US1817978A - Liquid storage or tempering apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Au 11, 1931. H. FELDMEIER 1,817,978

LIQUID STORAGE OR TEMPERING APPARATUS Filed June 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet .1 w z; 20 1/ 22 /7 9r F m Z P 2/ I I I I I 4 IHIHII Patented Aug. 11, 1931 ETE STATES HARVEY FELDIVIEIER, 03 LITTLE FALLS, NEW YDRK, ASSIGNOR T CHERRY-BURRELL CORPORATION, 01? LITTLE FALLS, NEW YORK LIQUID STORAGE OR TEIEPERING APPARATUS Application filed June 10,

This invention relates to that type of tempering or storage apparatus for milk and other liquids, in which a tempering coil or device through which a heating or cooling medium flows, extends into a tank containing the liquid, for cooling, heating or maintaining the liquid at a desired temperature.

Liquid storage or tempering apparatus of this character as heretofore constructed, have been objectionable because the joints between the tubes and the headers of the tempering coil, or the holes through which the tubes extend out through the wall or walls of the tank have been disposed below the level of i the liquid in the tank, or otherwise located,

so that in case of leakage, a serious loss or contamination of the liquid results. Another objection has been the expense of the previous constructions, and the inabihty of readily and individually removing the tempering tubes thereof for repairs or replacement.

One object of my invention is to provide a liquid storage or tempering apparatus of practical, desirable and economical construction which avoids these objections.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a liquidstorage or tempering apparatus of the sort mentioned, in which loss or contamination of the liquid being temperedis prevented in case of leaks in tempering 0011; also to provide a device of the character mentioned in which there are no jolnts or passages inside of the liquid tank or container or below the highest level of the liquid in the tank through which the liquid can escape or through which the tempering medium can escape into the tank; also to provide readily accessible, separable connections between each tempering tube and the headers or fluid connections therefor, which permit .any one or more of the tubes to be removed from the tank for repairs or replacement without disturbing the remaining tubes; also to provide a device of the character mentioned in which the joints between the tempering tubes and their headers or fluid connections are all located outside of the tank, whereby the joints can be made of a less expensive construction than would be permissible if they were 10- 1529. Serial No. 369,699.

cated within the tank, or where the liquid being tempered could contact with the joints; and also to improve storage or tempering apparatus in the other respects hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, sectional elevation of a liquid storage or. tempering apparatus of one construction embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional elevation thereof on line 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale showing the removable collars or ferrules for permitting the individual removal of the tempering tubes from the tank.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation thereof on line 4t, Fig. 3.

F ig. 5 is a transverse, sectional elevation on an enlarged scale on line 5-5, Fig. 1, showing one of the couplings for the tempering tubes and one of the collars or ferrules for permitting the removal of the tube from the tank.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of a slightly modified construction for permitting the individual removal of the tempering tubes.

10 represents a tank or vat which is preferably of suitable construction for the storage of milk, the tank shown being provided with a lining 11 of nickel or other suitable sheet metal, and also preferably having its walls of suitable heat insulating construction.

In the preferred construction illustrated, the tank is provided with a stationary middle top or cover section 13 and hinged covers or lids 14 suitably hinged at the opposite sides of the stationary cover section 13. 15 indicates a drain fitting toward which the bottom of the tank lining preferably inclines to permitkthe liquid to drain completely from the tan 16 represents the tempering tubes, which are arranged within this tank 10 with their opposite ends extending out of the tank through suitable openings in the tank dis posed above the highest level of the liquid in the tank, for connection with headers 17 and 18, or other suitable means or connections, whereby a tempering medium can be caused to flow through the tubes. Preferably the headers 17 and 18 are disposed above the stationary cover section 13 oi the tank, and the tempering tubes 16 are or bent or U-shape and depend from the headers through holes 19 in the cover section 13.

