Dispensing package

May 7, 1940.

R. BUNCH

DISPENSING PACKAGE Filed Dec. 15, 1937

2,199,657

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Patented May 7, 1940

2,199,657

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,199,657 DISPENSING PACKAGE Ray Bunch, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 15, 1937, Serial No. 179,923

Claims.

The invention herein disclosed relates to a specially designed portable container or package in which fluids such as oils and greases are transported to the place of sale and/or utilization. 5 The package is equipped with a means, preferably a pump-motor unit entirely enclosed by and concealed within the package, and fixed thereto so that when the package is delivered, for instance, at an automobile service station, it is ready to 10 immediately dispense the oil or grease, or other fluid contained therein when connected to a source of power.

The package is preferably of a convenient size to be easily transported from the wholesaler to 16 the retailer and may have any desired capacity for instance one barrel, one-half barrel, or onequarter barrel. Several of such packages may be delivered to the retailer; each package containing a particular oil or other lubricant best suited for 20 the purpose intended.

Although the package has been designed as a transportable dispensing container for various grades of lubricants, applicant is well aware of the fact that such containers can also be used for 25 carrying fuel and other fluids which may readily and conveniently be dispensed by a retailer or consumer at the place of utilization.

The consumer, in order to use the package, merely makes a power connection upon the outer :>0 side of the package in order to operate the motor therein. The kind of power required will depend upon the type of motor within the package. A plug-in type of connection is used where the motor is an electric one; whereas, should the 35 motor operate from the vacuum system of an engine or other device, provision is made for connection with the suction line thereof. It is to be understood, however, that any power may be utilized for operating the motor that is contained 4i) within the package, and which expels the fluids or semi-fluids therefrom; for instance, the motor may be operated by vacuum, compressed air or other fluid, a combination of vacuum and compressed air or fluid or by electricity. To conduct 45 the contents from the package, a duct, preferably flexible pipe or hose, is connected to the pump outlet, which extends through the wall of the package, and the oil or grease forced under high pressure to the frictional parts of the engine or 50 vehicle requiring such services.

In order to show one how to make, use and vend the invention, one form of the invention is disclosed in the following specification and drawing, but it is to be understood that the specifi55 cation' and drawing (Cl. 221—80) tion in any manner whatsoever except as limited by the appended claims.

An object of this invention is to provide a package for the transportation of fluids in a convenient and efficient manner, and having contained 5 therein means for dispensing the fluids under pressure when connected with a source of power at the point of delivery.

Another object is to provide a self-contained unit for the delivery of a fluid, such as oil and 10 grease, to a consumer or retailer in a manner that it can be dispensed safely and with little effort, directly to the place of utilization, by merely making a power connection to the unit and a duct connection from the unit to the place ¹⁵where lubrication is desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide a dispensing package of the character referred to wherein the pump, the connections to and from said pump and the outlet for the oil or grease that 20 is expelled by the pump, are all contained wholly within the tank so that the latter has no external projections that would otherwise prevent the package or container from being rolled on level surfaces, stacked one on top of the other, or piled 25 one on top of the other while lying on their sides.

A still further object is the provision of a package and motor-pump unit connected therein, for distribution of a lubricant to a consumer wherein it can be fed to frictional parts of an engine by 30 merely making a few simple connections, or if desired, the lubricant can be discharged into a carrier or other container for some particular purpose.

Still further objects will appear or become ap- 35 parent by reading the specifications, and by perusing the drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 of the drawing shows applicant’s invention in longitudinal vertical view, the package being shown in section and the motor-pump unit 40 in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 2—2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of a detail.

The numeral I represents a portable container ⁴⁶or package, preferably metal, in the shape of a barrel or tank so that it can be readily rolled about. Such a package may be of any conven tional and convenient type having sides 2, top 3 and bottom 4. Applicant does not wish to limit ⁶⁰the application of his invention to any particular tank or package for the reason that his invention may be applied to any portable container for the are not to limit the inven- transportation of fluid* such as oil and grease, _u

2,199,857 now in use, or eventually to be used for such purposes.

The particular container designated by the numeral I is provided with a vent 5 near the top thereof and may have an upturned portion 5' to permit atmospheric pressure to reach the surface of the fluid with a minimum of impediment and to aid in the dispensing of the fluid.

Where the vent passes through the wall of the package, structural means or a fitting such as shown in detail in Figure 3 may be used. A hole may be formed in the side of the tank and provided with an inwardly projecting flange 6 which is threaded to receive a plug 7. The outer surface of the plug is recessed and configurated as at 8. to accommodate a particular shaped wrench for removing the plug. Sufficient threaded portion of the flange remains to accommodate the threaded end of the vent pipe 5'.

The reference character 9 designates a motorpump unit fixed to the bottom of the package as by screws in a manner to assure that the unit will be held in a definite fixed position within the package. Any motor-pump unit may be employed for the purposes of removing the fluid from within the tank, but for convenience, a motor-pump unit of the type shown in the drawing may be employed which is disclosed in detail in applicant’s application, Serial No. 166,320 filed September 29, 1937.

The motor-pump unit illustrated in Fig. 1 and shown within the package I has a diaphragm type motor 10 upon which is mounted a double acting plunger type pump 11. Beneath the motor is provided a valve chamber 12, which automatically controls the pressure differential on either side of the motor diaphragm in order to cause the diaphragm to continuously reciprocate and operate the pump so long that power is delivered to the valve chamber. The pump has an inlet i3 which extends near to the bottom of the package as shown at 14. The outlet of the pump is by means of the pipe 15 which leads through the wall of the package and terminates in a fitting like that shown in Fig. 3.

The particular motor shown in Fig. 1 is of the type operable from the vacuum system which may be installed at the filling station.

A vacuum line duct 17 leads from an opening fitting 18 to the valve compartment 12 and from the same compartment leads another pipe 19 to an opening fitting 20. The fittings 18 and 20 are also constructed substantially as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and when the plug of such a fitting is removed, the vacuum line is connected to the fitting 18, so that atmospheric pressure can be admitted to the motor in a well known maimer.

From the foregoing disclosure, the advantages of such an equipped package becomes apparent. When the package is delivered to the retailer filled with lubricant, it is ready for use when stood upright and a few plugs removed for making power connections and a dispensing connection.

Inasmuch as the plug 7 that closes the opening to the vent 5, together with the fitting 16 for the outlet pipe 15 and the fittings 18 and 2C for the pipes f 7 and i 9 that lead to and from the engine, are ail located within the walls of the container and below the outer surfaces thereof, there are no external projections on the package to interfere with its being freely rolled from one place to another after the manner of rolling a barrel or cylindrical tank and further, the absence of projections enables the containers to be readily piled one on top of the other, either end to end or sideways, thereby effecting a material saving of space when the containers are packed for storage or transportation.

A flexible pipe is connected between the suction ³side of an engine, which may be the engine of the vehicle to be serviced, and the vacuum port 18 of the package. A flexible lubricant hose or pipe is connected to the outlet 16 of the package for conducting a portion of the contents to the part of h) the vehicle to be lubricated. A valve may be provided at any convenient point along the vacuum line to control the operation of the motor and hence, the discharge of the lubricant.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a 15 dispensing package that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and very effective in performing the functions for which it is intended.