US3211333A - Fluid dispenser - Google Patents

Description

C- F. BATEMAN FLUID DISPENSER Oct. 1 2, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 3, 1965 INVENTOR COaIes FBatemam ATTORNEYS United States Patent M 3,211,333 FLUID DISPENSER Coates F. Bateman, Salisbury, Md., assignor to Symington Wayne Corporation, a corporation of Maryland Filed July 3, 1963, Ser. No. 292,672 2 Claims. (Cl. 22230) This invention relates to fluid dispenser-s and more particularly to fluid dispensers incorporating ticket printing mechanisms.

All known gasoline dispensers utilize large indicating drums to give the customer a visual indication of the amount of gasoline dispensed. These drums are not only considered a necessity but the trend has been to make the drums bigger and bigger. In some such dispensers ticket printing mechanisms have been included as an auxiliary indicator. The cost of these dispensers, however, has been so prohibitive that they are considered only a luxury and have very little commercial acceptance.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive ticket printer fluid dispenser.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a dispenser which is relatively compact and attractive.

In accordance with this invention a ticket printer and a preset mechanism are substituted for the customary large indicating drums. The elimination of these large indicating drums is such a radical departure from existing gasoline merchandising methods that the elimination has heretofore never been considered. This unique realization that the large drums can be eliminated enables for the first time a ticket printing gasoline dispenser to be commercially practical. Since these large indicating drums are the most costly part of conventional dispensers, their elimination substantially pays for the cost of adding both the ticket printer and the preset mechanism. Further with these 'bulky drums eliminated, the resultant dispenser is more compact having a low and attractive silhouette. In an advantageous form of the invention, the computing components occupy substantially the entire interior of the housing head. A unit price indicator may be on the housing while zero indicator means may be part of the computer components.

Novel features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a dispenser housing of an embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the head of the housing shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the head of the housing shown in FIGS. 1-2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of a housing head of another embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of a housing head of a further embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of a housing head of another embodiment of this invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid dispensing components of dispenser 10 include a conventional meter 16 connected to a source of fluid 18 in the "base 20' of dispenser housing 26. Fluid flows through meter 16 and is dispensed from hose and nozzle 22. The computing components are arranged in housing 26 above the dispensing components. Variator 24 is operatively connected to meter 16 and computes the cost of the fluid in accordance with the quantity dispensed. The term variator is used to mean the gearing or computing mechanism of a conventional register with the large indicating drums removed from the register. Variator 24 is, for example, of the type disclosed 3,211,333 Patented Oct. 12, 1965 tomer before the dispensing operation takes place. As

shown in FIG. 1, preset 12 is of the type disclosed in US. Letters Patent 2,665,030, in which the service station attendant manually operates preset 12 by turning knob or dial 30. Preset 12 shown in FIG. 4 is of the coin operated type such as disclosed in US. Letters Patent 2,- 384,585 which includes coin acceptor 13. Printing mechanism 14, for example, of the type disclosed in US. Letters Patent 2,327,584 is also connected to variator 24 and prints the cost and quantity of the sale as well as other sales information such as unit price. Printing mechanism 14 is especially useful for tax purposes and with credit customers since receipts are necessary to give to the customer and also to be used by the service station attendant for bookkeeping purposes. As shown in FIG. 1, the various components in housing 26 are disposed closely adjacent the housing wall to provide a compact dispenser having a relatively low silhouette. Where preferred, however, printing mechanism 14 is externally attached to the housing, as shown for example in US. Letters Patent 2,- 612,428.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, housing head 28 encases printing mechanism 14, preset 12, and variator 24. The printed receipts are ejected from ticket printer 14 onto tray 32. Head 28 also includes means for storing blank tickets 34 and for storing receipts 36 which are kept by the attendant. As shown in FIG. 1, a series of windows 38 are in head 28 in which the unit price of the gasoline is displayed. The computing components occupy substantially the entire interior of head 28. The head may, of course, house other elements which are conventional in gasoline dispensers such as coin acceptor 13 shown in FIG. 4, but does not include the conventional large indicating drums.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5, head 28 includes a window 40 in which a card or flag having a zero printed thereon is flashed when the dispensing operation begins. The card or flag is, for example, associated with the start handle 41 or variator 24 so that it is displayed as soon as the attendant starts to dispense the gasoline. The provision of such zero indicating means is useful in reassuring the customer that he is being charged only for the amount of gasoline he receives. Such reassurance is also accomplished by the use of a printing mechanism 14 such as that disclosed in US. Letters Patent 2,327,584 in which the beginning and final totals are printed on the ticket or receipt. A further safeguard is the inclusion of computer-printer interlocks such as that disclosed in US. Letters Patent 3,021,982 to prevent printing mechanism 14 from printing incorrect totals. The customer can also check the accuracy of the cost by multiplying the quantity indicated on the printed receipt times the unit price.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 6, variator 24 includes a set of relatively small indicating drums 42 similar to, but substantially smaller than, the conventional large indicating drums. Small drums 42 are incorporated in head 28 without the drawbacks attendant with the large conventional drums. Small drums 42 have approximately the same diameter as the wheels 15 in printing mechanism 14 and therefore have substantially the same inertia and increment transfer. As a result, both indicating means can be synchronized. Since small drums 42 take up relatively little room in head 28, the compactness and low silhouette of housing 26 is maintained. Small drums 42 are useful in reassuring the customer of the accuracy of printer 14 or simply as a spot check on the printer. The small indicating drums additionally may be necessary to meet the requirements of weights and measures regulations in some localities.

