London's New 177,500-Gallon "Shell" Depot.
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Five 35,500-Gallon Underground Storage Tanks. Steam-driven Petrol Pumps. 25,000 Two-Gallon Cans Filled a Day.
By the courtesy of the British Petroleum Co., Ltd., of 22, lenchurch Street, E.C., the distributing agents for " Shell " motor spirit for the United Kingdom, a representative of this journal was recently enabled to inspect the new riverside petrol-storage depot of the company at Townmead Road, Fulham, S.W. We have, in consequence, pleasure in placing before our readers the first •published particulars of what is claimed to be the largest and most up.to-date petrol depot in Great Britain.
Filling Eleven Wagons at a Time.
As will be seen from the photographs which we reproduce, a magnificent site has been secured for this new store. Passing through the big entrance gates, one's attention is attracted by the vanfilling shed, where 11 tank wagons, each of 800-gallons capacity, can be simultaneously filled. A 6 in. overhead main-supply pipe runs the full length of this shed, and connected to this are 11 2i in. hinged filling arms, each of which is fitted with duplicate valves. A quickaction lever valve allows for the rapid adjustment of the supply, and a screw down stop-valve can be worked from the callerswhich runs along the back of the shed and affords access to the top of the vans--or from the ground.
Underground Storage of 177,500. Gallons Capacity.:
The main storage tanks, constructed by the Whessoc Foundry Co., are five in number, and have a total capacity of 177,500 gallons of spirit. A small gasometer is connected to these tanks; the object of this is to ensure safety, and to prevent loss a-hen atmospheric conditions render the spirit more volatile. When the underground storage tanks ale being filled from the barges, which have come up the river loaded with spirit from the depots at the Thames mouth, there is a completely sealed circuit which obviates undue evaporation of the petrol, and, ipso facto, makes for safety.
A Closed Pumping Circuit.
"[his eneuit is completed in the following nianner. The petrol is pumped from the barges to the storage tanks, and an outlet thence to the gasometer, and a return pipe from the gasometer to the barge complete the circuit. Close to these main tanks are two wharf-cranes, each capable of lifting up to one-ton in weight, and these are used for loading barrels into the barges.
Steam Petrol-pumps.
The main pump for the transference of the spirit from the barges to the storage tanks is a Worthington of nearly 32,000 gallons per hour capacity. Close at hand is the pump house, which contains two smaller Worthington pumps, each capable of pumping 10,000 gallons per hour. Those are used for transferring the spirit from the underground-storage to the overhead-distributing tanks, of which there are two, each of 3000 gallons capacity. A 13 ft. by 5 ft. Cochrane tubular boiler, working at 100 lb. pressure per sq. in., and completely isolated by means of a solidly-built wall, supplies steam to the various pumps. By arrangement with the Fulham Council, the steam supply has been duplicated, so that, in the event of the firm's own supply failing, a service can still be maintained. A Sturtevant fan, working at 2000 r.p.m., is installed in the pump house, and is used for exhausting gas from the tanks when they are being cleaned and overhauled. A Broom and Wade steam-driven air compressor, whose main duty is to supply air for the can. testing department, incidentally drives this fan.
Can-filling on a Large Scale.
From the overhead distributing tanks the petrol is led by gravity into the service tanks, which are situated inside the filling sheds. Each of these sheds has a
superficial area of 8000 sq. ft. Mainsupply pipes from the service tanks run down the centre of each department, and to these are connected 84 can-filling
machines which are in course of construction. These are geared in three, and one operator can attend to six machines. A short account of the mechanism of the filling machines or measures may be of interest. A circular measuring tank is fitted at the bottom with a threeway cock, and this provides for the fill. big of the measure, the shutting off of the petrol supply, and the opening of the outlet to the cans. At the top of the measure is an adjustable screw, which can be calibrated to ensure that exactly two gallons of spirit are measured out by the machine. When once adjusted, this screw is lead sealed, which makes any interference without detection an impossibility. 25,000 two-gallon cans represents a day's output from these machines.
Cleaning Cans by Petrol us' der Pressure.
