US1373686A - townsend - Google Patents

Description

W. S. TOWNSEND.

DISPENSING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED-JULY1.1920.

1,373,686. Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

2 SHEET-SHEET I.

J i I i "L )1 L" i 1 Z6 i 6 h l1 i 1 p l I L l 1 Invent 0r; Zdzmifizunafnai,

w. s. TOWNSEND.

DISPENSING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1.1920.

v1 37 3 Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

17306731.- Wm. 51 1 owns end,

UNITED STATES ATENT EFFIQE.

DISPENSING-TANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Application filed July 1, 1920. Serial No. 393,279.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. TOWN- SEND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dispensing-Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to dispensing tanks of the vacuum or suction-filled type.

The objects of the invention are to provide a novel and efiicient means for preventing the return of the outgoing fluid, such as gasolene, to the dispensing tank in case the outlet valve thereof should be opened prior to the closing of the suction and the breaking of the vacuum in the tank; to prevent air, at such time entering the dispensing tank through its outlet pipe in a suficient quantity to displace the liquid therein and cause its return through the supply pipe back to the storage tank; to prevent at such time the register-operating float from being acted upon by any air or liquid flowing back through the fluid discharge pipe or outlet; to provide a simple form of check and stop or compressionvalve in the tank-outlet at the lower end of the float chamber; said valve upon back pressure of air or fluid or both automatically closing the fluid outlet and disconnecting the clutch connecting the float with the registering mechanism and holding the outlet closed and the clutch disconnected until the vacuum in the tank is broken or atmospheric pressure restored.

These objects I accomplish by the construction shown in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 shows a sectional side elevation of a well-known type of gasolene dispensing tank provided with a registering mechanism and having my improvement applied and Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view to better show my improved valve mechanism.

The glass dispensing tank 1, has a vertically sliding inlet pipe 2 through which the gasolene flows into the tank till the level of the upper end of the pipe 2 is reached when the surplus will flow back to the underground storage tank, not shown. The gasolene is caused to flow up through pipe 2, which may be set for any desired quantity, by means of a suction pipe 3 which tends to create a vacuum in the tank 1. The

fiow will continue until the suction pump,

not shown, is stopped and the vacuum broken through the vent valve 4.

At one side of the tank 1, is supported a tube 5 forming a chamber for a float 6; the lower end of the tube or chamber 5 having a lateral inlet '6, communicating with the lower end of the glass tank 1, so that the gasolene as it fills the tank will cause a corresponding rise in the tube or chamber 5 and the upward movement of the float 6. A by-pass 7 connects the upper ends of the tank 1 and the tube or chamber 5. The float 6 actuates a spiral shaft 8 and this in turn actuates a suitable registering mechanism 9. The spiral shaft 8 is provided at its upper end with a clutch member 10, above and normally disconnected from an underlying clutch member 11 secured to or forming part of a bevel gear 12 meshing with a second bevel gear 13 mounted on a shaft 14 provided with a pinion 15 meshing with a second pinion 16 on a shaft 17 provided at its outer end with a pointer 18 in operative relation to a dial 19. A glass pane 2O incloses the dial and a hinged lid or cover 21 covers the pane and dial. These parts are mounted in or carried by a housing 22 at the upper end of the float tube or chamber 5. In this above described prior construction an outlet compression valve opens'downwardly from the outlet 6 in the center of the bottom of the float chamber 5 and upon the upper face of the valve head rests the lower end of the spiral shaft 8 so that when the valve is raised to its closed position the outlet will be closed and the spiral shaft 8 will be lifted to raise its clutch member 10 from engagement with the gear actuating clutch member 11. When the outlet valve is lowered by means of its screw spindle 26 to permit the gasoleue to flow from the tank and the float chamber into the outlet chamber 27 and discharge nipple 28, the spiral shaft will be lowered and its clutch member 10 will engage the clutch member 11. At this time the float 6 will descend with the falling column of gasolene and so rotate the spiral shaft which in turn will actuate the registering mechanism.

With this prior construction should the outlet valve be turned down or opened prior to the stopping of the suction pump and the breaking of the vacuum in the tank 1, by one seeking to defraud the purchaser, it is manifest that some of the outgoing gasolene wouldbe forced back through the discharge 28 into the tank 1 and be returned through pipe 2 to the storage tank not shown. Moreover large quantities of air would rush into the tank 1 and displace the gasolene which would run back through pipe 2. During this reverse flow the rogis ter would be worked by the float irregularly as the return impulses past the valve would strike the lower end of the cork float and cause it to reversely rotate the spiral shaft or interrupt its proper action.

lVit-h my improvement applied the apparatus functions very efficiently and smoothly and all chance of short measuring or selling is obviated.

