US3618823A

US3618823A - Fuel dispenser power resetting and control mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3618823A
Application number: US38063A
Authority: US
Inventors: Christian W Kruckeberg
Original assignee: Tokheim Corp
Current assignee: Tokheim Corp
Priority date: 1970-05-18
Filing date: 1970-05-18
Publication date: 1971-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-09
Also published as: NL7106592A; GB1327512A; ZA711520B; CA936843A

Abstract

A power-operated mechanism which operates the register resetting and flow control devices of a liquid fuel dispenser in sequence, in response to the proper operation of a single-manual control lever, and which, with minor added control mechanism, compels predetermined manual operation of self-service, ticket printing, or other optional attachments for the dispenser.

Description

PATENTEDHUV s IBYI SHEET 1 OF 7 RUCKEBERG m m H WW my u an v 5 ATTORNEY.

PATENTEDNUV 9 I97! SHEET 5 OF 7 INVENTOR. CHRISTIAN W- KRUCKEBERQ,

mm mm m I): '7 ATTORNEY.

7 BY (511 16 t t I'l/Wi PATENTEDunv 9 Ian SHEET 7 OF 7 INVENTOR CHEISTlAN W. KRUCKEBERG,

Faal

FUEL DISPENSER POWER RESETTING AND CONTROL MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Power-operated register resetting and delivery control mechanisms for liquid fuel dispensers have been in the process of development in recent years, as shown by the U.S. Pats. issued to Wright et al. Nos. 3,l88,005 and 3,187,945 both issued .Iune 8, 1965, and Wild U.S. Pat. No. 3,142,442 of July 28, 1964.

One of the primary reasons for the development of these mechanisms is that when the resetting of the registers was manually performed by the operator of the dispenser, it was common practice to perform the operation with excessive energy which caused "over-resetting," in which the various registers, instead of being reset to zero, showed scattered arrays of numerals which, of course, produced totally false readings when a delivery was thereafter made. In addition, the abuse of the mechanisms resulted in damage to the mechanisms and loss of the use of the dispenser until repairs could be made.

The mechanism shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,187,945 has gone into widespread commercial uses. It solves the above stated problems by using the manual lever only as a start-stop control for a motor which drives the resetting mechanism at a predetermined speed by applying a reasonable torque thereto.

Excessive energy applied to the lever is simply absorbed by rugged stops and cannot be transmitted to the previously abused mechanisms.

It is apparent from the drawings of the patent that the mechanism is relatively complex and comprises numerous mechanical and electrical parts. It requires precision manufacture in several areas. These factors are reflected in the cost of the unit, as well as in its bulk, which is also an important factor. Because of customer demand for smaller sized dispensers and for more accessory devices which have to be disposed within the housings, it is urgently necessary to minimize the bulk of such accessories as well as of the usual components.

A further problem arises from the fact that the resetting mechanism of the register is a relatively high torque device. The motor must produce sufiicient torque to start and operate this device and the resetting control means itself, at subzero temperatures, with low cost, small sized motors which have inherent low torque characteristics.

The above problems are experienced with the usual, attendant operated, filling station dispenser. Additional problems occur in special types of dispensers, such as ticket printer, self serve, coin, or bill-controlled dispensers.

To meet the special requirements of such dispensers, it is usually necessary to revise the resetting and control mechanism to perform the added functions, and to provide a special explosion proof casing therefor. The added cost of such special units is not only in the units themselves, but also in the pattern equipment and special tooling required to manufacture them. A special burden is imposed on these units by the low volume of sales of such special dispensers.

It is thus seen that an object of the invention is to provide a resetting and control mechanism in which the number of parts required is minimized.

Another object of the invention is to minimize the bulk of the unit by compactly arranging the parts thereof.

A further object of the invention is to eliminate the need for high precision manufacturing operations.

Still another object is to minimize the torque required to operate the mechanism.

Yet another object is to provide a structure which will not require high operating torque in subzero temperatures.

A further object of the invention is to provide a low cost but reliable mechanism.

Another object is to provide a mechanism which may be altered to provide the functions necessary for self-service, ticket printing, and other special applications, by the addition of a minor number of parts.

Still another object is to provide for installation of the additional parts without alterating the basic mechanism to accept such parts.

A further object of the invention is to minimize the number of additional parts required to produce the mechanisms needed for special dispenser applications.

Still another object of the invention is to produce a mechanism which will operate satisfactorily with a small sized, inexpensive motor of the shaded pole type.

Additional objects of the invention will become apparent from a study of the detailed specification and the drawings which form a part thereof and in which:

FIG. I is an isometric view of the upper portion of a motor fuel dispenser showing generally, the read out, resetting, control, and hydraulic systems thereof.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of a power resetting and control unit for a dispenser of the usual filling station type.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the box portion of the unit taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is an elevation showing the mechanism mounted in the box portion when it is viewed substantially from the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an elevation of the cover of the unit as viewed from the line 5-5 of FIG. 2 and showing the mechanisms mounted on the cover.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 6- 6 of FIG. 5, showing the reset drive train to the register resetting mechanism and to the power driven control elements.

FIG. 7 is an expanded view of the power driven control elements of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a view of the manually and power actuated parts of the resetting and control mechanism in the positions they occupy when the dispenser is in its normal inactive condition.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but with the manually operated parts moved to the positions in which they are about to actuate the power driven parts through the lost motion phase, to energize the control motor (as shown in FIG. 5).

FIG. 10 is a view like FIGS. 8 and 9, but shows the parts in the reset motor on" position, by full-lines and in the pump on position by dashed lines.

FIG. 11 is a wiring diagram, showing the circuits and switches which control the dispensing pump and resetting motors.

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the hydraulic operated discharge valve which is controlled by the pilot and nozzle valves.

FIG. 13 is an elevation, with parts in section, showing the additional control means provided for use in a Self-Service" dispenser.

FIG. 13a shows the switch control levers unlatched.

FIG. 1312 shows the switch levers latched.

FIG. 14 is an elevation of the added casing and controls, including the key operated mechanism used for Self-Service" operation.

FIG. 15 is a rear elevation of the structure of FIG. 13, with parts broken away to show the printer connected controls.

FIG. 16 is a wiring diagram similar to that of FIG. 11, but showing the added switch and the shunt circuit therefor.

FIG. 17 is a diagrammatic view of a ticket printer for use with the dispenser and said additional control mechanism, to provide a ticket printer-controlled dispenser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION GENERAL STRUCTURE Referring to FIG. I, the numeral 1 indicates the housing of a motor fuel dispenser which includes a meter 3, which has an output shaft 5 connected to drive a computer register 5'. The computer comprises visible dials 11 and 13 of the gallons and cost registers 7 and 9, and a resetting shaft 15 which is rotated in one direction through substantially one revolution, to actuate a resetting mechanism built into the computer, through a cycle which causes the dials of both registers to return to their zero indicating positions. The cycle comprises three phases. During the first phase of rotation of the reset shah, the registers are declutched from the meter shaft 5 and clutched to the reset shaft 15. During the next phase, the reset shaft resets the dials to zero and during the final phase, the registers are declutched from the resetting shah and reclutched to the meter shaft 5.

Since the register resetting mechanism is fully disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,142,442 issued July 28, 1964, to 0. Wild, Jr., for Resetting Mechanism for Counters, it is believed that further detailed description thereof is not required here.

The meter is supplied with fuel under pressure from a pump 17, driven by a motor 19, and is delivered through a hose 21 to a manually operable valved discharge nozzle 23.

If the dispensing system is one in which a number of dispensers are connected to be supplied from a single pump and motor, it is necessary to insert a valve, such as 25, in the dispensing line of each dispenser, preferably between the meter and hose, and to hold such valve closed, and the motor switch open, until the registers have been zeroized. However, if each dispenser has its own motor pump, the valve is usually omitted, since controlling the motor switch is sufiicient to prevent delivery without resetting of the registers. A single motor-pump, multiple dispenser system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,187,945 issued June 8, 1965, to G. W. Wright et al. for Motorized Reset Mechanism for Registers.

