U.S. patent application number 10/236704 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-11 for fuel dispensing nozzle having a lever trigger biased by a torsion wire coil spring.
This patent application is currently assigned to Catlow, Inc.. Invention is credited to Carmack, Paul D..
Application Number | 20040045627 10/236704 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31715323 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040045627 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Carmack, Paul D. |
March 11, 2004 |
FUEL DISPENSING NOZZLE HAVING A LEVER TRIGGER BIASED BY A TORSION
WIRE COIL SPRING
Abstract
A fuel dispensing nozzle includes a nozzle body defining a fuel
supply passage in which a main control valve is operated by a hand
actuated lever pivotally connected to an automatic shut-off
mechanism. A protective guard member encloses the lever, and a
trigger member is pivotally connected to the lever for manual
movement to engage a stop supported by the guard member. A torsion
wire coil spring includes a plurality of helical turns surrounding
the pivot pin for the trigger member and has one projecting end
portion engaging the lever and an opposite end portion biasing the
trigger member.
Inventors: |
Carmack, Paul D.; (Tipp
City, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Alan F. Meckstroth
JACOX, MECKSTROTH & JENKINS
Suite 2
2310 Far Hills Building
Dayton
OH
45419-1575
US
|
Assignee: |
Catlow, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
31715323 |
Appl. No.: |
10/236704 |
Filed: |
September 6, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
141/206 ;
141/218 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B67D 7/50 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
141/206 ;
141/218 |
International
Class: |
B65B 001/30 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a fuel dispensing nozzle including a nozzle body defining a
fuel supply passage, a valve for controlling the supply of fuel
through said fuel supply passage, a hand actuated lever pivotally
supported adjacent said body and connected to operate said valve, a
guard member connected to said body for protecting said lever, a
trigger member pivotally supported by said lever by a pivot pin and
having an outer end portion adapted to engage at least one stop
surface on said guard member, and a spring member for biasing said
trigger member towards said lever and away from said stop surface,
the improvement wherein said spring member comprises a torsion wire
coil spring having a plurality of helical wire turns adjacent said
pivot pin and opposite end portions, one of said end portions of
said wire coil spring pressing against said lever, and an opposite
said end portion of said wire coil spring pressing against said
trigger member.
2. A nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein said wire turns surround
said pivot pin.
3. A nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring includes at
least five of said wire turns.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a vapor assisted fuel dispensing
nozzle of the general type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,970. In
such a nozzle, a nozzle body defines a fuel supply passage, and a
normally closed main control valve is actuated by a lever pivotally
supported by the nozzle body for controlling the supply of fuel
through the fuel supply passage. The lever is protected by a guard
member secured to the body, and the actuating lever carries a latch
or trigger member which is pivotally supported by a cross pin. The
trigger member has an outer end portion adapted to engage a catch
or stop member supported by the guard member, and a spring member
biases the trigger member towards the lever. Actuation of the
trigger member functions to hold the actuating lever and the fuel
supply valve in their open positions until the nozzle spout detects
the presence of fuel and automatically lifts the lever to release
the trigger member and permit the lever and fuel supply valve to
return to their normally closed positions.
[0002] As disclosed in the above '970 patent, the latch or trigger
member 78 is biased against a stop on the actuating lever 60 by a
conventional sheet metal leaf spring 84 which extends above the
pivot pin for the latch or trigger member 78. Such a sheet metal
leaf spring has been used for over 30 years and is disclosed, for
example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,415, No. 3,817,285, No. 4,022,235
and No. 5,289,856. After a fuel dispensing nozzle has been used for
filling fuel tanks with an automatic shut-off of the valve
actuating lever for approximately 100,000 times, it has been found
that the leaf spring fatigues and fails by weakening and/or
breaking. This requires that the nozzle be serviced by removing the
trigger member and replacing the leaf spring. Frequently, the leaf
spring is one of the first components to fail, which usually
requires that the fuel dispensing nozzle be removed from the fuel
supply hose and shipped back to the nozzle manufacturer or
rebuilder to replace the leaf spring.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention is directed to a fuel dispensing
nozzle of the type described above and which incorporates an
improvement for significantly extending the service life of the
nozzle before requiring replacement or rebuilding. The improvement
comprises replacing the conventional leaf spring for actuating the
latch or trigger member with a formed wire coil torsion spring
having a plurality of turns mounted on the pivot pin for the latch
or trigger member. The wire coil spring has opposite end portions
which engage the valve actuating lever and the trigger member.
