US2316308A - Apparatus for storing fluids underground - Google Patents

Description

April 13, 1943- e. R; BENZ ETAL 8 APIARATUS FOR STORING FLUIDS UNDERGROUND v Filed May 19,1959 2 Sheets- -Sheet 1 INVENTOR G. BENZ H. R; ZEIGLE R April G. R. BENZETAL 2,316,308

APPARATUS FOR STORING FLUIDS UNDERGROUND Filed May 19, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .lll

NLAII INVENTOR c. R. s H. R: ZEIGLER ENZ Patented Apr. 13, 1943 APPARATUS FOR STORING FLUIDS UNDERGROUND George R. Benz and Harry R. Zeigler, Detroit,

Mich, assignors to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Application May 19, 1939, Serial No. 274,622

3 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for storing fluids in underground containers. The invention is adapted to the underground storage of many types of fluids including various liquids, such as refined gasoline, natural gasoline and liquefied gases.

The usual practice heretofore in the underground storage of fluids has been to bury the storage container below the surface of the ground and provide a protective chamber extending from the container to the surface of the ground to encase the necessary pipes, valves and fittings. Our invention contemplates the use or a simplified and more compact arrangement of apparatus and presents a number of advantages over the apparatus employed in the past. The fluid container is completely buried in the earth except for the riser pipe and the tank is consequently well insulated against atmospheric temperature changes. A comparatively shallow and narrow handhole or chamber, having its cover substantially level with the surface of the ground, receives and protects the upper end of the riser pipe and all valves, fittings and control devices that may be mounted thereupon. Since we use a short handhole ring instead of the usual type of easing which extends to the container, appreciable economies are effected in the cost of the same. By constructing this ring with an open bottom, ground water drains freely therethrough. Also, our handhole assembly will readily, and without damage to any of the other parts of our apparatus, absorb shocks such as those caused by trucks passing over the cover.

One of the outstanding features of our invention resides in the supporting means for the handhole ring. This supporting structure may consist of a three-armed spider which is made up of two identical members that are adapted to encircle the riser pipe. The spider is designed to rest on the ground at the bottom of the handhole and support the handhole ring in spaced relation to the riser pipe and any control equipment that may be mounted on the riser pipe. The following are among the major advantages obtainable by the use of our spider: It can be quickly and easily installed or removed without in any way disturbing any equipment that may be supported on the riser pipe in the handhole space; it slidably embraces the riser pipe to permit of relative movement with respect to the riser pipe in the event that the container is moved upwardly by a heaving action of the earth or if the handhole ring is pushed downwardly by a load on its cover; it can be rotated about the riser pipe so that the handhole ring may be eccentrically installed in any desired position with respect to the riser pipe; and, most important of all, the spider properly aligns the handhole ring at all times and allows for a wide range of ad- J'ustability with regard to having the top of the manhole cover at the ground level. Compared to former practice, it is obviously a distinct advantage to be able to quickly and accurately align the top of the handhole ring and its cover with the surface of the ground after the tank has been set in place, rather than to have to raise and lower the tank in order to accomplish this result.

This invention has for its primary object the providing of simplified, compact, and dependable apparatus for use in storing fluids in underground containers.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus of the character indicated which is adapted to be readily and inexpensively installed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide underground fluid storage apparatus which is constructed and arranged to withstand impacts from moving bodies on the surface of the ground without damage to any part of the equipment.

These and additional objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification and an- 1 nexed drawings which respectively describe and illustrate a preferred embodiment of our invention, and wherein Figure 1 is an elevation view partly in cross section, showing a complete installation of the apparatus employed in this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the spider assembly;

Figure 3 is a plan view of one member of the spider; and

Figure 4 is an elevation view of the spider member depicted in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, we have denoted therein an underground fluid storage tank or container I0, horizontally disposed at a suitable distance below the surface of the ground ll. While either a horizontal or a vertical container may be advantageously employed, we prefer the horizontal type, primarily because a shallower hole is required to receive it. Hard digging, such as when rock is encountered, is thus minimized; and, there is less danger of flotation by high ground water with a horizontal container than with the vertical type. Rigidly mounted to the center of the upper part of the container is a riser pipe 12 which extends upwardly and terminates at a point below the surface of the ground in a handhole l3. The upper end of the riser pipe is provided with an element [4 which may either be a conventional form of closure or a connector establishing communication between the riser pipe and control devices, generally indicated by reference numeral l5, depending upon the needs of the particular system. Handhole I3 is enclosed by a suitable housing such as a handhole ring [5 which has an open bottom H and a removable top cover H3. The practice of our invention contemplates installing the handhole housing so that its top end and cover are both substantially flush with the ground level.

A spider assembly 19, resting on the ground at the bottom of the handhole, supports the handhole housing [6 in spaced relationship to the upper end of the riser pipe and any control equipment that may be mounted thereupon. The details of construction of the spider assembly will be readily understood by reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. Ihe main elements of the spider assembly are a pair of identical V- shaped members 20, each having a semi-circular opening 2| and arms 22. Near the end of each arm 22 is a shoulder 23 on both the upper and lower faces of members 23 to engage the inner surface of th handhole ring and maintain the same in proper position. As we have shown in Figure 2, the spider is assembled to slidably engage the riser pipe by connecting means, such as bolts 24 and 25 which respectively pass through apertures 26 and 27. It should be noted that, by virtue of our spider construction, the members 22 are interchangeable and can be installed with either face up or down. It should be further noted that our spider assembly engages the riser pipe eccentrically so that the handhole housing mayproperlyaccommodateanycontrol equipment that may be located in the handhole space. While the illustrated embodiment shows a spider assembly intended to locate th handhole housing eccentrically with respect to the riser pipe, it is to be clearly understood that, when desirable, it is merely a matter of mechanical skill to modify the spider design to centrally locate the riser pipe with respect to the handhole ring.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of our present invention will be readily comprehended by persons skilled in the art. It is to be clearly understood, however, that the form of our invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A support comprising a pair of generally V- shaped interchangeable members, means for pivotally connecting the members near their apices, each member including a plurality of substantially coplanar outwardly projecting arms, one arm of one member extending alongside of a like arm of the other member, each of said two arms having a recess defining an opening when the members are assembled eccentrically disposed with respect to said pivot point, the other arms of the members being disposed in diverging relationship, the outer end of each arm being notched.

2. In fluid storage apparatus wherein a, riser pipe extends upwardly from an underground container to a point below the surface of the ground and has its upper end protectively encased in a housing having a tubular vertical wall which is open at the bottom and which is provided with a cover at the top to permit access to the interior thereof, the improvement comprising a spider assembly including a pair of interchangeable members, a plurality of substantially coplanar arms integral with each member, said members being pivoted at a point substantially equidistant from the ends of said arms, the ends of said arms being provided with shoulders for engagement with the lower peripheral edge of the housing, the central portion of said spider having an opening eccentric of the pivot point when said members are assembled for loosely receiving the riser pipe and maintaining the housing in spaced relationship with said riser pipe.

3. A support comprising a pair of generally V-shaped interchangeable members, means for pivotally connecting the members near their apices, each member including a plurality of substantially coplanar outwardly projecting arms. one arm of one member extending alongside of a like arm of the other member, means securing th last mentioned arms together to maintain said members in fixed relationship, each of two arms having a recess defining an opening when the members are assembled eccentrically disposed with respect to said pivot point, the other arms of the members being disposed in diverging relationship, the outer end of each arm being notched.

GEORGE R. BENZ. HARRY R. ZEIGLER.

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