Back to results
US 4,807,675 AGranted
Overfill assembly with removable lid
OwnerBruce R. Sharpinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An overfill assembly for use with storage tanks, especially underground gasoline storage tanks. The overfill assembly comprises a dump tank with a fill pipe mounted therein. The fill pipe extends through the dump tank's bottom and is in communication with the storage tank. A removable center-point compression sealing lid member for the dump tank allows for ready access to the fill pipe. A valve mechanism in the dump tank allows for controlled emptying of spilled liquid in the dump tank to the storage tank.
Claims18
An assembly for attachment to an underground liquid storage tank to control overfill of liquid during a filling operation with means to facilitate its use, comprising:
- (a) a dump tank having an interior with a volumetric capacity of at least about five gallons, said dump tank characterized in having a main body and a neck extending therefrom with a top opening whereby access is gained to the interior of the dump tank, a bottom opening in the main body to accommodate a fill pipe, a second opening in a bottom of the main body for positioning of a valve mechanism, and permanent retaining means mounting on the dump tank's outside upper surfaces for the purpose of receiving a lid member;
- (b) a fill pipe substantially within the dump tank, said fill pipe having a top extremity and a bottom extremity and extending from near the top of the dump tank through the bottom opening of the dump tank;
- (c) a plate radiating from near the top extremity of the fill pipe and permanently attached to the fill pipe and interior walls of the neck, said plate having openings for allowing excess liquid to pass therethrough;
- (d) a valve mechanism fitted within said second opening in the main body of the dump tank through which overfilled liquid collected in the dump tank can flow;
- and
- (e) a completely removable center-point compression sealing lid member for fitting over the top opening of the dump tank so as to form a sealed closing of the dump tank.
3 more elements
The assembly for attachment to an underground liquid storage tank to control overfill of liquid during a filling operation, comprising:
- (a) a dump tank having an interior with a volumetric capacity of at least about five gallons, said dump tank further having a top opening whereby access is gained to the interior of the dump tank, a bottom opening to accommodate a fill pipe, a second opening at a bottom of the dump tank for positioning of a valve mechanism, and permanent retaining means mounted on the dump tank's outside upper surfaces for the purpose of receiving a lid member, said retaining means comprising a first set of brackets mounted on the dump tank and a second set of brackets mounted on an opposite side of the dump tank, with each set of brackets having a retainer cross-pin extending across the brackets;
- (b) a fill pipe with a top extremity and a bottom extremity, said fill pipe extending from near the top of the dump tank through the bottom opening of the dump tank;
- (c) a valve mechanism fitted within said second opening in the dump tank through which overfilled liquid collected in the dump tank can flow;
- and
- (d) a completely removable center-point compression sealing lid member for fitting over the top opening of the dump tank so as to form a sealed closing of the dump tank, said lid member comprising:
- (i) a cover dimensioned to completely seal the top opening in the dump tank with a center-point spacer permanently positioned in the approximate center of the cover;
- (ii) a force transfer bar with a first extremity and a second extremity permanently positioned over the center-point spacer, said force transfer bar's first extremity engaging, when properly aligned, the retainer cross-pin of the first set of brackets found on the dump tank;
- and
- (iii) a lever bar with a first extremity and a second extremity pivotably mounted on the force transfer bar's second extremity to engage the retainer cross-pin of the second set of brackets found on the dump tank and said lever bar being sufficiently long enough so that when the lid member is positioned on the dump tank's top opening with the first extremity of the force transfer bar aligned with the first set of brackets and retainer cross-pin and the second extremity of the lever bar aligned with the second set of brackets and retainer cross-pin and downward force is exerted on the lever bar, the downward force is transmitted through the center-point spacer to the cover so as to result in substantially equal pressure being exerted by the cover's peripheral edges onto the dump tank's top opening edges to form a liquid-tight seal.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.