GB2177446A

GB2177446A - Wall panel for a sectional tank

Info

Publication number: GB2177446A
Application number: GB08615540A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Norman Frank Dewey
Original assignee: Dewey Waters & Co
Current assignee: Dewey Waters & Co
Priority date: 1985-06-28
Filing date: 1986-06-25
Publication date: 1987-01-21
Also published as: GB8516459D0; GB8615540D0

Abstract

A wall panel (10 Fig. 6) for a sectional tank has a central region 12 which is outwardly convex in plan view and has a top planar region 14 and a lower planar region 16. The lower planar region 16 is enlarged centrally by a region 18. Bevelled regions 50 connect the central region 12 to the planar regions 14, 16, 18. The side edges of the panel 10 are provided with flanges 20, turned outwards at 45 DEG to the panel so as to connect the panel 10 to other panels to form corners of the tank. The top and bottom edges are provided with flanges 22, at right-angles to the panel and connected thereto by bevelled regions 24. These flanges 22 may be used for joining bottom and top panels to the side wall panels. Tanks of various sizes may be produced by providing wall panels comprising more than one convex region 12, with reinforcements between the regions 12. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wall panel for a sectional tank This invention relates to sectional tanks for water or other liquid. .andisespeciallyapplicableo tanks made from glass fibre reinforced polyester (grp) or similar materials.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a wall panel for a sectional tank, comprising a central region which is outwardly convex in plan view, top and bottom regions which are substantially planar, and peripheral flanges at least at the two side edges for joining the panel to other panels. One or both of the side edge flanges may be outwardly inclined so as to form a corner to the tank on joining two such panels edge-to-edge.

The panel may include one or more peripheral flanges at right angles to the panel, suitably at the top and bottom of the panel, and these preferably meet the main body of the panel through an intermediate bevelled or stepped region. The panel may comprise a series or two or more outwardly convex central regions side-by-side with vertical reinforcement between them. The vertical reinforcement suitably takes the form of a box section member secured to the panel.

In another aspect of the present invention there is provide a sectional tank comprising a plurality of such panels joined edge-to-edge to form the side walls of the tank. The tank preferably has one or more bottom panels joined to the side wall panels.

The bottom panel suitably has peripheral upturned flanges by which it is joined to the side wall panels through part of the planar bottom regions thereof.

The upturned flanges of the bottom panel preferably meet the bottom portion through bevelled or stepped regions. The top of the tank may be closed.

by one or more top panels. Additionally or alternatively it may be provided with one or more elongated tensile members joining the tops of opposite side wall panels.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, various embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a side view of a side wall panel for the tank; Figs. 2 and 3 show vertical cross-sections on the lines Il-Il and Ill-Ill of Fig. 1; Figs 4 and 5 show horizontal cross-sections on the lines IV--IV and V-V of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 shows a horizontal cross-section through a corner detail of a tank formed from two such side wall panels; Fig. 7 shows a fragmentary vertical cross-section through a tank; Fig. 8 shows a perspective detail of top bracing for the tank; Fig. 9 shows a side view of a double-unit side wall panel; Fig. 10 shows a horizontal cross-sectional on the line X-X of Fig. 9; and Fig. 11 shows a horizontal cross-sectional detail on the line XI--XI of Fig. 9.

Referring to the drawings, and firstly to Figs 1 to 5, the side wall panel 10 is made from grp and comprises a central region 12 which has a shallow outwardly convex curvature in plan view, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5. Atop planar region 14 extends across thefull width of the panel above the central region 12. A bottom planar region below the central region comprises a narrow strip 16 extending the full width of the panel and a central enlargement 18 of the planar region. At the side edges of the panel are provided outturned flanges 20 angled at 45". At the top and bottom of the panel are provided flanges at right angles to the panel which meet the planar regions 14,16through bevelled regions 24.

A number of side wall panels can be joined together edge-to-edge through their flanges 20, and because of the 45" angling of the flanges, adjacent panels will lie at 90" to each other, as shown in Fig.

