US2672409A - Telescoping lift-type gasholder - Google Patents

Description

March 16, 1954 w. PERKINS 2,672,409

TELESCOP ING L IFT TYPE GASHOLDER Original Filed Sept. 10, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet l WHL 1-52 F PER/(INS March 16, 1954 w PERK|NS 2,672,409 TELESCOPING LIFT-TYPE GASHOLDER Original Filed Sept. 10, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 g woe/wim- W/IL 1-512 F. PERKINS March 16, 1954 w. F. PERKINS TELESCOPING LIFT-TYPE GASHOLDER OriginalFiled Sept. 10, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet S gnaw/Mm W44 7-52 F. PER/(1N3.

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Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TELESOOPING LIFT-TYPE GASHOLDER Walter F. Perkins, Baltimore, Md., assignor to Koppers Company, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Original application September 10, 1945, Serial No. 615,337. Divided and this application May 2, 1947, Serial No. 745,588

A further object of th invention is to provide an improved gas holder of the type described and in which the mounting surfaces and guide roller units are arranged to permit the guide roller units to be adjusted radially and laterally of the holder sections.

Another object of the inventionis to provide an improved guide roller unit which is adapted to be incorporated in a gas holder of the type tion Ser. No. 615,337, filed Sept. 10, 1945, now described,

Patent 2,551,373, issued u e 0, 1950. A further object of the present invention is to Telescoping ype gas holders u y have provide an'improved guide roller unit of the type cylindrical sections which slide vertically within d ibed which is extremely rugged and is capaeach other, while these sections are surrounded m of withstanding substantial force.

y a ui frame s ru r w i h includes v Another object of the invention is to provide tical guide members located at spaced points about the holder. The movable sections of a holder are provided with rollers which are adapted to roll on surfaces on the vertical guide members to guide the holder sections during their movement between their expanded positions and their collapsed positions.

Gas holders usually are relatively large structures and have considerable surface area with the result that relatively large forces are exerted on the gas holder sections at times, as for example during high winds. The guide rollers must guide the holder sections and permit them to move freely at all times. Hence, the guide rollers and supporting means therefore must be rugged enough to withstand relatively great forces.

Although gas holder sections and the associated guide frame structure are fabricated and erected with a high degree of skill, it is practically impossible to initially position the rollers so that they will accurately guide the gas holder sections without binding on the guide members and interfering with free movement of the holder sections. It is usually necessary after erection of a holder and the associated guide frame structure to adjust the guide rollers during initial movement of the holder sections between their collapsed and expanded positions to insure that each section is free to move in all portions of its range of movement and to also insure that each section is accurately guided in all portions of its range of movement.

rollers adapted to roll on surfaces on the guide members.

a guide roller unit of the type described which can be readily and economically constructed from standard structural members.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved guide roller unit of the type described which can be fabricated as a complete unit and shipped to the point of installation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved guide roller unit of the type described which can be readily installed and which incorporates means to readily permit the adjustments which are required to insure proper operation of the roller units and of the holder sections.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved guide roller unit of the type described in which the rollers are supported on a structure fabricated from a plurality of elements which are arranged so that the various elements reinforce and strengthen each other so that the rollers are rigidly supported and will be maintained in accurate alignment when subjected to forces of great magnitude.

Other objects of the invention and features of novelty will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of an expanded multiple lift gas holder provided by this invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the gas holder shown in Figure 1 with the sections of the holder shown in their collapsed positions;

Figure 3 is a plan View of one of the guide roller units employed in the gas holder shown in Figures 1 and 2 and Figure 4 is a side elevation of the guide roller unit shown in Figure 3.

Lift-type gas holders are commonly used for grip; 42: lies inside the: cup: 40.

3 the storage of gas in quantities in the order of from 50,000 to 15,000,000 cubic feet. Such gas holders are constructed with one or more lifts whereby the volume of the gas holder may be in creased or decreased as required to accommodate the supply.- of gas onhand. Suchlift-type gas holders. as are more particularly illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, are constructed with a circular tank l adapted to hold water at least in the por;--

tion adjacent the periphery, aguide-frame structure indicated generally by the reference numeral l2, and a gas-tight bell indicated. generally by the.

