Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Conveying, Storing, and Utilizing Petroleum and other Liquid Hydrocarbons.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 26th July, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 25th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 26th July, 1895
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Conveying, Storing,
and Utilizing Petroleum and other Liquid Hydrocarbons.
I, TOMASO GIOVANNI BATTISTA DE FERRARI di G.B., of No. 6 Via Interiano
Genoa, in the Kingdom of Italy, Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus for conveying storing and utilizing petroleum
and other liquid hydrocarbons.
The improved apparatus constructed according to my said invention has for its
object to provide for the necessary guarantees for ensuring the operation, and at
the same time the safety against danger, of stores or reservoirs of petroleum and
other liquid hydrocarbons designed for any desired uses either on land or in ships,
and more especially for heating marine or other boilers.
As in the heating of boilers by liquid fuel it is necessary for the petroleum or
other liquid hydrocarbon to arrive at the grates at a certain light pressure I cause
a quantity of water under pressure to act directly below the petroleum which floats
naturally upon the water, and I protect at the same time the reservoirs for storing
the said liquid fuel against any risk of being set on fire and exploding, the same
water being utilized as a protecting and refrigerating envelope round all the sides
of the reservoir. In the special case of a reservoir on board ship, arranged
naturally at the hottom of the hold, it becomes useless to protect in the same
manner the lateral walls of the reservoir formed by that part of the sides of the
ship which is always immersed.
It is of course quite natural to utilize the sea water for the purposes indicated.
I will proceed to describe my improved apparatus as employed in a ship, this being
one of its most important applications. But it will be understood that, without at
all changing its nature, the present invention can be perfectly applied to any dépôt or
reservoir on land, irrespective of its form, as it is altogether independent of this
form, which in a ship it is necessary to adapt to the special construction of the
ship's hold. It will be sufficient to dispose of a certain quantity of water at a
small pressure.
In the case of a reservoir forming the bottom of the ship's hold the petroleum
or other liquid hydrocarbon is supplied to the reservoir through a pipe provided
with a stop cock always kept closed after the reservoir has been filled; and the
sea water arrives at the bottom of the reservoir below the petroleum through two
pipes, and by its pressure forces the petroleum through another pipe which conducts
it to the place where it is utilized.
As at the surface of the petroleum, or other hydrocarbon, vapours or gases may
be easily developed which would pass into the first-mentioned pipe and could
consequently prevent a fresh feed of the reservoir, the first pipe extends only a
short distance below the top of the reservoir and it is provided with a discharge
pipe having a cock kept open when the cock of the first pipe has been closed.
This discharge pipe extends into the second compartment of a box provided with a
vertical diaphragm perforated in its upper part and with a water gauge. The
gases are condensed and liquefied therein by the water arriving through one of the
said two pipes at the bottom of the first compartment where it makes a tight
hydraulic joint, and traversing the upper part of the diaphragm.: and lastly they

page_text: are carried away with it and through the second of the two pipes to the bottom of
the reservoir, where by its smaller density the liquid fuel separates from the water
and rises into the upper portion. This operation is continuous as long as liquid
fuel passes through the before-mentioned pipe to the place where it is used. In
any exceptional circumstance I may if necessary drive the excess of gas through a
pipe having a cock.
A pipe with a cock may occasionally serve to spread petroleum on the sea almost
at the surface for allaying the waves, which will be particularly useful for torpedoes
and small boats in general.
At the top of the. reservoir is a double cover filled with a quantity of water
which protects the ship against any risk of fire; and the level gauge, in case of
breakage or damage done to the top of the petroleum reservoir, would immediately
indicate it; for pure water, such as it must contain in the normal state, would no
longer be seen, but water mixed with petroleum or even petroleum alone, the
latter being lighter.
In a modified arrangement the protecting quantity of water is substituted by a
stratum or cover of materials capable of extinguishing fire, such as alum or other
equivalents, comprised in the double cover. I may arrange upon the top of the
reservoir a first layer of asbestos or other similar material, and upon this a layer of
alum or other equivalent. Upon this kind of protecting cover I may, in lien of
providing a second fixed cover, simply arrange juxtaposed movable metallic plates;
but in this case the security would not be so absolute, for the flames would find their
way through the joints and fissures between the various plates, the protecting effect
however would still be very great.
