US3079045A - Control for fluid dispensers - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 26, 1963 R. D. KIMBALL ET AL 3,079,045

CONTROL FOR FLUID DISPENSERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 23, 1960 INVENTORS ROLLOW D. KIMBALL ROLLOW c. K MBALL H IR ATTORfiEY 1963 R. D. KIMBALL ETAL 3,079,045

CONTROL FOR FLUID DISPENSERS Filed March 25, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 fil SI I g 4!!" O O 8 a IO m m n 8 a 9' m u N) (D I0 8 a O N T 1' FIG. 6

INVENTORS ROLLOW D. KIMBALL ROLLOW C. K! BALL Feb- 26, 1 63 R. D. KIMBALL ET AL 3,079,045

CONTROL FOR FLUID DISPENSERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 25, 1960 "L 1 m VG W muQQ @0 Q Q Q @QQ Q0 @GO OG @GQ GO @GO DD l0 GA ROW DOLLAR ROW ILODOLLAR ROW cam ROW} 0 IN V EN TORS :ROLLOW D KIMBALL 21.0w 0. K BAL ATTo uEY FIG. IO

1963 R. D. KIMBALL ETAL 3,079,045

CONTROL FOR FLUID DISPENSERS Filed March 25, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 DOLLAR ROW (0Rv CENT ROW) INVENTOR. ROLLOW D. KIMBAL Y gZLLOW C. Kl BAL E. B fi ATTOR fiEY United States Patent 3,079,045 CONTROL FOR FLUED DHSPENSERS Roliow Dickson Kimball, 4545 West i745 South, Kearns, Utah, and Rollow C. Kimball, 2687 Alden St., Salt Lake City, tah

Filed Mar. 23, i960, Ser. No. 17,021 '7 Claims. (Cl. 2222-20) This invention relates to liquid dispensing devices and, more particularly, to a new and improved dispenser wherein predetermined amounts of liquid may be dispensed, these amounts being measured in terms of volume or quantity and also in terms of price.

Liquid dispensers such as gasoline pumps having means for predetermining the amount of liquid to be dispensed in terms of dollars or gallons are not new. Difficulties have been encountered in connection with those which have been proposed in the past. In the first place, such dispensers which are provided with means for shutting oif fluid flow incorporate such means Within the dispenser itself, this principle being contrary to the laws of many states. In this connection it would be highly desirable if the preset mechanism could be cooperative with a conventional, vacuum shut-oil type nozzle wherein means is provided at the nozzle itself to interrupt liquid flow.

An additional ditliculty encountered in connection with such dispensers resides in the coupling of the predetermining, push button switch board to the counters of the dispenser. Normally this is done by coupling directly to a counter tally gear which must necessarily be shiftable. This is believed to be inept since the tally gear will not correspond in any continuous manner with the revolution of the numeral drums of the counter. It is believed to be more appropriate to couple, in one-to-one gear ratio, the hunting circuit to be used with the primary gears of the numeral drums proper. Further, if two independent, price and quantity branches of the hunting circuit are employed, are respectively coupled directly to the primary gears of the quantity and price counters, and are independently selectable, then there need be no tally gear shifting; also, price changes would not affect the preselcctfon system.

An additional, advantageous feature would reside in providing a groundseeking hunting circuit wherein the inoperative contacts are in open circuit, cold condition.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved control for liquid dispensers, which control will incorporate means for predetermining the amount or quantity of liquid to be dispensed either in terms of volume or in terms of price measurement.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means for coupling a suitable hunting circuit to the numeral drum primary gears of a conventional counter directly, rather than working through shifting mechanisms, tally gears, and so forth.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improvement for vacuum shut-oh nozzle dispensers, wherein the same may be operated remotely by a suitable, switch board type hunting circuit.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURES l and 2 are fragmentary, front and side elevations, respectively, of a dispenser such as a gasoline pump incorporating the present invention.

FIGURES 3 and 4 are top plan and side elevations, respectively, of the mechanism of the pump unit which is 3,679fi45 Patented Feb. 26, 1963 designed to exhibit the amount, in terms of both dollars and gallons, of fluid dispensed by the pump at any given time.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of reduced size, taken along the line 5-5 in FIGURE 4 of the mechanism shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective, partially illustrated in phantom lines, of the cooperation of the tally gear, tally wheel, and primary and secondary gears associated with the counter of the mechanism of FIGURES 3 5.

