AU665143B2 - Storage container for hazardous substance tanks - Google Patents

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act, 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Original p00011 Regulation 3.2 r i r r r*r r r sc TO BE COMPLETED BY THE APPLICANT rrr oa t t i i ii t NAME UF APPLICANT: ACTUAL INVENTOR: ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: INVENTION TITLE: DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION NO: SILTOWN PTY. LIMITED TRUSTEE FOR THE CALLENDER HODGE

TRUST

PETER HARRY CALLENDER Peter Maxwell Associates Blaxland House, Suite 10, 5 Ross Street, NORTH PARRAMATTA NSW 2151 STORAGE CONTAINER FOR HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE TANKS PL 7626 5TH MARCH, 1993 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it know to me:ft W i- -2- The present invention relates to storage containers for storing tanks of hazardous substances and, in particular, to a portable bunding container.

Conventionally, hazardous substance tanks have been bunded by permanent or semi-permanent structures built around the tanks. There has been little consistency in the way bunding has occurred and been regulated and in some cases, the bunding has consisted of building a makeshift wall around the tank that offers little protection to the environment.

10 The tank may remain accessible from above the wall and be prone to deterioration by weather conditions. In the event of leakage, the hazardous substance may enter the ground immediately surrounding the tank leading to contamination of the soil and possible migration of the hazardous substance to the groundwater. Heavy rains may also cause overflow of a wall bunded system and leaked hazardous substances carried by the overflow may contaminate the ground surrounding the wall.

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It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the disadvantages of the prior art.

20 According to the invention, there is provided a *U t portable spill proof container for the bunding of at least one hazardous substance tank, said container comprising:an enclosure having a floor, roof and side walls, the enclosure including a door for access therewithin, means for supporting said at least one tank within the enclosure, said supporting means being raised above the I t floor, I c 1 I I I S- I I 1 -3means for passing tubes from outside the container to :eed to the at least one tank, and sump means formed in the flocr to isolate any spillage from the at least one tank.

The portable container of the invention may further include means for venting air and other gases therethrough.

Preferably, the door edges are flared so as to avoid any leakage of hazardous substances out of the container and entry of liquids into the container.

10 It is also preferred that the portable container includes an access opening in the roof for overhead inspection of the interior of the container for any leaks from the at least one tank.

The portable storage containers preferably include hook means formed in the roof for raising the container. The hook CC, means may also facilitate the stacking of one container upon another container.

S r or For stacking purposes, the container may include a plurality of male parts formed on the roof that are adapted "20 to receive female parts formed on the floor.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is an isometric view of the front and underside of a bunding container according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the front and upper i'al: i iiii: i? i :r i&id side of the container of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the rear and upperside of the container of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is an isometric partly broken away view of vents used in the container of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is an isometric view of an access opening for a tube feeding through the wall of the container of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is an isometric view of a door skirting 10 arrangement for the container of Fig. 1, Fig. 7 is an isometric view of the interior of the container of Fig. 1, Fig. 8 is an isometric view of a support means for a tank located in the container of Fig. 1, Fig. 9 is an isometric view of tanks in a typical storage arrangement supported on the support means shown in Fig. 8, Fig. 10 is an isometric view of tanks in another storage arrangement supported on the support t 1 20 means shown in Fig. 8, and, Fig. 11 is an isometric view of a multi-compartment bunding container according to another embodiment of the invention.

The bunding container 10 shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 7 S 25 is, in this instance, made of steel treated with a corrosion retarder. Alternatively, the container 10 may be of Saluminium, hard moulded plastic or any corrosion resistant o material. Injection moulding techniques may be used to ~,,~, 1·: "* .f

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-5manufacture moulded plastic portable bunding containers.

The container 10 forms an enclosure comprised of a floor 11, a roof 12, a front wall 13, side walls 14 and 15 and a rear wall 16. The roof 12 is aligned at a sligl"t angle 5 falling to the rear wall 16.

