US2618401A

US2618401A - Storage building

Info

Publication number: US2618401A
Application number: US239962A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lester A Wilkin
Original assignee: Graver Tank and Manufacturing Co Inc
Current assignee: Graver Energy Systems Inc
Priority date: 1951-08-02
Filing date: 1951-08-02
Publication date: 1952-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 1969-11-18

Description

Nov. 18, 1952 L. A. WlLKlN STORAGE BUILDING 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed Aug. 2, 1951 FIG. 4

FIG. I

INVENTOR. Jam 6 0m Nov. 18, 1952 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. 1mm 3 0% Patented Nov. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STORAGE BUILDING Lester A. Wilkin, East Chicago, Ind.,-assignor to Graver Tank & Mfg. 00., Inc., East Chicago, Ind., a corporation of Delaware Application August 2, 1951, Serial No. 239,962

6 Claims. (01. 22020) This invention relates to tanks, bins and similar storage buildings, generally constructed of metal, such as steel, for the storage of a variety of liquids and other materials. The invention relates particularly to a partition bulkhead for such a storage building, forming two or more compartments therein which are fully or partly separated from one another for the individual storage of more than one type of materials. The invention provides a new and improved construction for such a bulkhead and cooperating parts, making the entire structure either cheaper or stronger or both.

In the new construction both the side walls of the building and the bulkhead walls are usually curved; preferably lying in vertical cylindrical planes. Horizontal reenforcement members are longitudinally secured to concave wall areas, both of the side walls and partition walls. These members lie in a plurality of superposed horizontal planes. In each plane, the reenforcements are substantially coextensive with the side walls and partition walls, and they are so interconnectedby suitable tie members as to form a truss, thereby enabling any one or more compartments formed by the bulkhead to withstand the interior and exterior pressures and mechanical stresses to be expected in the operation of the compartmented storage tank. Special joints are preferably used between the tie members, reenforcment members and curved walls, providing high strength while requiring low amounts of material and labor.

Many reenforcingrstructures for tank shells or bulkheads are known to the art. when I applied such earlier structures for purposes as indicated herein, the idea of the present structure occurred to me and I found, on actual test, that the new structure provides a surprisingly large increase in strength, when held to equal cost. In addition I found that the new structure compares favorably with most of the earlier structures as to simplicity of fabrication, erection, and utilization of, the storage building. These and other advantages Will appear more clearly from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment which follows.

In the drawing, Figure l is the general front elevation of a gasoline storage tank the inside of which can be partitioned in accordance herewith. Figure 2 is a horizontal section along lines 2-2. Figure 3 is a perspective view, on a large scale, of a sectional detail cut off along lines 22 at the top and along lines 3-3 in front. Figure 4 is a front View of a sectional detail out off along lines 2 2-2 at the bottom and along lines 4-4 in front. Figure 5 is a plan view of the detail of Fi ure {1.

The tank It) has a fiat-bottom II, a vertical, cylindrical shell or side wall 12 and a flat, conical roof [3, supported by suitable rafters l4 and partition means l5. A vertically corrugated partition or bulkhead It extends across the tank and separates two compartments, of equal size and form, from one another. Each compartment may have gasoline or other material supplied to it, and removed therefrom, by suitable inlet and outlet means (not shown).

The bulkhead It comprises a plurality of vertical, semi-cylindrical plate units or wall sections I'l, joined together endwise in vertical edge portions it, which as shown may be butt welded. Alternate sections H are oriented to face in opposite directions. An even number of such alternating sections or vertical corrugations are provided.

Secured to the concave or inside surface of each section ii, there are several vertically superimposed, horizontally disposed reenforcing bars IQ of rectangular cross-section and of an arcuate shape substantially coextensive with that of the section. The vertical spacing of these reenforcements is equal in the entire bulk head, so that, in the plane of each reenforcing bar I9 there is a chain or system of such bars. The system is substantially coextensive with the horizontal extension of the bulkhead.

The vertical spacing of these reenforcements is preferably proportioned to the downwardly increasing hydrostatic pressure when reenforcements of uniform strength are used on all levels. Aside from variations due to such proportioning and the like, the vertical spacing of horizontal reenforcements l9 and the horizontal diameters of semicylindric'al wall sections I! are preferably of the same order of magnitude, such as about three to eight feet.

