James Graham Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 (edited) I remember it from when I was a child in the 1950s. I am attaching a photo. Does anyone know what it is? Sorry, it's 3.5 inches long and 1 inch wide. Also it's a give away. This one came from my fathers credit union. It's made of plastic. Thank you. Edited November 20, 2021 by James Graham (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Cocuzza Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 Looks like a bottle opener but that's just a wild guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryLime Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 Answering at a disadvantage here as you provide no dimensions . If it is 2 1/2 inches long , it is a prop to hold the fuel pump nozzle open if the open latch has been removed from the nozzle . 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 (edited) 40 minutes ago, HarryLime said: it is a prop to hold the fuel pump nozzle open if the open latch has been removed from the nozzle . I agree Edited November 20, 2021 by Larry Schramm (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC5 Posted November 21, 2021 Share Posted November 21, 2021 I didn't think there were self serve stations back then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 My first thought was bicycle spoke straighter/tightener. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
61polara Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 An opener for home canned food in sealed jars maybe. As a credit union giveaway, I would say it's a household item not automotive related. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Clip to hold a gas pump nozzle open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHuDWah Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 On 11/20/2021 at 8:33 PM, MikeC5 said: I didn't think there were self serve stations back then... Self-service really got going in the 60s but there were a few earlier attempts. The History of Self-Fueling But if the OP device is a fuel nozzle prop, it wouldn't necessarily be for self service. It could be for the attendant to use while he/she checked your oil, washed your windshield, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 7 hours ago, CHuDWah said: Self-service really got going in the 60s but there were a few earlier attempts. The History of Self-Fueling But if the OP device is a fuel nozzle prop, it wouldn't necessarily be for self service. It could be for the attendant to use while he/she checked your oil, washed your windshield, etc. That is the reason there is such a thing. So self fill customers did not need to stand there and hold the handle where the self fill piece used to be on the handle. I personally just us the gas cap to hold the nozzle open when I run across the handle with out the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHuDWah Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 6 minutes ago, Larry Schramm said: That is the reason there is such a thing. So self fill customers did not need to stand there and hold the handle where the self fill piece used to be on the handle. I personally just us the gas cap to hold the nozzle open when I run across the handle with out the bridge. Lucky you! 😉 My truck invariably spits out gas when the pump shuts itself off. I can tell by the sound of gas going into the tank when to shut it off just before that happens. Course that requires my standing there and holding the handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bamford Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 8 hours ago, CHuDWah said: Self-service really got going in the 60s but there were a few earlier attempts. The History of Self-Fueling . That was a very interesting read. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LI_BENTLEY Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 Nowadays this would be illegal in NY pumps have the hold on latch removed. It is illegal to use the gas cap to hold the pump on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 1 hour ago, LI_BENTLEY said: Nowadays this would be illegal in NY pumps have the hold on latch removed. It is illegal to use the gas cap to hold the pump on. It's amazing how different states may vary. What is not allowed in a very protective state is perfectly fine, and useful, in some other location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepher Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 6 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said: It's amazing how different states may vary. What is not allowed in a very protective state is perfectly fine, and useful, in some other location. Only recently has Oregon allow drivers to fuel their own vehicles. And it is only allowed in certain areas of the state, sometimes only during certain hours, as well. Self Serve is allowed in most of the rural areas but not allowed at all in the more populated areas. Back in 2006 when we were up there for the National Pierce Arrow Society Meet, not a single station attendant would put fuel in our Pierce. They all said the same thing, "I don't want to damage anything or mess anything up so you can put gas in it". But here is a map of Oregon showing where Self Serve is allowed. https://geo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=fe6b92d4da52481483898a871928588c 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryLime Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 Self Service ? NO PROBLEM ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 Full service left us just like cashiers are leaving us now. Walmart is being a nice company, though, they let both cashiers off for Thanksgiving…. Were a lot fewer cars broken down on the side of the road when we had full service stations…. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joelj Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 It reminds me of a gage that is used to determine what style of wheel weight to use on a given wheel. The notch would go on the outside edge of a rim to get the profile and correspond with a certain style clip on weight. Maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike6024 Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 By ABC7 News SAN JOSE, CA The deadline imposed by the State for removing the nozzle clips is Friday. The order affects about 3,000 gas stations, or about one-third of the total in California. Tom Robinson, president of the Rotten Robbie gas station chain, told ABC7 the gas stations had asked for 90 days more to look for a solution or another vendor. They say just as dangerous, drivers will start using quarters and other things in place of the latches. "People will jam it in, in which case the person who jammed it could have a spray or spill incident," Robinson said. Gas station owners are also concerned that they will customers if they have to get rid of the clips. "If the customer has already left us, how do we ask them to come back?" Robinson asked. The state fire marshal called the nozzles a potential hazard to public health after 13 gas spraying incidents were reported. "They would go to grab the nozzle to put it in their vehicle and gasoline would freely spray," state fire marshal spokesperson Daniel Berlant said. The agency says the nozzle malfunction could unexpectedly spray gasoline before a nozzle is inserted into a vehicle's gas tank. By removing the hold open latch, a driver could stop the unexpected gasoline flow by yanking on the manual lever whereas the hold open latch would make it harder to stop the spray. Fire officials also believe a spring attached to the latch may somehow trigger an unintended gasoline flow. The order applies only to nozzles made by VST. There are two other California certified manufacturers of gas nozzles. The first bulletin by the state fire marshal's office came in June, alerting gas stations that damaged VSP nozzles were spraying gasoline. The mandatory order was issued in August. VSP told ABC7 it is ramping up production of a new nozzle with a secondary release mechanism. The state can fine gas station owners or shut down gas stations that do not comply to the order but the state fire marshal's office said they would rather work with gas station owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve9 Posted November 24, 2021 Share Posted November 24, 2021 19 hours ago, mike6024 said: By ABC7 News SAN JOSE, CA The deadline imposed by the State for removing the nozzle clips is Friday. The order affects about 3,000 gas stations, or about one-third of the total in California. Tom Robinson, president of the Rotten Robbie gas station chain, told ABC7 the gas stations had asked for 90 days more to look for a solution or another vendor. They say just as dangerous, drivers will start using quarters and other things in place of the latches. "People will jam it in, in which case the person who jammed it could have a spray or spill incident," Robinson said. Gas station owners are also concerned that they will customers if they have to get rid of the clips. "If the customer has already left us, how do we ask them to come back?" Robinson asked. The state fire marshal called the nozzles a potential hazard to public health after 13 gas spraying incidents were reported. "They would go to grab the nozzle to put it in their vehicle and gasoline would freely spray," state fire marshal spokesperson Daniel Berlant said. The agency says the nozzle malfunction could unexpectedly spray gasoline before a nozzle is inserted into a vehicle's gas tank. By removing the hold open latch, a driver could stop the unexpected gasoline flow by yanking on the manual lever whereas the hold open latch would make it harder to stop the spray. Fire officials also believe a spring attached to the latch may somehow trigger an unintended gasoline flow. The order applies only to nozzles made by VST. There are two other California certified manufacturers of gas nozzles. The first bulletin by the state fire marshal's office came in June, alerting gas stations that damaged VSP nozzles were spraying gasoline. The mandatory order was issued in August. VSP told ABC7 it is ramping up production of a new nozzle with a secondary release mechanism. The state can fine gas station owners or shut down gas stations that do not comply to the order but the state fire marshal's office said they would rather work with gas station owners. I witnessed this very problem while making a soda delivery at a gas station in my previous life. Someone hung up the handle after fueling with the “auto chock” crammed open. The next customer pulled the handle, started the pump and before placing the device in her car, fuel came gushing full blast from the hose! She gave it a shot at putting it in the car which caused a cascade of spraying gas everywhere. She finally dashed to the pump and shut it off. I watched her go into the station and return with the incredulous clerk who believed none of it. It had been raining and all the ground was wet in the fueling area, so the clerk couldn’t tell if the fuel on the ground story was real. That angered me as I stood there and I blurted out at the clerk “ If you throw a match down there, you’ll find gas!”. Crazy stuff! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95Cardinal Posted November 25, 2021 Share Posted November 25, 2021 I once started a gas pump where someone had locked the handle open. Luckily, I was holding the handle and was able to shut off the flow as soon as the pump started. Since that episode, I ALWAYS check the hold-open latch before pulling the pump handle out of the cradle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Graham Posted December 2, 2021 Author Share Posted December 2, 2021 Thank you for the help. My faulty memory has finely kicked in and I think this came from the 70's and not the 50's. Thank you all very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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