Although only one; vertical guide member it is illustrated in the drawings, it is to be understood that the guideframe. structure l2 includesav plurality of such. guide. members, and that they are located at uniform intervals about the circumference of the gas holder, as is customary in gas holders of this type. Likewise, itiscontemplated that adjacentvertical: guide members is may be connected. together withbraces and tie rods, not shown, to maintain them in, their vertical positions. and to assist them; in withstanding the forces to whichthey aresubjected.

The present invention relates particularly to gas holders of the general character described above and incorporates in such a structure certain features of novelty as will be pointed out whichprovide a stronger structure; which may be assembled in less-time andyor. withiless labor than structures heretofore available in the prior art.

In a multiple-lift gasholder' the skirt. and skirt extensions are severally known-as lifts. The skirt and extensions 2-21 and 24. consequently may be referred'to'hereinsometimes. as lifts20, 22 and 24, respectively;

Each pair of adjacent lifts is provided with complementary gripping and sealing means as best shown in: Figure 2, whereby the inner lift of the pair, as it is raised; engages and. lifts the outer one: of the pair with a gas-tight engagement. Suitable gripping,- and sealing means as. illustrated. comprise hydraulic cups: 40 and. grips 42 formed in. the shaperof' anupwardlyopening annular channel, and adownwardly opening annular channel, respectively, of such. dimensions that the inner radius ofthe grip is intermediate the outer and. inner? radii. of 131182811X). Hence-, in the expanded? position, the outer: side 44 of cup 40 lies inside the grip 42 and the insidewall 4B of the The wall 46 of the grip 42. is:- thus; immersed inthe water retained in the cup 40 and forms a gas-tight. wallin the: expandedpositioni. depth ofthe; cup it is. desirably" eq at to: the: depth. of. the. grip: 42. so

thatthetop. edge of. wall. 44 of. the cup, 4% willengage the top 48 of the grip 42 at the same. time that the bottom edge of the-wall 4.5 of the grip 42 engages the-bottom 50 of the cup 40. Inner Wall 52 of cup 40 also forms part of thelift. Desirablyi though. not. necessarily,. the. wall; 52. is, made of separate sheets weldedto. theremainder of: the

. lift... The. outer wall. 5.4 of the. grip. 4a is. similarly til 4 constructed. The sheets forming the walls 44, 46, 48, 50, 52 and 54 desirably are made of heavier stock than the other portion of each lift in order to give added strength to the lift structure. At the bottom of the outermost lift 24 there is providedan outpturned annular flange 56in place of a cup. It is constructed-as the cup 40 except the outside wall 44 is omitted. Similarly no grip is provided at the top of the innermost lift 20. There is provided instead a circular convex dome or roof 58 welded at its periphery to the top of the lift, thereby formingwith the lifts 20, 22 and 24 thegas-tightbell I4. If desired, the height of the lift, 20: may be; extended by means of plates 50 welded to the top of the skirt and in turn to the periphery; ofxthe' dome. The height of the inner lift 20* is :thus madeequal to that of the other lifts.

In the Ianded'orcollapsed position the dome, as showndn Figure 2, is supported against collapse by a supporting structure 6! of any suitable design. Inasmuchassuch. structures are common in the: art. it will not be. necessary to describe them. in. detail.

As'explainedin my application identified above, the. lifts are. provided with vertical strengthening guide. rails which extend along the inside of the lifts over therentireheightof the. lifts. The guide rails are attached at-intervals. around the entire periphery of the inside of each. lift. Rollers are secured to the bottomsof the rails which have a mounting to place. the. rollers on the outside of the lifts in position to engage therails secured to thev next lift. outside of the lift. on which the rollers aremounted. These. guide rails and rollers keep; the; lifts in proper spaced relation to the tank and the nextadjacent lift as the lifts are raised and lowered toprovide for changes in volume of gas in the holder. Reference is made to application, Ser. No. 615,337 for, the details of construction. ofthe guide rails. and rollers since these details of. construction are not essential to an understanding of the particular invention described and claimed. herein.