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation, partially sectioned and cut away for purposes of clarity, of the pump nozzle, illustrating the same as modified by the present invention.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the nozzle of FIGURE 7, at the vacuum area thereof, and illustrates a second embodiment of the nozzle.

FIGURES 9 and 10 are electrical diagrams of the circuit associated with the pump and nozzle, FIGURE 9 being in schematic form and FIGURE 10 being in pictorial form.

In FIGURE 1 dispenser It} is shown to include a dispensing hose 11 provided with nozzle 12, the latter being releasably mounted upon a motor shut-off lever 13 and within nozzle receiving cavity 14. The electrical circuit associated with lever 13 is conventional and is illustrated in a portion of FIGURE 9 wherein it is seen that the pump motor M is connected in series with a normally open switch LS, and the series circuit is shunted across the input terminals T. Lever 13 and arm A of switch LS are coupled together and spring loaded so that when the nozzle is resting upon lever 13, the motor input circuit will be open; however, once the nozzle is lifted from its rest position upon lever 13, the lever arm 13 and arm A of switch S will spring upwardly so as to close the motor circuit. This selective closing of the motor input circuit may be accomplished by the use of but one spring, by a gravity-pivot arrangement, or other suitable means. This feature is strictly conventional.

Returning again to FIGURES l and 2, and particularly to FIGURE 1, it is seen that the lever 13 is coupled (as shown by dotted lines 15) to push button unit 17 by means of a reset mechanism 16. The reset mechanisms 16 and the feature of coupling the same between lever 13 and push button unit 117 is conventional. See for example U.S. Patent No. 2,643,792 issued to E. A. Daley et al. Thus, it appears that when the nozzle is replaced within cavity 14 and is caused to rest upon lever support 13, the lever will be urged downwardly so as not only to shut off the motor and pump combination of the dispenser but also, and by virtue of the inclusion of conventional reset device 16, to urge that the buttons associated with push button units l7 outwardly for a new setting. The motor and pump unit is illustrated in FIGURE 1 at 13 and is strictly conventional; so also is the variator mechanism 19 which is interposed between unit 18 and counters 2d and 2:. of the display mechanism 22; phantom lines 23 and 24 illustrate that the motor pump unit 18 and the variator 19 are connected to display mechanism 22 in a conventional manner.

The control 25 of the pump may be thought of as ineluding display mechanism 22, push button unit 17, nozzle 12 plus additional structure about to be described.

The structure of FIGURE 3 includes a pair of identical reading dollar counters Ztl and 2t? and a pair of identical reading gallon counters 21 and 21', the left counter (Ztl') being broken away to show therebeneath the counter 21'. Each of these counters has three rotating numeral drums, as hereinafter explained.

At the outset, it is well to consider FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 concurrently for a brief summary of the conventional structure of the display mechanism 221. This mechanism includes a primary frame structure 26 which is bolted by bolts 2"! to the dispenser case The basic frame 26, together with the zeroizing mechanism 29, gear trains 3t) and 31, input driving means 32 and the counters 2i and 21 (and on the other side Zti and 21') are strictly conventional and need no elaboration. See, merely by way of example, US. Patent No. 2,643,792 issued to E. A. Daley et al. The conventional counters 2i} and 21 have conventional numeral drums 29A, B, 26C and 21A, 21 HQ, with the counters 2i) and 21 having counterparts Zh'A, ZGB, iii/C, and ZIlA, ZlB, ZlC as illustrated in EEGURE 3. Each of the counters (e.g., counter 20) has associated with its respective drums a respective, primary gear 34, and 36. See FTGURES 3 and 6. (It is seen in FIGURE 6 that, if desired to ensure proper gear engagement, the primary gears, e.g. 36, may be stamped so as to exhibit a thickened, tooth periphery.) Adjacent the primary gears and 36, but keyed to the adjacent drums, are tally wheels 37 and 38. The numeral drums 263A and 29B of counter 2%, together with primary gears 35 and 3d and the tally wheels 37 and 38, are freely mounted upon a common shaft 39; the numeral drum ZllC is keyed for rotation with primary gear 3d and the associated gear train 3%. Tally gear shaft ll is fixedly disposed in parallel relationship with shaft 39 and freely carries upon it tally gears 41. Tally gear 41 includes a plurality of thick teeth 5-2 interspaced by thin teeth 43. See FIGURE 6 in this connection.

