and Transporting Volatile or Inflammable Liquids.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 28th July, 1887
Complete Left, 30th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 1st June, 1888
and Transporting Volatile or Inflammable Liquids.
43
We, JOSEPH STEWART, of Blackwall Iron Works, Isle of Dogs, Poplar, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer and THOMAS CHARLTON, of 39 Brook Green Road,
Hammersmith, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to the storage and transport of volatile or inflammable liquids
such for example as paraffin oil or petroleum and has for its object to obviate or
mitigate the serious risks of explosion and fire attending ordinary methods of
storage and transport. With the methods heretofore ordinarily adopted two sources
of danger are respectively loss or leakage in the liquid form arising from the difficulty
of ensuring sufficiently accurate joints in the containing vessels or reservoirs and
loss or leakage in the fluid or gaseous form arising from the volatile nature
of the liquid the vapours or gases given off by which, as is well known, will in
many cases form with certain proportions of air highly explosive mixtures.
According to this invention to obviate the dangers referred to means are provided
to prevent loss or leakage of the inflammable substance either in the liquid state or
in the form of gas or vapour. For this purpose the vessel or reservoir containing
the volatile or inflammable liquid is sealed by water, there being a head of water
in communication with that in the vessel or reservoir by a pipe or tube (or there
may be more than one) reaching nearly to the bottom of the said containing vessel
or reservoir and the arrangement being such as to place the stored volatile or
inflammable liquid under a moderate water pressure in such a manner that any gas
or vapour which may be disengaged therefrom (as may arise from an elevation of
temperature or other cause) will be confined within the containing vessel or reservoir
and that should the pressure in the containing vessel or reservoir become greater than
that of the head of water, water will be ejected to make room for the expansion of the
substances stored.
The vessel or reservoir containing the volatile or inflammable liquid is surrounded
with water which may be conveniently placed in a tank or outer vessel or reservoir

page_text: surrounding the containing vessel or reservoir as referred to in the specification of
another application for patent bearing even date herewith and numbered 10512.
According to a modification the arrangement may be such that the supernatant
water will act as the head of water previously referred to.
The upper surface of the water above the vessel or reservoir containing the
inflammable liquids or the upper surface or surfaces of any water used to surround
either partially or entirely the said containing vessel can be sealed with some suitable
gas or fluid lighter than water so that it will rest thereon, and heavier than air so
that it will tend to remain in position by its specific gravity, such gas or fluid being
a non supporter of combustion, such for instance as carbon dioxide.
It is evident that reservoirs or containing vessels such as referred to above may be
fitted with all suitable and convenient appliances such as man holes, pipes gauges
cocks &c. and the outer or water vessel may be fitted with a pump or pumps whether
to draw off the water from them or to supply them with water or to raise and
save any liquid which might escape from the inner or containing reservoir or
vessel.
In lieu of the inner or containing vessel or reservoir being surrounded with water
it may be enclosed in an outer vessel or reservoir so as to leave a space between the
two divided into two or more compartments which will serve as bilges to catch the
leakage from the inner or containing reservoir.
This leakage can be returned to the reservoir by a pump or other suitable means-
when this arrangement is adopted it will be advantageous to place a layer of water
at the bottom of the reservoir to prevent leakage of the volatile or inflammable liquid
at the joints.
The whole available space between the inner or containing vessel or reservoir and
the outer vessel or reservoir is filled with a suitable non-inflammable gas such as
carbon dioxide. A pump or other suitable means is provided for raising any of
the inflammable liquid which may escape by leakage into the interspace between the
two reservoirs.
It is obvious that this invention may be applied to the conveyance of inflammable
liquids either by water as in ships boats or barges or on land in suitably
constructed trucks or vehicles, as well as to its storage in permanent tanks or
reservoirs.
Data thi 0041
A
1007
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: and Transporting Volatile or Inflammable Liquids.
We, JOSEPH STEWART, of Blackwall Iron Works, Isle of Dogs, Poplar, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, and THOMAS CHARLTON, of 39 Brook Green Road,
Hammersmith, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, 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 the storage and transport of volatile or inflammable liquids
such for example as paraffin oil or petroleum and has for its object to obviate or
mitigate the serious risks of explosion and fire attending ordinary methods of storage
and transport. With the methods heretofore ordinarily adopted two sources of
danger are respectively loss or leakage in the liquid form arising from the difficulty
of ensuring sufficiently accurate joints in the containing vessels or reservoirs and loss
or leakage in the fluid or gaseous form arising from the volatile nature of the liquid
the vapours or gases given off by which, as is well known, will in many cases form
with certain proportions of air highly explosive mixtures.
