CA2933800C

CA2933800C - Wash fluid containment system

Info

Publication number: CA2933800C
Application number: CA2933800A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Michael Aaron Tisdale
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-06-21
Filing date: 2016-06-21
Publication date: 2024-01-30
Anticipated expiration: 2036-06-21
Also published as: CA2933800A1

Abstract

There is provided a fluid containment system having a base and a folding assembly. The base has a wash floor and the folding assembly has at least one side floor pivotably connected to the base such that the side floor is aligned with the floor in an open position. An actuator is connected to the base and folding assembly to pivot the folding assembly about an axis. The folding assembly is pivotable with respect to the base when acted upon by the actuator to bring the folding assembly to a closed position for transporting the fluid containment system. A walkway is provided above the side floor.

Description

WASH FLUID CONTAINMENT SYSTEM
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] Wash fluid containment systems, and more specifically, mobile wash fluid containment systems.
BACKGROUND

[0002] Washing items, especially large items such as vehicles and equipment, may result in environmental damage when washing fluid and debris from the items accumulate on and contaminate the site. Wash fluid containment systems, and in particular mobile wash fluid containment systems have been used to prevent wash fluid and debris from contaminating the environment.
SUMMARY

[0003] In an embodiment, there is provided a fluid containment system, a base having a wash floor and a frame, for example a skid, supporting the wash floor; a folding assembly having at least one fluid impervious side floor pivotably connected to the base; and an actuator connected to the base and folding assembly to pivot the folding assembly about an axis; wherein the folding assembly is pivotable with respect to the base when acted upon by the actuator to move the folding assembly between an open position and a closed position. In an embodiment, the at least one side floor is aligned with the floor in the open position and the folding assembly is raised for transport in the closed position. In an embodiment, the folding assembly forms an extension of the wash floor when in the open position.

[0004] In an embodiment, there is provided a fluid containment system, a base having a wash floor and a frame supporting the wash floor; a folding assembly having at least one side floor pivotably connected to the base; a raised walkway extending from and above the at least one side floor; and an actuator connected to the base and folding assembly to pivot the folding assembly about an axis, wherein the folding assembly is pivotable with respect to the base when acted upon by the actuator to move the folding assembly between an open position and a closed position, the at least one side floor being aligned with the floor in the open position and the folding assembly being raised for transport in the closed position.

[0005] In various embodiments, there may be included any one or more of the following features: the frame has at least two beams extending parallel to the at least one side floor; the frame is a skid frame; the folding assembly has a raised walkway extending from and above the at least one side floor; the at least one side floor is a first side floor and a second side floor, and the first side floor and second side floor are spaced from each other by the base; the at least one side floor has an inner edge adjacent to. the floor and an outer edge opposite the inner edge, and a sidewall extending from the at least one side floor from or adjacent to the outer edge; at least a portion of the sidewall is a foldable wall portion; the raised walkway extends from the sidewall towards the wash floor and above a portion of the side floor in the open position; the raised walkway has an outer walkway edge extending along the walkway opposite the at least one side floor, and a walkway wall extending from or adjacent to the outer walkway edge and above the walkway; a hinge connects the folding assembly to the base and the folding assembly pivots about the hinge; linkage extends from the hinge to define a trajectory of rotation for the folding assembly; the actuator comprises a hydraulic cylinder or cable and winch system; the side floors are sloped towards the wash floor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0006] Embodiments will now be described with reference to the figures, in which like reference characters denote like elements, by way of example, and in which:

[0007] Fig. 1 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a fluid containment system in an open position;

[0008] Fig. 2 is a top perspective view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 in a closed position;

[0009] Fig. 3 is a bottom perspective view the embodiment of Fig. 1 in an open position;

[0010] Fig. 4 is top view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 in an open position;

[0011] Fig. 5 is a sectional view along line A-A of Fig. 4 showing a hinge;

[0012] Fig. 6 is a side view of an embodiment of the hinge of Fig. 5;

[0013] Fig. 7 is a top view of the embodiment of the hinge of Fig. 5;

[0014] Fig. 8 is a back view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 in an open position;

