EP0031775A1 - Cistern comprising a vessel contained within a parallelepiped framework - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A tank-container comprising a tank retained inside a parallelepipedic framework, characterized in that the tank (11) is connected to the framework by means of shock-absorbing studs (16) comprising a resilient pad (17) interposed between a male body (18) and a female body (19), these two bodies fitting into one another and being secured one to the framework and the other to the tank.

Description

The present invention relates to a tank container comprising a tank retained inside a parallelepiped frame.

The tank containers have been designed to meet the requirements of modern transport. Their framework is in fact made so as to facilitate their handling with the usual lifting devices as well as their storage, in piles or in rows, in warehouses or in means of transport such as freighters, wagons and trucks.

In current tank-containers, the tank generally rests on cradles provided on the frame and is applied directly against them by half-clamps fixed to the frame, for example by bolting. However, with such an assembly method, all the forces exerted on the framework during the handling or the transport of the container are transmitted to the tank which risks thus being damaged at any time.

The present invention proposes to remedy these drawbacks and, to do this, it relates to a tank container which is characterized in that the tank is connected to the frame only by means of multidirectional elastic studs.

The various forces exerted on the frame are now absorbed by the elastic studs and therefore no longer reach the tank. The risks of it being damaged during handling of the tank container are thus eliminated.

The elastic studs also allow the tank to expand more easily during temperature variations. In addition, they oppose the appearance of corrosions under tension as well as the formation of thermal bridges.

Advantageously, each stud comprises an elastic mattress interposed between a male body and a female body of complementary shapes, these two bodies being nested one inside the other and integral with one of the framework and the other of the tank. It is easily understood that the elastic pads, when they have a structure of this type, can be produced easily and with a low cost price.

Preferably, the male body and the female body are connected to each other by a removable fixing member. It will be noted here that the essential function of this member is to provide security against possible separation of the tank and the frame when the tank container is subjected to very violent shocks, for example during a fall.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the male body and the female body have a common axis of symmetry extending vertically.

Thanks to this arrangement, the tank is best protected against the various forces to which the framework is subjected during handling, these forces generally being exerted in all directions, but especially horizontally <

To facilitate manufacture and limit the cost price of the container, while ensuring effective protection of the tank, the male body and the female body may advantageously have two vertical side walls facing each other, two side walls also inclined towards one another. the other, connecting the two vertical walls, and a horizontal wall connecting the four side walls, which is located at the smallest side of the vertical walls.

According to a particular arrangement, the vertical side walls are parallel to the longitudinal sides of the frame, which makes it possible to limit the size of the elastic studs and therefore to adapt in the frame a tank having a slightly increased capacity.

Preferably, the tank container according to the invention comprises four elastic studs located on the longitudinal sides of the frame and facing two by two, the male bodies of the studs located on the same side being fixed on a horizontal beam connecting the ends of the framework while the female bodies of these same studs are each connected to the lateral sides of a vertical reinforcing ring projecting from the side wall of the tank. It can also advantageously include two other elastic studs, the male bodies of which are fixed to the reinforcement rings of the tank, at the top of the latter, and the female bodies of which are each connected by two horizontal pins at one end of the framework.

According to a first alternative embodiment, each pad comprises an elastic mattress constituted by two plates, for example made of rubber, interposed between the inclined and / or horizontal walls of its male body and its female body. However, to achieve better absorption of the forces exerted both horizontally and vertically, each pad may comprise, according to a second variant embodiment, an elastic mattress, for example made of rubber, interposed between the different walls of its male body and of its body female.

