EP0323946A2 - Device for maintaining large containers - Google Patents

Abstract

The device for maintaining large containers, such as storage tanks and similar vessels consists of a frame construction for receiving several working platforms along the container wall, the frame construction being mounted swivellably about the vertical mid-axis which forms the axis of rotation. For this purpose, the device can be moved along the entire circumferential surface, supported in the region of the upper container edge. In three preferred embodiments, the device can consist either of a rotary structure, which is mounted centrally on the container roof and can be adjusted vertically and horizontally about a ventilation dome on the container roof, or of an axle bracket, which is positioned centrally on the container roof, or finally of a loading bracket which is supported movably on the uppermost container edge and a vessel ascent and is composed, in turn, of a grid bearer and a frame. …<IMAGE>…

Description

The invention relates to devices for the maintenance of large-volume containers, such as storage tanks or similar vessels, preferably with at least approximately a round cross-section according to the preamble of claim 1.

Large-capacity containers of the type of interest here are tank vessels for storing gases or liquids of all kinds, such as city gas, petroleum, various petroleum fractions and other fluids, but also solids, such as fine dusts and the like. When viewed from a central vertical axis, storage tanks of this type are mostly rotationally symmetrical structures of cylindrical, oval or spherical shape. Since their height often corresponds to several floors of a building, and because of their specific locations they are often difficult to access, their maintenance is difficult, time-consuming and therefore cost-intensive in a large number of practical applications.

The maintenance of the storage tanks, especially if they contain easily flammable, chemically aggressive or even explosive substances, is of the utmost importance and is consequently mandatory by the legislator even at relatively short intervals, even if these laws and regulations in different countries have different content.

It is known to equip large-capacity containers with commercially available constructions, such as scaffold tubes with clamp connectors, and to provide a plurality of work platforms which lie one above the other within the Scaffolding construction can be walked on using ladders. The usual boiler tanks with a circular cross-section are mostly equipped in segments, that is, only over certain sub-areas of the circumferential surface, so that the necessary maintenance work on the large-volume tanks, such as renovation work or repairs of all kinds, can be carried out in succession by constant retrofitting. The scaffold structures must not be connected to the container wall in such a way that it is exposed to damage or other additional loads, for example through holes or fastening lugs. In order to produce the required stability, additional stabilizing trestles and / or supporting struts outside the scaffolding structure are often required in the case of scaffold structures supported above, in the case of often difficult subsoil conditions, such as soft sand or trench channels around the large-volume containers.

In addition to the complete scaffolding or segment scaffolding with its successively lengthy set-up assemblies, various floating platforms are also known, with a work platform practically attached to two ropes attached to a certain point on the container circumference at the upper container edge and above its height dimension can be moved in the manner of an elevator. Either a hand crank provided on the work platform or an electric motor that raises or optionally lowers the suspended platform is used for this. In this case, only the small segment section of the large area, which is predetermined by the width of the suspension platform, is available for repair work available. Here too, the suspension platform has to be retrofitted and re-locked from section to section.

In addition to the difficulties outlined for the known scaffolding constructions for the maintenance of large containers, it must also be taken into account that, depending on the application, such storage tanks can be provided with fixed roof structures or floating roofs, as well as with covers of various shapes, including those with central ventilation shafts or so-called cathedral structures, or that it can be flat-bottom tanks with double walls.

This is where the present invention comes in, which is based on the object of being able to carry out maintenance, such as repair and / or renovation work much more easily and quickly, regardless of the type of such large container, while at the same time minimizing the material required for the scaffolding construction from as few standardized individual parts as possible.

This object is achieved according to the invention by the features specified in the characterizing part of claim 1.

Advantageous refinements and developments of this task solution result from the subclaims.

The fact that both the well-known floor-based complete or partial scaffolding of the open-plan container is used and above is also completely removed from a lift-like lifting platform, the above-mentioned and generally known disadvantages are completely eliminated. The maintenance device according to the invention is particularly easy to assemble and dismantle as an access system for storage tanks of all kinds, and easy to assemble without special tools, it can be easily hung regardless of the location of the large-capacity container and the surrounding soil conditions around the tank over its entire length Swivel the circumference continuously, and there are no special requirements either on the container wall or on the container cover.

