Fluid transfer apparatus

Apparatus for transferring toxic fluid material from a container having a closure means toward another closed location comprising conduit means and a probe member to provide a closed fluid transfer system.

The present invention relates to toxic fluid transfer apparatus and, more 
particularly, to such apparatus employed in the transfer of agricultural 
chemical fluid materials from a closed container to another closed 
location. 
It has been known that leaks of liquid agricultural chemicals or of the 
gaseous fumes thereof can be hazardous to the operators of agricultural 
chemicals spraying and mixing equipment. Such chemicals have been handled 
for some time under closed container storage, transportation and mixing 
systems prior to spraying applications in the field. Transfer of such 
chemicals has usually been effected at moderate vacuum pumping pressure to 
reduce the danger of leakage of the liquid or its fumes to the atmosphere. 
One such system is disclosed in our prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,087 entitled 
"Closed Mixing System for Tending Agricultural Sprayers." 
A closed agricultural chemical batching, measuring and mixing system is 
there disclosed for mounting to a sprayer tending truck. The system 
includes a measuring tank on which a partial vacuum is drawn by opening a 
connection to the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine of the 
truck. The measuring tank is in turn communicated to at least one manifold 
having numerous valve control inlets, all communicated to discrete 
agricultural chemical containers which can include highly toxic liquid 
chemicals. At the inlet remote from the mixing tank, the manifold 
communicates to a supply of surfactant. Preselected amounts of the liquid 
chemicals are sequentially drawn by the partial vacuum through the valve 
controlled manifold and to the measuring tank in which they are 
accumulated. The surfactant is then drawn through the manifold and into 
the measuring tank to flush the system. As the chemicals and surfactant 
are drawn into the measuring tank, the fumes created by the chemicals in 
the measuring tank are drawn into the intake manifold of the engine and 
rendered substantially nontoxic. After mixing of the liquid chemicals and 
surfactant in the measuring tank, the vacuum is broken and the batch is 
dumped through a dump valve at the bottom of the tank. Simultaneously, a 
stream of water is discharged from a water storage tank on the tending 
truck through a conduit to a spray tank on a tractor spraying rig. The 
measured batch is drawn into the stream of water at less than atmospheric 
pressure through an induction manifold interposed in the water conduit and 
diluted by the water. Provision is made to introduce wetable powders into 
the stream of water in addition to the liquid agricultural chemicals. 
Thus, a closed mixing system is provided for both liquid and powdered 
agricultural chemicals. 
While such system solves many of the problems inherent in the transfer and 
mixing of such agricultural chemicals, it does not solve all of them. One 
such problem revolves around effecting connection of transfer apparatus 
with shipping containers in regions of high temperature. Most commercial 
containers employed for the transportation of agricultural chemicals are 
metal drums having closures which are spouts, bungs and the like. These 
closures are removed when the drum contents of agricultural chemicals are 
to be removed. The opening of such closure in any manner, leaving the 
fluid contents free to the atmosphere, is contrary to operator health 
regulations in many jurisdictions. 
In addition, the health regulations of some jurisdictions require the water 
washing of the interior of such drums or containers after the agricultural 
chemicals have been removed before the drums or containers can be 
destroyed. 
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide apparatus 
for the safe transfer of such toxic fluid material from a container having 
closure means toward another closed location, without loss of such toxic 
material to the atmosphere. 
Other aims and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the 
following description and appended claims.