The front wall 13 is comprised of a door 17 and a fixed portion 18. The door 17 has a handle 19 and is pivotable about internal hinges (not shown).

As shown in Fig. 6, the door 17 has a flared lower edge 10 or skirt 20 that forms an inverted V-shape. The upper edge 21 of the fixed portion 18 is flared in a shape corresponding to that of the door skirt 20. When the door 17 is clored, the door sKirt 20 is located above the fixed portion upper edge 21 so that any liquid sprayed onto the door from inside 15 the container, will drip back into the container and not to the outside.

There is an opening 23 to the container 10 above the door 17. The roof 12 extends downwardly over the opening to form a covering 24 that remains clear of the door upper edge , ,

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,';,",,,,,,t 20 when opened, but is sufficiently inclined that any liquid on its outer surface will not drip into the container.

There is a similar opening 25 with covering 26 above the rear wall 16 of the container.

Each side wall 14 and 15 has air vents 27 and 28 (shown 25 in detail in Fig. 4) located in the upper portion of the container to allow crossflow of air and other gasses into and out of the container. The vents 27 and 28 may be formed in an inverted V-shape or an inverted U-shape so that any liquid -6a.

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a. a a a 9*S* *0 a a 0~ a.aa a sprayed onto the vents from inside of the container will not drip to the outside, and vice versa.

As shown in Fig. 5, the door 17 has a small opening 29 through which a tube or pipe 30 passes and feeds into a hazardous substance tank located in the container. The opening 29 is covered by injection moulded flaps 31 and 32 both from the inside and outside so that the pipe 30 must pass from beneath the flaps 31 and 32 to enter the opening 29, thereby forming an inverted U-shape bend. This 10 arrangement of flaps 31, and 32 and the way in which the pipe 30 passes under the flaps and through the opening 29 also provides spill proofing on both sides of the door 17.

Similar opening and flap arrangements 33 and 34 are located on the rear wall 16 to provide spill proof access for 15 pipes entering the rear of the container.

There is a sump 35 formed in the floor 11 from which any spilled liquid can be decanted or pumped from the container. The floor 11 slopes gradually downwardly from all sides towards the sump 20 The roof 12 has a breather or inspection hatch 36 projecting therefrom. The removable cap of the hatch 36 is normally screwably sealed to the hatch collar so as to avoid leakage of rain. or other liquid into or out of the container.

The hatch,36 allows for inspection of levels of both spilled liquid in the sump 35 and of liquids In the tanks stored therein.. The operator, working through the hatch. 36, can unscrew a cock at the top of the tank and insert a level ii JL~4 4 mi'~w~

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S S S. tC t 4 t c I *4v1 *4 44 measurement rod into the tank. The cap of the hatch 36 can be vented to improve air circulation.

Also formed on the roof 12 are four apertured protrusions 37 each adapted to receive a hook of a chain for lifting the container., The protrusions 37 are also adapted to act as male parts that can receive female parts of the legs 38 of another identical container for stacking purposes.

Fig. 7 shows the container 10 with the door 17 open and a hazardous substance tank 39 located therein. The tap 40 of 10 the tank 39 is located adjacent the inner flap 32 so that a pipe may pass from the tap opening through the door opening 29, which is covered by the flaps 31 and 32, to the outside.

The tank 39 has an upper access opening or cock 41 closed by a threaded lid adjacent the inspection hatch 36 for measurement of the liquid level in the tank. The tank 39 is mounted tightly in a containment frame 42 which is supported on a pair of tracks 43 and 44 mounted on opposite side walls of the container (see also Fig. 8) and raised above the floor. Each track has a series of rollers 45 thait allow the 20 frame 42 with mounted tank 39 to be rolled along the tracks towards and away from the rear wall of the container as required.

The containment frame 42 has openings 46 and 47 for receiving tynes of a. forklift or th& like so as to facilitate transportation of the frame and tank combination.

A containment frame 48 for four upright tanks 49 is 7"shown in Fig. 9 supported on the tracks 43 and 44.

