GB2174883A - Fluid displacement apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A towable tanker vehicle (10) for loading, transporting and subsequent spraying of slurry comprises a tank (12) mounted on a sheeled chassis (13) and a compressor pump (14) mounted on the chassis (13) at the front of the tank (12). At the rear of the tank (12) is a pivotally mounted pipe (20) which can be lowered to a tank charging position or raised to a transporting position. The pump (14) can be operatively selected to create a suction in the tank (12) for charging the tank (12) or to create a pressure in the tank (12) for spraying. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fluid displacement apparatus This invention relates to fluid displacement apparatus, in particular for transporting farmyard slurry and for spraying the same onto farmland.

Slurry tankers are used to transport farmyard slurry and to spray the same from a rear outlet onto farmland. Such tankers may be pressurised by means of a pump so that the slurry is forced out of an outlet, for example a gate valve, onto the farm/ land. Such tankers may be adapted for towing by a tractor or may be self-powered. Slurry pumps are used to pick up farmyard slurry from pits containing the same and to deliver the slurry to the tanker. These pumps are connected to a tractor and driven by the power take-off drive of the tractor. It is a time consuming operation to connect a slurry pump to a tractor and disconnect it therefrom in order to connect a slurry tanker trailer or other equipment thereto. In consequence a combined slurry pump and tanker has been devised, as described in British Patent Publication No.

2049384. In the apparatus described therein a slurry tanker vehicle comprises a first pump mounted on the vehicle and drive means operable selectively to drive the first pump and a power take-off shaft for a second pump. The first pump is operable to pump slurry from a slurry pit into the tank via a boom mounted at the front of the vehicle. The second pump is operable to pump the slurry from the tank through an outlet at the rear of the vehicle and onto the farmland.

However in order to charge the tank with slurry the vehicle must be driven either at least part way into the slurry pit or alongside the pit and/or be filled by connecting a long suction pipe to the inlet boom. In the former case at least the rear wheels of the vehicle become covered in slurry, which is subsequently deposited on the farmyard or on the nearby roads, thereby creating a nuisance and pos sible hazard for other road users. Also the slurry tends to damage the vehicle, and the brakes in particular, whereby the vehicle requires frequent cleaning and maintenance and may deteriorate into a dangerous and unroadworthy condition. In the second case, since many slurry pits are simply dug in the ground and do not have reinforced, supported, or properly constructed sidewalls there is considerable risk of the sidewalls giving way un der the weight of a full slurry tanker.In the latter case spillage often occurs with the abovementioned nuisance and hazard problems.

It is an object of the present invention to provide slurry displacement apparatus which avoids as far as possible the aforementioned disadvantages.

The invention provides fluid displacement appa ratus comprising a tank, a pipe extending from an end part of said tank, and pump means selectively operable to create an underpressure in said tank to draw fluid thereinto along said pipe or to create an overpressure in said tank to discharge fluid there from through said pipe.

Preferably said apparatus comprises a wheeled vehicle on which said tank is mounted. Said pump may be mounted on said vehicle adjacent a front end of said tank. The vehicle may be adapted to be towed by a tractor, in which case drive means may be provided whereby said pump is driven by a power take-off drive of said tractor.

The pipe may be pivotally mounted on said tank so as to be pivotal upwardly from a tank charging position to a transporting position. A spreader plate may be attached to the free end of said pipe and said spreader plate may be pivotally mounted on said pipe. Closing means may be provided whereby said spreader plate closes the free end of said pipe when said pipe moves to said transporting position. The closing means may comprise a linkage connected between said spreader plate and said tank. Moving means operable to move said pipe from said tank charging position to said transporting position may be provided, and said moving means may comprise hydraulically actuated moving means. In the latter case said moving means may be adapted to be driven by an hydraulic circuit of said tractor.

Preferably a valve is provided in said pipe and said valve may be openable by hydraulically actuated opening means. The opening means may be adapted to be driven by said hydraulic circuit of said tractor. Resilient means operable to close said valve may be provided.

