EP0018277B1 - Device permitting the registration of volumes of liquid put back in a reservoir after flow control - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A device permitting the registration of volumes of liquid put back into a storage tank, characterised in that the circuit which enables the contents of the standard measuring gauge to be returned to the storage tank (1) is formed by a vertical tube (16, 20a, 36) which opens into a chamber (11, 20b) the base of which comprises a seat (12, 39) which takes an appropriately-shaped float (13, 40) with a strainer (14, 41) or screen (21) which traps the float and is placed so as to limit the pressure of the liquid, the seat on which the float rests being extended at the bottom by ducting (9, 38) which terminates at a counter (7, 8, 45) which functions under slight pressure, this counter having its outlet (6) attached to the storage tank in question via a non-return valve (18, 46).

Description

The devices allowing the flow of certain liquids to the public subject to commercial precision must be subject to frequent volumetric control to ensure their rigorous accuracy, this is particularly important for pumps called petrol dispensers, whatever 'be the flow. This is how the manager responsible for service stations is required, at least once a week, to check each pump by filling a standard gauge, marked by the Service of Measuring Instruments (SIM) and represented by a container called SIM gauge, container having substantially the shape of a cylindrical container surmounted by a long central neck, comprising on one of its generators a window graduated in thousandths + -5%, closed by a glass provided with a sighting strip, this long neck ending in a funnel part; thus one can easily and quickly verify that the fuel distribution pumps are faithful and distribute the volumes well to the accuracy imposed by the regulations of the service of measuring instruments.

After filling this standard gauge, and each similar operation, the person in charge must empty the fuel thus recovered into the storage tank. At the same time, he must record on his accounting books his various refills in the fuel tank.

Draining of the recovered fuel has been carried out to date most generally by the unloading of standard gauges in the filling piping without any control of recording of the volumes of fuel returned to the tank being able to be recorded.

The present invention relates to a device consisting of a volumetric meter with ordinary precision, or commercial precision, provided with a float system, to prevent a simple push of air causing a fictitious flow of the meter, also of a flap called non-return valve, in order to avoid, when filling the storage tanks, that a low vacuum does not initiate a countdown of said counter.

Thus, after each pump flow control, the manager must, from this device, imperatively proceed to drain the standard gauges in the fuel tank (s), so that the reintroduced volumes are charged and correspond to the volumes recorded in the accounting records.

The same process of recording the volumes of liquids or fuels returned to the tank will also be foolproof during the intervention of service companies with regard to repairs to liquid dispensers and then their periodic verification.

In either of these cases, the recovered fuels can no longer be diverted from their reintroduction into their respective storage, while in the absence of this possibility of recording nothing prevents these liquids from being directly spilled into vehicle tanks or sold outside a legal commercial circuit which can then be exploited by the service station as a loss of product.

Oil companies, like service providers ensuring the maintenance of dispensing devices, are increasingly subject to claims, in particular of fuel losses, and are in many cases, especially since fuel price increases , victims of joint and several maneuvers, on product losses which have no real technical cause, but which, in the absence of a recording control of the liquids returned to the tank, entail considerable financial charges to seek the technical causes that could explain said losses, and the risks of pollution they could cause.

In these increasingly frequent cases, and without the possibility of deterrence by effective control, the oil and service companies fear, with the permanent increase in fuel prices, a dangerous growth in reports of fuel losses, without ability to assess the causes, although for each of them a whole operation will be carried out to check the tightness of the storage tank (s) and the pipeline network, most often ending with deliveries under control absolute, requiring before filling a contradictory gauging between an official of the oil company, an official of the service company and the operator. After filling the tank (s), the filling openings will be padlocked, in parallel with the indexes of the totalizer liters, of the distributors concerned, will be noted and recorded. The distribution resuming its normal course, within the limit of defusing the distributor (s), at this time a new intervention by the various managers will be necessary to raise again the index of the totalizers liters, of the distributor (s), and compare the volumes debited by in relation to the volume of fuel delivered under control, most often the party present cannot find that the volumes of fuel distributed correspond correctly to the volume delivered, without being able to explain the losses declared.

The present invention remedies these drawbacks by creating a device which allows the various parties, oil companies, service providers responsible for the maintenance of distribution apparatus and responsible for the operation of service stations to consider that any declaration of fuel loss can only be caused by a technical incident detectable by all parties.

According to the invention, the circuit allowing the return to the reservoir of the contents of the standard gauges is constituted by a vertical tube ending in a chamber whose bottom comprises a seat receiving a float of suitable shape, which is placed inside a strainer also vertical, the seat on which the float rests being extended, at its lower part, by a pipe leading to a volumetric counter operating under low pressure, counter whose outlet is connected to the tank considered via a non-return valve, or an incorporated flap forming a return valve.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the part containing the float, of spherical shape, assumes a shape substantially in Y, one of the branches being connected directly to the conduit by which the liquid poured arrives from the standard gauge while the another inclined branch serves as a displacement chamber for the spherical float, this displacement chamber being delimited, in the branch coming from the discharge conduit, by a semicircular deflector.

According to another particular feature of the invention, the float has an oblong shape and is therefore enclosed in a strainer of corresponding shape, the assembly thus formed being placed in a conduit opening at the inlet of the meter, the outlet of which is connected to the return pipe to the tank by means of a non-return valve, or incorporated flap forming a non-return valve.

Various other characteristics of the invention will also emerge from the detailed description which follows.

