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10 CFR 61.63 - Financial assurances for institutional controls.
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(a) Prior to the issuance of the license, the applicant shall provide for Commission review and approval a copy of a binding arrangement, such as a lease, between the applicant and the disposal site owner that ensures that sufficient funds will be available to cover the costs of monitoring and any required maintenance during the institutional control period. The binding arrangement will be reviewed periodically by the Commission to ensure that changes in inflation, technology and disposal facility operations are reflected in the arrangements.
Title 10 published on 2014-01-01
The following are only the Rules published in the Federal Register after the published date of Title 10.
For a complete list of all Rules, Proposed Rules, and Notices view the Rulemaking tab.
Title 10 published on 2014-01-01
The following are ALL rules, proposed rules, and notices (chronologically) published in the Federal Register relating to 10 CFR 61 after this date.


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The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently published a long-awaited proposed rule that, if finalized in its current form, would permanently ban certain additional phthalates from children's toys and child care...more
In general, a right of publicity is a right to control use of your name, likeness, and other aspects of your identity. Right of publicity laws normally give an individual the exclusive right to license the use of their...more
In This Issue:
- Play It Safe: How To Choose The Right Toys
- See It! Own It! Resist It!
- Probing for Product Protection
- Cross These Off Your List
- Additional Resources
- Excerpt from See It!...more
On December 5, 2014 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will be briefed by staff on a recommendation to issue a proposed rule to permanently prohibit five phthalates – DINP, DIBP, DPENP, DHEXP, DCHP – from...more
Post Bose: The TTAB Cancels a Registration on the Ground of Fraud -
Nationstar opposed an application for NATIONSTAR filed by an individual named Mujahid Ahmad. Nationstar claimed Mr. Ahmad committed fraud on the U.S....more
Gov. Jerry Brown recently took action on three bills of interest to law enforcement. He signed a measure allowing temporary restraining orders to block gun use, approved a bill requiring toy guns to be brightly colored and...more
Two years ago, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) took the uncommon step of filing administrative complaints against multiple rare-earth magnet companies who refused to voluntarily recall magnetic adult desk...more
Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") filed suit in federal court against four California companies and six individuals for importing products that violate the Federal Hazardous Substances Act ("FHSA") and the...more
In This Issue:
- Six Tips for Safe Toys
- Dangerous Toy Lists
- Dr. Toy's 100 Best
- Excerpt from 6 Tips to Shopping Smart for Safe Toys this Holiday Season:
We can always count on children to...more
More than a decade ago, manufacturers began marketing a different kind of toy magnet....more
On February 8, 2013, manufacturers and importers of children's products (a consumer product designed or intended primarily for children 12 years of age or younger) will be required to follow certain testing and certification...more
On February 8, 2013, new requirements pertaining to product testing and certification for children's products go into effect. These rules include, among other things, the following requirements...more
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Category Archives: Ag in the Classroom
Kids Can Now Explore Farmers' Markets Online
The popular agricultural education gaming site MyAmericanFarm.org now includes an updated version of the Farmers' Market Challenge, a game that helps students in kindergarten through fifth grade practice essential math skills while learning about food and healthy choices. After correctly answering math … Continue reading
Temple Grandin Urges Farm Youth to Use Social Media
Temple Grandin, a professor at Colorado State University and animal welfare expert, is urging farm youth to use social media to reach out to their counterparts in urban areas. Grandin recently told an audience of 4-H and FFA members in … Continue reading
Take a Tour of Hickman's Family Farms… From Home!
Coming soon, to a computer screen near you, you'll be able to watch a virtual tour of Hickman's Family Farms from the Comfort of your own home… or classroom! This year, American Egg Board (AEB) is partnering with Discovery Education … Continue reading
Youth "Telling the Beef Story" Video Blog Contest Launched
Youth ages 16‐20 encouraged to create YouTube videos focused on beef to win prizes! The Beef Checkoff launched a new video blog contest designed to engage youth in telling the beef story using the power of YouTube. Videos must be … Continue reading
Attention Teachers: Online Course Makes Teaching Ag in the Classroom Fun and Helps You Get Your Professional Development Hours!
By Brandon Moak, Program Coordinator, U of A Cooperative Extension, Maricopa County It's new, it's exciting and it will teach you how to teach Arizona agriculture in the classroom! Plus, it's convenient and you'll be able to earn 45 professional … Continue reading


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Our listing is our home in San Francisco, where my boyfriend Cody and I live. It's a lovely 4 room flat in central Cole Valley–one of the most charming neighborhoods in the city. Northern California natives, we love the outdoors, traveling the world and reminding ourselves what it feels like to be alive by filling our days with adventure. Yoga, biking, the park, the Marin Headlands, Sonoma County, food and friends are some of our favorite weekly activities.
We are both 30-somethings and work professionally in San Francisco–I as a Experience and Interaction Designer and Cody as a Sustainability Consultant and Yacht Engineer.
Go Giants!!
Betsy & Cody has completed online and offline ID verification.
Easy to communicate with Betsy and Cody. They're very nice and very professional. Theirs is a large, well-appointed apartment in a really nice part of SF. It's very easy to feel at home. We loved the record player and the comfortable sitting room, but otherwise we weren't around the apartment that much. Easy to get cabs, get around on public transport, and go do things. If you're really, really picky, be aware there was some street noise and upstairs neighbor noise early on the Saturday/Sunday we stayed.
Betsy and Cody were welcoming, warm, and very prompt in their responses to us. We wanted to be near family in Cole Valley and their place was very close by and in a lovely neighborhood in San Francisco. Their home is spacious and easy to find. It is quiet and peaceful at night and in the early mornings, especially in the back bedroom where we stayed.We had no problem finding parking either, a miracle in SF. And, Cole Valley has a few pretty small parks, and is in walking distance to Golden Gate Park.
I arranged for my parents to stay at Betsy and Cody's place while they were visiting me for a week, and they thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful space, creative decor, and convenient location. They said they slept well each night (which is no small feat!), and made good use of the well-equipped kitchen. There was plenty for them to do in the neighborhood when they were off doing their own thing. They particularly enjoyed the restaurants and short walk to Whole Foods; I appreciated the proximity of the N train for straightforward transport to the Ferry Building and downtown. Betsy and Cody are friendly, warm, and easy to communicate with, so I wasn't worried there would be any surprises when my parents arrived. B&C were available in case we needed anything , but since it all went smoothly we didn't! All-in-all, a top-notch AirBnB experience, thanks!!!
This is an awesome flat in one of the best neighborhoods in San Francisco. It is right next to Muni, making for easy access to both downtown and the beach. Golden Gate park is just a couple of blocks away, making a nice run the perfect way to start each day of your vacation. If you are looking for a true San Francisco experience (as opposed to the tourist version), this is a great place to stay.
Betsy and Cody's flat is a beautiful space with lots of little personal touches that show their love for their flat. There are two spacious bedrooms, equally comfy, and a great big living room to put your feet up after a long day of walking around. As for exploring, the N Muni stop is just around the corner — you can get to downtown San Francisco in 15min. But you might be tempted to spend some time in Cole Valley itself - a wonderful neighbourhood with yummy restaurants and cute shops. We were starving after a long trans-Atlantic flight on our first evening in the flat and found at least five different dinner options, equally delicious, within 10 minutes' walk of the flat. Golden Gate park is also within a 5min walk. Betsy was extremely helpful and wrote out a long list of transportation options from the airport for us, as well as detailed explanations on how to check in hassle-free. Definitely recommend the place and would stay there again!
We loved our stay in Cole Valley. Great place, perfect location and a wonderful alternative to a stuffy boring hotel. Betsy was very accommodating with our check-in time. And we really appreciated the neighborhood tips from a local. Would definitely stay again!
Betsy promptly answered all of my questions and was very flexible about our check-in. The flat was cozy and the layout worked well for our family. The beds were very comfortable after long days out exploring. The neighborhood was surprisingly quiet at night and offered everything we needed.
Really nice apartment in a great location. Cole Valley is a really nice, well located neighborhood. Would stay here again.
Betsy was an amazing host and made our first airbnb experience a great one! She waited for us to arrive at her home and answered any questions that we had. Thank you Betsy!
Great location near public transit in Cole Valley. Charming, turn of the century apartment decorated with a lot of SF flair and character. Hosts are extremely friendly and accommodating. Parts of the apartment could use cleaning.
