US20130160860A1 - Load box for storage tank containment - Google Patents
Load box for storage tank containment Download PDFInfo
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- US20130160860A1 US20130160860A1 US13/685,275 US201213685275A US2013160860A1 US 20130160860 A1 US20130160860 A1 US 20130160860A1 US 201213685275 A US201213685275 A US 201213685275A US 2013160860 A1 US2013160860 A1 US 2013160860A1
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- Prior art keywords
- opening
- container
- overflow
- conduit
- wall
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B17/00—Vessels parts, details, or accessories, not otherwise provided for
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D90/00—Component parts, details or accessories for large containers
- B65D90/22—Safety features
- B65D90/24—Spillage-retaining means, e.g. recovery ponds
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B08—CLEANING
- B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- B08B17/00—Methods preventing fouling
- B08B17/02—Preventing deposition of fouling or of dust
- B08B17/025—Prevention of fouling with liquids by means of devices for containing or collecting said liquids
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
- Y10T137/0318—Processes
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
- Y10T137/5762—With leakage or drip collecting
Definitions
- This invention is in the field of liquid storage tanks and containment structures, and in particular a load box apparatus for containing liquid that might leak from connections made when removing liquids from storage tanks
- Large liquid storage tanks are used in a variety of industries. For example in the petroleum industry, oil is pumped from underground reservoirs to the surface at oil well sites. The oil coming from the well site is commonly connected to a pipeline system and conveyed to a central storage location through the pipeline system. Where such a pipeline system is not available however, one or more large storage tanks are placed on the well site, and the oil is pumped into the tanks. Periodically a transport will connect a conduit to the tanks and pump the oil from the tanks and haul it away.
- the storage tanks must be located inside a containment structure that is configured to contain any liquid that might be spilled from the tank.
- containment structures typically include walls supported upright on the ground and extending around the tank, and an impervious liner made from plastic or the like that covers the ground and extends generally to the top of the inside surface of the walls, thereby forming a container.
- a typical containment structure is disclosed for example in Canadian Patent Number 2,362,105 to Mackie.
- a plurality of wall panels are connected end-to-end with corners as required to form an enclosure and the liner is laid on the ground and up over the top of the wall panels. Braces extend from the ground to the top of the wall outside the wall.
- the storage tanks are placed on the liner inside the enclosure.
- the area enclosed by the walls and the height of the walls of the containment structure are configured to provide sufficient volume to contain the required amount of liquid, which is usually regulated in the jurisdiction where it will be used, based on the number and capacity of the tanks being contained.
- a conduit In a typical oil well site, a conduit extends along the ground from the tank to the wall and then typically a connection coupling is provided at the wall where transport conduits can be connected to the tanks to remove oil from the tanks.
- transport conduits As transport conduits are being connected to one another for transferring oil from a storage tank to a truck or like transport vehicle, the oil can be spilled out of the ends of the conduits and deposited on the ground. In addition, leakage can occur from the connection while the oil is transferred therethrough.
- spillage containers configured to enclose the connection and contain any oil spilled during connection or use.
- Such spillage containers are commonly called load boxes or load line boxes and examples of same are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,647,412 and 7,673,658 to Brewer, and 5,313,991 to Murray et al.
- load boxes also commonly include a suction hose connected to the loading conduit and configured to suck out the contents of the load box into the loading conduit using the same pump suction that is used to draw oil out of the storage tank.
- the present invention provides, in a first embodiment, a load box apparatus for containing liquid spillage.
- the apparatus comprises a container with an access opening in an upper portion thereof, and a cover movable from a closed position covering the access opening, to an open position.
- the container is adapted to be attached to a containment wall of a containment structure, the containment structure defining a substantially sealed structure interior containing a liquid storage tank.
- An input opening is defined in an upper portion of a wall of the container, the input opening configured to receive a discharge end of a tank conduit, and an output opening is defined in an upper portion of a second wall, the output opening configured to receive a suction end of a transport conduit.