The present invention. relates particularly to the. roller guide units, which are mounted around the-outside periphery at the tops of each of the lifts.v These roller guide-units cooperate with rail guides; l8? mounted inand forming a part of the guide frame structure it which surrounds the holder. Toposition. the guide units on the lifts an angle: is provided atthe. topcf the outside of the lifts 22' and. 24 at the intersection of the top 48- and inner'sideiifi of thegrips The side 46 is projected a suitable distance above the top plate 48 for this purpose. Supporting structures till and; 08 for the outside rollers Hi3 and 20 are: suitably fastened in. these angles as more clearlyshownin Figure. 2. A supporting structure H0 is mounted on the. dome 53. The outermost plates; H2 of the dome desirably are made ofheavystools. and are reinforced by brackets i it toprovide anadequately strong base for support H0.

It is to be understood. that a plurality of supporting structures: m1... m8 and i I 9. areprovitled, there;beinggone-cfieach of thesesupporting structures radially inwardly of each of the vertical guide members. 13.. As. is best: shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the supporting structures extendradially outwardly so that each terminates adjacent-theinner face of one of the guide memhers H3- Inaddition, as isclearlv shovinin Fig. 2 of. the drawings, the. supporting-, structures. I01, we and. U0 are, proportionedso. that whenthe lifts of the holder are in their collapsed. position the supporting structure I08 projects over the supporting structure I01, while the supporting structure I I projects over the supporting structure I08.

Each of the supporting structures has adjacent its radially outer end a substantially horizontal mounting surface which is adapted to have detachably secured thereon a guide roller unit indicated generally by the reference numeral I I6 and carrying rollers I I8 and I which are adapted to roll on guide surfaces on a vertical guide member I8. One of the supporting structures I0,! is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings and as therein shown the mounting surface is formed by a flat plate I50. It is to be understood that each of the supporting structures I88 and H0 is provided with a similar substantially horizontal mounting surface adjacent its outer end and on which is secured a guide roller unit II6 of th type shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Mounted on the mounting surface of each of the supporting structures I01, I08, and H0, is a guide roller unit II6. Each of these guide roller units has three rollers, designated I I8 and I20, journaled in suitable supports. mounted on parallel axes and are positioned to roll upon the flanges I22 of- I-shaped vertical guide member I8 mounted in a vertical position on the guide-frame structure I2, whereas the roller I20 is mounted with its axis normal to the axes of the rollers II 8 and is positioned to roll upon the web I26 of guide member I8. The guide members I8 are suitably supported on the guide-frame structure I2 by a suitable supporting means I28 in positions which preferably are radially outwardly of the guide surfaces on the interior of the lifts 24 and 22 so that the outside roller I20 areradially in alignment with at least some of the inside rollers. The supporting struc- I8 is suitably fastened to the leg I30 of the support I28, as by welding. The supporting means I28 on which the vertical guide members I8 are secured may be vertical extensions of the members I64 which are secured to the exterior face of the plates forming the wall of the tank I0, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

Each of the guide roller units H6 comprises a channel-shaped bracket I32 having a web I34 and side flanges I36. on the channel I32 by the shafts or trunnions I38 which are provided with retaining heads I40 and project through aligned holes in the side flanges I36. Suitable washers I42 and pins I44 complete the mounting of rollers II8. As already pointed out, the axes of the rollers I I8 and the axes of the shafts or trunnions I38 are parallel. They are also normal to theside flanges I36 of the channel I32. The center roller I20 is mounted between two parallel plates I46 which are welded, or otherwise fastened, to the web I34 and side flanges I36 ofthe channel I32. The plates I46 are parallel one to another and normal to the side flanges I36 and the web I34. The plates I46 project slightly beyond the front flange I36 of the channel I32 as required properly to position the roller I20. The front flange I36 of the channel I32 is cut away as required to permit plates I46 s o;-to

.project andto permit'free rotation of the roller v I 20. The roller I 20 revolves on a shaft; I48 which.

is normal to the shafts I38 and extends through Rollers H8 are The rollers H8 are mounted aligned holes in the plates I46. The web I34 of channel I32 is adjustably mounted on the mounting surface formed by a plate I50 which is secured in a horizontal position on top of each of the supports I01, I08, and H0. The web I34 is perforated with longitudinally elongated slots I52, whereas the plate I 50 is provided with correspondingly positioned transversely elongated slots I54, as is best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawmgs.