A nozzle support 27 is mounted on the dispenser housing, in spaced relation below a nozzle-tip boot 29, to receive the nozzle when the dispenser is inoperative. A manual control lever 31 is mounted on a shaft 33, which is connected with the power and control or reset unit 35, and occupies its full line "off" position when the nozzle is on support 27. It cannot be turned to the on" position shown in dashed lines, while the nozzle is on the support. The nozzle cannot be mounted on the support until the lever 31 is in or very near its ofi position.

The mechanism 35 has an input shaft 47 connected to the shaft 33 and an output shaft 49 connected to the resetting shaft (FIG. 2).

BASIC POWER & CONTROL UNIT FIG. 2 shows the unit 35 which comprises an explosion proof box 37 having a cover 39, connecting means which include an electric conduit part 41 and threaded boss 43 to receive electric wire conduit 45. The shaft 47 is arranged for pin connection with a socket on shaft 33 of the control level 31, while the output shaft 49 is arranged for pin connection with a socket on the computer reset shaft 15. The box and cover are held together by screws 51.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the box 37, shaft 47 extending through the wall of the box, a crank arm 53 fixed to the shaft and a crank pin 55 fixed in the arm. A link 57 is rotatably mounted on the pin between the arm and a roller 59. An over center tension spring 61 is hooked to the free end of the link and to a pin 63 fixed in the box. Stops 65 and 67 are preferably molded as a part of the box and project into the path of the crank am so as to limit its rotation in both directions, as it moves in response to the manual lever 31 and spring @61.

A double-pole, single-throw, normally open motor pump control switch 69 is mounted in the box with its operating button 71 disposed to move in a substantially vertical direction FIGS. 3 and 4. A pushrod 73 is mounted, for axial reciprocation parallel with the switch button 71, in guide holes 72, 74 formed in the box and passes to the exterior of the box through hole 74 (FIG. 3). The button and rod occupy a plane which is perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 4, so that the rod lies directly behind the button in that figure and extends above said button. The rod transmits motion to a pilot valve 161 which will be discussed below.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 relate to the components which are mounted on the cover 39. It should be noted that the cover as shown in FIG. 5 is rotated clockwise about its left edge from the position which it would occupy on the box as the latter is shown in FIG. 4. Some of the elements mounted on the cover, such as 137 and 149 project into the box, when it is assembled with the cover, so as to coact with parts such as 59 and 69 which are mounted in the box.

An electric motor 75, of the shaded pole type, is shown in FIG. 5 and comprises a field coil 77 and an armature shaft which carries a pinion 79. A shaft 03 rotates in a bearing fixed in an opening 87 through the cover and carries gear 81 on one end, to mesh with pinion 79, and a pinion 89 at the other. The output shaft 49 is joumaled in a shouldered bearing 93, also fixed in a hole through the cover. A gear 91 is fixed to the shaft below the cover and meshes with pinion 89. The outboard end of 49 carries a pin 50 which is adapted to engage a slotted coupling (not shown) on the computer reset shaft 15, which is accordingly driven by the motor through the described power gear train.

The shafi 49 also supplies power to a portion of the control mechanism. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a spring disc 95 is centered on the interior end of bearing 93 and rests on the cover. A unitary cam 97-109 is rotatably mounted on the bearing, above the disc, and the inner end of the shaft 49 extends through bearing 93 and a key or drive bar 99, which is disposed above the cam 109. The parts 95, 97-109 and 99 are held together on the shaft by a snap ring 101 which rests in grooves 103 fonned in the rounded portions of the upper end of shaft 49, which join the flatted opposite sides 105 thereof.

The key 99 is preferably a flat bar which is provided with a central, axial slot 107 which is adapted to receive and be driven by the flats 105 of the shaft.

As seen in FIGS. 5 and 7, the upper end of the cam 109 is provided with axially upwardly extending lugs 111 and 113 which define

dovetail slots

115, 117 which are adapted to receive the bar or key 99. The slots are wider than the key so that a limited amount of relative rotation or lost motion is permitted between cam lugs and the key of shaft 49.

The cam 97 is circular except for a peripheral switch control notch 121 which is fonned in its periphery. The cam 109 is generally circular except for a lobe 119 which has a leading rise portion A which terminates in a sudden drop or fall portion 13.

The cams are rotated counterclockwise FIGS. 7 to 10, and the notch 121 trails the lobe by slightly less than 90.

Disc 95 is slitted inwardly and then at right angles a short distance, to form a tab 123. The tab is bent slightly at its base so that it inclines upwardly and so that its free end projects slightly above the plane of the disc. The radial width of the tab is slightly less than the radial depth of notch 121, so that the tab can rise behind the leading edge of the notch to serve as a stop, to prevent (improper) clockwise rotation of the cam after the notch has passed the free end of the tab. Such rotation can damage the switch lever 135. The notch passes the free end of the tab at a specific point in the operating cycle which will be discussed below.

To position the tab in the proper rotative position relative to the cam notch, a pin 127 set in the cover enters a hole in the disc but terminates short of contact with the lower surface of the cam.

Means are thus provided for driving the cam 97-109 by the motor via shaft 49 and key 99, the shaft being actuated through the previously described gear train.

The cam 97-109 is also subject to manual actuation by the control lever 31 and the crank 53 which carries roller 59 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 8 to 10). it also serves to actuate a switch 129 (F108. 5 and 8 to 10) which controls the resetting motor 75. This switch is mounted on the cover 39 by means of a bracket 131. The switch is preferably a single-pole, single-throw, normally open switch, the operating button 133 of which is engaged by a spring lever 135 forming a part of the switch. The free end of the lever is disposed in the path of cam 97 so as to (FIGS. 3 and 4).

It should be noted at this point that if the box shown in FIG. 3 were to be inverted right to left and placed face down on top of FIG. 5, the rotary axis of the crank (shaft 47) and shaft 49 would be coaxial, so that the roller 59 of the crank would enter the cam slot 145 as shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10. The magnitude and direction of rotation of the wrist plateabout its axis 139 would therefore depend upon that of the manual lever 31, shaft 47 and crank 53, as will be described under the heading operation" below.

Pivotally mounted, at one end, on the wrist plate by a shoulder screw or other fastener 147, is a fingerlike interponent 149. A tooth 151 projects upwardly from the upper side of the interponent, while the lower side of the tip portion thereof defines a cam surface. 153. The interponent extends lengthwise, substantially horizontally below the cam 109 so that the tooth 151, which is as wide as cam 109 but narrower than the tip portion (which extends substantially across the width of both cams 97-109) will be able to contact and follow cam 109 and especially the lobe 119 thereof.

The cam 153 surface of the interponent is adapted to actuate the button 71 of switch 69 and the pushrod 73 for the pilot valve, as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 10.

A spring 155 (FIGS. 5 and 6) has a number of coils 157 which encircle the hub 138 of the wristplate which pivots on stud 139. One arm of the spring engages the bearing 85 of gear 81 and the other arm engages the pivot screw 147 of the interponent to urge the wristplate in a counterclockwise direction (FIG. 5).

FIGS. 8, 9, and show the various parts just described in the various positions which they occupy during a control cycle.

OPERATION With the manual control lever 31 in the vertical position shown in FIG. 1, the crank roller 59 occupies the upper end of the cam slot 145 of the wristplate as shown in FIG. 8. The spring tab 123 projects upwardly above the bottom of notch 121 so as to prevent clockwise rotation of the cam 97-109. The switch lever 135 lies along the vertical side of notch I21 and does not press the button 133 of switch 129. The switch is therefore in its normal, open condition.

