US1821503A

US1821503A - Oil tank cleaning device

Info

Publication number: US1821503A
Application number: US436477A
Authority: US
Inventors: Peter M Erdman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1930-03-17
Filing date: 1930-03-17
Publication date: 1931-09-01
Anticipated expiration: 1948-09-01

Description

Sept. 1, 1931. P. M. ERDMAN OIL TANK CLEANING DEVICE Filed March 17, 1930 INVENTOR PETER MERDMAM ATTORN EY Patented. Sept. 1, 1931 entree stares PATENT? OFFICE" OIL TANK CLEANING DEVICE Application filed March 17, 1939. Serial No. 436,477.

' device whereby the entire area of the tank bottom is cleaned at one time; third, to provide a tank cleaning device which may be used'whenevcr desired for cleaning the tank, and without regard to the quantity of fluid contained in the tank; fourth, to provide a tank cleaning device which may be readily installed, one which is simple and economical of construction, durable, and will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

Vith these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail and aarticularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which forms a part of my application, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of my device, in one form, positioned in a tank for use; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my device as shown in Fig. 1, showing the tank in section; and, Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of my device. 1

Like characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the views of the drawings.

My tank cleaning device consists in one form, as shown in Figs. land 2, of several pipes 1, provided with multiplicities of openings, supports 2 for supporting the pipes, a union 3, a reducer 4, and elbow means connecting the device through the tank 5 to a suction pipe 6.

The pipes l are supported above and on the bottom of the tank 5 by means of the supports 2. These pipes are so arranged that they form substantially a network over the bottom of a tank which is to be cleaned of sediment or other foreign matter. In Figs. 1 and 2, there are shown two pipes 1 which are joined at their discharge ends to a short pipe section 7 which forms with the pipes 1 a Y. The pipes 1 are provided with a number of openings 1a, 1b and 10 at the outer end and intermediate the ends of the pipes, said openings being in the form of downwardly directed pipe sections from the pip-es 1 and spaced with their lower ends from the bottom of the tank. In this instance, assuming the pipes 1 to be three inches in diameter, the openings 1a at and near the outer ends of the pipes 1 are preferably three inches in diameter; the openings 1?) intermediate the ends of the pipes l are two inches in diameter; and the openingslc at the inner ends of the pipes 1, or other convenient place, are one inch in diameter. It will be noted that the larger open-' ings, as shown, are further from the outlet or suction pipe 6 than are the smaller openings, thus creating substantially equal suction at all the inlet openings, making it p0ssible to draw the sediment or other foreign matter through all of the openings, thereby cleaning the entire bottom of the tank. The

.pipe section 7 is connected by the union 3 to the reducer at which is connected to an elbow 8 directed with its other end through the bottom of the tank and connected to an elbow 9 which is connected to the suction pipe 6. The inner or discharge ends of the pipes are thus supported from the bottom of'the tank by the elbow 8, while the extended ends are supported by the supports 2.

Similar supports 2 may be provided intermediate these points of support. The supports 2 may consist of cross members provided at the ends provided with downwardly extending legs resting on the bottom of the tank, thus providing a support offering aslittle resistance to the inlet openings for the sedimentor other foreign matter "as possible. The cross' members of the supports are secured 1n any suitable manner to the pipes.

The suction pipe 6 is connected to a suitable pump, not shown, the discharge from the tank being controlled by aValve 10.

In oil storage tanks, the sediment in the oil, as well as water and other foreign matters, settles to the bottom. It has been customary heretofore to remove such sediment and other foreign matter by first removing the oil from the top of the tank and leaving such sediment and other foreign matter, and thenaiterwards removing the latter, necessitating always the emptying of the tank. \Vith my device the sediment andother foreign matter is removed from the bottom of the tank while the oil is retained therein, and without materially disturbing the contents therein.

In the modified form of my device, as shown in Fig. 3, I have shown a main or central pipe 11 from which extend angularly to the opposite

sides pipe sections

12 and 13.

The end of the pipe 11 and the ends of the

pipe sections

12 and 13 are provided with supports 2 for supporting the same from the bottom of the tank. At the end of the pipe 11 and the ends of the pipe sections 12 are openings of equal diameter. At the ends of the pipe sections 1 3 and at the intersections of the sections 12 with the pipe 11 are other openings of smaller diameter; and at the intersection of the pipe sections 13 with the pipe 11 is an opening of still smaller diameter. lVith this modified form of construction, there is provided a device in which the suction openings are more uniformly distributed over the bottom of the tank.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, and a certain modification thereof, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, nor to the modification, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent is:

1. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a tank, a plurality of pipes positioned slightly above the bottom of said tank, and means for supporting said pipes in said position, said pipes being provided with a multiplicity of openings along their lower side, said openings being smaller near the outlet than at the extremities of said pipes.

2. In a tank cleaning device, the combination with a tank, of a plurality of pipes connected to a common outlet, said pipes having a multiplicity of openings along their lower sides, said openings being smaller near the outlet than at the extremities of said pipes.

3. In a tank cleaning device, the combibeing supported a slight distance from the bottom of said tank and having openings, of various sizes, positioned along their lower sides at various distances from the outlet in a manner that the entire area of the tank bottom will be subject to suction from the pipes and be cleaned, the openings near the outlet being smaller than those farthest from the outlet.

4. In a tank cleaning device, the combination with a tank, of a plurality of pipes connected to a common outlet, said pipes being supported a slight distance from the bottom of said tank and having openings, of various sizes, positioned along their lower sides in a manner that the entire area of the bottom of the tank will be subject to suction from the pipes and be cleaned, said openings being larger at the extremities of the pipes than at the outlet ends thereof.

5. In a tank cleaning device, the combination with a tank, of a plurality of conductors connected to a common outlet, said conductors having a multiplicity of openings along their lowersides, the openings near the outlet being smaller than those farthest from the outlet.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto setmy hand at Los Angeles, California, this 6th day of March, 1930.

PETER M. ERDMAN.