US1171800A - Vessel for inflammable liquids. - Google Patents

Description

K. MULLER.

VESSEL FOR INFLAMMABLE LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I7, 1913.

1 1 7 1 ,800 Patented Feb. 15, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

K. MULLER.

VESSEL FOR INFLAIIIMABLE LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.I7.19I3.

1 171 ,800. Patented. Feb. 15, 1916. y

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. j

Winesses: I fnven 101:

vcompletion of discharge of UNiTED STATES PATENT orricn.

KARL MULLER, OF SCHLIEREN, SWITZERLAND.

VESSEL FOR INFLAMMABLE LIQUIDS.

Application led April 17, 1913.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, KARL MLLER, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Schlieren, Switzerland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vessels for Iniiammable Liquids; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains `to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which .form a part of this specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in vessels for storing inflammable liquids which are lighter than water.

The improved vessel is provided with inlet and outlet valves for the liquid to he stored, which when the said liquid is at rest are not exposed to the pressure of the conu tents of the vessel, while the inlet valve is closed automatically on-the maximum volume of storage liquid being reached, and the outlet valve closed automatically on inflammable liquid, the construction being also such that none of the sealing liquid is lost during filling and discharging.

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanylng drawing,

Figure 1 being a vertical section through the first form of construction, and Fig. 2 a similar view through the second constructiona-l form. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the pump and discharge valve en'iployed in the modification depicted in Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, 1 is a cylindrical reservoir open at the top and containing water or other so-called neutral sealing liquid. Near the bottom of this reservoir there is rigidly secured an inverted container or tank 2, open below. At the top 3 of this tank two flexible pipes 4, 5, communicate with its interior. The iirst of these pipes is furnished near the top of the reservo-ir 1 with a Stationary valve 6, to-the plug of which there is connected a double armed weighted lever 7, 8. To the inside wall -of the reservoir 1 there is secured a substantially horizontal fiat spring 9, by means of which the cock-plug can be held in open position, the lever arm 7 being engaged by the spring, while the loaded arm 8 projects up- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 15, 1916. Serial No. 761,722.

wardly, as shown by broken lines. On a bracket (not shown) extending from the wall of the reservoir near the spring 1 thereI is mounted a lever 10, having a lug 11, which on ascent of the lever arm depresses the spring 9.

1x is a stop for the lever arm 7 secured to the reservoir wall. The lever 10 projects into the path of motion of a pin 13 projecting from a float 12 adapted to.f1oat only in water and not in the inflammable liquid. The float l2 is guided in its movements by a stem 12b which slides through a sleeve 1b fixed. to the top of the receptacle 1 and on said float there is secured a" funnel 14 connected with a flexible pipe 15, which conducts through the wall of the reservoir 1 at 16. The pipe 5 the reservoir 1 substantially in the plane of the top of tank 2 and has on its freeen-d an projects through the side of,`

automatically closing valve 17, which is .in its highest position on the rod 18.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows: The reservoir 1 is filled with water or other sealing liquid at least up to the level a, so that the tank 2 is always well covered. Hereupon the weighted lever 7, 8, is adjusted in the broken line position, access being had thereto through the open top of the reservoir, so that the valve 6 is open, and the spring 9, now pressing against the arm 7 maintains the valvev in this position. The petroleum, benzin, or other inflammable liquid to be stored, now flows through the pipe 4 into the tank 2' and expels the sealing liquid contained therein, so that the latter rises in the reservoir 1, until finally the pin 13 of the float strikes the lever 10. Theproportion 4between the volumes of storage ythe level indicated by the line J). The pin 13 now lifts the lever 10, whereupon the lug 11 depresses the spring 9. This causes release of the. weighted lever 7 8, which turns into the full-line position, the valve 6 being thus closed and the flow of inflammable liquid therefore cut oif.

Should, in the course of filling the tank 2 with liquid, the sealing liquid rise higher in the reservoir 1 than the float 12 can ascend, the superfluous liquid will run oli" through the funnel 14 and pipe 15.

To discharge inflammable liquid from the tank 2, the valve 17 must be pulled down the rod 18 and opened.vl so that owing to the pressure of sealing liquid in the reservoir 1 storage liquid is forced out of the tank 2 through the pipe and valve 17. vWhen the discharging operation is finished, the valve 17 must be released and will be drawn upto the top of the rod 18 automatically by the weight 21, so that it is again located above the level of the sealing liquid in the reservoir 1. Thus normally the valve 17 is not subject to the pressure of the storage liquid in the tank 2; neither is the valve 6 subject to any such pressure.

Since the storage tank 2 is completely surrounded by the'neutral sealing liquid, it is impossible for air to obtain access to its in terior, which is of great advantage in the case of readily'inflammable liquids, such as petroleum, benzin., etc. Whatever thefalteration in .the volume of the storage liquid in the tank 2, the volume of the sealing liquid in the reservoir 1 always remains the same, it being only its level in the reservoir which alters though such level, even when the tank 2 is empty, is always well above the cover 3 of ythe tank. t It will be seen that the storage liquid in the tank is constantly forced against the cover 3 of the same, so that there is never any space within Vwhich gas can form.

