Fluid Transfer Device

Abstract

A device for transferring two or more different liquids from a bulk supply to a tank truck having a compartment for each liquid. The device includes two or more loading booms, each pivoted at one end for both horizontal and vertical swinging motion. Each boom carries a delivery conduit and a dispensing head for a given liquid. The booms are pivoted at different vertical heights so that one may swing horizontally over the other as necessary for registering any dispensing head with the filler opening for any compartment in the truck. The booms and delivery conduits carried thereby are in telescopic sections so as to be extendible and power operation is provided for extension, horizontal swinging and vertical swinging of each boom. Means is also provided for recovering vapor displaced from the tank truck. The dispensing head is spring loaded into tight sealing engagement with the tank filler opening.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bulk stations for filling tank trucks with gasoline usually carry diesel oil and several grades of gasoline and many tank trucks have two or more compartments for receiving such different liquids. The bulk station usually has overhead delivery conduits projecting side by side from a supporting structure and swivelled for vertical and horizontal pivoting movement to permit the dispensing heads on the conduits to be positioned within the compartment filler openings. When a truck pulls up to a loading platform, the compartments for the different liquids may or may not be opposite the delivery conduit having the same liquid. If the compartments are opposite the proper conduit, the conduits may be positioned for simultaneously filling the corresponding compartment without interference. However, when the compartments are not opposite the proper delivery conduit, the conduits cannot be crossed for reaching the proper compartment because they are pivoted at the same vertical height and only one compartment at a time may be filled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention mounts the side-by-side overhead delivery conduits at different vertical heights so that each delivery conduit may swing horizontally across the others to reach any desired compartment of the tank truck. This is accomplished by providing vertical spacers of different lengths on the supporting structure so that the connection of the conduits, and their supporting boom structure, are vertically spaced from each other at the support structure.

Each delivery conduit is supported by a boom which also carries a vapor recovery conduit. The conduits and the boom have telescoping sections and power operation is provided for vertical, horizontal and telescoping movement of the boom and conduits. Each boom carries a dispensing head with passages connecting separately with the delivery and vapor recovery conduits. A spring maintains the dispensing head in sealed contact with the compartment filler opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view looking down on a tank truck at a loading platform.

FIG. 2 is a side view of three loading booms at one loading station.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the three loading booms shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view of one loading boom showing the swivel mounting partly in cross section and the dispensing head.

FIG. 5 is a top view of one loading boom.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section view of the packing arrangement for the telescoped vapor recovery conduits.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section view of the packing arrangement for the telescoped delivery conduits.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A bulk depot may have a loading station 10 next to which a tank truck 11 may be positioned for being filled. The truck may have three compartments, 15, 16 and 17, each with its own filler opening 12, 13 and 14. The loading station may have a support structure 18 to which three supply conduits 19, 20 and 21 are fixedly secured by flanges 20. The supply conduits are connected to a respective pump P for delivering a particular liquid thereto from underground storage tanks, not shown.

The supply conduits are connected to respective flange fittings 23, 24 and 25 to which a respective swivel assembly 28, 29 or 30 is attached. Swivel assembly 28 is attached directly to flange fitting 23 while assemblies 29 and 30 are attached to flanges 24, 25 via intermediate spacer conduits 31 and 32.

Each swivel assembly includes a sleeve 33 rigidly and non-rotatably attached to the respective flange 23 or spacer 31, 32. As shown in FIG. 4, each sleeve 33 has a semi-circular gear segment 34 welded thereto and is within a tubular housing 36 that is rotatable thereon. Gear segment 34 meshes with gear 38 keyed to a shaft 39 which in turn is keyed to a gear 40. The latter meshes with a gear on the output shaft of a reversible rotary hydraulic motor 41. Bumper 42 fixed to housing 36 engages radial surfaces 34' on diametrically opposite sides of gear segment 34 to limit rotation of housing 36 in either direction on sleeve 33.

The upper end of housing 36 is rigidly and non-rotatably attached to an elbow fitting 43 that is sealed relative to sleeve 33 by packing 44 and has its upper end mounted within one end of a U-shaped swivel fitting 45 rotatable thereon. The other end of swivel 45 is rigidly attached to an elbow fitting 46. The latter carries a spring closed swing check element 47, as shown in FIG. 5.

