Fuel tank and methods of making and using the same

• US 9,434,535 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Sheppard
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Sheppard
• Inventors: Sheppard, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Newhouse, Nathan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zettl, Jennifer N
• Application Number:
  US14/183,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20140263350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/54 characterised by means facilitating filling or emptying filling or emptying features for flexible large containers B65B69/0075; construction or shape of discharge section of hoppers B65D88/28; gates or closures B65D90/54; filling or emptying bunkers, hoppers, or like containers B65G65/30
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/0033 Lifting means forming part of the container B65D90/0006, B65D90/0026 take precedence; loading or unloading container on or from a truck B60P1/6418; lifting the container using a crane B66C1/663
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/0066 Partition walls

Abstract

Fuel tanks having at least two adjacent fuel tank compartments integrally connected to one another are disclosed. Methods of making and using fuel tanks having at least two adjacent fuel tank compartments integrally connected to one another are further disclosed.

Claims

1. A fuel tank comprising:

at least three adjacent fuel tank compartments integrally connected to one another, with each fuel tank compartment comprising;

a fuel tank compartment inlet opening along an upper surface of said fuel tank compartment,

a fuel tank compartment outlet opening along and within a lower front side surface of said fuel tank compartment, and

a fuel tank compartment outlet member extending outward from said fuel tank compartment outlet opening along said lower front side surface;

wherein all of said at least three adjacent fuel tank compartments share (i) a bottom wall of said fuel tank, (ii) a front wall of said fuel tank, (iii) a rear wall of said fuel tank, and (iv) a top wall of said fuel tank;

wherein two lifting members are positioned proximate each of opposite upper surface portions or opposite side surface portions of said fuel tank.

2. The fuel tank of claim 1, wherein said fuel tank compartment outlet member has a first end connectable to said fuel tank compartment outlet opening and a second end opposite said first end, said second end having a fuel tank compartment outlet member opening that is substantially parallel to said upper surface.

3. The fuel tank of claim 1, wherein said fuel tank compartment outlet member extends outward from said lower front side surface a distance d₁ with d₁ being less than about 6.0 inches, and along said lower front side surface a distance d₂ with d₂ being less than about 6.0 inches.

4. The fuel tank of claim 1, wherein said fuel tank compartment outlet member extends outward from said lower front side surface and comprises a 90°

angle portion along said fuel tank compartment outlet member.

5. The fuel tank of claim 1, further comprising a single shared wall between any two adjacent fuel tank compartments.

6. The fuel tank of claim 5, wherein said fuel tank comprises n adjacent fuel tank compartments integrally connected to one another in a side-by-side configuration, and (n +1) total vertically-extending side walls within said fuel tank.

7. The fuel tank of claim 6, wherein n ranges from 3 to 8.

8. The fuel tank of claim 7, wherein n is 8.

9. The fuel tank of claim 1, further comprising a hose having a hose length that enables said hose to extend from (i) any fuel tank compartment outlet opening to (ii) a central location along an upper portion of said front surface proximate said upper surface.

10. The fuel tank of claim 1, further comprising a hose connector for each fuel tank compartment, wherein each hose connector is size so as to connect to (i) said fuel tank compartment outlet member, and (ii) a hose;

and a shut-off valve for each fuel tank compartment, wherein each shut-off valve is size so as to connect to (i) said fuel tank compartment outlet opening or (ii) said fuel tank compartment outlet member so as to be positioned between said fuel tank compartment and said hose.

11. The fuel tank of claim 1, wherein each fuel tank compartment comprises a fuel tank compartment inlet member extending upward from said upper surface, and each fuel tank compartment inlet member is positioned within an outer periphery of said fuel tank.

12. The fuel tank of claim 1, wherein said fuel tank has an overall width of about 8 ft, an overall height of about 4 ft, and an overall depth of about 4 ft, and each fuel tank compartment has a width of about 1.0 ft.

13. The fuel tank of claim 1, wherein each fuel tank compartment independently has a fuel volume capacity of up to about 119 gallons of fuel.

14. The fuel tank of claim 1, wherein walls of said fuel tank are formed from steel sheet metal having a sheet thickness of from about 1/2 inch to about 3/4 inch.

15. A fuel tank comprising:

from three to eight adjacent fuel tank compartments integrally connected to one another, with each fuel tank compartment comprising;

a fuel tank compartment inlet opening along an upper surface of said fuel tank compartment,

a fuel tank compartment outlet opening along and within a lower front side surface of said fuel tank compartment, and

a fuel tank compartment outlet member extending outward from said fuel tank compartment outlet opening along said lower front side surface;

wherein all of said three to eight adjacent fuel tank compartments share a bottom wall of said fuel tank, a front wall of said fuel tank, a rear wall of said fuel tank, and a top wall of said fuel tank;

wherein two lifting members are positioned proximate each of opposite upper surface portions or opposite side surface portions of said fuel tank.

16. The fuel tank of claim 15, wherein each fuel tank compartment independently has a fuel volume capacity of about 119 gallons of fuel.

17. A fuel tank comprising:

eight adjacent side-by-side fuel tank compartments integrally connected to one another, with each fuel tank compartment comprising;

a fuel tank compartment inlet opening along an upper surface of said fuel tank compartment,

a fuel tank compartment outlet opening along and within a lower front side surface of said fuel tank compartment, and

a fuel tank compartment outlet member extending outward from said fuel tank compartment outlet opening along said lower front side surface;

two lifting members positioned proximate each of opposite upper surface portions or opposite side surface portions of said fuel tank,

wherein each of said eight adjacent side-by-side fuel tank compartments share (i) a bottom wall of said fuel tank, (ii) a front wall of said fuel tank, (iii) a rear wall of said fuel tank, and (iv) a top wall of said fuel tank, and each fuel tank compartment independently has a fuel volume capacity of up to about 119 gallons of fuel.