US2223598A - Sampling can - Google Patents

Description

S. H. BROOKS SAMPLING' CAN Deco 3, 1940.

Filed March 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

Dec. 3, 1940. s H, BROQKS 223,598

SAMPLING CAN Filed March 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WQ 467m INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 3, 1940 UNITED y STATES PATENT OFFICE y SAMILING CAN Stephen H. Brooks, New York, N. Y.

Application March 24, 1939, Serial No. 264,025 Solaires. (o1. 137-48) `My invention relates to improvements in samplingcan's and it more especially` comprises the features referred to in the accompanying claims.v

An object of the invention is to providean alllaround-purpose sampling can that will enable a sampler to' secure samples of the contents of a tank at the top level, at the bottom level and at any that desired point between the extremes; and also, in additionto securing the desired tom.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly' in section of Fig'.

1 showing the can suspended, closed at the top and open at the bottom.

Fig. 3 is a 'front' elevation, partly in section showing the can open at the top.

Fig; 4i is a bottom plan of the lower end.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation partly in section showing the opening of the valve'in the bottom of the can throughout' the presence of the sampling bottle.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation in section of the cap shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 6, l 8 is a top plan view of the valve releasing means positioned inth'e cap.

the Vactual'production and use of my sarnpling can I may employ whatever alternatives or equivalents that the exigencies of varying conditions may demand without departing from the broad spirit of the invention.' y

The sampling can may be made of a brass or other non-corroding metal tube I.

It has a removable top 2 and a bottom 3. The bottom inr cludes a valve 4 that has a stern 5 which is held normally closed by reason of a spring 6 on the stem 5.

The spring abuts the valve casing cross The portion 3 has depending protective fingers A safety cap I2 encloses the bottom 3 when it is not to be used to secure a sample of liquid from the tank at the lowest point of the tank.

The top 2 is attached to the tube by means of internal radial pins I3 which` enter inclined grooves I4 formed `on the outer face of the base of this upper or top member. An opening I5 is formed to admit liquid at the top of the sampling well when the opening is unobstructed.

This top member 2 has two upstanding projections I6 which are each provided with two curved slots. The short slot I'I limits the position of the closure I8 in relation to the opening I5,l maintaining the opening closed. The long curved slot I9 limitsv the extreme upward movement of the closure stem I8 when it is raised to free the opening I5 to admit liquid to the can I. The closure stem I8 is slightly tapered at its lower end to lead it into the opening I5. At its upper end an hemisphericalenlargement 2D is formed. 'I'his has two side lbosses 2| into which the threaded end of the Ishoulder screws enter. The enlarged portions 22 are positioned in slots I'I or I9. These screws have heads 23 which prevent the enlargement becoming disconnected from the slots I'I and I9. The enlargement 20 at its topmost surface has an eye 24 formed for the attachment of a snap 25 swiveled to the end of a strong at tape line 2B which is attached to anydesired form-of winding device secured to the tank top (not shown).

After the can has been lowered into the liquid to any desired depth, noted from the indications on the tape line, at which a sample is to be taken a sudden slackening and a quick jerk of the tape line will bring the screws 22 into the long slot I9 thus uncovering the opening I5 and admitting liquid from the desired level. When sufficient time has elapsed to fill the can there is no need for specially closing it.

A thermometer 21 is secured on the inside of the tube I by spring clips 28 in any desired manner. It supplies definite temperature data from any level of the tank contents.

The operation of my sampling can is very simple through the cooperation of a rapid closing gate valve in a pipe extension on the top of a tank. This has side openings above the Valve through which the can is passed and secured to the free end of the tape line. The tape line is wound on the axle of a winch which is controlled by an outside crank. These features relating especially to gas tight tanks are not shown herein as they constitute a separate invention. They are however described in an application, Serial No. 245,124, led on December 12, 1938. Suffice and other levels.

any movement fora period of.v six months willl probably have become' stratied to such an extent that differences of specific gravity will be found at the ve, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-vel foot In the oncoming use of `pressure tanks this matter'of stratification is very important. It is so important that samplers operated by means of two strings, as has been in vogue, is entirely inadequate and impractical, f

The cooperative use of a thermometer with my sampling can is a great advantage over prior existing temperature reading devices. In ordinarily taking the temperature of the contents of a tank the thermometer islowered into the tank and submerged in the oil. Should a fortyfoot tank have only 'fteen feetof oil in it by the time an unprotected-thermometer is raised through the twenty-ve feet of gas vapor space,

which, under summer conditions may have a temperature as.' high as 200 degrees Fahrenheit will show a resulting temperature that is many degrees higher than the temperature of the oil in thefbottom'portion ofl the tank. With my combined sampling can such discrepancies cannot arise because the vthermometer used isinside of the can in direct contact with the actual sample of oil brought to the top of the tank.

Should a graduated sample be desired the top 2 is swung into a tight nt on the tube I, the tape line snap is attached to theveye 24 of the enlargement 20 of the closure stem I 3 and the can, in this position, is lowered into the Atank and the oil regardless of its gravity permits the slow filling of the can in its downward progress, thus securing an average sample of the tankrs contents.

In case a sample is desired at any given level the closure stem I8.may be'manually operated to change the position of Ascrews' 22 from slot I9 to the slot I'I so as tothus close the opening I5. The sampler finding the can at the desired point slacks the tape 'quickly for two or three inches, and immediatelyrecatches it. In this condition, the can, being empty, it has considerable buoyancy and practically no weight, the effect of the sudden slack ofthe tape allows the ball 29 and its stem I8 to drop'to its lowest position, when a sudden pull on thevv tape will raise it vto its highest positionso as to let oil flow through the opening I5 to fill the can. A continued upward pull of the' tape will bring the can to the top of the tank for observation.

I The cooperative action of the curved interconnecting slots I'I and I9 is such thata movement ,of the pivot screws 22 up and down in such slots will automatically reverse the HVVposition of the screws, that is, when the screws "22l drop in slot I'I to the lowest point thenext pull upward on 29 will bring the screws to the topof the slot I9.l.eaving the opening'f`I5xopen to receive the desired. sample.

When samples of the contents of tanks which are of high gravity gasoline. under high vapor `pressure of tento ltwenty pounds, are to be taken from the tank to be of service they must be shown in Fig. 1, the highly volatile gasoline may l be removed from the tank I directly into a sampling bottle from the bottom of the can instead of pouring it out from the open top of the can.

A supplemental cap 29 is screwed on the bottom of the can instead of the cap I2. This cap has a partition 30, a bottomrecess 3|, and a knurled rim 32. A central hole is formed in the partition 30 in which a stem 33 is free to move by gravity. This stem at its upper end is slotted at 34 and an annular groove is formed on its outer surface to receive a split ring 35. At the lower end of the stem 33, it is threaded internally at`36 to receive a plug 31.

About midway ofthe length of the stem 33 a thin enlargement 38 is formed. It has openings 39 which are the same in number as the radial grooves 42 formed on the under face of the partition 39. The split ring on the stem 33 rests against the upper face of the partition 30,

which prevents the accidental removal or loss of the stem.

'The highly volatile contents lof the can are removed as follows. `The cap 29 is screwed onto the bottom of a full can and the plug 31 is removed from the bottom end of the stem 33, the stem resting in its lowest position. projection 44 is placed into the openv neck of the sampling bottle 49, and the bottle is then moved upward against the enlargement 38. This causes theupper end of the stem 33 to engage the en largement 8 of the valve stem 5. A further upward movement of the bottle until the enlargement 38 engages the underside of the partition 3l), will open the valve 4 so that `the contents of the can will flow through the opening 4I of' the stem 33 4into the sampling bottle, thus insuring that the highly volatile gasoline is removed from the sampling can without any evaporation losses. The radial grooves 42 and the concentric groove 43, associated with the openings 39 of the disk 38 permit air to escape from the bottle.

Gasoline will flow freely from the canV I into the bottle by reason of the slot 34 of the stem 33 forming a free passagev into the openingA 4I of the stern. If the slot 34 were not formed then the upper end of the stem 33 engaging the underside of the enlargement 8 of the kvalve stem 5 would prevent the passage of gasoline.

What I claim is:

l. A sampling can containing highly volatile liquid having a spring-pressed valve at the lower end of the cana removable cap to be attached and detached from the bottom `end of the can below the spring-pressed valve,.a partition in the cap,` a hollow stem subject to gravity having movement in an opening in the partition adapted to engage the spring pressed valve in the bottom end of the can, ya stem for such valve, and means for raising the valve when a samplebottle is pressed against the gravity stem.

2. A sampling can comprising a gravity inlet valve at the top of the can, a spring pressed closure valve at the bottom end, av capL having The a partition therein, a gravity tube movable in the partition, a notched upper end of the tube, anannular flange around the tube having air vent holes therein, said tube serving to move the spring-pressed closure valve upward into an open position through the tube being raised when a sampling bottle is pressed against it whereby any highly volatile liquid in the can is transferred to thebottle Without the loss of vapor While the sampling bottle is being filled and on the Withdrawal of the bottle the parts are restored to their former position.

3. A sampling can comprising a tube, a gravity inlet valve at the top, a spring pressed closure valve at the bottom, a screw cap for the top of the can in which the gravity inlet valve is operative, a pair of upstanding projections having reversed curved slots therein, a pin extend ing from each side of the gravity valve entering into the slots of the projections and an eye on the gravity valve for suspending the entire tube from a measuring tape.

STEPHEN H. BROOKS.

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