My improvement on the above described prior construction consists in providing a. valve head 25 having a vertical, sliding closing movement independent or the valve stem 26; not a mere swiveled connection but a free and independent vertical sliding closing movement, so that as the valve stem 26 is screwed up or down the valve will be moved accordingly but when the operator moves the valve stem down to open the valve prior to stopping of the suction pump and the breaking of the vacuum in the tank 1, so as to endeavor to defraud a purchaser, the valve head 25 will leave the stem and instantly stop the outlet'opening and so remain until the suction through pipe 3 ceases and the vacuum is broken. At the same instant, the valvein closing the outlet 6 or in holding it closed, will lift the spiral shatt 8, and so throw or hold the registering mech anism out of gear. In so closing or remaining closed the valve 25 will permit the gasolene in the tank to come to a state of quiescence so that the purchaser may see what he is getting. Should the valve lower to open position when its stem is turned down and then an inrush of air start through the discharge pipe the valve will instantly close and unclutch the registering mechanism. The valve 25 has a guide stem 29 sliding freely on the socket formed in the upper end of the valve spindle 26.

Theresults obtained by my improvement may be briefly stated as follows:

1. Engagement of the registering mechanism is prevented as long as a vacuum exists in the dispensing tank;

2. Air is prevented from entering the container through its outlet (thereby displacing gasolene which causes short measure) so long as there is a vacuum in the said tank;

3. Gasolene cannot be drawn back into the tank through the dischargeoutlet and hose connected thereto;

4. The valve closes automatically when a vacuum exists in the tank and opens when the vacuum is broken;

The possibility of an operator using the apparatus to defraud the customer by opening the valve when a Vtttlllllll exists is entirely obviated;

6. A more even and uniform operation of the mechanism as a whole is found to exist.

i i hat I claim is:

1. The combination with a dispensing tank provided with an air exhaust or suction means and a fluid inlet or supply means, and an outlet, of a vertically mo *ablc valve closing i'ipwurdly over said outlet and a valve stem movable toward and from the valve to hold it closed when moved up and permit it to ai'itomatically close or remain closed when moved downwardly away therefrom; whereby when the alvc stem is turned to open the valve prior to the closing of the suction and breaking of the vacuum in the tank, the valve will remain closed or will fly to closed position upon a. reverse flow through said outlet.

2. The combination with a. dispensing tank provided with an air exhaust and a variable inlet or supply means, of a float actuated registering mechanism having the lower end of its float chamber communicating with the lower end of the tank and provided with a discharge opening in its bottom, a spiral float actuated shaft with its lower end registering with said discharge opening, a registering mechanism at the upper end of the float Chamber, vertically separable clutch members connecting the upper end of the spiral shaft with the registering mechanism, an upwardly closing valve for said discharge opening and upon which rests the lower end of the said spiral shaft, and a valve stem separate and independent of the valve to permit the latter to have independent closing movement to close the discharge and disconnect the clutch members in the event of a reverse flow through said outlet.

3. The combination with a suction or vacuum filled tank provided with an inlet for the fluid and a discharge opening therefor, of a combined check and compression valve; closing said discharge opening in the presence of a vacuum in the tank indcpcndcntly of its oporati on as a compression valve.

4. The combination. with a suction or vacuum filled tank provided with av discharge opening at its lower end and a vertically adjustable filling and overflow tube, of a valve closing upwardly over said discharge outlet and provided with an operating stem for normally opening and closing it; the valve being capable of" independent closing movement to act as a check valve should its stem be moved to the opening position prior to the operation of the suction filling and prior to the breaking of the vacuum in the tank.

5. The combination with a suction or vacuum filled tank provided with a discharge opening at its lower end anda vertically adjustable filling and overflow tube, of a valve closing upwardly over said discharge outlet and provided with an operat-' ing stem for normally opening and closing it; the valve being capable of independent closing movement to act as a check valve should its stem be moved to the opening position prior to the operation of the suction filling and prior to the breaking of the vacuum in the tank, and a registering mechanism for the tank provided with a clutch and connections between one of the clutch members and the valve for the purpose described.

6. The combination with a float chamber having an inlet and an outlet at its lower end, a dial and pointer at its upper portion, a gear for operating the pointer and a clutch member connected to said gear, a vertically movable spiral shaft having a clutch member on its upper end above the first-named clutch member and a float to rotate the spiral shaft, of an upwardly sliding valve to seat upwardly over said outlet, a stem for positively raising the valve and a sliding connection between the valve and its stem to permit independent movement of the valve.

7. The combination with a dispensing tank having a vented suction pipe and a vertically adjustable inlet and overflow pipe for the admission of predetermined quantities of liquid, of means for controlling the passage of fluid through the outlet, said means including means for automatically preventing a return flow past the valve during the existence of a vacuum in the tank.

8. The combination with a suction or vacuum-filled tank having an outlet or discharge, of means for controlling the passage through said outlet, said means including means for automatically closing said outlet or discharge in the presence of a vacuum in the tank.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM S. TOWNSEND.

Images