The slots I52 in the web I34 of the channel I32 and the slots I54 in the plate I50 are located in such manner that when the channel I32 is placed on the plate I50 the centers of the slots in the channel substantially coincide with the centers of the slots in the plate. The channel I32 is fastened to the plate I50 by suitable fastening means, such as the bolts I56. By loosening the bolts I56, the channel I32 may be shifted transversely throughout the length of slots I56 and longitudinally throughout the length of slots I52. Within limits, therefore, the position of the guide roller units is easily adjustable both radially and laterally of the mounting surface.

The construction just described provides a guide roller unit I I6 which can be constructed economically and is very satisfactory. The channel I32, which is one of the principal parts of the guide roller unit, is a standard structural steel shape. This channel has great strength to resist forces in the plane of the Web I34 or of the flanges I36, but has little strength to resist twisting forces. However, the channel is reinforced and strengthened by the plates I46 which extend transversely of the channel I32 and are secured to the web and flanges of the channel. The plates I46 stiffen the channe1 and prevent twisting of the channel with the result that the channel E32 provides a rigid support for the rollers II8. Similarly, the plates I46 are reinforced and stiffened by the channel I32, particularly by the flanges I36 which are secured to the plates I46. Hence, the plates I46 provide a rigid support for the roller I20.

The shafts I38, on which the rollers I I8 are mounted, extend through aligned holes in the flanges I36 on the channel I32. The flanges I36 are spaced apart a considerable distance so that the shafts I38 are rigidly held with respect to the channel I32 and the rollers II8 will not get out of alignment because of movement of the shafts I38 relative to the channel I32. As explained above, the channel I32 is reinforced and strengthened by the plates I46 so that the channel has great strength to resist twisting forces, that is, forces tending to move the shafts I38 out of alignment with each other. Furthermore, the bolts I56 which secure the channel I32 to the plate 50 are located directly beneath the shafts I38 so the plate I50 is effective to reinforce the channel and to prevent twisting of the channel which would result in misalignment of the shafts I38. The guide roller unit II6, therefore, rigidly maintains the rollers I I8 and I20 in alignment even under conditions inwhich substantial forces are exerted on the rollers, asfor example during a high wind storm. As the rollers II8 and I 20 are maintained in alignment at all times, the rollers roll freely on the guide members I8 and do not interfere with movement of the lifts of the holder.

The invention may be more fully -understood by referring generally to the method-of construc- 7. welding together sheets upon asuitablefoundation. The bottom is circular, while I-beams I68 may be welded. along radii at intervals alongthe bottom I58 to hold the lifts 2B, 22, and 24 off the bottom. About the circumference of this bottom is then erected the wall. of the tank. The wall of the tank is suitably formed by welding together steel plates. As more clearly shown in Figure 2, these plates may be proportioned in weight according to the pressure of water that they are required to support. Thus the bottom plate 160 may be substantially thicker than the top plate I52.

The guide-frame structure I2 is built up from the top of the tank I!) in the customary manner. Suitable reinforcing beams I54 project downwardly from this guide-frame structure and are welded to the exterior wall of the tank Ii].

Either before or after or simultaneously with the building up of the tank and the guide-frame structure I2, the lifts are fabricated in the position shown in Figure 2, and prior to this, or afterward, or simultaneously therewith, the supporting structure BI is erected in accordance with the usual practice in the art.

The outside roller supports I01, I08, and H are welded in place either after or during construction. of the lifts. The guide roller units I16 are then mounted and are initially adjusted.

