Abstract:
A funnel, shaped like a tube, to aid transferring liquids from one vessel to another. Universal bung fittings or adaptor connections to fit the funnel and to fit a variety of containers. Calibrations on a transparent funnel. 
     Mechanical or electronic volume flow counters to measure the quantity transferred. Hermetically sealed connection between the liquid container and the entrance to the tube. Removable hermetically sealable cap on base of funnel to catch drips.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention is in the field of liquid transfer devices. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    In order to better explain this invention the example given in this specification is the transfer of engine oil from an oil container to the aperture in a vehicle engine for the topping up of the oil level in the engine. 
         [0003]    The difficulty arises when the recipient aperture is small and/or hard to reach or inaccessible. Many different devices have been revealed to aid the pouring of liquids while avoiding or preventing spillage of the liquid around the recipient aperture. 
         [0004]    In the case of the example of filling oil in the vehicle engine, the oil container is often relatively large with a capped opening for pouring the oil. The recipient aperture in the vehicle engine is relatively small (often three or four centimeters) and is often positioned near the center of the upper face of the engine with other engine parts in close proximity. When oil is poured from its container into the recipient aperture, it is very difficult to avoid spillages of oil on the surrounding engine parts. 
         [0005]    This invention is a further attempt to solve this difficulty. The innovation includes the universality of the connecting pieces, the anti-drip devices, volume indicator showing the volume of liquid passed through the oil transfer tube and tube flexibility to reach difficult and almost inaccessible locations. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present embodiments of the invention and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the invention as it is claimed. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and operations of the invention but the not to limit the invention to these descriptions only. 
         [0007]    The object of this invention is to aid the pouring of liquid while avoiding spillage by using a funnel that attaches at the top end of the funnel to the container of the liquid being poured and at the other end of the funnel fits in or is attached to the recipient container. 
         [0008]    A further object of this invention is to have a universally fitting bored bung piece to fit into the aperture of the container holding the liquid to be poured. 
         [0009]    A further object of this invention is to have a universally fitting bored bung piece to fit into the aperture of the recipient container. 
         [0010]    A further object of this invention is to have the two said bored bung pieces joined by a flexible tube and/or an inflexible tube and/or a concertina style tube and/or an expandable coiled tube. 
         [0011]    A further object of this invention is for there to be a screw cap fitting to fit the screw thread on the aperture of the container holding the liquid to be poured, the screw cap being attached to a tube used for transferring the liquid from the container holding the liquid to be poured to the recipient container. 
         [0012]    A further object of this invention is for the said screw cap fitting to be a universal fitting cap suitable to fit more than one size of liquid container. 
         [0013]    Alternatively, it is an object of this invention to have a least one exchangeable adaptor threaded connector to fit the top end of the funnel where the other side of the adaptor fits the thread of the container of the liquid being poured. There could be a set of adaptors that can be removably attached to the top of the funnel and also fit a variety of sizes of liquid containers, each adaptor in the set fitting a different size container. 
         [0014]    A further object of this invention is for there to be a hermetical drip catcher at the end of the tube where the liquid exits the flexible tube. At the entrance end of the tube there could be a detachable hermetically sealed cap or the tube could remain attached to the container of liquid to be poured, for convenience and storage purposes, whereby the hermetically sealed connection would enable the liquid container to remain attached to the pouring tube without fear of leakage of liquid. For example in the case where the liquid is engine oil, the tube for transferring the oil to the engine could remain attached to the transfer tube and be stored even horizontally in the car without fear of leakage. 
         [0015]    A further object of this invention is for the said tube to have a clip device to prevent the spout of the tube from exiting from the recipient aperture while liquid is being poured. 
         [0016]    A further object of this invention is for there to be a flexible spiral shaped piping joining the said bored bungs or the said screw cap fittings. The spiral shape would enable the piping to reach farther distances and after use would contract to a convenient and shorter length, for storage purposes. 
