GB2235238A

GB2235238A - Water tanks

Info

Publication number: GB2235238A
Application number: GB9016298A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Norman Frank Dewey
Original assignee: Dewey Waters & Co
Current assignee: Dewey Waters & Co
Priority date: 1989-08-22
Filing date: 1990-07-25
Publication date: 1991-02-27
Also published as: GB9016298D0

Abstract

A water tank (2) has an upper region (8) of an end wall (4) which extends upwardly higher than the opposite end wall (6). This enables that region (8) to have a ball-cock valve mounted therein, in e.g. a hole (26) in that upper region (8) so that the tank (2) may be filled substantially to the top of the opposite end wall, but the ball-cock valve may operate correctly. The tank (2) may have a lid with an inspection hatch therein. In a further development, the lid may form part of a housing enclosing the tank, with the tank being sealed to the lid and the lid being sealed to side walls of the housing. This enables the interior of the housing outside the tank to be sealed from the interior of the tank so that the interior of the housing outside the tank may contain pipework associated with the tank. The tank may be formed by panels or be an integral unit.

Description

WATER TANKS The present invention relates to the field of water tanks.

In many conventional forms of water tank a ball-cock valve is provided to control the level of water in the tank. The water supply pipe enters the tank towards the top of an end wall of the tank and actuation of the valve is dependent upon the level of water in the tank. There is, however, an upper limit on the water level which may be attained, which, in order to accommodate the ball-cock device, is necessarily some way below the level of the water supply pipe. Thus, the "useful" volume of the tank is in fact less than the actual volume and this represents wasted space.

This has a number of consequences. For example, if a tank of a certain "useful" volume is required, then a tank having a larger actual volume must be used. Apart from being uneconomical, this also creates inconvenience and a further aspect which must be borne in mind when designing a water system of which the tank is to form part. Similarly, for a given model of water tank having a standard nominal volume, it must always be remembered and accounted for that its useful volume is in fact less than its actual volume.

A further problem associated with water tanks, particularly those used in water systems in buildings, is that water bylaws generally require that (i) the tank has a lid which seals the interior of the tank, (ii) the whole of the tank and its associated pipework is covered and sealed by a housing, and (iii) the interior of the tank is sealed from the space within the housing containing the pipework. Conventionally, the above requirements have been satisfied by the use of two separate sealing lids, one on the tank and one on the housing. However, this is uneconomical, it requires separate manufacture of several parts and makes it difficult for the interior of the tank and housing to be readily accessed for maintenance or repair, since for such access it is necessary for both sealing lids to be provided with inspection hatches.

In its various aspects, the present invention seeks to ameliorate at least some of the above problems, and accordingly it provides in one aspect a means for increasing the useful volume of a water tank by reducing the amount of useful space taken up by a ball-cock device, and in another aspect it provides a housing for a water tank which satisfies water bylaws.

Broadly, in a first aspect the invention provides a water tank having a first end wall comprising an upper region which is of greater upward extent than the opposite end wall of the tank, the region being provided with means for mounting a ball-cock valve therein.

The region of greater upward extent may be formed by a part of the end face of the tank itself, or alternatively may be formed by a separate portion attached to the end face of a conventionally shaped tank.

The distance by which the region of the first end wall extends upwardly further than does the opposite end wall may vary, but generally speaking should be (i) at least enough to allow the ball-cock mounting to be a sufficient distance above the maximum level of water which the tank is to hold (which is determined by the height of the opposite end wall) in order to allow the device to operate correctly, and (ii) not excessive, whereby unnecessary space is taken up by the tank and its lid, if provided.

The lateral extent of the portion of increased upward extent may vary from, for example, a relatively narrow region in the centre of the upper part of the end wall to the end wall being of increased upward extent over its entire width.

The means for mounting a ball-cock valve is generally an aperture in the heightened region, the manner of mounting being as is known in the art.

It will be appreciated that the tanks of this aspect of the invention have a shape simple enough to permit manufacture, for example, from GRP, or other plastics material by known moulding methods. The tanks may of course be formed from any suitable material known in the art, e.g. plastic or metal.