The two terminal areas 20 of each arcuate bar is are interconnected by a straight stiffening tie member 2|. By means of reenforcements l9 and stiffeners 2!, each vertical corrugation unit or section ll is made rigid enough to withstand substantial hydrostatic pressure and mechanical stress. The members ll, l9 and 21 can be made substantially uniform, regardless of the size of tank it and number of bulkhead corrugations, so

long as general pressure and stress conditions are comparable.

The inside surfaces of the side walls l2 have secured thereto a number of superposed reenforcement members 22; each member 22 having a flat horizontal surface lying in the same plane with the flat, horizontal surface of a bulkhead reenforcing bar l9. The member 22 may consist of structural shapes of suitable strength. If the side wall I2, between the ends of the bulkhead Il consists of a single semicylindrical element as shown, relatively strong reenforcements 22 are required for this side wall, in comparison with the reenforcements IQ of the relatively short-radius bulkhead sections; both sets of reenforcements being arranged at uniform vertical spacings, The side-wall reenforcing members 22, like the chains of bulkhead reenforcements l9, are substantially coextensive with the reenforced wall; but a small section of each complete shell reenforcing ring 22 is cut oif, adjacent each vertical, terminal edge portion 23 of the bulkhead; the cut-01f edges being secured to these terminal edges for greater rigidity.

Straight tie bars 24 of rectangular cross-section are horizontally supported on the fiat top surface of arcuate reenforcing members is and 22, being secured to terminal edges l8 of bulkhead sections l1, and to opposite areas 25 of the shell ring 22. The tie bars 24 are shown as eX- tending parallel with one another, thereby simplifying access to the interior of the tank and the installation of auxiliary equipment such as gauging devices (not shown). The bulkhead ends 26 of all tie bars, and preferably the entire tie bars 24, extend tangentially of the terminal edges iii of the bulkhead walls l'i. They are secured thereto, as well as to the adjacent terminal areas 20 of the arcuate bulkhead reenforcements, thereby providing simple but strong and reliable joints at these ends 25. Preferably the members l1, [9, 2| and 24 are joined together at each intersection of vertical edges [8 and horizontal reenforcem nts l9, by substantially continuous weld seams 27 along the vertical terminal side surfaces of the bars 24 and the horizontal bottom edges supported on the bars IS. The opposite ends 28 of the tie members do not, inherently, extend parallel with adjacent wall areas, but can be jointed to the wall with equal simplicity and strength, along the vertical edges of the bars 24 and the horizontal surfaces of the wall reenforcements 22, since these wall reenforcements, as mentioned, are generally quite large.

In effect the arcuate reenforcement members 49, 22 and the straight tie members 2|, 24 form a horizontal truss, in each plane of reenforcement. The overall strength of the truss and tank structure depends largely on the strength of the joints (a) between outer terminal tie member areas 28, ring areas 25 and adjacent areas of side walls 42, and (12) between inner terminal tie member areas 25, reenforcement areas 29, and bulkhead areas it. It will be seen by persons skilled in the art, on consideration hereof, that the shearing and other stresses which are important for these joints can easily be proportioned and controlled, with the design as shown and described. It will also be seen that the construction is extremely simple to fabricate and erect. Lower bars 2! and 24 can serve as supports of working platforms for higher shell and bulkhead elements, reenforcement and ties. It is possible in some instances to prefabricate the horizontal trusses, or panels thereof, and to use them as falsework for the shell plate erection.

The bottom edges of the bulkhead ii (not shown) are generally secured to the flat bottom H in obvious manner. Instead of specially shaping the top of the bulkhead, for attachment to the underside of a cone roof, I found it preferable in many cases to fabricate all bulkhead sections l1 uniformly from rectangular plates, with horizontal, semicircular top edges 29; to secure semicircular plates 30 with their curved edges to the top edges 29; to secure the bottom edges 3| of the vertical, cone roof supporting partition plates IE to the diametrical edges of the plates 38; and to secure the top edges of the vertical plates I5 to the underside of the roof l3. In this manner the members l3, l5 and 30 serve as an uppermost set of reenforcements and ties, and a simple tight bulkhead closure is provided.

