Patent ID: 8863791

Claim:
In combination with a tank having a filler neck, a fuel hose nozzle for filling the tank with liquefied petroleum gas, the nozzle comprising: a tubular valve housing extending along an axis and having an outer end; a tubular valve guide axially shiftable in the valve housing between a front position and a rear position and forming an outlet port adjacent the outer end; a valve in the housing movable between an open position permitting fluid flow into the valve guide toward the outlet end and a closed position preventing such flow, the valve guide forming a chamber axially rearward of the port and axially forward of the valve; a seal engaged between the valve housing and the valve guide and positioned such that the seal blocks flow from the valve housing into the chamber only in the front position of the valve guide; a valve piston in the valve guide, axially fixed in the valve housing, and engaged in the front position of the valve guide with the port to block flow through same; a fitting sleeve surrounding and axially shiftable on the valve housing and having at the outer end an end fitting complementary to the tank filler neck, the valve guide and fitting sleeve being relatively so oriented that, in the front position of the valve guide and when the fitting sleeve is fitted with the tank filler neck, the tank filler neck axially touches or is axially closely juxtaposed with the valve guide; an actuating lever coupled to the fitting sleeve and to the valve and operable to pull the fitting sleeve rearward on the valve housing out of the front position and open the valve, whereby, when the fitting sleeve is fitted with the tank filler neck, rearward movement of the fitting sleeve on the valve housing pushes the valve guide rearward out of sealing engagement with the piston head; and a spring biasing the valve guide into the front position with the seal blocking flow from the valve housing into the chamber, whereby if the piston breaks while the lever is actuated and the fitting is not engaged with a filler neck, the seal blocks gas from entering the chamber from the valve.