Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6223762
-
Patent Number
6,223,762
-
Date Filed
Friday, April 28, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, May 1, 200123 years ago
-
Inventors
-
-
Examiners
- Rivell; John
- Krishnamurthy; Ramesh
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 137 6819
- 137 6822
- 137 6823
- 137 6827
- 137 2055
- 048 195
- 141 9
- 141 18
- 141 21
- 141 100
- 141 105
- 141 107
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
The invention is a device and method for superodorizing an LP-gas tank with a mercaptan odorant for a new LP-gas tank and other situations requiring additional odorant, thus giving the new or older LP-gas tank and its contents the “skunk scent” required for proper leakage detection of the otherwise colorless, odorless LP-gas.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
None.
I. BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is a device and method for superodorizing an LP-gas tank with a mercaptan odorant for a new LP-gas tank and other situations requiring additional odorant, thus giving the new or older LP-gas tank and its contents the “skunk scent” required for proper leakage detection of the otherwise colorless, odorless LP-gas.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The following United States patents are disclosed herein and incorporated into this application for utility patent. All relate to injection devices, including those for the injection of odorants. U.S. Pat. No. 4,007,755 to Lerner, et al., discloses an electronic component injection system injecting a predetermined amount of additive fluid into a main stream of fluid and continually circulating the additive within the flow of the main stream fluid. A closed and environmentally safe odorant injection apparatus comprising a pressurized gas supply, an odorant storage tank and a panel containing a level pot and sight tank and manually actuated pneumatically operated switches for drawing a measured portion of odorant and injecting it into a tank truck being loaded with LP-gas is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,504,281 to Williams, et al. A process for pre-treating containers having new or recently cleaned interior surfaces using a mixture of chemicals coating such interior is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,303 to Nevers. A chemical injection system having a programable controller is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,970 to Marshall, et al., such device disclosing a use with odorant injection and also having a monitoring device for measuring the amount of odorant injected.
Another electronic device and method for adding a mal odorant to a consumer gas and monitoring the precision amount of gas to odorant ratio is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,295 to Smars. A chemical method of reducing odorant depletion using a passivating agent containing a phosphate ester is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,973 to Naraghi. A fuel gas delivery system comprising a liquid fuel tank and a connected second tank or second compartment within the fuel tank, such second tank filled with vaporized fuel by small diameter tubing, thus reducing concentration changes to the odorant is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,285 to Kniebes. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,885,701 to Berman, et al., an odorant delivery system for perfumes in a sealed package with a layer of non-permeable material over the odorant for introducing perfume samples within a magazine or booklet is disclosed. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,772 to Belyea, a dye injection system on a fuel delivery truck is disclosed.
II. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary objective of the invention is to provide a simple device for in-line attachment between a fuel delivery system and a fuel tank, providing a measured amount of a mercaptan odorant within the device, contained between two containment disks, which rupture without fragmentation by the force of the LP-gas fuel being delivered from the fuel delivery system into the tank. A second objective of the invention is to provide a device for pre-odorizing or re-odorizing an LP-gas fuel tank, especially those being constructed of steel or those having the inner vessel exposed to air or water and those being installed using steel pipe to reduce the risk of “odor fade” which is a common risk in the LP-gas industry.
A third objective is to provide a simple low-cost device for delivery of the odorant to the inside of the LP-gas tank which does not require additional equipment or modification of existing equipment which is attached in-line with the filling hose, the odorant delivered to the inner tank at the time of initial filling or later refilling of the tank. A fourth objective is to disclose the method for odorizing LP gas tanks using the disclosed device.
III. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The following drawings are submitted with this utility patent application.
FIG. 1
is an exploded view of the device for superodorizing an LP gas tank.
FIG. 2
is a cross sectional view of the intact containment disc in an end of the delivery tube.
FIG. 3
is a diagram of the method for superodorizing an LP gas tank.
IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The invention, as disclosed in
FIGS. 1-2
of the drawings, is a device
10
for the delivery of selected measured amounts of LP-gas odorant
90
, specifically an ethyl mercaptan odorant, to an LP-gas tank. In a preferred embodiment, the selected size device
10
provides sufficient LP gas odorant
90
to odorize an LP-gas tank
12
having a volume capacity of between 125 and 1000 gallons of LP-gas. Specifically, the invention is an in-line LP-gas delivery device
10
comprising a hollow cylindrical aluminum container
20
, most preferably a tube, having a first port
22
and a second port
32
, each first port
22
and second port
32
having an external machine straight thread
24
,
34
. A flat, smooth circular ring
26
,
36
is provided at each first port
22
and second port
32
, respectively, of the hollow cylindrical aluminum container
20
indicating the respective openings
28
,
38
of the hollow cylindrical aluminum container
20
. The hollow cylindrical aluminum container
20
also defines an inner gas/liquid chamber
40
, the entry to such inner gas/liquid chamber
40
defined by the flat, smooth circular rings
26
,
36
and between the respective openings
28
,
38
.
The device
10
also includes two hollow cylindrical caps
50
, each hollow cylindrical cap
50
having a first end
52
defining a set of internal machine straight threads
54
to engage the external machine straight threads
24
,
34
of the first port
22
and second port
32
of the hollow cylindrical aluminum container
20
. It is preferred that the hollow cylindrical caps
50
are a mild steel rod material having an outer surface
60
defining two parallel flat surfaces
62
for attaching a wrench. The hollow cylindrical cap
50
also includes a second end
56
having a set of internal ¾ inch female NPT threads
58
, a standard in the LP-gas industry for LP-gas delivery systems. These internal ¾ inch female NPT threads
58
in the second end
56
of the hollow cylindrical cap
50
are provided to engage a ¾ inch Acme fitting attached to a delivery hose from the LP-gas delivery system used to fill the LP-gas tank and also to engage another ¾ inch Acme fitting attached to the liquid fill port of the LP-gas tank, allowing the device
10
to be placed “in-line” during tank fueling or refueling. Within the hollow cylindrical cap
50
, at a location where the internal machine straight threads
54
of the first end
52
join the internal ¾ inch female NPT threads
58
in the second end
56
, a smooth flat internal shoulder
66
is provided.
Compressed between the smooth flat internal shoulder
66
of each of the hollow cylindrical caps
50
and the flat, smooth circular ring
26
,
36
at the first port
22
and second port
32
of hollow cylindrical aluminum container
20
is a containment disk assembly
70
, comprising a containment disk
72
and two identical gasket rings
80
, such containment disk assembly
70
forming an air-tight and liquid-tight seal between the containment disk assembly
70
, the hollow cylindrical caps
50
and the hollow cylindrical aluminum container
20
. The containment disk
72
is a thin, flat diaphragm having an outer perimeter
74
, an upper surface
76
and a lower surface
78
, which is capable of being ruptured by the pressure of LP-gas during the filling process. In the preferred embodiment, such pressure required to burst the containment disk
72
is 50 psi. The material comprising the containment disk
72
must be of a type which will not fracture or fragment at burst to insure that portions of the containment disk
72
do not become lodged in the LP-gas lines or system. In a preferred embodiment, the containment disk
72
is 0.005 inch Teflon® PFA.
The containment disk
72
has one of the gasket rings
80
upon the upper surface
76
, such gasket ring
80
having a perimeter
82
equal to the outer perimeter
74
of the containment disk
72
, and the second identical gasket ring
80
is applied upon the lower surface
78
of the containment disk
72
. When the containment disk assembly
70
is placed between the smooth flat internal shoulder
66
of each of the hollow cylindrical caps
50
and the flat, smooth circular rings
26
,
36
at the first end
22
and second end
32
of hollow cylindrical aluminum tube
20
, the gasket rings
80
are slightly deformed by compression as the hollow cylindrical caps
50
and the hollow cylindrical aluminum container
20
are tightened together, thus forming the aforementioned air-tight and liquid-tight seal.