Betsy and Cody came down for a wedding so we did not get to see them much. They were lovely people who were clean, quiet and respectful. They came down for a wedding and the turn-around time made it very hectic for them. We hope they had a good time at the wedding and reception!
Thank you for choosing us as your host. We hope you enjoyed your stay as much as we enjoyed hosting you. It has been a pleasure and we hope to have you as our guest again. Thank you
Betsy and Cody were great guests. It's always great to rent to fellow airbnb(ers). They are super friendly, left the house extremely neat and had wonderful communication. We would love to host you anytime you're in manhattan beach. Thanks, Beth
Betsy and Cody were fabulous guests! Very friendly, enthusiastic and communicative about everything. Left the house in sparkling condition and even my cats were happy. Would love to have Betsy and Cody back any time!
Betsy and Cody were a last minute booking on a holiday weekend, sooooo fun to host because they are so flexible and active. They took advantage of our location near Santa Cruz and the nightlife, then took a bike trip down our amazing road the next morning.They were also helpful with feedback on how to better host. The room was left spotless with the beds stripped. Anybody would be lucky to host them.
Betsy and her friend Sara were great guests in my home; both were very friendly and communicated with me very well! I'd have them back at my place again and would recommend both of them to anyone hosting!
Betsy were a wonderful guest! She is very nice and everything was clean when she left the apartment. I recommend! Betsy you can come back whenever you want! I hope you had a good time in Paris. all the best. Margaux
Betsy was a fabulous guest! Very clean, friendly, considerate. She is welcome back any time and is highly recommended!
I've known Betsy for over 10 years and she is a dear friend with a "go getter" attitude! She and Cody are exceptional hosts and have a charming, very spacious, flat in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in SF. If you are looking for a place with walkable four star restaurants, great access to public transportation, and that is safe to walk around at night, look no further...THIS is your place!
Staying at Cody and Betsy's apartment in SF is a total treat. It is a homey, spacious flat in a lovely neighborhood close to great restaurants, cafes, the park and public transportation. Most important, these two are just good people - down to earth, open, hospitable and very easy to get along with. My recent stay at their home won't be my last.
Beautiful apartment in the best neighborhood in the city. Close to the park, Haight Street and right over the hill from the Castro and the Mission. I can vouch that the place is clean, inviting, loved and safe. But most importantly I can vouch that Betsy is responsible and trustworthy. She would be a great "short term sublease landlord." Enjoy SF!
I moved to SF almost a year ago and Betsy F was my first roommate as her normal roommate, my friend of many years, was out of town and offered his room to me while he was gone. I can't say enough good things about Betsy herself, as I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have made such a kind, compassionate, considerate, and fun friend right off the bat - but the apartment itself is certainly a reflection of its occupants! If you are looking for a welcoming environment that is located close to everything that's wonderful about the Haight, but in a sleepy and super friendly little neighborhood, PICK THIS ONE. When I moved out, I subletted a place just around the corner because this neighborhood is so fabulous, and now only live a few blocks away. Great lady, great place.


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"Too Long"
Needed editing. Keep repeating same behavior and I guess it was building suspense but for me it was getting tiring. First book I did not finish listening to. I have been hooked an audible books for over 5 years. Listen to about 3 a month. So for me not to finish is very unusual.
"SCI Fi or Mystery"
No where was it mentioned that this story takes place in some future time. I was so confused as to why they didn't recognize gun shots as the cause of death. DUH! Because guns have been outlawed for so long...I don't like sci fi so I will finish the book but I am not happy I used my monthy credit for this book. So fair warning to the next listner.
"Dark Comedy at it's best!"
I loved this author's story. The narrator kicked it up even a higher notch. It was funny and entertaining. This is a book for pure reading pleasure. I even bought a copy for a friend to take on a long train ride. Knew it would make the miles fly by. It was a true "Dark Comedy". The sequal was fab too.
"New Insight"
This book is the first book I have read that gives both sides of the "Midlle East" situation.
It cover the Isreal and Palestine view. It defends neither, but gives us a better understanding how deep the rift goes. I am very glad I read(listened) to this informative and entertaining book. It is a great story!
"Good Read!"
I love the Tudor time period. This extended my knowledge of what happened after Henry VIII.
Well written, could have used some editing but all in all was a book you wanted to read and know the outcome.
"Well done"
I love Dave. In this book you can feel his pain from Katrina and the lack of support from the outside world. The mystery is well done and keeps us in suspence until the end. I learned more about Katrina without the book begoming GRIM.
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Comfort Suites Mission Valley SeaWorld Area
631 Camino Del Rio S.
San Diego, CA 92108
Phone: (619) 881-4000
Fax: (619) 881-4037
Satisfy the lure of the sea by coming aboard "Jada," a 1938, 71 foot, yawl rigged, all-wood classic yacht. Experience the unparalleled panoramic views of San Diego Bay while you relax with a certified skipper at the helm. Up to 43 passengers can feel the wind on their faces and enjoy the always changing sea. The Jada crew is kind and group friendly. They offer a selected menu for dinner cruises. Call for departure details.
113 West G Street
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+1 619 236 9211
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Wholesale Sign Up is Free!
No kidding either. At Phone Doctors, we want to see every device working again, and we can't be everywhere at once. Yes, folks can mail their devices to us, but that takes a while. If you have your own repair shop, we would be happy to help you repair devices as well. We offer tools, parts, and accessories at some of the most competitive prices in the industry. All the prices you see listed right now are retail. Once you sign up as a wholesaler, and log-in to your account, the prices will automatically adjust to your new wholesale price.
Part Not Working? No Problem!
It gets even better! As a wholesaler, you get the same warranty policy we extend to all our customers: SIX MONTHS! Yes that's right, we back all of our parts with a full six month warranty. To top it all off, we back our FUEL charging items with a LIFETIME WARRANTY! If you would like to know more before you sign up, simply take a look at Our Phone Doctors 6 Month Warranty.
All of our parts are OEM graded as well. The same standards that Apple, Samsung, and all the rest ask for on their parts, we ask for on ours as well. Most of our parts will not feature the original manufacturers logo (that would be illegal), but they are the same part through and through. In addition, our screens are pretested by Phone Doctors certified technicians before we send them out our door. You're in good hands.
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To all our customers and wholesalers alike, we offer a repair by mail program. If you ever need a technician, you can always mail your device to us for repair. As a wholesaler, we offer a discount for any repair you need to mail to us. We offer normal repair services, soldering repairs, liquid damage cleaning, and lens only repairs on many Samsung devices. Call for a quote, or just mail in your device. A technician will always contact you via email once your device arrives. Simply fill out the form right here: Mail in Your Device.
Spend A Little, Spend A Lot.
Oh, and one more awesome thing about the Phone Doctors wholesale program. If you ever find yourself not hitting the minimum monthly amount, no problem. You can simply fill out the short form, and sign up again as a wholesaler. All of our wholesale accounts that move back down keep their subscription to our monthly newsletter. You still get all the news and deals while you wait for your business to pick back up.
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Box Office (Specialty): 'Blue Is the Warmest Color' Sees Steamy U.S. Opening
Cannes Palme d'Or winner Blue Is the Warmest Color opened to strong numbers in New York and Los Angeles, despite its restrictive NC-17 rating. The French film took in $101,116 for a theater average of $25,279, the best of the weekend.
Blue Is the Warmest Color is no doubt being helped by the ongoing war of words between director Abdellatif Kechiche and star Lea Seydoux. Last week, the filmmaker called her an "arrogant, spoiled child" who said "slanderous" things about him in an effort to gain attention following the film's Palme d'Or win in May.
Sundance Selects, the film's U.S. distributor, said the enormous publicity surrounding the film, as well as the win at Cannes, intrigued people. Sundance Selects is a division of IFC Films.
BOX OFFICE: 'Jackass: Bad Grandpa' No. 1 With $32 Million; 'The Counselor' D.O.A.
"Now filmgoers in New York and L.A. have had the opportunity to see what generated so much excitement and controversy, and the turnout was quite impressive in a very crowded marketplace," said IFC's Mark Boxer. "We're looking forward to replicating this performance across the country as the film rolls out in 10 more top markets this coming Friday."