The tanks of this aspect of the invention may be provided with lids. Thus, this aspect of the invention also provides a water tank having a first end wall comprising an upper region which is of greater upward extent than the opposite end wall of the tank, the region being provided with means for mounting a ball-cock vaLve therein, further comprising a lid whose end portions conform to the profiles of the respective end walls of the tank. Such a lid may be formed by conventional methods and from conventional materials, but because the tanks are no longer symmetrical about their median plane, a lid must be shaped so as'to match the upper periphery of the tank which it is to fit.For greater ease of manufacture it may therefore be desirable for the first end wall of the tank to be symmetrical about the axial plane of the tank, thus allowing a respective lid also to be symmetrical about its axial plane.

Preferably, a lid for a tank of this aspect of the invention will be provided with an inspection hatch, as is known in the art.

This first aspect of the invention may be extended to sectioned water tanks, i.e. those whose walls comprise a plurality of individual panels, such as is known for very large tanks. Accordingly, this aspect of the invention further provides a water tank comprising a plurality of panels, wherein a first end wall comprises a panel having an upper region which is of greater upward extent than the opposite end wall of the tank, the region being provided with means for mounting a ball-cock valve therein. Such a tank will usually not have an open top; that is, it will usually comprise a panelled top or a lid, in which case at least one inspection hatch will normally be provided, for example in the raised portion of the top adjacent the heightened end wall panel.Such an inspection hatch may be provided in the top or in the side of that raised portion, depending on the type of access required and/or the amount of space available above the tank. As before, the upper region of the end wall having the greater upward extent may be formed by an extension of the end panel itself, or alternatively may be formed by a separate panel, for example a panel forming part of a lid or top of the tank, attached to an end panel of a conventionally shaped sectioned tank.

Broadly, in a second aspect the invention provides in combination a housing and a water tank, the housing comprising side walls and a lid, there being provided inner peripheral sealing means between the lid and the tank and outer peripheral sealing means between the lid and the side walls of the housing. This aspect of the invention is not limited to water tanks of the first aspect of the invention and may be applied to any form of water tank, including those of the prior art.

A housing according to this aspect of the invention will normally be somewhat larger, at least in one dimension, than the tank it is to accommodate, in order that it will extend to house also the pipework associated with the tank, e.g. the water supply pipe leading to the ball-cock valve, the water exit pipe and any overflow pipe. Thus, when the lid of the housing is in place the space between the tank and the inner walls of the housing is sealed off from both the interior of the tank and the outside of the housing by the two sets of peripheral seals around the upper peripheries of the tank and the side walls of the housing, respectively.

The lid of the housing may be completely removable or hinged, as desired. It may also be provided with a catch or other locking means to secure it in the closed condition, where it makes good seals with both sets of peripheral seals. Preferably, for other than the smallest sizes, the lid of the housing of this aspect of the invention comprise at least one inspection hatch for providing access to both the interior of the tank and to the space within the housing containing the pipework. By use of a single hatch overlapping the two regions, access to both may be provided simultaneously.

The housing may be of any suitable construction and material. Ideally, it will be made of a weatherproof, hard-wearing material, such as glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) with a foam core for added strength and/or insulation.

Because the housings of this aspect of the invention may be used in conjunction with any form of water tank, the lid will have to be of an appropriate shape to fit a given type of tank. Normally, the upper peripheries of the tank and the side walls of the housing will be level, so that the marginal portions of the lid can be substantially planar, thereby making for more efficient seals. A suitable support may be provided between the tank and the surface on which it rests to ensure that its upper periphery is aligned with the lid. This enables a standard sized housing to be used with a variety of tank sizes. The inner and outer sealing means themselves may be made of any suitable material, for example a natural or synthetic elastomer, and will generally be in the form of annuli secured to the upper rim of the tank and to the upper edges of the side walls of the housing, respectively.Of course, the sealing means may alternatively be secured to the lid itself.