• La figure 1 est une vue en élévation schématique d'un conteneur-citerne conforme à l'invention ;
• La figure 2 est une vue de dessus du conteneur-citerne visible sur la figure 1 ;
• La figure 3 est une vue en coupe partielle à plus grande échelle effectuée selon la ligne III-III de la figure 1 ;
• La figure 4 est une vue en coupe partielle, à échelle encore agrandie, effectuée selon la ligne IV-IV de la figure 3 ;
• La figure est une vue en coupe selon la ligne V-V de la figure 4 ; et,
• La figure 6 est une vue en coupe partielle, à plus grande échelle, effectuée selon la ligne VI-VI de la figure 2.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

• Figure 1 is a schematic elevational view of a tank container according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a top view of the tank container visible in Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a partial sectional view on a larger scale taken along line III-III of Figure 1;
• Figure 4 is a partial sectional view, on a still enlarged scale, taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 3;
• The figure is a sectional view along the line VV of Figure 4; and,
• FIG. 6 is a partial section view, on a larger scale, taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 2.

As can be seen in Figures 1 and 2, the tank container comprises first of all a parallelepiped frame, the longitudinal 1 and transverse sides 2 of which are delimited by four vertical uprights 3 provided with shoes 4 at their two ends. These shoes, which are intended either to allow the attachment of the lifting means of the handling equipment, or to cooperate with the shoes of the neighboring containers, are in fact produced with completely conventional standardized shapes and dimensions.

At the lower part of each of its longitudinal sides 1, the framework comprises a beam at 15, the ends of which rest on the corresponding uprights 3. With particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, it will be readily seen that each beam 5 has two horizontal wings 6 each having a planar external face, as well as a vertical core 7 provided with openings 8 over its entire length.

In the upper and lower parts of its transverse sides 2, the framework also includes horizontal crosspieces 9 connecting the corresponding uprights 3.

Two crosspieces 10 also connect the lower wings of the beams 5 in order to further increase the rigidity of the frame.

The tank container visible in Figures 1 and 2 comprises, disposed inside its framework, a tank 11 in the form of a cylinder of revolution closed at each of its ends by an end wall curved towards the outside. This tank, the longitudinal axis of which extends horizontally, conventionally comprises a manhole 12 centered on the upper generatrix of its side wall and which is accessible, thanks to a vertical ladder 13 leading to a horizontal walkway 14. It also includes a drain valve (not shown) located on one of its end walls, as well as two vertical reinforcement rings 15 projecting from its side wall, equidistant from its end walls.

It will be noted here that the tank 11 could have a cross section not circular, but for example elliptical or having any convex curvature. Similarly, its end walls could possibly be flat at the instead of being bulged.

In accordance with the invention, the tank 11 rests on the framework by means of elastic studs 16, the structure of which will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. These studs which, in the embodiment shown are at number four, are located on the longitudinal sides 1 of the frame and face two by two. It goes without saying, however, that their number and location could be different if the dimensions of the container so required.

As can be seen in Figures 3 to 5, each pad comprises an elastic mattress 17 interposed between a male body 18 and a female body 19 of complementary shapes. These two bodies are nested one inside the other and, in the example shown, they respectively have two vertical side walls 20a, 20b extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tank, two side walls 21a, 21b also inclined towards each other, and a horizontal wall 22a, 22b resting on the four side walls, at the level of the smallest side of the vertical walls.

It will be noted here that the male and female bodies could alternatively have a frustoconical side wall whose small base would be closed by a circular horizontal wall.

In the example shown in the drawings, the male body 18 is welded by its large base to a plate 23 fixed by bolts 24 on the external face of the upper wing 6 of the visible beam 5. As for the female body 19, it is connected to the lateral sides of the reinforcing ring 15 by means of two parallel flanges 25 welded on its inclined side walls 21b and two other parallel flanges 26 welded on its vertical wall 20b which is turned towards the longitudinal axis of the tank.

Of course, the female bodies of the four elastic studs are not necessarily fixed to the lateral sides of the reinforcing rings 15. After a slight movement of the male bodies on the beams 5, they could indeed be fixed in other places, possibly reinforced, of the side wall of the tank.

The elastic mattress 17 which can be seen particularly well in FIGS. 4 and 5 is interposed between all the opposite walls of the male body 18 and the female body 19. In certain cases, it could however only be present between the inclined walls 21a and 21b and / or between the horizontal walls 22a and 22b of these two bodies.