Blue Is the Warmest Color faces formidable challenges in the U.S., where foreign-language films often struggle. And an NC-17 rating can dramatically dampen a film's showing, since no one under the age of 17 is supposed to be sold a ticket.
However, the IFC Center in New York -- a sister venture of IFC Films -- is selling tickets to teenagers it deems appropriate, regardless of age (the ratings system is voluntary). IFC didn't have immediate numbers in terms of an age breakdown. The theater also offered free tickets to residents of Idaho, where the film can't play because of obscenity laws.
Among other newcomers, Costa-Gavras' financial thriller Capital debuted to a so-so $22,447 from two theaters for a location average of $11,224.
Several documentaries had OK showings, including Spinning Plates, which tells the story of three very different restaurants -- Grant Achatz' acclaimed Chicago restaurant Alinea, Breitbach's Country Dining, a family owned dinner in Balltown, Iowa, and Mexican restaurant La Cocina de Gabby in Tuscon, Ariz.
Distributed by Film Arcade, Spinning Plates debuted to $20,528 from three theaters in New York and Los Angeles for a location average of $6,843.
Egyptian-American documentary The Square, chronicling the Arab Spring, took in $15,665 as it opened at the Film Forum in New York City. The film, winning the audience award at both the Sundance and Toronto film festivals earlier this year, is directed by Jehane Noujaim. The Square is being self-released by Noujaim Films.
Many of the specialty films opening in the fall have awards aspirations, including Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave, which zoomed up the domestic box-office chart to No. 8 in its second weekend.
Expanding into a total of 123 theaters, the Fox Searchlight slavery drama grossed $2.2 million for an impressive location average of $17,488, the second best of the weekend (the film has now earned $3.4 million in North America). New Regency and River Road co-financed and produced the film alongside Brad Pitt and Dede Gardner's Plan B Entertainment.
J.C. Chandor's All Is Lost, starring Robert Redford, grossed $517,700 in its second weekend as it expanded into a total of 123 theaters for a location average of $6,391 and cume of $655,887. Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate are releasing the film domestically.
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text: A seminar with M. Ueshiba – Waka Sensei on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of BAF and 30th anniversary of the organized Aikido in Bulgaria 23.10.2015 Organizer: BAF. With the support of NAU and BAA. The seminar will take place in Arena Armeec hall between 23td and 25th October 2015 in Sofia, Bulgaria.


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See the symposium schedule.
The MRIC is a series of lectures by faculty and staff who present their approach to teaching and/or research.
General Education
Rodney Frey
Director, General Education
Phinney Hall 116
(208) 885-6268
We know that the skills in civic, ethical and collaborative engagement with diverse groups are critical for a well educated citizen. In a recent survey of employers, they revealed that colleges need to increase their focus on:
Find Days & Times.


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Louisville's own New York Times Best Selling Author, Elizabeth Bevarly, re-releases her 2002 book, The Ring on Her Finger, in eBook format.
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Amazon gets into the streaming box game with Fire TV
April 2, 2014
Rumors have been pointing to an Amazon TV set-top box for quite some time. Today the company pulled the cat out of the bag, and its name is Fire TV.
If you've ever used an Apple TV or Roku set-top box, then Fire TV is going to look very familiar. Like those entertainment devices, it's a small, flattish little box that connects to your TV via HDMI. It naturally has Amazon Prime and Instant Video services on board, but third-party services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Watch ESPN, and Showtime Anytime are all in the mix as well.
Sounds very by-the-book so far, eh? Well, one of the most interesting features of Fire TV is its remote control. It has the standard directional and navigation buttons, but it also has a voice control button. Tap that, speak into your remote, and (supposedly) instantly navigate to whatever content you want to watch. Having the mic right on the remote should, at least in theory, be more accurate than the voice control clunkiness that plagues the Xbox One (its microphone sits by your TV). The Fire TV remote connects via Bluetooth, rather than infrared, so it doesn't need a clear line-of-sight with the set-top box.
Amazon's other big differentiating feature here is gaming. The company is selling a separate US$40 game controller that plays nicely with the Fire TV. Content looks a little slim at the moment, and we're definitely looking at mobile games blown up for your TV (a la Ouya). But the company did line up participation from 2012 Game of the Year The Walking Dead, as well as Minecraft and an Amazon exclusive, Sev Zero.
To run games natively, a set-top box is going to need beefier specs than we've seen from the previous players. So Amazon threw in a quad core processor, dedicated GPU, and 2 GB of RAM. As you might expect, its maximum output is 1080p.
The Fire TV retails for the same $100 as Apple TV (which is $65 more than Google's Chromecast). It's available today from the product page below.
Product page: AmazonShare
Chromecast should not even be compared with either the FireTV or AppleTV; it needs an external "starter" source, by that I mean you can't just switch to the Chromecast on your TV and browse or select anything.. With the other devices you don't need a browser plugin or app for your mobile phone.Paul Gregoire
2nd April, 2014 @ 12:45 pm PDT
Paul Gregoire "...need a browser plugin or app..."
That's not a bug; it's a feature.
The real issue is: Where can I buy a TV with 32 HDMI inputs?Anonymous756
3rd April, 2014 @ 01:18 pm PDT
@Anonymous756 The day after you break down and buy a TV with 32 HDMI inputs will be the day before the successor to HDMI is announced and naturally the TV will lack ports for the new standard :)Daishi
3rd April, 2014 @ 11:54 pm PDT
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Meir Panim delivers warmth, special care to families in need.
A fake gold bullion bar makes a fine gag gift, but think twice before making it part of your investment portfolio.
What would happen if the gold bars you bought from a reputable dealer were "salted" with tungsten?
Word has been spreading that some gold experts have cracked open the gold bars that they bought only to discover tungsten (a metal worth about one-fifth of the value of gold) inside. Since tungsten has a similar density to gold, it's easy to confuse people, amateurs and experts alike. With bars of gold that weigh ten ounces or more, using regular x-rays to determine the chemical composition of the metal doesn't work well since the x-rays don't penetrate deep enough.
Some alarmists have referred to the recent findings as evidence of a possible market-shattering conspiracy. What if there are hundreds or thousands of counterfeit bars of gold sitting in the vaults of companies and governments? If you can't trust that the gold you buy is genuine, would you really buy it? Regardless of the veracity of the possibility that gold supplies are tainted, if people simply think that they are, the price of the commodity could start tumbling.
An additional way that falsified gold bars can affect the price of gold is that it also increases the cost of ownership of gold, as there may be increased costs involved in higher level testing for purity.
Regardless of how you purchase your gold, beware of the possibility that the whole gold marketplace might be affected by some bad eggs… just a reminder that you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket, no matter how shiny it is.
Buying novelty fake gold coins or a 24K gold dipped real rose is fine if that is your aim, but before you buy gold for an investment, you might want to read my previous post on buying gold.
About the Author: Douglas Goldstein, CFP®, is the director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd, a financial planning and investment services firm located in Jerusalem. He specializes in working with clients who live outside of the United States and want to maintain a U.S. brokerage account. Doug's newest book, co-authored with Susan Polgar, about how using chess strategies to improve your finances, Rich As A King can be purchased at www.richasaking.com. He is a licensed financial professional both in the U.S. and Israel. Securities offered through Portfolio Resources Group, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, FSI. Accounts held at Pershing LLC., Member NYSE/SIPC, a subsidiary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. Neither Profile nor PRG gives tax or legal advice. Before immigrating to Israel, it is advisable to consult with a tax attorney who is knowledgeable about Israeli law. Contact at firstname.lastname@example.com
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gold should be no more then $300 per oz and that's the truth. I hope that all the gold is tainted. the rip off of the century. watch how prices tumble to the floor!
Comments are closed.
Why do you need to file an FBAR if you're a US citizen abroad? What happens if you don't?
Jews caring for one another, that is how I would explain Israel to someone.
As Iran becomes the North Korea of the Middle East, Nasrallah doesn't understand where all his friends went.
I pray each member of Knesset will represent the interests of the State of Israel & ALL its citizens
At no time did Kahlon say that he preferred to see Bibi in another term as PM-I don't trust him!
"Israel has nuclear weapons & it isn't afraid to use them if necessary-Does that frighten you? Good"
American Jews think they know what's best for Israel-better than Israelis. Here's my take…
An old Arab man yelled at me "You're stupid!" I returned the compliment; He had murder in his eyes.
