US652376A - Apparatus for storing and feeding oil. - Google Patents

Description

No. 652,376. 4 Patented .lune 26,1900.

L. C. SNELL. M APPARATUS FOR STORING AND FEEDING OIL.

(Application filed July 31, 1899.) (No Modal.)

TME bams paens co.. moro-uws.. wmNcYoN. D. a

UNITED STATES f ATENT Fluch.

LUTHER O. SNELL, OE DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGN OR TO THE HYDRAULIC OIL DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR STORING AND FEEDING OIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,676, dated June 26, 1900.

Application filed J'uly 81, 1899.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, LUTHER O. SNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Storing and Feeding Oil, of which the following is a speciication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to apparatus for the storage and feeding of oil by what is known as the hydraulic method. In this the oil is iirst introduced into the storage-tank by the displacementiof water contained therein and is subsequently fed from said tank by water-pressure. As heretofore constructed difficulty has been experienced in preventing the escape of oil with the water during the filling of the tank. This is due to the fact that as the water-pipe is usually connected to the lower portion of the tank whenever the tank is entirely filled with oil the mouth of this outlet will be covered, and consequently more or less of the oil will escape therefrom. This not only occasions loss of oil, but is also a source of nuisance, for the reason that the outlet-pipe is usually connected to the sewer, and thus the escaping oil will form a vapor which will rise at the catch-basins and cause a disagreeable odor.

It is the object of my invention to provide means whereby the escape of oilthrough the water-outlet pipe is absolutely prevented; and to this end the invention consists in the peculiar construction of an apparatus, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure lis a vertical longitudinal section of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a similar section showing the manner in which the escape of oil is prevented. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the relation of ports of the controlling-valves.

A is the storage-tank, which may be of any suitable construction and located in any convenient place. It is usual to place such tanks in basements or to bury them in the ground some distance below the level of the ground outside the building. To fill the tank, a pipe or other connection, such as B, extends there- 5o from out from the building and is usually provided with a coupling for connecting it to I the supply-tank:

Serial No. 725,631. (No model.)

In my construction instead of employing such a coupling I provide a receptacle O, preferably buried in the earth and provided with a lid D, which may be raised to permit of filling the receptacle, or an apertured cover provided with a screwcap.

E is the feed or outlet pipe from the tank A, which I have shown connected with the pipe B, and F is a valve in said pipe B, by means of which communication with the receptacle may be shut olf.

G is the water-escape pipe, and H is the water-inlet pipe, the latter being preferably connected with a water-tank I, having a doatcontrolled supply connection J, which maintains water at a constant level. The pipes G and H preferably connect to a common pipe L, entering the tank, and are also provided with a three-way valve K for alternatively opening said pipes.

As shown in the drawings, the tank A is provided with a downwardly-extendingwaterlegM,andthepipeLpasses downward through said leg and communicates with the lower portion thereof. The object of this construction is to form a hydrostatic water-column in the pipe L, which is of sufficient length to overbalance a column of oil extending from the bottom of the leg M to the level of the top of the tank O. At the same time the height of said water-column is such as to permit of the displacement of water in the tank by oil in the receptacle O until the tank A has been entirely filled. It will be readily understood that with an apparatus thus constructed it is absolutely impossible to force the oil into the pipe L by the hydrostatic pressure of the oil 'in the tank O, and if by any cause an oversupply of oil is fed to the receptacle O it will overiow said receptacle before the oil-column has been forced down to the lower end of the leg M. If only sufficient oil to fill the tank A is fed to the receptacle O, it will pass through the pipe B into the tank and the hydrostatic pressure will be only sufficient to maintain the level of the oil at the bottom of the receptacle O. Although I have shown and described the tank Aas provided with the downward extension or water-leg M, it is obvious that the same effect might be produced where IOO 1 the pipe E, I provide a vent-pipe b, extend ing out sufficiently to prevent the escape of oil and which also serves as a si phon-breaker. i

i ing a portion rising to above the hydrostatic not be utilized for the storage of oil, while i with the apparatus shown in the drawings the ent-ire tank may-be illed with perfect safety and with equal safety the filled tank may be entirely emptied. I also desire to provide means for preventing the forcing of i water into the oil-feed pipe in case the oil in the tank A should be entirely exhausted. This I accomplish by providing a portion a, of said pipe, which extends to an elevation above the water-level. in the tank I, and inasmuch as the oil-level in the feed-pipe will be considerably higher than `the water-level lthefeeding of the oil is not interfered with by this arrangement. To prevent the si phoning of oil over the elevated portion of What I claim as my invention is l. In an apparatus for storing and feeding liquids of lesser specific gravity than water, the combination with a storage-tank of an external fill-receptacle therefor, and a water-outlet for said tank having an upwardlyextending portion forming a hydrostatic column adapted to overbalance an oil-column to the height of said receptacle.

2. In an apparatus for storing and feeding liquidsof lesser specific gravity than water, the combination withthe storage-tank, of a i downwardly extending water -leg therefor and a water-outlet pipe communicating with the lower portion of said water-leg and eX- tending upward to form a hydrostatic column for the purpose described.

3. In an apparatus for storing and feeding liquids of lesser specific gravity than water, the combination with a storage-tank of a fillreceptacle above the level thereof, a waterleg extending downward from the tank, and a water-outlet communicating with the lower portion of said water-leg and extending up= ward therefrom for the purpose described.

4. In an apparatus for storing and feeding liquids of lesser specific gravity than water, the combination with the storage-tank, of a water-pressure-inlet connection therefor and an outlet connection for the lighter liquid rising to above the hydrostatic level of said water-inlet.

5. In an apparatus for storing and feeding liquids of lesser specific gravity than water, the combination with the storage-tank, of a water-pressure-inlet connection therefor, an outlet connection for the lighter liquid havlevel of the water-inlet, and a vent-pipe or Siphon-*breaker connected to said highest portion of the connection and extending up above the corresponding hydrostatic oil-level.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.l

LUTHER C. SNELL.

Witnesses:

JAMES WHITTEMORE, P. M .HULBERr

Images