FR2788578A1 - Septic tank comprises compressible seal and curved bolts with sealing washers positioned in joint - Google Patents

Abstract

The device for joining two or more components (1, 2) along a peripheral joint (P) to form a tube or tank, e.g. a septic tank, consists of a compressible sealing joint (30) and several long, curved bolts (40) fastening the components together. Sealing washer (33) is fitted in the joint around each bolt.

Description

DEVICE FOR ASSEMBLING AT LEAST TWO ELEMENTS,

  IN PARTICULAR FOR FORMING A DUCT OR A

TANK, LIKE A SEPTIC TANK

  The present invention relates to a device for assembling at least two elements connected to one another along a joint plane

  peripheral, in particular to form a conduit or a tank.

  Although the invention is hereinafter more particularly described with reference to a septic tank, the invention is in no way limited thereto and the device of the invention can be used as a sludge separator, starch separator, hydrocarbon separator , grease trap, manhole, underground passage, or any other

analogous application.

  A tank for a septic tank is known, consisting of two high density concrete one-piece half-shells, the two half-shells being joined together by gluing along a peripheral joint plane. The peripheral bonding of the two half-shells ensures both the tightness of the tank and the connection of the two half-shells during the

tank lifting.

  The object of the invention is to propose a device for assembling at least two elements, which makes it possible to improve the resistance to horizontal stresses at the level of the joint plane between the constituent elements of the assembly. The invention also aims to improve the mechanical connection between the constituent elements of the assembly, during its lifting. Another object of the invention is to reduce the assembly time of the components of the assembly.

and lower its overall cost.

  To this end, the subject of the invention is a device for assembling at least two elements connected to one another along a peripheral joint plane, intended in particular to form a duct or a tank, characterized by the fact that it comprises a compressible peripheral seal arranged in the joint plane between each pair of adjacent elements and a plurality of lag bolts connecting each pair of adjacent elements, in the vicinity of their common joint plane . For a buried septic tank, the lag bolts reinforce the resistance to the horizontal push of the grounds and to the operating loads, at the level of the plan

  of joint between the constituent elements of the tank. Tightening the pulls

  bottom ensures compression of the peripheral seal, which

  improves the tightness of the tank at the joint plane.

  Advantageously, each constituent element of the assembly comprises a plurality of passages opening into the joint plane, to each receive a lag screw, a sealing washer surrounding each lag screw being arranged at the joint plane between each pair. adjacent elements, the aforementioned seal being

  peripherally circumscribed to all of the sealing washers.

  Preferably, each passage has a substantially curvilinear shape opening onto an external lateral wall of the associated element, with its concavity turned towards the outside of the assembly, the passages of two adjacent elements being aligned on either side. of the common parting line, so as to be crossed by a lag screw with curved profile, the head of which abuts against an external side wall i5 of one of the elements, and the opposite threaded end of which engages in an anti-loosening nut, which bears on an external lateral wall of the other element of said pair of adjacent elements. According to another characteristic, each passage leads to a boss extending locally from the joint plane on the external lateral walls of the associated element. In this case, each boss may include a substantially frustoconical recess intended to receive the head or the nut of a lag screw and a channel in the form of a gutter opening into said recess, said channel being inclined towards the joint plane, for evacuate the filtration water, which otherwise

  may stagnate in the boss recess.

  According to yet another characteristic, each element comprises at least one peripheral reinforcement embedded in its side walls, in the vicinity of a joint plane, said peripheral reinforcement being circumscribed to all of the curvilinear passages in a horizontal plane. The peripheral reinforcement prevents the formation of

  cracks in the side walls of the element, in the event of impact.

  When the assembly forms a tank, the upper and / or lower element of the tank may include a plurality of lifting frames, a loop portion of which protrudes outside the bottom wall of said element, to serve lifting ring, and of which another loop portion is embedded in the side walls of said

  element, by surrounding a curvilinear passage.