[0004] Other features and advantages of the invention will be
apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawing
and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0005] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a vacuum assist vapor
recovery fuel dispensing nozzle constructed in accordance with the
invention;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the actuating lever
assembly with a portion broken away to show the use of a wire coil
torsion spring in accordance with the invention; and
[0007] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly shown
in FIG. 2.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0008] FIG. 1 illustrates a vacuum assist vapor recovery fuel
dispensing nozzle 10 having the general construction of the
dispensing nozzle disclosed in above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No.
5,832,970, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
The nozzle 10 includes a die cast aluminum body 12 having an
integral internally threaded fitting 14 for receiving a mating
fitting on a coaxial flexible rubber hose (not shown) defining a
fluid supply passage and a vapor return passage connected to a
vacuum source. The nozzle 10 includes a normally closed fuel
control valve (not shown) which is actuated to an open position by
squeezing a hand actuated lever 16 enclosed within a lever
protector housing 18.
[0009] The nozzle body 12 supports a spout assembly 20 which
projects from a forward portion 22 of the nozzle body 12. The spout
assembly 20 includes an outer spout tube 24 constructed of aluminum
tubing and having an inner end portion threaded into an
anti-rotation ring or fitting secured to the body end portion 22 by
a retaining nut 26. A resilient O-ring forms a fluid-tight seal
between the fitting and the body portion 22, and a helically wound
spring wire 31 surrounds the spout tube 24, in a conventional
manner. The aluminum outer spout tube 24 includes an integral
cylindrical forward end portion 34 having a thinner wall thickness
and which surrounds a stainless steel vapor recovery extension
spout tube 36 having circumferentially spaced and axially extending
slots or grooves 38.
[0010] Referring to FIGS. 2 & 3, the actuating lever 16 carries
a latch or trigger member 45 which is pivotally supported by the
lever 16 by a cross pin 47 and moves between a normal position
(FIG. 2) and a downwardly projecting inclined position (not shown)
where the outer end of the trigger member 45 selectively engages
one of a series of projections 51 of a stop member 52 mounted
within the lever protector housing 18. The pin 47 also pivotally
supports a channel-like link member 53 which connects the lever 16
to its pivot pin supported by an automatic lever release
mechanism.
[0011] In accordance with the present invention, the trigger member
45 is biased or urged counter-clockwise (FIG. 2) against a stop
surface 54 on the lever 16 by a torsion wire coil spring 55 having
a plurality of at least five helical turns 56 (FIG. 3) surrounding
the pivot pin 47 for the trigger member 45. The torsion wire coil
spring 55 has one projecting end portion 58 which engages and
presses agains the trigger member 45 and an opposite end portion 62
which engages a receiving surface 64 formed on the actuating lever
16.
[0012] It has been found that the torsion wire coil spring 55
significantly increases the useful service life of the pivotal
trigger member 45 and thereby significantly increases the service
life of the nozzle 10 with an automatic fill shut-off mechanism.
More specifically, extensive testing of the trigger member 45
during its use for holding the main fuel control valve in its open
position has resulted in over one million pivotal actuations of the
trigger member 45 without any failure of the wire coil spring 55.
This compares with approximately one hundred thousand actuations of
a trigger member biased by a conventional leaf spring when the leaf
spring failed. Thus by simply replacing a conventional leaf spring
with the torsion wire coil spring 55, the service life of the
dispensing nozzle 10 is significantly increased. As a result, the
cost for servicing the nozzle 10 is significantly decreased.
[0013] While the form of nozzle assembly herein described
constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be
understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form
of nozzle assembly, and that changes may be made therein without
departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in
the appended claims.
* * * * *