There are four sheds of equal size in the main building. The first is devoted to the sorting and preparing of calls and barrels which have been returned to the depot. Passing into the No. 2 shed, these cans and barrels are tested by air pressure, and thoroughly cleaned by means of nozzle sprays, of which there are 42. Petrol is supplied to these sprays by means of a small rotary pump. This method ef rinsing and cleansing the cans ensures the " Shell " spirit being filled into cans which are perfectly free from any foreign matter. The remaining sheds are devoted to the testing and filling of the cans and barrels, a process which has been described above.
Granolithic floors have been laid, and a 20 in.-gauge trolley-line runs through all the departments in this building ; the wagons running on this line being capable of carrying 350 two-gallon cans in one load.
In close proximity to this building is the can store and repair shop, in which cans that have been returned to the depot can he repaired and tested as they arrive. A well-equipped storage battery is installed near the gate house for the purpose of providing current for the electric inspection of the interior of petrol cans, and also for charging the accumulators which provide light for many purposes on the depot.
Provision for Fire and Customs.
Ample provision has been made for overcoming a fire in the extremely unlikely event of such an occurrence. A fire main, fitted with four hydrants, runs down the centre of the yard. Sand bins and buckets, chemical extinguishers and asbestos blankets are also provided in sufficient Quantities. " Shell " wharf being a bonded store, accommodation has been provided for the Customs officer and his staff, above the general offices.
The Making oT a Two-gallon Can.
The can-making department deserve. special notice. Passing through the doors of this department. the Clanging of rapidly-moving and powerful ma chinery breaks on the ear. Stepping carefully th avoid pulleys and presses. the visitor is conducted along the shop where he witnesses all the operations in the making of the cans. A heavy press is the first machine to attract attention. Sheet-metal is placed under the punch, there is a crunching sound, and the bodyblank of a two-gallon can slips down the slide at the rear of the machine. This blank is carried to a second machine, which panels and stamps the company's well-known " Shell " brand sign on the metal. The next machine quickly blocks the material roughly into shape, and the closing up of the side seam is the following process. The fifth operation sees the top and bottom of the embryo can flanged over to receive the top and bottom plate. The top plates receive first attention. By means of an ingenious die, this is firmly secured with a double. seam joint. To secure the bottom firmly and securely has proved a great stumbling block to many can manufac turers. However, a rapid-action press of unique design has overcome the difficulty in this workshop, and the bottom is secured in one operation by a strong double-seam joint. Meanwhile in different parts of the department machines are rapidly punching tops and bottoms for the cans out of sheet metal. The handles are bent into shape and stamped, and a rapidly-working press blanks strengthening strips from metal left over from the other machines. Close at hand is a machine which clips the strips on the seams of the cans.
Soldering is the next operation. After submerging each joint in a flux, a skilful worker deftly dips the seam into a Vshaped tank containing melted solder. The cans are then passed on to other employees, who sweat in position the screwed brass nipples. They are their submitted to strict scrutiny by a staff of workers, who are supplied with electrically-heated soldering irons, and any imperfect joints are tipped off with solder. The switches to these irons work in an oil-bath to prevent any possibility of sparking. The handles are now sweated on to the cans, and after this is done they are passed on to the testers. A rubber. faced conical nozzle is inserted into the outlets of the cans, and the whole is plunged under water and tested by compressed air. The interiors of the cans are finally inspected by means of an electric lamp, and, if satisfactory, they are then placed on an endless elevator Which carries them to an upper floor. Here an ingenious device catches the cans and transfers them to a roller railway down which they travel by gravity to be painted. Outside the can-making department, and completely isolated and protected, is the switch house, which contains all the main switches. Here also is the 40-amp. generator which supplies current to the soldering irons. A 20 h.p. motor provides the driving power for the presses and dies.
To Use Motorvans.
On land adjoining the depot, the company proposes to erect a garage for the accommodation of a fleet of motor-cans. Every care has been taken in the equipping and building of the depot in order to comply with the requirements of the L.C.C. and the Building Acts. Neither expense nor trouble has been spared to achieve this end.
" Shell " Enterprise.
The increase in the use of the motor for business and transport purposes must lead to the establishment of similar storages in different industrial centres all over the country. The proprietors of " Shell " spirit are to be congratulated on the business which calls for such provision, and also upon the enterprise which they have displayed so promptly coping with the situation.