US1671650A

US1671650A - Float for use in storage tanks for volatile liquids

Info

Publication number: US1671650A
Application number: US151502A
Authority: US
Inventors: Newman Bernard; Wickham Oliver
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1926-02-27
Filing date: 1926-11-29
Publication date: 1928-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 1945-05-29

Description

May 29, 1928. 1,671,650

B. NEWMAN ETAL FLOAT FOR USE IN STORAGE TANKS FORIVOLMILIE LIQUIDS Y Filed Nov. 29. 1926 Patented May 29, 1928. a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' BERNARD NEWMAN AND OLIVER WICKHAH, F GRAYS, ENGLAND.

FLOAT FOR USE IN STORAGE TANKS FOR VOLATILE LIQUIDS. Application filed November 29, 1926, Serial No. 151,502, and in Great Britain February 27, 19M.

This invention relates to means for stor- Fig. 8, is a vertical section, more or less ing and protecting liquids, and it has for diagrammatical, through one of the modiobject improvements by which certain adlied forms of float of Figs. 3 and 4. vantages shall be obtained. Referring to Fig. 1, 1 1s a tank of the type The sealing of a liquid can be eflicaciously usually employed for storing motor irit; so effected by forming thereon a film of lighter 2 is a ipe of usual form angularly a justliquid which film will adapt itself to all able a out its lower end 3, and throu h irregularities of the containing vessel, but which the liquid is withdrawn from the with volatile liquids of low specific gravity, tank. This pipe 2 is sometimes employed as such as motor spirit, a difficulty arises in the filling means for the tank. 4 is a usual 55 that they will not support any known liquid form of foot valve inlet. The tank is'inwithout becomin contaminated therewith. dicated as partially filled with liquid and According to t e present invention means the surface of the latter covered by a numfor storing and protecting liquids comprises ber, of floats 6 of the kind illustrated in Fig.

a tank havin a plurality of floats to cover 7. Eachfloat is hexagonal in plan, has a 70 the surface 0% the liquid. domed top 7 and a depending portion 8 of The floats may be of a similar shape in pyramidal form, and is weighted to mainplan, for examp e hexagonal, square, triantain it in position in the liquid. The domed gular, or circular, and by employinga larger top 7 is joined to the pyramidal depending number than are required to cover the surportion 8 by an intermediate part which com- (5 face of the liquid 9. wedging action is proprises a part 9 having a vertical wall, and a duced between the floats at the surface of second part'lO. also having a vertical wall, the liquid. said parts being separated by two parallel The floats may contain fire extinguishing grooves 11. It is also preferable to arrange material. Thus they may be filled with an the part 9 to be set back slightly beyond the so inert gas or may have an aperture in the part 10. Some or all of the floats have an upper surface and contain materials which aperture 19 in their upper surfaces and a on subjection to heat will be ejected from tube 20 extending therefrom into fire exthe floats and produce a fire extinguishing tinguishing liquid 21 contained in the hotblanket. tom of the float. The aperture 19 is covered as A form of float suitable for the purpose of by a fusible plug 9.2, see Fig. 7. The floats the invention is of hexagonal, sqtiliare or trinest together at the surface of the li uid and angular shape in plan and at te plane of cover it more or less completely. T e numimmersion, and has a depending portion of her of floats placed in a tank is preferably 36 pyramidal form, which term includes conimore than sufficient to cover the surface of cal form. the liquid therein so that one or more are The invention will now be described with forced out of the liquid as shown at 12 in reference to the accompanying drawings Fi 1 and a wedgin action is produced wherein which maintains the oats in close contact 40 Fig. 1 shows a sectional side elevation of with each other and the sides of the tank. a tank embodying the inven ion n 0f e The floats are so constructed that they are t pe usually employed for storing volatile immersed to a point on or below the part 10.

liquids, such as motor spirit; and the grooves 11 prevent the liquid creep- Fig. 2 shows a similar view to Fig. 1 but ing up over their upper surfaces. 6 with the tank filled with liquid; In Fig. 2 the tank is shown filled with liq- Fig. 3 is a similar view more or lessdiajuid and it illustrates how the floats will nest ammatical and on a smaller scale, of 8' round an obstruction such as a roof support modified arrangement; 13, a bracket 15, or a dip or gauge pipe 14. Fig. 4 is a Simi r V ew to Fig: 3 Of a Should the liquid in the tank become ignited th m d fi r g m n v the heat will cause the fusible plug to melt .Fig- 5 Shows an el va ion of n f rm f and the fire extin ishing material 21 to be float; I ejectedfrom the cat and flow over the sur- Fig. 6 a plan thereof, and face of the liquid whereby the fire will be Fi 7 sectional elevation of a modified ext-in uished.

' a Referring to Fig. 3 the floats 6 (see Fig.

form of float.