- the container is configured to substantially enclose a releasable connection between the suction end of the transport conduit and the discharge end of the tank conduit.
- An overflow opening is defined in a wall of the container, the overflow opening located such that liquid rising in the container flows through the overflow opening before rising to a level where liquid flows through one of the input and output openings, and an overflow conduit is connected at an input end to the overflow opening and has an output end inside the structure interior, and is configured such that when a liquid level in the container rises to the overflow opening, liquid flows through the overflow conduit into the structure interior.
- the present invention provides, in a second embodiment, a method of containing liquid spillage when removing liquid from a storage tank, wherein the storage tank is contained in the interior of a containment structure with a containment wall enclosing a substantially sealed structure interior.
- the method comprises mounting a container to the containment wall, and providing an access opening in an upper portion thereof, and a cover movable from a closed position covering the access opening, to an open position; providing an input opening in an upper portion of a wall of the container, and inserting a discharge end of a tank conduit through the input opening into an interior of the container; providing an output opening in an upper portion of a second wall, and inserting a suction end of a transport conduit through the output opening into the interior of the container; connecting the suction end of the transport conduit to the discharge end of the tank conduit inside the container interior; providing an overflow opening in a wall of the container, and locating the overflow opening such that liquid rising in the container flows through the overflow opening before rising to a level where liquid flows through one of the input and output openings; and providing an overflow conduit connected at an input end to the overflow opening and having an output end inside the structure interior, and configuring the overflow conduit such that when a liquid level in the container rises to the overflow opening, liquid flows through the overflow
- the present invention therefore provides a load box apparatus that substantially prevents spilled liquid from the container from spilling from the container into the uncontained area outside the interior of a containment structure by directing rising liquid back into the interior of the containment structure.
- the apparatus is also securely attached to the wall of the containment structure, rather than, as commonly in the prior art, simply being attached, sometimes loosely, to a tank conduit that is fixed to the containment structure. Such prior art apparatuses were subject to rotating on the tank conduit and spilling contained liquid onto the ground outside the containment structure.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention for containing liquid spillage
- FIG. 2 is schematic sectional view is a schematic side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of a containment structure defining a substantially sealed structure interior containing two liquid storage tanks, with the embodiment of FIG. 1 mounted on a wall of the containment structure, and with a transport conduit connected to a transport vehicle;
- FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the containment structure with the embodiment of FIG. 1 mounted on a wall of the containment structure as shown in FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention for containing liquid spillage, where the container is mounted on a lower portion of the wall of the containment structure;
- FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically illustrate an embodiment of a load box apparatus 1 of the present invention for containing liquid spillage.
- the apparatus 1 comprises a container 3 with an access opening 5 in an upper portion thereof.
- a cover 7 is pivotally attached to the container 3 about a pivot axis PA and the cover 7 is movable, as illustrated in FIG. 1 , from a raised open position to a closed position covering the access opening 5 .
- the container 3 is adapted to be attached to a containment wall 9 of a containment structure 11 that defines a substantially sealed structure interior 13 containing one or more liquid storage tanks 15 , such as schematically illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 .
- An input opening 17 in an upper portion of a wall of the container 3 is configured to receive a discharge end 19 of a tank conduit 21 .
- the input opening 17 is defined in a back wall 23 of the container, opposite the front wall 25 , and an output opening 27 in an upper portion of the front wall 25 is configured to receive a suction end 29 of a transport conduit 31 , such as would be connected to a pump on a transport vehicle 33 .
- the access opening 5 extends downward along a front wall 25 of the container to also provide the output opening 27 .
- the cover 7 thus covers the output opening 27 , somewhat similar to the spill container disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,412 to Brewer, but providing improved access to make connections.
- the apparatus could be configured like the spill containment apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,991 to Murray et al., with separate top access and side output openings.
- the input opening 17 is provided by a coupler fitting 35 sealed to the back wall 23 of the container 3 .
- the coupler fitting 35 is adapted at an exterior end thereof for attachment to the discharge end 19 of the tank conduit 21 , and is adapted at an interior end thereof inside the container 3 for releasable attachment to the suction end 29 of the transport conduit 31 .