  The presence of the external bosses and the lifting armatures at the level of the passages for the lag screws, makes it possible to avoid the bursting of the side wall of the element towards the exterior (vacuum thrust), during

handling of the tank.

  Advantageously, each element has vertical ribs extending substantially over the entire height of its walls

  internal side, at the right of way for the lag screws.

  Preferably, each lifting frame comprises two lifting rings, each looped portion serving as a lifting ring comprising a first strand passing through the bottom wall of the associated element and extending in a vertical rib to turn in a loop at level of a longitudinal wall of said element, so as to surround a passage, said other looped portion ending in said vertical rib, and a second strand crossing the bottom wall of said element and extending in a transverse internal rib on said bottom wall to form the second strand of

  the other lifting ring of the same lifting frame.

  According to another characteristic, each element comprises, in its peripheral joint plane, a peripheral groove intended to receive the peripheral seal, the depth of said

  groove being less than half the thickness of the seal.

  According to yet another characteristic, each passage for a lag screw leads to an annular impression formed in the joint plane of the associated element, said impression being intended to cooperate

  with the aforementioned sealing washer.

  In a first variant, each imprint is hollow in the joint plane and has a substantially frustoconical bottom, the small base of which corresponds to the mouth of a passage, the depth of each imprint being less than half the thickness of the washer. sealing. Thus, during its compression, the sealing washer may preferentially creep towards the lag screw, to ensure a

good sealing.

  In another variant, for each pair of adjacent elements, the imprints in the joint plane of one of the elements are in relief, while the imprints in the joint plane of the other element are hollow, so as to fit the raised imprints into the hollow imprints, during the assembly of the two adjacent elements, the depth of the hollow imprint being greater than the thickness of the embossed imprint, to receive between them a sealing washer, the difference between the depth of the hollow impression and the thickness of the relief impression being less than the thickness of the

sealing washer.

  In a particular embodiment, the assembly forms a tank having two elements in the form of a half-shell with closed bottom, respectively defining the upper element and the lower element of the tank, and at least one intermediate element in the form frame intended to be interposed between the two half-shells, each intermediate element comprising two parallel peripheral joint planes, while each half-shell has a single peripheral joint plane. In another particular embodiment, the assembly forms a conduit comprising at least two elements in the form of a frame. To better understand the object of the invention, we will now describe, by way of purely illustrative and nonlimiting examples, several embodiments shown in the accompanying drawing. In this drawing - Figure 1 is a perspective view from above of a tank according to the assembly device of the invention, for a septic tank; - Figure 2 is a plan view and from above of the lower half-shell of the tank of Figure 1, along the line II-II of Figure 3; - Figure 3 is a sectional view of the two half-shells assembled, along the line III-III of Figure 2; - Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views respectively along lines IV-IV and V-V of Figure 3; - Figure 6 is a rear elevational view, along arrow VI of Figure 1; - Figure 7 is an enlarged view of a detail circled in Figure 6 and identified by arrow VII; - Figure 8 is an enlarged view of a detail circled in Figure 6 and identified by arrow VIII; - Figure 9 is an enlarged partial view in section along the line IX-IX of Figure 1; - Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9, but according to an alternative embodiment; - Figure 11 shows a detail of Figure 9, but according to io another alternative embodiment; - Figure 12 is a schematic view in front elevation of another embodiment of the assembly device of the invention providing 1 to n intermediate frames; - Figure 13 is an enlarged schematic view in perspective

  from a detail in Figure 1, with a half-turn tool

  shell; - Figure 14 is a partial view in broken section along the line XIV-XIV of Figure 15; - Figure 15 is a partial view in broken section along the line XV-XV of Figure 14; and - Figure 16 is a partial sectional view of the profile of the lifting frame in the upper part of a half-shell of the

  assembly device of the invention.

