Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02395537 2002-09-03
FUEL TANK FILLER ASSEMBLY FOR ENGINE DRIVEN WELDER
This application is division B of Canadian patent
application File No. 2,234,781 filed April 15, 1998.
1. Background of the Invention. This invention
pertains to engine driven welding machines and more particularly
to tanks that hold fuel for welding machine engines.
2. Description of the Prior Art. A vital part of
every engine driven welding machine is the tank that holds the
fuel for the engine. In prior engine driven welding machines,
the fuel tank was located entirely within the base of the
machine. A filler hole was provided in a top wall of the tank.
A suitable cap removably closed the filler hole. By removing
the cap, a fuel nozzle could be inserted into the tank through
the filler hole.
Although the prior fuel tanks served their intended
purpose, they possessed certain disadvantages. For example, the
top wall of the tank and thus the filler hole, was at a low
height on the welding machine, often only several inches above
the floor. Consequently, a person filling the fuel tank was
required to bend over to insert the fuel nozzle into the filler
hole. A related drawback was that there was very little warning
given to the person that the tank was approaching a full
condition. As soon as the tank was filled up to the top wall,
which was difficult to observe, any additional fuel would spill
out the filler hole. The spilled fuel would run down the sides
of the fuel tank and into the welding machine base, where it
was impractical to wipe up. Fill gauges were often incorporated
into the fuel tanks, but they were not sufficiently sensitive
to indicate a full tank condition quickly enough to prevent
spillover. Also, the filler hole was on one side of the welding
machine, so that side of the machine could not be placed against
a wall.
In some applications, fuel tanks have been rendered
more convenient to fill by making them with long filler tubes
and by locating the filler tube opening so as to be easily
accessible. A long filler tube has the additional advantage of
providing a storage space for excess fuel that is delivered
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after the tank is full but before the fuel delivery pump is
stopped, provided there were no leaks in the filler tube or in
the junction between the filler tube and the tank. However, a
long filler tube presents the potential problem of a buildup of
air pressure within the tank during rapid filling. If the
filling is suddenly stopped, the air pressure can force any fuel
in the filler tube back up and out its openings, thereby
spilling fuel and possibly even spraying it on the person
filling the tank. The reduced diameter of the filler tube also
created a high velocity of fuel moving up the tube during
filling that could easily spill if not shut off in time.
It is known to provide engine driven welding machines
with fuel tanks having long filler tubes. However, the tops of
the filler tubes and their caps were exposed above the top of
the welding machine cover.
U.S patents 4,759,458 and 5,320,147 and German patent
23 53 448 show filler tubes that have enlargements near their
respective openings. The enlargements serve as chambers for
temporarily storing fuel that is forced back out the filler
tubes by air pressure inside the fuel tank. The arrangement of
U.S. patent 4,759,458 also includes lines that vent air in the
tank to the filler tube chamber.
Although the designs of some prior fuel tanks possess
certain desirable characteristics, there nevertheless is room
for further advancements in fuel tank design.
Summary of the Invention
The invention in one broad claimed aspect pertains to
an engine driven welder comprising an engine, a generator
connected to the engine and which produces electric power upon
operating of the engine, a fuel tank in fluid communication with
the engine and a filler tube having an inlet end for refueling
and an outlet end which is in fluid communication with the fuel
tank. A cover having a top surface and a side surface which
meet, has a recessed portion which forms a surface offset
relative to the top surface from which extends a length of the
filler tube terminating in the inlet end of the filler tube.
Further the invention pertains to an engine-driven
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welding machine having a base and means supported on the base
for producing welding power and in combination therewith a top
cover having at least two side panels upstanding from the base
and a top panel between the at least two side panels, the top
panel having a surface that defines a generally horizontal top
plane and that has a cutout therethrough. A fuel tank with a
reservoir is located within the welding machine base and a
filler tube upstands from the reservoir, the filler tube having
an upper end that is between the base and the top plane defined
by the top cover surface with the cutout therethrough. A
grommet is installed in the top cover cutout and fits over the
fuel tank filler tube with a cap removably received over the
filler tube upper end.
