Control system for filling tanks with liquids

A system for controlling the loading of liquid into a tank comprising a plurality of compartments,

• said system being adapted to assure that liquid will not be loaded under conditions which would result in any compartment of the tank being overfilled,
• said system comprising
• A. independently controlled means for loading liquid into the compartments of the tank,
• a. said independently controlled loading means requiring an enabling signal input in order to initiate and to continue loading of liquid into the compartments of the tank,
• B. means for generating said enabling signal input, said generating means comprising
• a. a sensor mounted in each compartment of the tank, each sensor
• i. comprising means for generating a "dry" signal so long as the level of liquid in a tank compartment is below the sensor mounted therein,
• ii. having a fail safe failure mode wherein the generation of a "dry" signal is terminated in the event of a malfunction in the means for generating the "dry" signal,
• b. an enabling signal generator operative to generate the enabling signal in response to and only so long as there is a "dry" signal input from all of said sensors,
• c. electrical conduit means interconnecting each of said sensors and its means for generating a "dry" signal with said enabling signal generator, to provide the "dry" signal input therefor, so that the loading of liquid cannot be initiated, or continued, in the event that the level of liquid in the tank reaches the sensor,
• C. sensory discernable means associated with each compartment, each sensory discernable means having one condition indicating that a "dry" signal is not being generated and a second condition for indicating that a "dry" signal is being generated by the sensor in the compartment with which the sensory discernable means is associated,
• whereby, if there is a failure to generate an enabling signal, the sensory discernable means will indicate the compartment in which there is a failure to generate a "dry" signal and a visual examination of the liquid level in that compartment will confirm that there has been a failure in the "dry" signal generating means of the sensor, if the liquid level is below the sensor,
• characterized in that
• D. each sensory discernable means have a third condition that indicates a failure in the electrical conduit means interconnecting the sensor and the enabling signal generator,
• whereby trouble shooting is further facilitated by the ability to identify that the failure of an enabling signal is attributable to a failure in the electrical conduit connection between the sensor in a given compartment and the enabling signal generator.