• La fig. 1 est une vue en élévation, partie en coupe, du dispositif de l'invention.
• La fig. 2 est une élévation en coupe d'une variante d'un des éléments de la fig. 1.
• La fig. 3 est une vue en perspective d'une variante de réalisation du dispositif de l'invention.
• La fig. 3a est une coupe-élévation, à plus grande échelle, d'un des éléments du dispositif.
• Les fig. 4 et 5 sont des vues en perspective de variantes de montage du dispositif.

Embodiments of the object of the invention are shown, by way of examples, in the accompanying drawings.

• Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the device of the invention.
• Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a variant of one of the elements of FIG. 1.
• Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the device of the invention.
• Fig. 3a is a sectional elevation, on a larger scale, of one of the elements of the device.
• Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of mounting variants of the device.

In fig. 1, a tank 1 is shown, of which only the upper part can be seen substantially in the area of the manhole 2 closed by the cover 3. The latter carries, at its upper part as is conventional, a vertical tube 4 in which is placed a gauge for measuring the amount of liquid remaining in the reservoir 1. On one side of the tube 4 is horizontally mounted a connecting sleeve 6, leading to a counter 7 operating under low pressure, that is ie for example between 20 and 100 millibars. 8 designates the box containing the counter indicating device 7. The counter input is connected by an elbow 9 to a cylindrical piece 10 internally containing a chamber 11. This chamber 11 is delimited, at its lower part, by a circular seat 12 on which rests a spherical float 13 forming a valve, placed inside a strainer 14 carrying on its top a deflector 15. The strainer 14, as can be seen in FIG. 1, is placed in the center of the chamber 11 which is extended, at its upper part, by a tube 16 which can be closed by a stopper not shown and which can also receive a special funnel 17 intended to facilitate the pouring of the liquid contained in a standard gauge, when this has been filled from a positive displacement pump, as explained above.

Due to the strainer 14, the liquid arrives under low pressure in the chamber 11, lifts the spherical float 13 from its seat 12, ends at the counter 7 which rotates and falls through the connection sleeve 6 into the vertical tube 4 mounted on the top of the tank 1. The presence of the spherical float 13 prevents the use of compressed air for driving the counter 7 in rotation because, even if air pressure is applied in the tube 16, it has the effect of applying more strongly the spherical float 13 on its seat 12. This can thus avoid any dishonest manipulation of the counter 7. The non-return flap 18 also avoids excessive operation of the pump 7.

In the case of fig. 2, the cylindrical part 10 is replaced by a Y-shaped part 20, the vertical branch 20a leading to the tube 16 while the inclined branch 20b is extended in the branch 20a by a semi-circular screen or deflector 21 which is used for guiding of the spherical float 13 resting on its seat 12.

The operation of this variant is identical to that described in FIG. 1.

In fig. 3, the manhole plate 30 of the tank carries, at its upper part, a ventilation pipe 31, a vent 32, a filling pipe 33, a pipe 34 for the connection of the gauge on which is fixed a elbow fitting 35. The device allowing the liquid to return to the reservoir consists of a vertical tube 36 (see fig. 3a) resting on a cylindrical part 37 pierced in its center with an orthogonal channel 38, 38a. Just above the channel 38 is provided a valve seat 39 on which rests the oblong float 40 placed inside the strainer 41 whose cap 42 is pierced with a hole 43 while the base of the strainer is opened by holes 44. The channel 38a receives the connection allowing the fixing of the counter 45 which is connected by a complementary connection to a non-return valve 46 mounted on the connection 35 of the pipe 34 used for the gauge.

yy very iimiiit mounting ensures the inviolability of the device because even slight depression that may occur during filling of the tank does not allow the counter 45 to be counted down, which avoids any fraud.

In fig. 4, the same device, which is therefore not described, is mounted by means of a connector 50 on the filling pipe 33.

Finally, in fig. 5, the same device is mounted by a connector 55 on a special pipe 56 secured to the plate 30 covering the manhole of the tank in question. In the case of fig. 5, 60 designates the liquid suction pipe leading to the dispensing pump 61.

The meters used can be of the ordinary precision type or of the commercial precision type. Whatever the volumes reintroduced, the standard gauges being able to contain 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and even 1000 liters and more, the operation of the device is perfectly safe, without risk of counting the meter as well upstream as downstream.

Claims (3)

1. A device permitting the registration of volumes of liquid put back into a storage tank, characterised in that the circuit which enables the contents of the standard measuring gauge to be returned to the storage tank (1) is formed by a vertical tube (16, 20a, 36) which opens into a chamber (11, 20b) the base of which comprises a seat (12, 39) which takes an appropriately-shaped float (13, 40) with a strainer (14, 41) or screen (21) which traps the float and is placed so as to limit the pressure of the liquid, the seat on which the float rests being extended at the bottom by ducting (9, 38) which terminates at a counter (7, 8, 45) which functions under slight pressure, this counter having its outlet (6) attached to the storage tank in question via a non-return valve (18, 46).

2. A device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the part containing the spherical float is substantially in the shape of a Y having one (20a) of its branches connected directly to the duct (20) via which the liquid poured out of the standard measuring gauge arrives, while the other inclined branch (20b) acts as a displacement chamber for the spherical float, this displacement chamber being bounded by a semi-cylindrical strainer (21) in the branch coming from the emptying duct.

3. A device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the float (13, 40) has a spherical or oblong shape, and is then enclosed in a cylindrical deflecting strainer (14, 41), the unit thus formed being placed in a duct (9, 38) which terminates at the inlet to the counter, the outlet from the counter being connected to the ducting returning to the tank via a non-return valve, or an incorporated flap valve forming a non-return valve (18, 46).

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