Gall Thomson: innovation and proven technology
Although an industrial breakaway coupling (also invented by a Gall Thomson company) was already in use on road and rail tanker traffic hoses and loading arms before the invention of the Gall Thomson marine device in 1978, no such coupling existed for crude oil transfer operations, involving marine vessels offshore.
The principles of the industrial device were not suitable for marine transfer hoses because of the flow, pressure and physical limitations of the conical spring valve employed at that time.