Fluid handling – Destructible or deformable element controlled – Destructible element
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-07
2001-06-12
Rivell, John (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Destructible or deformable element controlled
Destructible element
C137S267000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244288
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
This invention relates to mobile liquid containers, such as gasoline or other liquid product tanker trucks or rail cars, and more particularly to emergency shut-off or foot valves that are part of such mobile containers.
With reference to
FIG. 7
, fueling tanker trucks are typically constructed with an elongated under-carriage frame and an elongated, horizontal storage tank having a number of internally divided compartments with various unequal volume capacities to store and transport gasoline, fuel oil, aircraft fuels, or other volatile liquids and fuels. Gasoline tankers are typically bottom loaded through load only or load/unload couplers or adaptors
100
located below and toward the center of and longitudinally along the tanker undercarriage.
Each adaptor
100
communicates with the bottom of a respective storage compartment through an elongated 4″ rigid delivery pipe
102
made of cast aluminum, bronze, or steel. The compartment end of the delivery pipe communicates with a compartment through an emergency poppet valve
104
(sometimes referred to as a foot valve) mounted in the compartment bottom and operated by an external handle. The adapter
100
at the end of the delivery pipe
102
releasably mates with a corresponding coupler on a delivery hose
106
. The far end of delivery hose (not shown) couples into the below ground riser coupler associated with the below ground gasoline storage tank when liquid product is to be discharged from the tanker to the below ground storage tank.
Each tank emergency valve
104
includes a poppet valve that seats in a normally closed position within the coupler. The standard emergency valve
104
includes an operating handle that, when rotated to the fill position, rotates an internal actuator that raises the tank coupler poppet valve to allow liquid flow by gravity through the housing of valve
104
into the delivery pipe, through the delivery hose and into the top of the riser, drop tube, and storage tank below. The handle of valve
104
is coupled to the operator control handle of adapter
100
so that these handles operate together in ganged fashion. Vapor recovery lines (not shown) connected from the tank top back to the tanker manifold equalizes vapor pressures and stores vapors in the tanker that had been displaced from the top region of the below ground tank by the fill liquid.
Fill liquid enters the riser at a high rate, e.g. 340 gallons per minute. When the below ground tank reaches a predetermined fill level, conventional overfill prevention apparatus located in the drop tube greatly restricts or cuts off drop tube flow. The operator then rotates the adaptor
100
and emergency valve
104
fill handles to their closed positions which in turn shuts and seals the adaptor
100
and emergency tank valve poppet
104
closed. This action traps the fuel within the delivery pipe
102
. Next, the operator disconnects the upstream end of the delivery hose
106
from the adaptor
100
at the downstream end of delivery pipe
102
. Gasoline in the hose simply bleeds into the top of the riser as the operator lifts and “walks” the hose sections toward the riser. The hose is then disconnected at the riser and stowed on the tanker for transport to the next site.
Note the process purposely traps about 20 gallons of gasoline in the long delivery pipe
102
(and about 5 gallons in the short pipe
102
) avoiding excessive air being forced down into the riser and drop tube when fill liquid flow next begins or air being forced into the tanker compartment during bottom filling process. However, this standard practice creates a dangerous and hazardous condition because delivery pipes extend along and adaptors are located at an exposed side of the tanker. It is known that tanker sides occasionally impact cars, other trucks, poles, or other objects when making turns on city streets or otherwise. This impact causes the shear fitting of the emergency valve
104
housing to shear thus dislocating the upstream delivery pipe end from the tank. Although no gasoline emits from the tanker compartment because the poppet remains closed, nevertheless the liquid product within the delivery pipe discharges from the now free (upstream) pipe end in liquid and vapor form at a high rate and sprays along the ground and in the air. Volatile vapors blanket the general area and liquid has been known to wet objects and people in the area. Fires and combustion are known to have resulted.
SUMMARY OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
A delivery system according to the principles of the present invention avoids the above mentioned problems, prevents the escape of liquid or vapors in the event of tank adaptor or emergency valve impact or shear, and provides for a safer and less polluting system for tanker liquid transport.
One exemplary embodiment includes a fill pipe associated emergency or foot valve assembly having an emergency poppet valve subassembly for controlling delivery liquid flow and a second spring loaded shut-off valve subassembly normally held in the open position. In the event the delivery pipe section of the valve assembly housing is sheared from or dislocates from the tank section of the valve assembly housing by reason of an impact force to the associated adaptor, delivery pipe or emergency valve, the shut-off valve subassembly automatically closes to trap and seal the delivery pipe liquid therein to the great safety of persons and objects in the area and to protect the environment from pollution.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2430956 (1947-11-01), Scott
patent: 3095894 (1963-07-01), Jensen
patent: 3310070 (1967-03-01), Black
patent: 3319645 (1967-05-01), Mahoney et al.
patent: 3360000 (1967-12-01), Weston et al.
patent: 3378021 (1968-04-01), Milo
patent: 3489160 (1970-01-01), Moore
patent: 3515157 (1970-06-01), Milo
patent: 3630214 (1971-12-01), Levering
patent: 3797510 (1974-03-01), Torres et al.
patent: 3860025 (1975-01-01), Nelson
patent: 3913603 (1975-10-01), Torres
patent: 4898199 (1990-02-01), Morris et al.
patent: 5099870 (1992-03-01), Moore et al.
patent: 5193569 (1993-03-01), Moore et al.
patent: 5244006 (1993-09-01), Pettesch
1 page sales sheet, EBW, Dated Nov. 1995, Form #8122.
4 page sales sheet, EBW, Dated May 1996, Form No. 6116.
Bottom Loading and Vapor Recovery for MC-306 Tank Motor Vehicles, Transportation Department, API Recommended Practice 1004, American Petroleum Institute, Seventh Edition, Nov. 1988.
Dreyfus Edward
Rivell John
Technalink, Inc.
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