Fuel dispensing vapor eliminating valve

A cylindrical valve having a fuel dispensing passage and a vapor receiving passage therein which are both simultaneously blocked or unblocked by butterfly valves controlled by a plunger which protrudes from one end of the cylinder and has a rack defined thereon which engages with pinion gears which in turn engage two valve shafts and rotate the valve plates. A spring or similar biasing element moves the plunger to the position under which the valve plates close the passages whenever the plunger is not forcibly depressed against the spring.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to apparatus used to eliminate fuel 
vapors commonly emitted from fuel tanks and fuel dispensing nozzles during 
the refueling process. Specifically, the present apparatus disclosed 
herein is a valve which may be adapted to fuel dispensing nozzles either 
formed as an integral part thereof or threaded therein which will allow 
the user to easily dispense fuel and syphon off the vapors which are 
emitted during that process. 
2. Description of the Relevant Art 
The relevant art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,133,566, issued in 1964 to Hoss 
entitled: "Fueling Device", which discloses fueling device for feeding 
liquid fuel from a gas pump to a fuel tank vehicle including, a gas pump, 
a filling hose extending from and connected with the gas pump, a first 
coupling element having a first spring biased valve therein and being 
secured to the free end of said filling hose, a nozzle having a second 
coupling element and including means for opening said first spring biased 
valve, the first coupling element being connectable with the second 
coupling element simultaneously opening the first spring biased valve for 
a free flow of the fuel from the filling hose to the nozzle, a fuel tank 
adapted to be mounted in a vehicle, a filling line extending from and 
being secured to the fuel tank, a third coupling element having a second 
spring biased valve therein and secured to the free end of the filling 
line, and an intermediate fourth coupling element having means for opening 
said second spring biased valve opposite said second spring biased valve 
and being opened at its opposite ends, the first coupling element being 
connected selectively directly with the third coupling element to provide 
a direct connection between the first and third coupling elements and 
indirectly with the third coupling element by means of an intermediate 
connection of the first coupling element with the second coupling element 
and of the third coupling element with the fourth coupling element, 
providing an indirect connection of the first coupling element with the 
third coupling element, and the first valve and the second valve being 
opened simultaneously and the nozzle being received in the open end of the 
fourth coupling element during the indirect connection between the first 
and third coupling elements; U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,706 issued in 1980 to 
McGahey entitled "Closed Fuel System With Vacuum Assist", which includes a 
tight seal at the vehicle-nozzle interface for those vehicles which permit 
it, a vacuum assist device adapted to aid in collecting vapors from those 
vehicles the tanks of which cannot be sealably engaged, and the use of a 
positive displacement reciprocatory hydraulic motor which is driven by the 
dispensed gasoline flow, the motor thus actuates this reciprocatory vapor 
pump, thereby controlling the volume of vapor pumped in relation to the 
volume of gasoline dispensed; U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,536 issued in 1982 to 
Moss, entitled "Gasoline Dispensing Nozzle" discloses a nozzle having a 
valve housing and an elongated tube extending therefrom, the nozzle is 
provided with at least a slot near its open end, a latch is mounted within 
the nozzle which is movable between a first position, extending outwardly 
of the slot and a second position inwardly within the nozzle, the latch 
may be spring biased or normally controlled to extend outwardly, so that 
once inserted within the vehicle, the gas tank will lockingly engage under 
its lip, the latch is provided with structure operable from the exterior 
of the nozzle which can selectively retrack the latch and release the 
nozzle from the gas tank; U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,725 issued in 1984 to 
Walker, entitled "Dispensing Nozzle for Vacuum Assist Vapor Recovery 
System", discloses an automatic shut-off nozzle adapted to be utilized in 
a vacuum assist type vapor recovery system, including, a nozzle body 
having an inlet and an outlet for liquid to be dispensed, a filling spout 
attached to the nozzle body adapted for loose fitting reception in a 
vehicle tank fill pipe and having an internal conduit for liquid 
connecting to the body outlet and an external conduit for vapor return 
surrounding the liquid conduit, the two conduits defining an annular 
passage for conducting vapor from the vehicle tank to a vapor return 
conduit means in the nozzle body, a valve in the body for controlling the 
flow of liquid through the body from the inlet to the outlet, a manually 
operated means for controlling the operation of the valve and, vacuum 
responsive release means to allow closing of the valve and stoppage of 
liquid flow when a predetermined partial vacuum is induced within the 
nozzle, venturi means responsive to liquid flow through the body for 
including a partial vacuum and an interconnecting passage between the 
vapor return conduit means to the venturi means normally allowing the flow 
of vapor from the vapor return conduit means to the venturi means to limit 
the partial vacuum induced, thereby, and the interconnecting passage being 
located at a point in the vapor return conduit which becomes full of 
liquid at such times when liquid begins to be aspirated from the vehicle 
tank through the vapor return conduit, and a check valve within the nozzle 
body for closing the vapor return conduit valve which is actuated to the 
open position by liquid pressure within the nozzle body when the control 
valve and the nozzle body are open; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,987 issued in 
1989 to Faeth, entitled, "Liquid Fuel Blockage Removal Device With A 
Venturi and bypass Passages", discloses a device for mounting in a fuel 
dispensing hose that has a flexible inner tube defining the fuel conduit, 
and a tubular outer sleeve that defines with the inner tube an annular 
vapor return passage, and the device includes an aspirating block adapted 
for serial connection with inner tube within the outer sleeve, and the 
section comprises a cylindrical block that is connected in series with 
ends of the inner tube and defines a venturi or jet pump forming part of 
the fuel conduit, and the block also includes bypass passages for fuel to 
bypass the venturi and to increase the fuel flow through the block, and 
the aspirating block also has radial aspirator ports which communicate 
between the venturi throat or jet pump and the annular vapor return 
passage, and each radial aspirating port includes a check valve to permit 
only one way fuel flow from the fuel outlet to the vapor passage. 
