US1952790A - Pressure device for delivering liquids - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1934. G. DEAN PRESSURE DEVICE FOR DELIVERING LIQUIDS Filed NOV. 20, 1930 [71 7/677 zfor:

Geafye Dean, 53%

fliiys.

Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRESSURE DEVICE FOR DELIVERING LIQUIDS George Dean, Hall Green, England 4 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for delivering liquids, of the kind in which there is a delivery pump connected with a main storage tank, liquid being delivered through the pump outlets.

5 It has advantages which apply to the servicing of liquids which are or may become viscous, and particularly to the servicing of oils (i. e., the pumping and delivery of specified quantities, gallons, half -gallons, etc., of oils).

Its main object is to facilitate the rapid delivery of predetermined quantities of liquid even in cases where the main storage supply is at some distance from the delivery pump or other servicing means, the two being interconnected by a relatively long-distance pipe-line.

A further object of the invention is to arrange a subsidiary container near the pump (which is spaced away from the main storage tank) to communicate with the main storage tank and also, at its lower end, with the pump inlet. The subsidiary container may be below the bottom of the main tank so as to be fed gravitatively therefrom, or a super-atmospheric or positive pressure may be applied to the contents of the main tank for delivering fuel therefrom to the container. Then, when the pump is operated to draw liquid from the container the pressure above the liquid in the container falls, and liquid flow from the main tank is thus introduced.

Preferably a control vent is arranged at the top of the container, and in some cases a connection may be provided between the pump and the container for positively subjecting the air space at the top of the latter to subatmospheric or negative pressure.

For an understanding of the attainment of this object and the accomplishment of other advantages, attention should be directed to the following description, in which reference is made to the accompanying drawing, the main features of the invention being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a part-sectional elevation of a liquiddelivering layout adapted according to the invention, and

Figure 2 is a part-sectional elevation showing a modification of a detail.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 1 there is a complete means of servicing oils or other liquids from a relatively-distant main storage tank 1 along the pipe lines 2, 11 and 3'7.

In Figure 1 the pipe line 2 is shown connected with the bottom of the tank, in whichcase a float 55 chamber 3 may be provided to afford a means of ranged above the top of the tank, would not be automatically sealing the inlet to the pipe line 11 when the contents of the tank are exhausted. By this means air is prevented from entering the pipe-line from the tank and the system remains primed up to the float chamber 3 while the tank is being replenished or another receptacle substituted. Consequently, there is no necessity for repriming the whole system when, after the contents of a tank have been exhausted, operations are re-commenced.

Thefloat 4 in the chamber 3 opens or closes a valve 5 by means of the lever system 6 as predetermined by the contents of the tank. Thus, when the tank is empty the valve 5 to the pipe-line is closed. If oil or other liquid is now supplied to the tank 1 and the pet-cock 7 opened, the liquid fills the chamber 3, raising the float 4 and opening the valve 5. The pet-cock '7 can then be closed, when the unit will be ready for further service. i I

Obviously these sealing arrangements can be varied. If the pipe line 11 should enter the top of the tank 1, as alternatively indicated at 8 in Figure 2, the float chamber 9, which is then arsubject to the gravitational effects of the liquid contents. Means are therefore provided for obtaining a negative pressure in the float chamber 9 after the tank has been reflled to cause the liquid to enter the float chamber and raise the float 10, thus openingthe valve 5 to the pipe-line 11. This negative pressure can be applied to the float chamber 9 through a tube 12 and a turncock 13. By rotating this turn-cock anti-clockwise, from the position shown, through communication is opened from the tube 12 to the float chamber 9. The valve 14. on the top of the float 10 seals the port to the turn-cock 13 when the liquid has attained the proper level in the float-chamber 9 and prevents flooding of the vent system.

By replacing the turn-cock 13 to the position shown communication is established between the tube 12 and the tube 15 which is connected with the top of the tank 1. Positive pressure may then be admitted through the tube 12, thus putting the contents of the tank 1 and the pipe-line 11 under pressure, to facilitate service.

