Fuel vending apparatus and method

Claim 2

In apparatus for vending liquid fuel and having an electrically driven pump means for dispensing fuel, counter means for adding and subtracting credit units and electrically connected for controllably energizing said pump means, money acceptor means for signalling said counter means to add credit units, and a primary dispensing switch means operatively responsive to the dispensing of fuel for signalling said counter means to subtract credit units, the combination therewith of means for guarding against improper dispensing of gasoline and comprising fail-safe circuit means electrically connected with said counter means and said acceptor means and said primary switching means and operably for selectively disabling said pump means from delivering fuel, and secondary dispensing switch means operatively responsive to the dispensing of fuel for signalling said fail-safe means, said fail-safe means responding to signalling by said secondary switching means and abnormality in normal sequential operation of said counter means and said primary switching means by disabling fuel delivery.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said fail-safe means comprises guard relay means electriclly connected for controlling energization of said pump means for de-energizing said pump means in the event of abnormality in the normal sequence of fuel delivery.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 further having fast and slow electrical solenoid valve means each in flow controlling relation to said pump means for controlling the rate of flow of fuel delivery, and further wherein said fail-safe means comprises guard relay means electrically connected with said valve means for closing said valve means in the event of abnormality in the normal sequence of fuel delivery.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said fail-safe means comprises lock-out relay means electrically connected for controlling energization of said counter means and said acceptor means and said primary switching means for de-energizing the same in the event of abnormality in the normal sequence of fuel delivery.

Claim 6

In apparatus for vending liquid fuel and having an electrically driven pump means for dispensing fuel, counter means for adding and subtracting credit units, counter contact means electrically connected for controllably energizing said pump means upon and while the sum of credit units added and subtracted is at least one, money acceptor means for electrically signalling said counter means to add credit units, and a primary dispensing switch means operatively responsive to the dispensing of fuel for electrically signalling said counter means to subtract credit units, the combination therewith of means for guarding against improper dispensing of gasoline and comprising fail-safe circuit means electrically connected with said counter contact means and said acceptor means and said primary switching means and operable for selectively disabling said pump means from delivering fuel, and secondary dispensing switch means operatively responsive to the dispensing of fuel for electrically signalling said fail-safe means, said fail-safe means responding to signalling by said secondary switching means and abnormality in sequential operation of said counter contact means and said primary switching means by disabling said pump means from delivering fuel.

Claim 7

In apparatus for vending liquid fuel and having an electrically driven pump means for dispensing fuel, counter means for adding and subtracting credit units, counter contact means electrically connected for controllably energizing said pump means upon and while the sum of credit units added and subtracted is at least one, money acceptor means for electrically signalling said counter means to add credit units, and a primary dispensing switch means operatively responsive to the dispensing of fuel for electrically signalling said counter means to subtract credit units, the combination therewith of means for guarding against improper dispensing of gasoline and comprising fail-safe circuit means electrically connected with said counter contact means and said acceptor means and said primary switching means and operable for selectively disabling said pump means from delivering fuel, and secondary dispensing switch means operatively responsive to the dispensing of fuel for electrically signalling said fail-safe means, said fail-safe means responding to signalling by said secondary switching means and abnormality in sequential operation of said counter contact means and said primary switching means by disabling said pump means from delivering fuel.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said fail-safe circuit means comprises counter clear means operative in response to abnormality in sequential operation of said apparatus for electrically signalling said counter means to subtract credit units.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said fail-safe circuit means comprises first and second guard means interconnected one with another and operative in response to abnormality in sequentialy operation of said apparatus for precluding pumping of fuel.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein first guard means is electrically connected with and responsive to said primary dispensing switch means and is electrically connected with the controlling said pump means for controllably de-energizing said pump means in response to abnormality in sequential operation of said apparatus.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 7 further having fast and slow electrical solenoid valve means each in flow controlling relation to said pump means for controlling the rate of flow of fuel delivery and further wherein said second guard means is electrically connected with said valve means for controllably de-energizing said valve means in response to abnormality in sequential operation of said apparatus.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said apparatus has first and second sets of number wheels driven in response to dispensing of fuel and further wherein said primary dispensing switch means is operable in response to rotation of one of said sets of number wheels and said secondary dispensing switch means is operable in response to rotation of the other of said sets of number wheels.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said counter means comprises stepper relay means including a movable member, credit add winding means operable for moving said member in a credit add direction, and credit subtract winding means operable for moving said member in a credit subtract direction, said member being operatively coupled to said counter contact means for opening the same upon the sum of credits added and subtracted being zero.

