MONEY-OPERATED LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS

• US 3,570,644 A
• Filed: 07/24/1969
• Issued: 03/16/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William M. Booth
• Original Assignee: William M. Booth
• Inventors: Booth, William M.
• Application Number:
  US04/844,447
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• US Class Current: 194/206
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/307 using electrical or electro-mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/04 in which the quantity mechanism is set forward automatically by the insertion of a coin
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/22 electrically actuated

Abstract

Money operated dispensing equipment for dispensing fluids, e.g., gasoline, etc., from self-serving fluid dispensers located, for example, at an automobile service station of the well-known type. A console controls plural dispensers simultaneously, and a control unit in each dispenser stores and removes credit independently of the console.

Claims

1. Money operated dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluids from a multiplicity of fluid dispensers, including:

A. a fluid dispenser which includes a meter, computer, and a variator which may be selectively preset to deliver fluid at a preselected price, and switch means for turning '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'on'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' and turning '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'off'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' dispensing means of said fluid dispenser;

B. a coin and currency console acceptor adapted to accept and validate coins of preselected value and paper currency of preselected value, said coin and currency console acceptor being adapted to accept any combination of said coins and paper currency only up to a preselected value for which said console acceptor has been preset;

C. a credit memory control unit in each of said fluid dispensers, said credit memory control unit being adapted to store and remove credit independently of said console acceptor;

D. manually setable selector means for determining which of said fluid dispensers is selected for said coins and currency deposited in said console acceptor;

E. means for enabling another of said fluid dispensers, by movement of said selector means, to dispense fluid, after said first-named dispenser has been activated, by the deposition of additional coins and currency in said console acceptor; and

F. means enabling said first- and second-named fluid dispensers to separately and simultaneously dispense fluid, and separately and simultaneously compute the volume and price thereof.

2. Money operated dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluids from a multiplicity of fluid dispensers, including:

A. a fluid dispenser which includes a meter, computer, and a variator which may be selectively preset to deliver fluid at a preselected price, and switch means for turning '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'on'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' and turning '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'off'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' dispensing means of said fluid dispenser;

B. a coin and currency console acceptor adapted to acCept and validate coins of preselected value and paper currency of preselected value, said coin and currency console acceptor being adapted to accept any combination of said coins and paper currency only up to a preselected value for which said console acceptor has been preset;

C. a credit memory control unit in each of said fluid dispensers, said credit memory control unit being adapted to store and remove credit independently of said console acceptor;

D. manually setable selector means for determining which of said fluid dispensers is selected for said coins and currency deposited in said console acceptor;

E. means for enabling another of said fluid dispensers, by movement of said selector means, to dispense fluid, after said first-named dispenser has been activated, by the deposition of additional coins and currency in said console acceptor;

F. means enabling said first- and second-named fluid dispensers to separately and simultaneously dispense fluid, and separately and simultaneously compute the volume and price thereof; and

G. means for turning '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'off'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' said dispensing means of said fluid dispenser automatically at predetermined time interval after said dispensing means of said fluid dispenser has been turned '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'on'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' manually.

3. Money operated dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluids from a multiplicity of fluid dispensers, including:

A. a fluid dispenser which includes a meter, computer, and a variator which may be selectively preset to deliver fluid at a preselected price, and switch means for turning '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'on'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' and turning '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'off'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' dispensing means of said fluid dispenser;

B. a coin and currency console acceptor adapted to accept and validate coins of preselected value and paper currency of preselected value, said coin and currency console acceptor being adapted to accept any combination of said coins and paper currency only up to a preselected value for which said console acceptor has been preset;

C. a credit memory control unit in each of said fluid dispensers, said credit memory control unit being adapted to store and remove credit independently of said console acceptor;

D. manually setable selector means for determining which of said fluid dispensers is selected for said coins and currency deposited in said console acceptor;

E. means for enabling another of said fluid dispensers, by movement of said selector means, to dispense fluid, after said first-named dispenser has been activated, by the deposition of additional coins and currency in said console acceptor;

F. means enabling said first- and second-named fluid dispensers to separately and simultaneously dispense fluid, and separately and simultaneously compute the volume and price thereof;

G. a high-flow solenoid and a low-flow solenoid operatively connected with said dispensing means of said fluid dispensers; and

H. means for initially activating said high-flow solenoid and with the low-flow solenoid being nonactivated, when said credit in said credit memory control unit has been removed to a predetermined low point, said high-flow solenoid is deactivated and said low-flow solenoid activated by said means.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'means'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' in (H) is a rotatable cam provided with a long dwell lobe and with a short dwell lobe operatively connected to activate a switch means.

5. Apparatus as in claim 3, including means for turning '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'off'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' said dispensing means of said fluid dispenser automatically at a predetermined time interval after said dispensing means of said fluid dispenser has been turned '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'on'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' manually.

6. Money operated dispensing apparatus for dispensing fluids from a multiplicity of fluid dispensers, including:

A. each of said multiplicity of fluid dispensers provided with a meter, computer, and a variator which may be selectively preset to deliver fluid at a preselected price, and switch means for turning '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'on'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' and turning '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'off'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' dispensing means of each of said fluid dispensers;

B. a coin and currency console acceptor adapted to accept and validate coins of preselected value and paper currency of preselected value, said coin and currency console acceptor being adapted to accept any combination of said coins and paper currency only up to a preselected value for which said console acceptor has been preset;

C. a credit memory control unit in each of said fluid dispensers, said credit memory control unit being adapted to store and remove credit independently of said console acceptor;

D. manually setable selector means for determining which of said fluid dispensers is selected for said coins and currency deposited in said console acceptor;

E. means for enabling another of said fluid dispensers, by movement of said selector means, to dispense fluid, after said first-named dispenser has been activated, by the deposition of additional coins and currency in said console acceptor; and

F. means enabling each of said fluid dispensers to separately and simultaneously dispense fluid, and separately and simultaneously compute the volume and price thereof.