Each swivel assembly 28, 29 and 30 is connected to a respective boom assembly 48, 49 and 50. The boom assemblies are identical and each has a telescoping frame structure comprising a pair of frame rails 53, 54 of hollow rectangular cross section and having mounted therein extender rails 55, 56 also of hollow rectangular cross section. A series of rollers 57 support the extender rails 55, 56 for telescopic movement within frame rails 53, 54. Frame rails 53, 54 are joined by a plate 58 bolted thereto and which carries an anchor block 59. A bolt 60 is slidably mounted within the anchor block and has a head 61 at one end to which a cylinder rod 62 is attached by means of pin 63. The other end of bolt 60 projects from anchor block 59 and has a heavy spring 63 secured thereon by a nut 64. A setscrew 65 projects into an elongated slot 60' in bolt 60 to keep the latter from rotating.

Piston rod 62 is part of a fluid motor 66 that is pinned to a pair of brackets 67 rigidly attached to swivel housing 36.

The outer ends of extender rails 55, 56 are rigidly attached to brackets 68, 69 that are attached to the upper housing 71 of dispensing head 72.

A telescopic delivery conduit 73 has a radially outer section 74 connected to elbow 46 and has a radially inner section 75 slidable within and sealed relative to outer conduit 74 by a packing assembly 76, shown in FIG. 7. Inner delivery conduit 75 is welded to a flange 70 that is bolted to housing 71 and communicates with passage 77 therein.

A vapor recovery conduit 80 has a radially outer section 81 connected to an elbow fitting 82 that is rigidly attached to frame rail 53 by screws 83 passing thru a lug on the elbow fitting and which connects to a flexible hose 84 that leads to a vapor storage chamber, not shown. Vapor recovery conduit 80 includes a radially inner conduit 86 telescoped within radially outer conduit 81 and sealed relative thereto by packing assembly 87, shown in FIG. 6. Inner vapor conduit 86 is welded to flange 76 and communicates with passage 87 in dispenser head housing 71.

An electrical conduit 90 has a radially outer section 91 slipped into boss 92 on elbow fitting 46 and retained therein by a setscrew 89. Boss 92 communicates with an exterior opening 93 and is not in communication with the interior of elbow 46.

Mounted telescopically within outer section 91 is a radially inner electrical conduit 94 that is rigidly connected to flange 76. A coiled electrical cord 95 passes through conduit 90 and exits at one end through opening 93 and passes through flange 76 into an elbow fitting 97 and passes into head assembly 72 where it connects with a float operated switch, not shown, which opens to shutoff delivery pump P when the tank compartment is full.

A hydraulic extending cylinder 100 is pinned at one end to a pair of brackets 101 on swivel housing 36 and has its piston rod 102 secured to flange 76 by a nut 103. One end of cylinder 100 is connected by means of a bracket 104 and bolts 105 to frame rail 54.

Hydraulic control valves 110, 111 and 112 are respectively connected to motor 41 by lines 113, 114, to cylinder 66 by lines 115, 116, and cylinder 100 by lines 117, 118. The valves are supplied with hydraulic fluid by a pump 121 and reservoir 122. There is a return line 123 from the valves to the reservoir. There is a separate set of such valves for each boom assembly. As shown in FIG. 4, the flow arrangement for each set of valves is such that all the valves in the set may be operated either separately or simultaneously with either or both the other valves.

In operation, each boom assembly 48, 49, 50 may have its respective supply conduit 19, 20 and 21 connected to supplies of differing liquids. When a tank truck 11 is moved into position next to loading station 10 it may be that compartment 15 is to receive the liquid dispensed by loading boom 50, compartment 16 the liquid dispensed by loading boom 48, and compartment 17 by liquid dispensed from loading boom 49. In such case, the corresponding valve 110 is manipulated for operating rotary motor 41 to turn gear 40 which causes gear 38 to turn on gear segment 34 and thus rotate swivel housing 36 on sleeve 33 to swing boom 48 horizontally until it is directed toward filler opening 13. At the same time, or separately, valves 111 and 112 are manipulated for operating extending cylinder 110 to position the dispense head 72 on boom 48 over filler opening 13 and to operate cylinder 66 to lower dispensing head 72 into sealed contact with filler opening 13.