The operation of the counter is strictly conventional. Thus, when the fastest turning drum, gear, and tally wheel combination rotate to a certain point such that the tally wheel (37, 38) comes in contact (at forward edge 44) with one of the small teeth 43, it commences to rotate the gear 41, whereupon the large tooth falls in slot 45 of the tally wheel (37, 33), whereupon tally wheel 37, (33) advances and carries with it, by virtue of gear 41, the gear 35 (33). This operation of advancing the various drums of the counter by means of primary gears, tally wheels, and tally gears is well known to those skilled in the art.

Of importance is the fact that the primary gears 34, 35 and 36 are keyed to their respective drums and rotate, of course, therewith.

The improvement of the invention consists in adding secondary gears 47 and 48 to the presently existing shaft 49 so as to supply three secondary gears 36' (though taking into consideration 3% is a part of gear train 3d), 47 and 4-8 which rotate in accordance with the rotation of the respective numeral drums 20C, NE and ZllA. The same is performed with respect to counter 21 in the addition of secondary gears 5i} and 51 to existing shaft 52. It should be noted in connection with the gallons counter 21 in FIGURE 3, and in contrast with counter 20, that none of the gears of gear train 31 are used to accomplish any electrical switching in the improvement hereinafter to be described.

Thus, what is had are gears 39', 47 and :3 which will rotate in accordance with numeral drums 26C, 2013 and ZllA, respectively, and also gears 51 and sit which rotate in accordance with the rotation of drums 21B and 21A, respectively. Numeral drums ZtEC, ZiBB and MBA are the cent drum, the ten cent (or one-tenth of a dollar) drum, and the dollar drum, respectively. Referring to the lefthand side of FIGURE 3, gear 51 rotates in accordance with the gallon wheel Zl'B, whereas gear 5t? rotates in accordance with the ten gallon dum ZlA.

Referring again to FIGURE 3 it is seen that gears 47 and 48 have commutator rings 47 and 48 respectively; thus, commutator rings 47 and 4'8 will either be electrically isolated from the gears, or the gears themselves will be fabricated of a nonconductive material such as fiber. The same also applies with reference to at least one of the gears 5t 51 associated with the gallons counter 21 (since one of the gears may be supplied a ground directly).

Each of the gears carries a contact member CM which, if the respective gears employ commutators, is electrically connected to its respective commutator.

Nonco-nductive plate 55 is secured to structure 26 by means of screws 55. This plate is provided with mounting screws 57 or other means and with brackets 58 for fixedly mounting rotary switch members 59, so and er conncentrically about (but not rotatively connected to) shaft 49. Each of the rotary switch members contains a plastic base P and a plurality of circularly disposed electrical contacts E. Accordingly, the contact members CM respectively engage their respective contact plural ties E disposed upon the associated rotary switch n1emoers 59, 6% and 61 as shown.

correspondingly, the base of structure 26 is provided with an insulating mounting plate 55' to which are fixedly mounted rotary switch member 63 and 64, each being provided with a plurality of circularly arranged, electrical contacts E. Thus, the contact members CM of the gears 51 and 5b are electrically connected to commutators Ell and 551 so that the respective commutator contacts CC associated with the several gear commutators may be electrically connected to the contact members CM in respective relationship.

Reference is now made to FIGURE 10 wherein are illustrated the dollar row, the one-tenth dollar row, and also the one-cent row of push buttons of push button unit 17 in FIGURE 1. (The conventional, manual reset but ton and manual, selector switch S of *IGURE 9 are ineluded on the panel unit 17 but are not shown.) Also illustrated are the ten gallon row and gallon row of push buttons with their corresponding numeral drums 2lA and Zl'B which are the ten gallon and gallon indicators, respectively. (Numeral drums 29A, 2GB and ZllC are the dollar, one-tenth dollar and cent indicators.)