[0015] Fig. 9 is a detail view of Fig. 8 within line B ¨ B,, with ramp raised;

[0016] Fig. 10 is a back section view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 in an open position;

[0017] Fig. 11 is a back view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 in an closed position;

[0018] Fig. 12 is a detail view of Fig. 12 within line C ¨C;

[0019] Fig. 13 is a back view of a further embodiment of a fluid containment system in an open position; and

[0020] Fig. 14 is a back view of the embodiment of Fig. 14 in a closed position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Immaterial modifications may be made to the embodiments described here without departing from what is covered by the claims. In the claims, the word "comprising"
is used in its inclusive sense and does not exclude other elements being present. The indefinite articles "a" and "an" before a claim feature do not exclude more than one of the feature being present. Each one of the individual features described here may be used in one or more embodiments and is not, by virtue only of being described here, to be construed as essential to all embodiments as defined by the claims.

[0022] As shown in Figs. 1 ¨ 4, a fluid containment system 20 comprises a base 22 and a folding assembly 24 having at least one fluid impervious side floor 26.
There may for example be two side floors 26. The base 22 has a wash floor 30 and a frame 32, for example a skid, supporting the wash floor 30, and a first end 34, a second end 36, and sides 38. The folding assembly 24 is pivotably connected to opposite sides 38 of the base 12 and aligned with the wash floor 16 in an open position shown in Fig. 1. An actuator 40 is connected to the base 22 and folding assembly 24 to pivot the folding assembly 24 about an axis. The actuator 40 may be of several types, for example the hydraulic system shown, or pneumatic, or a cable and winch system. A cable and winch system, for example electrically or hydraulically operated, may include a rack at one or both of the hack end 34 and front end 36 of wash floor 16 on which winches are installed that use respective cables to lift each side 26. In addition to this a center winch can be installed on the center of the rack to pull smaller skidded equipment up onto the containment unit to be able to wash it.

[0023] The folding assembly 24 is pivotable with respect to the base 22 when acted upon by the actuator 40 to move the folding assembly 24 between an open position and a closed position and side floors 26 are aligned with the wash floor 30 in the open position as in Fig. I and the folding assembly 24 is raised for transport in the closed position, for example as shown in Fig. 2. The fluid containment system 20 thus forms a complete unit which can be folded from an open position for use to wash equipment and a closed position with a reduced footprint for transportation.

[0024] Each of the side floors 26 has an inner edge 42 adjacent to the wash floor 30 and an outer edge 44 opposite the inner edge 42, and may have a sidewall 46 extending from or adjacent to the outer edge 44 which may provide a barrier to prevent debris and fluid from falling outside of the fluid containment system 20 or to provide a safety barrier for workers.
At least a portion of each sidewall 46 may be a foldable wall portion or handrail 48, such as a typical oilfield style fold down handrail with solid walls for containment, extending from the sidewall 46. Each sidewall 46 may also support a walkway 50 extending inwardly from the sidewall 46. Each raised walkway 50 may extend from a sidewall 46 towards the wash floor 30 and above a portion of the side floor 26 when the folding assembly 24 is in the open position.

[0025] The handrail 48 and walkway 50 may be fixed together and rotatable as a unit, or may each independently fold to a closed position seen in Fig. 2. When the folding assembly 24 is in an open position, the walkways 50 are fixed in place for stability.

[0026] The frame 32 may have at least two lengthwise beams 52 extending parallel to the at least one side floor 26. As shown in Fig. 3, the frame 32 may have five lengthwise beams 52. The frame 32 may also have a number of transverse beams 53. The frame 32 may, for example, be a skid frame, such as an oil-field type skid, to allow the frame 32 to easily slide along a surface.

[0027] As shown in Figs. 5 ¨ 7, the folding assembly 24 may be connected to the base by hinges 54. The hinge 54 may be part of a linkage system 56 for pivoting the side floor 26 relative to the base 22. Each linkage system 56 may be connected to the base 22 by a hinge 54 and may have linkage 58 which extends from the hinge 54 and is affixed to the side floor 26 to define a trajectory of rotation for the folding assembly 24.
Linkage 58 may be affixed to the side floor 26 for example by fastening to a stiffener plate 60. Linkage 58 may be fastened to the stiffener plate 60 by a variety of fasteners, including for example bolts 61. The hinge 54 may be for example located on a bearing 62 of the base 12. The bearing 62 may for example be a pillow block bearing. Each side floor 26 may be pivoted around the hinge 54 by the operation of actuator 40 acting on the folding assembly 24.