After the containment disk assembly
70
is applied at the first port
22
of the hollow cylindrical aluminum container
20
and the hollow cylindrical cap
50
is fastened to such first port
22
, a measured amount of the LP-gas odorant
90
is placed within the inner gas/liquid chamber
40
. After such measured amount of the LP-gas odorant
90
has been delivered to the inner gas/liquid chamber
40
, the containment disk assembly
70
is placed upon the flat, smooth circular ring
36
of the second port
32
of the hollow cylindrical aluminum container
20
and the other hollow cylindrical cap
50
is fastened to such second port
32
. The LP-gas odorant
90
is thereby contained between the two containment disk assemblies
70
within the inner gas/liquid chamber
40
. It is preferred that the, LP-gas odorant
90
within the inner gas/liquid chamber
40
is delivered and contained without forced pressure or be contained at normal atmospheric pressure. As additional safety measure for transport and storage purposes, it is recommended that a brass plug
100
, having an outer ¾ inch male NPT thread
102
, be inserted into each of the internal ¾ inch female NPT threads
58
in the second end
56
of each of the hollow cylindrical caps
50
to prevent accidental rupture of the containment disks
72
and ensuing spillage or leakage of the LP-gas odorant
90
contained between the containment disks
72
. These brass plugs
100
are removed prior to the attachment of the ¾ inch Acme fittings
18
to the second end
56
of the hollow cylindrical caps
50
between the delivery hose
14
from the LP-gas delivery system
16
used to fill the LP-gas tank
12
and the liquid fill port
13
of the LP-gas tank
12
being filled and also being “super-odorized” at the same time.
The invention is provided with a variety of amounts of LP-gas odorant
90
, providing measured amounts for the variety of different size LP-gas tanks. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is provided to deliver at least three differing measured amounts, a small measured amount
90
a
suited for a 125-249 gallon LP-gas tank, a medium measured amount
90
b
suited for a 250-449 gallon LP-gas tank and a large measured amount
90
c
suited for a 450-1000 gallon LP-gas tank.
Thus, using the disclosed invention, the method for superodorizing an LP-gas tank first includes a determination that the LP-gas tank is appropriate for superodorizing due to such LP-gas tank being a new LP-gas tank, an old LP-gas tank having been open to air, a new distribution system being applied to the LP-gas tank, or notice by the user that the LP-gas has little or no detectible odorant. The user then selects the appropriate amount of LP-gas odorant
90
a
-
90
c
supplied and contained within the device
10
to be delivered to the LP-gas tank. If the LP-gas tank being put into service contains air, purge the air per the standard industry practice.
Remove the brass plugs
100
from the hollow cylindrical caps
50
of the device
10
without use of a wrench or vise on the hollow cylindrical aluminum container
20
. Insert a ¾ inch Acme fitting into each internal ¾ inch female NPT threads
58
in the second end
56
of each of the hollow cylindrical caps
50
. Connect one of the ¾ inch Acme fittings within one of the hollow cylindrical caps
50
of the device
10
to the liquid fill port of the LP-gas tank. Next, connect the delivery hose of the LP-gas delivery system to the ¾ inch Acme fitting attached within the other hollow cylindrical cap
50
. Fill the LP-gas tank in accordance with standard LP-gas delivery practice. This filling process will automatically burst the containment disks
72
at approximately 50 psi, forcing the LP-gas odorant
90
into the LP-gas tank along with the LP-gas.
After the LP-gas has been delivered to the LP-gas tank, disconnect the delivery hose from the device
10
, remove the invention from the LP-gas tank, remove the ¾ inch Acme fittings from the device
10
, and replace the brass plugs
100
in the used device
10
. It is recommended that the device
10
either be disposed of in compliance with environmental standards or that the device
10
be returned to a dealer or distributor for proper disposal and handling.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
- 1. A device for the delivery of a measured amount of an LP-gas odorant to an LP-gas tank, comprising:a. a hollow container having a first port, a second port, an inner gas/liquid chamber and a means for connecting said first port and second port of the hollow container between an LP-gas delivery hose and an LP-gas tank; b. a containment disk affixed at each first port and second port of the hollow container; and c. a measured amount of an LP-gas odorant between the containment disks within the inner gas/liquid chamber of the hollow tube, wherein the containment disks are ruptured by the force of the pressure of LP-gas after the device is installed between the LP-gas delivery hose and the LP-gas tank, while the LP-gas is delivered to the LP-gas tank, releasing the LP-gas odorant into the LP-gas tank.
