Liquid dispenser with liquid level indicator

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.degree. angles to the longitudinal axis of the body and at approximately 90.degree. 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.