Suspended suction or fill pipe for handling fluid products or the like

Claim 2

A telescopic suction or fill pipe arrangement for conveying into a tank to be loaded or unloaded fluid products or the like at a great flow rate, the arrangement comprising: a product conducting pipe including an external pipe element and an internal pipe element slidable within said external pipe element, said internal pipe element and said external pipe element being insertable into the tank to be loaded or unloaded, said internal pipe element and said external pipe element each having upper and lower end portions, said pipe having an initial retracted position with the lower end portions of said internal pipe element and said external pipe element being in alignment and an extended position with the lower end portion of said external pipe element being disposed at the bottom of the tank and the upper end portion of said external pipe element being disposed at the lower end portion of said internal pipe, supporting means for supporting said pipe including means for effecting movement of said internal and external pipe elements together or separately with respect to said supporting means in a vertical direction, said pipe in sAid initial retracted position having a total length which is essentially shorter than the total length of a movement stroke of the pipe to the extended position, drive means connected with said means for effecting movement and with said pipe for selectively driving said pipe from said initial retracted position to said extended position and from said extended position to said retracted position, said drive means successively effecting first a relative movement of said external pipe element and said internal pipe element with respect to said supporting means and second a relative movement of said external pipe element with respect to said internal pipe element, said external pipe element being slidably guided on said internal pipe element for movement substantially along the entire length thereof from said intial retracted position to said extended position, and a protective and guiding cage surrounding said pipe and supported at a constant level by said supporting means including at least a pair of tracks, and guide means on said external pipe element for assuring the correct bearing of the internal element on said tracks provided on said cage.

Claim 3

A pipe arrangement according to claim 1 wherein a storage means is provided for supplying or receiving an evacuated product, a flexible duct is connected to said storage means, said internal pipe element is connected at said upper end portion thereof to said flexible duct for the supply or evacuation of the product to be handled, and in that the pipe arrangement further comprises means disposed between said internal pipe element and said external pipe element for obtaining a fluid tight seal between said internal and external pipe elements and means for locking said internal pipe element with the external pipe element during the course of at least a portion of the movement of the external pipe element and internal pipe element with respect to said supporting means.

Claim 4

A pipe arrangement according to claim 2 wherein said external pipe element comprises at the lower end portion thereof orifices for establishing communication with the outside and strainer means attached thereto, said strainer means sealingly engaging the lower end portion of said internal pipe element for rendering the same completely fluid-tight when said pipe is in said initial retracted position.

Claim 5

A pipe arrangement according to claim 3 wherein said supporting means includes suspension means for suspending said external pipe element at an arm support whose level is maintained constant, said strainer thus being moved over the entirety of the movement stroke of the pipe from said initial retracted position to said extended position by virtue of the operation of said suspension means alone.

Claim 6

A pipe arrangement according to claim 4 wherein said internal pipe element comprises adjacent the upper end portion thereof a disc which is coaxial with respect thereto and integral with the latter, said disc including openings yielding passage to said suspension means connected to said external pipe element.

Claim 7

A telescopic suction or fill pipe arrangement for conveying into a tank to be loaded or unloaded fluid products or the like at a great flow rate, the arrangement comprising: a product conducting pipe including an external pipe element and an internal pipe element slidable within said external pipe element, said internal pipe element and said external pipe element being insertable into the tank to be loaded or unloaded, said internal pipe element and said external pipe element each having upper and lower end portions, said pipe having an initial retracted position with the lower end portions of said internal pipe element and said external pipe element being in alignment and an extended position with the lower end portion of said external pipe element being disposed at the bottom of the tank and the upper end portions of said external pipe element disposed at the lower end portion of said internal pipe, supporting means for supporting said pIpe including means for effecting movement of said internal and external pipe elements together or separately with respect to said supporting means in a vertical direction, said pipe in said initial retracted position having a total length which is essentially shorter than the total length of a movement stroke of the pipe to the extended position, drive means connected with said means for effecting movement and with said pipe for selectively driving said pipe from said initial retracted position to said extended position and from said extended position to said retracted position, said drive means successively effecting first a relative movement of said external pipe element and said internal pipe element with respect to said supporting means and a second relative movement of said external pipe element with respect to said internal pipe element, said external pipe element being slidably guided on said internal pipe element for movement substantially along the entire length thereof from said initial retracted position to said extended position, a storage means for supplying or receiving an evacuated product, a flexible duct connected to said storage means, said internal pipe element connected at its upper end portion to said flexible duct for the supply or evacuation of the product to be handled, means disposed between said internal pipe element and said external pipe element for obtaining a fluid tight seal between said internal and external pipe elements, means for locking said internal pipe element with the external pipe element during the course of at least a portion of the movement of the external pipe element and the internal pipe element with respect to said supporting means, orifices provided at the lower end portion of said external pipe element for establishing communication with the outside and a strainer means attached thereto, said strainer means sealingly engaging the lower end portion of said internal pipe element for rendering the same completely fluid-tight when said pipe is in said initial retracted position, said supporting means includes suspension means for suspending said external pipe element at an arm support whose level is maintained constant, said strainer being moved over the entirety of the movement stroke of the pipe from said initial retracted position to said extended position by virtue of the operation of said suspension means alone, a disk provided adjacent the upper end portion of said internal pipe element which is coaxial with respect thereto and integral therewith, said disk including openings yielding passage to said suspension means connected to said external pipe element, and a protective and guiding cage surrounding said pipe and supported at a constant level by said supporting means including at least a pair of tracks, and guide means on said external pipe element for assuring the correct bearing of the internal element of said tracks provided on said cage.

