Cryogenic fluid supply system

Claim 1

A cryogenic liquid storage-gas supply system comprising: a. a thermally insulated cryogenic liquid supply container having top and bottom ends, liquid discharge rigid conduit means being vertically aligned with a first end terminating in the bottom end of said supply container and a second end outside and above the top end of said supply container, and first coupling means joined to and axially aligned above said liquid discharge conduit second end; b. a thermally insulated cryogenic liquid storage-dispensing container having top and bottom ends and being invertible between top-up and bottom-up positions; c. gas vent-liquid fill rigid conduit means being vertically aligned with a first end terminating in the top end of container (b) and a second end outside and above the top end of container (b), and second coupling means joined to and axially aligned above the rigid conduit means second end, with said first and second coupling means being arranged and constructed for releasable axial alignment and rigid vertical joining; d. liquid withdrawal-gas vent conduit means with a first end terminating in the bottom end of container (b) and a second end outside and above the top end of container (b); e. an invertible liquid vaporizing-gas vent control circuit outside container (b) comprising liquid sensing means joined to said liquid withdrawal-gas vent conduit means second end, an atmospheric vaporizer joined at one end to said liquid sensing means, atmospheric vaporizer joined at one end to said liquid sensing means, atmospheric gas vent valve means joining the other end of said atmospheric vaporizer, and signal transmitting means for automatically closing said atmospheric gas vent valve means in response to the sensing of liquid by said liquid sensing means; and f. user gas supply valve means between said atmospheric vaporizer other end and said vent valve means.

Claim 7

A method for supplying gas from a cryogenic liquid supply container and a storage-dispensing container comprising the steps of: a. providing a thermally insulated cryogenic liquid supply container; b. providing a thermally insulated cryogenic liquid storage-dispensing container having top and bottom ends and being invertible between top-up and bottom-up positions; c. inverting and positioning contaiNer (b) in vertical alignment with and above container (a), and joining the container (b) bottom and container (a) top in cryogenic liquid flow communication; d. charging container (b) with cryogenic liquid from container (a) by flowing such liquid upwardly from the lowest zone of container (a) by vapor pressure of liquid therein, to the lowest zone of container (b); e. continuing the cryogenic liquid flowing of (d), and discharging cryogenic vapor from the highest zone of inverted container (b) through the normally top end thereof for warming by and venting to the atmosphere; f. sensing the cryogenic fluid discharged from inverted container (b) during the cryogenic liquid charging and vapor discharging of (d) and (e) and terminating the cryogenic liquid charging and vapor discharging in response to sensing of liquid; g. disconnecting containers (a) and (b) and turning cryogenic liquid-filled container (b) to its top-up position; h. flowing cryogenic liquid by overhead vapor pressure upwardly from the lowest zone of container (b), discharging such liquid from the container top end, vaporizing the so-discharged liquid by atmospheric heat to form a gas supply; and i. continuing the liquid discharging and vaporization of (h) until container (b) is depleted of liquid, and thereafter repeating steps (c) through (h).

Claim 8

A method for supplying gas from a cryogenic liquid supply container and a storage-dispensing container comprising the steps of: a. providing a thermally insulated cryogenic liquid supply container; b. providing a thermally insulated cryogenic liquid storage-dispensing container having top and bottom ends and being invertible between top-up and bottom-up positions; c. inverting and positioning contaiNer (b) in vertical alignment with and above container (a), and joining the container (b) bottom and container (a) top in cryogenic liquid flow communication; d. charging container (b) with cryogenic liquid from container (a) by flowing such liquid upwardly from the lowest zone of container (a) by vapor pressure of liquid therein, to the lowest zone of container (b); e. continuing the cryogenic liquid flowing of (d), and discharging cryogenic vapor from the highest zone of inverted container (b) through the normally top end thereof for warming by and venting to the atmosphere; f. sensing the cryogenic fluid discharged from inverted container (b) during the cryogenic liquid charging and vapor discharging of (d) and (e) and terminating the cryogenic liquid charging and vapor discharging in response to sensing of liquid; g. disconnecting containers (a) and (b) and turning cryogenic liquid-filled container (b) to its top-up position; h. flowing cryogenic liquid by overhead vapor pressure upwardly from the lowest zone of container (b), discharging such liquid from the container top end, vaporizing the so-discharged liquid by atmospheric heat to form a gas supply; and i. continuing the liquid discharging and vaporization of (h) until container (b) is depleted of liquid, and thereafter repeating steps (c) through (h).