The key 99 lies with its upper right and lower left edges in contact with the right and left portions of the axial cam lugs 111 and 113 respectively. Any counterclockwise rotation of the key would be instantly transmitted to the cam 97-109.

Tooth 151 of the interponent 149 lies well to the left of the lobe 119 of cam 97 and the upper side of the tip of the interponent, to the right of the tooth, has line contact with the periphery of cam 97, said contact being maintained by valve spring 185. Switch 69 is open and pushrod 73 is up, so that the pilot valve is closed (if it is being used).

To start a delivery of motor fuel, the operator must rotate control lever 31 counterclockwise to the dashed line position (FIG. 1). This action rotates shaft 33, input shaft 47 (FIG. 3) and crank 53 counterclockwise (FIG. 8) (clockwise FIG. 4).

During a portion such rotation, the roller 59 moves downwardly in the cam slot 145 to pivot the wrist plate counterclockwise about 139, (FIGS. 8, 9 and 10) which moves the interponent tooth 151 to the right into engagement with fall portion of lobe 119. As shown in FIG. 9 the cam portion 153 of the interponent rides freely on the upper end of pushrod 73 or on the switch button 71 if 73 is not used. The rod and or button are not actuated by the weight of the interponent. All of the other parts remain in the same positions shown in FIG. 8.

Upon further rotation of lever 31, crank 53 and wrist plate 137, the interponent tooth 151 will move further to the right, moving lobe 119 and cam 97-109 counterclockwise. While the output shaft 49 and key 99 are stationary, the lost motion between cam 97-109 and key permits the described rotation of the same relative to the key to the position shown by solid lines in FIG. 10.

The notch 121 of cam 97 rotates counterclockwise and the upper edge of the notch deflects the lever leftward which depresses switch button 133 and closes switch 129. As shown in the wiring diagram FIG. 11, the closure of 129 energizes the resetting motor 75 which will drive both the output shaft 49 and the key 99 counterclockwise, as indicated in FIGS. 8 to 10. The initial rotation of the key removes the lost motion between it and cam 97-109 which is thereupon driven.

The interponent 149 remains in its solid line position FIG. 10, until the lobe 119 has rotated counterclockwise through the greater part of a full-revolution, whereupon the rise portion of the lobe engages the relatively horizontal upper surface portion of tooth 151 and pivots the interponent 149 about 147, toward the dashed line position FIG. 10.

The current to the reset motor is interrupted as soon as the notch 121 reaches the lower end of switch lever 135 to free switch 129 to reopen. The cam 97-109 comes to rest in the initial position shown in FIG. 8. However, lobe 119 has by this time rotated interponent 149 to the dashed line position shown in FIG. 10in which it holds switch 69 closed to energize the pump motor 19 and also holds the pilot valve open (if it is used).

The described rotation of shaft 49 actuates the resetting shaft 15 of the computer through the meter declutching, register resetting and meter reclutching phases of its cycle before the cam lobe moves the interponent to switch closing, valve opening position. As previously noted, the clutching mechanism clutches the registers to the resetting shaft 15 as it declutches them from the meter shaft 5 and vice versa, while the resetting occurs between these events.

Upon completion of a delivery, the operator returns the control lever 31 to its initial position. The resulting clockwise rotation of crank 53 and roller 59 (FIG. 10) restores the wrist plate 137 and interponent 149 to their initial positions. The initial leftward motion of the interponent causes the upper side of tooth 151 to ride off of the lobe 119 so that the interponent may rotate counterclockwise to its initial position, with the forward, tip portion of the interponent only, in contact with the pushrod 73 (or switch button 71).

With control lever 31 in its vertical position, the nozzle 23 may be restored to the boot 29 and nozzle support 27 The dispensing motor 19 cannot be restarted without going through the entire resetting cycle again. The spring tab 123 prevents clockwise rotation of shaft 49, which might be attempted in an effort to foil the interlock, from damaging the switch lever 135.

It should be noted that when the control lever 31 has been tumed' clockwise (FIG. 1) far enough to disengage tooth 151 from lobe 119 and thereby to open switch 69, the interponent and associated parts will be in the FIG. 9 position, so that the return of lever 31 from such position to its on" position will initiate another resetting cycle which will be automatically completed before the switch will be reclosed. Conversely, if the lever is released when it is in substantially the FIG. 9 position, it will be returned to the initial (FIG. 8) position by the link and spring 57, 61, which have passed their centered positions in the off direction. Thus, once the switch 69 and valve 161 have been opened and closed, respectively, they cannot be reversed without resetting the registers.

SINGLE PUMP-MULTIPLE DISPENSER SYSTEM As noted at the outset, when a number of dispensers are supplied from a single pump, it is necesary to provide a valve which is closed and opened substantially at the same times that the switch 69 is opened and closed respectively, because the pump motor may already be running as the result of a delivery being made from another dispenser served by the same pump. The hydraulic pilot-servo valve system preferred by applicant is one form of valve control which may be utilized in such a system, although other systems, such as a nonnally closed solenoid valve which is energized upon closure of switch 69, or another switch installed beside it, may be used.

The pilot valve 161 is best shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, and the servo or hydraulic valve 25 in FIGS. 1 and 12. The pilot valve body 163 is attached to the bottom rim of the control box by screws 165. As shown in FIG. 3, the body is hollow and contains a diametral wall 167 which is centrally perforated to pass the stem 169 of valve 171 and to hold such stem in axial alignment with the pushrod 73. A seal 173 surrounds the stem to prevent liquid from passing into box 37. A second diametral wall 175 is disposed below, and spaced from wall 167, and has a central opening 177 which defines a seat for the valve.

The valve stem 169 preferably extends below the valve and into a cylindrical guide opening 179 formed in a plug 181 which screws into the lower end of the body and is sealed by a gasket 183. A helical spring 185 bears on the plug and valve to urge the valve toward its seat and toward the end of pushrod 73. The upper end of the rod 73 will thus be always in a position to be actuated by the interponent cam 153 to open the valve.

Bosses

187 and 189 are provided for connecting

tubes

209, 211 to the chambers 191 and 193 above and below the valve 171 respectively.

The servo valve 25 shown in FIG. 12 comprises a body casting 195 which has an inlet 197 from the meter, an outlet channel 199 to the hose and a cylinder 201. The cylinder contains a double-acting piston 203 which is connected to a valve 205 which seats on the inlet orifice of the channel to stop the flow therethrough.

An outlet 207 at the top of the cylinder is connected by a tube 211 to the inlet 189 of the pilot valve and the outlet channel 199 of the valve is connected by a tube 209 to the outlet 187 of the pilot valve.

A spring 213 in the cylinder urges the piston downwardly to move the valve 205 to seat on the channel 199. The piston is provided with a small orifice 215 which allows liquid to leak from the inlet 197 into the cylinder above the piston.

Thus when the pilot valve 171 and nozzle valve are closed, the pressures above and below the piston are equalized so that spring 213 closes the main valve and holds it closed. When the pilot valve is opened, communication is established from the cylinder above the piston, through the tube 211, pilot valve, tube 209 to the hose and nozzle valve, so that when the latter is opened, liquid will be drained from the cylinder above the piston more rapidly than it can be supplied to the cylinder through the orifice 215. The pressures on the piston become unbalanced in a valve opening direction to lift valve 205 from its seat on the channel 199 and permits flow through the system into a vehicle tank or other receptacle. When the nozzle valve is throttled, the valve 205 will also throttle, and when the nozzle valve closes, the valve 205 will close. Thus valve 205 has a servo action or response with respect to the nozzle valve, when the pilot valve is open, but valve 205 cannot be opened solely by pressure which may exist at the inlet 197, when the nozzle valve is opened, so long as the pilot valve is closed, because, while the pilot valve is closed, the pressures on piston 203 remain balanced and there is no effective force to open the main valve 205 against spring 213.