On ladder scaffolds suspended vertically downwards, work platforms can be inserted at any height of the scaffold construction and at the desired intervals, which in turn represent standardized individual parts. The scaffolding construction consists essentially of commercially available material already known for scaffolding of buildings and the like, namely tubular frame individual parts. For storage tanks with a central ventilation shaft or ventilation dome, one or more crane arm-like connectors are added, which are also of a material-saving design, and for large-volume vessels with fixed roofs without a central ventilation shaft, a rotating axle bearing construction, the versatility of which can also be achieved through a simple but effective construction from a few standardized individual parts indicates. The attached drawings show Various embodiments of the device according to the invention for the maintenance of large-scale containers of all types, preferably with a highly rotationally symmetrical cross section, are partially highly schematized.

Further advantages and individual features of the invention are to be explained and described in more detail as examples.

• Fig. 1 die Draufsicht auf einen zylindrischen Großraumbe­hälter mit zentrisch fixier­tem Drehgestell für die Auf­nahme der Gerüstkonstruktion,
• Fig. 2 die Draufsicht auf ein um einen Domschacht fixiertes Drehge­stell,
• Fig. 3 eine Seitendarstellung der An­ordnung gemäß Fig. 2,
• Fig. 4 eine Teilschnittwiedergabe mit zugehörigem Schwenkarm und Be­lastungsbock im Bereich der oberen Behälterwandung,
• Fig. 5 die seitliche Darstellung eines möglichen Belastungsbockes
• Fig. 6 eine Draufsicht eines weiteren Ausführungsbeispiels der Vor­richtung nach Fig. 3,
• Fig. 7 die seitliche Darstellung eines Drehgestells für einen Großraumbehälter ohne Lüftungs­dom,
• Fig 8 eine Darstellung gemäß Fig. 7 für den oberen Teil dieses Dreh­gestells,
• Fig. 9 eine Draufsicht auf das Dreh­gestell gemäß Fig. 7 und 8,
• Fig 10 eine Teildarstellung des Drehge­stells von Fig. 7, den unteren Teil betreffend,
• Fig 11 eine seitliche Wiedergabe einer Gerüstkonstruktion unter Ver­zicht auf ein zentrisches Dreh­gestell,
• Fig 12 eine Seitendarstellung für einen Teil der Gerüstkonstruktion nach Fig. 11 und
• Fig 13 eine weitere Detaildarstellung der Ausführungsform nach Fig. 11 und 12.

Show it:

• 1 is a top view of a cylindrical large-capacity container with a centrally fixed bogie for receiving the scaffolding structure,
• 2 shows the top view of a bogie fixed around a dome shaft,
• 3 shows a side view of the arrangement according to FIG. 2,
• 4 is a partial sectional view with the associated swivel arm and load bracket in the area of the upper container wall,
• Fig. 5 shows the side view of a possible load frame
• 6 shows a top view of a further exemplary embodiment of the device according to FIG. 3,
• 7 is a side view of a bogie for a large container without a ventilation dome,
• 8 is a representation according to FIG. 7 for the upper part of this bogie,
• 9 is a plan view of the bogie according to FIGS. 7 and 8,
• 10 is a partial view of the bogie of FIG. 7, relating to the lower part,
• 11 is a side rendering of a scaffold structure without a central bogie,
• Fig. 12 is a side view for part of the scaffolding construction according to Fig. 11 and
• 13 shows a further detailed illustration of the embodiment according to FIGS. 11 and 12.

According to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 6 inclusive, the device for maintenance of the partially indicated cylindrical storage tank 3 essentially consists of the bogie 1 arranged centrally around the dome shaft 2, on the swivel leading radially outwards in the exemplary embodiment at an angle of 120 ° to each other arms are held, which are fixed to each other by connecting struts 5 and from on the radially outer ends of the swivel arms 12 located in the area of the upper container edge load brackets 14. On the radially outwardly extending beyond the upper container edge 7 extensions of the swivel arms 12 are hanging vertically downwards the scaffolding structures that hold the platforms.