If ordinary atmospheric service is required (assuming that it is sufficient) positive pressure would not be applied through the tube 12 but the pet-cock 16 would be opened instead, placing the system under atmospheric pressure. Thus, the system may be placed under negative pressure, atmospheric pressure or positive pressure.

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A preferred means for creating the positive or negative pressure is hereinafter described.

Situated adjacent to the point of service and as a continuation of the pipe-line 11 is a subcontainer 17. This sub-container acts as a relay reservoir and is adapted to hold a suiiicient amount of the liquid as may be required for immediate service. When the sub-container 17 is fully charged the liquid level therein may be approximately as indicated by the broken line 18. This level is predetermined by the action of a float 19 on the valve 20 which opens or closes to the atmosphere through gauzes 21. The valve 20 is hollow from the head downwards, and holes 22 can connect with the atmosphere above and with the air space in the sub-container below, respectively. Thus, when liquid is serviced from the sub-container 1'7, the level of the float 19 falls, closing the valve 20, and causes a negative pressure to build up in the air space at the top of the sub-container, which induces fresh liquid to flow in through the pipe-line 11. If the contents of the tank 1 are under positive pressure, or if the contents of the sub-container 17 are under gravitative pressure from the contents of the tank 1, the liquid will rise until the float 19 closes the valve face 23 which seals the air space in the sub-container, retaining therein the requisite weight of air to provide sufiicient elasticity for the quick service of substantially the whole of the contents of the sub-container 1'7 and induce a maximum fiow through the long pipeline 11. It will be obvious that after a slight delay or waiting period following a service operation the sub-container 17 will again be fully recharged for quick service.

If the sub-container 17 should become sad for any reason, as when its contents are not under positive pressure and surplus air has filtered into the interior, the float 19 at its lowered level opens the hollow valve 24 to a vent-tube 25 through which a negative pressure can be supplied to the sub-container, by way of the holes 26 and 27 in the hollow valve 24. The lower face 28 merely acts as a stop for the valve 24 and does not make a valve seating, the hole 27 being continually open to the air space at the top of the sub-container. The suspended weight 29 in combination with the fioat 19 gives a very powerful sealing action to the vent valve faces 20, 23 and 24.

If a number of these sub-containers are used, as with the multi-service supply hereinafter referred to, a ball-valve 30 interposed between the vent-tube 25 and the valve 24 prevents any intercommunication between separate sub-containers. It will be seen that when a negative pressure is applied through a common vent-tube, such as 31, connecting with all the separate vent-tubes 25, only those sub-containers which are sad will re-act to the said negative pressure.

If any sub-container should not be required to be in use, or if it should be desired to cut out any sub-container, there is a turn-cock 32 arranged as shown, the half rotation of which cuts out the container with which it is associated.

" f The pointed end 33 of the pin forming the handle of the turn-cock 32 indicates by its direction whether the container is cut out or in service.

Any automatic regulator may be used instead I of the one described by the numerals 19 to 33 inclusive, for automatically determining the volume of air (at atmospheric pressure) sealed within the sub-container.

The aforementioned positive or negative pressures delivered along the vent-tube 12, and the negative pressure delivered along the vent-tube 31, may, if desired, be created by the action of the piston 34 in an oils-servicing cylinder 35. For this purpose the stop-cock 36 of the oil suction tube 37 is first closed; the turn-cock 38 is then put into the position shown, and an upward stroke of the piston 34 is made. Any spiritladen air available from any of the sub-containers 17 is thus drawn into the cylinder and on the return stroke expelled past the ball-valve 39. This spirit-laden air is available for positive pressure purposes in the primary tank 1, if the turn-cock 13 and the pet-cock 16 are in the positions shown, or it may be expelled into the atmosphere through the pet-cock 16 if the same is open, or through the non-drip oil delivery valve 41 if the spring loaded lever 40 is depressed.