  In Figure 1, we see a tank C for septic tank, consisting of two monobloc concrete half-shells 1, 2. However, as visible in Figure 12, the tank C may also include one or more intermediate frames 3, 4 ... n (n being an integer) inserted between the upper half-shell 1 and the lower half-shell 2. When the assembly device of the invention forms a conduit, this conduit is made up of several elements in the form of

frame 3, 4 ... n.

  As a numerical example, each element 1 to 4, n constituting the tank C, can be obtained by concrete molding. The tank can have a length of approximately 3870 mm, a width of 1240 mm, with a height for each element of approximately 660 mm. The tank has an interior volume of approximately 4,700 liters. Other assemblies

  allow to obtain larger useful volumes.

  The upper half-shell 1 has, through its upper wall 11, two circular holes 5 having a diameter of approximately 500 mm, one of which is used for positioning a filter, while the other is used for visiting the inside the tank. The upper half-shell 1 has on its two small opposite transverse lateral faces 12, respectively an inlet orifice 6 and an outlet orifice 7

  substantially aligned in the longitudinal direction of the tank.

  The inlet 6 is intended to receive a bent tube (not shown) for the admission of waste water into the tank, and the outlet 7 is intended to receive a discharge tube (not shown) for the evacuation of treated water. A blind hole 8 is provided in the vicinity of the outlet orifice 7, on the external surface of the transverse wall 12 of the upper half-shell 1. The bottom of the blind hole 8 can be formed by a thin concrete veil , about 5 mm, or by a temporary closure cap. If necessary, this blind hole can be drilled to receive an aeration tube, for the escape of gases from the decomposition of floating waste in the tank. In a manner known per se, the wastewater is treated in the tank in three phases: a decantation phase, during which the solid materials are deposited at the bottom of the pit by gravity; a fermentation phase, during which the bacteria naturally contained in the water participate in the decomposition of floating waste; and a liquefaction phase, during which the remaining heavy particles are deposited at the bottom of the pit by gravity, and the treated water is evacuated by the evacuation tube towards an underground spreading device for a final filtering in natural environment . The upper half-shell 1 comprises two opposite longitudinal walls 13, which define, with the transverse walls 12 and the upper wall 11, a hollow substantially parallelepiped block. In fact, the transverse walls 12 and the longitudinal walls 13 have a shape

  substantially trapezoidal inclined outward.

  Similarly, the lower half-shell 2 has a

  bottom 21, two transverse walls 22 and two longitudinal walls 23.

  As shown in Figures 2 to 5, each half-shell 1, 2 has in the middle of its transverse wall 12, 22 a vertical rib

  interior 14, 24 extending over the entire height of the half-shell.

  Each half-shell 1, 2 further comprises several internal ribs 15, 25, for example two ribs, which extend vertically on the longitudinal walls and, transversely, on the bottom of each half-shell. Preferably, the ribs 14, 24 and 15 have a substantially trapezoidal section, with for example a large base of the order of 120 mm, a small base of the order of 40 mm, and a thickness of the order of 70 mm. Although this is not shown, the frames 3, 4 also have vertical ribs on their transverse and longitudinal walls, in the

  extension of the ribs 14, 24 and 15, 25.

  The upper half-shell 1 has a lower peripheral rim 16 extending outwards, at the base of its walls

  transverse 12 and longitudinal 13. Similarly, the half

  lower shell 2 has an upper peripheral rim 26, extending outwards, at the top of its transverse 22 and longitudinal 23 walls. Although this is not shown, the intermediate frames 3, 4 comprise, in a similar manner, a peripheral edge projecting outward at their two lower and upper ends. The peripheral flanges 16, 26 facing each other, together define a joint plane P. At the level of the common joint plane P, each peripheral flange 16, 26 has a peripheral groove

  17, 27 intended to receive a peripheral seal 30.

  In line with each vertical portion of the ribs 14, 15 and 24, each half-shell 1, 2 has a curvilinear passage 18, 28, one end of which 18a, 28a opens at the top of the associated rib in the joint plane, and of which the other end 18b, 28b

  opens onto the external lateral surface of the associated half-shell.