FIGURE 9 is to be considered in conjunction with FIGURE 10. All of the push buttons PB belonging to push button unit 17 are divided into rows numbered as illustrated. Each of the several rows has a lead C which is common to one side of each push button switch and which is connected to commutator contact CC of the next associated gear and contact member CM combination. The same also applies for the two, gallon push button rows. See FIGURE 9. Thus, the tandem circuit for the dollars and cents system begins at ground (see the ground designation G in FIGURE 9) and progresses through the several selector switch means S (i.e., the several rows of push buttons for the price system) in tandem fashion to terminal T of switch 5. Switch S has an arm A which is movable between switch terminals T and T. The terminal T" circuit is shown as associated with dollar amount selection, whereas the terminal T of tandem circuit is associated with gallons selection. Arm A is connected through its base terminal B and through suitable electro-mechanical means E (which stops the flow of liquid dispensed from the pump) to Secondary winding S of transformer TR. The remaining end of transformer TR is maintained at ground potential and includes a suitable crystal rectifier CR and condenser CO, the rectifier and condenser serving as a filter to convert the hunting circuit to a low voltage, direct current system. It will be understood that in lieu of the filter an alternating current type solenoid with a built-in filter may be employed. Accordingly, the electrical mechanical fluid shut-oil device E is connected in series, alternatively, with the two push button systems which provides a ground return for the direct current circuit. Thus, each of the tandem, hunting circuits is ground seeking, with the non-active terminals B being open circuit rather than hot as in other systems extant. When this electrical device is energized, then, as will be seen, the fluid dispensing will terminate. The means for carrying this into ellect will now be described.

The nozzle shown in FIGURES l, Zand 7 is. now to be discussed. As will be seen, it incorporates an electromechanical device E for turningv oil fluid flow. Nozzle l2 in FIGURE 7 includes an input connection 60, handle guard 61, handle 62 (which is selectively advanceable to enagcg halt flow and full flow detent 63 and 64 of guard d1), a spent 65,, and intermediate structure now to be discussed. The cast body 66 or" the nozzle exhibits a valve seat er which cooperates with valve 68. The stem 69 of valve 58 engages seat '70 of handle 62 and has surrounding its end 71 a light spring 72 engaging the valve seat and the end of the casting 66. Spring 73 is a still compression spring and engages the top of valve 67 and thebottom of cap 74'. This structure is purely conventional. Likewise conventional is the vacuum shut-off apparatus of the nozzle. This apparatus consists of a plunger Y having. an end connection 76 pivotally attached to handle 62'. Plunger '75 is spring loaded by spring 77 within bore 78 of body on. An insert 79 is threaded into the casting 67 and has a tapered, internal shoulder 89. Plunger 75 has a shouldere S2 to accommodate spring 77' and also a plurality of radial bores 83 to accommodate the balls 81. Additionally, plunger 75 is accommodated with a diameter bore 84 having an enlarged upper area 85. A rubber diaphragm S6 is fixedly attached to vacuum needle 87, the latter having an enlarged portion and a reduced diameter portion 89. Diaphragm 86 is afiixed to vacuum needle 87 in the region of flared flange 9b, the latter seating return spring 91 which engages the upper surface of solenoid 92. Solenoid plunger 3 is connected to the upper end portion 94 of vacuum needle 87 by means of a link 95.

Save for the inclusion of the solenoid 92, the construction' of nozzle 12 is conventional and is used to provide an automatic shut-ctr once the fluid level in a gasoline tank being filled reaches a level such as to shut oil the reverse flow of air from spout 63 to' the dispenser.

The diaphragm 86 is centrally secured (by conventional means, bolts Hi2) within a central region 96 of body 6%, at an upper portion 97 thereof, and to vacuum needle 87 at flange 9b.