Various other features of the invention are disclosed
herein.
In accordance with other aspects of the disclosed
invention, a fuel tank filler assembly for engine driven welders
is provided that combines anti-splashback with protective and
aesthetic features. This is accomplished by apparatus that
includes a grommet that fits in a welding machine cover and over
a fuel tank filler tube a short distance above an expansion
space in the filler tube.
The grommet has a bent side wall, which may be U-
shaped, with top, bottom and front edges. The space between the
side wall is closed along its bottom edge with a flat bottom
wall. The side wall front and top edges are turned outwardly to
form flanges. The edge of the bottom wall not surrounded by the
side wall has a downturned flange. The grommet bottom wall has
a hole through it that is defined by a flexible lip.
The fuel tank filler tube has a lower end that opens
into a reservoir, with the filler tube and the reservoir being
made of one piece of polymeric material. The reservoir fits
neatly within the welding machine base. An upper end of the
filler tube is approximately at waist height to a person. The
filler tube has a variable cross section and is configured to
clear various components inside the welding machine. The top
cover on the welding machine is cut out over the filler tube
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upper end.
The grommet is attached to the welding machine top
cover so as to fit within the cutout therein. When the grommet
is in place, its flanges overlie the welding machine top cover,
but its bottom wall is located below the machine top cover. The
hole in the grommet bottom wall fits over a circular top portion
of the fuel tank filler tube. The outer diameter of the filler
tube top portion is slightly larger than the inner diameter of
the lip of the grommet hole. Consequently, the grommet lip
bends slightly as the grommet is fit over the filler tube,
thereby creating a tight seal between the filler tube and the
grommet. The filler tube upper end and its cap are below the
machine top cover.
The filler tube expansion space is below the grommet
bottom wall. The expansion space protrudes from one side of the
filler tube. The cross sectional area of the expansion space
is greater than the area of the filler tube immediately below
the expansion space. Accordingly, any potential splashback of
the fuel up and out the filler tube during fuel delivery is
prevented, because the fuel can temporarily accumulate in the
expansion space. Similarly, the decreased velocity of the fuel
rising in the filler tube when it reaches the expansion space
gives the automatic fuel shut off valve sufficient time to react
and stop the fuel flow, thus preventing spillover.
The features to which this application are
particularly directed relate to the exhaust system of an engine
driven welder which is designed such that the engine muffler is
a short distance below the welding machine top cover. A muffler
exhaust tube rises vertically out of the muffler. There is a
hole through the top cover aligned with the muffler exhaust
tube. A bent tail pipe is clamped to the muffler exhaust tube
and protrudes through the hole in the top cover. By loosening
the clamp, the tail pipe can be rotated 360 degrees about the
muffler exhaust tube and then reclamped at any desired angular
position. In that manner, a person can direct the exhaust gases
from the engine in any desired direction.
Another aspect of the invention provides an engine
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driven welder comprising generator means for producing welding
power, an engine that drives the welding machine and base means
for supporting the generator and the engine. Cover means at
least partially encloses the generator means and the engine and
includes a top cover having a hole therethrough. Tank means is
located in the base means for storing fuel for the engine and
horizontally oriented muffler means having a cylindrical portion
with opposed ends is located adjacent the hole in the top cover
for receiving exhaust gases from the engine through at least two
exhaust inlets and for discharging the exhaust gases through a
single outlet that extends from the cylindrical portion. Tail
pipe means protrudes from the hole in the top cover for rotating
360 degrees about a vertical axis to direct exhaust from the
muffler means outlet in any desired direction away from the
welder.
The method and apparatus of the invention, using an
expansion space on a filler tube that is protected at its upper
end, thus enables a welding machine fuel tank to be filled with
convenience and safety. Any fuel that does spill out of the
filler tube is prevented by the grommet from running inside the
machine.
