IMPROVEMENTS IN TANKS FOR HOLDING OIL
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOSHUA REA at the Office for patents 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the county
of Lancaster Oil Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TANKS FOR HOLDING OIL" to be as follows:-
Tanks are at present made for holding larger or smaller quantities of oil for use
in factories and other places where it is in constant use in small quantities. Tho
most perfect kind of tank of which I have any knowlege has little or no provision
made for cleaning out the inside or removing sediment or other refuse which may
have collected at the bottom. Where mineral oils only are used this is not of much
importance, but whero vegetable or animal oils are used it is highly advantageous
to be able to remove the sediment or foots which collect. Now my invention is
designed to so improve upon or construct an oil tank that this will be easily
accomplished.
The oil tank or reservoir is made of any convenient size or shape, preferably
cylindrical, with a fixed cover over a portion of the area of its top or end. Hinged
to this is a hood or cover which covers over the remaining part of the top. Under
this cover or hood is placed a small pump by means of which the oil is raised from
the tank. In front of and below the mouth of this pump I place a movable,
preferably perforated, tray which occupies the remaining space of the top of the
tank not covered by the aforementioned fixed cover. This tray will be of the same
contour as the tank itself and fit closely round inside its walls or nearly so resting
on a flange or other support soldered or otherwise suitably fixed thereto according
to the nature of the material of which it is made. It can be simply laid in place
or fastened in by a catch or set screw or other similar device. This tray being
movable can be taken away at pleasure and the interior of the tank cleaned or
examined and when perforated allows of any oil splashed or spilled thereon to run
through and back into the tank thus tending to keep it always clean and free from
an accumulation of oil mixed with dust or dirt.
The pump referred to is also made movable and can be used for pumping the oil
from the cask into the tank for use. It is preferably held in position by its pipe
being passed through a bush attached to the fixed cover, though the bush may be

page_text: made upon the movable tray. A catch securely holds the pump it being after
inserted turned half round, or may be held by a thumb or set screw. A gauge is
inserted through a small hole in the top of the movable tray by means of which
the quantity of the oil in the tank may be determined without removing the tray.
This may be either a graduated rod with a float on the lower end or a plain 5
graduated rod on which the depth of the oil will be seen when withdrawn
therefrom.
The hinged hood covers the whole perforated tray as well as the pump.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, JOSHUA REA, Office for Patents 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Lancashire, Oil
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TANKS FOR HOLDING OIL " and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The
Tanks are at present made for holding larger or smaller quantities of oil for use
in factories and other places where it is in constant use in small quantities.
most perfect kind of tank of which I have any knowledge has little or no provision
made for cleaning out the inside or removing sediment or other refuse which may
have collected at the bottom. Where mineral oils only are used this is not of much
importance, but where vegetable or animal oils are used, it is highly advantageous
to be able to remove the sediment or foots which collect.
This invention is designed to so improve upon or construct an oil tank that this
will be easily accomplished.
Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus constructed
according to my invention-Figure 2 front sectional elevation of same.
The oil tank or reservoir A is made of any convenient size or shape, preferably
cylindrical with a fixed cover B over a portion of the area of its top or end.
Hinged to this at b is a hood or cover C which covers over the remaining part of.
the top. Under the cover or hood C is placed a pump D by means of which the
oil is raised from the tank. In front of and below the mouth of this pump I place
a movable perforated tray E, which occupies the remaining space of the top of the
tank not covered by the fixed cover B. This tray will be of the same contour as
the tank itself and fit closely round inside its walls A¹ or nearly so resting on a
flange e or other support soldered or otherwise suitably fixed thereto, according to
the nature of the material of which it is made. The tray E can be simply laid in
place, or fastened in by a catch, or set screw or other similar device. This tray
being movable can be taken away at pleasure and the interior of the tank cleaned
or examined, and being perforated allows of any oil, splashed or spilled thereon to
run through and back into the tank thus tending to keep it always clean and free
from an accumulation of oil mixed with dust or dirt.
The pump D is also made movable and can be used for pumping the oil from the
cask into the tank for use. It is preferably held in position by its pipe being
passed through, a bush & attached to the fixed cover though the bush may be made
upon the movable tray. The pump is securely held by a hinged catch F fastened
by a pin or set screw f, or it may be held by a bayonet joint, set screw, or thumb
screw abutting against its side.
Instead of an ordinary pump for small tanks I may place at or near the top end
of the pipe, a ball or bladder of india-rubber or other material and a simple flat or
circular valve in the bottom. By exhausting the air in the ball by squeezing it,
the oil may be raised from the tank and pass out through a pipe leading from the
ball.
G is a gauge rod provided with a float H at one end and hinged at the other to
the wall of the tank at g. Pivoted to the gauge rod G near its upper end are two

page_text: levers connected with a finger I. When the tank is full the rod G and
levers and the finger I assume the positions shown in dotted lines, the latter
indicating on the dial J that the tank is full. With the arrangement of levers
shewn, the finger I moves a quarter of a revolution on the face of the dial. In
cases where it is necessary to indicate more nicely or accurately the contents in the
tank a train of two or more wheels may be placed between the pivot of the lever ¿¹
and the pivot of the finger I, and the latter be caused to make a completo
revolution As no special claim is herein made for the form of gauge or indicator
to be employed this may be varied as required. A straight rod with float on lower
end rising perpendicularly, may be employed or a hinged rod such as G with a
fixed curved arm projecting near the upper end, passing through or behind a slot
would make a suitable indicator.
The hinged hood covers the whole perforated tray as well as the pump, and when
closed assumes the position shown in Figure 1 covering in the whole apparatus,
keeping it free from dust and dirt.
I wish it to be understood that I do not make any claim for any one single part
of the apparatus if taken separately, as these I have known to be already used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
The manufacture and use of a tank for holding oil, having in combination with
it a movable hood covering the working parts to prevent the entry of dirt or dust;
a pump or its equivalent to raise the oil; a movable perforated tray through
which droppings of oil return-to-the interior of the tank, and a gauge rod or
pointer to indicate the quantity of oil at any given time in the tank, substantially
as described and shown.