The tempering tubes 16 are joined to the flow fittings or headers so that the tubes can be separately or individually disconnectet from the headers and removed from the tank. For this purpose, each end of each tube 16 may be detachably coupled to one of the headers 17 or 18, as shown, by a union or coupling, comprising a coupling member or flange 20 secured to the end of the tube and clamped by bolts 21 to a complementary coupling member or flange 22 on a nipple or part 23 on the header. The tube, therefore, can be detached from the header fittings by removing the bolts 21. In order to permit the individual removal of the tubes from the tank 10 without displacing the headers or the remaining tubes, split collars 25 may surround the ends of the tubes beneath the coupling flanges 20 and close or fill the holes 19 in the cover section 13 through which the tubes pass. The split collars 25 shown have bevelled edges adapted to wedge in the correspondingly bevelled holes 19 whereby the collars are adapted to clamp on the pipes and tightly close the holes 19, which in the particular construction shown, are formed in a flanged metal frame 26 whichis secured in and binds large opening 27 in the cover section surrounding the several holes 19. By lifting up on the headers, the split collars 25 at the opposite ends of any one of the tubes can be removed from the bevelled holes 19 in which they fit, and then. when the opposite ends of the tube are disconnected from the header fittings, the tube can be removed downwardly through the holes 19, which are large enough to permit the passage therethrough of the flanges 20 on the ends of the tube. The tube can then be moved sideways out of the group of tubes and removed from J from which the tube has been disconnected,

the operation of the apparatus can be continued with the remaining tubes. Therefore it is not necessary to discontinue the use of the device in order to repair or replace a tube except during the time that the individual tube is being disconnected and removed, and the nipples for this tube plugged.

Fig. 6 illustrates a slightly different construction which avoids the necessity for the split collars 25 to enable the removal of the cover section 13.

tubes. In this Fig. 6 construction, the tubes are similarly connected to the headers by coupling flanges 20 on the ends of the tubes bolted to complementary coupling flanges 22 on the nipples of the headers, but the tubes pass through flanged rings or sleeves 28 which closely lit the tubes beneath the coupling members 20 and are secured in holes in the In this construction, after the coupling members 20 and 22 are disconnected, by removing the bolts 21, it is necessary to remove the coupling members 20 from the ends of the tube, the coupling members 20 for this purpose being screwed on the threaded ends of the tubes 16. lVhen the coupling members 20 have been unscrewed from the ends of the tubes, the tubes can be pulled downwardly through the flanged rings 28 fixed to the cover section 13.

It will be noted that in the constructions described the unions or joints between each tube and the headers 17 or 18 are located above the cover section 13 of the tank or vat 10. The joints or unions are therefore exposed externally of the tank and are readily accessible for connecting the tubes with and disconnecting them from the headers. This also makes a less expensive construction be cause the joints or unions, being outside of the tank where they cannot come in contact with the liquid or contents of the tank, can be made of a construction and materials which would not be permissible it they were within the tank, or in positions where they would come in contact with the milk or liquid in the tank. milk, for instance, it would be necessary for the parts exposed to contact with the milk to be tinned or otherwise plated or protected.

Furthermore, the openings 19 through which.

the tempering tubes extend out of the tank are located in the top or cover section 13 of the tank which, 01 course, is above the highest level at which the milk or liquid would ever be in the tank, so that there can be no leakage or waste of the liquid through the holes through which the tubes pass out of the tank.

Each tempering tube in the described arrangement is free to expand and contract independently of the others.

In devices for use with This is important, because with the usual tempering coils or devices there are serious strains set up by the unequal expansion and contraction of the different tubes.