Other advantages, benefits and features of the present
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon
reading the detailed description of the invention.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a typical
engine driven welding machine that includes the present
invention.
Fig. 2 is a broken partial view of the assembled
welding machine of Fig. 1, taken generally along line 2 - 2 of
Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale taken along
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line 3-3 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a partial cross sectional view taken along
line 4-4 of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a partial cross sectional view taken along
line 5-5 of Fig. 3.
Detai'ed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
'Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact
to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention,
the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the
invention, which may be embodied in other specific structure.
The scope of the invention is defined in the claims appended
hereto.
Referring first to Fig. 1, an engine driven welding
machine 1 is illustrated that includes the present invention.
The welding machine 1 comprises a base 2 that supports an
electric generator 9. The generator 9 is driven by an internal
combustion engine ~. Electrical power from the generator is
conditioned by unown components, typically represented at
reference numeral 8, to be suitable for welding use and
available at terminals 5. Side covers 6 and 6A cover most of
the sides of the welding machine. A top cover 9 and an end
cover assembly 11 fit neatly with the side covers 6 and 6A to
substantially enclose the working components of the welding
machine.
In accordance with the present invention, fuel for
the internal combustion engine 3 is stored in a novel fuel tank
7. The fuel tank 7 is comprised of a generally rectangular
reservoir 13 and a filler tube 15. The reservoir 13 has six
sides that are sized and shaped to fit within the welding
machine base 2. There is a suitable opening 17 in the reservoir
top side 18 to enable fuel to be pumped out through line 19 to
the engine. Another opening~21 in the reservoir top side 18
accommodates a gauge.
The filler tube 15 of the fuel tank 7 extends
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upwardly from one corner of the reservoir top side 18. The
filler tube 15 and the reservoir 13 are rotomolded of a
polymeric material, preferably cross-linked H.D. polyethylene,
so they are of one piece and won't leak at their junction. The
filler tube terminates in an upper end 22 that is located below
the top panel 47 of the welding machine top cover 9. The cross
section of the filler tube is preferably rectangular for its
full height so as to have an inside wall 23, an outside wall
24, a front wall 26 and a back wall 28. The shape and size of
the filler tube cross section varies along its length.
Particularly, the inside wall 23 is contoured in a concave shape
so as to clear the generator 4. The upper end 22 of the filler
tube is formed with external threads 27. A vent-type cap 29 is
removably threadable onto the threads 27. Immediately below the
threads is a circular top portion 25.
Next to the top portion 25 of the filler tube 15 is an
expansion space 31. In the illustrated construction, the
expansion space 31 is defined by a projection of the filler tube
front wall 26. The expansion space 31 is in the form of a
bottom angled wall 33, a short vertical wall 35 and a top angled
wall 37. Also see Figs. 2 - 5. The upper end 39 of the top
angled wall 37 blends into the filler tube circular portion 25.
In Fig. 5, the filler tube cap 29 is shown removed
from the filler tube 15 and a conventional fuel nozzle 41 is
shown inserted into the filler tube upper end 22. It is highly
desirable that the maximum insertion of the nozzle 41 be limited
such that the nozzle end 43 is at a higher level within the
filler tube than the junction 45 of the expansion space bottom
angled wall 33 with the front wall 26.
The expansion space 31 serves to prevent spillover
when filling the fuel tank 7 with the nozzle 41. The rapid rise
of the fuel up the filler tube 15 after the reservoir 13 is full
but before the nozzle is turned off is ameliorated by the
expans~_on space. The increased area of the expansion space
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compared with the rest of the filler tube enables the velocity
of the rising fuel to slow at the expansion space.
Consequently, the automatic fuel shut off valve has a chance to
turn off the fuel pump before the fuel spills out of the filler
tube upper end 22. Similarly, the expansion space prevents fuel
splashback due to confined air pressure within the reservoir
when the nozzle is suddenly shut off after a time of rapid
filling.