Thus, by this aspect of the invention a water tank may be provided with a housing of relatively simple construction and which simultaneously provides a lid which acts so as to (i) seal the interior of the tank, (ii) seal the housing surrounding both the tank and its associated pipework, and (iii) seal the interior of the tank from the space within the housing containing the pipework, thereby complying with general water bylaws.

Embodiments of the various aspects of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of water tank in accordance with the first aspect of the invention; Figure 1A shows in perspective an alternative form of the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the tank of Figure 1 fitted with a lid, also in accordance with the first aspect of the invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of part of a sectioned tank, in accordance with the first aspect of the invention; Figure 3A shows in perspective an alternative form of the embodiment of Figure 3; Figure 3B is an exploded perspective view of part of the tank of Figure 3A; Figure 4 is a perspective view of one form of housing, in accordance with a second aspect of the invention;; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the housing of Figure 4 in combination with a water tank of the first aspect of the invention; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of another housing in accordance with the second aspect of the invention, in place on a conventional tank.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, a water tank 2 has end walls 4,6, the first wall 4 having a central region 8 of increased height compared with the opposite end wall 6. This region 8 has an aperture 26 therein for mounting a ball-cock valve in that end wall. The aperture 25 shown in dotted lines represents the position of a corresponding aperture in a conventional tank not having the heightened region 8; the shift from 25 to 26 thus represents the gain in useful volume within the tank.

The central heightened region 8 is symmetrical about a vertical plane and has a flat top 18 and ramp sides 19.

The tank 2 is shown having a rim 15 extending outwardly from the periphery of the tank walls, but this is optional.

The broken lines 30 represent the line of one form of lid which may be provided to cover the tank. Such a lid will have ends shaped so as to conform to the profiles of the respective end walls 4 and 6.

Figure 1A shows an alternative way of providing the end wall with a heightened region 8'. In this embodiment the end face 4' is of a conventional shape, i.e. its upper periphery is of the same height as the opposite end wall 6, and the heightened region 8' is formed by a separate portion which is attached to the upper periphery of the end face 4'. The method of attachment may be of any suitable type known in the art, e.g. adhesive welding, fastening means. Using this form of construction, it is thus possible to convert a conventional water tank to a tank in accordance with this aspect of the invention, simply by the attachment of a new portion 8' to the end face 4' of the tank or even to the end wall 6. It is also possible to attach such a portion 8' to each end wall of the tank, so that both end walls have corresponding heightened regions.

Figure 2 shows the tank of Figure 1 provided with a suitable lid 40, which incorporates an inspection hatch 50. The lid comprises three main panels, namely a ramp portion 46 extending from an edge of the hatch 50 towards the opposite end wall 6 of the tank, and side portions 48, 49. This main body of the lid is bounded by marginal portions 52, 53 and 54, which provide surfaces for sealing the tank by bearing against the rim 15 shown in Figure 1. The hatch 50 may be completely detachable or hinged, as desired.

Figure 3 shows part of a large, sectioned water tank, formed of individual panels 60. One of the panels of an end wall of the tank is panel 70, which is similar to the end wall 4 of the water tank of Figures 1 and 2.

Thus, the panel 70 has a central heightened region 78, which is provided with a ball-cock valve mounting aperture 86. The aperture 85 shown in dotted lines represents the position of a corresponding aperture in a conventional sectioned tank not having an end panel comprising the heightened region 78, and the shift from 85 to 86 represents the gain in useful volume of the tank. The tank shown in Figure 3 has also a panelled top, which comprises a turret formed from panels 88.

This turret may, as shown in the Figure, extend over the length of two panels 60, but may equally extend over the width of one such panel or even three or more. The turret will normally be provided with at least one inspection hatch. For example, this may be a top hatch 96 or even a side hatch 96a, as desired. For example, a side hatch 96a may be particularly useful where space above the tank is limited, such as by a low ceiling or roof.

As shown in Figure 3A, in a similar manner to the embodiment shown in Figure 1A, the end wall of a sectioned tank in accordance with this aspect of the invention may alternatively be formed by using a conventionally shaped panel 70 and a separate panel 78' attached thereto by conventional means. The panel 78' may conveniently form part of a turret construction, as shown in the Figure, which thus enables a conventionally shaped sectioned tank to be converted in a simple manner to a tank in accordance with this aspect of the invention. Figure 3B shows in greater detail an exploded view of such a turret arrangement.

