Patent Publication Number: US-8118250-B1

Title: Fuel tanker truck accessory and associated methods

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates primarily to the field of fuel delivery and, more particularly, to an accessory for a fuel delivery tanker truck, the accessory having a warning strap which extends from the tanker to visually define a restricted access area within which fuel is being transferred and its associated methods. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Fuel delivery tanker trucks typically resupply automotive fuel service stations on an as-needed basis. The tanker truck is stationed somewhere on the property of the service station near fill pipes for underground storage tanks (UST). The tanker driver opens the access door to the UST, deploys fuel delivery hoses, connects the hoses to the tanker outlets and delivers fuel from the tanker to the UST. Because most service stations are quite busy with motor vehicle traffic, an automobile or other motorized vehicle will often run over the fuel delivery hoses causing at least damage to the hoses. Of more serious concern is the possibility that a vehicle running over a hose may cause the hose to accidentally disconnect while delivering fuel, thus causing a sudden fuel spill, which could be not only environmentally damaging and potentially explosive, but also quite expensive to clean. Moreover, by traversing the area in which the fuel transfer operation is taking place, a motor vehicle could also run over, hit or otherwise cause injury to the tanker truck driver or service station personnel. To date, there has been no effective way to discourage drivers from running over fuel delivery hoses. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     With the foregoing in mind, the present invention advantageously provides a method of resupplying fuel to a storage tank, particularly an underground storage tank (UST) in an automobile service station. The method relies on an accessory for a fuel tanker truck. The accessory serves to house a warning strap which may be extended therefrom to define a restricted access area within which one or more fuel hoses are deployed for the fuel transfer operation. 
     A method of the invention, in one embodiment, includes delivering fuel from a fuel tanker truck to an underground storage tank (UST) at a service station. The method calls for stationing the tanker truck near a fill inlet of the storage tank. A warning strap carried by the tanker truck is extended toward the fill inlet of the storage tank and an end of the warning strap is releasably secured to an object near the fill inlet. A fuel hose is deployed from the tanker truck extending generally codirectionally with the warning strap and the hose is connected to the fill inlet of the storage tank. The fuel hose is also connected to an outlet valve on the tanker truck. An outlet valve on the fuel tanker is opened to deliver fuel through the fuel hose to the storage tank. 
     In another method, a restricted access operations area is visually defined by pulling the warning strap carried by the tanker truck and extending the warning strap toward the UST, releasably attaching an end of the warning strap to a support near the UST. A fuel hose is deployed from the tanker truck extending generally in the direction of the warning strap and is then connected to the fill inlet of the UST. The hose is also connected to an outlet valve on the tanker truck and an outlet valve is opened to deliver fuel from the tanker truck through the fuel hose to the UST. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Some of the features, advantages, and benefits of the present invention having been stated, others will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, presented solely for exemplary purposes and not with intent to limit the invention thereto, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the accessory installed on a tanker truck, according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  provides an exploded view of the tanker truck accessory shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  depicts the accessory of  FIG. 1  installed on a tanker truck and having the warning strap extended; 
         FIG. 4  shows an environmental view of the present invention visually defining a restricted access fuel delivery operations area; 
         FIG. 5  depicts a tanker truck driver delivering fuel to an underground storage tank while working within the restricted access area defined by the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a flow diagram illustrating a method of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. Unless otherwise defined, technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods and materials are described below. In addition, any materials, methods and examples given are illustrative in nature only and not intended to be limiting. Accordingly, this invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the illustrated embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these illustrated embodiments are provided solely for exemplary purposes so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, and from the claims. 
       FIGS. 1 through 6  illustrate an accessory configured specifically for being bolted or otherwise permanently attached to a fuel tanker truck, as described above, and its associated methods. The accessory contains a warning strap which may be extended from the tanker truck to cordon-off an area. 
