AU773263B2

AU773263B2 - Apparatus for storing a liquid

Info

Publication number: AU773263B2
Application number: AU52681/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Gary Byford
Original assignee: BYFORD FABRICATIONS Pty Ltd
Current assignee: BYFORD FABRICATIONS Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1998-10-07
Filing date: 1999-10-05
Publication date: 2004-05-20
Anticipated expiration: 2019-10-05
Also published as: AU5268199A

Description

I

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT 0.

*000 00.0 0 0 .6*0 Applicants: BYFORD FABRICATIONS PTY LTD A.C.N. 005 873 094 Invention Title: APPARATUS FOR STORING A LIQUID The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 APPARATUS FOR STORING A LIQUID The present invention is concerned with apparatus for storing a liquid and, more particularly, with apparatus such as a transport tanker for transporting said liquid.

Tankers for transporting liquids such as milk typically consist of a tubular tank mounted on a vehicle chassis adapted for towing by a prime mover, and include an inlet and outlet conduit to the rear of the tubular tank which has a pump mounted nearby to pump liquid in and out of the tanker. In order to allow access for maintenance, the tank typically includes a manway, usually on its uppermost surface, but sometimes on the side and occasionally on the rear of the tank. Access to the manway is obtained either by climbing a ladder positioned near the manway of clambering over the tanker to reach the manway.

Since it is located quite high above the ground it will be appreciated that a fall while attempting to gain access to the manway is quite dangerous, with the possibility of falling a long way to the ground or of falling into the tanker. In either case serious injury is likely to ensue.

Moreover, it is inconvenient to have to climb up on the S: tanker in order to open the manway prior to filling to 9. 25 allow for efflux of air already in the tanker during the filling process.

It will also be appreciated that conventional tankers include bulkheads dividing them into compartments (which are progressively filled from front to rear) to ensure stability in a partly filled tanker. Since liquid is conventionally pumped from the rear of the tanker, its interior floor slopes from front to rear and each bulkhead has a plug or similar device which can be removed to allow the liquid to flow out of the forward compartments.

However, this type of arrangement is not suitable where the inlet and/or outlet for the liquid is located elsewhere. It H:\vicky\Keep\speci\P35679 Byford storage.doc 5/10/99 31/03 2004 13:40 FAX 61 3 92438333GRFIh AC 05 GRIFFITH RACK [a 005 -3also does not provide for movement of maintenance Personnel between compartments hence one manway muast be provided for each compartment.

The present invention seeks to provide apparatus for storing liquid allowing for easy access for maintenance and/or more convenient filling.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for storing a liquid, comprising: a tank for containing said liquid; inlet means allowing for influx of said liquid and outlet means allowing for efflux of said liquid; breather means allowing expulsion of air from :said tank during filling and influx of air during emptying; anda manway located in the underside of said tank.

Typically, said manway includes sealing means to ensure no leakage occurs. Preferably, the breather means are located on the top side of the tank, above the fill V, line.

Typically, said inlet means and said outlet means are one and the same. more particularly, they comprise conduit means in fluid flow connection with the interior of said tank. Preferably, maid conduit means is located on the underside of said tank.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for storing liquid, the apparatus comprising: a tank for containing said liquid; conduit means allowing for the influx and efflux.

of said liquid; a breather port allowing for expulsion of air COMS ID No: SMBI-00689818 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:49 Date 2004-03-31 31/03 2004 13:40 FAX 861 3 92438333 GRIFFITH BACK Q~1006 4 from said tank during filling and inflin of air during emp tying; a manway located in the underside of said tank; a breather seal plate for closing said breather port; a conduit seal plate for sealing said conduit means; and actuator means for unseating said conduit Seal plate, said conduit seal plate being in operative association with said breather seal plate, whereby said breather seal plate is also unseated when said conduit seal plate is unseated.

