotary element.

6. A fuel supplying apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which said reversible plate type flow indicator further comprises an index ring representing the lowest order digit, said index ring being marked with figures ''''0'''' through ''''9'''' on the periphery thereof and being continuously rotated upon application thereto of the rotational force from the flowmeter thereby to rotate intermittently an indicating element of a reversible plate type representing a higher order digit through said shift means.