Improvements in Valves and other Means for Sealing Tanks and Vessels containing Volatile Liquids or Substances.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification loft 11th Dec 1889 Accepted. 11th Jan.. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Valves and other Means for Sealing Tanks and
Vessels containing Volatile Liquids or Substances.
I DANIEL IRVING of the Gasworks Stapleton, Bristol, in the County of Gloucester,
Gas Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My said Invention relates to improved arrangements of valves and other means
for scaling tanks and vessels, such for example as those used in the manufacture
of gas and in the obtaining, storing and treating of bye products therefrom, or generally
for application to tanks or vessels containing volatile liquids or substances. Taking
for example a tank containing ammonical liquor either for storage or working
purposes, if such a tank were left open to the atmosphero undue evaporation and
vitiation of the contents would take place, whereas if it is closed in without due
provision for the maintaining of an equilibrium or it might be difference of pressure
between the interior of the tank and the outer atmosphere such a sealed tank could
not be properly worked or filled and emptied. The object of my invention is to seal
such a tank and at the same time to preserve the necessary equilibrium or difference
between the interior and the outer atmosphere automatically. With this object
under one form of my invention I provide a valve or valves which when a portion
of the contents of the tank is withdrawn will open to admit exactly the volume of
air necessary to replace the withdrawn liquid while if additional liquid is fed or
forced into the tank the valve or valves will open to permit of the exit of the displaced
air. In a valve arrangement which I at present consider suitable for my purpose 1
provide a valve box having an internal and external valve seating and valves, the
internal valve yielding inward to pressure from without but resisting inward pressure
and the external valve yielding outward to pressure from within but resisting outward
pressure. The valves may be of the clack, flap, butterfly, or other well known type,
a simple form being clack valves sliding on central spindles or on wings and
formed with turned knife edge faces resting upon suitable seatings. The valves and
seatings should be made of such a metal or material as will resist the action of the
liquids or vapours with which they are brought into contact. The seatings may be of
a softer metal than the valves or they may have a ring seating of soft material such as
leather or other yielding substance. The valves may be weighted so as to give any desired
pressure in the tank or vessel.
might also use a liquid seal to close the herein before
referred to tanks. In such a case I would provide a vessel having a partition dipping
into liquid contained in the lower part of the vessel. On one side of the partition the
said sealing vessel is open to the atmosphere while on the other side the vessel
communicates with the interior of the tank. When liquid or matter is withdrawn
from the tank air passes through the sealing liquid beneath the submerged edge of the
dip partition and finds its way to the tank, while on the other hand if more liquid or
substance is conveyed into the tank the displaced air or gas escapes through the
sealing liquid and beneath the dip partition to the atmosphere. Inlet and outlet cocks
placed on the side and at the bottom of the vessel serve to regulate the depth of the
sealing liquid and as a consequence the amount of pressure in the tank to a certain
extent. The liquid may be entirely drawn off through the bottom cock. The sealing
liquid may be of such a nature as to absorb the vapours and gases escaping from the
tank, the essentials being afterwards recovered froin the liquid. Both in the case of
the valves and the liquid seal the vent or discharge pipe open to the atmosphere may
be carried to any suitable height so as to be out of the way of lights, fires and the
like and thus obviate the risk of explosion where the gases or vapours in the tank are
inflammable.
Dated this 9th day of March 1889.
DUTTON & FULTON,
1, St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Valves and other Means for Sealing Tanks and
Vessels containing Volatile Liquids or Substances.
1 DANLEL IRVING of the Gasworks, Stapleton, Bristol, in the County of Gloucester,
Gas 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 and accompanying drawings
:--
My said Invention relates to improved arrangements of valves and other means for
sealing tanks and vessels, such for example as those used in the manufacture of gas
and in the obtaining, storing and treating of bye products therefrom, or generally for
application to tanks or vessels containing valatile liquids or substances. Taking for
example a tank containing ammoniacal liquor either for storage or working purposes,
if such a tank were left open to the atmosphere, undue evaporation and vitiation of
the contents would take place, whereas if it is closed in, without due provision for the
maintaining of an equilibrium or it might be difference of pressure between the
interior of the tank and the outer atmosphere such a sealed tank could not be properly
worked or filled and emptied. The object of my invention is to seal such a tank and
at the same time to preserve the necessary equilibrium or difference between the
interior and the outer atmosphere automatically. With this object under one form of
my invention I provide a valve or valves which when a portion of the contents of
the tank is withdrawn will open to admit exactly the volume of air necessary to
replace the withdrawn liquid while if additional liquid is fed or forced into the tank.
the valve or valves will open to permit of the exit of the displaced air.
In order that my said Invention may be properly understood I will now proceed to
describe the same with reference to the annexed illustrative drawing which is a
sectional view of a valve made in accordance with my said invention.
To contain the valve I provide a valve box A having an internal valve seating B
and an external valve seating (Upon these seatings I mount valves D and E the
internal valve D yielding inward to pressure from without but resisting inward
pressure and the external valve E yielding outward to pressure from within but
resisting outward pressure. The valves shown are of the clack type and slide on
central spindles D and E' and are formed with turned knife edge faces resting upon
the seatings. The valves and seatings should be inade of such a metal or material as
will resist the action of the liquids or vapours with which they are brought into
contact. The seatings may be of a softer inetal than the valves or they may have a
ring seating of soft material such as leather or other yielding substance. The valves
may be weighted so as to give any desired pressure in the tank or vessel the top of
which is shown in section and marked F. I might also use a liquid seal to close the
hereinbefore referred to tanks. In such a case I would provide a vessel G having a
partition F dipping into liquid contained in the sealing portion of the vessel. On the
right hand side of the partition the said sealing vessel G is open to the atmosphere
while on the left hand side the vessel communicates with the interior of the tank F'.
When liquid or matter is withdrawn from the tank, air passes through the sealing
liquid beneath the submerged edge of the dip partition H and finds its way to the
tank, while on the other hand if more liquid or substance is conveyed into the tank
the displaced air or gas escapes through the sealing liquid and beneath the dip
partition to the atmosphere. An outlet cock I placed at the bottom of the vessel
serves to regulate the depth of the sealing liquid and as a consequence the amount of
pressure in the tank to a certain extent. Liquid may be admitted through an inlet
cock J. The liquid may be entirely drawn off through the cock i. The sealing
liquid may be of such a nature as to absorb the vapours and gases escaping from the
tank, the essentials being afterwards recovered from the liquid. Both in the case of
the valves and of the liquid seal the vent or discharge pipe open to the atmosphere
may be carried to any suitable height so as to be out of the way of lights, fires and
the like and thus obviate the risk of explosion where the gases or vapours in the tank
are inflammable.

page_text: 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 1
claim is
(1) In sealed tanks and vessels containing volatile liquids or substances the employ-
ment of a valve or valves whereby undue pressure within the tank is allowed to escape
and atmospheric air allowed to enter from without for the purposes and substantially
as described and shown.
(2) The valve constructed and arranged for the purposes and substantially as
described and as shown in Fig. 1.
(3) The liquid sealing arrangement for the purposes and substantially as described
and shown at Fig. 2.
Dated this 10th day of December 1889
DUTTON & FULTON,
1., St. James Square, Manchester, Agents.