GB2086812A

GB2086812A - Cargo tank bulkhead arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2086812A
Application number: GB8036072A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: HALEY BROTHERS CHOPWELL Ltd
Current assignee: HALEY BROTHERS CHOPWELL Ltd
Priority date: 1980-11-10
Filing date: 1980-11-10
Publication date: 1982-05-19
Also published as: GB2086812B

Abstract

A tanker for liquid or powder cargoes comprises a tipping tank body 1 having bulkheads 8. The bulkheads 8 are divided into an upper, fixed half 10 and a lower half 11 hinged to the upper half 10. For liquids, the lower half bulkheads 11 are secured by bolts 15 engaging sockets 16. For powders. the bolts 15 are not engaged and the lower half-bulkheads 11 swing freely when the body 1 is tipped. A discharge hatchway has interchangeable fittings for liquid and for powder cargoes. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Cargo tank This invention relates to cargo tanks for transport of materials in bulk, for example, by a road or rail vehicle.

When a road or rail vehicle having a cargocarrying tank is used to carry a liquid, it is necessary to fit internal bulkheads to the tank to restrict movement of the liquid. Unrestricted movement would cause undesirable changes in the weight distribution of the vehicle during braking, accelerating and cornering. The bulkheads are usually apertured to allow movement of the liquid at a rate sufficient for discharge.

A tank thus fitted with bulkheads is not suited to the transport of powder cargoes which are not sufficiently fluid to pass through the apertures at a useful rate on discharge.

According to the present invention there is provided a cargo tank for a transport vehicle, the tank having at least one internal bulkhead, an upper portion of which is fixed to walls of the tank and a lower portion of which is mounted to swing relatively to the walls to allow movement of cargo past the upper bulkhead portion, and a locking device for securing the lower portion to the walls in a position in which the bulkhead partitions the tank into cargo compartments.

With such an arrangement, the lower portions of the bulkheads can be secured for transport of a liquid cargo and can be freed for powder cargoes so that they swing on tipping of the tank for discharge and allow the cargo to be discharged from a single discharge port.

An embodiment of the invention wili now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings of which: Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a tank vehicle and Figure 2 is an end view of a bulkhead of the tank of the vehicle of Figure 1.

A tank body is mounted on a framework 2 and arranged for tipping by tipping gear 3 relatively to a chassis 4 of the vehicle.

The tank body 1 is of conventional shape and has a domed forward end 5, access hatchways 6 having covers 7 and (not shown) a discharge hatchway at the lowest part of the rearward end.

The material of the body may be an aluminium alloy or a stainless or mild steel depending upon the intended cargo and may be lined with a plastics material. The discharge hatchway can be fitted interchangeably with conventional valve and aeration fittings for discharge of either powder or liquid cargoes. A small diesel engine and compressor may be mounted on the chassis 4 for supplying compressed air for aiding discharge of cargo.

Bulkheads 8 are fitted to the tank body 1 to divide the cargo space into compartments 9. Each bulkhead 8 has an upper half 10 and a lower half 1 suspended from the upper half 10 by a hinge 12. Each lower half-bulkhead 11 has a rubber sealing flap 14 around its curved edge and is fitted with a locking bolt 1 5 at its lowest point. Each bolt 1 5 is engageable in a socket 16 in the tank body 1 and is operable by engagement in an eye 18 of a hook carried by a pole which is inserted through a hatchway 6. The portion of the bolt 1 5 received by the socket 1 6 has a curved vertical face opposite to a flat vertical face. The socket 16 is complementarily shaped.Thus, if the bolt 1 5 is raised and rotated through 180 , it cannot fall downwardly into the socket 1 6. A resilient steel clip (not shown) on the lower half-bulkhead 11 holds to the bolt 1 5 in its raised and rotated position. The bolts 1 5 may also be arranged to engage respective hatchways 6 so that the lower half-bulkheads 11 are held raised for cleaning and maintenance of the interior of the tank body 1.

For transport of a liquid cargo, the lower halfbulkheads 9 are secured to the tank body 1 by engagement of the bolts 1 5 in the sockets 1 6. The discharge hatchway of the tanker is fitted with a liquid discharge fitting and the tanker is charged and discharged conventionally. The upper and lower half-bulkheads 10 and 11 are provided with perforations 1 7 to allow cargo to flow from one compartment 9 to an adjacent one when the tank body 1 is raised at its forward end by the tipping gear 3 for discharge.

For transport of a powder cargo, the bolts 1 5 are raised from their sockets 16, rotated, and secured by their clips so that the lower halfbulkheads 11 can pivot on the hinges 12. The discharge hatchway is fitted with the appropriate fitting and the tank body 1 filled in the usual way.

When the cargo is discharged, the lower halfbulkheads 11 remain vertical upon tipping of the tank body 1 and discharging powder can flow between their lower edges and the tank body 1.

The tank body 1 of the vehicle described hereinbefore may be fitted into a standard I.S.O.

framework for full compatibility with other I.S.O.

containers.

1. A cargo tank for a transport vehicle, the tank having at least one internal bulkhead, an upper portion of which is fixed to walls of the tank and a lower portion of which is mounted to swing relatively to the walls to allow movement of cargo past the upper bulkhead portion, and a locking device for securing the lower portion to the walls in a position in which the bulkhead partitions the tank into cargo compartments.

