not Cereal Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 ok so here is my question how does a gas pump know when to shut off? no, really, how does it know? i know how the tank in your car tells the pump to turn off, but i cant figure out how the pump knows to turn off. i'm serious, there is a design in your car's gas tank that tells the pump to stop pumping gas. the way it works is this: the gas tank when empty is full of air. putting gas into the tank removes the air by pushing it out. in the old days (like my pickup) the air was pushed out directly through the filler hole. these tanks will NOT tell the pump to stop pumping gas. gas will run all over the place (i know this because this happens if i dont pay attention). now in the NEW design, the escaping air is pushed through a tube sticking down through the top of the tank. this tube sticks out about 4 inches or more into the tank and the other end is connected to the filler tube where the pump nozzle goes in. when the tank gets full enough so that gas hits the tube, no air is being pumped out and the gas pump knows to stop pumping gas. this really is how it works! now look at the gas pump nozzle. how the heck does it know the tank is full? no air is being pushed on it, but how does that work? i cant see any mechanism for it and i have no idea how it works. i bet you never ever thought of this before did you? well thats what pot does kids. it makes ya think real hard about stupid shit.
joegerardi Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 There is a spring loaded device in the front of the nozzle you insert into the tank. It's very lightly loaded, and when the gas hits it, it signals the pump to stop sending gas. Just look down the nozzle next time and you'll see it. And pot isn't always the culprit. I never did it, but I'm one of those people that have the largest collection of useless knowledge known to man. From what I hear, dB and myself would have an EPIC game of Trivial Pursuit. To date, I'm undefeated. ..Joe Setup: Korg Kronos 61, Roland XV-88, Korg Triton-Rack, Motif-Rack, Korg N1r, Alesis QSR, Roland M-GS64 Yamaha KX-88, KX76, Roland Super-JX, E-Mu Longboard 61, Kawai K1II, Kawai K4.
Wewus432 Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 Here's a related question. How come when you pull the nozzle out of the tank and tap it to get the last few drops out it doesn't cause a spark and blow you up? Is the metal on the nozzle and/or the gas tank coated with nonsparking materials, I mean sometimes I tap it really hard and still no spark and I tap it even harder, how come no [b]KA-BOOM!!!!!!!!!!?[/b]
whitefang Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 Wewus, you could spend hours a day knocking various metals around the house and not cause a spark. I'm not sure what metals will or not, but to be certain you can be the guys who build those pumps do. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
patrick_dont_fret Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 You know what? I actually have wondered about that, but I figured that they knew what they were doing when they designed the pump and that I wouldn't have to worry about it...ever. One thing that most people do almost instinctively but don't think about it is touch the car whilst inserting the pump nozzle into the tank. This is actually recommended procedure, as static electricity is discharged and won't go kaboom, as you said. I read that at the pump one dreery day whilst pumping. I have wondered why the moon chases the sun, but again, I figured the person who designed it knew what He was doing.
phaeton Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 It's not about smoking pot.. i think it's more about huffing gas.... actually, the metals in a gas pump nozzle *are* designed not to spark.... and also to a certain degree to not build up static electricity. I forget what the alloy is, but it's alyewmineeum and something else. The biggest danger isn't the metal-to-metal banging, but more if you were to accidentally drop the nozzle and have it hit the concrete. And btw.... Useless Knowledge is kewl, mang... Dr. Seuss: The Original White Rapper . WWND?
20to20 Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 Related trivia: Silvanus Freelove Bowser invented the gas pump in the mid-1880's in Ft. Wayne, IN... Here's an article from a local newspaper: http://jordan.fortwayne.com/ns/heartland/history/haw16.php It also says that the phrase, "Fill 'er up!" was created by a FW advertising firm for an ad campaign for another local gus pump manufacturer... Years ago I saw Mel Gibson on the Tonight Show telling a story and he mentioned a "Bowser"... When asked what that meant, he realized his U.S. audience, and explained that Aussies refer to gas pumps as "Bowsers"... Bob Phillips 20to20soundesign
joegerardi Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by 20to20: [b]Related trivia: When asked what that meant, he realized his U.S. audience, and explained that Aussies refer to gas pumps as Bowsers"... [/b][/quote]Actually, the full term is "Fuel Bowser." See, I told you... Setup: Korg Kronos 61, Roland XV-88, Korg Triton-Rack, Motif-Rack, Korg N1r, Alesis QSR, Roland M-GS64 Yamaha KX-88, KX76, Roland Super-JX, E-Mu Longboard 61, Kawai K1II, Kawai K4.
Jeff Klopmeyer Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by joegerardi: [b]I'm one of those people that have the largest collection of useless knowledge known to man. From what I hear, dB and myself would have an EPIC game of Trivial Pursuit. To date, I'm undefeated.[/b][/quote]Though I don't know you as well as I know Dave, I'd have to predict that you'd lose. Badly. Dave just frightens people with this ability. He'll rattle off the 12-digit part number of a discontinued cable that he used to sell in a store fifteen years ago with ease. Freak. :freak: - Jeff Marketing Communications for MI/Pro Audio My solo music and stuff They Stole My Crayon
The Bear Jew Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 Hey... what if "D-O-G" really spelled "cat?" Whoa... I got the munchies. Get a haircut. Fucking hippies. \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu
patrick_dont_fret Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by CMDN: [b]Hey... what if "D-O-G" really spelled "cat?" Whoa... I got the munchies. Get a haircut. Fucking hippies.[/b][/quote]Y'know, I've wondered that too... Not really, but I can expect some would.
Mats Olsson. Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 In Bulgaria, when they nod their head it means "no". It is so confusing. Some more brain teasers: How come we use a Roman alphabet and Arabic numbers? Why is the ocean so large? How much is a cab ride? Why is there so much month left at the end of the salary? How did GWB become president? /Mats http://www.lexam.net/peter/carnut/man.gif What do we want? Procrastination! When do we want it? Later!
patrick_dont_fret Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by Mats_Olsson: [b]In Bulgaria, when they nod their head it means "no". It is so confusing. Some more brain teasers: How come we use a Roman alphabet and Arabic numbers? No one will ever know. Why is the ocean so large? Cause it wants to be. How much is a cab ride? Depends on how far you go and how long it takes. Why is there so much month left at the end of the salary? Ask the IRS. They won't tell you, but you can ask. How did GWB become president? Refer to the answer to question #1. /Mats[/b][/quote]
Botch. Posted January 22, 2003 Posted January 22, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by Mats_Olsson: [b]How come we use a Roman alphabet and Arabic numbers? /Mats[/b][/quote]Mathematics is impossible using Roman numerals, and Arabic is hard to write with a ball-point. Botch "Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will www.puddlestone.net
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