Why do people feel the need to check their email 50X a day, constantly dipping in & out of Facebook?
Betar is the world-wide Zionist youth movement that refuses to be silent, and as our founder Ze'ev Jabotinsky wrote: "Silence is despicable."
Life in Europe's pre-War Yeshiva world makes today's rulings look like the Taliban has taken over.
Moshe's the 1st family member in thousands of years to have the honor of serving in a Jewish army
Often wig wearers become more attractive after marriage. Doesn't this turn the intent on its head?
US official interference in Israel's Elections is not only immoral but may be illegal under US law.
The greatest thing about leaving Israel is the joy in returning, hearing/seeing/smelling coming home
I never felt an election resonate so much; I had true existential fear that my candidate might lose
Why do you need to file an FBAR if you're a US citizen abroad? What happens if you don't?
Why do people feel the need to check their email 50X a day, constantly dipping in & out of Facebook?
How can you turn your passion into your business? How can you build your business around your life?
Find out about peak oil and how the production & sale of cheap oil has affected other oil sources
How do emotions affect the way that people make financial decisions?
Doug Goldstein talking to … Doug Goldstein
Discussing the mindset of $ and appreciating its value, and how to develop your inner entrepreneur
Why is it necessary to be accountable in business and in life? And how does it differ from guilt?
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An improved below-ground apparatus and method for fueling a vehicle through an inlet on a exposed tank bottom. The apparatus is characterized by a frame carrying an upwardly-facing nozzle, a lift to move the frame and the nozzle from a fully-retracted to an intermediate position and from the intermediate position to a position for full engagement with the inlet. The intermediate position is determined by sensing the vertical position of the tank bottom and, at the intermediate position, the nozzle member is positioned on the frame in vertical alignment with the inlet prior to final lifting. In preferred embodiments, a blower creates an air ride for the nozzle member facilitating its positioning on the frame, and another blower creates a vacuum to hold the nozzle member is proper position and to eliminate fuel vapors. The nozzle member is preferably conical in shape.
1. Below-ground apparatus for fueling a stationary vehicle on the ground above it through an inlet on an exposed vehicle tank bottom comprising:
a vertically-movable frame;
an upwardly-facing nozzle member carried by the frame;
lift means below the frame for moving the frame during each fueling operation between a retracted below-ground position in which the nozzle member is not engaged with the inlet and a fueling position in which the nozzle member and the inlet are engaged;
sensing means to sense the vertical position of said tank;
stopping means responsive to said sensing means to stop the lift means when the frame reaches an intermediate vertical position beneath the tank; and
positioning means to position the nozzle member on the frame in vertical alignment with said inlet, whereby further upward movement of the frame causes engagement of said nozzle member with said tank inlet.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensing means is means to sense the vertical position of said tank bottom.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said sensing means comprises probe means extendible vertically to contact said tank bottom.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:
said probe means includes means to keep it at its extended position of contact with said tank bottom and first signal means thereon; and
said responsive means has second signal means interactive with said first signal means when the frame reaches said intermediate position.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein one of said first and second signal means is a photocell device and the other of said first and second means is a reflector, said first and second means each being positioned and oriented to interact.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the frame includes means for supporting the nozzle member at horizontal positions in any radial direction from a fixed vertical axis, and means limiting the radial spacing of the nozzle member from said axis.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said positioning means comprises means to release the nozzle member from the frame to allow it to move horizontally with respect to said frame.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said positioning means further comprises means to move the nozzle member horizontally.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said release means is air-ride means.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein:
said support means includes an air bed having a generally horizontal upper surface with an array of apertures;
said limiting means includes an edge around said surface;
said release means includes blower means to supply air through said apertures to create an air cushion between the upper surface and the nozzle member; and
said nozzle member having a vertically-oriented outlet member and a base element with a horizontal lower surface on the upper surface of the support means.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the positioning means further comprises means to tilt the horizontal upper surface in various directions to move the nozzle member horizontally.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the positioning means further comprises means secured to the nozzle member to detect the location of the inlet, and means to deactivate the blower means in response to the detection means thereby allowing the nozzle member to come to rest on the horizontal upper surface in said vertical alignment.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising means to hold the nozzle member in such alignment during movement to the fueling position, said holding means comprising vacuum means to draw air through said apertures, said vacuum means serving also to withdraw fuel vapors and spillage during fueling.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the detecting means comprises photocell means.
15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the base element has a planar contact edge surrounding the lower surface, said lower surface being recessed from the planar contact edge.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said outlet member comprises a cone having a broad proximal end secured to the base element, a tapered wall extending from the proximal end to a narrow distal end, and a fuel outlet formed in the distal end.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the positioning means further comprises at least two photocell devices secured to the tapered wall and directed upwardly to detect reflector means the concurrent detection of which by said at least two photocell devices indicates alignment of the nozzle member with the inlet.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said nozzle member comprises a cone having a broad proximal end, a tapered wall extending from the proximal end to a narrow distal end, and a fuel outlet formed in the distal end.
19. The below-ground apparatus of claim 1 together with control means including an above-ground control panel positioned for operation from a vehicle before the vehicle is driven to a position above said below-ground apparatus.
20. A method for automatic fueling, without manual intervention of a stationary ground-supported vehicle through an inlet on an exposed vehicle tank bottom by means of below-ground apparatus beneath the vehicle comprising:
sensing the vertical position of the tank;
lifting a vertically-movable frame from a retracted below-ground position to an intermediate vertical position fixed by the sensing step, said frame carrying an upwardly-facing nozzle member which is not engaged with the inlet when the frame is in the retracted and intermediate positions;
positioning the nozzle member on the frame in vertical alignment with said inlet; and
further lifting the frame until the nozzle member engages the inlet, thereby allowing fueling to proceed.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein said sensing step comprises sensing the position of said tank bottom.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein said sensing step includes raising a probe means until it contacts said tank bottom.
23. The method of claim 22 including the further step, after said sensing step, of keeping the probe means in its position of contact with said tank bottom during said lifting step, said probe means including a first signal means.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein said frame has a second signal means interactive with the first signal means, and further including the step of discontinuing said lifting step in response to interaction of the first and second signal means.
25. The method of claim 20 wherein the positioning step includes releasing the nozzle member from engagement with the frame, moving it horizontally with respect to said frame, and depositing it back in contact with said frame.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the releasing step includes blowing air under the nozzle member to create an air-ride.
27. The method of claim 25 including the additional step, after said positioning step, of securing the nozzle member to the frame in its position of alignment.
28. The method of claim 27 wherein the securing step includes evacuating air around and beneath the nozzle member and the frame, said evacuating step serving also to remove fuel vapors and spillage during filling.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein the releasing step includes blowing air under the nozzle member to create an air-ride.
This invention relates to apparatus for transferring a liquid from fuel storage to a vehicle tank and, more particularly, to automatic fueling of vehicles at retail fueling stations.
Retail selling of gasoline and other vehicle fuels is a major industry throughout the world. By one reason recent estimate, there are on the order of 200,000 retail fuel service stations in the United States alone.
Such stations are referred to as either "full service" stations or "self service" stations, depending on whether a station employee or the customer himself is responsible for manipulating the pump, fuel hose, and valve structure into position for fueling the vehicle. In either case, however, substantial human activity is required by a person outside the vehicle in order to accomplish the fueling of the vehicle fuel tank.
The tremendous rise in the number of self-service stations in recent years has been one of very few significant changes in the methods of operating fuel stations. Many customers, particularly women drivers, are very reluctant to exit their vehicles and put themselves through the trouble of manipulating the hose and nozzle to fill their tanks. But many people, often the same people, are equally reluctant to pay the added costs of a full-service station.
In view of the extremely high volume of retail fuel sales, the high costs of providing full service, and the inconvenience for a customer of all the manipulative steps necessary for vehicle fueling, a need exists for improved fueling station methods and apparatus. A need also exists for improved safety in the operation of fueling stations.
A number of attempts have been made in the prior art to improve fueling procedures in the retail vehicle fueling industry. Some examples include the disclosures of the following U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,079,960 (Mays)
U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,020 (Darwin)
U.S. Pat. No. 3,364,940 (Ginsburgh et al.)
U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,320 (Ginsburgh et al.)
U.S. Pat. No. 3,502,117 (Nebelsiek et al.)
