Liquid dispenser with liquid level indicator

Claim 2

A liquid dispenser with a liquid level indicator for introducing liquid into a container, such as battery acid into a battery, and for indicating the level of the liquid pool into which the liquid flows, comprising: a dispensing nozzle and having an elongated, light-transmissive body with an upper light-admitting end and a lower end alternately reflecting and dispersing the light as the lower end is respectively spaced above and immersed in the liquid pool, the upper end of the body having an upwardly facing end surface through which such reflected light may be seen, the presence or absence of reflected light at the outer end of the lighttransmissive portion indicating to an observer the height of the liquid pool, the light-transmissive body having a central bore opening through the lower end thereof and also opening through one side thereof, the nozzle also having an elongate rigid tube affixed to said one side of the light-transmissive body and having a liquid supply duct communicating with the open bore of the nozzle body, the elongate tube extending transversely of the nozzle body and having a length of the same order of magnitude as the length of the light-transmissive body to provide a handle for manually manipulating the nozzle body, the rigid tube having valve apparatus to open and close the supply duct to control flow of such battery acid to the nozzle body, and the valve apparatus having a valve-operating handle positioned adjacent the upper end surface of the nozzle body to facilitate ready coordinated valve operation in response to observations through said end surface.

Claim 3

The dispenser of claim 1 in which the reflector comprises co-acting conical inner and outer optical surfaces oriented with respect to each other at the inner end of the nozzle body so as to internally reflect light when each surface is in contact with air and, when at least one of the surfaces is in contact with liquid, to refract light into the liquid.

Claim 4

The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the outer end of the light-transmissive portion includes a reflecting prism oriented to enable light reflected internally from the reflector to be observed from the side of the dispenser.

Claim 5

The dispenser of claim 1 and the rigid tube having an inner end adjacent the light-transmissive body and an outer end, the valve apparatus having means normally urging the valve into a closed position to prevent the flow of liquid through the duct, the valve-operating handle being disposed adjacent the inner end of the rigid tube, and the outer end of the tube being unobstructed to be manually gripped and manipulated.

Claim 6

The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the elongate body has means defining a continuously open discharge orifice at the lower end and in liquid flow communication with the central bore, the discharge orifice being sufficiently small as to retain the liquid in the bore against the head of the liquid to the valve apparatus.

Claim 7

The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the light-transmissive body includes a slender inner end portion for insertion into the filler opening of a battery, and further includes a flange formed integrally of and in one piece with the body protruding transversely outwardly intermediate its length and positioned to limit the depth of insertion of said inner end portion into the battery opening.

Claim 8

The dispenser of claim 6 wherein said protruding shoulder includes projections oriented to contact the filler opening and to provide air spaces through which air may escape from the battery as the latter is filled.

Claim 9

The dispenser of claim 7 including spacer rings for adjusting the depth of insertion of the inner end into the battery filler opening, the rings being removably mounted on said inner end abutting the shoulder projections, the rings having ports therethrough constructed and arranged to overlap the ports of adjacent rings to provide a continuous air escape path from the battery.

Claim 10

A liquid dispenser with a liquid level indicator for introducing a liquid such as battery acid into a container and for indicating the level of the resulting liquid pool in the container, the dispenser comprising a nozzle having an upright, elongated, generally cylindrical body of light-transmissive material, the body having a light-admitting upper end and a lower end and having a peripheral wall defining a central, longitudinal, downwardly open bore, a combined rigid supply tube and handle affixed to the elongate body and having a liquid supply duct in flow communication with said central bore, the peripheral wall having concentric, conical inner and outer lower end surfaces converging abruptly at the lower end of the body and oriented at acute angles to the longitudinal axis of the body to cooperatively internally reflect light toward the upper end, and the upper end of the body having a central portion with a flat optical surface lying transversely of the longitudinal axis of the body to permit observation of the reflected light, a discharge orifice-defining insert affixed upon the lower end of the body in confronting and completely confining relation to the inner conical lower end surface and to seal the inner optical surface from liquid flowing from the bore.

Claim 11

A liquid dispenser with a liquid level indicator for introducing a liquid such as battery acid into a container and for indicating the level of the resulting liquid pool in the container, the dispenser comprising a nozzle having an upright, elongated, generally cylindrical body of light-transmissive material, the body having a light-admitting upper end and a lower end and having a peripheral wall defining a central, longitudinal, downwardly open bore, a combined rigid supply tube and handle affixed to the elongate body and having a liquid supply duct in flow communication with said central bore, the peripheral wall having concentric, conical inner and outer lower end surfaces converging abruptly at the lower end of the body and oriented at acute angles to the longitudinal axis of the body to cooperatively internally reflect light toward the upper end, and the upper end of the body having a central portion with a flat optical surface lying transversely of the longitudinal axis of the body to permit observation of the reflected light, a discharge orifice-defining insert affixed upon the lower end of the body in confronting and completely confining relation to the inner conical lower end surface and to seal the inner optical surface from liquid flowing from the bore.

Claim 12

The liquid dispenser according to claim 9 wherein the inner lower end conical surface of the peripheral wall has upper and lower edge portions, the insert being sealed to the peripheral wall adjacent said upper and lower edge portions and around the entire periphery thereof, and said insert being spaced from said inner conical surface between the upper and lower edge portions thereof and defining an entirely enclosed, liquid free open space adjoining the entire periphery of said inner conical surface.

