Improvements in Navigable Vessels Constructed to Convey Liquid such as Petroleum.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 29th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 2nd June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Navigable Vessels Constructed to Convey Liquid
such as Petroleum.
We, GEORGE JONES of Victoria Road, West Hartlepool, in the County of
Durham, Naval Architect, and JAMES FORTESCUE FLANNERY, of 9 Fenchurch
Street, in the City of London, Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and
of the Institution of Naval Architects, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
This invention bas reference to improvements in navigable vessels constructed
with compartments forming tanks for the conveyance of liquid such as petroleum
in bulk.
According thereto the expansion tank or compartment or each if more than one
be used, provided to receive the outflow of liquid (hereinafter referred to as oil)
from the oil tanks, due to its increase of volume upon increase of temperature, is
arranged below the oil deck and so that the escaping oil can descend into it by
gravity through suitable pipes or passages, a donkey or other suitable pump being
provided for supplying oil from the expansion tank to the oil tanks when necessary
as when the volume of the oil in the latter tanks decreases upon decrease of
temperature. The expansion tank may be of any suitable form in cross section,
and be subdivided by bulkheads, and be provided with perforated wash plates
with the object of preventing movement of the oil therein. The closed hatches
of the oil tanks may advantageously be constructed of such depth that the level
of the oil in the oil tanks will not fall by contraction below the level of the
oil deck. In connection with each of these closed hatches there is or may be
provided a ventilating tube communicating with the open air. These tubes serve
as a convenient and ready means of determining the height of the oil in the
oil tank.
Ey the construction described several important practical advantages are obtained
of which the following may be mentioned. The oil tanks are not subjected to
additional pressure due to a head of oil in the expansion tank or tanks such as
obtains when such tanks extend above the level of the oil tanks as heretofore usual;
the 'tween decks can be kept clear for ordinary cargo; the centre of gravity can be
kept low; the movement of the oil in the expansion tank when one only is used
will be small and will have a less injurious effect on the vessel than is the case
where a number of such tanks are employed arranged in the usual manner; and
the cost of construction will be reduced.
Dated this 20th dow of Iul 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
10 Improvements in Navigable Vessels Constructed to Convey Liquid
such as Petroleum.
We, GEORGE JONES, of Victoria Road, West Hartlepool, in the County of
Durham, Naval Architect, and JAMES FORTESCUE FLANNERY, of 9 Fenchurch
Street, in the City of London, Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and
Paine d

page_text: of the Institution of Naval Architects, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to improvements in navigable vessels constructed
with compartments forming tanks for the conveyance of liquid such as petroleum
in bulk.
According thereto the expansion tank or compartment, or each if more than one
be used, which serves to receive the outflow of liquid (hereinafter referred to as
oil) from the oil tanks, due to its increase of volume upon increase of temperature,
is arranged below the oil deck and so that the escaping oil can descend into it by
gravity through suitable pipes or passages, a donkey pump, or other suitable pump
or pumps being provided for supplying oil from the expansion tank to the oil tanks
when necessary, as when the volume of the oil in the latter tanks decreases upon
decrease of temperature.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a navigable vessel constructed to convey liquid
such as petroleum and provided with an expansion tank, pipe connections and pump
according to this invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan of part of such a vessel.
Fig. 3 is a detail view to a larger scale.
Fig. 4 is a cross section of a vessel provided with a modified construction of
expansion tank.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A is an expansion tank arranged below the oil
deck A¹ and near the centre of the ship. It is located between and formed partly
by two transverse bulkheads A' and may be of any suitable form in cross section.
With the object of preventing movement of the oil therein it may be sub-divided
by one or more bulkheads arranged fore and aft and be provided with perforated
wash plates arranged horizontally, the said additional bulkhead or bulkheads being
also perforated so that oil can flow uniformly to and be drawn uniformly from all
parts of the tank simultaneously. The bulkheads A³ may be strengthened by cross
stays connecting them and which may advantageously be in the form of plates,
which will further aid in preventing movement of the oil in the expansion tank.
B, B, are the closed hatches of the oil tanks CC. These hatches may advan-
tageously be constructed of such depth that the level of the oil in the oil tanks will
not fall by contraction below the level of the oil deck. C¹ is a longitudinally
arranged bulkhead which in conjunction with the transverse bulkheads and A*
and the sides of the vessel constitute the sides of the oil tanks C.
In connection with each of the closed hatches B B there is or may be provided
a ventilating tube B' communicating at the lower end with the tank, and at the top
with the open air. These tubes serve also as a convenient and ready means of
determining the height of the oil in the oil tank. Or for a like purpose, each oil
tank C may be fitted between decks with a gauge or float. Further ventilation
may be secured by arranging the hatches B below the hatches B' in the upper
deck A as shown.
DD are pipes each arranged longitudinally of the vessel and one at each side of
the longitudinal bulkhead C. Each of these pipes is provided with branches D¹
that extend down into each of the oil tanks C and into the expansion tank A so
that when the oil increases in volume through increase of temperature, it will pass
from the tanks C through the branches D' into the pipes D D whence it will flow
by gravity into the expansion tank A. The pipes D are connected at intervals by
cross pipes D*. Each pipe D is also connected with a pump F such as a donkey
pump, by branches F1 as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, valves being provided
at FF in the pipe D between the points of connection thereof with the
pipes F. Valves are also provided at the points of connection of the pipes D
with each branch D' and cross pipe D*. By this arrangement it will be readily
seen that by suitably manipulating the said valves, oil can be pumped by either

page_text: pump F from the expansion tank and returned to the oil tanks C, as when the
volume of the oil contracts on decrease of temperature. Also with the arrange-
ment described, by closing the communication between the expansion tank and
the pipes D, and suitably manipulating the other valves, oil can be pumped from
either oil tank C to any of the other oil tanks. As will be obvious the several
pipes can be variously arranged without departing from the essential nature of this
invention.
In the modified construction shown in Fig. 4 there are two expansion tanks A
arranged longitudinally of the vessel and one on each side of the fore and aft
bulkhead C. In this arrangement each of the said expansion tanks extends only
to about half the depth of the oil tanks C, instead of to the keel of the vessel as in
Figs. 1 and 2, and the oil tanks are situated at the outer and under sides thereof as
shown. In other respects the arrangement is the same as that hereinbefore
described with reference to and shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and the same letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
By the improved constructions described, several important practical advantages
are obtained of which the following may be mentioned. The oil tanks are not
subjected to additional pressure, due to a head of oil in the expansion tank or tanks
such as obtains when such expansion tank or tanks extends or extend above the
level of the oil tanks as heretofore usual; nor will the oil tanks be subjected to
extra pressure by expansion of the oil within the tanks, as immediately the oil
begins to expand it discharges into the expansion tank; the 'tween decks can be
kept clear for ordinary cargo; oil will not come in contact with the weather deck;
the centre of gravity can be kept low; the movement of the oil in the expansion
tank, when one only is used, will be small and will have a less injurious effect on
the vessel than is the case where a number of such tanks are employed arranged in
the usual manner; and the cost of construction will be reduced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
:―
1. In a navigable vessel constructed with tanks to convey liquid such as
petroleum in bulk, an expansion tank (or tanks) arranged below the oil deck, and
connected with the oil tanks by pipes or passages so that oil can escape into the
said expansion tank (or tanks) when an increase in the volume of the oil takes
place, and a pump with pipe connections whereby oil can be withdrawn from the
expansion tank, (or tanks) and returned to the oil tanks, as when the oil in the oil
tanks contracts in volume substantially as described.
2. A navigable vessel constructed with tanks C to convey liquid such as
petroleum in bulk each of said tanks having a closed hatch B extending above the
level of the oil deck, an expansion tank (or tanks) A connected with the said oil
tanks by pipes D with branches D', pumps F' connected with the said expansion
tank and oil tanks by pipes F D D₁ D*, valves controlling the connection
between the several pipes, and ventilating tubes B¹ in connection with the said
hatches, whether the said expansion tank, or tanks, be arranged transversely of the
vessel and so as to extend down to the keel thereof as in Figs. 1 and 2, or be
arranged longitudinally of the vessel as in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings
for the purpose specified.
Dated this 28th day of March 1893.
GEORGE JONES.
JAMES FORTESCUE FLANNERY.