In accordance with the present invention, apparatus is provided for 
transferring toxic fluid material from a container having closure means 
toward another closed location comprising conduit means and a 
communicating probe member having: an outer hollow sleeve member 
terminating at the non-communicating end thereof in rotary cutting means; 
closure puncturing bayonet and spring ejection means secured within said 
probe means near said end thereof; and wash water spray port means 
positioned around the exterior of said probe member above said cutting, 
puncturing and spring ejection means. 
In the preferred embodiment of apparatus of the invention, the container 
closure puncturing means is positioned so as to first effect puncturing of 
the closure means. This action will permit any released fumes of the 
agricultural chemicals filling the container to first be drawn off by the 
vacuum pressure maintained in the probe member and communicating conduit 
means toward the other closed location of the system to which the 
agricultural chemicals contents of the container is to be fed. 
Similarly, in the preferred embodiment, the rotary cutting means and 
spring-loaded ejection means are relatively positioned so as to 
simultaneously coact to effect cutting of the closure means and ejection 
thereof into the interior of the container away from the probe member 
through which liquid agricultural chemicals removal is effected. 
It is also preferred in the practice of the invention to employ apparatus 
having wash water spray ports positioned to discharge upwardly and wash 
the top interior of the container before being discharged from the 
container through the probe member. 
Referring specifically to the embodiment of the drawing, apparatus is 
provided for transferring toxic fluid material from a container 10 having 
a top lid 12 in which closure means 14 are positioned and through which 
toxic fluid, such as agricultural chemicals, are discharged from container 
10. The fluid transfer apparatus comprises transfer conduit means 16 and 
communicating probe assembly means 18 for transferring the agricultural 
chemicals from container 10 toward another closed end remotely-positioned 
location (not shown). The junction between transfer conduit means 16 and 
probe assembly means 18 is effected by providing disconnect means 20 and 
valve control means 22 is positioned therebetween to control the flow of 
material therethrough. The probe assembly means 18 is supported by leg(s) 
23 on container 10 as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing and by handle 24 at 
the top of probe assembly means 18. 
Probe assembly means 18 comprises an upper conduit member 26 which 
communicates with transfer conduit means 16 through disconnect means 20 
and valve means 22. The outlet of upper conduit member 26 communicates 
through passage 28 with the interior 30 of probe member 32 which 
constitutes the lower portion of probe assembly means 18 positioned below 
flange 34. It is this lower portion of the probe assembly means 18 (below 
flange 34) which projects into the interior of container 10 as probe 
member 32. 
Probe member 32 has an interior axial passage 36 of varying diameter within 
the outer walls of the probe member 32. Inner walls 33 terminate at the 
lower portion thereof in rotary cutting means defined by a plurality of 
circumferentially-arranged cutting teeth 38 positioned around the lower 
end of probe member 32. 
Closure puncturing or bayonet means 40 are secured within the interior of 
probe member 32 near the lower end thereof and may have any one of a wide 
variety of shapes, such as the triangular- or bayonet-shaped configuration 
shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawing. 
Spring injection means 42 are similarly secured to the inner walls of probe 
member 32 in the region of puncturing means 40 and preferably surround 
puncturing means 40 and project below cutting teeth 38 and the lower end 
of probe member 32. 
Wash water inlet conduit means 44 provide the flow of wash water to the 
probe member through annular conduit 46 and through wash water discharge 
port means 48, annular conduit 46 being positioned within the outer probe 
assembly means 18 in the manner shown specifically in FIG. 2 of the 
drawing. The wash water discharge port means 48 may comprise either a 
single annular discharge port or a plurality of such ports disposed around 
the outer circumference of the probe member 32. It is preferred that such 
discharge port means be positioned to direct wash water upwardly and away 
from the lower end of the probe member 32 as shown in FIG. 1 of the 
drawing. 
In operation, the apparatus of the present invention is employed to 
transfer fluid agricultural chemicals from a container or drum 10 to 
another remotely-positioned closed location through the probe assembly 
means 18 and communicating transfer conduit means 16. Such containers 
typically employ, mounted in a top port, closures of the type disclosed in 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,966 entitled "Nestable Pouring Spout with 
Wall-Supporting Cap" which are sold by Rieke Corporation of Auburn, 
Indiana as "FlexSpout". Such closure has a tamper-proof metallic seal cap, 
a bail handle closure cap and a nestable pouring spout having a flexible 
wall with a portion reversible in curvature upon extension of the spout 
and which is circumferentially supported by a portion of a spout-closing 
cap when the spout is in nested position. Such a spout 50, with sealed cap 
and closure cap removed, is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawing. 
As there shown, probe assembly means 18 is elevated by handle 24 to a 
position above the closure means 14 and forced in an axially downward 
direction against the closure means 14 so as to force compression of 
ejection means 42 and concurrent puncturing of the spout closure means 52 
in the manner shown in the solid line portion of FIG. 3 of the drawing. 
The puncturing of spout closure 52 permits the release of agricultural 
chemicals vapors from the container 10 to pass the interior passage 36 of 
probe member 32 where they are carried by the vacuum maintained on the 
transfer system toward the other closed location. 
Such axial force on probe assembly means 18 is continued, together with 
rotary movement thereof, to cause cutting teeth 38 to cut through spout 50 
leaving spout cut-off portion 54 unsupported, whereupon it is ejected by 
spring ejection means 42 into the interior of container 10. The spout 
cut-off permits passage of the entire probe member 32 into container 10 up 
to the point of contact of flange 34 with the upper projection of closure 
means 14. This positioning is generally shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing and 
is attained without any leakage or venting of agricultural chemicals fumes 
or liquid to the atmosphere, due to the close tolerance between the 
remaining portion of spout 50 and the outer walls of probe member 32. 
As liquid agricultural chemicals are removed by the vacuum system through 
probe member 32 and upper conduit means 26 and transfer conduit means 16, 
wash water flow may be begun through inlet conduit means 44, annular 
conduit 46 and spray port means 48 to begin the internal washing down of 
container 10. Alternatively, wash water flow may be deferred until the 
complete transfer of liquid agricultural chemicals from container 10. 
It is to be understood that the diameter and length of the probe member of 
the apparatus of the invention will be dictated by the diameter of the 
container closure cap and the height of the container, respectively. The 
length of that portion of the probe member below the supporting flange is 
preferably set to provide a derived stand-off distance between the lower 
end of the probe member and the base of the container. Preferably, the 
positioning of the supporting flange may be made adjustable to permit 
variation of this stand-off distance for containers of varying heights. 
Although the invention has been disclosed and described herein with respect 
to the preferred embodiment as shown in the drawing, it is, of course, to 
be understood that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of 
the invention which is not to be limited to the specific preferred 
embodiment disclosed and discussed in detail.