To indicate the quantity of inammable liquid in tank 2, the stem 12b carries a pointer 12c which travels over a scale 1c marked. on the sleeve 1b.

In the construction shown in Figs. 2-3, the re'servoir 1 and tank 2 are replaced by similar receptacles 1a, 2a. Instead of the float 12 with attached funnel-pipe 14, 15 a float 12a is provided within the tank 2, whose cover 3a is adapted to accommodate the ioat in its highest position. Thisfloat 12a immersed partly in the inlammabletliquid and partly in water is-also adapted to float only in water and not in the' inflammable liquid.. The place of the movable fun-- nel-pipe is taken by a funnel-pipe 14@l stationarily attached to the wall of the reservoir 1a. The flexible pipes 4, 5, conducting the valves 6, 17, are replaced by rigid pipes 4a, 5a, which conduct to an inlet valve 6a and an outlet valve 17a respectively. In the pipe 5a there is connected a. pump 22, so that the inflammable liquid can be Withdrawn from the tank 2 by working the pump handle 23. The valve 17, controlling the pipe 5a, is

provided with a double- armed lever 24, 25, the arm 25 being weighted., while the arm 24 bears against a segment 26 rigidly mounted on the axis of the pump 22. W'hen the handle 23 is in the position of rest, the arm 24 bears against the end of the segment 2G, the valve 17a being closed (full-'line position Fig. 3). If, however, the handle 23 is moved toward its other end position, the arm 24 is turned upward .and will rest upon the periphery of the segment 26, the valve 17a being then opened. In pumping, the handle 23 is moved to and fro between the two broken lines 27^(Fig. 3) and the arm 24 will thus remain on the segment 2G, so-that so long as pumping continues the valve 17 is always open. IVhen the handle 23 is returned to its initial position (as shown in Fig. 3) the loaded arm 25 will drop and close the valve.

In order that the float 12 may indicate the quantity of inflammable liquid in the tank 2a, the ioat is attached by a flexible member 29, passing over pulleys 30, with a weight 31, which latter is provided with a pointer 31 `adapted to travel over a scale 32. The arm 7EIL of the lever 7, 8a, which controls the valve 6a, engages with a projection 28 of a double-armed lever 28, fulcrumed at 28b to a frame-bar 1b. When the parts 7, 28', engage, the valve 6a occupies the open pos'tion and the lever 28 projects into the path of a stop 33 on the iexible member 29. When the tank 2a is illed with the iniammable liquid, thestop 33 will tip the lever 28, whereby the parts 28, 7 a, are disengaged and the valve 6a will be closed. 35 is a finger on the Boat 12a and 34 is a valve in the pipe 5a. This valve 34 will be closed by the finger 35, when the tank 2ZL is empty of the indammable liquid.

I claim 2.

1. In a vessel for inflammableliquids, a reservoir for a neutral sealing liquid, a tank for an inflammable liquid arranged inside said reservoir and permanently covered by the content of the latter, said tank being closed at the top and open at the bottom and permanently filledwith liquid, independent feed and discharge means for the iniamma.- ble liquid communicating with the interior of said tank, an automatically closing valve in each of said feed and discharge means and normally situated above the level of the sealing liquid, a float adapted toiloat on the sealing liquid, and means acted upon by said float for releasing the feed valve when the sealing liquid has reached its upper level during filling of the vessel and exerting no control on said valve during the withdrawal of inflammable liquid.

2. In a vessel for inflammable liquids, a reservoir for a neutral sealing liquid open at the top, a tank for an inflammable liquid arranged inside said y.reservoir and permanently covered by the content of the latter, Said tank being closedat the top and open at the bottom, and permanently lled With liquid, independent feed and discharge pipes for the inflammable liquid communicating with the interiorof said tank, a valve in each of said pipes and` situated above the level of the sealing liquid, a ioat adapted to float on the sealing liquid, a lever pivotally mounted on the Wall of the reservoir and arranged'to be acted upon by the float for controlling said feed valve, and means for vertically adjusting the position of the discharge valve.

3. In a vessel for inflammable liquids, a

reservoir for a neutral sealing liquid, a tank for an inflammable liquid arranged inside said reservoir and permanently covered by the contact of the latter, said tank being closedat the top and open at the bottom,a feed pipe for the inflammable liquid passing` through said reservoir and connected lto the tank, a flexible discharge pipe connected to the cover of said tank, anautomatically closing valve outside the vessel on the outer end of said discharge pipe, a vertical rod on Which said closing valve is slid'ably mounted, a valve in said feed pipe, a double armed Weighted lever connected to the feed valve, a float adapted to float only in the sealing liquid, a lever pivotally mounted in the Wall of the reservoir and arranged to be acted upon by the float when said tank is iilled with inflammable liquid to;y close the feed valve.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

KARL'MLLER.

vWitnesses:

CARL GUBLER, ARNOLD LEHNER.

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