Spilled fuel diverter for small engines

Claim 2

In combination: A. an internal combustion engine having parts with exposed surfaces that become highly heated when the engine is in operation; B. a fuel tank mounted on the body of the engine adjacent to its said exposed surfaces, said fuel tank having an upstanding filler neck on its top wall; C. a collecting pan surrounding the filler neck and overlying the top of the fuel tank to catch fuel that spills alongside the filler neck during filling of the tank, said collecting pan

Claim 3

having a bottom wall with a hole therein through which the filler neck projects, said bottom wall having an upwardly projecting side wall extending entirely therearound, 2. having a portion which projects a substantial distance beyond a side of the tank that is remote from said exposed surfaces of said parts of the engine, and 3. having, in its said portion, an outlet spout which projects downwardly from its bottom wall and which is spaced outwardly from said side of the tank, said outlet spout having at its bottom a deflector wall that slants downwardly and away from said side of the tank, the edge of said deflector wall being the bottommost part of the spout, so that the spilled fuel that is caught in the collecting pan and that runs down the interior of said spout leaves the same in a stream that is directed outwardly away from said exposed surfaces of the engine or drips off of said edge of said deflector wall; and D. means coacting with the filler neck of the fuel tank to hold the collecting pan in place on the fuel tank, said last named means comprising an upstranding flange integral with the bottom wall of the collecting pan and rising from the edge of the hole therein, said flange tightly gripping the filler neck.

Claim 4

having a bottom wall with a hole therein through which the filler neck projects, said bottom wall having an upwardly projecting side wall extending entirely therearound, 2. having a portion which projects a substantial distance beyond a side of the tank that is remote from said exposed surfaces of said parts of the engine, and 3. having, in its said portion, an outlet spout which projects downwardly from its bottom wall and which is spaced outwardly from said side of the tank, said outlet spout having at its bottom a deflector wall that slants downwardly and away from said side of the tank, the edge of said deflector wall being the bottommost part of the spout, so that the spilled fuel that is caught in the collecting pan and that runs down the interior of said spout leaves the same in a stream that is directed outwardly away from said exposed surfaces of the engine or drips off of said edge of said deflector wall; and D. means coacting with the filler neck of the fuel tank to hold the collecting pan in place on the fuel tank, said last named means comprising an upstranding flange integral with the bottom wall of the collecting pan and rising from the edge of the hole therein, said flange tightly gripping the filler neck.

Claim 5

The combination defined by claim 1, wherein said collecting pan is substantially oval shaped, with large and small radius ends, wherein a side wall projects upwardly from the bottom wall of the collecting pan all around its periphery, wherein said hole in the bottom wall is in the large radius end portion of the collecting pan so that the smaller radius end portion of the collecting pan is spaced a significant distance from the filler neck; wherein said outlet spout opens downwardly from the bottom wall of the collecting pan at its smaller radius end portion; and wherein the bottom wall of the collecting pan is inclined downwardly towards said spout to direct fuel caught in the pan into the spout.

Claim 6

In combination: A. an internal combustion engine having parts with exposed surfaces that become highly heated when the engine is in operation; B. a fuel tank mounted on the body of the engine adjacent to its said exposed surfaces, said fuel tank having an upstanding filler neck on its top wall; C. a collecting pan surrounding the filler neck and overlying the top of the fuel tank to catch fuel that spills alongside the filler neck during filling of the tank, said collecting pan 1. having a bottom wall with a hole therein through which the filler neck projects, said bottom wall having an upwardly projecting side wall extending entirely therearound, 2. having a portion which projects a substantial distance beyond a side of the tank that is remote from said exposed surfaces of said parts of the engine, and

Claim 7

In combination: A. an internal combustion engine having parts with exposed surfaces that become highly heated when the engine is in operation; B. a fuel tank mounted on the body of the engine adjacent to its said exposed surfaces, said fuel tank having an upstanding filler neck on its top wall; C. a collecting pan surrounding the filler neck and overlying the top of the fuel tank to catch fuel that spills alongside the filler neck during filling of the tank, said collecting pan 1. having a bottom wall with a hole therein through which the filler neck projects, said bottom wall having an upwardly projecting side wall extending entirely therearound, 2. having a portion which projects a substantial distance beyond a side of the tank that is remote from said exposed surfaces of said parts of the engine, and

Claim 8

having, in its said portion, an outlet spout which projects downwardly from its bottom wall and which is spaced outwardly from said side of the tank, said outlet spout having at its bottom a deflector wall that slants downwardly and away from said side of the tank, the edge of said deflector wall being the bottommost part of the spout, so that the spilled fuel that is caught in the collecting pan and that runs down the interior of said spout leaves the same in a stream that is directed outwardly away from said exposed surfaces of the engine or drips off of said edge of said deflector wall; and D. means coacting with the filler neck of the fuel tank to hold the collecting pan in place on the fuel tank, said last named means comprising a stamped metal nut having threaded engagement with the filler neck and clamping the bottom wall of the collecting pan against the top of the fuel tank with a sealing gasket therebetween.

Claim 9

having, in its said portion, an outlet spout which projects downwardly from its bottom wall and which is spaced outwardly from said side of the tank, said outlet spout having at its bottom a deflector wall that slants downwardly and away from said side of the tank, the edge of said deflector wall being the bottommost part of the spout, so that the spilled fuel that is caught in the collecting pan and that runs down the interior of said spout leaves the same in a stream that is directed outwardly away from said exposed surfaces of the engine or drips off of said edge of said deflector wall; and D. means coacting with the filler neck of the fuel tank to hold the collecting pan in place on the fuel tank, said last named means comprising a stamped metal nut having threaded engagement with the filler neck and clamping the bottom wall of the collecting pan against the top of the fuel tank with a sealing gasket therebetween.