Dispensing – Hose or other movable discharge guide interlocks and...
Patent
1997-08-13
1999-07-06
Kashnikow, Andres
Dispensing
Hose or other movable discharge guide interlocks and...
222 75, 22215303, B67D 512, B67D 533
Patent
active
059187662
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a forecourt fuel pump. The invention further relates to a forecourt layout including at least one such fuel pump.
A typical garage or filling station forecourt fuel pump has a body secured to the ground and containing pumping and metering equipment. Delivery of metered fuel is through a flexible hose having, at its free end, a delivery nozzle including a manually operable delivery valve. When not in use, the nozzle is stored in a holder provided in the pump body, which holder has a detector for the presence or otherwise of the nozzle, whereby the pump motor may automatically be switched on whenever the nozzle is removed from its holder. With a forecourt fuel pump of the kind described above, the metering equipment may automatically be re-set to zero each time a nozzle is removed from its holder. More recently, and particularly with the advent with self-service filling stations, it has been the practice to provide a remote re-setting arrangement, whereby fuel delivery may start only once an operator has remotely caused the re-setting of the metering equipment and display device.
When a filling station is to close temporarily (for example over-night), it is most desirable that each fuel pump delivery pipe nozzle is firmly secured in its associated holder. This is not only to prevent vandalism, but perhaps more importantly also to prevent possible fraudulent abstraction of fuel. Conventionally, a typical forecourt fuel pump nozzle includes an opening which, when the nozzle is in its holder, is in general alignment with a similar opening on the frame of the pump body, whereby a padlock may be passed through the aligned openings and secured in position, thereby to lock the nozzle in its holder. When the filling station is to re-open once more, all of the padlocks must individually be removed, and taken back to a suitable storage site. This locking and unlocking procedure using padlocks is very time consuming and possibly also somewhat irritating for the operator, especially if each padlock requires the use of an individual key. Moreover, there is some risk to the operator, especially as both the locking and unlocking operations are often performed during unsocial hours, when the area may largely be deserted.
Some fuel pumps incorporate a so-called barrel lock, which is built into the frame of the pump and performs essentially the same function as a padlock, as described above. Though an operator does not have to carry the lock with him, nevertheless the barrel lock still suffers from the same disadvantages as described above.
The present invention aims at reducing the above-mentioned disadvantages associated with the securing of the nozzle of a fuel pump to the fuel pump body, when a filling station is to close, and releasing the nozzle when the filling station is to re-open for business, once more.
According to the present invention, there is provided a forecourt fuel pump including a flexible delivery hose having a delivery nozzle at its free end and a holder for the nozzle, which pump further includes a locking member mounted on the pump and movable between a locked position where the locking member is engaged with the nozzle when in its holder and prevents the nozzle being removed from therefrom and a free position where the nozzle is free of the locking member, power-operated actuator for moving the locking member between its two positions, and control means for the power-operated actuator.
It will be appreciated that with a fuel pump of the present invention, there is no need to use an individual padlock, for each nozzle to be locked in its associated holder. Instead, the control means may be operated to cause the actuator to move a locking member to secure a nozzle in its holder, at the close of business, and then to release the locking member when the station is to re-open once more. The control means could operate hydraulically or pneumatically, but preferably operates electrically. Such control means advantageously includes switch means disposed at a location remote from the
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Kashnikow Andres
Quinalty Keats
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