- Other suitable opening configurations will occur to those skilled in the art as well.
- the container 3 is configured to substantially enclose the releasable connection 35 between the suction end 27 of the transport conduit 29 and the discharge end 19 of the tank conduit 21 to suck the liquid out of the storage tanks 15 through the connection and into the transport vehicle 31 .
- the container 3 is configured to substantially enclose the releasable connection 35 between the suction end 27 of the transport conduit 29 and the discharge end 19 of the tank conduit 21 to suck the liquid out of the storage tanks 15 through the connection and into the transport vehicle 31 .
- a suction conduit is provided from the releasable connection to the bottom of the container, with a valve operative to connect the suction conduit to the suction end of the transport conduit such that spilled liquid 39 can be sucked out of the bottom of the container. If the spilled liquid 39 is not removed, the liquid level LL in the container 3 rises, and can reach a level where same flows out one of the input or output openings 17 , 27 .
- the apparatus 1 of the present invention provides an overflow opening 41 in a wall of the container 3 that directs spilled liquid to the contained area inside the inside the structure interior 13 .
- the overflow opening 41 is located such that liquid rising in the container 3 flows through the overflow opening 41 before rising to a level where liquid flows through one of the input and output openings 17 , 27 .
- the overflow opening 41 is located below both the input and output openings 17 , 27 however since the input opening is provided by the coupler fitting 35 sealed to the container wall, spillage would not occur at that point, and in any event the input opening 17 is higher than the bottom 27 B of the output opening 27 , and so spilled liquid 39 would of course flow out the output opening 27 before reaching the level of the input opening 17 .
- An overflow conduit 43 is connected at an input end to the overflow opening 41 and has an output end inside the structure interior 13 .
- the overflow conduit is configured such that when a liquid level LL in the container rises to the overflow opening 41 , as schematically illustrated in FIG. 2 , spilled liquid 39 flows through the overflow conduit 43 into the structure interior 13 .
- the overflow conduit 43 can be very short as the interior 13 of the containment structure 11 is close to the overflow opening, however same can be configured as necessary to suit different applications.
- the container 3 is adapted as schematically illustrated to be attached to the containment wall 9 such that the overflow opening 41 is above a top edge of the containment wall 9 such that the overflow conduit 41 passes over the conduit wall 9 .
- FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a different embodiment of the apparatus 101 of the present invention where the container 103 is adapted to be attached to the containment wall 9 such that the overflow opening 141 is below a top edge of the containment wall 9 and such that the overflow conduit 143 passes through a hole 147 in the containment wall 9 , and is sealed to the hole 147 in the containment wall 9 .
- a check valve 149 in the overflow conduit 143 prevents any contained liquid from flowing from inside the structure interior through the overflow opening 141 .
- the height of the walls 9 and their configuration define a volume of the structure interior 13 that is generally calculated so that the apparatus 1 can contain all the liquid that is stored in the tanks 15 that will be located in the apparatus 1 .
- the overflow opening 141 and input opening 117 must be sealed to the wall 9 and flow therethrough out of the structure interior prevented.
- the input opening 117 is sealed to the tank conduit 21 so leakage there is prevented, however a check valve 149 is provided in the overflow conduit 143 to prevent any contained liquid from flowing from inside the structure interior through the overflow opening 141 .
- FIG. 5 also schematically illustrates a secondary container 151 adapted to be located inside the structure interior 13 .
- the output end of the overflow conduit 143 is configured to direct liquid into the secondary container 151 , to avoid a mess.
- the invention also provides a method of containing liquid spillage when removing liquid from a storage tank 15 , wherein the storage tank 15 is contained in the interior of a containment structure 11 with a containment wall 9 enclosing a substantially sealed structure interior 13 .