2. A tank according to claim 1, in which the upper and lower bulkhead portions meet along a horizontal line.

3. A tank according to claim 1 or 2 in which the lower bulkhead portion is suspended from the upper bulkhead portion.

4. A tank according to any preceding claim, in which the locking device is a bolt, slidable on the lower bulkhead portion to engage a socket in the wall.

5. A tank according to claim 4, in which the bolt

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Cargo tank This invention relates to cargo tanks for transport of materials in bulk, for example, by a road or rail vehicle. When a road or rail vehicle having a cargocarrying tank is used to carry a liquid, it is necessary to fit internal bulkheads to the tank to restrict movement of the liquid. Unrestricted movement would cause undesirable changes in the weight distribution of the vehicle during braking, accelerating and cornering. The bulkheads are usually apertured to allow movement of the liquid at a rate sufficient for discharge. A tank thus fitted with bulkheads is not suited to the transport of powder cargoes which are not sufficiently fluid to pass through the apertures at a useful rate on discharge. According to the present invention there is provided a cargo tank for a transport vehicle, the tank having at least one internal bulkhead, an upper portion of which is fixed to walls of the tank and a lower portion of which is mounted to swing relatively to the walls to allow movement of cargo past the upper bulkhead portion, and a locking device for securing the lower portion to the walls in a position in which the bulkhead partitions the tank into cargo compartments. With such an arrangement, the lower portions of the bulkheads can be secured for transport of a liquid cargo and can be freed for powder cargoes so that they swing on tipping of the tank for discharge and allow the cargo to be discharged from a single discharge port. An embodiment of the invention wili now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings of which: Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a tank vehicle and Figure 2 is an end view of a bulkhead of the tank of the vehicle of Figure 1. A tank body is mounted on a framework 2 and arranged for tipping by tipping gear 3 relatively to a chassis 4 of the vehicle. The tank body 1 is of conventional shape and has a domed forward end 5, access hatchways 6 having covers 7 and (not shown) a discharge hatchway at the lowest part of the rearward end. The material of the body may be an aluminium alloy or a stainless or mild steel depending upon the intended cargo and may be lined with a plastics material. The discharge hatchway can be fitted interchangeably with conventional valve and aeration fittings for discharge of either powder or liquid cargoes. A small diesel engine and compressor may be mounted on the chassis 4 for supplying compressed air for aiding discharge of cargo. Bulkheads 8 are fitted to the tank body 1 to divide the cargo space into compartments 9. Each bulkhead 8 has an upper half 10 and a lower half 1 suspended from the upper half 10 by a hinge 12. Each lower half-bulkhead 11 has a rubber sealing flap 14 around its curved edge and is fitted with a locking bolt 1 5 at its lowest point. Each bolt 1 5 is engageable in a socket 16 in the tank body 1 and is operable by engagement in an eye 18 of a hook carried by a pole which is inserted through a hatchway 6. The portion of the bolt 1 5 received by the socket 1 6 has a curved vertical face opposite to a flat vertical face. The socket 16 is complementarily shaped.Thus, if the bolt 1 5 is raised and rotated through 180 , it cannot fall downwardly into the socket 1 6. A resilient steel clip (not shown) on the lower half-bulkhead 11 holds to the bolt 1 5 in its raised and rotated position. The bolts 1 5 may also be arranged to engage respective hatchways 6 so that the lower half-bulkheads 11 are held raised for cleaning and maintenance of the interior of the tank body 1. For transport of a liquid cargo, the lower halfbulkheads 9 are secured to the tank body 1 by engagement of the bolts 1 5 in the sockets 1 6. The discharge hatchway of the tanker is fitted with a liquid discharge fitting and the tanker is charged and discharged conventionally. The upper and lower half-bulkheads 10 and 11 are provided with perforations 1 7 to allow cargo to flow from one compartment 9 to an adjacent one when the tank body 1 is raised at its forward end by the tipping gear 3 for discharge. For transport of a powder cargo, the bolts 1 5 are raised from their sockets 16, rotated, and secured by their clips so that the lower halfbulkheads 11 can pivot on the hinges 12. The discharge hatchway is fitted with the appropriate fitting and the tank body 1 filled in the usual way. When the cargo is discharged, the lower halfbulkheads 11 remain vertical upon tipping of the tank body 1 and discharging powder can flow between their lower edges and the tank body 1. The tank body 1 of the vehicle described hereinbefore may be fitted into a standard I.S.O. framework for full compatibility with other I.S.O. containers. CLAIMS

5. A tank according to claim 4, in which the bolt is rotatably mounted on the lower bulkhead portion and the bolt and socket are shaped for inter-engagement in one rotational position of the bolt.

6. A tank according to claim 4 or 5, in which the bolt is engageable on the tank to hold the lower bulkhead in a fully-open position.

7. A tank according to any preceding claim, in which the bulkhead is perforated to allow flow of liquid therethrough.

8. A road tanker having a cargo tank according to any preceding claim.

9. A rail tanker having a cargo tank according to any preceding claim,

10. A cargo tank according to any preceding claim, mounted within an l.S.O. framework.

11. A tank substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.