FUEL SUPPLY ADAPTER

ADAPTATEUR D'ALIMENTATION EN CARBURANT

English Abstract

A fuel supply adapter for pumping fuel out of fuel cans through a pump. The adapter is shaped to fit in the pouring neck of the fuel can and be secured therein. The adapter has a U-shaped cross-section with a thick bottom portion and a hollow top portion, and a connector is located inside the top portion so it does not interfere with the closing of the cap of the fuel can. Radial gripping pins are provided inside the bore the handle the adapter.

French Abstract

Un adaptateur d'alimentation en carburant pour le pompage de carburant hors de réserves de carburant à travers une pompe. L'adaptateur est conformé pour s'adapter dans le col de versage de la réserve de carburant et être fixé dans celui-ci. L'adaptateur a une section transversale en forme de U avec une partie inférieure épaisse et une partie supérieure creuse, et un raccord est disposé à l'intérieur de la partie supérieure de telle sorte qu'il n'interfère pas avec la fermeture du capuchon de la réserve en carburant. Des broches de préhension radiales sont disposées à l'intérieur de l'alésage de la poignée de l'adaptateur.

Claims

6
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A fuel supply adapter for pumping fuel out of a fuel can through a fuel
pump, the fuel can having a bottom and a pouring neck, the pouring neck having
an inner surface and an outer surface, the adapter comprising:
a generally cylindrical body insertable inside the pouring neck of the fuel
can, said cylindrical body having a U-shaped cross-section defining a hollow
top
portion and a closed bottom portion having a predetermined thickness, said
adapter having an outer surface provided with means for engagement with the
inner surface of the pouring neck;
connecting means extending through the closed bottom portion, having a
top extremity for connecting the adapter to the fuel pump, the top extremity
projecting inside the top portion, and a lower extremity projecting from the
closed
bottom portion inside the fuel can when the adapter is inserted inside the
pouring
neck thereof; and
a supply tube connectable to the lower extremity of the connecting means
and having a length sufficient to reach the bottom of the fuel can when the
adapter
is inserted inside the pouring neck thereof.
2. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 1, wherein said inner surface of
said pouring neck is provided with threads and wherein said means for engaging
the inner surface of the pouring neck include threads provided on the outer
surface
of the adapter at the top portion thereof for engagement with said threads of
said
inner surface of said pouring neck.
3. A fuel supply adapted according to claim 1, further comprising means for
inserting and removing the adapter into and out of the pouring neck of the
fuel can.
4. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 3, wherein the top portion of the
cylindrical body has an inner side wall, and the means for inserting and
removing

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the adapter comprise a first gripping pin projecting radially inwardly from
said inner
side wall.
5. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 4, wherein the means for inserting
and removing the adapter comprise a second gripping pin projecting radially
inwardly from the inner side wall of the top portion, opposite the first
gripping pin.
6. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 2, wherein the bottom portion of
the cylindrical body has an outer surface and the adapter further comprises a
seal
fixed around said outer surface for engagement with the pouring neck of the
fuel
can.
7. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 1, wherein the closed bottom
portion of the cylindrical body has a generally longitudinal passage
therethrough
and the connecting means extend in said passage.
8. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 1, further comprising a cap for
covering the top extremity of the connecting means.
9. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 8, wherein the top extremity of
the
connecting means has an outer surface provided with threads, and the cap has
an
inner surface having threads for screwing said cap over said top extremity of
the
connecting means.
10. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 9, further comprising a chain
having a first end connected to the cap and a second end attached inside the
top
portion thereof.
11. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 10, wherein the connecting means,
the cap and the chain lie completely inside the top portion of the body.

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12. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 4, further comprising:
a cap for covering the top extremity of the connecting means, said top
extremity of the connecting means having an outer surface provided with
threads,
and the cap having an inner surface having threads for screwing said cap over
said top extremity of the connecting means; and
a chain having a first end connected to the cap and a second end attached
inside the top portion thereof.
13. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 12, wherein the connecting means,
the gripping pins, the cap and the chain extend completely inside the top
portion of
the body.
14. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical body
is
made of aluminum.
15. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 1, wherein the top extremity and
the lower extremity of the connecting means are made of brass.
16. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 1, wherein the supply tube is
made
of polyurethane.
17. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 1, wherein said means for
engaging said inner surface of said pouring neck include an O-ring secured to
the
outside surface of said adapter.
18. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 6, wherein said connecting means
include a spring-loaded ball check valve at the top extremity thereof.
19. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 17, further comprising means for
inserting and removing said fuel adapter in and out of the pouring neck of the
fuel
can.