ADDITIONAL CONTROL APPARATUS The resetting and control mechanism disclosed described above is used with the ordinary motor fuel dispenser which is intended to be operated by an authorized attendant who completes the entire transaction for the customer and collects for the fuel dispensed. However, in some filling stations, the customer is permitted to operate the dispenser and serve his own vehicle. The attendant enters the transaction only after the delivery has been made, to collect the money due for the product received. In order to insure that the registers of the dispenser truly reflect the delivery, it is necessary to prevent more than one delivery from being made by the customer without the intervention of the attendant. This requires the addition of further control means to the dispenser.

In other instances, auxiliary apparatus, such as a ticket printing register is to be used in conjunction with the dispenser and it is necessary to prevent a second operation of the dispenser until a ticket, which has been inserted in the printer, has been printed. This again requires additional control means to be added to the ordinary dispenser described above. However, in the structure herein disclosed, the control apparatus used for the self-serve" unit needs to be modified only slightly to afford ticket printer control.

SELF-SERVICE DISPENSER The self-service dispenser will be described first, with reference to FIGS. 13, 13A, 13B, 14, 15 and 16.

The wall of box 37 (FIG. 13) at the left of switch 69 is drilled to provide a passage 221 which aligns with a passage 222 in the side of a switch box 227 which is fastened to box 37 by screws 38. Box 227 has tapped holes 229 to receive screws 233 to hold the cover 231 on the box.

A shouldered bushing 200 passes through passage 221 and has its small diametered end pressed in hole 222. A plunger 204 is slidably mounted in the bushing and extends beyond each end thereof.

Aligned cylindrical cavities 206, 208 are cored, below the passages 221, 222, in the abutting box walls, to receive an insulator plug 210. The plug is made of resilient material, such as rubber, and has axially directed holes 212 therethrough to receive electric wires (not shown) which connect switches located in the box 227 with circuitry located in box 37. The inner end of each cavity is provided with an axially inwardly extending bead 214. These beads engage and compress the plug as the boxes are drawn together by screws 38, forcing the material of the plug into intimate contact with the walls of the cavity and with the wires so as to seal the cavities.

A second shouldered bushing 235 has one end reduced and pressed into a hole 237 formed in the rear wall of box 227 (FIG. 14). A shaft 239 is rotatably mounted in this bushing, with its ends extending beyond the bushing. Each end of the shaft is flatted to fit into matching holes in the hubs of

levers

241 and 242, lever 241 being mounted within the box, between the end of the bushing and the box cover 231 and the latter on the shaft end which extends through the backwall of the box, into the shaped recess 259 formed in the exterior surface of the rear wall. The end of shaft 239 is preferably peened to hold lever 241 in place, while the other end is grooved to receive a snap ring which holds lever 242 in place.

A boss 244 (FIG. 14) is cast on the inner rear wall of the box and two

switches

247, 249 with their spacer 246' are mounted on the boss by screws which enter it. Each switch is of the snap over" type having an actuator button and a pivoted actuating lever which carries a roller at the end opposite the pivoted end thereof. The

rollers

251 and 253 respectively of

switches

247, 249 are disposed adjacent the tops of the switch cases as seen in FIGS. 14 and 15.

Lever 241 (F168. 13 through 15) has a lateral projection 246 which is bent to the lefi (FIG. 14) to provide an ear 245 which overlies the roller 251 of switch 247 so as to close the switch when the lever is moved counterclockwise to the B position (FIG. 13A). It also is provided with an arm 243 which extends radially, upwardly and outwardly from the hub of 241 and has its free end 248 bent to extend parallel to shaft 239 and toward the rear wall of the box. This end serves as a latch which coacts with a pawl 281 described below.

A spring 257 has several coils wrapped about the bushing 235 and one arm 256 is hooked about the left edge of lever 241 while the other rests against the bottom of box 227 as seen in FIGS. 13 and 14 to bias the lever clockwise (FIG. 13).

Lever 242, on shaft 239, lies in a recess 259 formed in the external side of the rear wall of the box 227 (FIGS. 14 and 15), so that rotation of the levers and shaft is limited in both directions by edge contact of the lever with the walls which define the recess. In the self-service" unit the lever is perforated at 261 to receive the pin 263 which has its head welded to thelever. An arm 267 of a key actuated lock 269 has a perforation 258 which fits loosely over pin 263 and is held thereon by snap rings. The lock may be supported by the housing 271 of the dispenser. Thus by inserting the key and rotating it to the left (viewed from the face of the lock), lever 267 will rotate counterclockwise while

levers

242, 241 and shaft 239 all rotate clockwise. Lever 241, as viewed in FIG. 13, will rotate counterclockwise from its A to its B position shown in FIG. 13A, to cause ear 245 of lever 241 to depress roller 251 and close the normally open switch 247 against the bias of spring 257. As soon as the torque applied to the key is released, the parts will be returned toward their initial positions by

springs

257, 270.

Referring to FIG. 13 a first class lever 273 is pivotally mounted on the pin 63 which anchors spring 61 of the overcenter mechanism previously described. A coil spring 275 is mounted on the pin and has one arm resting on a bearing element 277 fixed to the lever and the other resting on a lug 64 of the box, so as to bias the lever for counterclockwise rotation to the full line position (FIG. 13).

Lever 273 has a cam portion 279 which is disposed in the path of the right-hand end of plunger 204 (FIG. 13).

As seen in FIG. 14 lever 28! has a hub 280 which is rotatably mounted on a pin 282 pressed into a hole in the rear wall of box 227. The pin lies parallel to and above shaft 239, and the hub is retained on the pin by a snap ring. The right hand portion of the lever 281 is bent toward lever 241 to form a vertically elongated ear 284, which lies in the same plane as ear 245 (FIGS. 13 and 14), when the levers occupy their normal (A & D) positions respectively shown in FIG. 13.

Lever 281 is formed with a tooth 286 which projects toward the latch element 248 on am 243 of lever 241. When the levers are in said normal positions, the lower edge of the tooth rests on the upper edge of the latch (FIG. 13) and lever 281 is not latched. When the lever 241 is rotated counterclockwise to its B position (FIG. 13A), the latch has moved away from the tooth so that lever 281 remains unlatched, just as it was in the case of FIG. 13. However, when the lever 281 is moved counterclockwise to its E position, the lever 241 is freedfor clockwise rotation to'its C position, as shown in FIG. 138, so that the latch 248 lies in the path of the tooth and will'prevent subsequent clockwise rotation of the lever 28! to its D position.

The switch 247, which is actuated by lever 241, is normally open and is closed when 241 is moved to its 8 position, while switch 249 is normally closed and is opened when 281 is moved to its E position, and it remains open so long as the lever 281 is latched by 248.

A spring288 encircles the hub 280 and has one end hooked over the left edge of lever 281 (FIG. 13) and the other end rests on the exterior of bushing 235, so that it urges the lever toward its D position. Since the lefl hand end of plunger 204 is adapted to bear on the ear 284 of 281, the plunger will be urged toward engagement with cam 279 by the lever and its spring.

The other arm 283 of lever 273 extends toward the interponent 149. As shown in FIG. 13, the interponent occupies its dot-dash line position when the manual lever 31 is in its off of vertical position; its full-line position when lever 31 is in its full "on" position (horizontal but before the resetting mechanism has completed its cycle and its dashed line position when the cam 109 has completed its cycle and has rotated the interponent about its pivot 147 to close switch 69 and operate pushrod 73 to its pilot valve "open" position. As previously mentioned, the interponent is held in its clockwise rotated position shown in the first two described locations, by the pushrod (or switch button) upon which it rests, so that when it moves from the first to the full-line position, its tip overlies the am 283 when the latter is in its full-line position. Consequently, as the interponent moves to its dashed line position, it will act on arm 283 to rotate the lever 273 clockwise to its dashed line position. This in turn moves plunger 204 to the left (FIG. 13), which rotates lever 281 to its E position FIG. 135. This frees lever 241 which will be rotated to its C position by spring 257, to set the latch, to prevent the return of lever 281 to its D position.