U.S. Pat. No. 3,527,268 (Ginsburgh)
U.S. Pat. No. 3,530,906 (Ginsburgh et al.)
U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,109 (Ginsburgh et al.)
U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,036 (Ginsburgh et al.)
U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,945 (Van Ness).
These patents describe various methods and types of apparatus for facilitating fueling, and for automatic fueling using overhead, on-ground or below-ground equipment. The Ginsburgh et al. patents describe in great detail an automatic overhead fueling system.
Each of the prior disclosures of automatic fueling apparatus and methods has substantial inherent practical problems. The apparatus in some cases is far too complex and costly. In some cases, the basic concepts for engaging fueling lines with the vehicle fuel tanks are impractical. One prior system undertakes the task of identifying vehicle types in order to locate and properly engage the fueling inlets on the hundreds if not thousands of kinds of vehicles. The practical technical problems encountered in such an undertaking are enormous, and such systems have not been successful.
It suffices to note here that a need exists for improved practical automatic vehicle fueling equipment and methods.
This invention involves a system--both a method and apparatus--for automatically filling liquid fuels into automobiles and other vehicles at vehicle fueling stations, without the need for manual intervention. The apparatus and method of this invention overcome many of the problems of systems of the prior art.
More specifically, this invention involves a specialized below-ground apparatus for fueling vehicles above it through an inlet located on the bottom of the vehicle tank. In the apparatus and method of this invention, a fueling nozzle protrudes upwardly from beneath the surface of the ground, under the control of special guidance and control means, to penetrate and engage a specialized receiving unit (or intake device) which is generally flush with the bottom of the vehicle fuel tank. The tank itself is exposed at the bottom of the vehicle, and preferably has a flat bottom.
Before operation of the below-ground apparatus of this invention can begin, a vehicle must be driven into position over the below-ground apparatus While such vehicle positioning is occurring, the below-ground apparatus is covered by a door or doors, preferably a pair of sliding doors which are generally flush with the ground. The doors are subsequently opened to expose the specialized filling apparatus.
Lines or other guidance means on or beside the path of the car enable the driver to drive the vehicle into a position at which the vehicle fuel tank is in approximately the right position over the specialized filling apparatus. Such proper approximate positioning of the vehicle over the specialized filling apparatus may be further aided by the use of a locating means, such as a wire protruding upwardly from the ground level, which signals when the vehicle is positioned with its fuel tank above the specialized filling equipment. A tank locator such as this can operate a signal light, or other signal means, to indicate to the driver when to stop the vehicle. Such a tank-locating means does not form a part of this invention.
The system is preferably arranged such that, prior to driving and parking the vehicle over the specialized filling apparatus, the driver has operated a control panel next to the vehicle pathway. In operating the control panel, the driver orders the desired amount of fuel and perhaps makes arrangements for payment via his credit card or by other means.
The details of such a control apparatus do not form a part of this invention. However, its location at a position along the vehicle path such that it can be operated prior to driving over the below-ground filling apparatus provides at least one of two advantages: It either allows the driver himself to park the vehicle in about the right position, that is, with the vehicle fuel tank over the below-ground apparatus, or it eliminates the need for a large and/or complex movable control panel of some sort, which could be operable by drivers of vehicles with fuel tanks located under their vehicles either near the front, near the back, or near the middle of the vehicle.
The below-ground apparatus itself includes a frame and means to lift the frame from a fully retracted position to an intermediate position, and from an intermediate position to an upward fueling position. In each of these positions, the frame is preferably centered on a vertical centerline defined by a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder forming the lift means. Carried by the frame is an upwardly-facing nozzle member which is free to move horizontally on the frame within defined limits. The nozzle member engages the inlet of the vehicle tank to fuel the tank through the tank bottom.
The below-ground apparatus of this invention also includes means to sense the vertical position of the tank. Such sensing is facilitated by the generally flat bottom of the fuel tank and by the fact that the fuel inlet on the tank bottom is generally centered on the tank bottom. The sensing means is preferably a probe which extends vertically upwardly from a retracted position to a position of contact with the tank bottom. After contacting the tank bottom, such probe remains in contact with the tank bottom for a subsequent operation. The probe is preferably operated by a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder.
When the sensing means has sensed the vertical position of the tank above it, the frame is lifted by its lift cylinder. The lifting of the frame toward the tank bottom continues until means responsive to the sensing means stops the lifting action. This occurs when the frame and nozzle member reach an intermediate position just below the tank bottom.
The probe which is preferably used as the means to sense the vertical location of the tank bottom, has a first signal means which is interactive with a second signal means carried by the frame. The first and second signal means are interactive when the frame reaches the intermediate position. One of the signal means is preferably a photocell light and the other a reflector, and these two devices face each other and are oriented on the same line to interact when the frame reaches the intermediate position, close to the vehicle tank.
The frame is stopped at the intermediate position in order that the nozzle, carried by the frame, can be moved horizontally on the frame as required to get into vertical alignment with the tank inlet above. To accomplish this, means to position the nozzle member is actuated. When such alignment is completed, the nozzle member is held in the proper position and the frame and nozzle are lifted until the nozzle engages the tank inlet.
The preferred positioning means is a means to release the nozzle member from the frame. A number of structural features of the frame assembly and the nozzle, as well as other parts of the below-ground apparatus, characterize a preferred release means.
The frame preferably has an bed member with a horizontal upper surface defining an array of apertures. The bed member has an upwardly-extending edge around it to retain the nozzle member on its horizontal upper surface. A blower supplies air through the apertures in the bed member. This provides an air cushion between the horizontal upper surface of the bed member and the nozzle during one step in the operation of this preferred embodiment. The nozzle member is released from its position of rest on the upper surface of the bed member by being lifted slightly above it and the nozzle member is thus free to move horizontally on the bed member.
The nozzle member is preferably designed to facilitate the air-ride release from the frame member. The nozzle member preferably includes a vertical outlet member and a base element having a horizontal lower surface adjacent to the upper surface of the bed member. The base element preferably has a planar contact edge and the lower surface is recessed. This helps to maximize the lifting power of air passing through the bed member apertures.
The outlet member of the nozzle member is preferably a cone with its broad proximal end attached to the base element and a tapered wall extending to a narrow distal end which defines a fuel outlet. This conical nozzle shape facilitates insertion of the nozzle member into the fuel inlet at the tank bottom.
The nozzle-positioning means also preferably has means to rapidly and repetitively tilt the bed member slightly in various directions to move the nozzle member horizontally in varying directions across the horizontal upper surface of the frame while the air-ride means is operating. During such movement, the nozzle will come into proper alignment with the inlet above.
And, the positioning means includes means on the nozzle member to detect the inlet location and to deactivate the air blower to end the air ride of the nozzle member. This causes the nozzle member to come to rest on the frame in a position of vertical alignment with the fuel tank inlet.
The detecting means is preferably a photocell means, most preferably including a pair of vertically-oriented photocell lights directed upwardly, one on either side of the tapered conical nozzle wall. A reflector ring, which is mounted on the tank concentrically with the fuel inlet, reflects beams emitted by each of the photocell lights when they hit it. When both of the photocell lights are receiving reflected beams, the nozzle member is in vertical alignment with the fuel inlet.
The concurrent reception of reflected light by the two photocell lights triggers a control device to deactivate the blower and activate another blower which sucks air downwardly through the apertures in the bed member. This not only allows the nozzle member to come to rest on the upper surface of the bed member, but serves to hold the nozzle member in place on it.
The condition of alignment also actuates the lift means to raise the frame and nozzle, now in the proper horizontal position, for its engagement with the fuel tank inlet. The fuel tank has an inlet member specifically designed to receive the specialized below-ground fueling apparatus of this invention. The inlet apparatus will be described in greater detail hereafter.
The method of this invention includes sensing the vertical position of the tank, lifting a nozzle-supporting frame, such as that described above, from a retracted below-ground position to an intermediate vertical position which is fixed by the tank sensing step, positioning the nozzle member which is carried by the frame at a position on the frame in vertical alignment with the fuel inlet, and further lifting the frame until the nozzle member engages the fuel inlet.
The sensing step preferably includes sensing the position of the tank bottom, most preferably by means of raising a probe until it contacts the tank bottom. The probe means is preferably kept in its position of contact with the tank bottom during the frame-lifting step and the probe means includes a first signal means. As described above, the frame preferably has a second signal means which is interactive with the first signal means and, when the first and second signal means interact, the lifting of the frame and nozzle are discontinued.