One embodiment of apparatus in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 is a rear elevation, Figure 3 is a scrap view of an alternative spreader plate fitted to the pipe of the apparatus of Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a scrap view of an alternative or additional hose fitting on the pipe of the apparatus of Figure 1, Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 there is shown a slurry tanker vehicle 10 which is adapted to be towed by a tractor vehicle 11. The vehicle 10 comprises a tank 12 mounted on a wheeled chassis 13 and a compressor pump 14 also mounted on the chassis 13 at the front of the tank 12. A drive coupling 15 is provided so that the compressor 14 may be driven by the power take-off drive 16 of the tractor 11.The compressor 14 is operable to create an underpressure or an overpressure in the tank 12 depending upon a control 17 to which a linkage 18 is coupled so that the driver of the tractor 11 can operate the control 17 whilst sitting at the controls of the tractor 11. A cut-off valve 19 is provided so as to stop operation of the compressor 14 as a suction pump when the tank 12 is full of slurry.

At the rear of the tank 12 is a pipe 20. The pipe 20 extends from the rear wall 21 of the tank 12 in a rearward direction, has two right-angled bends 22,23 therein and then has an elongate straight section 24 leading to the free open end 25. Between the two bends 22,23 there is disposed a gate valve 26 which may be opened by an hydraulic piston/cylinder arrangement 27 coupled by a sup ply pipe 28 to the hydraulic circuit of the tractor 11.

The valve 26 is spring loaded towards its closed position. Also disposed between the two bends 22,23 is a sealed ball bearing swivel joint 29 which permits the straight pipe section 24 to be pivoted between the tank charging position shown in Figures 1 and 2 in full lines and a transporting position shown in Figure 1 in dashed lines. To perform such movement a piston 30 is attached eccentrically to the pipe 20 adjacent the swivel joint 29, the piston 30 being movable in hydraulic cylinder 31 coupled by supply pipe 32 to the hydraulic circuit of the tractor 11. The straight pipe section 24 can swivel through approximately 90 between the two positions, and may return downwardly to the tank charging position by means of gravity, by means of a spring or by means of piston/cylinder arrangement 30,31 being double acting.

Fitted to the open end 25 of the pipe 20 is a spreader plate 33. The plate 33 is pivotally mounted on the end 25 and is coupled by a link 34 to a fixed mounting post 35 on the tank 12 or vehicle chassis 13. By this means the spreader plate 33 automatically closes over the open end 25 when the straight pipe section 24 is raised to the transportation position, thereby preventing spillage of slurry onto the road surface during transportation.

In any event the upwardly inclined disposition of the straight pipe section 24 when in the transportation position tends to cause any slurry therein to drain away from the free end 25, thereby reducing the tendency for any spillage to occur. As the straight pipe section 24 is lowered to the tank charging position the spreader plate 33 is automatically moved by link 34 to the open position, thereby allowing slurry to be sucked up into the pipe 20 and tank 12. Alternative spreader plates may be fitted to the end 25 of pipe 20, for example a rubber cone 35 and plate 36 as shown in Figure 3. As a further alternative or additional feature the end 25 of pipe 20 may be provided with a hose coupling 37 in order that a flexible hose 38 may be attached thereto if desired as shown in Figure 4.

Operation of the apparatus is as follows. With the tank 12 empty and the straight pipe section 24 in the transportation position, the vehicle 10 is backed by tractor 11 towards a slurry pit 39. The vehicle 10 is stopped near the edge of the pit 39 so that the wheels 40 do not go into the slurry 41, thereby avoiding the aforementioned brake deterioration problems and eliminating or reducing to a substantial extent the likelihood of slurry being deposited on the roadway when the vehicle 10 is towed away from the pit 39. The straight pipe section 24 is lowered by operation of a valve (not shown) of the valve chest of the tractor 11, thereby depressurising the hydraulic cylinder 31 (or repressurising it if it is double acting). As the straight pipe section 24 is lowered into the slurry 41 the spreader plate 33 is automatically opened by link 34.Gate valve 26 is then opened by pressurising hydraulic cylinder 27, and compressor 14 is started so as to act as a suction pump to create an underpressure in the tank 12, again by operation of respective valves of the valve chest of the tractor 11.

Slurry is then sucked up pipe 20 into the tank 12.

