Abstract: In an automatic tank filling installation, the duct for insertion in the filling orifice of the tank, e.g. mounted on a railway truck or road vehicle, is mounted for movement in the longitudinal direction of movement of the truck or vehicle, for movement in a direction transverse thereto and for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction to allow the axis of the pipe to be aligned with the axis of an off center filling orifice, means being provided for causing the pipe to pivot simultaneously with, and as a function of, movement of the pipe in the transverse direction.

Abstract: In filling a tank, e.g. of a lorry or wagon, with a liquid, particularly a hydrocarbon, by lowering a pipe under the control of a double acting hydraulic jack into the tank to the bottom and then supplying the liquid to the pipe, the volume of hydraulic fluid flowing to the jack is measured during lowering movement of the pipe, the measurement is converted into a signal representing the position of the end of the pipe and the signal is compared with a reference signal representing the position of the bottom of the tank, so that the operator can check whether the pipe has reached the bottom of the tank.

Abstract: A sealing device for sealing between two telescopic tubes which in one relative position come to rest one on the other, the device comprises an inflatable seal disposed between said tubes and means for supplying fluid to said seal to inflate said seal, which means is controlled by the force arising when one tube comes to rest and bears on the other tube. The means for inflating the seal may comprise a jack which is connected to the seal and subject to the weight of one of the tubes when it comes to bear on the other tube.