The positioning step, in which the nozzle member is placed at the right location with respect to the frame which carries it, preferably includes releasing the nozzle member from engagement with the frame, moving it horizontally with respect to the frame, and depositing it back in contact with the frame at the correct position, in vertical alignment with the fuel inlet. In the most preferred case, the releasing step includes blowing air under the nozzle member to create an air ride for the nozzle member. After the releasing step has been completed, the nozzle member is preferably secured to the frame in its position of alignment with the inlet.
Such securing step preferably includes evacuating air around and beneath the nozzle member. Such evacuating step also serves to remove fuel vapors and spillage during the pumping of fuel into the vehicle tank.
The below-ground apparatus of this invention may be constructed at modest cost and is relatively simple in construction and operation. The method and apparatus of this invention eliminate the necessity of human intervention in physically manipulating a fuel tank, fuel hose, and valve structure into the inlet of a vehicle fuel tank. This invention can reduce the safety concerns about manual operation of pumps for volatile fuels by inexperienced operators.
The apparatus and method of this invention eliminate the often unsightly above-ground fuel pumps which have been an unchanging characteristic of the vehicle service stations of the world since the dawn of the automotive age. This invention can revolutionize fuel retailing for automotive vehicles.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus and method for fueling vehicles.
Another object of this invention is to provide an automatic fueling system for vehicles which is practical in construction an operation.
Another object of this invention is to provide an automatic fueling system for retail fuel stations which is primarily below the ground.
Another object of this invention is to provide a below-ground apparatus for fueling vehicles which eliminates the need for above-ground pumps.
Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus and method for vehicle fueling which is convenient.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved automatic fueling system for vehicles which eliminates problems and dangers associated with the handling of volatile liquid.
These and other objects will be apparent from the following additional descriptions and from the drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partially broken away and partially in section (without background), of the below-ground apparatus of this invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the positioning of certain elements of this invention with respect to a vehicle.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of FIG. 1, with the overhead sliding doors in a slightly different position than shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of FIG. 3, partially in section.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side sectional view of a fuel-receiving unit (or "inlet member") on the bottom of a vehicle fuel tank, with its removable cover member and the nozzle member of the below-ground apparatus of this invention illustrated in phantom lines.
FIG. 6 is a bottom view of FIG. 5, with the cover of the receiving unit open.
FIGS. 7-10 are schematic side elevations illustrating the operation of the fueling system of this invention.
The figures illustrate a preferred below-ground fueling apparatus 20. FIG. 2 is a plan view which illustrates the location of the below-ground fueling apparatus, itself not shown.
Below-ground fueling apparatus 20 is beneath a pair of sliding doors 22. Sliding doors 22 move, in a direction parallel to the surface of the ground 46, away from the center line 24 of a fueling location 26. Vehicles 28 park one after another at location 26 for fueling.
Each vehicle 28 has a vehicle fuel tank 30 having an exposed, preferably flat, vehicle tank bottom 32 which is centered on the fore-to-aft centerline of vehicle 28. On tank bottom 32 is a fuel inlet member 34, illustrated best in FIGS. 1, 5, and 6. Fuel inlet member 34 includes an inlet 36 which is located along the vehicle centerline. Fuel tank 30 of vehicle 28, which is illustrated in FIG. 2, is located behind the rear axle. However, other locations along the vehicle centerline are equally acceptable.
Fuel location 26, in addition to having a centerline 24, has side guidelines 38 which are helpful to vehicle drivers in properly locating their vehicles on fueling location 26. Along the path leading to fueling location 26, on the driver's side, is an above-ground control panel 40 which is operated by the driver before he drives and parks his vehicle over below-ground fueling apparatus 20.
Control panel 40 may have a number of features and be operated in a number of different ways. The details of the operation of control panel 40 do not form part of this invention. However, the driver preferably orders the amount of gasoline he wants by operation of control panel 40 and thereafter drives vehicle 28 onto fueling location 26. This has the advantages described above.
The driver stops his vehicle when its fuel tank 30 is above sliding doors 22. This operation may be facilitated in the manner generally described above. Beside fueling location 26 is an indicator light panel 42 which displays a green light as vehicle 28 drives into fueling location 26, and, when vehicle 28 reaches the right position, displays a red light indicating that the vehicle should be stopped. In this way, when vehicle 28 is parked, its fuel tank 30 is approximately centered over the center of sliding doors 22 and thus in position for inlet 36 to be "found" and engaged for fueling.
FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 illustrate below-ground fueling apparatus 20 in detail. Fueling apparatus 20 is mounted in a pit 44 below the level of ground surface 46. Pit 44 includes sidewalls 48 and a floor 50, preferably all made of concrete. Floor 50 has a drain 52, such that water flowing into pit 44 will not collect there, but will exit pit 44. A short distance above floor 50 is a mounting plate 54. Mounting plate 54 is supported by legs 56 which may be adjusted to level mounting plate 54. In this way, imperfections in the construction of pit 44 can be accommodated.
In FIG. 1, sliding doors 22 are shown in the full open position, while in FIG. 3 they are shown in a partially open position Sliding doors 22 are mounted under and slide under vehicle support surfaces 58, which are stationary. In FIGS. 1 and 7-10, level ground surface 46 and the tires 60 of vehicle 28 thereon are illustrated to help visualize the position and orientation of the parts of the apparatus of this invention during operation.
Mounted on mounting plate 54 is a hydraulic supply 62, a fuel pump 64, a centrally-located main hydraulic lift cylinder 66, and first and second mounting pedestals 68 and 70, respectively. Mounted on first mounting pedestal 68 is a hydraulic probe cylinder 72 and a first blower 74. Mounted on second mounting pedestal 70 is a second blower 76.
Main hydraulic lift cylinder 66 includes a movable shaft 78. Affixed at the distal end 80 of movable shaft 78 is a circular pedestal plate 82. Four one-way spring-loaded valves 84 are space around the periphery of pedestal plate 82. One-way spring-loaded valves 84, along with a resilient elastic mounting bearing 86, serve to support a circular frame base plate 88. Resilient elastic mounting bearing 86 is between pedestal plate 82 and frame base plate 88, and allows frame base plate 88 to tilt slightly to accommodate off-center downward forces applied thereto, as can occur during insertion of the nozzle into the fuel tank inlet.
Frame base plate 88 is part of a frame assembly 90. Frame assembly 90 includes a frusto-conical funnel 92, the smaller end of which is rigidly attached to fram base plate 88. Rigidly attached to the upper wide end of frusto-conical funnel 92 is a flat horizontal bed member 94 which has a cylindrical edge wall 96 thereabout. Bed member 94 has a horizontal upper surface 95 which has an array of closely-spaced apertures 98 over its entire surface. Apertures 98 allow air to pass through bed member 94 in either direction. Frusto-conical funnel 92 defines an air plenum 100 beneath bed member 94.
First and second blowers 74 and 76 are in pneumatic communication with air plenum 100 by means of flexible air hoses 102 and 104, respectively. First blower 74 is arranged to draw air out of air plenum 100 and second blower 76 is arranged to blow air into air plenum 100, for purposes which will hereafter become apparent.
Secured to the inner surface 106 of cylindrical edge wall 96, and extending radially inwardly with respect to the centerline defined by main hydraulic lift cylinder 66, is a horizontal retainer ring 108. Retainer ring 108 has an inner edge 110 which defines an opening through which a portion of a nozzle member 112 extends.
Nozzle member 112, which is the portion of below-ground fueling apparatus 20 engageable with tank inlet 36 during fueling, is movable with respect to frame assembly 90. Nozzle member 112 includes a cone 114, which forms a vertically-oriented outlet member, and a base element 116. The details of nozzle member 112 are illustrated best in FIG. 4.
Base element 116 has a horizontal lower surface 118 which is generally parallel to and in contact with upper surface 95 of horizontal bed member 94. Base element 116 also includes a planar contact edge 120 which surrounds horizontal lower surface 118. Lower surface 118 is recessed somewhat from planar contact edge 120. As previously indicated, this configuration of the lower surface of nozzle member 112 facilitates its air ride on bed member 94.
