US4572254A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Lock system preventing mixing of different kinds of oil at gasoline stand
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1984-03-12
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Granted: 1986-02-25
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Expires: 2004-03-12
Abstract
Abstract A lock system which prevents the mixing of different kinds of oil at a gasoline tank comprises: locks for different kinds of oils provided on each of couplings constituting oil filler ports of underground tanks of the gasoline stand and each of tank base valves of a tank truck, and keys separately provided for unlocking the locks for the different kinds of oil, wherein only the lock on the couplings of the oil filler ports which accepts a selected key which unlocks the corresponding tank base valve of the tank truck can be unlocked. When one of the tank base valves is opened and an oil filler hose is connected to the oil filler port of one of the underground tanks, only the oil filler port of the underground tank containing the same kind of oil as that in the corresponding tank of the tank truck can be opened, thereby ensuring that the same kind of oil is reliably poured into the underground tank from the tank truck. The keys are stored in a key-storing device which holds the keys separately for the different kinds of oil, and is constructed such that only one key for one kind of oil can be removed at a time. It is thereby possible to provide a lock system preventing the mixing of different kinds of oil at a gasoline stand, which can reliably prevent the mixing of different kinds of oil with simple devices and members.
Inventors
- 👤 Sozaburo Maeshiba
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 19:52
CPC Classifications
E; E05; E05B; E05B35/00; E05B35/08; E05B35/086; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/3802; Y10T70/00; Y10T70/60; Y10T70/625; Y10T70/675
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
A lock system for preventing the mixing of different kinds of oil at a gasoline station, said lock system comprising: locks for different kinds of oils provided on each oil filler port of underground tanks of the gasoline station and each of the tank valves of a tank truck, wherein the lock on each of the filler ports of underground tanks can be unlocked by only a selected key which can also unlock only the corresponding tank valve of the tank truck; and keys separately provided for unlocking said locks for said different kinds of oil, said keys being stored in a key-storing device installed at the gasoline station, said key-storing device comprising means for permitting removal of only one key for one kind of oil at a time, so that only the filler port having a lock corresponding to the key, and only the tank valve having a lock corresponding to the key can be opened at a time.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
A lock system for preventing the mixing of different kinds of oil at a gasoline station, said lock system comprising: locks for different kinds of oils provided on each oil filler port of underground tanks of the gasoline station and each of the tank valves of a tank truck, wherein the lock on each of the filler ports of underground tanks can be unlocked by only a selected key which can also unlock only the corresponding tank valve of the tank truck; and keys separately provided for unlocking said locks for said different kinds of oil, said keys being stored in a key-storing device installed at the gasoline station, said key-storing device comprising means for permitting removal of only one key for one kind of oil at a time, so that only the filler port having a lock corresponding to the key, and only the tank valve having a lock corresponding to the key can be opened at a time.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
267 words
A system for preventing filling any tank at a facility having a plurality of tanks containing different liquids with an improper liquid from a vehicle carrying a plurality of different liquids in separate compartments, at least two of the different liquids in the compartments of the vehicle being the same respectively as the different liquids in at least two of the tanks of the facility, said system comprising, a separate valve for each compartment of the vehicle, each valve being movable to an open position to permit flow of a selected liquid from a selected compartment of the vehicle, each tank of the facility having a separate filler port for filling a liquid into its tank, a lock on each filler port, a lock on each valve of the vehicle, a lock for the filler port of a tank at the facility being unlockable only by the same key which can unlock a valve of the vehicle for the compartment containing the same liquid, a plurality of keys, one for each filler port for different liquids, and one for each valve of the vehicle for different liquids, and key storing means at said facility for storing said keys, said key storing means comprising means to permit removing only one key at a time from the key storing means, so that only one key for one kind of liquid can be removed at a time, whereby, only the lock of a filler port and the lock of a valve for a corresponding liquid can be unlocked at the same time, so that inadvertently mixing improper liquids is avoided.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
267 words
A system for preventing filling any tank at a facility having a plurality of tanks containing different liquids with an improper liquid from a vehicle carrying a plurality of different liquids in separate compartments, at least two of the different liquids in the compartments of the vehicle being the same respectively as the different liquids in at least two of the tanks of the facility, said system comprising, a separate valve for each compartment of the vehicle, each valve being movable to an open position to permit flow of a selected liquid from a selected compartment of the vehicle, each tank of the facility having a separate filler port for filling a liquid into its tank, a lock on each filler port, a lock on each valve of the vehicle, a lock for the filler port of a tank at the facility being unlockable only by the same key which can unlock a valve of the vehicle for the compartment containing the same liquid, a plurality of keys, one for each filler port for different liquids, and one for each valve of the vehicle for different liquids, and key storing means at said facility for storing said keys, said key storing means comprising means to permit removing only one key at a time from the key storing means, so that only one key for one kind of liquid can be removed at a time, whereby, only the lock of a filler port and the lock of a valve for a corresponding liquid can be unlocked at the same time, so that inadvertently mixing improper liquids is avoided.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-02-24 | 1989-08-26 | 1990-02-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-02-24 | 1993-08-26 | 1994-02-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-02-24 | 1997-08-26 | 1998-02-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |