Alternative fuel system for powered industrial vehicle

In a lift truck having an engine, an engine compartment for the engine, a CNG fuel system for propelling the truck, a tank containing compressed natural gas (CNG) mounted horizontally outside the engine compartment, an overhead guard having a vertical rear leg structure situated between the tank and the engine compartment,

• a fuel line extending from the tank into the engine compartment to a first regulator, said first regulator decompressing said gas from tank pressure to some lower pressure by means of expansion therein, causing a refrigeration effect in the regulator and to surrounding parts;
• hose means connecting engine coolant to said regulator for counteracting the refrigeration effect by means of circulating hot fluid to the regulator;
• a second regulator communicating with the first regulator for metering a uniform flow of gas to the engine and further decompressing said gas to a pressure required for efficient combustion in said engine;
• the improvement comprising:
• a bracket having a vertical mounting surface for the first regulator,
• a horizontal surface for mounting the second regulator so that its position is at approximately 90 degree angles to the first regulator in the engine compartment, said first regulator positioned to align with the hose means and thereby reduce the hose routing and conserve engine compartment space;
• said tank having a neck;
• a valve in the neck of the tank manually operated to shut-off a flow of gas from the tank;
• a cylindrical collar having an end circumjacent the neck of the tank removable securing the collar integral with said neck, said collar extending laterally and surrounding said valve and having an opening in alignment with the fuel line through which the fuel line extends from said valve, and then routing behind said rear leg of the overhead guard;
• a refilling valve mounted outside the engine compartment adjacent said rear leg of the overhead guard;
• a housing means partially enclosing said refilling valve;
• and
• an elongated conduit means extending from said housing means providing a tunnel taken by said fuel line in reaching the refilling valve providing guarding, in conjunction with the rear leg of the overhead guard against objects striking fuel line exposed outside of the engine compartment.

A lift truck having an engine compartment, an engine in the compartment, a counterweight behind the engine compartment,

• a compressed natural gas (CNG) system for said engine comprising:
• a CNG fuel tank mounted horizontally on the counterweight having an outlet on one end facing a side of the truck;
• a pair of mounting brackets removable securing the tank on the counterweight;
• collar means including clamping means securing said collar means to the outlet of the tank and extending circumjacent therefrom horizontally to the side of the lift truck;
• manually operated valve means in the outlet of said tank encircled by sad collar means;
• an opening in said collar means;
• a first fuel line extending from said valve means through said opening in the collar means and along the surface of the counterweight;
• a second fuel line extending into the engine compartment and connected to the engine;
• and a refueling valve outside the engine compartment interconnecting the first and second fuel lines having a valve chamber,
• a valve element biased toward a closed position in the chamber shutting off fuel from the first to the second fuel line,
• a refilling passageway communicating with the valve chamber whereby a refilling nozzle may be inserted in the refilling passageway, supplying compressed natural gas at a pressure sufficient to unseat the valve element, causing gas to back flow in the first fuel line recharging the tank an ignition circuit including an electrical switch means, having a normally closed position, connected in the ignition circuit to the engine;
• and an element connected with the electrical switch means acutated when the nozzle is inserted in the refilling passageway to open the normally closed electrical switch means, disabling the ignition circuit of the vehicle.