Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Mar., 1898-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1898
(A communication from abroad by Mr. FLORENCE MAHONEY GRISWOLD, Fire Insurance
Expert, of 119, Broadway, N. York City, U.S.A.)
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of No. 46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improvement in methods and means of elevating or
distributing liquids by fluid pressure.
The objects of the invention are to provide for the safe and convenient storage of
any liquid that is to be distributed by fluid pressure, to provide for maintaining the
fluid pressure, to provide for equalizing or opposing the pressures as hereinafter
described so that on cutting off the flow of liquid from a pipe the liquid in the pipe
may return to the tank, and to secure other results.
The attainment of these objects is rendered essential particularly in the handling
and consumption of inflammable liquids such as turpentine, naptha, gasoline and
kerosene, the tanks or reservoirs for safety being located at some distance from and
preferably below the points of consumption or distribution. The tanks being thus
located, the most satisfactory means for getting their contents to the point of
consumption or distribution is fluid pressure and air is the most convenient for this
purpose.
In the distribution of inflammable liquids, particularly in buildings, it is essential
to safety that when the flow of the liquid is cut off, the contents of the pipes be
returned to the tank in order that there may be no chance for leakage to occur from
the pipes. It is also a great saving in time and trouble to be able to make this
return to the tank without letting off the liquid fluid pressure from the tank.
The invention consists substantially in a novel method and apparatus for elevating
and distributing liquids by fluid pressure employing a storage tank, a discharge pipe
containing a suitable cock, means for elevating the liquid by fluid pressure, and
means controlled by the cock for automatically putting upon the liquid in the
discharge pipe a pressure such that when the cock stands in closed position between
the tank and discharge outlet, the liquid in the discharge pipe will be caused to
return to the tank.
The invention consists also in maintaining the elevating pressure for raising the
liquid in the tank when the cock is closed and applying an equal or substantially
equal opposing pressure on the liquid in the discharge pipe by any desired means.
The invention further consists in the construction, combination and arrangement
of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1, is a diagrammatic representation of an apparatus or system illustrating one
way of carrying out the invention.
Fig. 2, is a similar representation showing some modifications in detail.
In the drawings a storage tank is indicated at A, and may be of any suitable
material and construction. From it at a point near the bottom a discharge pipe
as B, extends. This pipe may lead to any part of the building and feed a burner
as C, or a series of burners as C¹, or it may terminate in a discharge nozzle from

page_text: which the oil may be drawn into any receptacle, or to which a hose may be attached,
such nozzle being indicated in dotted lines at D, in Fig. 2.
In
The fluid pressure supplied to the tank A, may be from any suitable source.
Fig. 1, an ordinary hand air-pump is indicated at E, and is connected by pipe F, to
the top of tank A, for putting pressure upon the oil. On this pipe at any convenient
place, preferably near the pump, is a pressure gage G. The pressure in tank A, will
cause the oil to be distributed through the pipe B, as desired. For controlling the
distribution a cock is located in the pipe B, one form of which is indicated at H.
From the pipe F, a branch pipe or by-pass as I, extends to the pipe B, and makes
connection therewith preferably at the cock H, so that one cock may serve to control
both oil and air. The cock is preferably made on the three-way plan as indicated.
When the cock is turned as shown in Fig. 1, the oil is allowed to flow to the burner
under fluid pressure applied to the surface of the liquid in the tank. When the cock
is turned as shown in Fig. 2, the flow of oil is cut off, but at the same time air is
admitted to the pipe B.
The effect of this is obviously to put upon the liquid in the discharge pipe
a pressure opposing that which may be at the same time upon the surface of the
liquid in the tank while the cock stands in closed position to the burner or discharge
outlet, and hence the liquid will automatically return to the tank through the mere
act of cutting off the discharge, by the effect of gravity, when the opposing pressures
are substantially equal (as in the particular arrangement shown), or by the superior
effects of the pressure admitted to the pipe B, assisted by gravity, the action in any
case depending upon the relative levels of the pipe B, and the tank and the relative
fluid pressures existing or caused to exist, when the outlet cock is closed, upon the
surface of the liquid in the tank and upon the column of liquid in pipe B.
A principal feature of the invention resides in causing fluid pressure to discharge a
liquid and automatically, upon the closing of the outlet cock and while the same is
closed, establishing, or permitting a fluid pressure to exist, upon the liquid in pipe B,
which balances or opposes that existing at the same time upon the surface of the
liquid in the tank whereupon the liquid will return to the tank.
