Improvements in Cans and other Receivers for Petroleum or other easily Inflammable Liquids.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Mar., 1899-Accepted, 13th May, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cans and other Receivers for Petroleum or other
easily Inflammable Liquids.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co., of 18, Buckingham
Street, Strand, London, W.C., do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a
communication to me from abroad by Société Anonyme pour l'Eclairage et le
Chauffage par le Petrole (Brevet Bouhon), of Antwerp, in the Kingdom of Bel-
gium, to be as follows;-
This invention relates to improvements in cans or other receivers for petroleum
and other easily inflammable liquids and is for preventing the contents of the
same from catching fire or exploding.
It consists in terminating the entrance and outlet pipes or openings of the
can by narrow spaces formed by metallic plates arranged very near together in
the interior of the receiver and are for the purpose of suffocating any flame
which could penetrate from outside for instance along the jet of the liquid as it
is being poured in or out of the receiver, the extinguishing or suffocating plates
being moreover so arranged as not to delay the entrance or the flowing out of
the liquid and not to oppose the flowing out and entrance of the air during the
filling or emptying of the cam and to allow the escape of the inflammable gases
formed inside the receiver hindering at the same time however the communica-
tion for the flame which would result in an accidental ignition of these gases.
The outlet pipe ends a little distance within the interior of the can in a flat
ring plate opposite which another solid metal; plate is so arranged that there
remains only a very small space between them. The filling tube of the can ends
in the inside of the same in a similar manner.
The petroleum when passing into the cam or receiver is obliged to pass between
the metal plates of the filler and must when flowing out pass between the metal
plates of the spout.
In order not to hinder the entrance and outlet of the liquid the respective
inlet or outlet pipes are constructed on the inside of the can with a conically
formed widened part so that the whole passage section for entrance and outlet
be nearly equal to the section of the outlet opening of the outlet pipe or of the
filling pipe.
For augmenting the suffocating surface constituted by the plates but still at
the same time not giving them too large a size these plates can have an undulated
form, the undulations of one plate corresponding with the undulations of the other
so that these plates being very near together have everywhere between them the
same narrow width of passage. For the same purpose these plates can have any
other suitable form. The plates which form the end of the outlet pipe are arranged
as near as possible to the walls of the receiver in such a manner that the whole of
the contents of the receiver can be poured out conveniently. The filling pipe
could if desired be lengthened downward to the bottom of the receiver.

page_text: One of the cooling or suffocating plates could be formed by the wall itself of
the receiver, but it is preferable to put the two plates inside the receiver in order
to protect them from blows which might dent the wall and thus damage the
arrangement of the small space which must exist between the. two plates.
Petroleum or the like is poured into the inlet pipe of the can. The petroleum
passes between the plates and falls into the receiver. The air contained in the
receiver passes between the plates of and escape through the outlet pipe.
The most dangerous case of the utilization of a petroleum containing can con-
sists in pouring petroleum upon smouldering fire which is believed to be extinct
which brought in contact with the petroleum is ignited again and the flame
following the jet to the outlet pipe of the can communicates the fire to the latter
either through the outlet pipe or through the filling pipe and the can explodes.
In the improved can herein described the flame is extinguished at the entrance
of the can by the metal plates. These plates come in contact in a cool state with
the flame so that it is extinguished, moreover as a rule they retain between them,
in consequence of their being seated so closely together, a layer of liquid oppos-
ing any passage of the flame and helping also to suffocate the same.
If a can is standing for a long time near a stove or other heating source vapours
are formed inside the can from the petroleum which mixed with the air inside
create an explosion mixture in such cases a flame coming in contact with the
same would cause the can to explode.
With the improved can this cannot happen. The explosion mixture will at
a certain temperature escape from between the plates in order to disperse out-
side. The gases or vapours can then burn outside the inlet and outlet pipes
without communicating the flame to the interior...
If accidently a petroleum jet which is being poured into or out of the can
should catch fire it would also be suffocated between the plates without communi-
cating the flame to the inside.
Improvements in Cans and other Receivers for Petroleum or other
easily Inflammable Liquids.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co., of 18, Buckingham
Street, Strand, London, W.C., do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a
communication to me from abroad by Société Anonyme pour l'Eclairage et le
Chauffage par le Petrole (Brevet Bouhon), of Antwerp, in the Kingdom of Bel-
gium, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly des-
cribed and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in cans or other receivers for petroleum
and other easily inflammable liquids and is for preventing the contents of the
same from catching fire or exploding.
It consists in terminating the entrance and outlet pipes or openings of the
can by narrow spaces formed by metallic plates arranged very near together in
the interior of the receiver for the purpose of suffocating any flame
which could penetrate from outside for instance along the jet of the liquid as it
is being poured in or out of the receiver, the extinguishing or suffocating plates
being moreover so arranged as not to delay the entrance or the flowing out of
the liquid and not to oppose the flowing out and entrance of the air during the

page_text: filling or emptying of the can and to allow the escape of the inflammable gases
formed inside the receiver hindering at the same time however the communica-
tion for the flame which would result in an accidental ignition of these gases.