Not shown in FIGURE 7 but illustrated in FIGURE 8 are a pair of air passageways 98 and 99 which provide communication for air entering spout 65 and leaving the fluid inlet portion Gil of the nozzle, These passageways generally take the form of small tubes. When the gasoline reaches the level which shuts off the reverse flow of air through spout 65, the remaining air in the nozzle returns to the tank as the tank continues toempty, which results in an area of reduced pressure above diaphragm 85. This causes an outward thrusting of the vacuum needle 37 so as to release plunger 75 (by virtue of the release of the bearing balls 81). The front end 99 of handle 62 is thus urged downwardly under the tension of spring 73 soas to release handle from detent 64, 655. Thus, creation of an area of reduced pressure at 96 causes diaphragm 86 to advanceupwardly, which pressure withdraws the vacuum needle 87 and turns off fluid flow at the nozzle proper and not within the gasoline pump.

The structure above described is conventional, except for the inclusion of the solenoid 92 which is fixedly mounted by conventional means (not shown) to cap N1, the latter being secured to body 66 by means of bolts E. The-solenoid 92 is preferably of'a dipped type, to ensure in maximum insulation of the windings thereof. When the solenoid 92 is energized the plunger 93 is drawn into the body of the solenoid so as to pull upwardly on vacuum needle 87. This operates to release plunger 75 so as to accomplish the automatic shut off, hereinbefore described. The electrical leads 1% and 1M which connect to solenoid 92 may consist either of independent wires attached to hose ll of FIGURE 1 or may be actually molded' into the casing of the hose proper.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary view of a portion on the nozzle in FIGURE 7 wherein the existing cap C? of a conventionalnozzle is modified by being drilled at D and a small length of closed end pipe P inserted in the bore condenser CO in FIGURE 9. So long as each of the two circuits are tandem circuits, the ground may be sup plied at either end of the respective circuits, e.g. either at the dollar row notary switch contact member CM or at the cent row rotary switch contact member CM. Thus, where the push button series at the left in FIGURE 9 in fact constitutes the cent row of buttons, then the respec tive contact member CM may be maintained at ground potential and the other end of the circuit connected to terminal T. (This situation is illustrated in FIGURE 3' wherein gear 33' is maintained at ground potential.) Of course, the situation may be reversed so that the left-hand push buttons in FIGURE 9 may constitute the dollar now of push buttons. The ground may also be supplied contact members CM in FIGURE 9; this time, however, the ground must be supplied through a commutator 48".

The above applies equally as well to the gallons system. As is to be noted with reference to FIGURE 10, the tenths of gallons drums 21C and ZIC (see FIGURES 3 and 4) are not connected to the electrical circuit above describedhence the presence of but five drums (for one of the two identical counting systems) in FIGURE 10.

Further advantages of the invention will be seen to reside in the provision of transformer TR which, as shown, is a step-down transformer so that the hunting system may be a low voltage {c.g. 24 volt) system, thus avoiding arcing at the contacts. Additionally, trans former TR isolates the hunting circuit from the ground in. the alternating current supply voltage.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. In a control for liquid dispensers having at least one counter comprising a common shaft, a plurality of numeral drums journaled upon said common shaft, a plu rali-ty of primary gears respectively and concentrically afiixed to said drums, at least one tally wheel respectively afiixed concentrically to all but the slowest drum and primary gear combination and disposed adjacent the respective, primary gear of the next fastest drum, and at least one tally gear respectively engaging each tally wheel and the particular one of said primary gears associated therewith, said numeral drums thereby cooperating in jointly presenting a visual display of quantity of liquid delivered, the improvement comprising a first shaft disposed parallel to said common shaft, a plurality of sec ondary gears respectively coupled to said primary gears in one-to-one ratio and mounted upon said first shaft, a plurality of con-tact members respectively afiixed to a respective one of said secondary gears, a plurality of rotary switch members each provided with a plurality of contacts arranged in a circular pattern and sequentially engageable by a respective one of said contact members, said rotary switch members beingfixedly disposed, adjacent to, and concentric with respective ones of said secondary gears, a plurality of sets of selector switch means, each set comprising a plurality of selector switch means serially coupled between respective ones of said contacts of a respective, rotary switch member and that contact member .operatively associated with that rotary scrapes switch member of following order, the so coupled pluralities of selector switch means, rotary switch member combinations being coupled together in tandem through the respective contact members to form a tandem circuit, and electro-mechanical means, for interrupting the flow of liquid, electrically coupled across the tandem circuit.