As can be seen the aforementioned prior art while related to the present 
apparatus disclosed herein either deals with the problem of controlling 
the fueling of a tank, the dispensing of fuel and only peripherally the 
related problem of controlling fuel vapors by passive means if at all. 
However, these generally fail to disclose a simple valve which is 
adaptable to the conventional fuel pump found at most fuel dispensing 
stations which allows the collection of vapors in an amount proportional 
to the fuel dispensed into a fuel tank and operable by the displacement by 
dispensed fuel without the necessary assist of vapor pumps or a hydraulic 
motor. Furthermore, the relevant art fails to disclose an apparatus which 
will keep fuel from flowing through the fuel nozzle unless the fuel vapors 
can be drawn for proper disposal, provide a channel for the evaporative 
vapors to travel through for disposal and prevent the loss or leakage of 
vacuum from any fuel nozzle that is not in use that would reduce the 
efficiency of those that are being used. It should be noted that the 
present apparatus disclosed herein accomplishes all the aforementioned 
objectives mentioned above. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is to be used to collect, control and eliminate fuel 
vapors emitted from fuel pump nozzles and fuel tank filler necks or 
openings during the filling of a fuel tank, including, a substantially 
cylindrical container having a front end and a rear end, the container is 
further defined by a fuel dispensing passage running from the front to the 
rear end terminating in respective first and second apertures therein, the 
container is further defined by a vapor receiving passage running from the 
front to the rear end terminating in respective third and fourth apertures 
therein, first means operably engaged with the fuel dispensing and vapor 
receiving passages and the container for simultaneously blocking or 
unblocking of the passages, and a second means operably engaged with the 
first means for actuating same . The second means includes a plunger 
having a rack defined thereon as well as an indentation separate from the 
rack. Furthermore, the first means is to be understood to include valve 
plates, like butterfly valves, located in each of the passages that 
operates simultaneously with the action of the rack which is engaged with 
pinion gears which are in turn engaged with the valve. When the plunger is 
depressed the pinion gears connected to the valve shafts rotate and open 
each of the butterfly valves. Unless the valve in the fuel passage is open 
the automatic fuel valve will not dispense any fuel. As the fuel enters 
the fuel tank any evaporatives are drawn off through the vapor receiving 
passage. This vapor receiving passage may be connected to an evacuator 
hose that can deliver the vapors to a storage facility, and the vapors 
will be forced through this passage by the filling of the fuel tank. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a valve which may be 
used with all conventional service station pump nozzles without any 
expensive changes or modifications thereto. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a valve which may 
be installed by removing the nozzle portion of a conventional fuel pump 
and threading the valve therein, or which may simply be built as an 
integral part thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 shows invention 10 having front end 14 and rear end 16. As can be 
seen invention 10 is shaped like a cylinder 12. It should be noted that 
around front end 14 is a sealing gasket 18 made of a predetermined 
resilient material. Sealing gasket 18 could possibly be made from rubber 
or like material. Additionally, invention 10 has vapor receiving passage 
20 and fuel dispensing passage 22 which run the full length of invention 
10 and have corresponding apertures in front end 14 and rear end 16, which 
are not shown. Furthermore, invention 10 as shown in FIG. 1 depicts a 
nonoperational mode whereby plunger 24 protrudes from front end 14. 
FIG. 2 which is a cross sectional view of FIG. 1 taken across line 28a-28b 
shows again cylinder 12 having front end 14 rear end 16 as well as sealing 
gasket 18 and vapor receiving passage 20 and fuel dispensing passage 22. 
Additionally, plunger 24 is know shown in a recessed or operational mode 
and as can be seen plunger 24 is configured to have the extent of slidable 
movement controlled by plunger stop 30. As shown in this operational mode 
invention 10 has valve plates 32a and 32b in an open position allowing 
fuel and vapor to flow through vapor recieving passage 20 and fuel 
dispensing passage 22. Also, it should be noted that the plunger 24 is 
further configured to have a rack thereon which will engage pinion gears 
36a and 36b which turn on valve shafts 34a and 34b which in turn are 
engaged with valve plates 32a and 32b. Return spring 40 is shown in a 
depressed configuration and will return plunger 24 to a protruding 
position as indicated in FIG. 1 when pressure is no longer applied to 
plunger 24. It should be understood that plunger 24 will be depressed when 
the valve is placed into contact with a fuel tank neck not shown. 
Returning briefly to FIG. 1 it should be noted that plunger 24 is 
positioned off center such that it may conveniently be depressed during 
the fueling of a fuel tank and not impede the flow of fuel or vapor. 
FIG. 3 depicts the identical components as disclosed in FIG. 2 except for 
the fact that it shows the plunger, valve plates 32a and b in a closed 
position as well as pinion gears 36a and b, and return spring 40 is no 
longer depressed. 
As can be seen FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of invention 10 taken across 
line 26a-26b as shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of 
sealing gasket 18 on front end 14, rear end 16, valve plates 32a and b, 
valve shafts 38a and b and pinion gears 36a and b. FIG. 4 shows the valve 
plates and pinion gears in an open mode corresponding to that shown 
previously in FIG. 2. 
FIG. 5 is a cross-section of invention 10 taken across line 26a-b as shown 
in FIG. 1. Additionally, FIG. 5 corresponds generally to a closed mode of 
invention 10 disclosing no new components and corresponds generally to 
FIG. 3 as previously discussed. 
The aforementioned description of the preferred embodiment is not meant to 
be inclusive nor limiting with respect to the invention 10. 
Furthermore, more complete understanding of the invention disclosed herein 
will be received upon review of the appended claims.