- 2. A device for the delivery of a measured amount of an LP-gas odorant to an LP-gas tank, comprising:a. a hollow cylindrical container having a first port with an external thread and a flat, smooth circular end, a second port having an external thread and a flat, smooth circular end and defining an inner gas/liquid chamber; b. two hollow cylindrical caps having a first end with internal threads to engage the external thread of the first port and second port of the hollow cylindrical container, a second end having a means to engage adaptors to LP-gas fittings, and defining a smooth flat internal shoulder between the internal threads of the first end and the internal threads of the second end of each of the said hollow cylindrical caps; c. two thin, pressure burstable, circular flat containment disks having an outer perimeter, an upper surface and a lower surface, and a means for sealing such containment disks, each of such containment disks positioned against the smooth flat internal shoulder of the hollow cylindrical cap and the flat, smooth circular end of the hollow cylindrical container, such placed containment disks and means for sealing such containment disks providing an air-tight and liquid-tight seal between the containment disk assembly, the hollow cylindrical cap and the hollow cylindrical container; d. a measured amount of LP-gas odorant within the inner gas/liquid chamber of the hollow cylindrical container, sealed between the lower surfaces of the two containment disk assemblies, such measured amount provided depending on the capacity of the LP-gas tank to which the LP-gas odorant is to be delivered; e. a means for plugging and sealing the second end of the hollow cylindrical caps engaging the internal threads of such second end to prevent accidental rupture or penetration of the containment disk during transport, wherein the means for plugging and sealing the second end of the hollow cylindrical caps are removed prior to the device being installed in-line during LP-gas tank refueling.
- 3. A device for the delivery of a measured amount of an LP-gas odorant to an LP-gas tank, comprising:a. a hollow cylindrical container having a first port with an external thread and a flat, smooth circular end, a second port having an external thread and a flat, smooth circular end and defining an inner gas/liquid chamber; b. two hollow cylindrical caps having a first end with internal threads to engage the external thread of the first port and second port of the hollow cylindrical container, a second end having an internal ¾ inch female NPT thread to engage standard ¾ inch Acme fitting, and defining a smooth flat internal shoulder between the internal threads of the first end and the internal threads of the second end of each of the said hollow cylindrical caps; c. two containment disk assemblies, each containment disk assembly further comprising a thin, pressure burstable, circular flat containment disk having an outer perimeter, an upper surface and a lower surface, and two gasket rings, having a perimeter equal to that of the containment disk, one of the gasket rings located on the upper surface of the containment disk and the other gasket ring located on the lower surface of the containment disk, each of such containment disk assemblies positioned against the smooth flat internal shoulder of the hollow cylindrical cap and the flat, smooth circular end of the hollow cylindrical container, such placed containment disk assembly providing an air-tight and liquid-tight seal between the containment disk assembly, the hollow cylindrical cap and the hollow cylindrical container; d. a measured amount of LP-gas odorant within the inner gas/liquid chamber of the hollow cylindrical container, sealed between the lower surfaces of the two containment disk assemblies, such measured amounts provided in multiple measured amounts depending on the size of the LP-gas tank to which the LP-gas odorant is to be delivered; e. two plugs having an external ¾ male NPT thread, temporarily engaging the internal thread of the second end of the hollow cylindrical caps against the upper surface of the containment disk to prevent accidental rupture or penetration of the containment disk during transport, wherein the device may be installed in-line during LP-gas tank refueling by removing the brass plugs from the second end of the hollow cylindrical caps, installing a standard ¾ inch Acme fitting into the second end of each of the hollow cylindrical caps, connecting the delivery hose from an LP-gas delivery system to one of the ¾ inch Acme fittings and attaching the other ¾ inch Acme fitting to the LP-gas tank, a fueling the LP-gas tank, the pressure from the delivered gas rupturing the containment disk and transporting the contained LP-gas odorant into the LP-gas tank along with the LP-gas, thereby odorizing the LP-gas tank.
- 4. The device of claim 3, further comprising:the hollow cylindrical container is an aluminum tube, the hollow cylindrical caps are mild steel rod and the plugs are brass.
- 5. The device of claim 3 of the invention, further comprising:the containment disk is 0.005 inch Teflon PFA® which will burst without fragmentation at a pressure of 50 p.s.i.
- 6. The device of claim 3 of the invention, further comprising:the internal threads of the first end of the hollow cylindrical cap and the external threads of the end of the hollow cylindrical tube are machine straight threads.