The upper edge 285 of lever 273 is adapted to contact the lug 64, to limit the counterclockwise rotation of lever 273 by its spring. This insures that the end of arm 283 will be positioned below the tip of the interponent when the latter arrives at its full-line position.

FIG. 16 shows the circuits for the switches and motors. The source of current is preferably l l5 volts AC which is available in box 37. The pump motor 19 has both sides of the line connected to it through the double-pole switch 69 so that it will be energized upon closure of the switch.

The resetting motor has one side connected to one side of the line, and its other side is connected through normally open switch 129 and normally closed switch 249, in series, to the other side of the line. Switch 247, normally open is connected to said other side of the line and motor 75, so that it shunts or parallels the

switches

129 and 249.

OPERATION When the customer has completed a delivery and restored the noule to its hook, in the normal manner, the following devices will be in the positions or conditions listed below, with reference to FIGS. 1, 8, 9, and 13 through 15.

Lever Iii-vertical position; interponent 149-dot-dash position; lever 241 in its C position; switch 247-open; lever 273-counterclockwise, full-line position; lever 281-latched in its E position; switch 249open; switch 129-open; registers-display quantity and cost of the last delivery; switch 69-open; and valves 161 and 25-closed.

At this time the attendant would normally appear at the dispenser and collect the money from the customer, who then leaves the station.

Operation of the manual lever 31 to its on" position would not restart the motors or condition the valves to open because the only effect of such operation is to close switch 129 which is in series with switch 249 and which is open. Therefore the resetting motor cannot start. Until this motor starts and completes a cycle of the resetting mechanism, no delivery can be made.

Assuming that lever 31 has not been moved from its vertical position, the next operation would be performed by the attendant who inserts the key into lock 269 and rotates it counterclockwise momentarily, then releases and withdraws it. This action results in the following actions:

Lever 241 is rotated to its 8 position (FIG. 13A) and is returned to its A position. The first action closes switch 247 and unlatches lever 281, which returns to its D position. The second action reopens switch 247. The momentary closure of 247 starts motor 75 long enough to cause cam 97 to close switch 129 and since the return of the lever 281 allowed switch 249 to close, the motor is held running by the circuit through 249 and 129.

As soon as the resetting of the registers is completed, cam 109 reopens switch 129 and the reset motor stops. The dispenser is therefore conditioned to be operated by the next customer, because switch 249 remains closed and when lever 31 is turned on, switch 129 will be closed to start another resetting cycle.

During the key initiated resetting cycle just described, the interponent remained in its dot-dash position. Accordingly, the switch 69 did not close and

valves

161 and 25 did not open, and no liquid could be delivered. However, since the subsequent customer initiated cycle is started by rotating lever 31 to its on position, the interponent will be in its full-line .1 position when motor 75 starts, and at the end of the resetting operation, the interponent will be moved to its dashed line position to close the switch 69 and open valve 161. A delivery of fuel can then be made.

The movement of the interponent to its dashed line position will rotate lever 273 clockwise to its dashed line position, which moves plunger 204 leftward to rotate lever 281 counterclockwise, to its E position. It is immediately latched by 248, so that switch 249 is opened and remains open. Accordingly, once lever 31 is returned to its off'' position, which withdraws the interponent to its initial position, dispensing is interrupted and cannot be restarted by manipulating the lever 31, until another key operation has occurred.

As noted before, if the customer fails to return the lever 31 far enough to shut off the pump motor, the lever will not permit him to return the nozzle to its support in the proper manner and he must leave it in some other place, i.e., lying on the drive or hanging with the hose draped over the dispenser or otherwise obviously improperly disposed. Since his completion of the delivery is followed by a visit of the attendant, the condition will be rectified by the attendant. In the case wherein the lever is turned beyond the position which will stop the pump motor, but not completely to the vertical position, the over center spring mechanism will complete the return of the lever as soon as the customer releases it. Under no position of the parts can the nozzle be hung up with the motor on.

One other possible situation may occur without detrimental results. After the customer has returned lever 31 to its initial vertical position, the customer may return the lever to its on position. Since no observable reaction occurs, he then turns the lever back to vertical, hangs up the nozzle and summons the attendant. The only result of such operation is that switch 129 has been closed and remains closed. Consequently, when the attendant uses his key as described, the shunt circuit through switch 247 and the circuit through the series connected

switches

249, 129 are established substantially simultaneously, but the end result, of starting motor 75 and holding it energized long enough to reset and reclutch the registers, is accomplished in either case and the dispenser is ready for operation by the next customer.

TICKET PRINTER CONTROLLED DISPENSER The same additional control mechanisms disclosed in connection with the "self-service" dispenser can be used to provide a ticket printer controlled dispenser if a few minor changes are made.

Various makes of ticket printers are available on the market and all of the printers which are acceptable for use on a dispenser have a number of mechanisms which perform a series of functions in a predetermined order, through various phases of a cycle which can be coordinated or correlated with certain phases of the dispenser cycle to produce the desired result. To illustrate the novel mechanism, it is disclosed in connection with a ticket printer manufactured substantially in accordance with US. Pat. No. 2,086,363 issued July 6, 1937, to C. L. McMullen.

This printer 291 is shown schematically in FIG. 17 in which a base 293 is provided for mounting it on the top of a dispenser (FIG. 1), so that the slotted coupling 297 on its input shaft 295 will receive the cross pin 299 of the quantity output shaft 301 of the computer 5. Usually quantity only is printed on the ticket, hence only one set of type wheels 303 is provided to form a single register, which is resettable to zero and which is driven from zero by shaft 293 in accordance with the register 7.

The housing has a front opening 305 through which a ticket may be inserted into a ticket carriage 307 which is mounted inside the unit for movement toward and from the front of the unit between positions P1 and P2. A door 309 is hinged so as to close the opening.

The bottom or floor of the carriage is provided with an opening 310 which exposes the ticket to the type wheels in both positions of the carriage, and a platen 311 is pivotally mounted to move in an arc, to and from a position in which it strikes the ticket against the type wheels, to print the ticket. A spring 313 actuates the platen to printing position.

The carrier 307 has the core wire 315 of a "Bowden" cable attached to its right-hand end and the helically wound casing or cable sheath 317 is anchored to the printer frame. A manually operable crank 319 is accessible on the outside of the printer and is rotatable only in the clockwise direction (FIG. 17) except as described below. The crank operates various mechanisms in timed sequence to perform the various functions which are required to produce the printed ticket.

FIG. 15 shows means for connecting the cable to the control mechanism. The lever 242 carries an ear 321 which is pierced to pass the core wire 315 therethrough. A compression spring 323 surrounds the wire 315 and abuts the car at one end and a collar 325, which is clamped to the free end of the wire, at its other end. A second collar 327 is clamped to the wire between the ear and the end of the cable sheath 317 (which is suitably anchored).

It is obvious that the magnitude of the movement of the carriage is greater than that permitted to the lever 242 by the walls which define the recess 259, and for this reason, a lost motion device must be provided either between the carriage and the wire or, as described above, between the wire and the lever 242. This is one of the changes which must be made in the self-service" dispenser controls shown in FIG. 14 to adapt them for printer control. The remaining change is the omission of switch 247, which is actuated by lever 241, along with its wiring. This eliminates the shunt circuit of FIG. 16 around the series connected

switches

249, 129.