Valves 110, 111 and 112 are spring returned to neutral when released by the operator. In neutral, each valve connects opposite sides of the respective motor or cylinder to return line 123. When cylinder 66 lowers its boom so that the corresponding head 72 is pressed against a tank filler opening, bolt 60 moves rightwardly within block 69 to compress spring 63 as shown in FIG. 4. Upon release of valve 112 by the operator and its return to neutral load lock valve 119 locks piston 62 in the set position. The compressed spring 63 then maintains seating pressure on head 72 against the tank opening to allow for settling of the tank truck when the load on the truck springs increases as the tank is being filled.

The corresponding valves 110, 111 and 112 for booms 49 and 50 are similarly manipulated to place the dispenser head 72 thereon into sealed engagement with filler openings 14 and 12. Because of the vertical spacing of booms 48, 49 and 50 by means of spacer conduits 31 and 32, the booms may cross over each other as shown in FIG. 1 without interference. To disengage the dispenser head from the tank truck and to return the booms to raised, retracted and straight out positions, the corresponding valves 110, 111 and 112 are manipulated for reversing the flow of hydraulic fluid to the respective cylinders and rotary hydraulic motor.

When cylinder 100 is operated for extending piston rod 102, the latter, because of its connection to flange 76, moves the corresponding dispenser head 72 in a direction away from the corresponding swivel housing 36. This causes the corresponding extender rails 55, 56 to move telescopically outwardly of corresponding frame rails 53, 54 and likewise causes the corresponding inner delivery conduit 75, inner vapor conduit 86 and inner electrical conduit 94 to move telescopically outwardly of the respective outer delivery conduit 74, outer vapor conduit 81 and outer electrical conduit 91.

Claims

I claim:

1. A tank filling device comprising a support means, a loading boom assembly connected at one end to the support means, the boom assembly including a support frame and a delivery conduit, the delivery conduit comprising a pair of telescoped tubular sections, one of said sections being secured to said support frame, means for moving the telescoped tubular sections axially of each other, said moving means comprising a fluid pressure motor pivotally attached at one end to said support means and attached at its other end to the other of said tubular sections, said support frame including a pair of telescoped sections, said one tubular section being secured to one of said frame sections and the other tubular section being secured to the other of said frame sections whereby said frame sections undergo axial movement relative to each other coincident with the relative axial movement of the tubular sections.

2. A loading device comprising a boom assembly pivoted at one end to a support and having a dispensing head at its other end, actuating means operable for lowering said other end to cause said dispensing head to seat against a filler opening of a tank, yieldable means engaging the actuating means and movable thereby to an energy storing position when said dispensing head engages the filler opening to stop the lowering motion of the boom assembly, means to lock the actuating means in a fixed position upon discontinuance of operation of the same, said yieldable means engaging the boom assembly to cause the latter to maintain a seating pressure of the dispensing head against the filler opening.

3. The device of claim 2 in which said actuating means comprises a hydraulic cylinder.

4. The device of claim 3 in which said cylinder includes a piston, said yieldable means includes a bolt slidably mounted on said boom and a spring engaging one end of the bolt to urge it in one direction and also engaging said boom to urge the boom in a lowering direction, the other end of the bolt being connected to the piston and also being engageable with the boom assembly to urge the latter in a raising direction.

5. The device of claim 2 in which said yieldable means is extensible to move the boom assembly and the dispensing head to a lower position in the event said filler opening assumes a lower position after operation of said actuating means is discontinued and thereby to maintain the dispensing head seated against the filler opening.

6. A tank filling device comprising first and second vertically extending stationary fluid supply pipes, a first stationary fitting rigidly connected to the upper end of the first pipe and a second stationary fitting being rigidly connected to the upper end of the second pipe, said fittings being in substantially the same horizontal plane, first and second generally horizontally extending delivery conduits, a support frame attached to each delivery conduit and extending axially therealong for substantially the full length of the respective delivery conduit, a first swivel means connected to one end of the first delivery conduit and directly connected to the first fitting to permit pivoted horizontal movement of the first delivery conduit relative to the first supply pipe, a second swivel means connected to one end of the second conduit, a spacer conduit rigidly connected to the second fitting and projecting upwardly therefrom, said second swivel means being connected to the upper end of the spacer conduit to permit pivotal horizontal movement of the second delivery conduit and its support frame relative to the second supply pipe, said frames and delivery conduits each being formed of sections axially moveable relative to each other, hydraulic motor means connected to the respective first and second swivel means and to the respective first and second conduits for moving said sections axially relative to each other, said spacer conduit being of sufficient length whereby the second delivery conduit and its support frame when pivoting horizontally may pass over the first delivery conduit and its support frame.