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20. A fuel supply adapter according to claim 19, wherein the top portion of
the
cylindrical body has an inner side wall, and the means for inserting and
removing
the supply adapter comprise at least one gripping pin projecting radially
inwardly
from said inner side wall.

Description

CA 02268407 1999-04-20
FUEL SUPPLY ADAPTER
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fuel supply adapter for fuel cans such as
transportable metal or plastic cans.
Io BACKGROUND
Fuel cans are used to transport fuel to remote locations, for example for
military or fire fighting applications. Cans known in the art are made of
metal or
plastic, and have pouring necks with inner threads adapted to receive a
pouring
is spout, and outer threads for receiving a closing cap. To deliver fuel to an
engine
having a fuel supply pump, it is necessary to either transfer the fuel to a
can
already provided with the appropriate adapter, drill a hole in the top surface
of the
fuel transport can and install an adapter in the hole, or install a separate
adapter
over the pouring neck of the can. This latter type of adapters is usually
fitted on the
20 outer threads of the pouring neck, and thereby need to be transported apart
from
the can and installed after the cap has been removed. In each of the above
cases,
accessories need to be carried apart from the can and the fuel cannot be
readily
supplied in case of an emergency.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fuel supply
adapter for a fuel can that may be transported inside the fuel can.
3o Another object of the invention is to provide such a fuel supply adapter
that
may be used with standard existing fuel cans.

. CA 02268407 1999-04-20
2
Accordingly the present invention provides a fuel supply adapter for
pumping fuel out of a fuel can through a fuel pump. The fuel can has a bottom
and
a pouring neck, and the pouring neck has an inner surface and an outer
surface,
the outer surface being usually provided with threads.
s The adapter includes a generally cylindrical body insertable inside the
pouring neck of the fuel can. The cylindrical body has a U-shaped cross-
section,
which defines a hollow top portion and a closed bottom portion having a
predetermined thickness. The top portion has an outer surface provided with
means for engagement with the inner surface of the pouring neck.
to The adapter further includes connecting means extending through the
closed bottom portion. The connecting means have a top extremity for
connecting
the adapter to the fuel pump, this top extremity projecting inside the top
portion.
The connecting means also have a lower extremity projecting from the closed
bottom portion inside the fuel can when the adapter is inserted inside its
pouring
is neck.
Also included in the adapter is a supply tube connectable to the lower
extremity of the connecting means, and having a length sufficient to reach the
bottom of the fuel can when the adapter is inserted inside the pouring neck.
Advantageously, the adapter according to the present invention is
2o removably installed inside the pouring neck of the fuel can, and may be
transported in this manner with the can itself. Also, it is adapted to be used
with
fuel cans that already answer to transportation and military standards. In
addition,
no special tool is required to install or remove the adapter according to the
present
invention.
2s The present invention and its advantages will be better understood upon
reading the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with
reference
to the accompanying drawings.

CA 02268407 1999-04-20
3
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a top view of a fuel supply adapter according to a first preferred
embodiment of the invention;
s Figure 2 is a cross sectional view along lines II-II of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a top view of a fuel supply adapter according to a second
preferred embodiment of the invention;
Figure 4 is a cross sectional view along lines IV-IV of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of a fuel supply adapter inserted in the
to pouring neck of a fuel can.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
is Referring to figures 1 and 2, there is shown a fuel supply adapter 10
according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention.
The adapter 10 has a generally cylindrical body 12, which is insertable into
the pouring neck 3 of a standard fuel can 1, the pouring neck 3 having inner
threads 2 and outer threads 4. The body has a generally U-shaped cross-section
2o as shown in figure 2, defining a bottom portion 14 and a top portion 16.
The
bottom portion 14 is closed and has a predetermined thickness t. The top
portion
16 is hollow, and has an outer surface 18 and an inner side wall 20. The outer
surface 18 of the top portion 16 is preferably provided with threads 22, for
engagement with the inner threads 2 of the pouring neck 3 of the fuel can 1.
Zs The adapter 10 includes connecting means, here embodied by connector
24, extending in a longitudinal passage into the bottom portion 14 of the body
12.
The connector 24 has a top extremity 26, which is adapted for connecting the
adapter 10 to a fuel pump and projects into the top portion 16 of the body 12.
No
part of the connector 24 extends outside of the confines of the top portion
16, so
3o that it does not interfere with the cap 5 of the fuel can when it is
threaded over the
pouring neck with the adapter 10 installed inside. The lower extremity 28 of
the

