The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 28, 1993
Filed:
Mar. 12, 1991
Wolfgang H Koch, Batavia, IL (US);
Dennis J Strock, Woodridge, IL (US);
Harry B Hartman, Sugar Grove, IL (US);
Michael S Butkovich, Aurora, IL (US);
Terrance L Lambert, Aurora, IL (US);
Charles M Daul, Libertyville, IL (US);
Philip B Jones, Buffalo Grove, IL (US);
Amoco Corporation, Chicago, IL (US);
Abstract
A user friendly vapor recovery nozzle with special signaling devices to signal and assure the customer of proper delivery of fuel and return flow of hydrocarbon vapors. In the preferred embodiment, the signaling devices include both a fuel flow indicator and a vapor flow indicator. The flow indicators can comprise one or more fuel and vapor driven balls, paddle wheels, propellers, spinners, blades, or vanes. In the preferred form, the vapor recovery nozzle has an inner fuel spout to discharge gasoline into a customer's tank and has an outer spout which cooperates with the inner spout to provide a vapor return passageway to return vapors emitted during fueling to a vapor return hose. The nozzle has a liquid sensing tube in the vapor return passageway to sense when the customer's tank is filled. An automatic shutoff valve cooperates with the liquid sensing tube to shutoff the supply of gasoline when the customer's tank is filled. The nozzle also has a venturi sleeve which can be connected to a condensate liquid pickup tube to remove condensed vapor in the vapor return hose. A flow control valve assembly is provided to regulate the flow of gasoline. Fuel flow indicators can be operably positioned in the flow control valve assembly. The flow control valve assembly can have transparent cap to view the fuel flow indicators. The nozzle can further has a vapor check valve to regulate the flow of vapors. Vapor flow indicators can be operably positioned and viewed in the vapor check valve.