GB2028113A - Tank cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The walls of an oil tank in an oil tanker are cleaned by fluid ejected from a nozzle 8 which is mounted not only to rotate about the axis of shaft 5 but also to oscillate in a predetermined manner about an axis normal thereto. The mechanism for carrying this out comprises a shaft 3 driven by a turbine (not shown), transmission mechanisms A, B, C, a cam 4 having a groove 6, portions of which are arranged at angles of different inclination, and a cam follower 7 attached to shaft 5. The nozzle 8 is connected to the lower end of the shaft 5 rack and pinion 31,33 and gears 34,35. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Oil tanker cleaning apparatus This invention relates to an oil tanker cleaning apparatus for cleaning walls of oil tanks of the oil tankers.

Conventially cleaning apparatus of this kind had generally a structure as shown in Fig. 1.

To be particular with reference to Fig. 1, a is a deck of a tanker, b a wall face of the oil tank c, da cleaning device, ea nozzle and f an arm. In this, the arm fwith the nozzle e turns in direction of arrow Af or in reverse.

Also the nozzle eturns in direction of Ae. In this instance, as the nozzle moves downward, the distance between the nozzle e and wall face b becomes larger. For this reason, the pitch h of locus g of blown cleaning liquid becomes gradually rough as it downs as represented by ha. Thus uniform cleaning can not be performed. Nor a thoroughly cleaning can be done, if desired, for only a particular portion.

A major object of the present invention is to provide an oil tanker cleaning apparatus as such even when the distance between the nozzle e and wall face b varies with up-down movement of the nozzle e, that is nevertheless abled to keep uniform pitches h of said blowing liquid locas g.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an oil tanker cleaning apparatus that is abled to make cleaning as it is necessitated for any particular portion of tank walls.

Usually since an only pump provided on the tanker is used for unloading oil from the tanker and for sending cleaning liquid to the tanker, it often happens that the pressure of cleaning liquid vaires depending on the distance between the sea berth and land and this causes irregular cleaning time.

This is the third object of the present invention to provide a unique apparatus, even in such time, that can keep regular cleaning operation with a peculier device for controlling the speed of supplied cleaning liquid.

Other features and objects of the invention will be better understood from the following description of the typical embodiment illustrated in the accompany drawings in which: Figure 1 is a partially diagrammatic view of a conventional cleaning apparatus said before.

Figure 2 is a partially diagrammatic view of an oil tanker cleaning apparatus of typical embodiment of the present invention shown are D.E.F portions of the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a partially diagrammatic section view of A, B, C and D portions of the apparatus.

Figure 4 is a section view of E portion of the apparatus.

Figure 5 is a front view of that in Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a section view taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a section view of F portion of the apparatus.

Figure 8 is a graph showing inclination angles of the cam groove.

Figure 9 is an explanatory graph of the above.

Figure lOis a graph showing pitches of blown liquid from the nozzle.

Referring now to Fig. 3 and 4, numeral 1 is a body frame to which a turbine shaft 3 with blades 2 is rotatably provided. This turbine shaft 3 is connected via worm gears 15, 1 6 with a shaft 1 4 therebetween, clutch 1 7 and gear 1 8 which altogether constitute a transmission mechanism A to another transmission mechanism B for driving a cam 4 and a main shaft 5 of transmission mechanism C respectively, 1 9 is a worm gear.

In the transmission mechanism B, 20 is a worm gear. 21 a clutch and 22 a gear which engages a gear 23 of the cam 4. 24 is a shaft. Also 25 is an indicator of the cam 4. As this indicator 25 rotates with the cam on a calibration plate (not shown in drawings), the state of rotation of the cam can be seen from the outside so that the inclination of a nozzle 8 relative to vertical direction may be known.

The cam 4 may be taken out by removing the plate 26 thereabove thus it may be replaced with another one.

In transmission mechanism C, 27 is a gear with a spline formed in its center for engaging a spline 28 of the main shaft 5. Also this gear 27 engages a gear 1 8 of transmission mechanism A thereby the main shaft 5 is rotated and movable in axial direction. 29 are flanged portions of the main shaft 5 and 30 is a stopper for preventing rotation of the follower .7 but this follower 7 is associately moved with main shaft 5 in axial direction.

Referring to Fig. 7, 31 is a rack formed on the main shaft 5 engaging a gear 33 of a shaft 32. Also a gear 34 of the shaft 32 engages a gear 35 provided on the nozzle 8.

36 is a rotatable casing and as this is separated from the frame 1, this can be rotated with the main shaft 5 by means of a bearing 37, 38, 39 and 40 are each O-ring.

As constructed above, with the rotation of the main shaft 5, the nozzle 8 is rotated and also with the up-down movement of the main shafts, it makes up-down movement with the main shaft.