8) illustrated are spherical and means comsurface of the float having an aperture thereprising a metal screen 16 is provided to in, and a tube extending from said aperture calize the floats when the tank is empty or to said fire extinguishing material. nearly em ty, to keep them free from, for 7. A float for use with a plurality of oth- 5 example, t 1e manhole 17. ers to cover the surface of a liquid in a tank, 70 Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of tank having a depending portion of pyramidal in which the roof is supported by columns form, the side wall of the float havin a 18 and indicates how the floats will nest roove therearound above the round such columns. In this figure sulliincision, the float 4* cient floats 6' of spherical form are shown ing material in the float chamb to produce a double layer, the floats in the surface of the float 1 upper layer covering. the spaces between the therein, and a tube e floats in the lower layer so that the surface aperture in the u of the liquid is practically completely covextinguishing material in said float chamber. ered. v 8. A float for use with a plurality of oth- 80 In use the floats rise and fall w th the ers to cover the surface of liquid in a tank, liquid in the tank and maintain a seal under having 21 depending )ortion of pyramidal all normal conditions. The tank may be form, said float chain ered, fire extinguishof any form but means such as screens, ing material in said float chamber, the upper should be provided to prevent the floats from surface of said float having an aperture 85 entering outlets, draw oils, and the like. therein, a tube extcndin from said aper- The floats may be of glass, metal or other ture to the fire cxtinguis ing material, and material, and the required number having fusible means closing said aperture. been introduced into a tank they will rc- 9. A float for use with a plurality of oth- 15 quire no further attention. It will be uners to cover the surface of liquid in a tank,

derstood that a large floating mass may be having a depending portion of p 'ramidal employed in conjunction with a number of form, the side wall of the float h er, the upper 76 raving an aperture xtending from said pper surface to the lire aving a smaller floats. groove therearound above the plane of im- What we claim is:- mersion, the upper surface of the float hav- 1. A float for use with a plurality of othing an aperture therein, said float cham- 9 ers to cover the surface of liquid in a tank, bered fire extin said float having a depending portion of ohamber,atube pyramidal form and a groove around its extinguishing material, and a side wall above the plane of immersion. ber closing said aperture.

2. A float for use with a plurality of oth- 10. A float for use with a plurality of others to cover the surface of liquid in a tank, ers to cover the surface of liquid in a. tank, said float having a weighted depending porhaving a depending portion of pyramidal tionof pyramidal form and a groove around form, a vertical wall between the depending 40 3. A float for use with a plurality of othwall having parallel grooves therearound 105 ers to cover the surface of liquid in a tank, above the plane of immersion, the top of said float having a depending portion of the float having an aperture therein, th pyramidal form, a vertical wall between the float chambered fire extinguishinrr material epending portion and the top of the float, in the float chamber, a tube exten ing from and said vertical wall having a groove therethe aperture to the fire extin uishing matearound above th plane f im i n, rial, and a fusible member c osing said ap- 4. A float for use with a plurality of otheers to cover the surface of liquid in a tank, 11. A float for use with a plurality 'of said float having a depending portion of others to cover the surface of liquid in a pyramidal form, a vertical wall between/the nk, having a de ending ortion of pyra- 115 depending portion and the to of the float f l m, id Oat chain ered, fire extinaving a groove therearound a ove the plane gu mg m ial in the float chamber, a verof immersion, and said wall above the groove heal Wall between the depending POItiOII n set back from the portion of the vertical wall the p of the float, said W811 b 0W t 18 groove, a groove therearound above the plane of im- 5. A float for use with a plurality of othmerslon and that portion of the wall above ers to cover the surface of liquid in a tank, the g ve et b ck from that portion of the aving 21 depending portion of pyramidal wall be ow said groove, the top surface of form, said float chambered, and fire extinthe float having an aperture therethrou h, a guishing material in said chamber. tube extending from the aperture to sai fire 6. A float for use with a. plurality of othextin ishing material, and a fusible memers to cover the surface of liquid in a tank, her 0 osing said aperture, having a depending portion of pyramidal 12. A float for use with a plurality of form, said float chambered, fire extinguishothers to cover the surface of liquid in a ing material in said float chamber, the upper tank, said float having a chamber therein adapted to contain fire extinguishing material, the float provided with an aperture therethrough and being constructed and arranged to normally maintain the aperture above the plane of immersion of said float, a tube from the aperture to said float chamber, and fusible means normally closing said aperture and tube.

13. A float for use with a plurality of others to cover the surface of liquid in a tank, said float provided with a circumferential groove and being constructed and arranged to normally maintain said groove above the plane of immersion of the float to stop capillary flow of liquid upwardly on the wall of said float.

14. In combination, a tank, a liquid in the tank, a plurality of floats in the li uid forming a cover for the surface thereo the combined cross sectional areas of said floats exceeding the exposed surface area of said liquid, and one of said floats having a depending portion of pyramidal form, the said oat raised above and supported by the adjacent floats with the depending pyramidal portion in engagement therewith to form a wedge forcing and maintaining the floats in cover forming relation over and substantially covering the surface of the liquid.

Dated this 2nd day of November, 1926.

BERNARD NEWMAN. OLIVER WICKHAM.