- the method comprises mounting a container 3 to the containment wall 9 , and providing an access opening 5 in an upper portion thereof, and a cover 7 movable from a closed position covering the access opening, to an open position; providing an input opening 17 in an upper portion of a wall of the container 3 , and inserting a discharge end 19 of a tank conduit 21 through the input opening into an interior of the container 3 ; providing an output opening 27 in an upper portion of a second wall of the container 3 , and inserting a suction end 29 of a transport conduit 33 through the output opening 27 into the interior of the container 3 ; connecting the suction end 29 of the transport conduit 31 to the discharge end 19 of the tank conduit 21 inside the container interior; providing an overflow opening 41 in a wall of the container 3 , and locating the overflow opening 3 such that liquid 39 rising in the container 3 flows through the overflow opening 41 before rising to a level where liquid 39 flows through one of the input and output openings 17 , 27 ; and providing an overflow conduit 43 connected at an input end to the overflow opening
- the present invention therefore provides a load box apparatus 1 that substantially prevents spilled liquid from the container 3 from spilling from the container 3 into the uncontained area outside the interior 13 of a containment structure.
- Liquid rising in the container 3 of the apparatus 1 flows through the overflow opening 41 and overflow conduit 43 back into the interior 13 of the containment structure before it can flow out the output opening 27 on to the ground outside.
- the apparatus 1 is also attached to the wall 9 of the containment structure 11 .
- Prior art spill containment apparatuses were commonly attached to a tank conduit 21 fixed to the containment structure and were subject to rotating on the tank conduit 21 , such that liquid inside would spill onto the ground outside the containment structure.
Abstract
A load box for containing liquid spillage has a container; with an upper access opening with a cover, attachable to a wall of a containment structure containing a liquid storage tank. An input opening configured to receive a discharge end of a tank conduit, and an output opening is configured to receive a suction end of a transport conduit. The container encloses a releasable connection between the suction end of the transport conduit and the discharge end of the tank conduit. An overflow opening is located such that liquid rising in the container flows through the overflow opening before rising to a level where liquid flows through one of the input and output openings, and an overflow conduit attached to the overflow opening is configured such that when a liquid level in the container rises to the overflow opening, liquid flows through the overflow conduit into the structure interior.
Description
- This invention is in the field of liquid storage tanks and containment structures, and in particular a load box apparatus for containing liquid that might leak from connections made when removing liquids from storage tanks
- Large liquid storage tanks are used in a variety of industries. For example in the petroleum industry, oil is pumped from underground reservoirs to the surface at oil well sites. The oil coming from the well site is commonly connected to a pipeline system and conveyed to a central storage location through the pipeline system. Where such a pipeline system is not available however, one or more large storage tanks are placed on the well site, and the oil is pumped into the tanks. Periodically a transport will connect a conduit to the tanks and pump the oil from the tanks and haul it away.
- Where the stored liquid, such as oil, poses an environmental hazard, the storage tanks must be located inside a containment structure that is configured to contain any liquid that might be spilled from the tank. Such containment structures typically include walls supported upright on the ground and extending around the tank, and an impervious liner made from plastic or the like that covers the ground and extends generally to the top of the inside surface of the walls, thereby forming a container. A typical containment structure is disclosed for example in Canadian Patent Number 2,362,105 to Mackie. A plurality of wall panels are connected end-to-end with corners as required to form an enclosure and the liner is laid on the ground and up over the top of the wall panels. Braces extend from the ground to the top of the wall outside the wall. The storage tanks are placed on the liner inside the enclosure.
- It is also known to provide a containment structure that has a floor and walls extending upward from and sealed to the floor to form a container, such as disclosed in United States Published Patent Application Number 20110067761 of King.
- The area enclosed by the walls and the height of the walls of the containment structure are configured to provide sufficient volume to contain the required amount of liquid, which is usually regulated in the jurisdiction where it will be used, based on the number and capacity of the tanks being contained.
- In a typical oil well site, a conduit extends along the ground from the tank to the wall and then typically a connection coupling is provided at the wall where transport conduits can be connected to the tanks to remove oil from the tanks. As transport conduits are being connected to one another for transferring oil from a storage tank to a truck or like transport vehicle, the oil can be spilled out of the ends of the conduits and deposited on the ground. In addition, leakage can occur from the connection while the oil is transferred therethrough.