Various modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art. I claim:

1. In apparatus for the storage of a variety of liquids and the like, a shell; a vertically corrugated, horizontally reenforced bulkhead, separating different parts of the space inside the shell from one another, the vertical corrugations consisting in curvatures of the bulkhead alternating facing in opposite directions and having verticaledge portions which are tangent to one another in adjoining corrugations, the horizontal reenforcements substantially consisting in a plurality of vertically spaced sets of horizontally alined rigid members longitudinally secured to and horizontally substantially coextensive with the concave surfaces of the corrugations, and the vertical spacing of such sets being approximately of the same order of magnitude as the diameters of said curvatures; and a set of tie members for each set of horizontally alined reenforcement members, the tie members of each set comprising straight, elongated bars terminally secured to the bulkhead adjacent the intersections of horizontal reenforcements and vertical edge portions, interconnecting such edge portions with opposite portions of the shell, and cooperating with the connected reenforcement members in forming a substantially horizontal truss.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bulkhead is formed of a plurality of semicylindrical formed plate units, each unit forming one of said curvatures and being vertically joined to an adjoining unit along said edge portions of the respective curvatures, and each intersection of horizontal reenforcements and vertical edge portions of the bulkhead corrugations being formed by the two vertical edge portions; a horizontally extending arcuate bar forming one of said rigid members; and two horizontal, substantially alined straight bars supported by the arcuate bars, tangent on the edge portions, and extending in opposite directions to one another and to the respective, most nearly adjoining bulkhead plate units.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the different members of each of said horizontal trusses are Welded together; said bulkhead reenforcing bars having horizontal top surfaces, said straight tie bars having vertical side surfaces, and substantially uninterrupted Weld joints being formed around the ends of said straight tie bars, along said vertical edge portions and horizontal top surfaces.

. 4. In apparatus for the storage of a variety of liquids and the like, a shell; a plurality of sets of vertically spaced, horizontally alined, sub stantially annular reenforcement members for the shell; a vertically corrugated, horizontally reenforced bulkhead, separating different parts of the space inside the shell from one another, the vertical corrugations substantially consisting in semicylindrical curvatures of the bulkhead, alternately facing in opposite directions and having vertical edge portions which are tangent to one another in adjoining corrugations, the horizontal reenforcements substantially consisting in a plurality of vertically spaced sets of horizontally alined rigid members longitudinally secured to and horizontally substantially coextensive with the concave surfaces of the corrugations, and the vertical spacing of such sets of shell and bulkhead reenforcements being approximately of the same order of magnitude as the diameters of said semicylindrical curvatures; and a set of tie members for each set of horizontally alined reenforcement members, the tie members of each set comprising straight, elongated bars terminally secured to the bulkhead adjacent the intersections of horizontal reenforcements and vertical edge portions, some of said bars horizontally interconnecting such edge portions with one another and others of said bars being tangent to such edge portions and parallel with one another and connecting such edge portions with opposite portions of the shell reenforcements, thereby cooperating with the connected reenforoement liquids and the like, a substantially cylindrical, horizontally reen'forced shell; a, vertically corrugated, horizontally reenforced bulkhead, ex tending across the space inside the shell and having vertical edge portions secured to the inside surface of the shell, the vertical corrugations substantially consisting in uniform semicylindrical curvatures of the bulkhead, alternately facing in opposite directions and having vertical edge portions which are tangent to one another in adjoining corrugations; the horizontal reenforcements of the shell and bulkhead substantially consisting in a plurality of vertically spaced sets of horizontally alined rigid members longitudinally secured to and horizontally substantially coextensive with the concave surfaces of the shell and bulkhead, and the vertical spacing of such sets being approximately of the same order of magnitude as the diameters of said semicylindrical curvatures; and a set of tie members for each set of horizontally alined reenforcement members, thetie members of each set comprising straight, elongated, parallel, horizontal bars terminally secured to the bulkhead adjacent the intersections of horizontal reenforcements and vertical edge portions, interconnecting such edge portions with opposite portions of the shell, and cooperating with the connected reenforcement members in forming a horizontal truss.

LESTER A. WILKIN.

No references cited.