Referring now to Figure 4, a tank 140 (indicated by broken lines) such as that shown in Figure 1 is shown housed in a housing 100. The housing has end walls 110, 112 and side walls 111,113, and comprises a lid 120. The lid comprises an inspection hatch 126, which allows access to the interior of the tank 140 and the space 130 within the housing between the tank and the walls of the housing simultaneously. As with the lid shown in Figure 2, the lid 120 comprises three main panels, namely a ramp portion 116 extending from an edge of the hatch 126 towards the opposite end wall 112, and side portions 118 and 119. The construction of this housing and its relationship with the tank is shown more clearly in cross-section in Figure 5.

Most importantly, Figure 5 shows the inner and outer peripheral seals 150, 160 between the lid 120 and the periphery of the tank and the side walls of the housing, respectively. In order to provide mounting surfaces for the seals, the tank 140 and the side walls of the housing are preferably provided with upper flanges, as shown in the Figure. Along each side of the housing the flange extending therefrom will preferably be coplanar with the adjacent flange extending from the upper periphery of the tank, so that both seals may be effected by a planar portion of the lid. Thus, as shown in Figure 5, the lid 116 comprises a substantially horizontal portion 116 and a sloping, planar portion 117, the planes of the respective flanges of the tank and the side walls of the housing being parallel to the plane of the respective portions 116, 117 of the lid with which they are to form a seal.The lid 120 shown in the Figure is of the detachable type, but may conveniently be provided with a hinge and/or catch adjacent either side wall 110,112 of the housing. The lid 120 preferably also includes overhanging flanges 122 for assisting location of the lid in place on the housing and preventing lateral displacement thereof. The housing is preferably mounted on blocks 105, or other suitable means, for providing stability. It is important that the housing and the tank be stable with respect to each other, since, otherwise, efficient seals will not be maintained between the lid and the tank and side walls.

In Figure 6 there is shown another housing in accordance with this aspect of the invention, as applied to a conventional tank, i.e. one not having an end wall with the heightened region. The tank 180 is symmetrical about its median plane and therefore the housing requires a simple planar lid, as shown. Inner 250 and outer 260 peripheral seals are again provided to seal the interior of the tank and the space 230 within the housing between the tank and the side walls.

Claims

1. A water tank wherein one end wall extends upwardly from the horizontal a greater distance than the opposite end wall, to define an upper region of the one end wall which is higher than the opposite wall, there being means for mounting a ball-cock valve in the upper region.

2. A water tank according to claim 1, wherein the upper region is an integral part of the one end wall.

3. A water tank according to claim 1, wherein the upper region is a wall part secured to the end face of the wall tank corresponding to the one end wall.

4. A water tank according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the upper region extends along only a part of the total width of the one end wall.

5. A water tank according to any one of the preceding claims having a lid, the lid having a hatch therein, the hatch being adjacent the upper region.

6. A water tank according to any one of the preceding claims, which tank is a sectional tank comprising a plurality of interconnected panels.

7. A water tank according to any one of the preceding claims, having a ball-cock valve mounted in the upper region.

8. A water tank substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 1, or Fig. 1A, or Fig. 2, or Fig. 3, or Fig. 3A of the accompanying drawings.

9. The combination of the housing and a water tank according to any one of the preceding claims, the housing comprising side walls and a lid and covering the tank, there being inner peripheral sealing means between the lid and the tank and outer peripheral sealing means between the lid and side wals of the housing.

10. The combination of a housing and a water tank, the housing comprising side walls and a lid and covering the tank, there being inner peripheral sealing means between the lid and the tank and outer peripheral sealing means between the lid and side wals of the housing.

11. A combination according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the upper periphery of the tank is level with the upper periphery of the side walls of the housing.

12. A combination according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the lid of the housing has a hatch therein, the hatch at least partially overlapping (in plan) the tank.

13. The combination of a housing and a water tank substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, or Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings.