US244649A - Oil-tank - Google Patents

Description

- (NoModeL) A. W- ,NEWELL.

OIL TANK. No. 244,649- Patented July 19,1-881..

W112 my fl- 'mwiwifid UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS W. NEWELL, 0F BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

OIL-TAN K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,649, dated July 19, 1881,

' Application filed May 16,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUSHW. NEW- ELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bradford, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Tanks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the. same,reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, andto theletters or figuresof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention'relates to an improvement in tanks for the storage of crude petroleum; and the object of my improvement is to provide a chambered'fioating cover for such tanks that shall to a great extent prevent the formation of gas in the tank, and at the same time prevent the rapid burning of the oil in the event of its being ignited by lightning or otherwise. I attain this object by means of a floating chambered cover, constructed substantially as show 11' in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tank showing my improved cover placed in it, said cover being broken to show the spaces or chambers betweenits upper and lower plates. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section, showing the tank as partially filled with oil, the cover floating thereon, and the chambers between its two parts.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in both the figures.

It is well known that tanks used for storing large quantities of oil in the petroleumproducing portions of the country are subject to strokes of lightning and to other casualties which ignite their contents, thus causing serious losses of property, as when these tanks are constructed in the usual manner, with their covers riveted or otherwise secured to them, there is nothing to prevent the flame from spreading over the entire surface of the oil,in doing which the heat becomes so intense that it is not possible for persons to approach them for the purpose of drawing 0E any portion of the oil, the consequence being that the whole of the oil contained in the tank is destroyed.

Observation and experience have convinced me that in a majority of cases the ignition of the oil in tanks ofthis character when stricken by lightning or when ignited from other causes, is due to the'presence of gas" formed by the heat of the sun or from other causes, such gas accumulating between the surface of the oil and the cover, it being ignited by the lightning stroke, or it may be from a match lighted in its vicinity or from other causes. I have therefore sought to provide a cover for tanks of this character that shall rest and float upon the surface of the oil and thus preventthe accumulation of gas thereon, and at the same time prevent .to a great ex tent the formation of gas by the heat of the sun, it being made buoyant and provided with a series of chambers between its upper and lower surfaces which are filled with air, which has the effect to prevent to a great extent the rays of the sun or heat derived from other sources, from heating the oil to such an extent form, and it may be of any required dimensions, the circular form being preferred.

For the purpose of preventing the formation of gas upon the upper surface of the oil and its collection between the oil and the cover of the tank I provide a floating chambered cover, 0, the diameter of which is such as to cause it to fit or nearly fit the interior of the tank, preferring to leave a small space between the two, so that if any gas should be generated it can escape through such opening. This cover may be made of wood or of sheet metal, or it may be partly of wood and partly of metal.

When wood is used it should becovered with some non-combustible substance, such as asbestus, or fire-proof paint, it being composed of two plates, D and E, and dividing-partitions F, of which there may be any desired number, according to the diameter or dimensions of the cover, they serving to divide it A floating cover for tanks in which petrol- I5 eum is stored, having in it a series of air-chambers formed by the partitions which serve also as supports for the upper and lower plates of the cover, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 20 in presence of two witnesses.

I AUGUSTUS WILLIAM NEWELL.

Witnesses:

R. B. STONE, JOSEPH POST.

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