In the particular way of carrying out my invention herein illustrated, the pressure
permitted upon the surface of the liquid in the tank is that which is sufficient to dis-
charge it if unopposed, but I do not wish to be understood as limiting the invention
to any degree of pressure upon the surface of the liquid at the time the pressure is
applied to the liquid in the discharge pipe by the act of turning the cock, nor as to
any particular source of pressure; although for convenience the same source which
raises the liquid is here shown as utilized to supply the pressure tending or serving to
return the liquid to the tank and the pressure permitted to exist upon the surface of
the liquid in the tank while the cock stands closed is the pressure which would raise
it if unopposed.
Any number of distributing pipes may be connected to the tank A, as illustrated in
Fig. 2, by the additional distributing pipe B', as there shown in dotted lines. This
pipe may be connected by branch pipe I, to the air pipe F. In this figure the
source of compressed air is omitted to indicate that the air or other elevating fluid
may be derived from any desired source.
As indicated in Fig. 2, the cock H¹, may be the only cock in the distributing pipe
and serve as the distributing cock and as the equalizing cock. This is also true of
the cock H, in Fig. 1, though in connection with the burner, a needle valve may be
used if desired, as indicated at burners C¹, Fig. 2.
When it
The liquid to be distributed having been put into tank A, the necessary pressure
for distributing the coil therefrom is supplied to the tank. Then when it is desired
to serve the oil the cock is turned as indicated at H, Fig. 1, or H¹, Fig. 2.
is desired to cut the oil off, the cock is turned as at H, Fig. 2, and the fluid pressure
of the tank admitted to the pipe at the cock thereby allowing the oil to return to the
tank. Oil from the tank A, may be distributed simultaneously through the several
pipes leading therefrom, or may be distributed through any one or more of them as the
case may require, the opening and closing of the cock in any one of the pipes not

page_text: affecting the flow of the oil through the others and yet the oil in any discharge pipe
will be returned to the tank as soon as the flow of the oil in that pipe is cut off.
From the above description it is clear that oil cannot stand in the pipes B, between
the cock H, and the tank after the flow thereof is cut off. The cock H, may be
placed at any suitable distance from the discharge end of the pipe B.
Though the three-way cock H, or some equivalent therefor is preferred because
by it the oil cannot be cut off from the burner or discharge nozzle without admitting
the air to pipe B, and returning the oil therein to the tank, yet a cock in each of the
pipes B and I, may be employed as indicated in dotted lines at H3 and H4, Fig. 1, in
which case the cock H, and the branch I, would be omitted and the by-pass I¹, sub-
stituted. Then the cock H³, being closed the cock H', would control the discharge
of oil through pipe B, and upon cutting off this discharge and opening the cock H³,
the oil left in B, would be returned to the tank and the pressure of the elevating
fluid substantially maintained without material loss.
This manner of control might be preferable in a system used for dispensing liquid
such as beer where frequent drafts were to be made as by it the liquid in pipe B, may
or may not be returned to the tank when the discharge is stopped, but where
inflammable liquid is to be served to burners or otherwise, the three-way cock or its
equivalent for cutting off and equalizing by one act, is indispensable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, what I claim is :-
1. The improvement in handling liquids by fluid pressure, consisting in maintaining
the necessary distributing pressure upon the liquid continuously, and upon stopping
the flow of liquid putting a pressure upon the liquid in the tributaries opposed to the
maintained pressure and sufficient to return to the tank the liquid in said tributaries
for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination with a tank containing a liquid under fluid pressure, of a
discharge pipe having a cock for controlling the flow of the liquid, and means
controlled by the cock for equalizing the fluid pressure in the discharge pipe and
tank when the cock is closed so as to allow the liquid in the pipe to return to
the tank.
3. The combination of a tank containing a liquid under fluid pressure, a discharge
pipe having a cock for controlling the flow of the liquid, and a branch or by-pass from
the source of fluid pressure to the discharge pipe for making the fluid pressure in the
discharge pipe oppose that in the tank while the cock is closed so as to allow the
liquid in the discharge pipe to return to the tank.
4. As a means of elevating and controlling the flow of liquid from a tank, the
combination of means for putting pressure upon the stored liquid, a discharge pipe,
a stop-cock therein, and means for equalizing the pressure upon the liquid in the pipe
and upon the surface of the liquid in the tank while the stop-cock stands in closed
position to the burner or discharge outlet, whereby the liquid in said pipe will be
returned to the tank by gravity.
5. The combination with the storage tank, discharge pipe and cock therein, of
means for elevating the liquid by fluid pressure, and means controlled by the cock
for putting upon the liquid in the discharge pipe a pressure which, while the cock
stands in closed position to the burner or other discharge outlet, will cause or permit
the liquid to return to the tank.
6. The invention, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose set
forth.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.