The bogie 1 forms a closed collar bushing around the ventilation or dome shaft 2 provided centrally on the large-capacity container.

Fig. 3 shows several details of an embodiment of a bogie, which is only indicated schematically in Fig. 1. As can be seen in the exemplary embodiment of the ventilation shaft 2, the central holder for the scaffold structure which can be pivoted through the full angle of the container circumference. Here, the axis of rotation or symmetry is the vertical central axis 8 of the ventilation shaft, as indicated in FIG. 3 in dash-dotted lines. The bogie 1 is characterized first by the fact that the collar bushing 11 has axle sockets 13 which are guided horizontally through their vertical wall sections and on whose radially inwardly directed free ends there are mounted impellers 15 which are supported on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical air duct 2 when rotating of the bogie and thus the scaffolding construction. A plurality of such impellers which can be adjusted and locked in the horizontal direction by means of nuts 16 are provided around the circumferential surface of the collar bushing 11. The lower part of the display frame 1 opens into a frame 17 which can be hexagonal according to the embodiment according to FIG. 2 and quadrangular according to the embodiment according to FIG. 6. Of course, it is also possible to choose any other frame configurations for the bogie 1.

The frame 17 accommodates axle bearings via vertical bores for height-adjustable rollers or wheels 18, which support the bogie 1 on the surface of the container roof 4. Struts 19 can be provided between the collar bushing 11 and the frame 17 for reasons of increased strength. In their horizontal adjustability, the wheels 15 form adjusting rollers with respect to the centering of the scaffold structure, while the wheels 18 in their horizontal adjustability allow the axis-parallel alignment of the overall structure in a simple manner. On the frame 17 of the bogie 1, at least one, preferably several, in height adjustable joint pieces 46 are also provided at regular intervals, which in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4 are designed as rectangular buffer plates and have elongated holes which in turn hold the connecting struts 12 via bolts. At the radially outer ends of the connecting struts 12, a load bracket 14 is attached in the manner to be described later, which rotates along the upper container edge 7 on the container roof 4 when the bogie 1 is pivoted.

The load bracket 14 is shown again enlarged in cross section in FIG. 5. It essentially consists of a simple frame construction with lower height-adjustable wheels. However, it is also easily possible to dare such like load bracket from prefabricated pipe parts, using pipe connectors, namely to manufacture pipe clamps and conventional lattice structures.

At the radially outer free ends of the extensions of the connecting struts 5 projecting beyond the container edge, as will be explained in more detail later, the ladder aisles of the scaffold structure are hooked into which the work platforms can be inserted and locked in a manner known per se as with other scaffold structures. 5 is limited in its cross section to a trapezoidal carriage construction with 4 or 8 wheels each, which can run freely around the entire surface of the large container and are able to fully absorb the weight of the scaffolding construction.

The scaffold construction according to the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 6 thus forms a circular construction, that is to say that it runs around the full circumferential surface of the container and runs on the container roof 4, to which ladder aisles are attached which are able to accommodate any number of working platforms, through which in turn any place on the outer skin of the large container can be reached in the simplest way for maintenance work, such as renovations, repainting, monitoring activities and the like. It is irrelevant how many individual parts the so-called collar bushing 11 of the bogie is ultimately composed of, so that the overall construction can be constructed from only a few prefabricated and standardized individual parts. The rotary movement can be realized using simple chain or gear transmission drives the. The conductor constructions which are attached to the radially outer ends of the swivel arms 12 are indicated in FIG. 1 with the reference number 20. Finally, it should be pointed out at this point that the swivel arm 12, as can be seen in particular in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6, can also consist of a lattice construction which can have a triangular shape in cross section, for example. The device for hanging in the ladder racks or the work platforms is shown in a hint on the left in FIG. 6.