By making different arrangement of nozzle 8 to gearing, the nozzle may be made to move in reverse axial direction than that of the main shaft.

The graph in Fig. 8 shows the variation of the groove 6 of the came 4 of one embodiment. In this case, the left side from top point P is a groove for decending the nozzle and the right side is a groove for ascending the nozzle.

In the descending groove, it includes portions of the groove from 9b to 9c and from 9c to 9d, thus the inclination is gradually lesseued thereby downward angularity of the nozzle becomes smaller. Thus in this groove 6, a plurality of at least 3 or more groove portions 9a, 9b, 9c having different inclination angles Ba, Sb, Oc respectively are continuously formed. These inclination angles 9a, 9b, 9c may be formed as a simple curvature variation rather than that having peculier angularities.

Thereby as shown by a curvature G in Fig.

10, from approximately 60 upper position relative to the horizen, the nozzle 8 makes swinging movement in arcuate to the lower groove positions 9c, 9d in Fig. 8 with fine pitches. In this instance, inclination angle Ob is assumed as + (plus) and 0a as - (minus).

This phase is also shown in Fig. 9. The groove portions 9f and 99 shown with chain line in Fig. 8 represent those in a cam of another embodiment.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows.

A volume of cleaning liquid is flashed through a passage 1 2 in a direction of Arrow Al 2 thereby the turbine shaft 3 is rotated. In this instance the speed of revolution of the turbine shaft 3 is controlled by adjusting a liquid volume control gate 10 in a branch passage 11 thereby the swinging movement and revolution speed of the nozzle 8 are controlled.

1 3 is a guide blade. When unloading of oil from the tanker and such cleaning are made, it often happens that the pressure of cleaning liquid drops depending on the distance between the sea berth and land and this causes the variation of cleaning time. In this instance as said above, the cleaning time can be controlled by the volume control gate 10.

Also the angle of the nozzle for respective oil tanks may be controlled in each time.

Firstly the rotation of turbine shaft 3 is transmitted from the transmission mechanism A to the second transmission mechanism B to rotate the cam 4. In this instance, as it is necessitated, the rotation of the cam 4 is ceased by releasing the clutch 21. On the other hand, the transmission mechanism A transmits rotation to the transmission mechanism C thereby the main shaft 5 is rotated.

Also the follower 7 is made up-down movement by the cam 4 and in turn, the main shaft 5 is made up-down movement. With the up-down movement of the main shaft during its rotation, the nozzle 8 is associately swung vertically while turning around the main shaft 5 as it is engaged with the rack 31 of the main shaft. The cleaning liquid flashed through the passage 1 2 is blown from the nozzle 8. In this instance, hence the portions 9a, 9b, 9c ... are formed on the cam groove 6 as shown in Fig. 8 as one embodiment indivisual downward inclination of the nozzle 8 is lessened so that the pitches of blowing locus of cleaning liquid as shown in Fig. 10 are kept substantially uniform even the distance between the nozzle 8 and wall of oil tank becomes larger thus the overall wall face of oil tank is thoroughly cleaned. Also by adopting the cam having the groove portions shown by chain line in Fig. 8, cleaning can be made for such portions repeatedly. As one example of this repeating, there are shown with lines H and J representing indivisual variations in Fig. 10. By replacing the cam, the particular portions of wall face can be repeatedly cleaned.

Claims (4)

1. In an oil tanker cleaning apparatus comprising a transmission mechanism (A) consisting of a body (1) and thereto rotatably attached turbine shaft (3) having blades (Z), said mechanism (A) being connected to a second transmission mechanism (B) and a cam (4), said transmission mechanism (A) further connected to a third transmission mechanism (C) and a main shaft (5) so that said main shaft (5) is moved in axial direction while its rotation, a follower (7) attached to said main shaft (5) for engaging in a cam groove (6) of said cam (4) and a nozzle (8) attached to the lower part of said main shaft (5) for allowing said nozzle (8) to make updown swinging characterized in that in a cam groove (6) of said cam (4), a plurality of at least 3 or more portions (9a) (9b) (9c) ...hav ing different inclination angles (spa)(&commat; ;b) (Ob) (Oc) ..respectively are provided continuously on said cam groove (6).

2. In an oil tanker cleaning apparatus as recited in Claim 1 characterized in that said cam (4) is replacably placed in said body (1).

3. In an oil tanker cleaning apparatus as recited in Claim 1 characterized in that in said body (1) a liquid passage (12) is provided with a liquid stream controlling gate (10) in its branch passage (11) at the place confronting with the blades (2) of said turbine shaft (3).

4. Oil tanker cleaning apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figs. 2-10 of the accompanying drawings.