Fig. 10 shows a containment frame '50 for four tanks 51 Ii -8that are positioned on their sides, the frame 50 also being supported on the tracks 43 and 44.

Both of the frame and tank arrangements shown in Figs.

9 and 10 may require some small modification in the construction of the container 10 to facilitate inspection, venting and container flap outlets.

Fig. 11 shows a bunding container 52 that is divided into three compartments 53, 54 and 55 each having its own door, sump, container flap outlet, tracks and inspection 10 hatch. Vents 56 are located at opposite side walls and apertured protrusions 57 are formed on the roof.

*The bunding container 52 readily provides for the storage of tanks containing different hazardous substances.

Typically, a single tank bunding container according to the invention may store a 1000 litre tank.

The portable building container of the invention may c also be constructed in a larger size so as to store a large number of hazardous substance tanks or other containers of, say, about 20 litre volume each. Alternatively, such tanks 20 may be stored in their own portable bunding container which may be about the size of a normal three drawer filing cabinet.

I Where flammable goods are to be bunded, the container Sof the invention may be made of a bolted concrete construction or of any other materials of suitable strength and fire rating.

There may optionally be a battery operated alarm system powered by a single solar cell. In this embodiment, where a 1} leakage occurs, the rising liquid level will trigger a float switch which will set off a siren or other alarm condition.

Various other modifications may be made in details of design and construction without departing from the scope or ambit of the invention.

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Claims (6)

1. A portable spill proof container for the bunding of at least one hazardous substance tank, said container comprising: an enclosure having a floor, roof and side walls, the enclosure including a door for access therewithin, means for supporting said at least one tank within the enclosure, said supporting means being raised above the floor, means for passing tubes from outside the container to feed to the at least one tank, and 9sump means formed in the floor to isolate any spillage from the at least one tank.

2. The portable spill proof container of claim 1 further including means for venting air and other gases therethrough. The portable spill proof container of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the door edges are flared so es to avoid any Va. St' leakage of hazardous substances out of the container and entry of liquids into the container. a. The portable spill proof container of any one of claims .1 to 3 further including an access opening in the roof for overhead inspection of the interior of the container for any leaks from the at least one tank.I The portable spill proof container of any one of claims I to 4 further including hook means formed in the roof for raising the container.

6. The portable spill proof container of claim 5 wherein the hook means is adapted to facilitate the stacking of one i i -ll-I -11- of said containers upon another of said containers.

7. The portable spill proof container of any one of claims 1 to 6 further including a plurality of male parts formed on the roof that are adapted to receive female parts formed on the floor.

8. The portable spill proof container of any one of claims 1 to 7 further including a battery operated alarm system powered by a single solar cell for setting off an alarm condition when a leakage resulting in the rising of the liquid level in the container is sensed.

9. The portable spill proof container of any one of claims S' 1 to 8 wherein the floor slopes gradually downwardly from all sides towards the sump. A portable spill proof container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings. St c t, Dated this 28th day of February, 1994. i t SILTOWN PTY. LIMITED I TRUSTEE FOR THE CALLENDER HODGE TRUST Patent Attorneys for the applicant: PETER MAXWELL ASSOCIATES t- I I I ABSTRACT A portable spill proof container (10) for the bunding of at least one hazardous substance tank, such as may contain toxic liquid waste from an industrial source. The portable spill proof container (10) forms an enclosure comprising a floor roof and walls (1I, 14, 15 and 16). Front wall (13) includes a door (17) which allows access to within the container The hazardous substance tank is supported above the floor (11) by frame means (42) or the like. One or more tubes (30) may be passed from outside the 0S container (10) to feed into the hazardous substance tank, the tubes (30) being located through opening (29) of the door The opening (29) is preferably protected from rain penetration by flaps (31 and 32). The floor (11) slopes gradually downwardly from all sides towards a sump (35) that isolates any spillage from the tank. The container (10) may S. It also include vents (27) formed in the walls for venting air and other gases therethrough. *ett