Patent ID: 6834689
Filing Date: 2004-12-28
Classification: B65D

Abstract:
Apparatus for transporting, storing and dispensing highly viscous material, comprising:at least one elongate cylindrical pressure vessel having a longitudinal axis and enclosed first and second ends for containing and transporting viscous material; product inlet means and product dispensing means at said vessel first end for introducing viscous material into said vessel and dispensing it therefrom; a bi-directional pipeline pig slidably disposed in said vessel to move relative thereto and having a circumferential seal engaged in a sliding fluid sealing relation with the interior surface of said vessel; and a gas supply valve and a first gas vent valve connected with said vessel second end for introducing gas under pressure into said vessel behind said pig and venting gas therefrom, respectively, and a second gas vent valve connected with said vessel for venting pressurized gas from said vessel during a filling operation; said vessel filled by venting gas from behind said pig and introducing viscous material into said vessel through said product inlet means thereby moving said pig in a first direction toward said vessel second end, and the viscous material being dispensed by introducing gas under pressure behind said pig thereby moving said pig in a second direction toward said vessel first end to force the viscous material in said vessel through said product dispensing means.