         [0017]    A further object of this invention is to have a numerator to indicate the volume of liquid that has passed through the tube since the last zeroing of the numerator. The numerator could be manual or electronic. The volume could be measured by a fan-like vane in the tube, being turned on an axis by the movement of the passing liquid in the tube. The number of turns would indicate the volume of liquid passing through the tube. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain by way of example only, the principles of the invention: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is a schematic depiction of the funnel device showing the volume numerator, handle with flow control and cap to prevent drips. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a schematic depiction of the spiral piping with bored bungs at the piping extremities. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a schematic depiction of the spiral piping attached to a rod. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a schematic depiction of the funnel device using a hollow rod. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0023]    As will be appreciated the present invention is capable of other and different embodiments than those discussed above and described in more detail below, and its several details are capable of modifications in various aspects, all without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
         [0024]    Accordingly, the drawings and description of the embodiments set forth below are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive. 
         [0025]      FIG. 1  shows a liquid (in this example oil) transfer device  50  of this invention. 
         [0026]    The oil container  52  is inverted in order to pour oil. A hermetically fitting cap  54  is attached to the threaded neck of the container  52 . There are volume gradations  56  marked on the transparent tubing  58 . 
         [0027]    A handle  60  is for holding the apparatus in steadily place. 
         [0028]    There is a trigger type handle  62  that controls a sealing device  64  in the tube  58 . The sealing device  64  is shown in the open position for allowing liquids to pass and can block the passage of liquids when in the sealing position  66 . 
         [0029]    There is a numerator  68  that could display the volume of liquid that has passed the numerator  68  since the last time the numerator was zeroed. There is a flow director  70  to bring the flowing liquids to one side of the numerator fan-like blades  72 . When liquids pass by the fan blades, the blades  72  turn and according to the number of turns the volume displayed  68  is adjusted. The blades  72  could be cup shaped and adjusted to turn when the volume of liquid in the said cup is a given amount. Thereby each blade turn represents a given volume of liquid. 
         [0030]    At the base of the tube  58  is a cap  74  that fastens to the base of the tube  58  to prevent unwanted dripping of liquids from remnants of liquid in tube  58 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  shows a liquid transfer device  100  of this invention. 
         [0032]    There is a tapered bung  102  at one extremity whose smallest diameter and largest diameter fit to the size of a wide range of liquid containers. A hole  104  is bored through bung  102  to enable liquids to pass through the hole  104 . 
         [0033]    The tubing  120  could be attached to the wide end of the bung  102  or pass through the hole  104  of bung  102  until it reaches the narrow end of bung  102 . The material of bung  102  could be for example a silicon or rubber based compound that would make a sealed connection when pressed into the spout of a liquid container  106 . There could be a flexible drip catcher  110  made, for example, of a silicon compound. 
         [0034]    The tubing  120  could be a spiral shape to enable reaching more distant places and after use it would contract to a smaller and more convenient size, for storage. 
         [0035]    At the distal end of the piping  120  would be a bored bung  112  tapered to enable the bung  112  to fit a variety of sizes of recipient apertures. There could be a clip  114  to grip the side of the spout of the recipient aperture  116 . The clip  114  would prevent the bung  112  from accidentally exiting the recipient aperture  116 . The clip  114  could be spring loaded so that it could be pressed onto the spout of the recipient aperture  116  and pulled off when so desired. The clip  114  could have a further function namely to block the hollow piping  120  when the clip  114  is withdrawn from the spout in order to prevent drips of liquid that take time to exit from the piping  120 . When the bung  114  is pushed into an aperture, the clip could open to grip the spout of the recipient aperture  116  and that same movement would unblock the piping  120  thereby enabling liquids to pass through freely. 
         [0036]      FIG. 3  shows a graduated wide necked container  150  with a lid  152  attached to a rod  154 . A pipe  156  would be connected to the base of the container  150 . At the distal end of the pipe  156  there is a bored bung  158  tapered to fit a variety of sizes of recipient apertures. There is a clip  162  to grip the spout of a recipient aperture with a means whereby when the clip  162  is on the said recipient spout an aperture in the pipe  156  would be open and when the clip  162  is removed the pipe  156  would be closed to prevent dripping of the fluids remaining in the pipe  156 . 
         [0037]    The piping could be spiral to accommodate the situation where a longer length of piping is needed. In such a case the container  150  could be removed from the stick and held at the desired distance. 
         [0038]    The rod  154  would enable the user to attach the bung  158  into the recipient spout and remove the bung  158  without dirtying his hands. The rod  154  could be flexible or stiff. 
         [0039]      FIG. 4  shows the same elements of the device described in  FIG. 3  except the piping  172  is inside the hollow of the stick  170 . This would make a neater and more compact self-contained unit.