When all or sufficient slurry is loaded into the tank 12, or when the tank 12 is filled the gate valve 26 is closed and the compressor 14 stopped. In the case of the tank 12 being filled the cut-off valve 19 automatically operates to stop the compressor 14. The straight pipe section 20 is then raised to the transportation position, the spreader plate 33 being automatically closed by the link 34, and the vehicle 10 is towed by tractor 11 to the farmland on which the slurry is to be deposited.

When the farmland is reached, gate valve 26 is opened and the compressor 14 is again started, this time to act as a pressure pump to create an overpressure in the tank 12. The change from suction pump to pressure pump of compressor 14 is effected by link 28. The slurry in tank 12 is thereby forced out of the pipe 20 to strike the spreader plate 33 and be spread over the farmland in a fanlike spread pattern as the vehicle 10 is towed therearound by the tractor. The spreader plate 33 opens under the pressure of the slurry, the spring 42 extending to accommodate the plate movement. The spring 42 is also provided in link 34 so that the spreader plate 33 can open further if a blockage at the open end 25 of pipe 20 occurs.

When the tank 12 is empty, or spreading is completed the compressor 14 is stopped and the gate valve 26 is closed in readiness for further use.

Throughout the whole of the operation the driver need not leave the driving seat of the tractor 11, all controls being operable by him in that position. In consequence, time is saved, and the job is cleaner and is less tiring than was the case heretofore. In addition, little if any slurry is deposited on roads and in the farmyard and the risks involved in driving a vehicle into or alongside a slurry pit are avoided.

Although the apparatus described herein is used for the loading and spraying of slurry, the apparatus may be used for the transportation of other fluid substances if desired.

Claims (21)

1. Fluid displacement apparatus comprising a tank, a pipe extending from an end part of said tank, and pump means selectively operable to create an underpressure in said tank to draw fluid thereinto along said pipe or to create an overpressure in said tank to discharge fluid therefrom through said pipe.

2. Fluid displacement apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a wheeled vehicle on which said tank is mounted.

3. Fluid displacement apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said pump is mounted on said vehicle adjacent an end of said tank opposed to said one end.

4. Fluid displacement apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said vehicle is adapted to be towed by a tractor vehicle.

5. Fluid displacement apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said one end is a rear end of said tank and said pump is adjacent a front end of said tank.

6. Fluid displacement apparatus according to claim 4 or 5 comprising drive means operable to drive said pump from a power take-off drive of said tractor vehicle.

7. Fluid displacement apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said pipe is mounted on said tank so as to be pivotal upwardly relative thereto from a tank charging position to a transporting position.

8. Fluid displacement apparatus according to claim 7 comprising a spreader plate attached to a free end of said pipe.

9. Fluid displacement apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said spreader plate is pivotally mounted on said pipe.

10. Fluid displacement apparatus according to claim 8 or 9 comprising closing means operable to move said spreader plate into a pipe free end closing position when said pipe moves to said transporting position.

11. Fluid displacement apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said closing means comprises a linkage connected between said spreader plate and said tank.

12. Fluid displacement apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 11 comprising moving means operable to move said pipe from said tank charging position to said transporting position.

13. Fluid displacement apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said moving means comprises hydraulically actuated moving means.

14. Fluid displacement apparatus according to claim 13 when dependent on claim 4 wherein said moving means is adapted to be driven by an hydraulic system of said tractor vehicle.

15. Fluid displacement apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein a valve is provided in said pipe.

16. Fluid displacement apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said valve is openable by hydraulically actuated opening means.

17. Fluid displacement apparatus according to claim 16 when dependent on claim 4 wherein said opening means is adapted to be actuated by an hydraulic system of said tractor vehicle.

18. Fluid displacement apparatus according to any one of claims 15 to 17 comprising resilient means operable to bias said valve towards a closed position.

19. Fluid displacement apparatus according to claim 4 or any claim dependent thereon comprising control means operable to control said pump means to selectively create said underpressure or said overpressure, said control means being connected by a linkage to said tractor vehicle.

20. Fluid displacement apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 19 comprising a cut-off valve operable to stop operation of said pump when said tank is full.

21. Fluid displacement apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.