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US 4,971,477 AGranted
Secondary contained fluid supply system
AssigneesTotal Containment, Inc., Exxon Corporation
InventorsMichael C. Webb, Thomas F. Wilson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A secondarily contained piping system has two spaced access chambers interconnected by a secondary containment pipe to provide a sealed housing for a flexible fluid supply pipe, the ends of which are disposed within the access chamber and have a connector element at each end forming a section adaptable to be interconnected to other fluid conduits, the diameter and bending radius of the fluid supply pipe and the size of the access chamber permitting the fluid pipe after uncoupling to readily be removed from the secondary containment pipe through one of the access chambers.
Claims47
A secondarily contained piping system comprising:
- (a) a flexible inner supply pipe which is fitted at each end with a coupling,
- (b) an outer secondary containment pipe having a substantially larger diameter than the flexible inner supply pipe,
- (c) two spaced underground access chambers which are interconnected in a fluid tight manner through the side wall just above the chamber base, by the secondary containment pipe,
- (d) all flexible inner supply pipe couplings and associated fittings being disposed within the access chambers,
- (e) a fluid source providing an originating interface to the flexible inner supply pipe,
- (f) a fluid outlet providing a terminating interface to the flexible inner supply pipe,
- (g) access chambers are of sufficient size to permit manual or mechanical removal or replacement of the flexible inner supply pipe,
- ( h) the flexible inner supply pipe having sufficient bend radius to be removed and replaced through the access chambers,
- (i) all components of the system being chemically compatible with and impervious to the fluids to be transmitted and with the surrounding environment in which they are disposed,
- (j) the flexible inner supply pipe and its associated couplings and fitting being of sufficient strength to withstand internal fluid pressures, and
- (k) the access chambers and secondary containment pipe being of sufficient strength to withstand external loads.
8 more elements
A secondarily contained pipe routing system for fluid fuel dispensers comprising:
- (a) a plurality of flexible fluid supply pipe sections removably interconnected at their ends by coupling fittings to form a linear plural section fluid supply line,
- (b) at least one of the coupling fittings of the supply pipe sections being a fluid tight tee fitting which provides a connection to a fluid fuel dispenser,
- (c) the terminating outlet coupling fitting being a fluid tight elbow fitting,
- (d) an access chamber for each coupling fitting which provides a housing through which the inner supply line extends such that all coupling fittings are disposed in an access chamber,
- (e) the flexible supply pipe sections are each capable of being disposed in a continuous curvilinear path,
- (f) a flexible secondary containment pipe encapsulating each flexible supply pipe section and providing adequate clearance therefrom to permit movement of its corresponding supply pipe section therethrough,
- (g) each end of all secondary containment pipes interconnected in tight sealing engagement with the two access chambers it interconnects,
- (h) each access chamber having an access opening at the top thereof below which the coupling fitting joining adjacent linear fluid supply line sections is disposed,
- (i) the access chambers having a height and width sufficient to permit introduction and removal of the flexible supply pipe sections from their respective secondary containment pipe sections within the bending radius limit of the supply pipe sections, and
- (j) a fluid fuel dispenser mounted on those access chambers which house either a tee or an elbow fitting, and positioned immediately above the access openings and above and connected to such fittings,
7 more elements
A secondarily contained piping system, comprising:
- (a) a series of sealed linearly spaced access chambers which are disposed below ground and have a removable access opening at ground level,
- (b) the access chambers having a side wall with two substantially opposed secondary containment pipe receiving openings,
- (c) the side walls adjacent each opening having an engaging element adjacent thereof for engaging an end of a secondary containment pipe,
- (d) a flexible secondary containment pipe interconnecting adjacent access chambers and interconnected at each end with its corresponding access chamber pipe receiving opening and interengaging the adjacent engaging element of the access chamber side walls to thereby provide a sealed linear multiple segmented secondary containment pipe line,
- (e) a flexible inner fluid pipe section disposed within each secondary containment pipe which extends at each end thereof through the access chamber opening and into the access chambers,
- (f) the flexible pipe having a coupling element at each end which interengages the coupling of an opposed inner fluid pipe coupling to thereby provide an inner pipe removal coupling which is disposed within the common access chamber,
- (g) the flexible inner supply pipe and its associated couplings and fittings being of sufficient strength to withstand internal fluid pressures,
- (h) the secondary containment pipe has a substantially larger diameter than that of the flexible inner fluid pipe whereby the inner flexible pipe can be removed from an adjacent access main after uncoupling.