In the case of large-capacity containers or tank systems with a fixed roof construction but without a ventilation dome, the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 6 is replaced by an embodiment as can be seen in FIGS. 7 to 10 inclusive. The dome structure is replaced here by an axle bracket 21 placed centrally on the container roof and composed of an upper part 22 and a lower part 23. The lower part 23 is connected to the upper part 22 via a plurality of shaft-like rods 24, along which a height-adjustable displacement between the upper and lower part is possible. In the exemplary embodiment, as shown in particular in FIG. 9, a total of 6 such rods 24 are provided at the same distance from the vertical central axis 8 and at the same distance from one another and the lower part 23 can consist of angle irons welded together in the region of the corners specified by the rods 24 and the The angular iron polygon can be aligned horizontally by means of height-adjustable screw bolts 25 at the respective corners. The rods 24 are connected to the lower part 23 by one insert the same into suitable socket holes along said angle iron and locking, for example by screw fastening, rigidly connected and the upper part 22 corresponds essentially to that of the lower part 23 in its embodiment, so it can in turn be made of angle iron, additional struts 26 holding a central axle bearing 27 , which is fixed twice in this way, i.e. at its upper and lower ends. In the central axle bearing 27, an axle shaft 9 is inserted, which projects beyond the upper part 22 in the manner shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The corner regions of the upper part 22, like those of the lower part 23, are provided with continuous vertical bushings and corresponding bores, which specify plain bearings for the rods 24. A height adjustment of the upper part 22 on the central section of the supporting lower part 23 can be carried out over the entire length of the rods 24, a continuous fixing by means of suitable screw locks being possible. Instead of the height-adjustable feet 25, which in the exemplary embodiment can be provided at all six corners or advantageously only at three corners of the substructure, it is also possible to attach mobile rollers or wheels in order not only to be able to adjust the axle bracket 21 in the horizontal direction, but instead if necessary also bring it into any angular position to a vertical cutting plane. On the upper free end with the axle shaft 9, the center line of which coincides with the vertical center axis 8 of the container, one or more sockets can be plugged on, which are connected to connecting pieces, for example by welding, to which in turn the swivel arms 12 to accommodate the load blocks 14, as described in FIGS. 1 to 6, are to be attached. 8, the bores 29 for receiving fixing screws within the bearing bushes 28 of the upper part 22 can be clearly seen; in contrast to FIG. 7, no bushes 30 with associated connecting pieces 31 are placed on the axle shaft 9 here.

As shown in FIG. 9, both the lower part and the upper part are additionally secured with radial struts 32 in addition to the angle irons connecting the bearing bushes 28 to one another, or can at least be secured in this way, in particular the upper part 22 requiring these radial struts 32 in order to secure the central axle bearing 27 , as shown there, to be clearly fixed and secured against possible torques.

Different boiler curvatures can, as in the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 6, be compensated for by adjusting the angle of inclination towards the center. Different axis lengths can be taken into account in the simplest way when the tank arms are correspondingly different by suitable extension on the swivel arms 12. In this context, mention should also be made of the fact that it is possible to design the swivel arms 12 telescopically, so that their length can be set as desired. A length-adjustable connecting piece, not shown here, serves as an end piece for balancing the center point and the load frame, a plate, for example a steel plate, with corresponding bores and a corresponding counter plate that can be tilted, in turn, can adjust the angle of inclination of the swivel arm continuously and practically as desired.

In a preferred exemplary embodiment, FIGS. 11 to 13 still show further facilities for the maintenance of large containers. This embodiment is used for tanks with floating roofs. The load bracket 10 is not articulated here to a centrally mounted swivel arm, but consists of an upper lattice girder 33 and a lower frame 34, which is supported on the upper edge 7 of the boiler 7 via roller devices 35, and additionally via linkages 36 and running wheels 37 on the usually existing ones encircling boiler riser 38. The upper lattice girder 33 and the lower frame 34, which together define the carriage-like load bracket 10, are connected to one another in a suitable manner via rods, in the radially outer region beyond the container wall 6 and in the radially inner region of conductor lattices 20, which here can be hung in a conventional manner and which in turn support the working platforms in the same way as is the case in the examples described above. In particular, the illustration in FIG. 12 shows that the wheels 37, which are supported on the boiler riser, are vertically displaceable relative to the carriage-like load bracket 10 and thus to further roller bearings 42 in adjustment boxes 21, so that different heights can be compensated for here. Struts 40 serve to additionally stiffen the device or the individual elements with one another. The roller or roller device 35 runs directly on the top edge 39 of the boiler and is in particular from FIG. 11 Obviously mounted directly on the lower frame 34, on which the upper pairs of rollers of the roller bearings 42 are attached, while the lower pairs of rollers of the lower roller bearings 42 are received via linkage on the frame 43 as well as on the lattice girder 33.