The alum or other substance bas for its object to become liquefied by the heat
and to extinguish the fire which might occur if damage were done to the top of
the reservoir; and the layer of asbestos below the alum, although not absolutely
necessary, bas for its object to absorb the liquefied alum and prevent it from
flowing, that is to say to maintain it as a uniform and continuous layer above the
lighted petroleum so as to keep this latter away from all contact with the air and
thus extinguish it for certain.
In another modification the protecting medium above the petroleum is formed by
an atmosphere of inert gases incombustible and especially non-burning, which rest
directly upon the mass of petroleum and without a double cover.
The petroleum or the like is supplied through a pipe to the reservoir as in the
preceding arrangements. The water arrives through a pipe which may also be
provided with a box, the latter being however not so useful in this modification as
in the preceding arrangements, as the gas and vapours of the petroleum are here
dissolved in the inert atmosphere. A pipe conducts also here the petroleum to the
place where it is used, the oil being under the pressure of the lower water. Only
the interposition of the inert atmosphere between the petroleum and the top of the
reservoir necessitates the admission of the petroleum into the said pipe by means
of a flexible pipe kept submerged by a float.
I obtain the atmosphere as follows:-A pump by means of a pipe draws from
the chimney the products of combustion, which are cooled in their passage through
a serpentine before entering the pump which forces them into the inert atmosphere.
This inert atmosphere is finally discharged and returns to the smoke box of the
boilers through a pipe the cock of which, actuated by a lever and float remains in
the position for medium opening during the normal operation. The dimensions and
the operation of the pump are such, relatively to the capacity of the reservoir and
to the pressure produced therein by the sea water, that the atmosphere takes a
suitable height when the cock of its discharge pipe is normally open. If by any
accident the atmosphere diminishes too much, so that the petroleum can come in
contact with the top of the reservoir and create danger of fire in case of losses or
damages to the said top, the aforesaid lever pushed by the float raises a vertical
rod of an apparatus which, coming in electrical contact with a button above it,
rings an alarm bell. If on the contrary the atmosphere increases too much in

page_text: height so as to risk forcing the petroleum to the sea through the pipe, the said
lever carried away downwards by the float lowers the vertical rod which, coming
in contact with a button below, rings another alarm bell giving quite a distinct
sound from the first. At the same time the cock of the discharge pipe will be
completely closed in the first case, and will be entirely opened in the second case
so as to automatically obviate either of the inconveniences signalled and to bring
back the atmosphere to the exact height which is suitable and has been previously
established, whereupon all the parts take up their normal position again.
It is evident that the same arrangements may be applied both in sailing and
steam ships designed for the simple transport of petroleum, even without utilizing
it in steam ships for heating the boilers; and also to depôt reservoirs on land,
whatever their form may be, and to subterranean reservoirs as they are preferably
constructed or not. In the first of these two latter cases it will not be necessary to
make also the lateral walls double and with a protecting cover, such as will have
to be done in the second case. And in all cases it will be useful to have water
under pressure below the petroleum, either by a system of pumps and accumulators
or by any other equivalent means, or simply by water pipes which are
provided in almost all large towns and ports where it is possible and suitable to
establish large reservoirs of liquid fuel. Naturally the protecting cover upon the
top of the reservoirs will always be applied in one of the manners set forth.
Dated this 26th day of July 1894.
now
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to Apparatus for Conveying, Storing,
and Utilizing Petroleum and other Liquid Hydrocarbons.
I, TOMASO GIOVANNI BATTISTA DE FERRARI di G.B., of No. 6 Via
Interiano, Genoa, in the Kingdom of Italy, Gentleman, 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 :-
My invention relates to apparatus for conveying storing and utilizing petroleum
and other liquid hydrocarbons.
The improved apparatus constructed according to my said invention has for its
object to provide for the necessary guarantees for ensuring the operation, and at
the same time the safety against danger, of stores or reservoirs of petroleum and
other liquid hydrocarbons designed for any desired uses either on land or in ships,
and more especially for heating marine or other boilers.
As in the heating of boilers by liquid fuel it is necessary for the petroleum or
other liquid hydrocarbon to arrive at the grates at a certain light pressure I cause
a quantity of water under pressure to act directly below the petroleum which floats
naturally upon the water, and I protect at the same time the reservoirs for storing
the said liquid fuel against any risk of being set on fire and exploding, the same
water being utilized as a protecting and refrigerating envelope round all the sides
of the reservoir. In the special case of a reservoir on board ship, arranged
naturally at the bottom of the hold, it becomes useless to protect in the same
manner the lateral walls of the reservoir formed by that part of the sides of the
ship which is always immersed.