According to this invention to obviate the dangers referred to means are provided
to prevent loss or leakage of the inflammable substance either in the liquid state or
in the form of gas or vapour. For this purpose the vessel or reservoir containing
the volatile or inflammable liquid is sealed by water, there being a head of water in
communication with that in the vessel or reservoir by a pipe or tube (or there may
be more than one) reaching nearly to the bottom of the said containing vessel or
reservoir and the arrangement being such as to place the stored volatile or inflammable
liquid under a moderate water pressure in such a manner that any gas or vapour
which may be disengaged therefrom (as may arise from an elevation of temperature
or other cause) will be confined within the containing vessel or reservoir and that
should the pressure in the containing vessel or reservoir become greater than that of
the head of water, water will be ejected to make room for the expansion of the
substances stored.
The vessel or reservoir containing the volatile or inflammable liquid is surrounded
with water which may be conveniently placed in a tank or outer vessel or reservoir
surrounding the containing vessel or reservoir as referred to in the Specification of
another application for Patent bearing even date herewith and numbered 10512/87.
According to a modification the arrangement may be such that the supernatent
water will act as the head of water previously referred to.
The upper surface of the water above the vessel or reservoir containing the
inflammable liquids or the upper surface or surfaces of any water used to surround
either partially or entirely the said containing vessel can be sealed with some suitabię

page_text: gas or fluid lighter than water so that it will rest thereon and heavier than air so that
it will tend to remain in position by its specific gravity such gas or fluid being a
non supporter of combustion such for instance as carbon dioxide or carbonic
anhydride.
It is evident that reservoirs or containing vessels such as referred to above may
be fitted with all suitable and convenient appliances such as manholes, pipes, gauges,
cocks &c. and the outer or water vessel may be fitted with a pump or pumps whether
to draw off the water from them or to supply them with water or to raise and save
any liquid which might escape from the inner or containing reservoir or vessel.
In lieu of the inner or containing vessel or reservoir being surrounded with water
it may be enclosed in an outer vessel or reservoir so as to leave a space between the
two, divided into two or more compartments which will serve as bilges to catch the
leakage from the inner or containing reservoir.
This leakage can be returned to the reservoir by a pump or other suitable means;
when this arrangement is adopted it will be advantageous to place a layer of water
at the bottom of the reservoir to prevent leakage of the volatile or inflammable liquid
at the joints.
The whole available space between the inner or containing vessel or reservoir and
the outer vessel or reservoir is filled with a suitable non-inflammable gas such as
carbonic anhydride. A pump or other suitable means is provided for raising any
of the inflammable liquid which may escape by leakage into the space between the
two reservoirs.
It is obvious that this invention may be applied to the conveyance of inflammable
liquids either by water as in ships boats or barges or on land in suitably constructed
trucks or vehicles as well as to its storage in permanent tanks or reservoirs.
The nature of this invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the
annexed sheets of illustrative drawings, of which Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 relate more
particularly to storage on land and smaller installations on ships, and Figures 6, 7, 8,
9, 10 and 11 illustrate the application of this invention to storage of petroleum in
bulk for over sea transport and for use as liquid fuel on board ship.
Referring to Fig. 1 the vessel A containing the oil or other inflammable liquid is
arranged centrally within an outer vessel B so as to leave a space C between the sides
of the said vessels, and also a space between the tops or covers of the same.
vessels A & B may be of any suitable form.
The
The vessel A is open at its base so as to communicate freely with the intermediate
space C or interior of the outer vessel B. It is provided at the top with a pipe F
forming a continuation of an inlet pipe E arranged outside the vessel B. The outer
vessel Bis closed by a lid or cover D, and is provided with a manhole or suitable
filling device.
The vessel B is first filled with water to a height sufficient to seal the lower vessel A
when filled with inflammable liquid. The latter is then filled with the desired
quantity of oil whereupon the vessel B is filled with water so as to entirely surround
and cover the inner vessel with a protective envelope of water. The upward pressure
upon the oil in the inner vessel produced by the head of water in the outer vessel acts
to prevent the disengagement of inflammable vapour from the oil, as a diminution in
volume of the oil caused by leakage, drawing off for consumption, or contraction from
a fall in temperature, is immediately made good or followed up by water passing into
the inner from the outer vessel, so that the formation of a vacant space above the oil
which might cause a disengagement of vapor, is prevented. An increase in volume
of the oil results merely in the forcing of a corresponding quantity of water from out
of the inner vessel into the outer vessel.