       FIGS. 1-3 , show views of the present invention which discloses an accessory  10  for a tanker truck, now described in more specific detail with particular reference to the exploded view shown in  FIG. 2 . The accessory  10  of the invention comprises an outer housing  12  having an inner cavity  14  defined by one or more side walls  16 , a bottom cover  18 , a top cover  20  and a plurality of openings  22  extending through said outer housing to therein matingly receive a plurality of fasteners (not shown). Housing  12  and, generally, the component parts of the present invention may be manufactured of 6061 aluminum, for durability. As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the accessory  10  is preferably attached to a tanker truck, the connection preferably being effected by connecting threaded fasteners through the openings  22  in the outer housing  12 . In the outer housing  12  is a spool  24  having an axial shaft  26  and top and bottom spaced apart endplates  28 , said shaft having a center portion  30  between said endplates, a top end  32  extending through the top cover  20  and a bottom end  34  rotatably associated with the bottom cover so as to support said spool within the inner cavity of said outer housing. A strap anchor plate  35  is associated with the center portion  30  of the axial shaft  26  of said spool  24 . Top and bottom bearings  36  are concentrically disposed respectively on the top  32  and bottom  34  shaft ends between the spool endplates  28  and the associated top  20  and bottom  18  outer housing covers so as to aid said spool  24  to rotate about the axial shaft  26 . Bearings  36  are preferably manufactured of high quality stainless steel. 
     A rotatable member  38 , which may be a thumbwheel, as best shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , is attached to a spool shaft end  32  which extends through the top cover  20  so as to permit manual rotation of said spool  24 . A coil spring housing  40  is disposed on the bottom end  34  of said axial shaft  25  between the bottom spool endplate  28  and the bottom bearing  36 . A coil spring  42  is positioned in said coil spring housing  40  and engaged with said axial shaft  26  so as to bring a biasing force to bear thereon. 
     A brake housing  44  has a slit opening  46  and is positioned on said one or more sidewalls  16 , the slit communicating with said inner cavity. A pair of strap rollers  48  is positioned in said brake housing spaced apart so that an imaginary plane passing through the slit opening extends therebetween. A strap  50  has a first end (not shown) secured to said axial shaft  26  by said strap anchor plate  35 , said strap being wound on said spool  24  and having a second end  52  passing outwardly from said outer housing through the slit opening along the imaginary plane extending between said strap rollers. A biasing member  54 , preferably a torsion spring, urges at least one roller in said pair of strap rollers  48  toward contacting the other roller in the pair so as to provide a frictional braking action against said strap  50 . A manually actuated member  56  extends outwardly from said outer housing and is connected to the at least one roller  48  urged by said biasing member  54  so as to optionally discontinue the braking action. A connector  58  is positioned at a second end of said strap  50  and outside said outer housing  12  so as to allow said strap to be releasably connected to a support. As noted above, these structural features of the present tanker truck accessory are shown in the exploded view provided in  FIG. 2 . The frictional braking action, when applied, serves to relieve spring tension on the warning strap so that the strap exerts little pull on whatever support the second end  52  is connected to. For example, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the tanker truck driver may elect to hook strap end  52  to a common traffic cone which due to its generally light weight, would tend to be pulled over were the strap under continuous spring tension. When the brake is released, either manually by actuation of member  56  or automatically by extending the strap to its limit, the strap will be retracted into housing  12  by action of spring coil  42  on the spool shaft  26 . A spring coil  42  strong enough to automatically retract a fully extended strap  50  will generate sufficient force to knock down a typically traffic cone that the strap may be secured to, unless the strap has a brake applied to it to release the tension, as in the present invention. Rotatable member  38  may be used to manually rewind the strap  50  in the event spring coil  42  fails to automatically retract the strap. 
