Ullage tube viewing device
AssigneeMaritrans Operating Partners L.P.
InventorE. Carl Dittrich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ullage tube viewing device for visual checking of liquid cargo levels without releasing hazardous vapors is disclosed and a method of quickly installing such device in a ullage tube in the absence of heat.
Claims6
A ullage tube viewing device for visual checking of liquid cargo levels without releasing hazardous vapors comprising a viewing ring for receiving a viewing glass, a viewing glass positioned within said viewing ring, a support ring for supporting said viewing glass within said viewing ring so that the outer surface of said viewing glass is substantially flush with the outer surface of said viewing ring, a bottom ring for said viewing device, means for securing said viewing ring to said bottom ring, and elastomer ring seal means mounted on the periphery of said viewing device for exerting an outward pressure against the inner circumference of the ullage tube for maintaining said viewing device in circumferentially sealed relation with the ullage tube with said viewing glass substantially flush with the end of the ullage tube.
A method of quickly installing a viewing device in a ullage tube in the absence of heat for visually checking of liquid cargo levels without releasing hazardous vapors comprising the steps of providing a ullage tube viewing device having a viewing glass positioned within a viewing ring so that the outer surface of the viewing glass is substantially flush with the outer surface of the viewing ring, supporting the viewing device within the end of the ullage tube with the viewing glass substantially flush with the end of the ullage tube, and maintaining the viewing device in circumferentially sealed relation with the ullage tube by utilizing an elastomeric ring seal mounted on the periphery of the viewing device for exerting an outward pressure against the inner circumference of the ullage tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.