Tank lid

• US 5,071,021 A
• Filed: 06/10/1991
• Issued: 12/10/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: S Smith & Son Pty Ltd.
• Original Assignee: S Smith & Son Pty Ltd.
• Inventors: McDougall, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elkins, Gary E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STUCKER, NOVA E
• Application Number:
  US07/712,933
• Time in Patent Office: 183 Days
• Field of Search: 220/203, 220/209, 220/256, 220/366, 215/260
• US Class Current: 220/203.18
• 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 90/34 Venting means vehicle fuel tanks characterised by venting means B60K15/035
• CPC Class Codes: C12G 1/005 Methods or means to load or unload, to weigh or to sample the vintage; Replenishing; Separation of the liquids from the solids before or after fermentation

Abstract

A tank lid has a membrane of sufficient dimension to overlap the peripheral lip of a tank neck, an aperture in the membrane which opens to a space beneath an imperforate membrane support supporting the periphery of the membrane, and brackets arranged to be secured to the tank neck to be outstanding therefrom, and in use, to carry the membrane support when the lid is in a (normal) closed position.

Claims

1. A tank lid suitable for sealing a tank around a lip which defines an opening in a neck of the tank, comprising

a rigid imperforate membrane support, a membrane of dimension exceeding the dimension of the opening, means sealably securing the periphery of the membrane to the membrane support, an aperture in the membrane opening to a space between the membrane and said support,

and brackets arranged to be outstanding from the neck to carry the membrane support when the lid is in a normal (closed) position.

2. A tank lid according to claim 1 wherein said membrane support comprises a downwardly directed peripheral skirt the lower edge of which terminates in a radially outstanding flange, and said membrane periphery securing means comprises a clamping ring which clamps the membrane periphery against the flange.

3. A tank lid according to claim 2 further comprising an annular ring, and means securing the annular ring to the membrane, said annular ring being of larger diameter than the opening but smaller diameter than the flange.

4. A tank lid according to claim 1 further comprising an annular ring of larger diameter than the opening but smaller diameter than the flange, means securing the annular ring to the membrane, the ring providing sufficient weight and rigidity to hold taut that portion of the membrane which lies within it but the radial dimension of that portion of the membrane which surrounds the ring exceeding the distance between the ring and the flange so that said surrounding portion is slack.

5. A tank lid according to claim 4 wherein, in use, said sealing around the lip is effected solely by engagement of said taut portion of the membrane with the tank lip, with the membrane drooping over the lip.

6. A tank lid according to claim 4 wherein the dimensions and configuration of said tank lid (when installed) are such that, when the membrane is subjected to vacuum, said slack portion of the membrane deflects and the membrane lifts away from the lip of the tank neck under influence of differential pressure and air flow into the tank, while the brackets support the weight of the membrane support.

7. A tank lid according to claim 1 wherein the membrane support has a central tubular upstand, and a removable secondary lid closes the upper end of the upstand.