  As can be seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, the peripheral grooves 17, 27 together define a housing with a substantially cross section

  hexagonal where the seal 30 is compressed.

  Each half-shell has, on the right, vertical portions of the ribs 14, 15 and 24, 25 with a boss 19, 29 projecting outward and extending from the associated peripheral rim 16, 26 over part of the height of the walls. side of each half-hull. As best seen in FIGS. 7 and 9, the mouth 18b, 28b of the passage 18, 28 opens into a recess 19a, 29a on the face of the boss 19, 29 opposite the associated flange 16, 26. The bottom of the recesses 19a, 29a forms an angle of approximately 48 relative to the common joint plane P, said bottom being inclined towards the outside of the joint plane P. The bottom of each recess 19a, 29a is extended by a channel 19b, 29b substantially in shape gutter to evacuate filtration water,

  which otherwise might stagnate in said recess.

  As best seen in FIG. 9, the mouth 18a of the curvilinear passage 18 leads to a relief impression 31 which is substantially annular in the joint plane P. The mouth 28a of the curvilinear passage 28 vis-à-vis opens out complementary, in the bottom of a hollow impression 32 in the common joint plane P. The relief impression 31 is adapted to fit into the hollow impression 32, the thickness of the relief impression 31 being less than the depth of the hollow cavity 32, so as to compress between the cavities a compressible rubber sealing washer 33. The cavities 31 and 32 are located

  towards the inside of the tank with respect to the peripheral grooves 17, 27.

  Advantageously, the sealing washer 33 has a thickness of mm and the residual space between the cavities 31, 32 has a

height of 6 mm.

  A curved tie rod or lag screw 40 is inserted through the aligned curvilinear passages 18 and 28 to connect the two half-shells 1, 2 to each other. The head 40a of the lag screw 40 is supported, by means of a metal washer 41 on the bottom of the recess 19a, while the opposite end 40k of the lag screw 40 is threaded so as to be screwed into a nut 42, which is supported, via

  a second metal washer 41 on the bottom of the recess 29a.

  The nut 42 is screwed onto the threaded end of the lag screw 40, so as to tighten the two half-shells 1, 2 along the joint joint plane P, which makes it possible to compress both the joint of peripheral seal and the sealing washers 33 which surround each lag screw 40, at the joint plane P. For example, the lag screw 40 may have a diameter of 12.5 mm and a length of approximately 250 mm, while the passages 18, 28 have a diameter of approximately 18 mm and the sealing washers 33 can have an internal diameter of approximately 15 mm and

  an external diameter of approximately 40 mm. The radius of curvature of the tire

  curved bottom 40 is approximately 150 mm. The nut 42 is preferably a metric pitch nut. In the variants illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, a peripheral reinforcement 50, 51 of steel with a diameter of approximately 5 mm or more is seen which extends in the vicinity of the joint joint plane P in the side walls of each half-shell, to form a belt

  integrated horizontal. The peripheral frame 50, 51 of each half

  shell 1, 2 is located on the concave side of passages 18, 28. Although this is not shown, each intermediate frame 3, 4, n can

  also include such peripheral frames.

  Each half-shell 1, 2 further comprises two lifting frames 52 of which a looped portion 52a projects outside the

  bottom wall 11, 21, to serve as a lifting ring (see FIG. 16).

  Another portion of the lifting frame 52 is embedded in the vertical portion of the rib 15, 25 and turns in a loop 52b at

  the longitudinal wall 13, 23 so as to surround a passage 18, 28.

  The armatre 52 thus makes it possible to transfer the stresses resulting from the weight of each half-shell 1, 2 and from the assembly preload generated by the tightening of the lag screws 40, directly to the part 52a forming a lifting ring. Indeed, as the loop portion 52b of the frame 52 surrounds the passage 18, 28 and therefore, the lag screw 40, the frame 52 allows to take up such stresses. As best seen in Figures 14 and 15, the loop portion 52b, after surrounding the passage 28, ends in the rib 25 at a

  distance of approximately 300 mm from said loop.

  The lifting frame 52 comprises a third portion 52c, visible in FIG. 16, which extends in the rib 15 on the bottom 11 of the associated half-shell 1 between two loop portions 52a transversely opposite, so that the same frame 52 connects

  transversely the two opposite longitudinal walls 13 of the half

shell 1.

  o10 In the variant of FIG. 10, the abovementioned imprints 31 and 32 are replaced by two hollow imprints 131, 132 of shape

substantially annular.

  In the variant of Figure 11, the imprints 231 and 232 are hollow and have a frustoconical bottom whose small base corresponds to the mouth 18a, 28a of a passage 18, 28. Thus, we see that the washer sealing 33 can preferably flow towards the lag screw 40 to ensure good sealing around the latter. It can be seen in FIGS. 1, 6 and 13 that the transverse walls 12, 22 of the two half-shells 1, 2 have, on their external surface, a blind hole 60, 61, which is located substantially vertically above a boss 19, 29. In FIG. 13, we see a tilting jaw 62 comprising a vertical elongated plate, one end of which is curved into a lug 64, which is intended to come to bear on the bottom 21 of the lower half-shell 2, said plate comprising in the vicinity of its opposite end a projecting pin 63, which is intended to be inserted in said blind hole 61. Thus, with two jaws 62, on either side of the half-shell, the lower half-shell and tilt it to 180 to allow its assembly with the half-shell

  superior. In FIG. 13, the recess 29a of the boss 29 has been omitted.

  Each constituent element of the tank is obtained by molding concrete between two metal half-molds, the concavity of which faces the ground. The outer half-mold has imprints complementary to the bosses 19, 29 and the inner half-mold has imprints complementary to the ribs 14, 15 and 24, 25. The passages 18, 28 and their frustoconical recesses 19a, 29a are obtained at the using a core consisting of a curvilinear pin extending by a neoprene truncated cone, the large base of which has a peripheral collar radially projecting outwardly to come to bear on the outer wall of the outer half-mold. The guiding curve of the truncated cone consists of two elliptical portions and an arc of a circle, to form the frustoconical recess 19a, 29a and the gutter 19a, 29b. The core pin is preferably slightly tapered to allow removal after molding. 1! For demolding, cylinders are provided to lift and thus take off the outer half-mold of the concrete. Another series of jacks are provided in line with the vertical portions of the interior ribs, to lift and thus take off the concrete element from the interior half-mold. Although the invention has been described in conjunction with several variants of a particular embodiment, it is obvious that it is in no way limited thereto and that it includes all the technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations, if these here come in

in the context of the invention.

Claims (15)