- However, this undesired spillage is prevented by spillage containers configured to enclose the connection and contain any oil spilled during connection or use. Such spillage containers are commonly called load boxes or load line boxes and examples of same are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,647,412 and 7,673,658 to Brewer, and 5,313,991 to Murray et al. These load boxes also commonly include a suction hose connected to the loading conduit and configured to suck out the contents of the load box into the loading conduit using the same pump suction that is used to draw oil out of the storage tank.
- It is an object of the present invention to provide a load box apparatus for containing spillage from conduit connections at a storage tank containment site that overcomes problems in the prior art.
- The present invention provides, in a first embodiment, a load box apparatus for containing liquid spillage. The apparatus comprises a container with an access opening in an upper portion thereof, and a cover movable from a closed position covering the access opening, to an open position. The container is adapted to be attached to a containment wall of a containment structure, the containment structure defining a substantially sealed structure interior containing a liquid storage tank. An input opening is defined in an upper portion of a wall of the container, the input opening configured to receive a discharge end of a tank conduit, and an output opening is defined in an upper portion of a second wall, the output opening configured to receive a suction end of a transport conduit. The container is configured to substantially enclose a releasable connection between the suction end of the transport conduit and the discharge end of the tank conduit. An overflow opening is defined in a wall of the container, the overflow opening located such that liquid rising in the container flows through the overflow opening before rising to a level where liquid flows through one of the input and output openings, and an overflow conduit is connected at an input end to the overflow opening and has an output end inside the structure interior, and is configured such that when a liquid level in the container rises to the overflow opening, liquid flows through the overflow conduit into the structure interior.
- The present invention provides, in a second embodiment, a method of containing liquid spillage when removing liquid from a storage tank, wherein the storage tank is contained in the interior of a containment structure with a containment wall enclosing a substantially sealed structure interior. The method comprises mounting a container to the containment wall, and providing an access opening in an upper portion thereof, and a cover movable from a closed position covering the access opening, to an open position; providing an input opening in an upper portion of a wall of the container, and inserting a discharge end of a tank conduit through the input opening into an interior of the container; providing an output opening in an upper portion of a second wall, and inserting a suction end of a transport conduit through the output opening into the interior of the container; connecting the suction end of the transport conduit to the discharge end of the tank conduit inside the container interior; providing an overflow opening in a wall of the container, and locating the overflow opening such that liquid rising in the container flows through the overflow opening before rising to a level where liquid flows through one of the input and output openings; and providing an overflow conduit connected at an input end to the overflow opening and having an output end inside the structure interior, and configuring the overflow conduit such that when a liquid level in the container rises to the overflow opening, liquid flows through the overflow conduit into the structure interior.
- The present invention therefore provides a load box apparatus that substantially prevents spilled liquid from the container from spilling from the container into the uncontained area outside the interior of a containment structure by directing rising liquid back into the interior of the containment structure. The apparatus is also securely attached to the wall of the containment structure, rather than, as commonly in the prior art, simply being attached, sometimes loosely, to a tank conduit that is fixed to the containment structure. Such prior art apparatuses were subject to rotating on the tank conduit and spilling contained liquid onto the ground outside the containment structure.