Further in accordance with the present invention, the
convenience and aesthetics associated with the fuel tank 7 are
greatly improved over prior fuel tanks. The circular top
portion 25 of the filler tube 15, although below the top panel
47 of the welding machine. top cover 9, is nevertheless easily
accessible. As a result, the fuel tank can be filled without
requiring a person to bend over to the base 2. To provide
protection to the filler tube and cap and to allow for reduced
volume in shipping and storing stacked welding machines, while
providing easy access to the filler tube, as well as to give a
neat appearance to the welding machine 1, a grommet 49 is
incorporated into the welding machine top cover. In the
preferred embodiment, the grommet 49 has a U-shaped vertical
wall 51 that fits into a complimentary cutout 53 in the top
covgr. The cutout 53 is centered on the fuel tank filler tube.
The side panel 55 of the machine top cover is also cut out for
a distance equal to the height of the grommet curved wall 51. A
top flange 57 extends outwardly from a top edge of the grommet
curved wall. Front flanges 59 extend outwardly from the front
edges of the curved wall.
The grommet 49 also has a bottom wall 63 that joins to
the curved wall bottom edge and that fills the area inside the
curved wall 51. As best shown in Fig. 4, the bottom wall 63
makes an obtuse angle A with the apex 52 of the curved wall. A
satisfactory angle A is approximately 94 degrees. The free end
60 of the bottom wall terminates in a downturned flange 62. The
grommet bottom wall has a hole 65 therethrough. The hole 65 is
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defined by a flexible lip 67. The inner diameter of the lip 67
is slightly less than the outer diameter of the circular portion
25 of the fuel tank filler tube 15.
Whan installed in the cutout 53 in the welding
machine top cover 9, the grommet 99 completely closes the
cutout. The top flange 57 overlies the top cover top panel 47,
and the front flanges 59.and 62 overlie the side panel 55.
Three rivets 61 attach the grommet to the top cover.
To install the grommet 49 in the welding machine top
cover 9, the grommet hole 65 passes over the fuel tank filler
tube top portion 25. The lip 67 bends against the filler tube
15, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and thereby forms a fuel
proof seal with the filler tube. Consequently, any fuel that
might spill from the nozzle 91 during the fueling process will
IS not leak inside the welding machine 1. Rather, the fuel will
merely flow down the grommet angled bottom wall 63 and down the
outside of the welding machine top cover 9 and side cover 6A,
from which it can be easily cleaned. The grommet bottom wall is
sufficiently below the top cover top panel 47 that the filler
tube upper end 22 and the cap 29 are also below the top cover
top panel. The filler tube upper end and the cap are surrounded
on three sides and are thus fully protected by the grommet
vertical wall 51.
The aesthetics of the welding machine 1, both from
an appearance standpoint and from a functional standpoint, is
further enhanced by the design of the exhaust system of the
internal combustion engine 3. Returning to Fig. 1, an engine
muffler 69 having a cylindrical portion 70 and opposed ends 72
is horizontally oriented and is located above the engine and
directly under the welding machine top cover 9. There are two
exhaust inlets 71 from the engine to the muffler 69. There is a
single exhaust outlet tube 73 from the muffler cylindrical
portion 70. The exhaust tube 73 is vertical and is aligned with
a hole 75 in the top cover 9.
A tail pipe 77 has a lower end 79 that protrudes
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through the top cover hole 75 and fits loosely over the muffler
exhaust tube 73. The tail pipe upper end 80 is bent at
approximately 90 degrees to the lower end 79. The tail pipe can
be rotated through 360 degrees about the muffler exhaust tube.
A clamp 8l.,is used to clamp the tail pipe lower end to the
muffler exhaust tube at any desired angular orientation. In
that manner, the welding machine operator can direct the exhaust
from the engine 3 in any desired direction.
Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided,
in accordance with the invention, a fuel tank filler assembly
for engine driven welders that fully satisfies the aims and
advantages set forth above. While the invention has been
described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it
is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations
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will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the
foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace
all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall
within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