5 more elements
A secondarily contained fluid distribution system, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of access chambers;
- (b) a secondary containment pipe having a plurality of segments, a first of said segments extending between a first and a second of said plurality of access chambers and a second of said segments extending between the second and a third of said access chambers;
- (c) a primary containment pipe extending through said secondary containment pipe from said first through the second to the third access chamber, said primary containment pipe being flexible and having a plurality of segments;
- (d) a plurality of disconnectible fittings securing segments of said primary containment pipe together in end to end relationship, at least some of said access chambers each having at least one of said disconnectible fittings located therein;
- (e) the flexibility of said primary containment pipe and the configuration of said access chambers being such that upon disconnection of the two of said disconnectible fittings securing opposite ends of a single segment of said primary containment pipe, said segment may be withdrawn from said secondary containment pipe through one of said access chambers for inspection and replacement.
2 more elements
A secondarily contained fluid distribution system for supplying fuel to a plurality of fuel dispensers, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of access chambers;
- (b) a secondary containment pipe extending in series between said access chambers;
- (c) a flexible primary containment pipe extending through both its respective secondary containment pipe and said secondary containment pipe;
- (d) a plurality of disconnectible fittings in said primary containment pipe, said fittings connecting segments of said primary containment pipe, at least some of said disconnectible fittings each being located in a corresponding one of said access chambers;
- (e) the flexibility of said primary containment pipe and the configuration of at least one of said access chambers being such that upon disconnection of two of said disconnectible fittings, a segment of said primary containment pipe may be withdrawn through an access chamber to an above ground location and a substitute segment inserted through said access chamber;
- and
- (f) a plurality of fuel dispensers, each being associated with a corresponding one of said access chambers and being in fluid communication with the primary containment pipe within said corresponding access chamber.
4 more elements
A secondarily contained fluid distribution system for supplying fuel to a plurality of fuel service dispensers, comprising:
- (a) a plurality of liquid fuel dispensing units for supplying fuel to motor vehicles,
- (b) an underground access chamber disposed beneath each fuel dispensing unit for receiving the ends of fuel supply pipe sections, has an open top adjacent ground level, and fuel line receiving openings in its side walls,
- (c) an underground secondary containment pipe interconnecting adjacent access chambers, the ends of which interconnect the fuel line receiving openings in each interconnected access chamber side wall to provide a fluid tight system,
- (d) the access chambers being interconnected by the secondary containment pipe sections to form a fluid tight series configured distribution routing line,
- (e) the first access chamber having its second fuel line opening interconnected with a containment pipe and a corresponding fuel supply pipe of a fuel supply system,
- (f) a last such interconnected access chamber having a single fuel line opening in its side wall and all of the remaining access chambers having two fuel line openings in their side walls,
- (g) a flexible fuel supply pipe disposed within and extending the length of each interconnecting secondary containment pipe which is sized to provide sufficient clearance to permit it to be readily moved therethrough,
- (h) the flexible fuel supply pipe at each end extending through the fuel line receiving openings of the connected access chambers,
- (i) a disconnectable fitting disposed on each end and in each intermediately positioned access chamber, which interconnects the adjacent opposed ends of flexible fluid pipes disposed within each access chamber, and which also includes an element which connects such fitting to the fluid dispenser disposed above the access chamber,
- (j) a connecting fitting disposed in the last access chamber for connecting the end of the flexible fuel supply pipe disposed therein to the fuel dispenser assembly disposed immediately above it, and
- (k) the relative dimension of the access chamber and the containment pipe with respect to the size and minimum beng radius of the flexible fuel pipes being sufficient to permit uncoupling of any given flexible pipe at its ends and the removal and subsequent replacement thereof.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.