In the embodiment envisaged here, the mattress 17 is made of rubber, but there is nothing to prevent it being made of a different material, provided that the latter is sufficiently elastic and capable of absorbing all the forces that would be exerted on the frame.

To be complete, it will also be noted that the male body and the female body of each of the four elastic studs 16 are connected to each other by a connecting member such as the bolt 27 whose head rests on the external face of the horizontal wall 22b of the body 19 and the rod of which, which crosses this wall and the mattress 17 and the horizontal wall 22a of the body 18, is screwed into a nut 28 provided on the internal face of this last wall 22a .

The tank container which has just been described comprises two other elastic studs 29 centered on the upper generatrix of the reinforcement rings 15 and each connected by two horizontal bracons 30 to the upper shoes 4 of two uprights 3 delimiting a transverse side of the framework . These two additional studs have a structure similar to that of studs 16 and therefore do not have to be described in detail here. It will simply be noted that they comprise a male body 31 fixed on the corresponding reinforcing ring 15, a female body 32 fitted on the male body and an elastic mattress 33 interposed between the walls opposite the male and female bodies. Referring to Figure 6, it will be noted that the horizontal wall of the female body is integral with a plate 34 on which the two pins 30 are supported and that a bolt 35 connects the male body to the female body. It will also be noted that the vertical walls of the male and female bodies of the studs 29 are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tank, just like those of the male and female bodies of the studs 16.

Finally, it should be noted that the studs 16 and 29 do not protrude from the lateral faces of the frame and that they are thus protected against possible deterioration during the handling of the tank container.

The elastic pads produced in accordance with the present invention provide effective protection of the tank against the various forces which could be exerted on the tank during the handling or transport of the container. They also have the advantage of allowing fast and simple fastening and separation of the tank and the framework. It suffices to put the bolts 27 and 35 in place to carry out the first operation and to remove them to carry out the second.

Claims (10)

1 .. Tank-container comprising a tank retained inside a parallelepipedic frame, characterized in that the tank (11) is connected to the frame only by means of multidirectional elastic studs (16). 2. Container-tanker according to claim 1, characterized in that each stud (16) comprises an elastic mattress (17) interposed between a male body (18) and a female body (19) of complementary shapes, these two bodies being nested one inside the other and integral with one of the framework and the other with the tank. 3. Tank container according to claim 2, characterized in that the male body (18) and the female body (19) are connected to each other by a removable fixing member (27, 28). 4. Tank container according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the male body (18) and the female body (19) have a common axis of symmetry extending vertically. 5. Tank container according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the male body (18) and the female body (19) each have two vertical side walls (20a, resp. 20b) facing each other, two side walls (21a, resp. 21b) also inclined towards each other and connecting the two vertical walls, and a horizontal wall (22a, resp. 22b) connecting the four side walls, which is located at the level of the most short side of the vertical walls. 6. Tank container according to claim 5, characterized in that the vertical side walls (20a, 20b) are parallel to the longitudinal sides of the frame. 7. tank container according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that it comprises four elastic studs (16) located on the longitudinal sides (1) of the frame and facing two by two, the male bodies (18) of the studs located on the same side being fixed on a horizontal beam (5) connecting the ends of the frame while the female bodies (19) of these same studs are each connected to the lateral sides of a worm ring reinforcement tical (15) projecting from the side wall of the tank. 8. Tank container according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that it comprises two other elastic studs (29) whose male bodies (31) are fixed to the reinforcement rings (15) of the tank , at the upper part thereof, and whose female bodies (32) are each connected by two horizontal bracons (30) at one end of the frame. 9. Tank container according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that each stud (16, 29) comprises an elastic mattress (17) constituted by plates, for example of rubber, interposed between the inclined walls and / or horizontal of its male body (18) and of its body. female (19). 10. Tank container according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that each stud (16, 29) comprises an elastic mattress (17), for example made of rubber, interposed between the different walls of its male body ( 18) and its female body (19).

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