Claim 11

A method for supplying gas from a cryogenic liquid supply container and a storage-dispensing container comprising the steps of: a. providing a thermally insulated cryogenic liquid supply container having top and bottom ends, liquid discharge rigid conduit means being vertically aligned with a first end terminating in the bottom end of said supply container and a second end outside and above the top end of said supply container and first coupling means joined to and axially aligned above the liquid discharge conduit second end; b. providing a thermally insulated cryogenic liquid storage-dispensing container with top and bottom ends and being invertible between top-up and bottom-up positions, having vertically aligned gas vent liquid fill rigid conduit means with a first end terminating in the top end of said container and second coupling means joined to the second end outside and above said container, with said first and second coupling means being arranged and constructed for axial alignment and rigid vertical joining, liquid withdrawal-gas vent conduit means with a first end extending through and terminating in the bottom end of said container and a second end outside and above the top end of said container; c. providing an invertible liquid vaporizing-gas vent control circuit comprising liquid sensing means joined to said liquid withdrawal-gas vent conduit means second end, an atmospheric vaporizer joined at one end to said liquid sensing means, atmospheric gas vent valve means joining the atmospheric vaporizer other end, and signal transmitting means for automatically closing said vent valve means in response to the sensing of liquid by said liquid sensing means, and user gas supply valve means between said atmospheric vaporizer other end and said vent valve means; d. inverting container (b) and liquid vaporizing-gas vent control circuit (a), and positioning container (b) in vertical alignment with and above container (a), and joining said first and second coupling means; e. charging container (b) with cryogenic liquid from container (a) by opening said vent valve means for flowing cryogenic liquid upwardly from the lowest zone of container (a) by overhead vapor pressure through said liquid discharge rigid conduit means and said gAs vent-liquid fill rigid conduit means to the lowest zone of container (b); f. continuing the cryogenic liquid charging of (e) and discharging cryogenic vapor from the highest zone of inverted container (b) sequentially through said liquid withdrawal-gas vent conduit means, said cryogenic fluid sensing means, said atmospheric vaporizer and said vent valve means; g. sensing the cryogenic fluid temperature by said sensing means during the liquid charging and vapor discharging of (e) and (f), and terminating the cryogenic liquid charging and vapor discharging when cryogenic liquid is sensed, by closing said vent valve means; h. disconnecting said first and second coupling means and turning cryogenic liquid-filled container (b) and liquid vaporizing-gas vent control circuit (c) to their top-up gas supplying position; i. opening said gas supply valve means and discharging gas thereto being derived from cryogenic liquid flowing upwardly by overhead vapor pressure from the lowest zone of container (b) through said liquid withdrawal-gas vent conduit means, and vaporized in said atmospheric vaporizer; j. continuing the liquid discharging and vaporization of (i) until container (b) is depleted of liquid, and thereafter consecutively repeating steps (d) through (i).

Claim 12

A method for supplying gas from a cryogenic liquid supply container and a storage-dispensing container comprising the steps of: a. providing a thermally insulated cryogenic liquid supply container having top and bottom ends, liquid discharge rigid conduit means being vertically aligned with a first end terminating in the bottom end of said supply container and a second end outside and above the top end of said supply container and first coupling means joined to and axially aligned above the liquid discharge conduit second end; b. providing a thermally insulated cryogenic liquid storage-dispensing container with top and bottom ends and being invertible between top-up and bottom-up positions, having vertically aligned gas vent liquid fill rigid conduit means with a first end terminating in the top end of said container and second coupling means joined to the second end outside and above said container, with said first and second coupling means being arranged and constructed for axial alignment and rigid vertical joining, liquid withdrawal-gas vent conduit means with a first end extending through and terminating in the bottom end of said container and a second end outside and above the top end of said container; c. providing an invertible liquid vaporizing-gas vent control circuit comprising liquid sensing means joined to said liquid withdrawal-gas vent conduit means second end, an atmospheric vaporizer joined at one end to said liquid sensing means, atmospheric gas vent valve means joining the atmospheric vaporizer other end, and signal transmitting means for automatically closing said vent valve means in response to the sensing of liquid by said liquid sensing means, and user gas supply valve means between said atmospheric vaporizer other end and said vent valve means; d. inverting container (b) and liquid vaporizing-gas vent control circuit (a), and positioning container (b) in vertical alignment with and above container (a), and joining said first and second coupling means; e. charging container (b) with cryogenic liquid from container (a) by opening said vent valve means for flowing cryogenic liquid upwardly from the lowest zone of container (a) by overhead vapor pressure through said liquid discharge rigid conduit means and said gAs vent-liquid fill rigid conduit means to the lowest zone of container (b); f. continuing the cryogenic liquid charging of (e) and discharging cryogenic vapor from the highest zone of inverted container (b) sequentially through said liquid withdrawal-gas vent conduit means, said cryogenic fluid sensing means, said atmospheric vaporizer and said vent valve means; g. sensing the cryogenic fluid temperature by said sensing means during the liquid charging and vapor discharging of (e) and (f), and terminating the cryogenic liquid charging and vapor discharging when cryogenic liquid is sensed, by closing said vent valve means; h. disconnecting said first and second coupling means and turning cryogenic liquid-filled container (b) and liquid vaporizing-gas vent control circuit (c) to their top-up gas supplying position; i. opening said gas supply valve means and discharging gas thereto being derived from cryogenic liquid flowing upwardly by overhead vapor pressure from the lowest zone of container (b) through said liquid withdrawal-gas vent conduit means, and vaporized in said atmospheric vaporizer; j. continuing the liquid discharging and vaporization of (i) until container (b) is depleted of liquid, and thereafter consecutively repeating steps (d) through (i).