  1. Device for assembling at least two elements (1-4, n) connected to one another along a peripheral joint plane (P), and intended in particular to form a duct or a tank (C), such as a septic tank, characterized in that it comprises a compressible peripheral seal (30) arranged in the joint plane (P) between each pair of adjacent elements (1, 2) and a plurality of lag bolts (40) connecting each pair of adjacent elements to the   near their common joint plane.   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that each constituent element of the assembly comprises a plurality of passages (18, 28) opening into the joint plane (P), to each receive a lag screw (40) , a sealing washer (33) surrounding each lag screw being arranged at the joint plane between each pair of adjacent elements (1, 2), the aforementioned seal (30) being peripherally circumscribed at set of sealing washers (33). 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that each passage (18, 28) has a substantially curvilinear shape opening onto an external lateral wall of the associated element, with its concavity turned towards the outside of the assembly ( C), the passages of two adjacent elements (1, 2) being aligned on either side of the common joint plane (P), so as to be crossed by a lag screw (40) with curved profile, the head (40a) bears against an external lateral wall of one (1) of the elements, and the opposite threaded end (40b) of which engages in an anti-loosening nut (42), which bears on an outer side wall of the other element (2) of   said pair of adjacent elements.   4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that each passage (18, 28) opens onto a boss (19, 29) extending locally from the joint plane (P) on the side walls   of the associated element.   5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that each boss (19, 29) comprises a substantially frustoconical recess (19a, 29a) intended to receive the head (40i) or the nut (42) of a tire puller bottom (40) and a gutter-shaped channel (19k, 29k) opening into said recess, said channel being inclined towards the plane   seal, to evacuate the filtration water.   6. Device according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized by   the fact that each element comprises at least one peripheral reinforcement (50, 51) embedded in its side walls, in the vicinity of a joint plane (P), said peripheral reinforcement being circumscribed at   all the curvilinear passages (18, 28) in a horizontal plane.   7. Device according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized by   the fact that when the assembly forms a tank (C), the upper (1) and / or lower (2) element of the tank (C) comprises a plurality of lifting frames (52), a portion of which loop (521) protrudes outside the bottom wall (11, 21) of said element, to serve as a lifting ring, and another loop portion (52b) is embedded in the side walls (13 , 23) of said element, by surrounding a passage curvilinear (18, 28).   8. Device according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized by   the fact that each element has vertical ribs (14, 15; 24, 25) extending substantially over the entire height of its internal side walls, in line with the passages (18, 28) for the lag bolts (40).   9. Device according to claims 7 and 8 taken simultaneously,   characterized in that each lifting frame (52) has two lifting rings, each loop portion (52a) serving as a lifting ring comprising a first strand passing through the bottom wall (11, 21) of the associated element (1, 2) and extending in a vertical rib (15, 25) to turn in a loop (52b) at a longitudinal wall (13, 23) of said element, so as to surround a passage (18, 28 ), said other loop portion (52k) ending in said vertical rib (15, 25), and a second strand (52c) passing through the bottom wall of said element and extending in a transverse inner rib (15, 25) on said bottom wall to form the second strand of the other lifting ring of the same lifting frame.   10. Device according to one of claims 2 to 9, characterized   by the fact that each passage (18, 28) for a lag screw (40) leads to an annular impression (31, 32; 131, 132; 231, 232) formed in the joint plane (P) of the element associated, said imprint being intended   to cooperate with the aforementioned sealing washer (33).   11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that each imprint (231, 232) is hollow in the joint plane (P) and has a substantially frustoconical bottom whose small base corresponds to the mouth (18_, 28a ) one pass, the depth of each cavity being less than half the thickness of the washer sealing (33).   12. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that 1o that, for each pair of adjacent elements (1, 2), the imprints (31) in the joint plane (P) of one (1) of the elements , are in relief, while the imprints (32) in the joint plane of the other element (2), are hollow, so as to fit the imprints in relief in the hollow imprints, during the assembly of the two adjacent elements, the depth of the hollow imprint being greater than the thickness of the relief imprint, to receive between them a sealing washer (33), the difference between the depth of the hollow imprint and the thickness of the raised imprint being less than the thickness of the sealing washer.   13. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized   by the fact that each element comprises, in its peripheral joint plane (P), a peripheral groove (17, 27) intended to receive the peripheral seal (30), the depth of said groove being   less than half the thickness of the seal.   14. Device according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized   by the fact that the assembly forms a tank (C) comprising two elements (1, 2) in the form of a half-shell with closed bottom, respectively defining the upper element (1) and the lower element (2) of the tank, and at least one intermediate element (3, 4, n) in the form of a frame intended to be interposed between the two half-shells, each intermediate element comprising two parallel peripheral joint planes (P), while each half-shell presents a single peripheral joint plane.   15. Device according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized   by the fact that the assembly forms a conduit comprising at least   two frame-shaped elements (3, 4, n).