It is of course quite natural to utilize the sea water for the purposes indicated.
I will proceed to describe my improved apparatus as employed in a ship, this being
one of its most important applications. But it will be understood that without at
all changing its nature the present invention can be perfectly applied to any depôt
or reservoir on land, irrespective of its form, as it is altogether independent of

page_text: this form, which in a ship it is necessary to adapt to the special construction of the
ship's hold. It will be sufficient to dispose of a certain quantity of water at a
small pressure.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a partial transverse section of a ship provided with a reservoir for
petroleum or the like constructed in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 2 represents a similar section and a modified form of reservoir, with a
kind of protecting cover at the top, substituted for the upper protecting, stratum of
water and
Figure 3 is a transverse section of a ship having a modified form of reservoir for
receiving inert gases above the mass of the petroleum.
In Figure 1 the petroleum p is supplied to the reservoir through a pipe A
provided with a stop cock B always kept closed after the reservoir has been filled;
and the sea water e arrives at the bottom of the reservoir, below the petroleum,
through pipes F F¹, and by its pressure forces the petroleum through another
pipe E which conducts it to the place where it is utilized.
As at the surface of the petroleum or other hydrocarbon vapours or gases may
be easily developed which would pass into the pipe A and could consequently
prevent a fresh feed of the reservoir, the pipe A extends only a short distance below
the top of the reservoir and it is provided with a discharge pipe D¹ having a
cock C¹ kept open when B has been closed. This discharge pipe D' extends into
the second compartment (on the right) of a box R provided with a vertical
diaphragm perforated in its upper part and with a water gauge H. The gases are
condensed and liquefied therein by the water arriving through the pipe F' at the
bottom of the first compartment where it makes a tight hydraulic joint, and
traversing the upper part of the diaphragm; and lastly they are carried away
with it and through the pipe F to the bottom of the reservoir, where by its smaller
density the liquid fuel separates from the water and rises into the upper portion.
This operation is continuous as long as liquid fuel: passes through the before-
mentioned pipe E to the place where it is used. In any exceptional: circumstance
may if necessary drive the excess of gas through a pipe D2 having a cock.
I
A pipe C with a cock may occasionally serve to. spread' petroleum on the sea
almost at the surface for allaying the waves, which will be particularly useful for
torpedoes and small boats in general.
At the top of the reservoir is a double cover J' J' filled with a quantity of
water G which protects the ship against risk of fire from the petroleum.
In Figure 2 is represented a modified arrangement in which the protecting
quantity G of water is substituted by a stratum or cover of materials G* capable
of extinguishing fire, such as alum or other equivalents, comprised in the double
cover. may arrange upon the top of the reservoir a first layer of asbestos or
other similar material, and upon this a layer of alum or other equivalent. Upon
this kind of protecting cover I may, in lieu of providing a second fixed cover,
simply arrange juxtaposed movable metallic plates; but in this case the security
would not be so absolute, for the flames would find their way through the joints
and fissures between the various plates, the protecting effect however would still be
very great.
The.alum or other substance has for its object to become liquefied by the heat
and to extinguish the fire which might occur if damage were done to the top of
the reservoir; and the layer of asbestos below the alum, although not absolutely
Decessary, has for its object to absorb the liquefied alum and prevent it from
flowing, that is to say to maintain it as a uniform and continuous layer above.the
lighted petroleum so as to keep this latter away from all contact with the air and
thus extinguish it with certainty.
In Figure 3 is represented a second modification wherein the protecting medium
above the petroleum is formed by an atmosphere of inert gases incombustible and
especially non-burning, which rest directly upon the mass of petroleum and without
a double cover.

page_text: The petroleum or the like is supplied through a pipe to the reservoir as in the
preceding arrangements. The water arrives through a pipe F' which may also be
provided with a box, the latter being however not so useful in this modification as
in the preceding arrangements, as the gas and vapours of the petroleum are here.
dissolved in the inert atmosphere G₁ and which consequently has been omitted.
from the drawing. A pipe E also conducts the petroleum to the place where it is-
used, the oil being under the pressure of the lower water e. Only the interposition.
of the inert atmosphere G¹ between the petroleum and the top of the reservoir
necessitates the admission of the petroleum into the said pipe E by means of a
flexible pipe E' kept submerged by a float E.
