Fluid dispenser control system

Claim 5

The system as claimed in claim 2 further including regulator means in said conduit means between said reservoir and said valve means.

Claim 6

The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said fluid dispensing apparatus is a conventional gasoline pump and said reservoir comprises a compressed air tank disposed within the gasoline pump housing, said system further including a reservoir filling connector mounted on said housing to project externally therefrom and additional conduit means extending between said connector and said reservoir tank.

Claim 7

The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said fluid dispensing apparatus comprises a conventional gasoline pump including a flexible gasoline hose to which said nozzle is connected, said conduit means comprising tubing extending between said valve means and said nozzle, at least a portion of said tubing being flexible and disposed within said flexible hose.

Claim 10

The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said source of power comprises a spiral spring secured at one end to fixed portions of said selector means and at the other end to rotatable portions of said selector means.

Claim 11

The system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said pacing means comprise a worm gear operatively connected to said spiral spring for rotation about an axis in a predetermined sense, a worm engaged with said worm gear, and means limiting the rate of rotation of said worm to a value dependent upon the rate of flow of said fluid.

Claim 12

The system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said mechanical selector means comprise rotatable elements and stationary elements, said rotatable elements including a cam member driven by said internal source of power, said cam member being linked to said Pacing means by a single direction clutch.

Claim 13

The system as claimed in claim 9 wherein said single direction clutch comprises a wrap spring clutch including a wrap spring and a pair of cylindrical clutch surfaces, one of said cylindrical clutch surfaces being secured for rotation with said cam member, said one of said surfaces of a smaller diameter than said other surface.

Claim 14

The system as claimed in claim 10 wherein a slip clutch is provided between said pacing means and said single direction clutch.

Claim 15

The system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said wrap spring includes a projecting tang, said system also including a clutch release comprising a fixed member mounted to engage said tang at a predetermined rotational orientation of said tang.

Claim 16

The system as claimed in claim 12 wherein said first means comprise a compressed air reservoir, a holding tank for accumulating said predetermined volume of positive pressure air, conduit means interconnecting said reservoir and said holding tank and also interconnecting said holding tank and said nozzle, and valve means disposed in said conduit means operative to interconnect said reservoir and said holding tank prior to said actuation by said mechanical selector means and to disconnect said reservoir from said holding tank and connect said holding tank to said nozzle upon said actuation by said mechanical selector means.

Claim 17

The system as claimed in claim 13 further including regulator means in said conduit means between said reservoir and said valve means.

Claim 18

The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein said fluid dispensing apparatus is a conventional gasoline pump and said reservoir comprises a compressed air tank disposed within the gasoline pump housing, said system further including a reservoir filling connector mounted on said housing to project externally therefrom and additional conduit means extending between said connector and said reservoir tank.

Claim 19

Fluid flow shutoff apparatus for interrupting the flow of fluid in a conduit comprising a rotatable cam member including a cam surface, a first clutch portion, secured to said cam member for rotation therewith, drive means for rotating said cam member, a cam follower unit including a member for contact with said cam surface and biasing means for maintaining said member in contact with said surface, a valve device in said conduit including a conduit blocking member, means biasing said blocking member toward a position in which said conduit is blocked, movable means operative to overcome the biasing force thus applied, and means linking said movable means to said cam follower unit, a single direction clutch comprising said first clutch portion, a rotatable second clutch portion linked to pacing means which pace the rotation of said cam member under the influence of said drive means, and clutching member for selectively coupling said clutch portions, and a clutch release comprising means disposed to engage said clutching member at a predetermined rotational orientation of said cam member so as to uncouple said clutch portions, whereby said cam member is disengaged from said pacing means.

Claim 20

Fluid flow shutoff apparatus for interrupting the flow of fluid in a conduit comprising a rotatable cam member including a cam surface, a first clutch portion, secured to said cam member for rotation therewith, drive means for rotating said cam member, a cam follower unit including a member for contact with said cam surface and biasing means for maintaining said member in contact with said surface, a valve device in said conduit including a conduit blocking member, means biasing said blocking member toward a position in which said conduit is blocked, movable means operative to overcome the biasing force thus applied, and means linking said movable means to said cam follower unit, a single direction clutch comprising said first clutch portion, a rotatable second clutch portion linked to pacing means which pace the rotation of said cam member under the influence of said drive means, and clutching member for selectively coupling said clutch portions, and a clutch release comprising means disposed to engage said clutching member at a predetermined rotational orientation of said cam member so as to uncouple said clutch portions, whereby said cam member is disengaged from said pacing means.

Claim 21

Apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein each of said clutch portions comprises a cylindrical surface, said clutching member comprises a wrap spring engaging said surfaces and having a projecting tang, and said clutch release comprises a member fixed with respect to said cam member and disposed to engage said tang at said predetermined rotational orientation.

Claim 22

In a gasoline pump hose nozzle having a biased-closed dispensing valve, a dispensing lever for opening said valve, holder means for retaining said lever such that said valve is open, a diaphragm defining first and second air chambers, means comprising first gas passage means for sensing a full gasoline tank condition and for creating a reduced pressure in said first chamber in response thereto to move said diaphragm, and means responsive to movement of said diaphragm to disengage said handle from said holder means thereby closing said dispensing valve, the improvement comprising additional gas passage means opening into one of said chambers, whereby gas at a pressure differential with respect to atmospheric pressure may be introduced into said one of said chambers prior to said full tank condition.

Claim 23

In a gasoline pump hose nozzle having a biased-closed dispensing valve, a dispensing lever for opening said valve, holder means for retaining said lever such that said valve is open, a diaphragm defining first and second air chambers, means comprising first gas passage means for sensing a full gasoline tank condition and for creating a reduced pressure in said first chamber in response thereto to move said diaphragm, and means responsive to movement of said diaphragm to disengage said handle from said holder means thereby closing said dispensing valve, the improvement comprising additional gas passage means opening into one of said chambers, whereby gas at a pressure differential with respect to atmospheric pressure may be introduced into said one of said chambers prior to said full tank condition.

Claim 24

The improvement of claim 18 further comprising a source of gas under pressure higher than atmospheric interconnected with said gas passage means, said gas passage means opening into said second chamber.

Claim 25

The improvement of claim 19 wherein said source of gas under pressure comprises a first holding tank having a predetermined volume of compressed gas sufficient to move said diaphragm, and means for interconnecting said tank with said gas passageway when a predetermined amount of gasoline has been pumped.