Typically said breather seal plate comprises a 00.00:circular plate of the same or slightly larger diameter as 15 the breather port. Likewise, the conduit seal plate comprises a circular plate of the same or slightly larger .diameter as the conduit means. The plates may be made of any suitable material, eg food grade plastic and should include means to ensure an adequate seal is formed.

Typically, said breather seal plate and said conduit seal plate are each mounted to a rod. said rod is typically driven in an upward or downward motion by said actuator means, which may be any suitable means for inducing said motion.

Typically, said rod ±s linear, hence the breather port is located directly above said conduit means.

Advantageously, said breather port is located in the topmost surface of the tank.

A mesh may cover said breather port provided it is spaced far enough away from the surface of said tank to allow for movement of said barrier seal plate. A cover may also be positioned over the breather seal plate and mesh to provide for mechanical protection of said breather seal plate.

COMS ID No: SMBI-00689818 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:49 Date 2004-03-31 5 It will be appreciated that the apparatus for storing liquid is typically a tanker with a tank mounted on a vehicle chassis adapted for towing by a prime mover.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a modular unit for fitment to apparatus for storing liquid, said apparatus comprising a tank for containing said liquid, conduit means allowing for the influx and efflux of said liquid and a breather port allowing for expulsion of air from said tank during filling and influx of air during emptying, said unit comprising: a portion of said tank, said portion including: conduit means adjoining an orifice formed in said portion so as to bring said conduit into fluid flow connection with the interior of said tank when said module is fitted; a manway fitted to said portion so as to be located on the underside of said tank when said 20 module is fitted; a breather port allowing for expulsion of :air from said tank during filling and influx of air during emptying; a breather seal plate for closing said 25 breather port; a conduit seal plate for sealing said conduit means; and •actuator means for unseating said conduit seal plate, said conduit seal plate being in 30 operative association with said breather seal plate, whereby said breather seal plate is also unseated when said conduit seal plate is unseated.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a tanker, comprising: a tank for containing a liquid mounted to a H:\Vicky\Keep\speci\P35679 Byford Storage.doc 5/10/99 31/03 2004 13:40 FAX 61 3 92438333 GRIFFITH BACK 04007 -6vehicle chassis adapted for towingi inlet mean. allowing for influx of said liquid and cutlet means for eEflux of said liquid: breather means allowing expulsion of air from said tank during filling and influx of air during emptying, divider means dividing said tank into a first and second compartment, said first compartment including said inlet means and said outlet means; said divider means including an overflow portion to allow for overflow of said liquid into said second compartment during filling of said tanker and a one-way valve allowing for return of said liquid from said second compartment to said first compartment during emptying of said tanker; and is a manway located in the underside of said tank.

Preferably, said divider means is a bulkhead and one-way valve is a flap hingedly mounted to said bulkhead and covering an opening in said bulkhead. The pressure applied to the flap by the liquid in said first compartment ensures that said flap remains closed even when said second compartment fills. However, when emptying the tanker liquid flows from said first compartment initially and the resultant drop in pressure applied to the flap allows for :00.:25 flow of liquid from said second compartment through the opening in the bulkhead.

Typically, the bs ftetn includes channels directing flow of said liquid to said outlet means.

Typically, said first compartment also includes said breather means, which is preferably the arrangement described above. However, said breather means may be located in said second compartment of the tan~k above the fill line.

Typically, the overflow portion of said bulkhead is provided simply by having said bulkhead not exctend quite COMS ID No: SMBI-00689818 Received by IP Australia: Time (I-tm) 13:49 Date 2004-03-31 31/03 2004 13:41 FAX 61 3 92438333 GRIFFITH HACK Z~008 -7to the roof of said tank.

In order that the invention may be more clearly ascertained, preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig 1 is a partially cut away side elevation of a tanker in accordance with the present inventiong Fig 2 is a cross-section through a breather arrangement in accordance with the present invention; Fig 3 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the tanker shown in Fig 1; and Fig 4 is a cross-section through the bulkhead portion of the tanker shown in Fig 1.