I obtain the atmosphere G as follows: A pump Z by means of a pipe X draws.
from the chimney the products of combustion, which are cooled in their passage-
through a serpentine Y before entering the pump which forces them into the space
between the top of the reservoir and the top of the liquid through the pipe c..
This inert atmosphere is finally discharged and returns to the smoke box of the
boilers through a pipe L the cock L* of which, actuated by a lever L' and float L'
remains in the position for medium opening during the normal operation. The
dimensions and the operation of the pump are such, relatively to the capacity of
the reservoir and to the pressure produced therein by the sea water, that the
atmosphere G¹ takes a suitable height when the cock of its discharge pipe is
normally open. If by any accident the atmosphere G' diminishes too much, so
that the petroleum can come in contact with the top of the reservoir and create
danger of fire in case of losses or damages to the said top, the aforesaid lever L'
pushed by the float L² raises a vertical rod of an apparatus M, which, coming in
electrical contact with a button above it, rings an alarm bell S. If, on the
contrary, the atmosphere G' increases too much in height so as to risk forcing the
petroleum to the sea through the pipe, F¹ the said lever L' carried away downwards
by the float L lowers the vertical rod which, coming in contact with a button
below, rings another alarm bell giving quite a distinct sound from the first. At
the same time the cock of the discharge pipe will be completely closed in the first
case, and will be entirely opened in the second case, so as to automatically obviate
either of the inconveniences signalled, and to bring back the atmosphere G' to the
exact height which is suitable and has been previously established, whereupon all
the parts take up their normal position again.
It is evident that the same arrangements may be applied both in sailing and
steam ships designed for the simple transport of petroleum, even without utilizing
it in steam ships for heating the boilers; and also to depôt reservoirs on land,
whatever their form may be, and to subterranean reservoirs of any suitable con-
struction. In all cases it will be useful to have water under pressure below the
petroleum either by a system of pumps and accumulators or by any other equivalent
means, or simply by water pipes which are now provided in almost all large towns
and ports where it is possible and suitable to establish large reservoirs of liquid
fuel. Naturally the protecting cover upon the top of the reservoirs will always
be applied in one of the manners set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In the construction and installation-on land as well as on board ship-of
reservoirs for storing, stapling or transporting petroleum or other liquid hydro-
carbons serving for any desired use and especially for heating boilers of the
conveying or other vessels, the application in said reservoirs, of arrangements for
ensuring the operation and at the same time affording a great security; said
application consisting in the simultaneous use of water under slight, convenient
pressure applied directly beneath the mass of petroleum, in order to keep it back
when not required for use, and at the interior comprising double walls surrounding.

page_text: the whole reservoir in order to protect against danger of fire the reservoir itself
as well as the surrounding parts of the arrangement.
2. In the application of reservoirs for petroleum and other liquid hydrocarbon
ensuring its operation and safety as described in the first claim, the special con-
struction illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing more particularly
applicable for ships, the characteristic feature being the absence of double walls
at the sides of the ship where such wails are no longer required; and the
combination of the mass of water beneath that of the petroleum and generating
upon the latter the necessary pressure; the upper protecting layer; the means
for condensing the vapours of the petroleum for re-combining them with the mass or
for forcing the same out as required; further the means for ascertaining when any
damage is done to the top part of the reservoir and when any dangerous escape
of petroleum takes place and finally the means for spreading petroleum over the
sea for allaying or calming the waves.
3. As a modification of the arrangement described in the first and second claims
the substitution for the upper protecting mass of water, of a layer or stratum of
inert, and especially combustible and fire extinguishing matter; as illustrated in
Figure 2 of the annexed drawing.
4. As a modification of the arrangement claimed in the first and second claim the
substitution for the upper protecting mass, of an atmosphere of inert gases above
and in direct contact with the mass of petroleum; as illustrated in Figure 3 of
the accompanying drawing.
5. In the arrangement described in the first and fourth claims-in combination
with the said atmosphere of inert gases-the means for producing this atmosphere;
the means for regulating the height of said atmosphere and for maintaining the
same, and for signalling excessive variations thereof; lastly the means for constant
taking the petroleum at its variable level underneath the said inert atmosphere;
as illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing; the whole substantially
as illustrated and described and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 25th day of Anril 1895
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.