It is obvious that, if positive pressure is required in the primary tank 1, and no spirit-laden air is available from the sub-containers 17, the air necessary to fill the cylinder on the upstroke of the piston 34 may be obtained by depressing the lever 40, thus opening the delivery valve 41, this valve then being closed by the raising of the lever on the return stroke of the piston, when the air contained in the cylinder is expelled past the ball 39 into the primary tank 1.

By rotating the turn-cock 38 anti-clockwise through 90 communication is established be tween the cylinder and the vent-tube 12 to allow of creating a negative pressure in the float chamber 9. Rotating the turn-cock 38 anti-clockwise through a further 90 cuts off the cylinder from the whole of the Vent system, when the main stop-cock 36 on the oil suction tube 37 can be opened for ordinary service.

The subsidiary container, instead of being of rectangular form as illustrated, may be of bottle form, the pipe-line 11 from the main storage tank leading to the lower end of the container, and the pipe-line 37 connected with the delivery pump entering the container through its upper end and extending down to a point just above the bottom of the container.

Alternatively, the pipe- line 11, 37 leading from the main storage tank to the pump can be enlarged in section to provide the subsidiary container, the line 37 to the pump communicating with the lower side of the enlarged section.

It should be understood that the negative and positive pressures may, if preferred, be obtained from pressure lines operated by an air pump or compressor. Also, that by putting positive pressure on the contents of the primary tank 1 the whole of the oils-servicing system up to the stopcock 36 is placed under pressure.

The advantage of having a suction servicing means aided by this positive pressure oils-service will, it is believed, be forciblyv realized. Furthermore, service can be continued from the subcontainer during the period of re-filling the main storage tank.

In practice the apparatus of the invention may form part of a multi-service supply, as above referred to, the subsidiary chambers for the different grades of lubricant etc. being disposed together to form, or be adjacent to, the base of a single pump provided with means by which it can be selectively associated with any of the pipe systems as desired. When preferred the subsidiary chambers may be grouped in the manner indicated in British patent specification No. 321497, in respect of which I am the patentee.

It will thus be seen that by this invention small quantities of viscous or other liquids can be quickly delivered by any suitable servicing means even in cases when the main supply is located at some distance therefrom.

Although a pump has been particularly described as the servicing means, it will be evident that delivery may be efiected through sight glasses, the liquid being subjected to positive or negative pressure by turn-cock only.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. An oil-servicing or like liquid-delivery system including a main storage tank, a delivery pump spaced therefrom, a subsidiary container near the pump and below the tank, the container being continuously connected with the tank as long as the latter is charged and at its lower end with the pump inlet, and means for causing liquid to flow from the tank to the container till it reaches a predetermined level therein, the arrangement being such that during a servicing operation the pressure in the container above the liquid decreases, whereby liquid flow from the main tank is induced.

2. An oil-servicing or like liquid delivery system, including a main storage tank, a delivery pump spaced therefrom, a subsidiary container near the pump and away from the tank, the container being continuously connected to the tank as long as the latter is charged and from its lower end to the pump inlet, and valve means associated with the delivery pump and with the container whereby a negative pressure can be positively applied above the liquid in the latter to induce liquid flow from the main tank.

3. A liquid vending device, including a main storage tank, a delivery pump located advantageously for delivery of the liquid, a subsidiary container disposed adjacent the pump and below the level of the storage tank, a float controlled supply pipe between the bottoms of the storage tank and the subsidiary container for closing the supply pipe when the supply of liquid fails therein, and a second supply pipe between the bottoms of the subsidiary tank and. the pump.

4. A liquid vending device comprising a storage tank, a delivery pump, a subsidiary container disposed below the level of the tank, the container being continuously connected with the tank as long as the latter is charged and at its lower end with the pump inlet, and pressure reducing means operable during a servicing operation for decreasing the pressure in the container above the liquid, whereby liquid flow from the tank is induced.

GEORGE DEAN.

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