Patents by Inventor William D. Key

William D. Key has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5514920
    Abstract: A leak detector and circuit interrupter for detecting the presence of a liquid in the base of a dispenser containment box and interrupting the supply of electrical power when such liquid is detected is disclosed. There is a user enableable circuit for selectively enabling the pump and an override circuit which is operable when enabled to disable the user enableable circuit. An optical liquid sensing probe is positioned near the bottom of the containment box with optical coupling to the override circuit. The optical probe is coupled to a light emitting diode, a photosensitive transistor, and includes a light path with at least one total internal reflection surface normally coupling the light emitting diode and the photosensitive transistor. The probe normally maintains the override circuit in an ineffective state, but, when the light path is interrupted by an accumulation of liquid in the bottom of the containment box, changes state thereby enabling the override circuit and disabling the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Inventor: William D. Key
  • Patent number: 4831866
    Abstract: An apparatus for and method of calibrating a fluid meter having an output transformable into a series of digital pulses, where each pulse represents a certain volume of liquid through the meter that changes as a result of meter wear and/or component failure. A microprocessor controlled bidirectional prover tube having a calibrated volume is provided in the dispenser housing for operation once during each of a predetermined number of dispensing events. The digital pulses are accumulated during dispensation of the calibrated volume of fluid through the prover, and a calibration factor is automatically calculated and applied to the digital pulses prior to being supplied to an electronic display unit for accurate computation and display of the volume of liquid through the meter. A four-port, two-position valve is actuated prior to the beginning of each dispensing event by the microprocessor to reverse flow through the prover tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1989
    Assignee: Tokheim Corporation
    Inventors: Maurice J. Forkert, William D. Key
  • Patent number: 3982664
    Abstract: A batch controller for automatically and selectively controlling a plurality of material dispensers. The controller includes circuitry for metering, for slowing, and for terminating the flow of material in and at selectable quantity levels thereof. The apparatus includes a starting circuit that renders the apparatus inoperative in response to the absence or interruption of operating potential, and flow of the material is controlled by devices that provide fail-safe termination of flow in the event of failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1975
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1976
    Assignee: Tokheim Corporation
    Inventors: Elmer A. Robbins, William D. Key