     The skilled will recognize that the strap is preferably made of a strong, weather and chemical resistant material, and particularly resistant to petroleum products, such as heavy gauge polyester weave. The strap material preferably includes at least a reflective section to improve visibility of the strap under vehicle headlamp illumination. Moreover, the strap could bear indicia such as a trademark, or warnings such as “no smoking” or “do not enter.” The connector  58 , shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  to be a hook-like device, is best made of a material which resists generating sparks. Connector  58  could include a magnet to aid in connecting the end of the strap to a ferrous metallic object such as a lamp post. A hook style connector  58  is useful in connecting the strap to a traffic cone, as shown in the figures. 
     In another embodiment, the tanker truck accessory  10  comprises an outer housing  12  having an inner cavity  14  defined by one or more side walls  16 , a bottom cover  18 , a top cover  20  and a plurality of openings  22  extending through said outer housing to therein receive a plurality of fasteners. A spool  24  is rotatably supported within the inner cavity  14  of said outer housing  12 . A first biasing member  42  is engaged with said spool  24  so as to bring a biasing force to bear rotatably thereon. A slit  46  opening provides an outlet from said inner cavity  14  and a strap  50  is secured to and wound on said spool  24  having a free end  52  passing outwardly through said slit opening. A pair of frictional members  48  are disposed flanking said slit  46  opening, at least one frictional member of the pair being biased into the other member of the pair so as to constitute a frictional brake operable on said strap  50 . A manual brake actuator  56  is connected to at least one of said pair of frictional members  48  so as to manually engage or disengage the frictional brake and a connector  58  is positioned at a free end of said strap outside said outer housing. 
     Yet another embodiment of the invention, as shown in  FIGS. 4-5  and illustrated in the flow diagram of  FIG. 6 , provides for a method of resupplying an automotive service station with fuel. The method comprises, from the start  70 , stationing a fuel tanker truck  72  in the service station near a fuel storage tank. The method calls for visually defining a restricted area (RA) by extending a plurality of warning straps  74  attached to the fuel tanker truck so as to cordon-off and prevent motor vehicle access to a fuel delivery operations area. Fuel delivery operations are effected through the restricted area  76  by connecting a fuel delivery hose is from the tanker through the restricted area to the fuel storage tank  78  and fuel is delivered to the fuel storage tank  80 . Thereafter, the method stops  82 . 
     Yet a further embodiment and variations of the method of the invention includes delivering fuel to a storage tank. This embodiment comprises stationing near the storage tank a fuel tanker truck carrying fuel delivery hoses and having attached to the truck a plurality of spools of warning strap. One or more warning straps from the spools are extended so as to define a fuel delivery operations area between the tanker truck and the storage tank and restrict passage therethrough. The method continues by connecting a fuel delivery hose from the tanker truck to the storage tank so that the hose extends through the fuel delivery operations area and delivering fuel through the hose to the storage tank. 
     All these embodiments of the invention have in common the use of a warning strap contained on an accessory spool mounted on the vehicle. The strap is pulled in a direction away from the vehicle and generally toward the storage tank being replenished, the extending strap visually defining a prohibited access area wherein the fuel delivery operations take place. 
     The present invention, particularly the method of visually defining a restricted access area, is applicable as well to an emergency vehicle such as a fire engine, ambulance, wrecker, tow truck, utility service truck and other similar vehicles lawfully authorized to display flashing emergency lights, whether red, blue or yellow. These vehicles typically must stop on or along streets and highways in order to render the assistance they provide. In order to do so, the personnel operating these vehicles generally must work in proximity to the emergency vehicle and often on the road surface and very close to oncoming vehicular traffic. The invention would, advantageously, provide emergency personnel with the means to easily and quickly cordon-off an area restricted to vehicular traffic and thereby increase the safety of the workers by reducing the chance that an inattentive driver&#39;s vehicle would traverse the area of emergency operations. 
     Accordingly, in the drawings and specification there have been disclosed typical preferred embodiments of the invention and although specific terms may have been employed, the terms are used in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The invention has been described in considerable detail with specific reference to these illustrated embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that various modifications and changes can be made within the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the foregoing specification and as defined in the appended claims.