6. There is therefore no need for any special corner pieces to be provided.

The bottom of the tank thus formed can be closed by means of one or more bottom panels 26 having vertically upturned peripheral flanges 28 which meet the bottom portion 30 through a bevelled region 32. The flanges 28 meet face-to-face with the narrow planar regions 16 of the side walls and are sealed and bolted thereto. The top of the tank can be closed by top panels 34 bolted to the flanges 22 at the top of the side wall. Additionally or alternatively, the top of the tank can be reinforced by strips 36 of tensile material, such as aluminium, connecting opposite side wall panels of the tank, the strips being set in shallow recesses 38 in the top flanges 22 and bolted thereto.

Referring to Figs 9 to 11; this shows a large side wall panel 100 which, in design, is based on two side wall panels 10 side-by-side. However, the panel 100 is an integral structure, with a vertical reinforcement 40 between the two units. As shown more clearly in Fig. 11, this vertival reinforcement takes the form of a box section member 42, suitably of steel, which is secured in place by a layer 44 of grp, which also serves to protect it from corrosion. In a similar fashion, wall panels based on three or more units 10 can be formed. Thus, various sizes of tank can be constructed using just four side wall panels.

The planar top region 14 enables pipes to be plumbed in (which will be more difficult on the curved central region 12). The curved central region provides rigidity to the panel and strength to the tank against the pressure of water, but the planar region 14 lies at or above the maximum level of the water in the tank, and is therefore not subjected to the same stresses. The planar region 18 is likewise suitable for plumbing in one or more pipes, for example for drawing off the water. The narrow planar strip 16 at the bottom is suitable for joining to a bottom panel, as indicated above. Another advantage of having outwardly inclined peripheral flanges is that it facilitates nesting of a number of panels during storage and transport. For the same reason, the convex central region 12 meets the upper and iower planar regions through bevelled regions 50. Where the panel has peripheral flanges at 90" to the panel (at the top and bottom), the bevelled intermediate regions 24 also serve to permit closer nesting of a stack of panels.

The shallow convex curvature of the side wall panels permits thin material in tension to be used, and hence less external support is needed to keep the panels planar. The detail design enables the panels to be easily moulded, and connections to the tank are easily made using the specially provided flat areas.

Claims

1. A wall panel for a sectional tank comprising a central region which is outwardly convex in plan view, top and bottom regions which are substantially planar, and peripheral flanges at at least the two side edges for joining the panel to other panels.

2. A wall panel according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the side edge peripheral flanges is outwardly inclined to form a corner on joining two such panels edge-to-edge.

3. A wall panel according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least one of the top and bottom of the panel is provided with a peripheral flange at rightangles to the panel.

4. A wall panel according to claim 3, wherein the peripheral flanges at right-angles to the panel meet the main body of the panel through an intermediate bevelled or stepped region.

5. A wall panel according to any one of the 7and8.

preceding claims which further comprises at least two outwardly convex central regions side-by-side and with vertical reinforcement between them.

6. A wall panel according to claimS, wherein the vertical reinforcement is a box section member secured to the panel.

7. A wall panel substantially as herein described and exemplified with reference to the drawings.

8. A sectional tank comprising a plurality of panels according to any of the preceding claims joined edge-to-edge to form the side walls of the tank.

9. A sectional tank according to claim 8 which further comprises at least one bottom panel joined to the side walls.

10. A sectional tank according to claim 9, wherein the bottom section has a peripheral upturned flange which connects to the bottom planar region of the side wall panels.

11. Asectional tank according to claim 10, wherein the upturned peripheral flange is joined to the bottom section through bevelled regions.

12. A sectional tank according to any one of claims 8 to 11 which further comprises at least one top panel.

13. A sectional tank according to any one of the claims 8 to 12 which further comprises at least one elongated tensile member joining the tops of opposite side wall panels.

14. A sectional tank substantially as herein described and exemplified with reference to Figs. 6,