2. In a control for liquid dispensers having at least one counter including a plurality of numeral drums jointly presenting a visual display of quantity of liquid delivered and a plurality of primary gears respectively and concentrically affixed to said numeral drums, rotating in accordance therewith, the improvement comprising a plurality of secondary gears respectively coupled to said primary gears in one-to-one ratio, a plurality of contact members respectively afllxed to a respective one of said secondary gears, a plurality of rotary switch members each provided with a plurality of contacts arranged in a circular pattern and sequentially engageable by a respective one of said contact members, said rotary switch members being fixedly disposed, adjacent to, and concentric with respective ones of said secondary gears, a plurality of sets of selector switch means, each set comprising a plurality of selector switch means serially coupled between respective ones of said contacts of a. respective, rotary switch member and that contact member operatively associated with that rotary switch member of following order, the so coupled pluralities of selector switch means, rotary switch member combinations being coupled together in tandem through the respective contact members to form a tandem circuit, and electromechanical means, for interrupting the flow of liquid, electrically coupled across the tandem circuit.

3. Structure according to claim 2 wherein said contact member aifixed to the slowest of said secondary gears is maintained at ground potential through its respective gear.

4. In a control for liquid dispensers having a quantity counter and a price counter, each of said counters including a plurality of numeral drums jointly presenting a visual display of quantity of liquid delivered and a plurality of primary gears respectively and concentrically aifixed to said numeral drums, rotating in accordance therewith, the improvement comprising a quantity regulating system and a price regulating system, each of said systems comprising a plurality of secondary gears respectively coupled to their respective primary gears in oneto-one ratio, a plurality of contact members respectively afiixed to a respective one of their respective secondary gears, a plurality of rotary switch members each provided with a plurality of contacts arranged in a circular pattern and sequentially engageable by a respective one of their respective contact members, said rotary switch members being fixedly disposed adjacent to and concentric with respective ones of their respective secondary gears, a plurality of sets of selector switch means, each set comprising a plurality of selector switch means serially coupled between respective ones of said contacts of a respective, rotary switch member and that contact member operatively associated with that rotary switch member of following order, the so coupled pluralities of selector switch means, rotary switch member combination being coupled together in tandem through the respective contact members to form a tandem circuit; system selector switch means; and electromechanical means, for interrupting the how of liquid, electrically connectable across a selected one of said tandem circuits by said system selector switch means.

5. In a control for liquid dispensers having electrical power means operating the same, said control having at least one counter including a plurality of numeral drums jointly presenting a visual display of quantity of liquid delivered and a plurality of primary gears respectively and concentrically afilxed to said numeral drums, I-

tating in accordance therewith, the improvement comprising a plurality of secondary gears respectively coupled to said primary gears in one-to-one ratio, a plurality of contact members respectively aillxed to a respective one of said secondary gears, a plurality of rotary switch members each provided with a plurality of contacts arranged in a circular pattern and sequentially engageable by a respective one of said contact members, said rotary switch members being fixedly disposed, adjacent to, and concentric with respective ones of said secondary gears, a plurality of sets of selector switch means, each set comprising a plurality of selector switch means serially coupled between respective ones of said contacts of a respective, rotary switch member and that contact member operatively associated with that rotary switch member of following order, the so coupled pluralities of selector switch means, rotary switch member combinations being coupled together in tandem through the respective contact members to form a tandem circuit, and electro-mechanical means, for interrupting the flow of liquid, electrically coupled across the tandem circuit, the improvement circuit being independent from that of said power means.