Claim 14

In a fuel vending apparatus having a money acceptor means for electrically signalling acceptance of credit units, a primary dispensing switch means for electrically signalling delivery of fuel having a credit unit value, and an electromechanical counter means for adding and subtracting credit units respectively signalled by said acceptor means and said primary dispensing switch means and for enabling fuel delivery upon and while the sum of credit units added and subtracted is at least one, the combination therewith of a secondary dispensing switch means for electrically signalling delivery of fuel, and a plurality of electromechanical relay means electrically connected one with another and with said counter means and said dispensing switch means for monitoring a normal sequence of fuel delivery steps thereof and for responding to abnormality in such normal sequence by disabling fuel delivery.

Claim 15

In a fuel vending apparatus having a money acceptor means for electrically signalling acceptance of credit units, a primary dispensing switch means for electrically signalling delivery of fuel having a credit unit value, and an electromechanical counter means for adding and subtracting credit units respectively signalled by said acceptor means and said primary dispensing switch means and for enabling fuel delivery upon and while the sum of credit units added and subtracted is at least one, the combination therewith of a secondary dispensing switch means for electrically signalling delivery of fuel, and a plurality of electromechanical relay means electrically connected one with another and with said counter means and said dispensing switch means for monitoring a normal sequence of fuel delivery steps thereof and for responding to abnormality in such normal sequence by disabling fuel delivery.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said relay means comprise counter clear relay means operable in response to abnormality in such normal sequence for signalling said counter means to successively subtract credit units until the sum of credits added and subtracted is zero.

Claim 17

Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said relay means comprises lock-out relay means operable in response to abnormality in such normal sequence for de-energizing all of said dispensing switch means and said counter means.

Claim 18

Apparatus according to claim 12 further having pump switch means operable upon readiness of said apparatus for delivery of fuel and further wherein said relay means comprises first and second guard relay means respectively electrically connected with said primary dispensing switch means and with said counter means for energization therefrom, and counter enable relay means electrically connected with said pump switch means for energization therefrom, said guard relay means and said counter enable relay means cooperating in response to abnormality in such normal sequence for precluding fuel delivery.

Claim 19

In a method of vending liquid fuel which normally includes the sequential steps electrical and mechanical of sensing acceptance of money and electrically signalling credit units in response thereto, adding credit units and enabling energization of a fuel pump in response to signalling of credit units, pumping fuel while sensing delivery thereof and electrically signalling credit units in response thereto, and subtracting credit units and disabling energization of the fuel pump upon cancellation of all credit units, an improvement which guards against improper dispensing of gasoline and comprises the steps of sequentially energizing and de-energizing a plurality of electrical relays interconnected in a fail-safe circuit, distinguishing with the relays the energization and de-energization thereof in a predetermined normal sequence from the energization and de-energization thereof in an abnormal sequence and thereby monitoring the normal sequence of vending steps, and responding to abnormality in such normal sequence of steps by precluding delivery of pumped fuel.

Claim 20

In a method of vending liquid fuel which normally includes the sequential steps electrical and mechanical of sensing acceptance of money and electrically signalling credit units in response thereto, adding credit units and enabling energization of a fuel pump in response to signalling of credit units, pumping fuel while sensing delivery thereof and electrically signalling credit units in response thereto, and subtracting credit units and disabling energization of the fuel pump upon cancellation of all credit units, an improvement which guards against improper dispensing of gasoline and comprises the steps of sequentially energizing and de-energizing a plurality of electrical relays interconnected in a fail-safe circuit, distinguishing with the relays the energization and de-energization thereof in a predetermined normal sequence from the energization and de-energization thereof in an abnormal sequence and thereby monitoring the normal sequence of vending steps, and responding to abnormality in such normal sequence of steps by precluding delivery of pumped fuel.

Claim 21

A method according to claim 16 wherein the precluding of delivery comprises de-energizing the fuel pump.

Claim 22

A method according to claim 16 wherein the precluding of delivery comprises closing valves controlling flow through the fuel pump.

Claim 23

A method according to claim 16 wherein the precluding of delivery comprises disabling the signalling of credit units and the adding and subtracting of credit units and the energization of the fuel pump.