The tank Ill is now filled with water and air is pumped into the tank as required to raise the bell I4. As the bell I4 is being raised, the guide roller units H6 are adjusted as required to permit unrestrained movement of the lifts of the holder and at the same time insure that the lifts will be accurately guided by the guide rollers.

In addition during this initial raising of the lifts of the holder, work may be performed on them, as for example completion of the welding of the seams in these sections.

The adjustable guide roller units provided by this invention make it possible effectively and economically to effect the above-described operations of adjusting the guide roller units and of welding the seams in the lifts. By the simple expediency of loosening bolts, it is possible to realign or adjust the guide roller units both radially and laterally as maybe necessary to accommodate the particular requirements of the gas holder. a lift-type gas holder that adjustment of the guide roller units need not be made during the initial operations. Practices heretofore available make it diificult to do this and have materially increased the cost of construction since the number of manhours lost during such adjustments has been relatively large.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided an improved gas holder incorporating adjustable guide roller units. The lifts of the holder have secured thereon the supporting structures I 01, I98, and H0 which have horizontal mounting surfaces adjacent the inner faces of the vertical guide members I8. These mounting surfaces are adapted to have secured thereon the guide roller units H6 which carry the rollers H8 and I20 which roll on the faces of the vertical guide members I8. As explained above, the guide roller units H6 hold the rollers H8 and IE0 rigidly in alignment so that the rollers move freely on the surfaces of the vertical guide members l8 even when subjected to forces of substantial magnitude. In addition, it will be seen that'the guide rollerunlt U 6 re pted to be construoted as complete units and It is notpractically possible so to construct shipped tothe point of installation. Furthermore, these units are quickly and easily installed by placing the units on the mounting surfaces on the supporting structures I01, I08, and H6, and installing the bolts I56. After a guide roller unit has been installed it can be readily adjusted both radially and laterally of the associated mounting surface so that the rollers carried by the unit will engage the faces of the guide members I8 but will not bind on these members or press against them so much as to interfere with movement of the lifts of the holder. As the adjustment of the guide roller units can be quickly and easily accomplished, this adjustment will not delay other work which may be in progress during initial raising of the lifts of a holder.

While I have described my invention with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be under-stood that variation may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a gas holder comprising a tank, a guideframe structure mounted thereon and a gastight bell adapted for vertical movement within said tank and guide-frame structure, the combination of guides mounted on the interior of said guide-frame structure, each of said guides having a plurality of vertical rolling surfaces, a plurality of roller units mounted on supporting means affixed to said bell each of said units having a plurality of rollers adapted to roll upon the rolling surfaces of said guides, each of said units comprising a channel-shaped member having a web resting on a flat supporting plate comprised in said supporting means and having flanges at each side thereof normal to the radius projecting through said guides, a pair of rollers mounted on parallel trunnions projecting through the flanges of said channel, and another roller mounted on an axle supported between and normal to said parallel trunnions in two parallel plates mounted transversely of said channelshaped member and fastened to the flanges and web thereof.

2. In a gas holder of the type having a guide frame comprising a plurality of substantially vertical guide members arranged at spaced points about the circumference of a circle, each of said guide members having on the side thereof facing the center of said circle a tangentially disposed vertical guide surface and having a 'pair of radially disposed vertical guide surfaces and a gas-tight bell adapted for vertical movement within said guide frame, said bell having on its exterior face radially inwardly of each of said vertical guide members a substantially horizontal mounting surface having therein a plurality of holes all of which are elongated in the direction of the plane of one of the vertical guide surfaces on the adjacent vertical guide member, the combination with the foregoing of an improved guide roller unit, said unit comprising a channel shaped member having a web resting on said horizontal mounting surface and having flanges at each side of the web running parallel to said tangentially disposed guide surface, a pair of spaced parallel plates disposed substantially perpendicular to the face of said channel member and extending transversely of said channel member, each of said plates being secured to the web and to the flanges of said channel member and being located adjacent the midpor ion of said channel, an axleextending through al gned openings'ill said plates and having supported thereon between said plates a tangentially disposed roller adapted to roll on the first vertical surface on one of said vertical guide members, the flanges on said channel member having aligned openings therein to one side of said plates and aligned openings to the other side of said plates, each pair of aligned openings having supported therein a trunnion extending from a side face of the channel member and having mounted thereon a roller which is adapted to roll on the radially disposed guide surface on one of said vertical guide members, the web of said channel member having therein a plurality of holes which are elongated in the direction perpendicular to that in which the holes in the supporting surface are elongated, the holes in the web of the channel being located so that when said channel member is placed against said mounting surface the centers of the holes in the channel and in the supporting surface substantially coincide, and bolts extending through the holes in the web of said chamiel member and in said supporting surface.