CA 02268407 1999-04-20
4
connector 24 projects from the bottom portion 14, inside the fuel can when the
adapter 10 is inserted into its pouring neck 3. A supply tube 30, connectable
to the
lower extremity 28, is provided to allow access to the fuel inside the can 1,
and for
this purpose has a length sufficient to reach in operation the bottom of the
fuel can
s (as shown in Figure 5).
The adapter 10 according to the invention preferably further includes means
for inserting and removing it into and out of the pouring neck of the fuel
can, these
means being here embodied by gripping pins 32, although there could be only
one. Each gripping pin 32 projects radially and inwardly of the top portion 14
from
to the inner side wall 20, on opposite sides of the top portion 14. The
gripping pins 32
therefore facilitate handling of the adapter 10 which can be threaded in and
out of
engagement with the pouring neck by pushing sideways on the gripping pins 32.
Also preferably, the adapter 10 may include a seal 34 fixed around the outer
surface of the bottom portion 16 of the body 12. The seal 34 engages with the
is inside of the pouring neck and prevents water from dripping inside the fuel
can and
affect the fuel mixture and preferably is an O-ring seal.
The connector 24 can be provided with a cap 36 for covering its top
extremity 26 when it is not connected to the fuel pump. The outer surface of
the
top extremity 26 may thus have threads matching threads on the inner surface
of
2o the cap 36 so it can be screwed over the connector 24. Additionally, a
chain 38
may be provided, with a first end attached to the cap 36 and a second end
attached inside the top portion 14 of the body 12, to keep the cap 36 in
proximity
to the top extremity 26 of the connector 24 when it is not installed thereon.
In a second preferred embodiment, illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the outer
2s surface 18 of the top portion 16 of the adapter is not provided with
threads.
Rather, in order to insert and hold the adapter in the pouring neck 3 of the
fuel
can, there is provided an O-ring seal 50 around the periphery of the outer
surface
18 of the top portion 16 of the adapter 10. The O-ring 50 is resilient enough
to
permit insertion of the adapter 10 inside the pouring neck 3 of the can 3 and
yet
3o maintain the adapter 10 in place. It should be noted that in the second
preferred
embodiment, the adapter also includes means for inserting and removing the

CA 02268407 1999-04-20
s
adapter in and out of the pouring neck of the fuel can, also embodied by at
least
one gripping pin 32.
Further, although the following variation could easily be adapted to the first
preferred embodiment of the invention, the connecting means include a
connector
s 61 having a top extremity 66, which is adapted for connecting the adapter 10
to a
fuel pump and projects into the top portion 16 of the body 12. No part of the
connector 61 extends outside of the confines of the top portion 16, so that it
does
not interfere with the cap 5 of the fuel can when it is threaded over the
pouring
neck with the adapter 10 installed inside. The lower extremity 28 of the
connector
Io 61 projects from the bottom portion 14, inside the fuel can when the
adapter 10 is
inserted into its pouring neck 3. A supply tube 30, connectable to the lower
extremity 28, is provided to allow access to the fuel inside the can 1, and
for this
purpose has a length sufficient to reach in operation the bottom of the fuel
can (as
shown in Figure 5). The connector 61, instead of being threaded as in the
first
is preferred embodiment, includes a ball check-valve 63, outwardly biased by
spring
65. Accordingly, the connector serves to connect the fuel can 1 to a pump
through
a standard push-connector, which pushes the check valve inwardly, and secures
itself around the connector 61.
In the preferred embodiments, the cylindrical body 12 is made of aluminum,
2o the connector is made of brass and the supply tube is made of polyurethane.
However, any other appropriate materials may alternatively be used for any of
the
components of the adapter 10.
Of course, numerous changes could be made to the preferred embodiment
disclosed hereinabove without departing from the scope of the invention as
2s defined in the appended claims.

Representative Drawing