The annexed drawing shows two forms of can in vertical section.
The outlet pipe bends a little distance within the interior of the can g in a
flat ring plate opposite which another solid metal plate d is so arranged that
there remains only a very small space between them. The filling tube a of the
can ends in the inside of the same in a similar manner at f e.
The petroleum when passing into the can or receiver g is obliged to pass
between the metal plates ef of the filler and must when flowing out pass between
the metal plates cd of the spout.
In order not to hinder the entrance and outlet of the liquid the respective inlet
or outlet pipes a b are constructed on the inside of the can with a conically
formed widened part h so that the whole passage section for entrance and out-
let ii be nearly equal to the section of the outlet opening of the outlet pipe or
of the filling pipe. For augmenting the suffocating surface constituted by the
plates c d e f but still at the same time not giving them too large a size these
plates can have an undulated form, the undulations of one plate corresponding
with the undulations of the other so that these plates being very near together
have everywhere between them the same narrow width of passage.
For the
c d.
same purpose these plates can have any other suitable form. The plates
which form the end of the outlet pipe b are arranged as near as possible to the
walls of the receiver g in such a manner that the whole of the contents of the
receiver can be poured out conveniently. The filling pipe a could if desired be
lengthened downward to the bottom of the receiver.
One of the cooling or suffocating plates c d or of could be formed by the
wall itself of the receiver, but it is preferable to put the two plates inside the
receiver in order to protect them from blows which might dent the wall and
thus damage the arrangement of the small space which must exist between the
two plates. Petroleum or the like is poured into the inlet pipe a of the can_g.
The petroleum passes between the plates fe and falls into the receiver The
air contained in the receiver passes between the plates dc of and escapes through
the outlet pipe b.
9.
The most dangerous case of the utilization of a petroleum containing can
consists in pouring petroleum upon smouldering fire which is believed to be ex-
tinct which brought in contact with the petroleum is ignited again and the
flame following the jet to the outlet pipe of the can communicates the fire to
the latter either through the outlet pipe or through the filling pipe and the can
explodes.
In the improved can herein described, the flame is extinguished at the entrance
of the can by the metal plates c d e f. These plates come in contact in a cool
state with the flame so that it is extinguished, morcover as a rule they retain
between them, in consequence of their being seated so closely together, a layer
of liquid opposing any passage of the flame and helping also to suffocate the
same.
If a can is standing for a long time near a stove or other heating source
vapours are formed inside the can from the petroleum which mixed with the
air inside, create an explosive mixture; in such cases a flame coming in contact
with the same would cause the can to explode.
With the improved can this cannot happen. The explosive mixture will at
a certain temperature escape from between the plates c, d, e, f, in order to dis-
perse outside. The gases or vapours can then burn outside the inlet and outlet
pipes without communicating the flame to the interior.
If accidentally a petroleum jet which being poured into or out of the can
should catch fire it would also be suffocated between the plates without communi-
cating the flame to the inside.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
-
1. An improved can or other receiver for containing petroleum or other easily
inflammable liquids in which the emptying and filling pipes or openings are
provided in the interior of the reservoir with narrow passage spaces formed by
and between metallic plates arranged close together in such a manner that any
flame igniting the outflowing or inflowing jet of liquid and penetrating into the
said pipes is suffocated or extinguished in passing between the said plates.
2. A form of construction of the improved safety can or other receiver for
petroleum as in Claim 1 in which obstructing plates have an undulated or other
analogous form for the purpose of increasing the cooling or suffocating surfaces
of these plates.
3. A form of construction of the safety can or other receiver for petroleum
as in Claim in which the cooling or extinguishing plates obstructing the
filling and emptying. pipes are housed in the interior of the can without being
arranged in direct contact with the sides of the same in case these sides may be
damaged by shocks or blows.
4. A form of construction of the safety can or other receiver for petroleum
as in Claim 1 in which one of the cooling plates is formed by the side of the
receptacle.
5. A form of construction of the safety can or other receiver for petroleum
as in Claim 1 in which the filling and emptying pipes are each terminated in
the interior of the can by a widened part to which are connected the obstructing
and cooling plates for the purpose of giving the respective spaces between the
plates a passage section substantially equal to the passage section of the extremity.
of the respective emptying and filling pipes.
6. A safety can for petroleum or the like having an emptying and a filling
tube a and beach terminating in the interior of the receptacle by a widened
part to which are joined the plates and e respectively, opposite which the
second cooling and obstructing plates respectively e and d are arranged at such
distance from the first plate for that only a very narrow space remains between
them permitting the passage of the liquid, the air and gases which may be
formed in the interior of the can but cooling any flame penetrating into the said
openings a and b in such a manner that the flame is suffocated or extinguished
and cannot reach the interior of the can substantially as described and illustrated
in the annexed drawing.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1899