US2366821A - Leveling mechanism for gas holders and similar apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 9, 1945; J. wls'sms 2,366,821

LEVELING'MECHANISM FOR GAS HOLDERS AND SIMILAR APPARATUS Filed June 19, 1943 4 "2 sheds-s eet 1 INVENTOR;

A TTORNEY Jan. 9, 1945. J wissms 2,366,821

LEVELING MECHANISM FOR GAS HOLDERS AND SIMILAR APPARATUS Filed June 19, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F|G.3. 1 FIGS.

INVENTOR:

(JOHN H. W GGINS BY A TTORNE Y Patented Jan. 9

1 T PATENT I E y ,9 7

fztseaszr p p BEVELING MEoriaNIsMnoltoasnomnitsi I p p p AIfPARATUSi llblin Hi wiggins, Ghicagogyllli; Man ma ;1943;;sa .:Nt;.49-1,m: flaiinq(0118 476X it This invention relates to apparatusot the kind thatcomprise-a stationary" tank' -or c'on tainer, and-a verticallyemovablei part" that comstitutes the-topwwall orroo'fof a gaschamber my invention: being. applicable ito gas holders",

of the typethat-are. provide'd with a vertica llywmovable bell, and gas and/ or liquid-storageztanks of the typethat are provided' with a lifter roof orvertically-movable top part that is? adapted to rise and fall,- and ,thus warm the internal: vol

ume ofthe-gas-spaceof-the apparatusi ,j l

One object of my-presen t invention is: to; pro- 1' vide an improved leveling;mechanism,.-or bal ancing mechanism for, l the: vertically-movable partof an apparatus of the gene-ralktyp'emen-' tioned; t which; in additiOl'l-vtflmaintaining said; vertically-movable part in a level position, with out danger of wobbling or incipient tipping isi of simple design andeasytoybuild and install: a

Another object is to provide a leveling-:;orcbal;--

.10 n .n sign or construction, that it. prevents inc1p1ent ancing mechanism for structuresof the' pkind referred to,;whosecoactingl parts: are" arranged on the exterior of the apparatus, at ap-oint below the bell, roof,v or other, vertically-movable part controlled by said, mechanism; and

Still another object of my invention is tode-- crease thenumber of partsrequiredfor'attaining .proper balanceof a-gas holder-bell or lifter roof of relatively great diameter.-

Figure 1 of the drawings is aside elevational: view, illustrating. my invention embodied in a storage tank provided with -aalifter typeroof.

Figure 2 islatop planview of" the apparatus. Figure 3" is afragmentary. view-,- showing, in" front elevation, the sheave, pulley, or wheel, over which travel all-of the flexible members on which the weight or other tension means exerts a designates the stationary tank or container of the apparatus, B designates the vertically-movness of, same, and level position.

able part or lifter roof, B designates a gas tight sealing device attached to the side wall of the tank and to a depending side wall portion of the roof, C, C and C designate flexible members, such as cables or chains, attached to said part B and arranged so as to maintain said part in a level position, and D designates a weight,

spring or other means that exerts a load or pull on the flexible members C, C and C and normally holds l them) tension. In; apparatus Qofj the kind towhichmy: invention is. particularly.

applicable the bell, lifter. roo-flgor other vertifl cally-movable partlB,,projects upwardly, above. the top, edgeof the tankA, withithe result that! it 'is constantly subjected. to a wind pressures, which exert oscillatory forces on same. Accordiingly, in, 01121812110 prevent said vertically+mov ableipart from wobbling itfis necessary that the leveling, or balancing, mechanism be, of such, de-

ti'pping, of said verticallye'movable part, and, gives a, dampening, effect to w any, synchronous; loading I attain this highly, desirable result by arranging and combiningthe flexible members C, C', C and the weight orrtension means D,=so,.that when the verti(tally-movable part Bis level, all oflsaid flexible members are of equal ,tension and the; load or force of" the means D' is applied. evenly to all"ofisaid' flexible members, and iff thel part B starts w tiltor up, thus causing one of the flexible members to become slack, the loadflor force, of the means D is. instantly removed from said slackenedflexible member and applied to, theother flexible membersito increase, the tightthus restore the part ,B to its.