Claim 13

The liquid dispenser according to claim 9 and said conical inner and outer lower end surfaces having peripheral lower edge portions adjoining each other, the insert extending endwise downwardly of the nozzle body from said adjoining lower edge portions and at an oblique angle relative to the outer conical end surface of the wall to physically shield the surface from damage.

Claim 14

The liquid dispenser according to claim 9 and said conical inner and outer lower end surfaces being arranged symmetrically of each other and oriented at approximately 45° angles relative to the longitudinal axis of the body and at approximately 90° angles to each other.

Claim 15

A liquid dispenser with a liquid level indicator for introducing liquid into a container, such as battery acid into a battery, and for indicating the level of the liquid pool into which the liquid flows, comprising: a dispensing nozzle having an elongate light-transmissive and integrally molded body with a light-admitting upper end and a slender lower end for insertion into an entrance port of such a container, the upper end of the body having an upwardly facing end surface through which reflected light may be seen, the light-transmissive body having a central bore extending and opening through the lower end thereof and also extending and opening through one side thereof, said light-transmissive body defining a peripheral wall around said central bore and defining downwardly facing concentric conical inner and outer lower end surfaces arranged symmetrically of each other and oriented at approximately 45° angles to the longitudinal axis of the body and at approximately 90° angles to each other to cooperatively internally reflect light toward the upper end when such surfaces are spaced above the liquid pool, the dispensing nozzle also including an elongate rigid tube affixed to said one side of the light-transmissive body and having a liquid supply duct communicating with the open bore of the nozzle body, the elongate tube extending transversely of the nozzle body at an oblique angle and said rigid tube extending at an obtuse angle with respect to the slender lower end of the elongate body, said rigid tube having a length in excess of the length of said light-transmissive body and forming a handle for manipulating said body, a valve apparatus on said elongate rigid tube adjacent the light-transmissive body and opening and closing the supply duct to control flow of liquid such as battery acid to the nozzle body, the valve apparatus including a valve-operating handle positioned adjacent the upwardly facing end surface of the nozzle body to facilitate readily coordinated valve operation in response to observations through said end surface, means for connecting the supply duct of the rigid tube with an external source of such liquid, and a discharge orifice-defining insert affixed upon the lower end of the nozzle body and projecting into the central bore thereof, the discharge orifice being sufficiently small as to retain the liquid in the bore against the head of liquid therein to the valve apparatus to prevent dripping of liquid from the nozzle when the valve is closed, the insert confronting the inner conical lower end surface of the nozzle body and being sealed around the entire periphery thereof to the upper and lower edge port-ons of said inner conical surface to prevent liquid flowing through the bore and orifice from engaging said inner conical surface, the insert being shaped to define an open peripheral space opposite said inner conical surface, and said insert having a downwardly extending portion with a substantially cylindrical exterior wall extending endwise downwardly from the nozzle body adjacent the adjoining lower edge portions of said conical inner and outer end surfaces to shield the conical outer end surface from significant physical damage.

Claim 16

A liquid dispenser with a liquid level indicator for introducing liquid into a container, such as battery acid into a battery, and for indicating the level of the liquid pool into which the liquid flows, comprising: a dispensing nozzle having an elongate light-transmissive and integrally molded body with a light-admitting upper end and a slender lower end for insertion into an entrance port of such a container, the upper end of the body having an upwardly facing end surface through which reflected light may be seen, the light-transmissive body having a central bore extending and opening through the lower end thereof and also extending and opening through one side thereof, said light-transmissive body defining a peripheral wall around said central bore and defining downwardly facing concentric conical inner and outer lower end surfaces arranged symmetrically of each other and oriented at approximately 45° angles to the longitudinal axis of the body and at approximately 90° angles to each other to cooperatively internally reflect light toward the upper end when such surfaces are spaced above the liquid pool, the dispensing nozzle also including an elongate rigid tube affixed to said one side of the light-transmissive body and having a liquid supply duct communicating with the open bore of the nozzle body, the elongate tube extending transversely of the nozzle body at an oblique angle and said rigid tube extending at an obtuse angle with respect to the slender lower end of the elongate body, said rigid tube having a length in excess of the length of said light-transmissive body and forming a handle for manipulating said body, a valve apparatus on said elongate rigid tube adjacent the light-transmissive body and opening and closing the supply duct to control flow of liquid such as battery acid to the nozzle body, the valve apparatus including a valve-operating handle positioned adjacent the upwardly facing end surface of the nozzle body to facilitate readily coordinated valve operation in response to observations through said end surface, means for connecting the supply duct of the rigid tube with an external source of such liquid, and a discharge orifice-defining insert affixed upon the lower end of the nozzle body and projecting into the central bore thereof, the discharge orifice being sufficiently small as to retain the liquid in the bore against the head of liquid therein to the valve apparatus to prevent dripping of liquid from the nozzle when the valve is closed, the insert confronting the inner conical lower end surface of the nozzle body and being sealed around the entire periphery thereof to the upper and lower edge port-ons of said inner conical surface to prevent liquid flowing through the bore and orifice from engaging said inner conical surface, the insert being shaped to define an open peripheral space opposite said inner conical surface, and said insert having a downwardly extending portion with a substantially cylindrical exterior wall extending endwise downwardly from the nozzle body adjacent the adjoining lower edge portions of said conical inner and outer end surfaces to shield the conical outer end surface from significant physical damage.

Claim 17

The liquid dispenser according to claim 13 and the upper end of said light-transmissive body having a peripheral prism with an oblique surface to internally reflect reflected light outwardly in a transverse direction from the light-transmissive nozzle body.