- While the invention is claimed in the concluding portions hereof, preferred embodiments are provided in the accompanying detailed description which may be best understood in conjunction with the accompanying diagrams where like parts in each of the several diagrams are labeled with like numbers, and where:
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FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention for containing liquid spillage; -
FIG. 2 is schematic sectional view is a schematic side view of the embodiment ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a schematic top view of a containment structure defining a substantially sealed structure interior containing two liquid storage tanks, with the embodiment ofFIG. 1 mounted on a wall of the containment structure, and with a transport conduit connected to a transport vehicle; -
FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the containment structure with the embodiment ofFIG. 1 mounted on a wall of the containment structure as shown inFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of an alternate embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention for containing liquid spillage, where the container is mounted on a lower portion of the wall of the containment structure; -
FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically illustrate an embodiment of aload box apparatus 1 of the present invention for containing liquid spillage. Theapparatus 1 comprises acontainer 3 with an access opening 5 in an upper portion thereof. Acover 7 is pivotally attached to thecontainer 3 about a pivot axis PA and thecover 7 is movable, as illustrated inFIG. 1 , from a raised open position to a closed position covering theaccess opening 5. - The
container 3 is adapted to be attached to acontainment wall 9 of acontainment structure 11 that defines a substantially sealedstructure interior 13 containing one or moreliquid storage tanks 15, such as schematically illustrated inFIGS. 3 and 4 . An input opening 17 in an upper portion of a wall of thecontainer 3 is configured to receive adischarge end 19 of atank conduit 21. In the illustratedapparatus 1, theinput opening 17 is defined in aback wall 23 of the container, opposite thefront wall 25, and an output opening 27 in an upper portion of thefront wall 25 is configured to receive asuction end 29 of atransport conduit 31, such as would be connected to a pump on atransport vehicle 33. - In the illustrated
apparatus 1, theaccess opening 5 extends downward along afront wall 25 of the container to also provide theoutput opening 27. When in the closed position, thecover 7 thus covers the output opening 27, somewhat similar to the spill container disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,412 to Brewer, but providing improved access to make connections. Alternatively the apparatus could be configured like the spill containment apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,991 to Murray et al., with separate top access and side output openings. - Also in the illustrated
apparatus 1, theinput opening 17 is provided by a coupler fitting 35 sealed to theback wall 23 of thecontainer 3. Thecoupler fitting 35 is adapted at an exterior end thereof for attachment to thedischarge end 19 of thetank conduit 21, and is adapted at an interior end thereof inside thecontainer 3 for releasable attachment to thesuction end 29 of thetransport conduit 31. Other suitable opening configurations will occur to those skilled in the art as well. - The
container 3 is configured to substantially enclose thereleasable connection 35 between thesuction end 27 of thetransport conduit 29 and thedischarge end 19 of thetank conduit 21 to suck the liquid out of thestorage tanks 15 through the connection and into thetransport vehicle 31. When making such connections it is difficult to avoid spilling at least some small quantity of liquid, and such spilledliquid 39 falls down into thecontainer 3. - Commonly a suction conduit is provided from the releasable connection to the bottom of the container, with a valve operative to connect the suction conduit to the suction end of the transport conduit such that spilled
liquid 39 can be sucked out of the bottom of the container. If thespilled liquid 39 is not removed, the liquid level LL in thecontainer 3 rises, and can reach a level where same flows out one of the input oroutput openings - To avoid the possibility of spilled
liquid 39 spilling in an uncontained area, theapparatus 1 of the present invention provides anoverflow opening 41 in a wall of thecontainer 3 that directs spilled liquid to the contained area inside the inside thestructure interior 13. Theoverflow opening 41 is located such that liquid rising in thecontainer 3 flows through theoverflow opening 41 before rising to a level where liquid flows through one of the input andoutput openings apparatus 1, theoverflow opening 41 is located below both the input andoutput openings coupler fitting 35 sealed to the container wall, spillage would not occur at that point, and in any event theinput opening 17 is higher than the bottom 27B of the output opening 27, and so spilledliquid 39 would of course flow out the output opening 27 before reaching the level of theinput opening 17. - An