IVhile the drawings represent the temperto the headers 17 and 18, it will be understood that, if desired, the headers could be of a well known construction adapted to cause the tempering medium to flow in series through the ing tubes 16 as being connected in parallel tion from one header to the other can be con-- trolled as desired. A bypass of this sort is desirable in an ammonia cooling coil for balancing or regulating pressures in the headers and to provide the best circulation for both the ammonia liquid and gas. The tempering coil constructed as described can be used either as a direct expansion ammonia cooling coil or it can be used for water or brine circulation for cooling the milk or liquid in the tank. Likewise, the same construction is adapted to be used for heating the contents of the tank, by passing steam or other suitable heating medium through the coil.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination of a closed tank adapted to contain liquid, a tempering device for the liquid comprising a plurality of separate tubes disposed within the tank and having their ends extending out of the tank through openings in the tank which are substantially closed by the tubes, and headers located externally of the tank and detach ably joined to the opposite ends of said tubes for permitting the flow of a tempering medium through said tubes, the joints between said tubes and said headers being located externally of the tank, and said joints and the openings through which the tubes extend out of the tank being located above the highest level of the liquid in the tank.

2. The combination of a closed tank adapted to contain liquid, a tempering device for the liquid comprising a series of bent tubes disposed within the tank and having their opposite ends extending out of the tank through openings in the tank which are substantially closed by the tubes, and headers located externally of the tank and detachably joined to the opposite ends of said tubes for permitting the fiow of a tempering medium through said tubes, the joints between said tubes and said headers and the openings through which the tubes extend out of the tank being located above the highest level of the liquid in the tank.

3. The combination of a tank adapted to contain liquid, a tempering device for the liquid comprising tubes disposed within the tank and having their ends extending out of the tank, and means located externally of the tank and joined to the opposite ends of said tubes for permitting the flow of a tempering medium through said tubes, said tubes being detachably joined to said meansso as to permit the tubes to be indlvidually disconnected from said means at said joints, said joints and holes through which the tubes extend out of the tank being located above the highest level of the liquid in the tank, and said tubes when disconnected from said means being adapted to be removed through said holes in the tank.

4. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, a tempering device for the liquid comprising bent tubes disposed within the tank and having their opposite ends extending out through holes in the tank, headers arranged externally of thetank, and

unions detachably connecting the opposite ends of sald tubes to said headers, sald umons being constructed to permlt the tubes to be individually disconnected from said headers, and the ends of said tubes when disconnected from said headers being adapted to pass through said holes in the tank.

5. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, and having a cover, a tempering device for the liquid comprising a plurality of nested tubes having ends extending out through holes in said tank cover, and means located externally of the tank and joined outside of the tank to the ends of said tubes for permitting the flow of a tempering medium through said tubes, the tubes being detachably joined to said external means and being separately removable through said holes when detached from said external means.

6. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, and having a cover, a tempering device for the liquid comprising bent tubes having opposite ends extending outthrough holes in said tank cover, and headers located above said tank cover and detachably joined outside of the cover to the opposite ends of said bent tubes.

7. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, and having a cover, a tempering device for the liquid comprising bent tubes having opposite ends extending out through holes in said tank cover, and headers located above said tank cover and detachably joined outside of the cover to the opposite ends of said bent tubes, the ends of said bent tubes when disconnected from said headers being adapted to pass through the holes in said tank cover.

8. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, a tempering device for the liquid comprising tubes disposed within said tank and having ends extending out through holes in said tank, a header located externally of said tank, unions detachably joining the ends of said-tubes to said headers externally of the tank, and means which close the holes through which the tubes extend out of the tank and which are movable to permit the ends of the tubes to pass through said holes when the tubes are detached from the header.

9. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, a tempering device for the liquid comprising tubes disposed within said tank and having ends extending out through holes in said tank, a header located externally of said tank, unions detachably joining the ends of said tubes to said header externally of the tank, and removable collars surrounding the ends of the tubes and closing the holes through which the tubes extend, said collars being removable to permit the ends of the tubes to pass through said holes when the tubes are detached from the header.

10. The combination of a tank adapted to contain a liquid, 21 tempering device for the liquid comprising tubes disposed within said tank and having ends extending out through holes in said tank, a header located externally of said tank, unions detachably joining the ends of said tubes to said headers externally of the tank, and split collars closely surrounding the ends of the tubes and tightly fitting in the holes through which the tubes extend, said split collars being removable from said holes to permit the ends of the tubes to pass through the holes When said tubes are detached from the header.

HARVEY FELDMEIEB.

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