Water Tank

• US 20140138389A1
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westeel Canada Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vicwest Corporation (Kingspan Group PLC)
• Inventors: Allen, Bruce, Shan, Yuqin, Le, Nhi Y
• Granted Patent: US 9,033,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/565
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/08 with a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/008 Doors for containers, e.g. ISO-containers locking E05B83/12
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/08 Interconnections of wall parts; Sealing means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/10 Manholes; Inspection openings; Covers therefor safety features B65D90/22; covers or similar closure members, for pressure vessels in general F16J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/205 for flexible containers, i.e. the flexible container being permanently connected to the frame B65D77/061, B65D88/1612, B65D90/046 take precedence; unpacking of Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container [FIBC] B65B69/0075; crane hooks for frames for FIBC B66C1/226
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 7/06 with vertical axis

Abstract

A cylindrical upstanding water tank is formed from a plurality of rows of corrugated curved panels bolted edge to edge with a liner extending over the cylindrical wall and support surface to contain the water within the tank. An access opening is formed in one panel of the cylindrical wall and includes a frame with a rectangular planar front flange and a rearwardly extending flange welded into the hole. Liner retention straps surround the hole to fasten an edge of the liner around the hole. An access cover plate is bolted to the front flange of the frame and carries a hoop strength plate which fastens to studs at the rear of the plane so that the plates are removable to allow service access to the interior of the tank.

Claims

1. A water tank comprising:

a plurality of rows of curved panels where the panels of each row are connected end edge to end edge to form a cylindrical wall portion and where the wall portions formed by the rows are stacked and connected top edge to bottom edge to form a cylindrical wall extending from a bottom edge of the cylindrical wall mounted on a support surface to a top edge of the wall for containing water;

a liner extending over the cylindrical wall and support surface to contain the water within the tank;

and an access opening in the cylindrical wall comprising;

a frame welded into a hole formed in one of the curved panels;

a liner retention system surrounding the hole to fasten an edge of the liner around the hole;

and an access cover plate arranged to be fastened to the frame so as to be removable therefrom to allow access to the interior of the tank inside the liner by a person for service within the interior.

2. The water tank according to claim 1 wherein the wall portions are corrugated with horizontally extending corrugations.

3. The water tank according to claim 1 wherein the wall portions are bolted together.

4. The water tank according to claim 3 wherein the wall portions are bolted together at overlapping edge strips.

5. The water tank according to claim 1 wherein the frame is rectangular with two upstanding side posts and two horizontal connecting rails.

6. The water tank according to claim 5 wherein the frame includes a front planar flange onto which the access cover plate is fastened and a rearwardly extending flange which is welded to the panel at an edge of the hole and wherein the rearwardly extending flange of each of the connecting rails is deep enough in a direction into the hole such that a horizontal curved edge of the panel is welded onto the flange across its full width while being spaced from the front flange across its full width.

7. The water tank according to claim 6 wherein the curved edge of the panel is welded on the inside surface and on the outside surface to the flange.

8. The water tank according to claim 1 wherein the frame includes a front flange onto which the access cover plate is fastened and a rearwardly extending flange which is welded to the panel at an edge of the hole.

9. The water tank according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a hoop strength coupling plate extending across the hole at the frame for transferring hoop loads from the panel across the frame, the hoop strength coupling plate being removable.

10. The water tank according to claim 9 wherein the frame includes a front flange onto which the access cover plate is fastened and a rearwardly extending flange which is welded to the panel at an edge of the hole and wherein there is provided a rear flange at each side of the frame extending inwardly across the hole and wherein the hoop strength coupling plate is connected to each of the rear flanges for transferring the hoop loads therebetween.

11. The water tank according to claim 9 wherein the hoop strength coupling plate is removable with the cover plate.

12. The water tank according to claim 9 wherein the hoop strength coupling plate is carried on the cover plate for removal therewith.

13. The water tank according to claim 1 wherein the cover plate is sealed to the frame by a sealing strip to prevent escape of the water from the interior of the tank through the hole.

14. The water tank according to claim 13 wherein there is provided a hoop strength coupling plate extending across the hole at the frame for transferring hoop loads from the panel across the frame, the hoop strength coupling plate being removable and wherein the hoop strength coupling plate is not sealed to the frame so that water enters between the hoop strength coupling plate and the cover plate.

15. The water tank according to claim 9 wherein the hoop strength coupling plate is arranged to transfer hoop loads to the frame by studs connected between the hoop strength coupling plate and the frame.

16. The water tank according to claim 15 wherein the hoop strength coupling plate has holes at side edges thereof arranged to engage studs on the frame.

17. The water tank according to claim 15 wherein the studs comprise shear bolts where a hole in either the frame or the plate engages over a head of the shear bolt.

18. The water tank according to claim 1 wherein the cover plate is bolted to a front flange of the frame.

19. The water tank according to claim 1 wherein the liner retention system is fastened to the inside surface of the wall portion.

20. The water tank according to claim 19 wherein the liner retention system includes a pair of parallel upright straps bolted to the panel on either side of the hole and a pair of parallel horizontal straps bolted to the panel above and below the hole.

21. The water tank according to claim 20 wherein the panels are corrugated with horizontally extending corrugations and wherein the upstanding straps are similarly corrugated.