Improvements in Drums or Vessels for the Transport and Distribution of Petroleum and other like Liquids.
Year: 1896

page_text: Pate of Application, 18th May, 1896-Accepted, 6th June, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Drums or Vessels for the Transport and
Distribution of Petroleum and other like Liquids.
We, DAVID CAIRD of 3 Crown Court, Old Broad Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, and THE IRON AND STEEL PLANT COMPANY LIMITED of
the same place, Manufacturers, 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:―
According to the practice hitherto adopted for transporting and distributing oil-
when supplied in bulk to the customers over England it is transported from the
original depot in tanks on railways and when it reaches the terminal station or
destination it is pumped from these tanks into a special stationary reservoir or
storage vessel. From this reservoir it is drawn off into wheeled tanks or carts by
which it is conveyed through the streets, the oil being supplied from these carts to
customers. It will thus be seen that bulk is broken several times before the oil is
distributed to customers.
Now by the use of our improved drums or vessels we adopt a system of transport
and distribution which obviates any breaking of bulk during distribution. The
drums or vessels are of special construction as hereinafter described and of any
capacity which will suit the requirements of customers say for example 5 gallons.
We fill these drums with the oil before the distribution commences, that is to say,
at the original depot, and we use the same drums to transport the oil from the said
depot to the consumer, whereby we obviate the necessity for employing special
transport tanks on railways stationary storage reservoirs at stations or elsewhere,.
wheeled tanks for conveying the oil through the streets the pumping of the oil from
the railway tanks to the stationary storage reservoirs, the drawing off of the oil
from these reservoirs into the wheeled tanks, and the dispensing of the oil from
these tanks to customers, together with the waste and danger which are unavoidable
during these operations. In case of a drum being defective, the loss and danger
arising therefrom are reduced to a minimum.
The main feature of our invention is that we construct the drums in such manner
that they will readily pack and nest one upon another in a railway truck or
elsewhere without risk of becoming displaced.
In carrying out the invention we make the drums of steel or other suitable
material and preferably of cylindrical form or approximately so. The top and
bottom are so shaped as to admit of the drums being stacked or nested one upon
another in the least possible space, and so as to be in a manner locked together and
at same time provide for the usual projection at top caused by the bung or
stopper. With these objects the top of each drum is formed with a circumferential
or other recess and the bottom of each drum is formed with a corresponding
projection or chime (preferably hollow and forming part of the capacity of the
drum) to fit into the top recess of the drum below and thereby lock the two drums
together. The projection or chime should be sufficiently deep to lift the bottom of
the drum clear of the bung projection.
For convenience of handling and delivery the drums are also formed with
handles which are adapted to fold down during transport into a circular or other
recess.
The drums above described are preferably made in upper and lower halves.
united by welding, seaming or the like, and they may be provided with

page_text: strengthening ribs or corrugations but other methods of construction may be
adopted.
Drums constructed as above described when nested or stacked one on top of
the other are difficult to displace and can be readily sent by rail; and are easily
handled.
For a 5 gallon drum the diameter may be 15 inches and the height about
8 inches; the weight of the oil in such a drum is about 40 pounds exclusive of the
weight of the drum, and consequently a man can take a drum in each hand.
Another advantage of the improved drum is that when the oil is turned out the
entire contents of the drum are decanted, there being no corners or recesses when
the drum is turned up, in which the oil can remain.
Figure 1 shews in perspective a drum constructed in accordance with our
invention.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of one of our improved drums, a section taken
through the centre of the drum.
Figure 3 shows the manner in which the drums are nested when in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improved drum or vessel constructed, substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. The use for the purpose of oil distribution of drums or vessels constructed
and arranged, substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 13th day of May. 1896.
J. C. MEWBURN & ELLIS,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.