IES72220B2 - An improved mobile slurry tank - Google Patents

Description

AN IMPROVED MOBILE SLURRY TANK The invention relates to slurry tanks and more particularly to mobile slurry tanks for transporting slurry.

Known mobile slurry tanks comprise a cylindrical tank mounted on a chassis for trailing. At one end of the tank, a port is provided for transferring the slurry from a storage tank. To allow slurry to be transferred to either side of the trailed tank, a rotatable coupling is required at the port. The coupling is connected to the port via a bearing and at least one seal. The seal is prone to wear and the bearing is often exposed to slurry from the tank. These couplings are expensive and difficult to maintain.

It is an object of the present invention to alleviate the disadvantages associates with prior art mobile slurry tanks.

The present invention provides a mobile tank, comprising a closed substantially cylindrical tank mounted on a wheeled chassis for trailing, a first outlet port disposed on one side of the curved wall of the tank, a second outlet port on the other side of the tank and an arm for moving and supporting a transfer conduit which is connectable to either one of said ports so that material can be transferred between the mobile tank and a remote storage facility from either side of the mobile tank.

Each port is provided with sealing means to allow the transfer conduit to be released and exchanged to the other port without leaking material from the tank. - 2 The transfer conduit comprises a length of piping having a flexible portion and a substantially rigid portion. The flexible portion has at one end a coupling for engaging an. outlet port and is connected to the rigid portion at the other end. The rigid portion has at its free end a profiled flange to connect sealingly with a further transfer conduit located adjacent a storage facility such as an underground tank. The flange is preferably of a rubber material disposed annularly about the free end of said rigid portion.

Intermediate said flexible and rigid portions, there is provided a gate moveable between an open position where material is free to flow between the portions and a closed position where flow is prevented. In the closed position material may become trapped (under vacuum) within the rigid portion of the conduit. To free such material an air vent is provided in the rigid portion adjacent the gate to allow the material to fall from within the rigid. portion under gravity. This vent operates only when the gate is in the closed position.

The rigid portion of the transfer conduit is pivotally connected to at least one bracket which is supported by the arm. The arm is pivotally connected to a bracket at one end of the tank and is moveable about an axis disposed vertically and perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the tank.

Preferably, the arm is mounted to the leading end of the trailed tank.

The arm comprises a first portion configured as an adjustable parallelogram for raising and lowering the transfer conduit and a second portion for supporting the first portion and connecting said arm to the bracket on the end of the tank.

A ram is provided between two sides of the parallelogram. Hydraulic power is provided by the prime mover to operate the ram and to operate the gate and air vent of the conduit.

Thus, the invention provides substantially maintenance-free couplings for transferring slurry and the like between a storage tank and the mobile tank.

The invention will be now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, one embodiment of mobile slurry tank according to the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view from one side of the mobile slurry tank; Figure 2 is a perspective view from the other side; and Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view of an arm for supporting a transfer conduit.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figures 1 and 2, the mobile slurry tank comprises a closed cylindrical tank 1 mounted on a wheeled chassis 3 having a trailing hitch 5 at one end for attachment to a prime mover such as a tractor (not shown) . The tank 1 is provided with two outlet ports 7,9 one on each side of the curved wall of the tank, each port 7,9 having a coupling 10 for connecting a material transfer conduit 12 thereto. An arm 14 for supporting and moving the transfer conduit 12 between the ports 7,9 is provided at one end of the tank - 4 1. The arm 14, as shown in detail in Figure 3, supports the transfer conduit 12 and guides the free end of the conduit to a free-standing coupling C of a fixed slurry tank. The transfer conduit 12 has a length of flexible piping 16 which connects with one of the outlet port couplings 10 each of which has seals to prevent material leaking from the tank 1 when the conduit 12 is disconnected. At the other end of the conduit 12, the flexible piping 16 is connected to a length of rigid piping 17 which has at its free end, an annular flange 19 for sealingly connecting with the free-standing coupling C. The conduit 12 is attached to the arm 14 by brackets 21,23 fixed to the rigid piping 17.