Cone 114 has a broad proximal end 122, which is secured to base element 116, and a tapered wall 124 which extends upwardly from base element 116 to a narrow distal end 126. A fuel outlet 128 is formed in distal end 126. The tapering of cone 114 allows distal end 126 to be easily inserted into tank inlet 36 and, in doing so, to open inlet 36 in a manner hereafter explained. The conical configuration of nozzle member 112 also allows it to form a fluid-tight seal with respect to fuel inlet 36.
Liquid fuel reaches nozzle member 112 in the following manner: A fuel pipe 130 extends from a fuel storage tank not shown, which is underground as in existing service stations, to fuel pump 64. Another fuel pipe 132 extends from fuel pump 64 upwardly along one of the side walls 48 of pit 44 to a connection member 134. Extending from connection member 134 to a connection member 136 on cylindrical edge wall 96 is a flexible fuel line 138. The flexibility of fuel line 138 accommodates varying positions of frame assembly 90 with respect to connection member 134. A flexible fuel hose 140 runs from connection member 136 on cylindrical edge wall 96 to a connection member 141 on cone 114, the distal end 126 of which is inserted in tank inlet 36. Flexible fuel hose 140 is sufficiently supple to allow relatively free movement of nozzle member 112 with respect to frame assembly 90, as hereafter described.
Mounted on the movable shaft 142 of hydraulic probe cylinder 72 is a probe assembly 144. Probe assembly 144 includes a distal end member 146 which is supported at the end of movable shaft 142 by a spring 148. Distal end member 146 includes a stop member 150 which is positioned beside movable shaft 142 just above a stop switch 152 mounted thereon. When distal end member 146 engages tank bottom 32, movable shaft 142 will continue moving upwardly until stop switch 152 engages stop member 150. Control means actuated by stop switch 152 will deactivate hydraulic probe cylinder 172.
Also mounted on movable shaft 142 is a photocell light 154. As illustrated best in FIG. 3, a reflector mount 156 extends radially outwardly from cylindrical edge wall 96 and around movable shaft 142, and has a reflector 158 mounted thereon. Photocell light 154 is aimed horizontally in a radially-outward direction and reflector 158 is oriented along the same radius. By virtue of such location and orientation, the beam from photocell light 154 will hit reflector 158 and the reflection will return in the opposite direction to be sensed by photocell light 154. When frame assembly 90, which is being lifted by main hydraulic lift cylinder 66, reaches a position at which photocell light 154 and reflector 158 interact, a control means not shown is actuated to deactivate hydraulic lift cylinder 66.
Referring again to nozzle member 112, its base element 116 is circular and has a diameter less than the inner diameter of cylindrical edge wall 96. Cylindrical edge wall 96 serves as means to limit the horizontal movement of nozzle member 112 over upper surface 95 of bed member 94. Furthermore, base element 116 of nozzle member 112 and inner edge 110 of retainer ring 108 are dimensioned such that whatever position nozzle member 112 has with respect to upper surface 95, a portion of base element 116 will be located beneath retainer ring 108. Thus, nozzle member 112 will remain in a position with horizontal lower surface 118 of its base element 116 closely adjacent to upper surface 95 of bed member 94.
When second blower 70 is activated, the pressure in air plenum 100 rises and air will be rapidly blown through apertures 98. This air will form an air ride for nozzle member 112, as air is applied upwardly against horizontal lower surface 118. While nozzle member 112 is thus released from firm contact with bed member 94, the sequential, repeated rapid activation of one-way spring-loaded valves 84 causes a slight and variable tilting of upper surface 95 away from an exact horizontal orientation, which jostles nozzle member 112 slightly. This causes nozzle member 112 to move around upper surface 95 within the limits imposed by cylindrical edge wall 96.
Mounted on the opposite sides of tapered wall 124 of conical nozzle 114 are a pair of photocell lights 160 which are aimed vertically in an upward direction. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, a reflector ring 162 is on the bottom 32 of fuel tank 30, concentrically encircling fuel inlet 36. Reflector ring 162 has a diameter about equal to the horizontal dimension between the two photocell lights 160.
When nozzle member 112 is released from bed member 94 by the air ride previously described, its movement across bed member 94 will eventually position it such that both photocell lights 160 receive reflected signals back from reflector ring 162. This indicates that distal end 126 of nozzle member 112 is in vertical alignment with inlet 36. Concurrent signals from both of the photocell devices 160 actuates control means (not shown) which deactivates second blower 76. This terminates the air ride of nozzle member 112 and immediately deposits it on bed member 94, with the nozzle in vertical alignment with inlet 36.
The same signals also activate first blower 74, which creates a vacuum effect at upper surface 95 of bed member 94, drawing nozzle member 112 firmly against bed member 94 and serving to hold nozzle member 112 in place for subsequent engagement with inlet 36, as hereafter described.
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a preferred inlet member 34 which is substantially flush with tank bottom 32. Inlet member 34 is welded to an opening in tank bottom 32. Inlet member 34 has outer and inner horizontal walls 164 and 166, respectively, to which various elements are secured.
Outer horizontal wall 164 defines a circular opening 168 which is sized to receive distal end 126 of conical nozzle 114. Likewise, inner horizontal wall 166 has a circular opening 170 which is vertically aligned with circular opening 168 and which is sufficient in size to receive at least a portion of the tip of distal end 126 of cone 114.
Secured about opening 170 and extending upwardly into fuel tank 30 is a standpipe 172. Standpipe 172 has an inverted J-shaped configuration and terminates in an outlet end 174. Gasoline or other liquid fuel pumped through standpipe 172 passes through outlet end 174 into fuel tank 30, and standpipe 172 serves to contain fuel within fuel tank 30 by isolating the fuel from its inlet 36. At outlet end 174 is a cover 176 which is biased to a closed position by a wrap spring 178. Cover 176, however, allows ready passage of fuel into fuel tank 30.
Standpipe 172 has an outwardly flared lead end 180, which is widest at is point of attachment to inner horizontal wall 166. The inside surface of outwardly flared lead end 180 has a elastic seal material 182 bonded thereto which, when engaged by distal end 126 of cone 114, provides sealed engagement to prevent leakage of fuel during fueling. Likewise, an elastic annular static edge seal 184 is engaged about circular opening 168. Edge seal 184 is located and dimensioned to provide a additional fluid-tight seal against tapered wall 124 of cone 114 during filling of fuel tank 30.
On the inside surface 186 of outer horizontal wall 164 are four sector doors 188 which together cover inlet 36. Sector doors 188 are hinge-mounted and are biased by springs 190 to a horizontal closed position. Sector doors 188 are opened by the insertion of distal end 126 into opening 168 and, during the pumping of fuel through conical nozzle 114 and stand pipe 172, sector doors 188 press against tapered wall 124 of cone 114. Upon withdrawal of cone 114 from opening 168, sector doors 188 close.
Reflector ring 162, previously described, is secured on the outside surface 192 of outer horizontal wall 164. Reflector ring 162 serves to help align conical nozzle 114 with inlet 36.
Covering essentially the entire inlet member 34 is a protective door 194. Protective door 194 is biased by a coil spring 196 to a closed position but may be moved by a cable (not shown), operable by the driver from the driver seat, to uncover inlet member 34. Protective door 194 serves to shield sector doors 188 and reflector ring 162 from road dirt and the like.
A further explanation of the apparatus of this invention will result from a description of the method of this invention, made with particular reference to sequential FIGS. 7-10, as follows:
FIG. 7 illustrates both probe assembly 144 and frame assembly 90, which carries nozzle member 112, in their fully retracted positions. However, a vehicle having tires 60 and fuel tank 30 is positioned over below-ground fueling apparatus 20. The driver of the vehicle has already given instructions for his fuel order using control panel 40. Such instructions were given prior to positioning his vehicle as shown in FIG. 7. And, since the driver followed centerline 24 and any other indicator in use in driving onto fueling location 26, tank bottom 32 and fuel inlet member 34 of his vehicle are positioned generally above frame assembly 90 and nozzle 112 of the below-ground filling apparatus.
In FIG. 8, movable shaft 142 has been driven upwardly as hydraulic probe cylinder 72 is operated. Distal end member 146 of probe assembly 142 has engaged tank bottom 32, and the continued upward movement of movable shaft 142 has caused stop switch 152 to engage stop member 150. This has terminated the upward movement of movable shaft 142 by control means not shown. However, such probe assembly 144 remains in its upward position, as illustrated in FIG. 8.