6. in a control for liquid dispensers having at least one counter including a plurality of numeral drums jointly presenting a visual display of quantity of liquid delivered and a plurality of primary gears respectively and concentrically afiixed to said numeral drums, rotating inaccordance therewith, the improvement comprising a plurality of secondary gears respectively coupled to said primary gears in one-to-one ratio, a plurality of contact members respectively afiixed to a respective one of said secondary gears, a plurality of rotary switch members each provided with a plurality of contacts arranged in a circular pattern and sequentially engageable by a respective one of said contact members, said rotary switch members being fixedly disposed, adjacent to, and concentric with respective ones of'said secondary gears, a plurality of sets of selector switch means, each set comprising a plurality of selector switch means serially coupled between respective ones of said contacts of a respective, rotary switch member and that contact member operatively associated with that rotary switch member of following order, the so coupled pluralities of selector switch means, rotary switch member combinations being coupled together in tandem through the respective contact members to form a tandem circuit, and a vacuum shut-oil type nozzle provided with electromechanical means for interrupting the flow of liquid, said means being electrically coupled across said tandem circuit.

7. In a control for liquid dispensers having at least one counter including a plurality of numeral drums jointly indicating quantity of liquid delivered and a plurality of primary gears respectively and concentrically afilxed to said numeral drums, rotating in accordance therewith, the improvement comprising a secondary gear coupled to one of said primary gears, a contact member afiixed to said secondary gear, a rotary switch member provided with a plurality of contacts arranged in a circular pattern and sequentially engageable by said contact member, said rotary switch member being fixedly disposed, adjacent to, and concentric with said secondary gear, a set of selector switch means comprising a plurality of selector switch means serially coupled between respective ones of said contacts and a common reference point, and electro-mechanical means, for interrupting the flow of liquid, electrically coupled between said contact member and said common reference point.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,585,821 Mueller Feb. 12, 1952 2,804,991 Burleyson Sept. 3, 1957

Claims (1)

1. IN A CONTROL FOR LIQUID DISPENSERS HAVING AT LEAST ONE COUNTER COMPRISING A COMMON SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF NUMERAL DRUMS JOURNALED UPON SAID COMMON SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF PRIMARY GEARS RESPECTIVELY AND CONCENTRICALLY AFFIXED TO SAID DRUMS, AT LEAST ONE TALLY WHEEL RESPECTIVELY AFFIXED CONCENTRICALLY TO ALL BUT THE SLOWEST DRUM AND PRIMARY GEAR COMBINATION AND DISPOSED ADJACENT THE RESPECTIVE, PRIMARY GEAR OF THE NEXT FASTEST DRUM, AND AT LEAST ONE TALLY GEAR RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING EACH TALLY WHEEL AND THE PARTICULAR ONE OF SAID PRIMARY GEARS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, SAID NUMERAL DRUMS THEREBY COOPERATING IN JOINTLY PRESENTING A VISUAL DISPLAY OF QUANTITY OF LIQUID DELIVERED, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A FIRST SHAFT DISPOSED PARALLEL TO SAID COMMON SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF SECONDARY GEARS RESPECTIVELY COUPLED TO SAID PRIMARY GEARS IN ONE-TO-ONE RATIO AND MOUNTED UPON SAID FIRST SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF CONTACT MEMBERS RESPECTIVELY AFFIXED TO A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID SECONDARY GEARS, A PLURALITY OF ROTARY SWITCH MEMBERS EACH PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF CONTACTS ARRANGED IN A CIRCULAR PATTERN AND SEQUENTIALLY ENGAGEABLE BY A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID CONTACT MEMBERS, SAID ROTARY SWITCH MEMBERS BEING FIXEDLY DISPOSED, ADJACENT TO, AND CONCENTRIC WITH RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID SECONDARY GEARS, A PLURALITY OF SETS OF SELECTOR SWITCH MEANS, EACH SET COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SELECTOR SWITCH MEANS SERIALLY COUPLED BETWEEN RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID CONTACTS OF A RESPECTIVE, ROTARY SWITCH MEMBER AND THAT CONTACT MEMBER OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ROTARY SWITCH MEMBER OF FOLLOWING ORDER, THE SO COUPLED PLURALITIES OF SELECTOR SWITCH MEANS, ROTARY SWITCH MEMBER COMBINATIONS BEING COUPLED TOGETHER IN TANDEM THROUGH THE RESPECTIVE CONTACT MEMBERS TO FORM A TANDEM CIRCUIT, AND ELECTRO-MECHANICAL MEANS, FOR INTERRUPTING THE FLOW OF LIQUID, ELECTRICALLY COUPLED ACROSS THE TANDEM CIRCUIT.

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