A gate 25 is provided between the rigid 17 and flexible 16 piping of the transfer conduit 12, the gate 25 having an open position where material is free to flow and a closed position which prevents material passing into the rigid piping 17. In the closed position, material may become trapped under vacuum in the rigid piping. An air vent 27 is provided adjacent the gate 25 to allow air into the rigid portion 17 to release any material therein which will then be free to fall under gravity. This prevents trapped material being dislodged at an inappropriate time, for example, when the tank 1 is being transported.

The arm 14 is mounted to the leading end of the tank, that is at the end nearest the hitch 5, by a bracket 30 which allows movement of the arm from one side of the tank 1 to the other. The arm 14 is provided with an adjustable parallelogram arrangement 32 for raising and lowering the transfer conduit 12. A ram 34 is provided between two sides of the parallelogram 32 to facilitate such movement.

Hydraulic power lines 45 are connected to the prime mover to allow the operation of the ram 34, gate 25 and air vent 37 to be controlled from the cabin of the prime mover.

In use, the mobile slurry tank 1 is filled through the transfer conduit 12» The driver of the prime mover positions the tank adjacent the remote site at which the free-standing coupling C is provided. The driver then ensures that the transfer conduit 12 is disposed on. the appropriate side of the tank 1. If it is not, the driver uncouples the flexible piping 16 of the conduit 12 from the coupling 10 on the outlet port 7,9 and rotates the arm 14, and the rigid piping 17 within the brackets 21,23 of the arm 14, to reconnect the flexible piping 16 to the coupling 10 of the other outlet port 7,9. The driver then operates the ram 34 to lower the rigid piping 17 into the free-standing coupling C until the flange 19 sealingly engages the coupling C. The gate 25 is opened to allow material to be transferred from the storage tank to the mobile tank 1 . When, the transfer is complete the gate 25 is shut and the air vent 27 is opened to empty the rigid piping 17 of lodged material. The ram 34 is operated again to raise the flange 19 out of engagement with the coupling C and to fold the arm 14 into a position suitable for transporting as shown in Figure 2.

It will of course be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details described herein, which are given by way of example only, and that various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS : trailing, a. curved wall

1. A mobile slurry tank comprising a closed substantially cylindrical tank mounted on a wheeled chassis for first outlet port disposed on one side of the of the tank, a second outlet port on the other side of the tank and an arm for moving and supporting a transfer conduit which is connectable to either one of said ports, each port being provided with sealing means so that material can be transferred between the mobile tank and a remote storage facility from either side of the mobile tank without material leaking from the tank.

2. A mobile slurry tank as claimed in claim 1, in which the transfer conduit comprises a length of piping having a flexible portion and a substantially rigid portion, the flexible portion having at one end a coupling for engaging an outlet port’ and is connected to the rigid portion at the other end, the rigid portion having at its free end a profiled flange to connect sealingly with a further transfer conduit located adjacent a storage facility such as an underground tank, the flange being of a rubber material disposed annularly about the free end of said rigid portion.

3. A mobile slurry tank as claimed in claim 2, in which intermediate said flexible and rigid portions, there is provided a gate, moveable between an open position where material is free to flow between the portions and a closed position where flow is prevented, and in the rigid portion adjacent the gate there is provided an air vent to allow trapped material to fall from within the rigid portion under gravity, the vent operating only when the gate is in the closed position.

4. A mobile tank as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the transfer conduit is pivotally connected to at least one bracket which is supported by the arm, the arm being pivotally connected to the bracket 5 at one end of the tank and being moveable about an axis disposed vertically and perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the tank, the arm comprising a first portion configured as an adjustable parallelogram for raising and lowering the transfer conduit and a second 10 portion for supporting the first portion and connecting said arm to the bracket on the end of the tank.

5. A mobile tank substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.