The objective of the Printer-Dispenser controls is to prevent further operation of the dispenser after a delivery has been made and completed, with the ticket printer operated only through the first phase of its cycle. Thus if the printer has gone through the first half of its cycle, the dispenser can be operated only once and the printer cycle must be completed before another dispensing operation can be performed. By the same token whenever the printer is in its normal condition, which is attained by operating it through the second phase of its cycle, the dispenser may be operated through any number of successive dispensing cycles.

Referring to FIG. 17, the cycle of the printer has two phases, each of which has several events. Starting with the printer in its initial condition, in which carriage 307 occupies its P1 position, the platen 311 is cocked and the crank 319 is prevented from forward (clockwise) rotation by a stop (not shown). The events of the first phase of the cycle are:

(1) Insertion of a ticket in the carriage; 2) a slight reverse rotation of the crank 319 to release the stop; (3) forward rotation of the crank which simultaneously resets the type wheels to zero and moves the carriage to the P2 position; (4) further clockwise crank rotation, which trips the platen and prints the zeros which are displayed on the type wheels; (5) additional rotation clockwise of the crank to recock the platen and a final rotation which is interrupted by the stop.

In the normal, inactive condition of the printer-dispenser system, the control lever of the dispenser is in its vertical off" position and the printer carriage 307 is in the P1 position. The core wire 315 has been pushed outwardly from the printer, to its maximum right-hand position (FIG. 17) so that

levers

242 and 241 occupy their maximum clockwise positions (FIG. 15). Thus 241 is in its B position as shown in FIG. 13A. Lever 281 is unlatched and is in its D position. Its switch 249 was closed initially, but if it had not been closed, the positioning of the carriage at P1 would cause it to closed.

When a ticket has been inserted in the carriage and the printer is operated through its first phase events as described above, the shifting of the carriage to its P2 position (event no. 3) draws the wire 315 into the printer so as to rotate

levers

242 and 241 counterclockwise (FIG. 15). Such rotation is terminated when the lever 241 reaches its A position (FIG. 13). with the top edge of latch 248 in contact with the lower edge 13 of tooth 286 on lever 281. Any excess motion of the core wire will be absorbed by spring 323. This completes the first phase of printer operation.

Accordingly, operation of dispenser control lever 31 to its horizontal on" position (FIG. 1) will cause the interponent 149 to move from its dot-dash line position (FIG. 13) to its full-line position in which it overlies the end of arm 283. The interponent also moves cams 97-108 to close switch 129. With both of the series connected

switches

249, 129 closed, the reset motor 75 is energized so that the computer registers will be zeroized and reconnected to the meter. As the rotation of the cams approaches the end of one revolution, switch 129 opens to deenergize the motor and interponent 149 has closed switch 69 to start motor 19, has depressed pushrod 73 to open the pilot valve and has depressed arm 283.

The described rotation of am 283 and lever 273 cams the plunger 204 to the left and thus rotates lever 281 to its E position, FIG. 138, so that its tooth clears the latch 248. Lever 241 is immediately rotated clockwise to its C position by the

springs

257 and 323 to set the latch 248 in the path of the tooth. Switch 249, which was opened by the rotation of 281 is thus held open by the latched tooth. The delivery which has been started may continue under control of the nozzle until it is completed, afler which the lever 31 is returned to its off or vertical position. This act withdraws the interponent to its dot-dash line position and arm 283 is freed so that lever 273 will be returned to the full-line position by the spring 275. Lever 281 is latched and cannot follow. Consequently, unless the printer is operated through the second phase of its cycle, no further deliveries can be made by the dispenser because switch 249 is open.

To restore the dispenser to a condition for further operation, the cycle of the printer must be completed as follows:

(1) a slight reverse rotation of the crank is required to clear the stop; (2) forward rotation of the crank shifts the carriage back to its P1 position; (3) further forward rotation trips the platen, thereby recording the amount delivered and shown on the typewheels; (4) further rotation of the crankrecocks the platen and (5) final rotation is terminated by the stop.

During the movement of the carriage from P2 to P1, the core wire 315 is moved to the right (FIG. 17) which is to the left in FIG. 15. The compression of spring 323 is relieved and collar 327 engages ear 321 to rotate the levers 242-241 to their maximum clockwise rotation as determined by the contact of lever 242 with stop wall 259. Lever 241 is thus in its B position (FIG. 13A) and lever 281 is unlatched and is rotated to its D position.

Switch 249 accordingly closes so that the next operation of the dispenser control lever 31 to its on" position, which closes switch 129, will initiate another cycle. Further, unless the printer is again passed through the first phase of its cycle, the movement of lever 31 to its off position will not preclude a succession of normal cycles of the dispenser because, even though the lever 273 is rotated to the dashed line position each time the interponent is pivoted to close switch 69, the latch 248 is not in a position to hold the pawl in its E position. Accordingly, when lever 31 is returned to its off" position and withdraws the interponent from the arm 283, spring 288 returns lever 281 to its D position to allow switch 249 to reclose.

Accordingly when the ticket printer is in its normal, initial position, the dispenser may be operated in the normal manner to make any number of successive deliveries. The register 7 and 9 would be zeroized prior to each delivery. However, if the printer has been operated through its first phase, only the one following delivery can be made, after which the dispenser is disabled and the only way in which it can be activated is by operating the printer through the second phase of its cycle.

The primary function of the described combination of elements is to prevent the printing of fraudulent tickets. Without the control mechanism described, the printer could be operated through its first phase which includes the zeroizing of the type wheels and printing zeros on the ticket. Thereafter the dispenser could be operated through a plurality of cycles in which various amounts of product are delivered. All of these deliveries would be accumulated as a total on the printing register and when the printer is finally operated through its second phase, the ticket would be printed with the total amount dispensed, so that the ticket would indicate that all of the fuel had been delivered in one dispensing transaction.

While specific structures embodying the invention have been set forth herein for purposes of illustration; the protection granted by any patent issued on this application should not be limited to such specific structures but should extend to structures which fall fairly within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

The structures which are considered to be novel and patentable are claimed as follows:

I claim:

1. A resetting and control mechanism for a dispensing system which comprises a fluid dispenser having a resettable register provided with means operable to reset the register to zero and having means for discharging fluid and for driving said register in accordance with said discharge, said discharging means including means actuable to start and stop dispensing,

a. said control mechanism comprising a manually operable train of elements, including a lever movable between start and stop positions, and an interponent correspondingly movable thereby between initial and intennediate positions,

b. said mechanism also including cycle control means, a power operable train of elements including a motor, first output means from said train connected to drive the resetting means of said register and second output means from said train connected to drive the cycle control means,

c. said cycle control means including a control element operable by said second output means, a switch for said motor disposed so as to be closed and opened by movement of said cycle control element, to start and stop said motor,

. said control element including means disposed for movement by said interponent, during movement thereof to said intermediate position, for moving said cycle control element to close said switch and start a cycle of said power operable train, to move said cycle control element to a position in which it reopens said switch to terminate the cycle,

e. means on said control element adapted to be moved into engagement with said interponent near the end of the cycle, for moving the interponent to an actuated position, said actuable start and stop means being disposed for operation by said interponent, to start dispensing, when said interponent is moved to its actuated position.

2. The structure defined by claim 1 wherein said second output means is connected with said cycle control element by a lost motion device, to permit movement of said cycle control element by said interponent independently of said second output means.

3. The structure defined by claim 1 which includes means effective when said cycle control element occupies its switch open position, for preventing reverse rotation of said cycle control element.

4. The structure defined by claim 1 wherein said manually operable train includes a second lever mounted at one end on a fixed pivot and having a second pivot disposed at its other end, means connecting said second lever for movement between first and second positions by said first lever when the latter is moved between its start and stop positions, said interponent comprising an elongated member having one end mounted on said second pivot and having a projection extending laterally therefrom, means supporting said interponent to extend transversely from said second lever and adjacent to said control element, to position said projection for engagement with said control element means, during movement of said interponent to its intermediate position.