In FIG. 9, frame assembly 90 has been lifted by main hydraulic lift cylinder 66 until reflector 158, which is carried by reflector mount 156 of frame assembly 90, has reached the horizontal beam of photocell light 154. The interaction of these two signal means deactivates main hydraulic lift cylinder 66, and frame assembly 90 remains in this intermediate position as nozzle member 112 "finds" the position on bed member 94 at which it is vertically aligned with inlet 36.
FIG. 9 illustrates such positioning step. The interaction of photocell light 154 and reflector 158, previously described, also actuates second blower 76 which provides an air ride for nozzle member 112 just above horizontal bed member 94. During such air ride, nozzle member 112 is in frequent loose bumping contact with upper surface 95 of bed member 94. Such jostling contact is caused in part by the operation, at that time, of the one-way spring-loaded valves 84. One-way spring-loaded valves 84 are repetitively and sequentially actuated to rapidly tilt bed member 94 slightly in varying directions. Such tilting is in various directions slightly away from the usual horizontal orientation of upper surface 95. This causes nozzle member 112 to move about bed member 94 within the limits imposed by cylindrical edge wall 96.
When the two photocell lights 160, not shown in FIG. 9, concurrently receive return reflections from reflector ring 162, also not shown in FIG. 9, second blower 76 is deactivated and first blower 74 is activated. This immediately terminates the air ride for nozzle member 112 and causes it to be drawn firmly against bed member 94. It also causes the reactivation of main hydraulic cylinder 66, to resume the lifting of frame assembly 90 and nozzle member 112 upwardly into engagement with inlet 36, as will shortly be described with reference to FIG. 10.
First blower 74, which provides a vacuum means, and resilient elastic mounting bearing 86 both serve to facilitate successful engagement of conical nozzle member 112 with fuel tank inlet 36. As noted, first blower 74 acts through bed member 94 to hold nozzle member 112 firmly against upper surface 95. During the insertion of cone 114 into tank fuel inlet 36, if cone 114 is not precisely aligned with the center of inlet 36, frame assembly 90 can tilt slightly by virtue of resilient elastic mounting bearing 86 to accommodate such slight off-center conditions. And, the vacuum created by first blower 74, which holds nozzle member 112 in its position on bed member 94, is weak enough that it will permit additional horizontal movement of nozzle member 112 with respect to bed member 94. In this way, when cone 114 is fully engaged with inlet 36, it can be at or extremely close to the true center of inlet 36.
FIG. 10 illustrates the full upward position of frame assembly 90 and the full engagement of nozzle member 112 with fuel inlet 36. As previously noted, main hydraulic lift cylinder 66 lifted frame assembly 90 from the intermediate position of FIG. 9 to the fully-raised position of FIG. 10. Such lifting action is deactivated by the tripping of a stop switch 198, which is attached to the outside of cylindrical edge wall 96 of frame assembly 90. When stop switch 198 engages tank bottom 32, main hydraulic lift cylinder 66 is again deactivated, through control means not shown.
By then, cone 114 of nozzle member 112 has penetrated inlet 36, pushing sector doors 188 open and reaching sealed engagement with seal material 182 and edge seal 184, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The operation of stop switch 198 also activates fuel pump 64 and fuel passes through fuel pipe 130, fuel pipe 132, connection member 134, flexible fuel line 138, connection member 136, flexible fuel hose 140, and finally into nozzle member 112 through connector 141, to exit fuel outlet 128 in distal end 126 of cone 114.
From there, fuel passes through standpipe 172 into fuel tank 30. Fueling ends according to the instruction provided by the vehicle driver by means of control panel 40. Fueling can be ended by means of a control associated with cover 176 at outlet end 174 of standpipe 172, or by any other appropriate means.
Venting can be accomplished in various ways. For example, vent means can be run parallel to standpipe 172 and provision made in nozzle member 112 for that purpose. Or, since each fuel tank has another inlet, accessed from the side or back of the vehicle, the cap on such inlet can have a pressure-opening vent which will relieve the raised pressure within the tank which can occur during fueling.
During fueling, first blower 74 not only serves to hold nozzle member 112 at the correct horizontal location on bed member 94, but also serves to remove fuel vapors and any fuel spillage which occurs during filling. Removal of fuel vapors is an environmental problem the solution of which has been addressed by the industry. The apparatus of this invention not only provides a convenient fuel-filling method, but can minimize the release of fuel vapors into the atmosphere. Additional equipment (not shown) is required to clean the air removed by first blower 74.
After fueling is completed, main hydraulic lift cylinder 66 retracts. Retainer ring 108, which is a part of frame assembly 90, serves to engage base element 116 of nozzle member 112 and assist in withdrawing nozzle member 112 with inlet 36. Main hydraulic cylinder 66 and hydraulic probe cylinder 72 fully retract and first blower 74 is turned off. The control mean not shown resets itself in preparation for the next vehicle to be fueled.
The apparatus of this invention may be made using available materials and assembly methods. As previously noted, pit 44 is constructed of concrete, and mounting plate 54 is preferably a thick steel plate. Vehicle support surfaces 58 may be steel grating strong enough to carry the weight of an vehicle driving thereover. Sliding doors 22 may also be made of steel plates sufficient to support the weight of vehicles driving thereover when they are closed.
Hydraulic supply 62 may be a standard hydraulic supply mechanism. Fuel pump 64 may be a high-pressure pump designed to fill fuel tanks at a rapid rate. However, a slower pumping rate may be used. The fuel pipes and fuel lines will be chosen to accommodate the fuel pressures selected and the rate of flow selected. Flexible fuel line 138 and flexible fuel hose 140 will be made of materials which are not attacked by the gasoline or other fluid fuel pumped by the filling system of this invention. Fuel line 138 is preferably a flexible metal tube made of a closely-coiled metal strip. Such tubes are commercially available. Flexible fuel hose 140 preferably is made of a supple material so that it will not restrain the air-ride movement of nozzle member 112. One suitable material for flexible fuel hose 140 is neoprene. Instead of being made of a single piece, flexible fuel hose may be may of a plurality of sections oriented in different directions and interconnected by flexible elbows. Such a construction can impose very little resistance to the air-ride action of nozzle member 112.
Main hydraulic lift cylinder 66 and hydraulic probe cylinder 72 may be chosen from existing hydraulic lift equipment. Appropriate switching and control means (not shown) will be apparent to those skilled in the art who are familiar with this invention.
First and second blowers 74 and 76 may be selected from commercially-available blower equipment, and air hoses 102 and 104 may similarly be selected from available materials. In selecting hoses 102 and 104, materials which are insoluble to the liquid fuel should be selected.
Pedestal plate 82 and frame base plate 88 are preferably sturdy steel plates. One-way spring-loaded valves 84 may be selected from commercially-available devices. Resilient elastic mounting bearing 86 may be made of natural rubber or synthetic elastomers chosen for strength and durability, and resistance to attack by the liquid fuel. Frusto-conical funnel 92, flat horizontal bed member 94, and cylindrical edge wall 96 are all of strong metal construction.
Nozzle member 112 is preferably made of a light-weight metal such as aluminum or of a rigid strong plastic material such as fluorinated high-density polyethylene or a rigid unplasticized polyvinyl chloride. Cone 114 may be integrally formed with base element 116 or the two elements may be connected.
Photocell lights 154 and 160 are sending and receiving units which are commercially available. Reflectors 158 and 162 are also of a commercially-available type. Outer horizontal wall 164, inner horizontal wall 166, standpipe 172 and sector doors 188 are all preferably of steel construction. Sector doors 188 may be coated with a sealing layer so that together they form a reasonable fluid-tight seal when the nozzle member is withdrawn.
Seal material 182 and edge seal 184 may be made of neoprene, a fiber-reinforced elastomer, or any sealing material which is immune to attack by the fluid fuel.
Substantial variations may be made in the apparatus described. For example, variations may be made in the means by which the vertical position of tank is sensed. And, a variety of sensing means could be used to determine when frame assembly 90 has reached its intermediate position just below fuel tank 30. Likewise, a variety of sensing means can be used to determine when nozzle member 112 is vertically aligned with inlet 36. Many structural variations are possible as well.
While the principles of this invention have been described in connection with specific embodiments, it should be understood clearly that these descriptions are made only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
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