US 5,138,891 A · Gauge well system

Abstract

A system for a gauge well in a liquid storage tank with a floating roof including a floatable container located inside the gauge well and having a flexible laterally or radially serrated flange extending outward from the float and in contact with the inside of the well pipe to prevent vapor from the liquid stock from rising in the pipe. There may be a pair of such flexible flanges vertically spaced apart with the lower seal being just above the level of the liquid stock in the well pipe. A tape is attached at its lower end to a weight in the well pipe below the float and its upper end is connected to a winch outwardly of the upper end of the well pipe. A vertical passageway through the float is provided for the tape to pass freely therethrough and the float is freely slidable on the tape. The container includes a closed opening which is selectively opened to fill with the liquid stock at any selected level in the tank. The container also supports a thermometer and a D-ring member on top of the container to extract the float from the fill pipe when the tape is inadvertently broken.

Claims26

Dependent claims

In a gauge well system for measuring and taking a sample of liquid stock in a storage tank having a floating roof, a slotted gauge well pipe extending through the roof;

the improvement which comprises
(a) a hollow cylindrical floatable container having a closed bottom and a top cover;
(b) a flexible sealing flap extending outwardly from said container and adapted to contact the inside of the well pipe without lodging of the flap on any burrs in the well pipe;
(c) an openable and closeable passageway through said cover communicating with the hollow of said container;
(d) selective means for opening and closing said passageway;
(e) a generally cylindrical weight located below said closed bottom of said container and inside the well pipe, said weight having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said cylindrical container;
(f) a windable tape attached to said weight and extending upwardly through a vertical passageway in said bottom, an aligned passageway through said container and through another aligned passageway in said cover and upwardly to the upper end of the well pipe;
(g) and winch means located outwardly of the top of the well pipe connected to said tape for raising and lowering said container and said weight in said well pipe.

5 more elements

In a gauge well system for measuring and taking a sample. of the liquid stock in a storage tank having a floating roof and a slotted gauge well pipe having an internal cylindrical passageway extending from a bottom of the tank upward through the roof to adjacent the upper extremities of the tank;

the improvement comprising
(a) a hollow cylindrical float adapted to move upward and downward through the passageway of the well pipe, said float having a removable upper cover, a flexible vapor barrier flange extending laterally outward from said float to the passageway of the well pipe and adapted to inhibit vapor from the liquid stock to upwardly escape and to maintain the float generally centered in the passageway of the well pipe;
(b) a weight detachably connected to said float;
(c) an elongated tape attached to said weight below and extending upwardly through said float for connection to a winch means adjacent an upper end of said well pipe and adapted to raise and lower said weight;
(d) a tape guide including a protective hollow pipe around said tape extending through said float, said cover having an opening therethrough aligned with the hollow of said pipe, a flexible disc across said opening and having a slit therein for the passage of said tape therethrough;
(e) a passageway through said cover and a selectively removable stopper therein for opening said passageway and the hollow of said float to the surrounding liquid stock for filling thereof;
and
(f) means for selectively removing said stopper at any selected depth of said float below the level of the liquid stock in the storage tank.

5 more elements

In a gauge well system for sealing the slotted gauge well pipe closely above the liquid stock in a storage tank having a floating roof with such gauge well pipe extending from the bottom of the tank upward through the roof to adjacent the upper extremities of the tank;

the improvement comprising
(a) a hollow cylindrical float adapted to move upward and downward through the well pipe;
(b) a flexible vapor barrier flange connected to and extending laterally outward from said float and having a free edge portion in contact within and to the well pipe and adapted to prevent vapor from the liquid stock to pass by and to maintain the float generally centered in the well pipe;
(c) a cylindrical weight in the well pipe adjacent the bottom of the tank;
(d) an elongated tape attached to said weight and extending upwardly through said float and adapted to be connected to a winch adjacent the top of the well pipe for raising and lowering said weight and said float;
and
(e) a tape guide including a protective pipe around said tape inside and centrally of said float along its longitudinal axis.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Gauge well system

Life of this patent

Gauge well system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26