5. The structure defined by claim 4 wherein said control element means comprises a projection, extending from said element into the path of said interponent projection, in the initial position of said cycle control means, said control element projection being moved away from said interponent projection during a cycle, to a position in which it again engages said interponent, near the end of the cycle, so as to rotate the interponent about said second pivot, to its actuated position.

6. The structure defined by claim 1 wherein the movement of said first-mentioned lever to its stop position, moves said interponent out of its actuated position, thereby causing said actuable start and stop means to terminate dispensing.

7. The structure defined by claim 4, wherein the control element means disposed for movement by said interponent comprises a cam lobe having a rise portion for moving said interponent to its actuated position and an abrupt descent portion for engagement by the projection of the interponent.

a. a lost motion device for connecting said control element to be driven by said second output means and for enabling said element to be moved relative to said output means to the extent of the lost motion,

b. switch control means on said element and angularly spaced from said lobe so as to close said motor switch during the relative motion of the element and to open said switch when said rise portion has moved the interponent to its actuated position.

8. The structure of claim 1 which includes a second lever mounted for rotation between first and second positions, said lever in its first position having means disposed for movement by said interponent to move said lever to its second position as said interponent is moved to its actuated position, means for urging said lever toward its first position,

a. a normally closed second switch connected in series with said motor and its switch, means operable by said second lever for opening said second switch when the lever occupies its second position,

b. latch means mounted for movement from an ineffective position, through an intermediate position, to an effective position in which it holds said second switch open and which, upon reverse movement to said inefi'ective position, releases said switch for closure,

' c. an auxiliary apparatus, connected with said dispenser and including manually actuable means for causing certain parts of said apparatus to execute distinct motions in a predetermined order,

d. means responsive to one of said motions for moving said latch means to its ineffective position and means responsive to a different one of said motions for moving said latch means toward its effective position,

e. said switch opening means including means for stopping said latch means in said intermediate position when said second switch is closed and for releasing said latch means, upon opening of said switch, to complete its movement to its effective position, to thereby prevent restarting said motor by means of said manually operable train of elements, until said latch means is returned to its ineffective position by further operation of said auxiliary apparatus.

9. The structure defined by claim 8 wherein said auxiliary apparatus includes a lock having a bolt mounted for movement, by manual effort, from an initial to an active position, when it is unlocked, means for returning said bolt to its initial position upon cessation of said manual effort,

a. means connecting said bolt to move said latching means to its ineffective position as said bolt is moved to its active position, to effect closure of said second switch,

b. a normally open third switch connected in parallel with said series connected motor and second switches, and

c. means responsive to the movement of said bolt to and from its active position, for closing and reopening said third switch, to start said motor and thereby close said motor switch, independently of said manually operable train of elements, to hold said motor energized until said register is reset to zero.

10. The structure defined by claim 9 wherein the return of said bolt to its initial position causes the movement of said latching means to its intermediate position, for subsequent movement to its effective position upon the completion of the first subsequent resetting operation which is initiated by the operation of said manually operated train of elements.

ll. The structure defined by claim 8 wherein said auxiliary apparatus is operable in a cycle of two successive phases and includes a. an element which is moved from an initial position during said first phase of operation and is moved back to its initial position during said second phase of operation,

b. means connecting said element with said latch means to transmit said first phase motion of said element thereto in a direction to move said latch means toward its effective position, for holding said second switch open when it is opened by an operation of said cycle control means which is initiated by operation of said manually operable train subsequent to said first phase movement of said element, to thereby prevent the initiation of additional subsequent cycles of said power-operated train.

12. The structure defined by claim ll which includes means connecting said element with said latch means to transmit the second phase motion of said element thereto in a direction to move said latch means to its ineffective position, to release said second switch for closure, to thereby permit the initiation of an unlimited number of cycles of said power operated train by said manually operable train.

13. The structure defined by claim 1 which includes a casing for said control mechanism, comprising a box and a cover therefore and wherein,

a. said manually operable train of elements com prises a first shaft which extends through a wall of said box and is mounted for rotation in said wall, about a predetermined axis,

b, means connecting the exterior end of said shaft for operation by said first-mentioned lever, a crank fixed to the interior end of said shaft and having a crank pin extending parallel to said shaft, away from said wall,

c. a pivot stud fixed in said cover so as to extend into the box, in parallel, laterally spaced relation with respect to said crank pin, with the stud and crank pin overlapping, when the cover is mounted on the box,

d. a wristplate rotatably mounted on said stud and having a slot formed therein to receive said crankpin, which is movable substantially from end to end of said slot as said first shaft is operated by said first mentioned lever, between its start and stop positions, said slot defining cam means which coact with said crankpin to cause the wristplate to pivot on its stud from an initial to an actuated position as said lever moves from its stop to its start position,

c. said interponent having one end connected pivotally to wristplate at a point eccentric to said stud, and extending transversely from said wristplate, generally toward said first shaft, so as to be moved between its initial and intermediate positions as said wristplate moves between its initial and actuated positions.

14. The structure defined by claim 13 wherein said power train output means comprises a second shaft rotatably mounted in and extending through said cover, so as to be coaxial with said first shaft when said cover is mounted on said box, and driving means mounted on each end of said shaft,

a. means mounted on and extending away from the inside of said cover, for rotatably mounting said control element thereon, coaxially with said shafts and in a position for operation by said interponent,

b. means on the control element adapted to be engaged by the driving means mounted on the inner end of the second shaft, so as to be driven thereby, and

c. means adapted to be engaged by the driving means mounted on the outer end of said second shaft, so as to be driven thereby to drive the resetting means of the register,

15. The structure defined by claim 13, which includes stop means on the interior of the box, disposed to extend into the path of means on said crank, as it is rotated by said first mentioned lever,

a. said stop means being positioned to coact with said means on said crank so as to define the start and stop positions of said first mentioned lever.

16. The structure defined by claim which includes a spring powered overcenter mechanism, mounted in the box and connected with said crank so as to urge the crank toward the nearest stop position, when the crank is moved past the midpoint of its path.

17. The structure defined by claim 4 wherein the interponent projection comprises a tooth which is defined by a substantially radial planar surface which includes the axis of said second pivot and which is intersected by a planar surface which extends substantially normal to the first planar surface and parallel to said axis, and wherein a. the control element projection comprises a cam lobe defined by an arcuate rise surface which terminated in an abrupt drop surface, and wherein, in the initial position of said control element the drop surface of the lobe faces and lies in the path of the normal surface of said tooth, so as to be engaged and displaced thereby to rotate said control element, as the interponent approaches its intermediate position, and wherein,

c. when the interponent occupies said intermediate position, the radial surface of said tooth is positioned for engagement by the rise portion of the cam so as to rotate said interponent to its actuated position as the control element rotates through the final portion of its cycle.

18. The structure defined by claim 17 wherein the side of the interponent opposite said tooth and adjacent the tip of the interponent, defines a cam surface which is disposed to engage and actuate said actuable means, for starting dispensing, as said interponent is moved to its actuated position.

19. The structure defined by claim 1, wherein said means for discharging fluid comprises a dispensing line, a pump in said line and a motor connected to drive said pump, and wherein said means actuable to start and stop dispensing comprises a. a switch, means for connecting said switch in circuit with said pump motor,

b. said switch being normally open and having an actuating member which is movable to a position to close said switch,

c. means for supporting said member in the path of said interponent, as it moves toward its actuated position, for moving said member to said switch closing position.

20. The structure defined by claim 19, wherein said means for discharging fluid includes a valve in said delivery line, said valve being normally closed, and wherein a. said means actuable to start and stop dispensing includes a control device for said valve, said device having a normal and an actuated position, and including means disposed in the path of said interponent, as it moves toward its actuated position, for establishing said device in its actuated position, and means responsive to said device, in its actuated position for opening said valve.