[0028] As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the actuator 40 may be for example a hydraulic cylinder. The actuator 40 may be operated by a generator (not shown), which for example may run a 120V power pack which provides power to the actuator 40. The generator may be fixed to the base 22 or side floors 26 to form part of the fluid containment system 20. There may be several actuators 40 which may be provided at each end 34 and 36 of the base 22, each actuator 40 joining a side floor 26 to the base 22. The base 22 may have several hinges 54 along each side connecting the base 22 to the side floors 26. Each actuator 40 is rotatably connected to the base 22 and a side floor 26 such that extending the actuator 40 rotates the side floor 26 along a trajectory limited by the hinges 54.

[0029] The base 22 may have a ramp 64 extending from the first end 34 to allow equipment, including vehicles, to be easily transported onto the wash floor

30. The ramp 64 may for example be pivotably connected to the base 22 such that the ramp 64 may be moved from an open position for using the fluid containment system 20 to wash equipment as shown in Fig. 1 and a closed position for transporting the fluid containment system 20, shown in Fig. 2. Alternatively, the ramp 64 may be detachable from the base 20.
[0030] In use, a vehicle may be driven up the ramp 64 onto the wash floor 30.
Workers may stand on the side floors 26 or walkways 50 to wash the vehicle, for example by spraying water and washing fluids on the vehicle using spray wands. During the washing process, fluid and debris may be deposited on the wash floor 30, side floors 26 and sidewalls 46. A seal may be formed between each side floor 26 and the wash floor 30, for example by insertion of a J-strip seal into a gap 66 between the side floor 26 and the wash floor 30.
Alternatively, the side floor 26 and wash floor 30 may not have a gap 66 in an open position, or may have a catch basin located under the gap 66 to prevent fluid from reaching the ground.

[0031] The side floors 26 and wash floor 30 may be configured to allow fluid to accumulate on either end 34 and 36 of the base 22. For example, the side floors 26 may slope towards the wash floor 30 to prevent fluid build-up on the side floors 26 and the wash floor 30 may have layers which allow fluid to accumulate without pooling such as a grating layer and catchment layer. Each end 34 and 36 of the base 22 may have collars which provide a catchment for fluids. Fluid collected in the collars may be drained for example by using a hose attached to the collar. The collars may for example be 3-inches wide.
Other conventional methods may be used to collect and remove fluids.

[0032] The fluid containment system 20 may be transported on a transport surface of a vehicle such as a truck trailer. The fluid containment system 20 when in a closed position may be moved from a position on the ground onto the transport vehicle by winching. As shown in Figs 1 ¨4, the base 22 may have a connecting element 70, such as a hitch, for receiving a winch cable. The connecting element 70 may be fixed to the base 22 at either end, and may include multiple connectors. The fluid containment system 20 may for example be transported using a winch truck trailer. Connecting elements 70 may be formed on either end of the base 22, and may for example be part of frame lip 71 of the frame 32.
The frame lip 71 may extend beyond the wash floor 30 of the base 22. As shown in Fig. 4, the ramp 64 may extend from the frame lip 71.

[0033] In an embodiment, a base 22 has a wash floor 30 and a frame 32 supporting the wash floor 30. A folding assembly 24 has at least one side floor 26 pivotably connected to the base and a raised walkway 50 may extend from and above the at least one side floor 26. The raised walkway 50 may rotate to be brought from an open position in Fig. 1 to a closed position as shown in Fig. 2. The walkway 50 may have an outer walkway edge 44 extending along the walkway 50 opposite the corresponding side floor 26, and the walkway wall 48 may extend from or adjacent to the outer walkway edge 44 and above the walkway 50.