What is claimed is:

1. A quantity and cost indicating fluid dispenser comprising a housing; fluid dispensing components upon said housing, said fluid dispensing components including a source of fluid, meter means connected to said source of fluid, and dispensing hose and nozzle means connected to said meter means; computing components upon said housing, said computing components comprising a variator connected to said meter means, a preset mechanism connected to said variator, and a printing mechanism connected to said variator for recording the cost and quantity of said fluid; said printing mechanism having indicating wheels with indicating digits inscribed thereon, and said printing indicating wheels being the largest digit carrying indicating wheels in said dispenser whereby said printing mechanism comprises the principal quantity and cost indicating means of said dispenser.

2. A quantity and cost indicating fluid dispenser comprising a housing; fluid dispensing components upon said housing, said fluid dispensing components including a source of fluid, meter means connected to said source of fluid, and dispensing hose and nozzle means connected to said meter means; computing components upon said housing, said computing components comprising a variator connected to said meter means, said variator having indicating wheels with indicating digits inscribed thereon, a preset mechanism connected to said variator, and a printing mechanism connected to said variator for recording the cost and the quantity of said fluid; said printing mechanism having indicating wheels with indicating digits inscribed thereon, and said printing wheels having substantially the same inertia characteristics as said variator indicating wheels whereby both of said printing indicating Wheels and said variator indicating wheels have substantially the same increment transfer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,875,119 8/32 Ohmer et al 222-30 X 2,342,333 2/ 44 Eickmeyer et al 222-30 X 2,554,296 5/51 Crews 22230 2,777,555 1/57 Banning 222-30 X LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A QUANTITY AND COST INDICATING FLUID DISPENSER COMPRISING A HOUSING; FLUID DISPENSING COMPONENTS UPON SAID HOUSING, SAID FLUID DISPENSING COMPONENTS INCLUDING A SOURCE OF FLUID, METER MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SOURCE OF FLUID, AND DISPENSING HOSE AND NOZZLE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID METER MEANS; COMPUTING COMPONENTS UPON SAID HOUSING, SAID COMPUTING COMPONENTS COMPRISING A VARIATOR CONNECTED TO SAID METER MEANS, A PRESET MECHANISM CONNECTED TO SAID VARIATOR, AND A PRINTING MECHANISM CONNECTED TO SAID VARIATOR FOR RECORDING THE COST AND QUANTITY OF SAID FLUID; SAID PRINTING MECHANISM HAVING INDICATING WHEELS WITH INDICATING DIGITS INSCRIBED THEREON, AND SAID PRINTING INDICATING WHEELS BEING THE LARGEST DIGIT CARRYING INDICATING WHEELS IN SAID DISPENSER WHEREBY SAID PRINTING MECHANISM COMPRISES THE PRINCIPAL QUANTITY AND COST INDICATING MEANS OF SAID DISPENSER.

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