21. The structure defined by claim 20 wherein said device comprises a normally closed pilot valve and said normally closed line valve includes an hydraulic motor connected with said line valve, and means to cause closure of said line valve, when said pilot valve is closed.

i I l I! i

Claims

1. A resetting and control mechanism for a dispensing system which comprises a fluid dispenser having a resettable register provided with means operable to reset the register to zero and having means for discharging fluid and for driving said register in accordance with said discharge, said discharging means including means actuable to start and stop dispensing, a. said cOntrol mechanism comprising a manually operable train of elements, including a lever movable between start and stop positions, and an interponent correspondingly movable thereby between initial and intermediate positions, b. said mechanism also including cycle control means, a power operable train of elements including a motor, first output means from said train connected to drive the resetting means of said register and second output means from said train connected to drive the cycle control means, c. said cycle control means including a control element operable by said second output means, a switch for said motor disposed so as to be closed and opened by movement of said cycle control element, to start and stop said motor, d. said control element including means disposed for movement by said interponent, during movement thereof to said intermediate position, for moving said cycle control element to close said switch and start a cycle of said power operable train, to move said cycle control element to a position in which it reopens said switch to terminate the cycle, e. means on said control element adapted to be moved into engagement with said interponent near the end of the cycle, for moving the interponent to an actuated position, f. said actuable start and stop means being disposed for operation by said interponent, to start dispensing, when said interponent is moved to its actuated position.

7. The structure defined by claim 4, wherein the control element means disposed for movement by said interponent comprises a cam lobe having a rise portion for moving said interponent to its actuated position and an abrupt descent portion for engagement by the projection of the interponent. a. a lost motion device for connecting said control element to be driven by said second output means and for enabling said element to be moved relative to said output means to the extent of the lost motion, b. switch control means on said element and angularly spaced from said lobe so as to close said motor switch during the relative motion of the element and to open said switch when said rise portion has moved the interponent to its actuated position.

8. The structure of claim 1 which includes a second lever mounted for rotation between first and second positions, said lever in its first position having means disposed for movement by said interponent to move said lever to its second position as said interponent is moved to its actuated position, means for urging said lever toward its first position, a. a normally closed second switch connected in series with said motor and its switch, means operable by said second lever for opening said second switch when the lever occupies its second position, b. latch means mounted for movement from an ineffective position, through an intermediate position, to an effective position in which it holds said second switch open and which, upon reverse movement to said ineffective position, releases said switch for closure, c. an auxiliary apparatus, connected with said dispenser and including manually actuable means for causing certain parts of said apparatus to execute distinct motions in a predetermined order, d. means responsive to one of said motions for moving said latch means to its ineffective position and means responsive to a different one of said motions for moving said latch means toward its effective position, e. said switch opening means including means for stopping said latch means in said intermediate position when said second switch is closed and for releasing said latch means, upon opening of said switch, to complete its movement to its effective position, to thereby prevent restarting said motor by means of said manually operable train of elements, until said latch means is returned to its ineffective position by further operation of said auxiliary apparatus.

9. The structure defined by claim 8 wherein said auxiliary apparatus includes a lock having a bolt mounted for movement, by manual effort, from an initial to an active position, when it is unlocked, means for returning said bolt to its initial position upon cessation of said manual effort, a. means connecting said bolt to move said latching means to its ineffective position as said bolt is moved to its active position, to effect closure of said second switch, b. a normally open third switch connected in parallel with said series connected motor and second switches, and c. means responsive to the movement of said bolt to and from its active position, for closing and reopening said third switch, to start said motor and thereby close said motor switch, independently of said manually operable train of elements, to hold said motor energized until said register is reset to zero.

11. The structure defined by claim 8 wherein said auxiliary apparatus is operable in a cycle of two successive phases and includes a. an element which is moved from an initial position during said first phase of operation and is moved back to its initial position during said second phase of operation, b. means connecting said element with said latch means to transmit said first phase motion of said element thereto in a direction to move said latch means toward its effective position, for holding said second switch open when it is opened by an operation of said cycle control means which is initiated by operation of said manually operable train subsequent to said first phase movement of said element, to thereby prevent the initiation of additional subsequent cycles of said power-operated train.

12. The structure defined by claim 11 which includes means connecting said element with said latch means to transmit the second phase motion of Said element thereto in a direction to move said latch means to its ineffective position, to release said second switch for closure, to thereby permit the initiation of an unlimited number of cycles of said power operated train by said manually operable train.

13. The structure defined by claim 1 which includes a casing for said control mechanism, comprising a box and a cover therefore and wherein, a. said manually operable train of elements comprises a first shaft which extends through a wall of said box and is mounted for rotation in said wall, about a predetermined axis, b. means connecting the exterior end of said shaft for operation by said first-mentioned lever, a crank fixed to the interior end of said shaft and having a crank pin extending parallel to said shaft, away from said wall, c. a pivot stud fixed in said cover so as to extend into the box, in parallel, laterally spaced relation with respect to said crank pin, with the stud and crank pin overlapping, when the cover is mounted on the box, d. a wristplate rotatably mounted on said stud and having a slot formed therein to receive said crankpin, which is movable substantially from end to end of said slot as said first shaft is operated by said first mentioned lever, between its start and stop positions, said slot defining cam means which coact with said crankpin to cause the wristplate to pivot on its stud from an initial to an actuated position as said lever moves from its stop to its start position, e. said interponent having one end connected pivotally to wristplate at a point eccentric to said stud, and extending transversely from said wristplate, generally toward said first shaft, so as to be moved between its initial and intermediate positions as said wristplate moves between its initial and actuated positions.

14. The structure defined by claim 13 wherein said power train output means comprises a second shaft rotatably mounted in and extending through said cover, so as to be coaxial with said first shaft when said cover is mounted on said box, and driving means mounted on each end of said shaft, a. means mounted on and extending away from the inside of said cover, for rotatably mounting said control element thereon, coaxially with said shafts and in a position for operation by said interponent, b. means on the control element adapted to be engaged by the driving means mounted on the inner end of the second shaft, so as to be driven thereby, and c. means adapted to be engaged by the driving means mounted on the outer end of said second shaft, so as to be driven thereby to drive the resetting means of the register.

15. The structure defined by claim 13, which includes stop means on the interior of the box, disposed to extend into the path of means on said crank, as it is rotated by said first mentioned lever, a. said stop means being positioned to coact with said means on said crank so as to define the start and stop positions of said first mentioned lever.

16. The structure defined by claim 15 which includes a spring powered overcenter mechanism, mounted in the box and connected with said crank so as to urge the crank toward the nearest stop position, when the crank is moved past the midpoint of its path.

17. The structure defined by claim 4 wherein the interponent projection comprises a tooth which is defined by a substantially radial planar surface which includes the axis of said second pivot and which is intersected by a planar surface which extends substantially normal to the first planar surface and parallel to said axis, and wherein a. the control element projection comprises a cam lobe defined by an arcuate rise surface which terminated in an abrupt drop surface, and wherein, b. in the initial position of said control element the drop surface of the lobe faces and lies in the path of the normal surface of said tooth, so as to be engaged and displaced thereby to rotate said control element, as the interponent approaches its intermedIate position, and wherein, c. when the interponent occupies said intermediate position, the radial surface of said tooth is positioned for engagement by the rise portion of the cam so as to rotate said interponent to its actuated position as the control element rotates through the final portion of its cycle.

19. The structure defined by claim 1, wherein said means for discharging fluid comprises a dispensing line, a pump in said line and a motor connected to drive said pump, and wherein said means actuable to start and stop dispensing comprises a. a switch, means for connecting said switch in circuit with said pump motor, b. said switch being normally open and having an actuating member which is movable to a position to close said switch, c. means for supporting said member in the path of said interponent, as it moves toward its actuated position, for moving said member to said switch closing position.