- 7. The device of claim 3 of the invention, further comprising:the LP-gas odorant is ethyl mercaptan contained between the two containment disks at normal atmospheric pressure.
- 8. The device of claim 3, the measured amount of LP-gas odorant contained between the two containment disks provided in multiple measured amounts, further comprising:a. a first measured amount for odorizing a 125-249 gallon LP-gas tank; b. a second measured amount for odorizing a 250-449 gallon LP-gas tank; and c. a third measured amount for odorizing a 450-1000 gallon LP-gas tank.
- 9. A device for the delivery of a measured amount of an LP-gas odorant to an LP-gas tank, comprising:a. a hollow cylindrical aluminum tube having a first port with an external machine straight thread and a flat, smooth circular end, a second port having an external machine straight thread and a flat, smooth circular end and defining an inner gas/liquid chamber; b. two hollow cylindrical caps, made of mild steel rod, having a first end with internal machine straight threads to engage the external machine straight thread of the first port and second port of the hollow cylindrical aluminum tube, a second end having an internal ¾ inch female NPT thread to engage a standard ¾ inch Acme fitting, and defining a smooth flat internal shoulder between the internal threads of the first end and the internal threads of the second end of each of the said hollow cylindrical caps; c. two containment disk assemblies, each containment disk assembly further comprising a thin, pressure burstable, circular flat 0.005 inch Teflon PFA® containment disk which will burst without fragmentation at a pressure of 50 p.s.i., having an outer perimeter, an upper surface and a lower surface, and two gasket rings, having a perimeter equal to that of the containment disk, one of the gasket rings located on the upper surface of the containment disk and the other gasket ring located on the lower surface of the containment disk, each of such containment disk assemblies positioned against the smooth flat internal shoulder of the hollow cylindrical cap and the flat, smooth circular end of the hollow cylindrical aluminum tube, such placed containment disk assembly providing an air-tight and liquid-tight seal between the containment disk assembly, the hollow cylindrical cap and the hollow cylindrical aluminum tube; d. a measured amount of ethyl mercaptan LP-gas odorant at normal atmospheric pressure within the inner gas/liquid chamber of the hollow cylindrical aluminum tube, sealed between the lower surfaces of the two containment disk assemblies, such measured amounts of ethyl mercaptan LP-gas odorant provided in multiple measured amounts depending on the size of the LP-gas tank to which the LP-gas odorant is to be delivered; e. two brass plugs having an external ¾ male NPT thread, temporarily engaging the internal thread of the second end of the hollow cylindrical caps against the upper surface of the containment disk to prevent accidental rupture or penetration of the containment disk during transport, wherein the device may be installed in-line during LP-gas tank refueling by removing the brass plugs from the second end of the hollow cylindrical caps, installing a standard ¾ inch Acme fitting into the second end of each of the hollow cylindrical caps, connecting the delivery hose from an LP-gas delivery system to one of the ¾ inch Acme fittings and attaching the other ¾ inch Acme fitting to the LP-gas tank, a fueling the LP-gas tank, the pressure from the delivered gas rupturing the containment disk and transporting the contained LP-gas odorant into the LP-gas tank along with the LP-gas, thereby odorizing the LP-gas tank.
- 10. A method for superodorizing an LP-gas tank using the device of claim 2, comprising:a. determining the appropriateness of the LP-gas tank to be superodorized; b. selecting the appropriate measured amount of LP-gas odorant contained within the device to be delivered to the suitable LP-gas tank; c. purging the suitable LP-gas tank of air, if any, per industry standard practice; d. removing the brass plugs from the hollow cylindrical caps of the invention; e. inserting a standard Acme fitting into the second end of each of the hollow cylindrical caps; f. connecting one of the inserted standard Acme fittings to the delivery hose of the LP-gas delivery system; g. connecting the other inserted standard Acme fitting to the LP-gas tank; h. filling the LP-gas tank in accordance with standard LP-gas delivery practice, such filling causing a bursting of the containment disks forcing the contained LP-gas odorant into the tank along with the LP-gas; i. disconnecting the delivery hose from the invention; j. removing the invention from the LP-gas tank; k. removing the Acme fittings from the invention; l. replacing the brass plugs into the hollow cylindrical caps; and m. disposing of the remaining invention in compliance with environmental standards.
US Referenced Citations (11)