Liquid transporting tank for tank cars

Claim 1

A tank car for transporting measured volumes of liquid comprising: a wheeled vehicle supporting a horizontal elongated tank, a protrusion within the bottom of said tank at the center thereof, a first pipe extending vertically within said tank with its open end terminating within said protrusion, said opening being coplanar with the tank bottom, a second pipe projecting vertically through the top of said tank, near the center thereof, with its open end terminating near the top of said tank, a source of liquid, means for connecting said source of liquid to said first pipe, a discharge reservoir and means for connecting said discharge reservoir to said second pipe, whereby; liquid is introduced into said tank by said first pipe, rises to the level of said second pipe and passes through said second pipe to said discharge reservoir after filling a predetermined volume of liquid within said tank car, and whereby a compressed gas may be introduced into said second pipe to force liquid from said tank car through said first pipe to essentially insure maximum volume of liquid being introduced into said tank car during filling and complete removal of the same during discharge.

Claim 4

A method of loading liquid into a plurality of relatively movable and separately inclinable identically formed tank cars, each of which transports measured volumes of liquid, each having a horizontal, elongated tank, a protrusion within the bottom of said tank at the center thereof, a first pipe extending vertically within said tank and terminating within said protrusion such that the opening thereof is coplanar with the tank bottom and a second pipe projects vertically through the top of said tank near the center thereof with its open end terminating near the top of the tank and having the second pipe of the leading tank coupled to the first pipe of the following tank by flexible hydraulic connection, said method comprising the steps of: introducing liquid into the first pipe of the first of said plurality of tanks, until liquid fills all of said tanks; and venting the rearmost tank to the atmosphere through the second pipe thereof.

Claim 5

A method of loading liquid into a plurality of relatively movable and separately inclinable identically formed tank cars, each of which transports measured volumes of liquid, each having a horizontal, elongated tank, a protrusion within the bottom of said tank at the center thereof, a first pipe extending vertically within said tank and terminating within said protrusion such that the opening thereof is coplanar with the tank bottom and a second pipe projects vertically through the top of said tank near the center thereof with its open end terminating near the top of the tank and having the second pipe of the leading tank coupled to the first pipe of the following tank by flexible hydraulic connection, said method comprising the steps of: introducing liquid into the first pipe of the first of said plurality of tanks, until liquid fills all of said tanks; and venting the rearmost tank to the atmosphere through the second pipe thereof.

Claim 6

A method of unloading liquid from a plurality of separately inclinable relatively movable series connected tank Cars which transport measured volumes of liquid, each of said tank cars including a horizontal elongated tank, a protrusion within the bottom of said tank at the center thereof, a first pipe extending vertically within said tank and terminating within said protrusion with the opening thereof coplanar with the tank bottom and a second pipe projecting vertically through the top of said tank near the center thereof with its open end terminating near the top of said tank to determine the volume of measured liquid carried thereby, flexible hydraulic connections existing between the second pipes of the first and succeeding tanks and the first pipe of the tanks next succeeding them, said method comprising the steps of: introducing pneumatic pressure into the second pipe of the last tank of said series of tanks and communicating the first pipe of said tank most remote from the tank receiving initially the pneumatic pressure to a discharge reservoir.

Claim 7

A method of unloading liquid from a plurality of separately inclinable relatively movable series connected tank Cars which transport measured volumes of liquid, each of said tank cars including a horizontal elongated tank, a protrusion within the bottom of said tank at the center thereof, a first pipe extending vertically within said tank and terminating within said protrusion with the opening thereof coplanar with the tank bottom and a second pipe projecting vertically through the top of said tank near the center thereof with its open end terminating near the top of said tank to determine the volume of measured liquid carried thereby, flexible hydraulic connections existing between the second pipes of the first and succeeding tanks and the first pipe of the tanks next succeeding them, said method comprising the steps of: introducing pneumatic pressure into the second pipe of the last tank of said series of tanks and communicating the first pipe of said tank most remote from the tank receiving initially the pneumatic pressure to a discharge reservoir.