3. In an improved guide roller unit for multiple-lift-type gas holders in combination: a tank, a closed lift mounted within the tank, a guideframe surrounding the lift and mounted on the tank, vertical guides mounted in the frame in spaced relationship around the lift, a supporting structure secured to the upper peripheral surface of a lift and having a flat supporting surface, a channel-shaped member having a web resting on said flat supporting surface and having flanges at each side of the web running normal to a radius of the lift running above the center of said web, a pair of spaced parallel plates disposed substantially perpendicular to a tangential- 1y disposed face of said channel member and extending transversely thereof, each of said plates 10 being secured to the web and to the flanges of said channel member, said plates being located adjacent the mid portion of the channel member, an axle extending through aligned openings in said plates and having supported thereon between said plates a first roller adapted to roll on the guiding surface of a vertical guide, the flanges on said channel having aligned openings therein to one side of said plates and aligned openings therein to the other side of said plates, each pair of aligned openings having supported therein a trunnion extending from a side face of said channel and having mounted thereon a second roller rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the axis of said first roller, each of said second rollers being adapted to roll on radially disposed guiding surfaces of the vertical guide, the web of said channel having therein a plurality of holes which are adapted to receive bolts by means of which said assembly may be secured in adjusted guiding position on the surface of the supporting structure.

WALTER F. PERKINS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 8,648 Joy Oct. 9, 1866 428,125 Newell May 20, 1890 972,785 Stofiels Oct. 11, 1910 1,494,818 Shean May 20, 1924 1,765,946 Shea June 24, 1930 1,886,101 Jagschitz Nov. 1, 1932 2,367,497 Greuning Jan. 16, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 572,628 France Feb. 3, 1924 809,494 France Dec. 12, 1936

Claims (1)

1. IN A GAS HOLDER COMPRISING A TANK, GUIDEFRAME STRUCTURE MOUNTED THEREON AND A GASTIGHT BELL ADPTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT WITHIN SAID TANK AND GUIDE-FRAME STRUCTURE, THE COMBINATIN OF GUIDES MOUNTED ON THE INTERIOR OF SAID GUIDE-FRAME STRUCTURE, EACH OF SAID GUIDES HAVING A PLURALITY OF VERTICAL ROLLING SURFACES, A PLURALITY OF ROLLER UNITS MOUNTED ON SUPPORTING MEAN AFFIXED TO SAID BELL EACH OF SAID UNITS HAVING A PLURALITY OF ROLLERS ADAPTED TO ROLL UPON THE ROLLING SURFACES OF SAID GUIDES, EACH OF SAID UNITS COMPRISING A CHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING A WEB RESTING ON A FLAT SUPPORTING PLATE COMPRISED IN SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND HAVING FLANGES AT EACH SIDE THEREOF NORMAL TO THE RADIUS PROJECTING THROUGH SAID GUIDES, A PAIR OF ROLLERS MOUNTED ON PARALLEL TRUNNIONS PROJECTING THROUGH THE FLANGES OF SAID CHANNEL, AND ANOTHER ROLLER MOUNTED ON AN AXLE SUPPORTED BETWEEN AND NORMAL TO SAID PARALLEL TRUNNIONS IN TWO PARALLEL PLATES MOUNTED TRANSVERSELY OF SAID CHANNELSHAPED MEMBER AND FASTENED TO THE FLANGES AND WEB THEREOF.

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