overflow conduit 43 is connected at an input end to theoverflow opening 41 and has an output end inside thestructure interior 13. The overflow conduit is configured such that when a liquid level LL in the container rises to theoverflow opening 41, as schematically illustrated inFIG. 2 , spilledliquid 39 flows through theoverflow conduit 43 into thestructure interior 13. In theapparatus 1 ofFIG. 2 , theoverflow conduit 43 can be very short as the interior 13 of thecontainment structure 11 is close to the overflow opening, however same can be configured as necessary to suit different applications. - In the
apparatus 1 ofFIGS. 1 and 2 , thecontainer 3 is adapted as schematically illustrated to be attached to thecontainment wall 9 such that theoverflow opening 41 is above a top edge of thecontainment wall 9 such that theoverflow conduit 41 passes over theconduit wall 9. -
FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a different embodiment of theapparatus 101 of the present invention where the container 103 is adapted to be attached to thecontainment wall 9 such that theoverflow opening 141 is below a top edge of thecontainment wall 9 and such that theoverflow conduit 143 passes through ahole 147 in thecontainment wall 9, and is sealed to thehole 147 in thecontainment wall 9. Acheck valve 149 in theoverflow conduit 143 prevents any contained liquid from flowing from inside the structure interior through theoverflow opening 141. - The height of the
walls 9 and their configuration define a volume of thestructure interior 13 that is generally calculated so that theapparatus 1 can contain all the liquid that is stored in thetanks 15 that will be located in theapparatus 1. Thus theoverflow opening 141 and input opening 117 must be sealed to thewall 9 and flow therethrough out of the structure interior prevented. Theinput opening 117 is sealed to thetank conduit 21 so leakage there is prevented, however acheck valve 149 is provided in theoverflow conduit 143 to prevent any contained liquid from flowing from inside the structure interior through theoverflow opening 141. -
FIG. 5 also schematically illustrates asecondary container 151 adapted to be located inside thestructure interior 13. The output end of theoverflow conduit 143 is configured to direct liquid into thesecondary container 151, to avoid a mess. - The invention also provides a method of containing liquid spillage when removing liquid from a
storage tank 15, wherein thestorage tank 15 is contained in the interior of acontainment structure 11 with acontainment wall 9 enclosing a substantially sealedstructure interior 13. The method comprises mounting a container 3 to the containment wall 9, and providing an access opening 5 in an upper portion thereof, and a cover 7 movable from a closed position covering the access opening, to an open position; providing an input opening 17 in an upper portion of a wall of the container 3, and inserting a discharge end 19 of a tank conduit 21 through the input opening into an interior of the container 3; providing an output opening 27 in an upper portion of a second wall of the container 3, and inserting a suction end 29 of a transport conduit 33 through the output opening 27 into the interior of the container 3; connecting the suction end 29 of the transport conduit 31 to the discharge end 19 of the tank conduit 21 inside the container interior; providing an overflow opening 41 in a wall of the container 3, and locating the overflow opening 3 such that liquid 39 rising in the container 3 flows through the overflow opening 41 before rising to a level where liquid 39 flows through one of the input and output openings 17, 27; and providing an overflow conduit 43 connected at an input end to the overflow opening 41 and having an output end inside the structure interior 13, and configuring the overflow conduit 43 such that when a liquid level LL in the container rises to the overflow 13. - The present invention therefore provides a
load box apparatus 1 that substantially prevents spilled liquid from thecontainer 3 from spilling from thecontainer 3 into the uncontained area outside the interior 13 of a containment structure. Liquid rising in thecontainer 3 of theapparatus 1 flows through theoverflow opening 41 andoverflow conduit 43 back into the interior 13 of the containment structure before it can flow out theoutput opening 27 on to the ground outside. Theapparatus 1 is also attached to thewall 9 of thecontainment structure 11. Prior art spill containment apparatuses were commonly attached to atank conduit 21 fixed to the containment structure and were subject to rotating on thetank conduit 21, such that liquid inside would spill onto the ground outside the containment structure. - The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous changes and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all such suitable changes or modifications in structure or operation which may be resorted to are intended to fall within the scope of the claimed invention.
