Liquid fuel tanker truck and method with automatic shutoff transport foot valve

摘要

A fuel tanker truck for and a method of transporting liquid fuel, in a tanker truck having a fuel storage compartment and a delivery pipe having a compartment end controllably communicating with the interior of the tanker storage compartment and a distal end having an adaptor. The method includes substantially filling the delivery pipe with liquid fuel, transporting the fuel in the delivery pipe, and during or after the transporting step, trapping and sealing the liquid fuel within the delivery pipe in response to the storage compartment end of the delivery pipe separating from controllable communication with the interior of the storage compartment. The delivery pipe compartment end is coupled to the compartment by the assembly includes a housing having an upstream section for receiving liquid from the storage tank and a downstream section for delivering liquid to the delivery pipe, and a shear groove located between the upstream and downstream sections for separating the upstream and downstream sections in response to an impact force applied to one of the sections. An emergency valve subassembly is located upstream of the shear groove for selectively controlling the flow of liquid from the storage tank into the upstream section, and a shut-off valve subassembly seals closed the liquid flow path through the downstream section in response to the separation of the downstream section from the upstream section. This action traps the fuel in the delivery pipe instead of allowing fuel to escape and cause damage to people, property, and the environment.