GB2049570A

GB2049570A - Liquid transport and delivery

Info

Publication number: GB2049570A
Application number: GB8013383A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: OFFICINE ROMANAZZI SpA
Current assignee: OFFICINE ROMANAZZI SpA
Priority date: 1979-05-04
Filing date: 1980-04-23
Publication date: 1980-12-31
Also published as: IT1116590B; IT7948939A0; FR2455555A1; DE3016183A1

Abstract

An engine 1 tows one or more container tanks 3 arranged on a semi-trailer 2 in removable manner. At least one of the tanks 3 incorporates measuring and delivery plant 7. Each tank 3 is situated inside a robust protective frame 4 which has the external dimensions of a standard container. All the various container tanks can be operated and stacked in conventional fashion and they can be interconnected by means of flexible piping so as to constitute a single tank served by the plant carried by one of them. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Assembly for the transport and delivery of liquids especially fuels by means of containers The present invention relates to an assembly for the transport and delivery of liquids, especially fuels, by means of containers.

As is known, for the transport by road of liquids in general and of fuels in particular, use is made of the well known tank trucks which consist essentially of a tank permanently fixed to a vehicle and provided with means for the delivery, measurement and pumping of the said liquid. In the case of poor liquids, such as water, said delivery assembly reduces to one or more hoses provided with a decanting cock, while for more costly or dangerous liquids, such as fuels, it is necessary to provide for the pumping, measurement and delivery of the said liquid, an assembly integral with the vehicle and actuated as a rule by the propulsive unit of the said vehicle.

The object of the invention is to achieve an assembly for the transport and delivery of liquids which utilises for the said liquids the well known technique of containers and which allows a disengagement both of the container and the pumping, delivery and measuring assembly from the towing vehicle with which assembly it is possible, with a single engine, to serve in the most efficient and versatile manner various self-sufficient "re-fuelling points" provided, that is, with the store of liquid and the means to discharge it.

According to the invention, there is provided an assembly comprising, in combination, an engine, one or more container tanks arranged on the said engine in removable manner, and at least one pumping, measuring and delivery plant incorporated in one of the said containers and independent of the engine.

All the various container tanks can be operated and stacked in conventional fashion and they can be interconnected by means of flexible pipes so as to constitute a single tank served by the plant carried by one of them.

The invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings which represent by way of example and not in a restrictive manner a preferred embodiment of the said invention.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of an assembly according to the invention constituted by two containers one of which includes a plant; Fig. 2 depicts a re-fuelling point for aircraft obtained by a series of containers according to the invention; Fig. 3 depicts a detail of the plan of Fig. 2 viewed from in front on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a perspective back view of the plant; Fig. 5 is the sectional view according to line V-V of Fig. 2.

With reference to Fig. 1, numeral 1 isto indicate the engine coupled to a semi-trailer 2 of known type adapted to transport the containers. The invention provides one or more containing units constituted by a tank 3 of parallelepiped form with rounded corners arranged in a robust protective frame 4 having the dimensions of a container. The tanks are provided with ladders 5, with perforated partitions for the stabilisation of the liquid and with all the accessories for filling, emptying and safety which are not described in detail as they are known.

At least one of the container tanks, for example the rear container in Fig. 1, has incorporated in it a pumping, delivery and decanting plant 7 which will be described in detail below.

In Fig. 2 there is illustrated the use of the assembly just described with reference to the re-fuelling of aircraft. The various containers are un-loaded from the towing means, deposited at the desired point, optionally stacked according to the usual technique for containers and are interconnected in series by means of the hoses 8. In this way, a single plant 7 serves for the working of the various tanks 3. In Fig. 2 there are five tanks, but it is evident that their number can vary according to operative requirements. Once arranged, the container tanks with the relevant plant 7, the engine 1 and the semi-trailer 2 are availabie to carry out other services.

The plant is depicted in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 with the protective covers removed to show the internal parts.

From the tank 3, the liquid is drawn by means of a centrifugal pump 9 operated by the diesel motor 10 and is sent to the micro-filter 11. From this latter, the liquid is sent to two reels 12 and 13, provided by the connectors 14 and 15. Before entering the reels 12 and 13, the liquid passes through the litre-counting metres 16 and 17 which provide the indication of quantity discharged.Furthermore, in the front part of the plant 7 are provided the panel 18 having the controls and indicator instruments involved in the regulation of the pump pressure, the panel 19 having the indicator instruments 20 relating to the working of the motor 10, and the controls 21 which are operatively connected with the ball valves 22, the pressure regulating and delivery valves 23, the non-return valve 24 and the by-pass valve 25, in order to achieve at will any circuit variation which involves the delivery of the liquid from the tank to one or both the reels, the filling of the said tank, the decanting and so on. Also provided is a sluice gate 26 communicating with the outside to draw liquid at will from outside.

The assembly is equipped with the normal control and safety apparatus which will not be described in detail as it is known.

The foregoing description has been made with specific reference to the transport and distribution of fuels but it is understood that the apparatus described above lends itselfto liquids of a different nature.

From the above, it will be evident that the teaching according to the invention consists in the application of the technique for containers to the distribution and transport of liquids, particularly fuels, thereby to obtain numerous advantages both from the economic point of view and from an operative point of view.

The present invention has been described in its preferred form on realisation but it is understood that variations in the way of carrying it out can be introduced in practice by an expert in the art without going outside the ambit of protection of the present industrial monopoly.

Claims

1. Assembly for the transport and delivery of liquids, characterised by the fact of including, in combination, an engine, one or more container tanks towed by the said engine and arranged in removable fashion, and at least one plant for pumping, decanting, measuring and delivering incorporated in one of the said containers and independent of the said engine.

2. Assembly according to Claim 1 characterised by the factthatthe said tank is of essentially parallelepiped form with rounded corners and is contained in a rigid frame having the dimensions and the characteristics of a container.

3. Assembly according to eitherofClaims 1 and2 characterised by the fact that the said container tanks can be removed and stacked in conventional fashion and can be interconnected by means of flexible pipes thereby to constitute a single tank served by the plant carried by one of them.

4. Assembly according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 characterised by the fact that the said plant includes a motor, a centrifugal pump operated by said motor, one or more reels for the delivery, decanting and pumping of the liquid, a micro-filter and measuring means inserted downstream of the said motor driven pump, and an assembly of valves and sluice gates which allow all the operation of fil ling, delivering and decanting.

5. Assembly forthetransport and delivery of liquids, particularly fuels, by means of containers, according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 substantially as described and illustrated.