Claims (12)
1. A load box apparatus for containing liquid spillage, the apparatus comprising:
a container with an access opening in an upper portion thereof, and a cover movable from a closed position covering the access opening, to an open position;
the container adapted to be attached to a containment wall of a containment structure, the containment structure defining a substantially sealed structure interior containing a liquid storage tank;
an input opening in an upper portion of a wall of the container, the input opening configured to receive a discharge end of a tank conduit;
an output opening in an upper portion of a second wall, the output opening configured to receive a suction end of a transport conduit;
wherein the container is configured to substantially enclose a releasable connection between the suction end of the transport conduit and the discharge end of the tank conduit;
an overflow opening in a wall of the container, the overflow opening located such that liquid rising in the container flows through the overflow opening before rising to a level where liquid flows through one of the input and output openings; and
an overflow conduit connected at an input end to the overflow opening and having an output end inside the structure interior, and configured such that when a liquid level in the container rises to the overflow opening, liquid flows through the overflow conduit into the structure interior.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the overflow opening is located below the input and output openings.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the container is adapted to be attached to the containment wall such that the overflow opening is above a top edge of the containment wall, and such that the overflow conduit passes over the conduit wall.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the container is adapted to be attached to the containment wall such that the overflow opening is below a top edge of the containment wall, and such that the overflow conduit passes through a hole in the containment wall.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the overflow conduit is sealed to the hole in the containment wall.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a check valve in the overflow conduit operative to prevent a flow of liquid from the structure interior to the overflow opening.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the access opening extends downward along a front wall of the container to provide the output opening.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the input opening is defined in a back wall of the container, opposite the front wall.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the input opening is provided by a coupler fitting sealed to a wall of the container, the coupler fitting adapted at an exterior end thereof for attachment to the discharge end of the tank conduit, and adapted at an interior end thereof inside the container for releasable attachment to the suction end of the transport conduit.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a secondary container adapted to be located inside the structure interior, and wherein the output end of the overflow conduit is configured to direct liquid into the secondary container.
11. A method of containing liquid spillage when removing liquid from a storage tank, wherein the storage tank is contained in the interior of a containment structure with a containment wall enclosing a substantially sealed structure interior, the method comprising:
mounting a container to the containment wall, and providing an access opening in an upper portion thereof, and a cover movable from a closed position covering the access opening, to an open position;
providing an input opening in an upper portion of a wall of the container, and inserting a discharge end of a tank conduit through the input opening into an interior of the container;
providing an output opening in an upper portion of a second wall, and inserting a suction end of a transport conduit through the output opening into the interior of the container;
connecting the suction end of the transport conduit to the discharge end of the tank conduit inside the container interior;
providing an overflow opening in a wall of the container, and locating the overflow opening such that liquid rising in the container flows through the overflow opening before rising to a level where liquid flows through one of the input and output openings; and
providing an overflow conduit connected at an input end to the overflow opening and having an output end inside the structure interior, and configuring the overflow conduit such that when a liquid level in the container rises to the overflow opening, liquid flows through the overflow conduit into the structure interior.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of the input opening and output opening is configured such that liquid rising to a level of the at least one of the input opening and output opening will flow out of the container through the at least one of the input opening and output opening, and wherein the overflow opening is located below the at least one of the input opening and output opening.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
CA2762535 | 2011-12-21 | ||
CA2762535A CA2762535A1 (en) | 2011-12-21 | 2011-12-21 | Load box for storage tank containment |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20130160860A1 true US20130160860A1 (en) | 2013-06-27 |
Family
ID=48652985
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/685,275 Abandoned US20130160860A1 (en) | 2011-12-21 | 2012-11-26 | Load box for storage tank containment |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20130160860A1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2762535A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9546087B1 (en) | 2015-07-09 | 2017-01-17 | One Fifty Labs Inc. | Apparatuses and methods for connecting to objects of different sizes |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2019051539A1 (en) * | 2017-09-12 | 2019-03-21 | Clean Barrow Pty Ltd | Apparatus, system and method for cleaning a wheelbarrow |
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- 2011-12-21 CA CA2762535A patent/CA2762535A1/en not_active Abandoned
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US2438245A (en) * | 1944-03-21 | 1948-03-23 | Bendix Aviat Corp | System and means for returning leakage fluid to a main fluid supply |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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CA2762535A1 (en) | 2013-06-21 |
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