The tanker 10 shown in Fig 1 comprises a tubular tank 11 mounted on a vehicle chassis 12 adapted for towing through connection 13. The tank 11 is sealed except for *the provision of manway 14, a combined inlet/outlet port to which inlet/outlet conduit 16 is joined and breather means 17. The tank 11. is divided into a first compartment 18 and a second compartment 19 by bulkhead 20, which includes a one-way valve 21, the operation of which will be described below.

The manway 14 is located in the underside of tank 11, and allows for ready access to the interior of tank 11 directly from the ground. Accordingly, access to the inside of tank 11 can be gained for maintenance purposes readily and without risk.

The underside of the tank 11 aluo includes inlet/outlet port 15 joined to conduit 16, which is typically 10 to 15cm. in diameter. The floor of the tank falls to the inlet/outlet port 15 and may include channels to direct the flow of liquid to the port. The product transported in the tanker can be introduced through inlet/outlet conduit 16 and will also drain through this COMS ID No: SMBI-00689818 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:49 Date 2004-03-31 8 conduit. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that there must be a closure for inlet/outlet port 15 and this is provided by conduit seal plate 22. Conduit seal plate 22 is a circular plate slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of inlet/outlet port 15 and is adapted to seal said port. However, in order to admit liquid or to empty the tank 11 conduit seal plate 22 must be unseated by raising it into the position shown in Fig 2. This is achieved by coupling actuator means (not shown) to rod 23 which can move upwardly or downwardly (as seen in Fig 2) to seat or unseat conduit seal plate 22. Rod 23 extends through conduit seal plate 22 so as to bring the breather means 17 into operative association with the conduit seal plate 22. The breather means 17 comprises breather seal plate 24 which is slightly larger in diameter than breather port 25 and serves to seal the port 25 when seated. The breather port 25 and breather port seal 24 are enveloped in i mesh 26 to minimise entry of particulate matter to the tank 11 when the breather means 17 is open. They are all 20 covered by cover 27 to provide mechanical protection to the arrangement when the tanker is in motion.

In order to fill the tanker the actuator means is actuated so as to lift rod 23 into the position shown in Fig 2. Liquid is pumped through inlet/outlet conduit 16 and enters tank 11 through inlet/outlet port 15, flowing around conduit seal plate 22. A the tank 11 fills with liquid the air contained therein must escape in order to avoid an increase in pressure in the tank which will 30 ultimately prevent pumping of further liquid into it.

Accordingly, breather means 17 is provided. As seen in Fig 2, rod 23 unseats breather seal plate 24 from breather port allowing air to flow out of tank 11 through breather port 25, thence through mesh 26 and underneath cover 27.

Likewise, when liquid is being pumped out of the tank 11 the plates 22, 24 are unseated to allow for flow of liquid out through conduit 16 and flow of air in through port H:\Vicky\Keep\speci\P35679 Byford Storage.doc 5/10/99 9 This allows air to fill the tank as it empties. Rapid and complete drainage is ensured by having the floor of the tanks sloped towards the inlet/outlet port 15 and/or providing channels in the floor direct towards the port.

In order to seal the tank 11 the rod 23 can be allowed to move downwardly once again and seat plates 22, 24.

The potential for a modular unit for fitting to a tanker is best appreciated from a consideration of Fig 3.

This bottom plan view shows the manway 14 formed in the underside of a portion 32 of tank 11. Likewise, inlet/outlet port 15 (not seen) is formed in this same portion of tank 32 and conduit 16 adjoins this port. Rod 23 also extends therethrough. The unit also includes breather means 17 in its top side, and it will be appreciated that it can be incorporated in a tanker by known means eg welding.