In the form, of my inventionherein illustrated; the Verticallx-movablepart B is provided at its peripheraledge with three equally. spaced, de-

pendin legs, E, E and E that have oifsetsfl: atvtheir. lower ends, to which. are atta'clredithe flexible members C,.LC andiC respectively. The,

flexible-member Cl leads upwardly from the, on,-

setat the lowertend of the leg,E,. over a verticallyedisposed. sheave pulley or wheel I, carried by a bracket or other suitable supporting structure on the side wall of the tank A, and after traveling over said sheave, leads downwardly from same to the means D which is herein illus-; trated as a weight that is securely fastened to the end of the flexible member C. The flexible member C leads upwardly from the offset at the lower, end of the leg E to a vertically-disposed guide pulley 2, carried by the side wall 01' the tank, and after passing over said guide pulley,

thelmember C extends in a horizontal direction around the tank, over horizontally-disposed guide pulleys 2?- and 2 to the sheave I, over which it passes along side of or parallel to the flexible member C. Instead of being attached to the weight D, the flexible member C is attached to the flexible member C at a point between the 1 weight D and the single sheave I, over which said two flexible members 0 and C travel side by'side.

It will, of course, be understood that the horizontally-disposed guide pulleys 2 and 2 are carried by brackets or other suitable supporting devices on the side wall of the tank A. The third flexible member C which is located at the opposite side of the tank, as shown in Figure 2, leads upwardly from the lower end of the depending leg E on the part B, to a vertically-disposed guide pulley 2, on the tank side wall, and thence, extends in a horizontal direction around the tank over guide pulleys 2 and 2 to the sheave I, over which said flexible member C passes along side of the flexible member C, to which it is fastened at the point where the flexible member C is joined to the member C. It will thus be seen that in my improved leveling or balancing mechanism, only three flexible members and a single weight are employed to maintain the verticallymovable part B of the apparatus in a perfectly level position. The three flexible members travel side by side over a single sheave I, and are tied together'as one at said sheave, by the friction of said flexible members on said sheave. They are also fastened to the weight D, or are joined together, at a point beyond the sheave I. Instead of forming the flexible members C, C and C from cables, as herein shown, said members could be formed from chains, and the sheave I could be provided with three cogs, or, three sets of sprocket teeth for receiving said chains. I have found, however, that cables are perfectly satisfactory, as their frictional contact or engagement with the sheave l is great enough to cause the load of the weight D toloe equally distributed to the three flexible members when the roof B is floating level without foreign loads, and the instant said roof starts totilt or tip, the resulting slackening off of one flexible member, causes the full load of the Weight to be exerted on the other two flexible members in a direction to bring the roof back to its level position.

\ While I prefer to lead the flexible members C, C and C upwardly from depending legs on the vertically-movable part of the apparatus, and thence, in a horizontal direction around the tank to a point where said flexible members converge in advance of their point of connection with-the weightD, this is not absolutely essential, as my invention contemplates various other ways of attaching said flexible members to the vertically-movable part of the apparatus, and various other ways of disposing and guiding said flexible members. The essential thing is, that the flexible members, in conjunction with the means D, exert a pull on the vertically-movable part of the apparatus, in a vertical direction, and so long as this result is attained, the particular arrangement, location, or direction of travel of the flexible members is immaterial.

The main advantage of my improved mechanism, of course, is that it eflectively holds a gas bell or lifter roof perfectly level, and presaid mechanism are located below the top of the bell, lifter roof, or other part controlled by said mechanism. The above described characteristics, coupled with the fact that the mechanism is inexpensive to build, easy to install and comprises only a relatively few parts, makes said mechanism a decided improvement over the leveling mechanisms heretofore used for balancing gas bells and lifter roofs of large diameter. While I have herein described and illustrated my invention in connection with a gas bell or lifter roof, I wish it to be understood that my invention is applicable to various other kinds of apparatus or structures that comprise a vertically-movable part of relatively great diameter, which it is necessary or desirable to maintain in a horizontal plane while said part rises and falls.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l

A storage tank provided with a lifter type roof, depending portions on said roof, flexible members leading upwardly from the lower ends of said depending portions, sheaves for said flexible members located onthe tank side wall above the highest point of, upward travel of the I JOHN H; WIGGINS.

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