The oil may be drawn off from the inner vessel A through a cock or valve G.
Fig. 2 illustrates a form of storage tank especially adapted for hot climates, similar
to the preceding one. The lower end of the inner or oil containing vessel A is of
funnel shape and is open at its narrowest part to the interior or intermediate space (!
of the outer vessel B. The latter is closed at the top by a cover D-A second or
false cover D is arranged within the vessel B below the cover D, thus forming a

page_text: space which may be filled with a non-inflammable gas for the purpose referred to
in the complete specification numbered 10,512 of even date herewith.
An oil inlet and sublet pipe E opening into the inner vessel A, passes through the
cover D and through a stuffing box formed in the cover D'.
Fig. 3 illustrates a modification of this invention. The oil vessel A is submerged
in water in a tank, pit, or receptacle B of brickwork or other suitable material. The
inner vessel A is closed at its bottom and communicates with the interior of the outer
vessel B by a pipe C which depends from the top of the vessel A to within a small
distance of its base. This pipe serves to transmit upwardly to the oil contained in the
inner vessel A the pressure due to the head of water in the outer vessel B. The space
between the cover D of the receptacle B and the surface of the water in the same may
be occupied by non-inflammable gas with the object of rendering innocuous
combustible vapors disengaged from the oil leakage floating on the surface of the
water. Suitable oil inlet and outlet pipes E, E¹, and a testing pipe E² are provided.
In the apparatus shewn in Fig. 4, contact between the water and the non-
inflammable gas contained in the outer vessel B is prevented by a second or false
cover D¹.
When used for storage purposes on land the vessel B is supplied with water from
an elevated tank (not shewn). When used for storage on board ship circulation may
be maintained in the water space C of the outer vessel through inlet and outlet
pipes G, G' communicating with a pump and with the sea.
Fig. 5 illustrates the adaptation to apparatus according to the present invention of
a balanced float H for the purpose of limiting the extent of surface of contact between
the water and the non-inflammable gas in the outer vessel B as described in the
hereinbefore mentioned complete specification No. 10,512 of even date herewith.
Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, & 11 illustrate the application of this invention to the transport
of oil in bulk in ships. In the arrangement illustrated in cross section in Fig. 6, and in
longitudinal section in Fig. 7, the oil is contained in a space or receptacle A formed
on the sides and bottom by the hull of the ship, and at the top and ends by vertical
and horizontal transverse walls or bulkheads A¹ A² carried across the ship from side
to side.
A transverse vertical wall or bulkhead B, outside, and near each end of the recep-
tacle A, and a transverse liorizontal partition D' over the saine are arranged so as to
form a water space C.
A second horizontal partition which may be a deck is provided so as to forin a space
above the said water space, for the reception of non-inflammable gas.
Oil supply and withdrawal pipes E, E' and suitable man-holes K are provided,
passing through the space Can opening into the oil receptacle A.
The pressure of a head of water produced by a pump is transinitted through a pipe C
to the oil in the receptacle A for the purpose of preventing disengagement of vapor
and of keeping the oil steady in a heavy sea. Violent rolling and pitching of the oil
may also be further prevented by arranging transverse and longitudinal bulkheads LL
as indicated in dotted lines so as to form a number of compartments communicating
with one another.
A constant circulation of cooling water (sea water) may be maintained in the water
space by means of a pump or other means.
Figs. 8 & 9 illustrate an arrangement which is especially adapted in that case in
which the oil is used as fuel on board ship and has for its object to reduce to a
minimum the generation of vapour. The space or receptacle A for the storage of the
oil is divided by means of transverse and longitudinal vertical bulkheads L into a
number of compartments each of which communicates at its lower end by means of
a pipe e with the upper part of the adjacent compartment next in order.
On first starting, the compartments are full of oil which is kept from movement by
the pressure of a head of water produced by a force pump stand pipe or other means,
transmitted through a pipe G opening at n close to the bottom of one of the end com-
partments (shown on the right hand of Fig. 9).
As the oil is withdrawn for the use of the ship through the pipe E from the end

page_text: compartment (on left hand of the figure) it flows down each pipee from the upper part of
one compartment into the lower part of the next in order through the entire series.
Each compartment is thus kept constantly full since the pressure water flows in and
follows up the oil.
The extent of contact surface between the water and oil is also reduced to a minimum
since the oil can be at no time in contact with more water surface than the area of one
compartment.
Suitable manholes and non-return valves may be provided near the lower end of
each transverse bulkheads L' for the purpose of pumping out the water from the
compartments.
A water circulation space (and a gas space D¹ may also be provided as shewn.
Figs. 10 & 11 illustrate an arrangement suitable for use in the transport of oil from
a cold to a hot climate.
Within the oil receptacle A is arranged a container or vessel M communicating by
a pipe F with a manhole K opening into the receptacle A. The container M must be
of a capacity sufficient to receive the whole of the outflow of the oil caused by the
increase of volume (about 1 to 2 per cent.) by expansion of the oil in the receptacle A.
The water space may be extended downwards between the oil receptacle A and
the hull of the Ship in the form of pockets N N reaching below the water line of the
ship.
In place of the container M a vacant space M may be provided above the oil for
the reception of the outflow as indicated in dotted lines on Figs. 10 & 11.
On starting on a voyage, the container M is filled with water under pressure trans-
mitted from a force pump or elevated tank through a pipe G. This pressure is
transmitted to the oil in A through the pipe F.
On expanding, the oil forces out the water overboard.
Leakage from the oil receptacle A into the surrounding water space C is rendered
practically impossible by producing by stand pipes of different heights or by other
means, a pressure in the space C greater than that maintained in the oil receptacle A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:
1. Supporting volatile and inflammable liquids during storage and transport upon a
heavier liquid (such as water) under pressure greater than that due to the head or
vapour tension of the volatile or inflammable liquid, substantially as described.
2. In an appliance for storing or transporting volatile or inflammable liquid, filling
the space in the store vessel or chamber not actually occupied by the said liquid, with
another liquid, such as water, which is heavier than the said volatile or inflammable
liquid, and will not readily mingle with it, and so arranging the said vessel or chamber
in connexion with a reservoir or source of supply that liquid of the heavier kind
whereby the volatile or inflammable liquid is supported shall be able to flow in and
out of the said vessel or chamber so as always to keep the same full notwithstanding
fluctuations of bulk of the volatile or inflammable liquid, substantially as described.
3. An appliance for storing volatile or inflammable liquid for gradual consumption,
consisting of a series of vessels or compartments from the first of which the liquid is
drawn and to the last of which water under pressure is admitted, the arrangement
being such that as volatile or inflammable liquid is drawn off at one end water enters
at the other end, and gradually fills each vessel or compartment in succession,
substantially as described.
4. The combination with a vessel in which volatile or inflammable liquid is stored
or transported upon a heavier liquid capable of flowing in and out of the vessel so as
always to keep it full notwithstanding Huctuations of bulk of the volatile or inflam-
mable liquid, of an external envelope or case partly filled with water, and partly with
a gas incapable of supporting combustion, such as carbonic anhydride, with or without
a float or diaphragm to separate the gas from the water, substantially as described.
5. In a navigable vessel for carrying inflammable liquid in bulk, providing in
conjunction with an oil hold or tank double bulkheads at each end thereof in com-

page_text: bination with a double covering over the said oil hold or tank the space between the
bulkheads and the coverings being to contain water substantially as described for the
purpose specified.
6. In a navigable vessel for carrying volatile or inflammable liquid in bulk, the use
of double bulkheads at each end of the oil hold or tank, in combination with a double
covering over the said hold or tank, and pockets at the side of the vessel, the spaces
between the bulkheads, the double coverings, and inside the pockets being to be filled
with water, substantially as described.
7. In a navigable vessel for carrying volatile or inflammable liquid in bulk, the
use of double bulkheads and a double covering constructed to contain water for
confining the said volatile or inflammable liquid and of circulating appliances to
constantly renew the water between the bulkheads and coverings substantially as
described.
8. In a navigable vessel provided with an overflow compartment of the kind
hereinabove described and in which volatile or inflammable liquid is confined by
double bulkheads or coverings containing water, maintaining a higher water pressure
between the said double bulkheads or coverings than in the overflow compartment,
substantially as described.
9. The improved appliances for storing volatile or inflammable liquid constructed
and arranged substantially as described with reference respectively to and shewn in
Fig. 1; in Fig. 2; in Fig. 3; in Fig. 4; and in Fig. 5 of the drawings annexed.
10. The improved arrangements for carrying volatile or inflammable liquid in bulk
on a navigable vessel substantially as described with reference respectively. to and
shewn in Figs. 6 and 7, and in Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawings annexed.
11. The improved appliance for carrying volatile or inflammable liquid in bulk for
consumption on board ship constructed arranged and operating substantially as
described with reference to and shewn in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 50th day of April 1888.
Dated this 50th day of April 1888.
THOMAS CHARLTON.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.