Claim 8

A telescopic suction or fill pipe arrangement for conveying into a tank to be loaded or unloaded fluid products or the like at a great flow rate, the arrangement comprising: a product conducting pipe including an external pipe element and an internal pipe element slidable within said external pipe element, said internal pipe element and said external pipe element being insertable into the tank to be loaded or unloaded, said internal pipe element and said external pipe element each having upper and lower end portions, said pipe having an initial retracted position with the lower end portions of said internal pipe element and said external pipe element being in alignment and an extended position with the lower end portion of said external pipe element being disposed at the bottom of the tank and the upper end portions of said external pipe element disposed at the lower end portion of said internal pipe, supporting means for supporting said pIpe including means for effecting movement of said internal and external pipe elements together or separately with respect to said supporting means in a vertical direction, said pipe in said initial retracted position having a total length which is essentially shorter than the total length of a movement stroke of the pipe to the extended position, drive means connected with said means for effecting movement and with said pipe for selectively driving said pipe from said initial retracted position to said extended position and from said extended position to said retracted position, said drive means successively effecting first a relative movement of said external pipe element and said internal pipe element with respect to said supporting means and a second relative movement of said external pipe element with respect to said internal pipe element, said external pipe element being slidably guided on said internal pipe element for movement substantially along the entire length thereof from said initial retracted position to said extended position, a storage means for supplying or receiving an evacuated product, a flexible duct connected to said storage means, said internal pipe element connected at its upper end portion to said flexible duct for the supply or evacuation of the product to be handled, means disposed between said internal pipe element and said external pipe element for obtaining a fluid tight seal between said internal and external pipe elements, means for locking said internal pipe element with the external pipe element during the course of at least a portion of the movement of the external pipe element and the internal pipe element with respect to said supporting means, orifices provided at the lower end portion of said external pipe element for establishing communication with the outside and a strainer means attached thereto, said strainer means sealingly engaging the lower end portion of said internal pipe element for rendering the same completely fluid-tight when said pipe is in said initial retracted position, said supporting means includes suspension means for suspending said external pipe element at an arm support whose level is maintained constant, said strainer being moved over the entirety of the movement stroke of the pipe from said initial retracted position to said extended position by virtue of the operation of said suspension means alone, a disk provided adjacent the upper end portion of said internal pipe element which is coaxial with respect thereto and integral therewith, said disk including openings yielding passage to said suspension means connected to said external pipe element, and a protective and guiding cage surrounding said pipe and supported at a constant level by said supporting means including at least a pair of tracks, and guide means on said external pipe element for assuring the correct bearing of the internal element of said tracks provided on said cage.

Claim 9

A pipe arrangement according to claim 6 wherein a second disc is positioned below said first disc to freely glide on said internal pipe element, said second disc being elastically suspended at said first disc, said second disc supporting said guide means including lateral arms cooperating with the tracks on said cage to effect a correct guiding thereof.

Claim 10

A pipe arrangement according to claim 7 wherein the means by which the second disc is suspended elastically below the first disc consists of spring shock absorbers.

Claim 11

A pipe arrangement according to claim 8, further including a closing bowl disposed at the lower end of the pipe which is mounted to be freely slidable with respect to said external pipe element, the lower part of said bowl being arranged in such a manner so as to be capable of penetrating into the inside of a dome of the tank to be loaded or unloaded, said bowl comprising at the outer periphery thereof a coaxial rim disposed to be supported on the edge of the dome, the closing bowl further comprising at the inside thereof a shoulder portion servinG as an abutment for maintaining the lower end portions of the internal and external pipe elements of said pipe in alignment when said pipe is in said initial retracted position, said shoulder portion also serving as a seat means for engaging said strainer means to carry said closing bowl when said pipe is moved from said extended position to said initial retracted position, the upper part of the bowl being closed by said second disc in said initial retracted position.

Claim 12

A pipe arrangement according to claim 9 wherein at least one locking and blocking jack is disposed between the two discs thereof essentially at the same level as the spring shock absorbers, said jack being adapted to be blocked automatically at the end of a return movement of said pipe from said extended position to said initial retracted position, the unblocking being effected at the moment of the establishing of contact of the second disc with said bowl.

Claim 13

A pipe arrangement according to claim 10 wherein said means for locking the internal element on said external element consists of a pivoting cam disposed at the lower part of the locking and blocking jack, said cam being permanently biased in the direction of a notch provided at the upper part of said external pipe element, said cam being adapted to be actuated by the internal shoulder portion of said bowl in a direction opposite to said biasing influence.

Claim 14

A pipe arrangement according to claim 11 wherein means are provided for adjusting the length of travel of the pipe, said means being interposed between the upper part of said external pipe element and said second disc.

Claim 15

A pipe arrangement according to claim 12 wherein said adjusting means is provided as one or more rings coaxial with said pipe and having a mean diameter essentially equal to that of said external pipe element.

Claim 16

A pipe arrangement according to claim 13 wherein the arm support of the pipe is a bracket which is displaceable horizontally, parallel to the axis of movement of the tanks to be loaded or unloaded, said bracket comprising moreover a carriage horizontally displaceable on the bracket in a direction transverse to the direction of movement of said tanks, said carriage constituting the support of said pipe and comprising particularly the drive means for operating and suspending the external pipe element thereof.