[0034] In a further embodiment, as shown in Figs. 13 and 14, a raised walkway 72 may extend from and above the at least one side floor 26. The raised walkway 72 may have a walkway wall or railing 74 which may be collapsible to permit side floors 26 to be pivoted to a closed position such as in Fig. 14. The walkway 72 may have an outer walkway edge 76 extending along the walkway 72 opposite the corresponding side floor 26, and the walkway wall 74 may extend from or adjacent to the outer walkway edge 76 and above the walkway 72. Walkway supports 78 may extend from the side floors 26 to support the platform 72 above the side floors 26 and also may provide a splash guard.

[0035] The walkway wall or handrail 48 or 74 may act as a barrier to prevent workers from falling off the walkway 72 or 50, and may also prevent fluid and debris from washing of equipment from escaping the fluid containment system 20. As shown in Fig. 13, a vehicle 80 may be driven onto the base 22, and workers 82 may spray the vehicle 80 with wash fluid. Fluid and debris may be prevented from passing through gap 66 by sealing or catchment element 84.

[0036] When in a closed position, the fluid containment system 20 may be for example 10' tall and 9' 6" wide in order to fit within certain legal transport dimensions. This closed position allows the fluid containment system 20 to be transported without detaching the constituent parts of the fluid containment system 20.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid containment system, comprising:
a base having a wash floor and a frame supporting the wash floor;
a folding assembly having at least one fluid impervious side floor pivotably connected to the base; and an actuator connected to the base and folding assembly to pivot the folding assembly about an axis, wherein the folding assembly is pivotable with respect to the base when acted upon by the actuator to move the folding assembly between an open position and a closed position, the at least one side floor being aligned with the wash floor in the open position and the folding assembly being raised for transport in the closed position.

2. The fluid containment system of claim 1 wherein the frame has at least two beams extending parallel to the at least one side floor.

3. The fluid containment system of any one of claims 1 and 2 wherein the frame is a skid frame.

4. The fluid containment system of any one of claims 1 ¨ 3 wherein the folding assembly has a raised walkway extending from and above the at least one side floor.

5. The fluid containment system of any one of claims 1 ¨ 4 wherein the at least one side floor is a first side floor and a second side floor, and the first side floor and second side floor are spaced from each other by the base.

6. The fluid containment system of any one of claims 1 ¨ 5 wherein the at least one side floor has an inner edge adjacent to the wash floor and an outer edge opposite the inner edge, and a sidewall extending from the at least one side floor from or adjacent to the outer edge.

Date Recue/Date Received 2022-12-19

7. The fluid containment system of claim 6 wherein at least a portion of the sidewall is a foldable wall portion.

8. The fluid containment system of claim 7 wherein the raised walkway extends from the sidewall towards the wash floor and above a portion of the side floor in the open position.

9. The fluid containment system of any one of claims 4 ¨ 8 wherein the raised walkway has an outer walkway edge extending along the walkway opposite the at least one side floor, and a walkway wall extending from or adjacent to the outer walkway edge and above the walkway.

10. The fluid containment system of any one of claims 1 ¨ 9 wherein a hinge connects the folding assembly to the base and the folding assembly pivots about the hinge.

11. The fluid containment system of claim 10 wherein linkage extends from the hinge to define a trajectory of rotation for the folding assembly.

12. The fluid containment system of any one of claims 1 ¨ 11 wherein the actuator is a hydraulic cylinder or a cable and winch system.

13. The fluid containment system of any one of claims 1 ¨ 12 wherein the frame comprises a skid.

14. The fluid containment system of any one of claims 1 ¨ 13 wherein the side floors are sloped towards the wash floor.

15. A fluid containment system, comprising:
a base having a wash floor and a skid supporting the wash floor;
a folding assembly pivotably connected to the base; and an actuator connected to the base and folding assembly to pivot the folding assembly about an axis;

Date Recue/Date Received 2023-06-21 wherein the folding assembly is pivotable with respect to the base when acted upon by the actuator to move the folding assembly between an open position and a closed position, the folding assembly being raised for transport in the closed position and forming an extension of the wash floor when in the open position.
Date Recue/Date Received 2023-06-21