Anti-pollution service station assembly

Claim 1

In combination with a service station that dispenses volatile hydrocarbon fuel to internal combustion engine-powered vehicles of the type which include a fuel tank having a fuel inlet tube and a cap that removably closes said free end, which service station includes an electrically operated pump having a liquid discharge opening and a suction opening therein; an underground fuel storage reservoir having a filling tube, a vent opening, and first and second openings in the upper portion of said reservoir; a first conduit connected to said suction opening and extending downwardly through said first opening to terminate adjacent the bottom of said storage reservoir; a second flexible conduit having first and second ends, with said first end of said second conduit being connected to said discharge opening; a nozzle assembly connected to said second end of said second conduit, said nozzle assembly including a fuel discharge tubular member that may be inserted in said fuel inlet tube, and a normally closed spring-loaded valve in communication with said tubular member and said second end of said second conduit, with said reservoir being filled with volatile hydrocarbon fuel from a delivery truck having a tank thereon which by a hose may be connected to said filling tube of said reservoir, the improvement for preventing the escape of said hydrocarbon fuel in the form of vapor to the ambient atmosphere both when fuel tanks on said vehicles and said reservoir is being filled with hydrocarbon fuel, which improvement comprises: a. a first longitudinally deformable, resilient tubular shroud that extends about said fuel discharge tubular member, which shroud has first and second ends, with said first end being sealed to said nozzle assembly and said first shroud being formed from a material impervious to said hydrocarbon fuel; b. first means on said second end of said first shroud for removably engaging said flange and removably interlocking said second end of said first shroud in sealing engagement with said fuel inlet tube, with said first shroud and fuel discharge tubular member cooperatively defining a first confined space therebetween that is in communication with the interior of said vehicle fuel tank when said second end of said first shroud is in sealing engeagement with said fuel inlet tube; c. a first blower having an inlet and a discharge opening; d. electric power means for operating saiD pump; e. second means for concurrently actuating said first blower when said pump operates; f. a third conduit connected to said first shroud and in communication with said first confined space and said blower inlet; g. a fourth conduit extending between said blower discharge and said second opening in said reservoir; h. first hydrocarbon fuel vapor adsorbing means connected to said vent to prevent escape of hydrocarbon vapor from said reservoir to the ambient atmosphere, with said blower cooperating with said third and fourth conduits to return hydrocarbon vapor from said fuel tank to said reservoir during the filling of said fuel tank at said service station; i. a second power-operated blower mounted on said vehicle, which second blower has an inlet opening and a discharge opening formed therein; j. a fifth conduit having first and second ends, with said first end being connected to said inlet of said second blower; k. third means for connecting said second end of said fifth conduit to the interior of said reservoir when said hose is connected to said filling tube of said reservoir; l. a sixth conduit having first and second ends, with said first end being connected to said discharge of said second blower; and m. second hydrocarbon fuel vapor adsorbing means mounted on said vehicle and connected to said second end of said sixth conduit, with said second vapor adsorbing means adsorbing hydrocarbon fuel vapor drawn from said blower as said reservoir is filled with liquid hydrocarbon fuel from said vehicle through said hose to prevent displaced hydrocarbon fuel vapor in said reservoir from being discharged into the ambient atmosphere.

Claim 10

A device for use in dispensing a volatile liquid hydrocarbon fuel into the fuel inlet tube of a tank without vapor of said fuel escaping to the ambient atmosphere from a first end of said inlet tube, said inlet tube having a flange that extends inwardly from said first end thereof, said device including: a. a valve body assembly that has first and second concurrently operable spring loaded valve members within the interior thereof that tend to remain in first positions, said first valve member when in said first position obstructing communications between first and second openings in said valve body assembly and said second valve member when in said first position obstructing communications between third and fourth openings in said valve body assembly; b. first means for supplying said fuel to said first opening from a reservior for said fuel; c. a tubular nozzle secured to said valve body assembly and in communication with said second opening, said nozzle being of such transverse cross section as to be slidably inserted in said fuel inlet tube; d. a resilient longitudinally deformable tubular shroud having first and second ends, with said first end of said shroud being sealing by supported from said valve body assembly, said shroud cooperating with said nozzle to define an annulus shaped space therebetween that is in communication with said fourth opening, and said shroud at said second end defining a ring shaped tapered surface that sealingly engages said first end of said inlet tube when said nozzle is inserted therein to a predetermined extent; e. second manually operated interlock means on said second end of said shroud that is capable of removably engaging said flange on said inlet tube to hold said ring shaped tapered surface of said second end of said shroud in sealing engagement with said first end of said inlet tube; f. third means for maintaining a negative pressure on said third opening, with said third means being in communication with said fuel reservior; and g. fourth manually operable means for concurrently moving said first and second valve members from said first positions to second positions whereupon liquid fuel flows through said first and second openings and said nozzle to said tank and fuel vapor displaced by liquid fuel entering said tank being drawn into said annulus shaped space and through said third and fourth openings by said third means to be returned to said reservior.

Claim 11

A device for use in dispensing a volatile liquid hydrocarbon fuel into the fuel inlet tube of a tank without vapor of said fuel escaping to the ambient atmosphere from a first end of said inlet tube, said inlet tube having a flange that extends inwardly from said first end thereof, said device including: a. a valve body assembly that has first and second concurrently operable spring loaded valve members within the interior thereof that tend to remain in first positions, said first valve member when in said first position obstructing communications between first and second openings in said valve body assembly and said second valve member when in said first position obstructing communications between third and fourth openings in said valve body assembly; b. first means for supplying said fuel to said first opening from a reservior for said fuel; c. a tubular nozzle secured to said valve body assembly and in communication with said second opening, said nozzle being of such transverse cross section as to be slidably inserted in said fuel inlet tube; d. a resilient longitudinally deformable tubular shroud having first and second ends, with said first end of said shroud being sealing by supported from said valve body assembly, said shroud cooperating with said nozzle to define an annulus shaped space therebetween that is in communication with said fourth opening, and said shroud at said second end defining a ring shaped tapered surface that sealingly engages said first end of said inlet tube when said nozzle is inserted therein to a predetermined extent; e. second manually operated interlock means on said second end of said shroud that is capable of removably engaging said flange on said inlet tube to hold said ring shaped tapered surface of said second end of said shroud in sealing engagement with said first end of said inlet tube; f. third means for maintaining a negative pressure on said third opening, with said third means being in communication with said fuel reservior; and g. fourth manually operable means for concurrently moving said first and second valve members from said first positions to second positions whereupon liquid fuel flows through said first and second openings and said nozzle to said tank and fuel vapor displaced by liquid fuel entering said tank being drawn into said annulus shaped space and through said third and fourth openings by said third means to be returned to said reservior.