The operation of the one-way valve 21 is best seen in Fig 4. A first compartment 18 of tank 11 is separated from a second compartment 19 of tank 11 by bulkhead 20. Bulkhead 20 includes overflow slot 33 to allow liquid to flow from first compartment 18 to second compartment 19 once first compartment 18 is filled with the 25 liquid pumped in through conduit 16. As first compartment 18 fills flap 32 is held firmly against bulkhead 20 and so the opening (not seen) in the bulkhead 20 remains closed.

Once liquid flows into second compartment 19 through overflow slot 33 the pressure on flap 32 from either side 30 equalises progressively, but the flap 32 remains closed due to the higher pressure in first compartment 18 until both compartments of the tank 11 are filled. Upon emptying, liquid drains first from first compartment 18 but this results in a greater pressure in second compartment 19 than in first compartment 18, hence the flap 32 is displaced and allows liquid flow through the opening in bulkhead 20 from second compartment 19 into first compartment 18.

H:\Vicky\Keep\speci\P356 7 9 Byford Storage.doc 5/10/99 31/03 2004 13:41 FAX 61 3 92438333 GRIFFITH HACK Q009 10 Accordingly, the liquid in second compartment 19 is able to flow out of the tank 11 through inlet/outlet conduit 16.

It will also be appreciated that the opening in bulkhead 20 allows for passage between the two portions of the tank. Thus, if manway 14 is located in first portion 18, a maintenance worker can crawl through this opening into the second portion 19.

Throughout this specification and the claims, the words "comprise", "comprises" and "comprising" are used in a non-exclusive sense.

Further, any reference herein to prior art is not 15 intended to imply that such prior art forms or formed a part of the common general knowledge.

Many modifications may be made to the preferred embodiment of the present invention described above without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

e *o COMS ID No: SMBI-00689818 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:49 Date 2004-03-31

Claims

1. An apparatus for storing a liquid, comprising: a tank for containing said liquid; S inlet means allowing for influx of said liquid ad outlet means allowing for efflux of said liquid; breather'means allowing expulsion of air from said tank during filling and influx of air during emptying; and a manway located in the underside of said tank.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said manway includes sealing means to ensure no leakage occurs.

3. An apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or 2, wherein said breather means are located on the top side of the t. tank, above the fill line.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said inlet means and said outlet means are one and the same.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said inlet 0000means and said outlet means comprise conduit means in fluid flow connection with the Interior of said tank.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claimr 5, wherein said conduit means is located on the underside of said tank.

7. An apparatus for storing a liquid, the apparatus comprising: a tank for containing said liquid, conduit means allowing for the'influx and effluxc of said liquid; a breather port allowing for expulsion of air from said tank during filling and influx of air during emptying; COMS ID No: SMBI-00689818 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:49 Date 2004-03-31 31/03 2004 13:41 FAX 61 3 92438333 GRIFFITH HACK Io01 12 a manway located in the underside of said tank; a breather seal plate for closing said breather port; a conduit seal plate for sealing said conduit means; and actuator means for unseating said conduit seal plate, said conduit seal plate being in operative association with said breather seal plate, whereby said breather seal plate is also unseated when said conduit seal plate is unseated.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said breather seal plate comprises a circular plate of the same or slightly larger diameter as the breather port.

9. An apparatus as claimed in either claim 7 or 8, wherein said conduit seal plate comprises a circular plate of the same or slightly larger diameter as the conduit means.

10. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein said plates are of food grade plastic.

11. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 7 to wherein said plates include means to ensure an adequate seal is formed.

12. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein said breather seal plate and said conduit seal plate are each mounted to a rod.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said rod is driven in an upward or downward motion by said actuator means.

14. An apparatus as claimed in either claim 11 or 12, wherein said rod is linear, and said breather port is located directly above said conduit means.

COMS ID No: SMBI-00689818 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:49 Date 2004-03-31 31/03 2004 13:42 FAX 61 3 92436333 GRIFFITH BACK 0T012 -13- An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 14, wherein said breather port is located in the topmost Surface of the tank,

16. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 7 to including a mesh covering said breather port wherein said mesh is spaced far enough away from the surface of said tank to allow far movement of said barrier seal plate.

17. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 7 to including a cover positioned over the breather seal plate to provide for mechanical protection of said breather Beal S.*@plate.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, including a cover 0: positioned over the breather seal, plate and said mesh to *~.provide for mechanical protection of said breather seal plate.

19. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 18, a wherein said apparatus for storing liquid is a tanker with said tank mounted on a vehicle chasis adapted for towing by a prime mover. e0@ 025 a

20. A modular unit for fitment to apparatus for storing liquid, Said apparatus comprising a tank for containing said liquid, conduit means allowing for the influx and off lux of said liquid and a breather port allowing for expulsion of air from said tank during filling and influx of air during emptying, said unit comprising: a portion of said tank, said, portion including: conduit moans adjoining an orifice formed in said portion so as to bring said conduit into fluid flow connection with the interior of said tank when said module Is fitted, a manway fitted to said portion so as to be COMS ID No: SMBI-00689818 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:49 Date 2004-03-31 31/03 2004 13:42 FAX 61 3 92438333 GRIFFITH BACK 41013 -14 located an the underside of said tank when said module is fittedi a breather port allowing for expulsion of air from said tank during filling and influx of S air during emptying) a breather seal plate for closing said breather port; aL conduit seal plate for sealing said conduit means; and actuator means f or unseating said conduit seal plate, said conduit seal plate being in operative association with said breather seal 00: plate, whereby said breather seal plate is also unseated when said conduit seal plate is unseated.

21. A tanker, conpriuinga a tank for containing a liquid mounted to a vehicle chassis adapted for towing; inlet means allowing for influx of said liquid and outlet means for ef flux of said liquid:- breather means allowing expulsion of air from said tank during filling and influx of air during emptying; divider means dividing said tank into a first and compartment, said first compartment including said inlet means and said outlet means; said divider means including an overflow portion to allow for overflow of said liquid into said second compartment during filling of said tanker and a one-way valve allowing for return of said liquid from said second compartment to said first compartment during emptying of said tanker; and a manway located in the underside of said tank.

22. A tanker as claimed in claim 21, wherein said divider means is a bulkhead and one-way valve is a flap hingedly mounted to said bulkhead and covering an opening in said COMS ID No: SMBI-00689818 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:49 Date 2004-03-31 31/03 2004 13:42 FAX 61 3 92438333GRFIhHC J01 GRIFFITH HACK [it 014 bulkhead.-

23. A tanke r as cl aimed in either claim 21 or 22, wherein said pressure applied to the flap by the liquid in said first compartment ensures that said flap remains closed even when said second compartment fills, and whereby when emptying the tanker liquid flows from said first compartment initially and the resultant drop in pressure applied to the flap allows for flow of liquid from said second compartment through the opening in the bulkhead.

24. A tanker as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 23, 5 wherein the base of the tank includes channels directing :flow of said liquid to said outlet means.

S. A tanker as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 24, *a wherein maid first compartment Includes said breather means.

26. A tanker as claimed in any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein said breather means is located in said second a compartment of the tank above the fill line.

27- A tanker as claimed in any one of claims 21. to 26, wherein the overflow portion of said bulkhead is provided *'by having said bulkhead not extend qjuite to the roof of said tank.

28. An apparatus for storing a liquid substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

29. A modular unit for fitment to apparatus for storing liquid substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings. COMS ID No: SMBI-00689818 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:49 Date 2004-03-31 31/03 2004 13:42 FAX 61 3 92438333 GRIFFITH HACK 0o15 16 A tanker substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings. Dated this 31 March 2004 BYFORD FADRICATIONS PTY LTD By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia *r S0 S *0 *0 S t @0 0 o 0 o .r COMS ID No: SMBI-00689818 Received by IP Australia: Time 13:49 Date 2004-03-31