13 finally shows a horizontal section through the device according to FIG. 11. It can be clearly seen that in the radially outer and radially inner region of the boiler wall or the uppermost edge of the boiler 39, the conductor grids 20 are fastened to the lattice girders 33, that is to say in are hung in a proper manner, which in turn carry the work platforms 45. The bushings 44 are used for the relative displacement of the roller device guided here on the one hand and the impellers 37 on the other hand. The reference numeral 41 designates the railing of the boiler riser 38. Both in the radially inner and in the radially outer region of the container wall can be hung in the vertically downward hanging grid at any height and any number of work platforms 45, as is known per se in scaffolding. Since the carriage-like load bracket 10 is supported via the roller device on the one hand on the uppermost edge of the boiler 39 on the other hand at a distance from it, by means of the impellers 37 it is supported on the edge of the boiler barrel 38 and is furthermore defined in the reinforced wall area 7 at two different heights by means of the roller bearings 42 There is also no need to fear pivoting or other tilting of the conductor grids 20 if they are only mounted on one side, for example in the radially outer region of the large-volume container. The facility can be stored with the entire scaffold construction around the full circumferential surface of the large container.

Claims (13)

1. Device for the maintenance of large containers, such as storage tanks and the like vessels, preferably with at least approximately round cross-section, consisting of a scaffolding structure for receiving several work platforms along the container wall, characterized in that the scaffolding construction around the vertical central axis (8), which acts as the axis of rotation the axis of symmetry of the large-volume container is pivotally supported along its entire circumferential surface, at least in the region of the upper container edge (7). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the scaffolding structure consists of a centrally mounted on the container roof (4) mounted bogie (1), from which a plurality of this articulated pivot arms (12) extend in the radially outer direction, at the Free grids (20) projecting beyond the container wall (6) can be attached. 3. Device according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the bogie (1) around a ventilation dome (2) on the container roof (4) is arranged horizontally adjustable and vertically adjustable. 4. Device according to claim 1 to 3, characterized characterized in that the swivel arms (12) are supported in the area of the upper container edge (7) of the storage tank (3) by means of load blocks (14) so as to be adjustable in height. 5. Device according to claim 1 to 4, characterized in that the swivel arms (12) are held together by means of connecting struts (5) at predetermined angular intervals. 6. Device according to claim 1 to 5, characterized in that the bogie (1) consists of a collar bushing (11) and a frame (17), and that horizontally adjustable wheels (15) from the collar bushing (11) and vertically adjustable bare Rollers (18) are received by the frame (17). 7. Device according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that on the frame (17) additional arm holders (46) are attached. 8. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that an axle bracket (21) is positioned centrally on the container roof (4), which consists of an upper part (22) and a lower part (23), the lower part of the bolt (25) carries, which allow the horizontal adjustment of the axle bracket (21) on the container roof and the upper part (22) receives an axle shaft (9) which is aligned centrally to the vertical central axis (8), on the attachable sleeves (30) connecting pieces (31 ) are mounted, which hold the swivel arms (12). 9. Device according to claim 1 and 8, characterized in that the upper part (22) of the axle bracket (21) relative to its lower part (23) via rods (24) is adjustable in height. 10. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the bogie consists of a on the top container edge (39) and a boiler riser (38) movable supporting bracket (10), which in turn consists of a lattice girder (33) and a frame ( 34) composed. 11. The device according to claim 1 and 10, characterized in that the upper lattice girder (33) and the lower frame (34) by means of linkages (36) and struts (40) are non-positively and positively connected. 12. The device according to claim 1 and 10 and 11, characterized in that roller bearings (42) in pairs at different heights, the upper container edge (7) overlapping, on the carriage-like load bracket (10) are adjustably attached in a horizontal and / or vertical direction. 13. The device according to claim 1 and 10 to 12, characterized in that the conductor grid (20) for the work platforms (45) on the upper lattice girder (33) of the load bracket (10) are arranged.

Images