US2684173A

US2684173A - Storage tank support

Info

Publication number: US2684173A
Application number: US210163A
Authority: US
Inventors: Schmitz Ewald
Original assignee: AO Smith Corp
Current assignee: AO Smith Corp
Priority date: 1951-02-09
Filing date: 1951-02-09
Publication date: 1954-07-20
Anticipated expiration: 1971-07-20

Description

July 205 1954 EjscHMlTz STORAGE TANK SUPPORT Filed Feb. 9, 1951 rllllllllllillllll E Y A llw/zslvrolg.i Ewald Schrnzz ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 20, 1954 STORAGE TANK SUPPORT Ewald Schmitz, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to A. 0.

Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of New York Application February 9, 1951, Serial No. 210,163

(Cl. 22B-48) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to Storage tanks and more particularly, to a new and improved reinforcing support for the same.

An object of the present invention is to provida a storage tank which may be constructed of relatively thin metal due to the manner in which the bracing of the tank is effected.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the free expansion of certain heated surfaces of a metal storage tank when said tank contains hot liquids or tends to expand under service conliti-ons.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a means of structural reinforcement for a thin-walled alloy storage tank which is capable cf resisting the internal pressure exerted by the contained material.

Storage tanks may in service be utilized to contain hot liquids. Under such circumstances the metal Walls and bottom of the tank, which are in contact with the hot liquid, become heated. This heat is dissipated rather rapidly from the side walls of the tank due to the free circulation of air around the outer surfaces of said Walls, but as the metal base of the tank is insulated to some degree by the underlying foundation, the heat does not readily dissipate therefrom. Therefore as the metal base becomes heated it expands outwardly. This expansion causes severe stresses to be set up within the tank which are apt to result in a structural failure or buckling of the tank walls.

The present invention is directed to a tank construction which will minimize failure due to the above conditions. The tank construction consists of a thin-walled generally cylindrical closed container mounted upon a suitable supporting foundation. The container shown is constructed of a plurality of alloy plates, suitably welded together and reinforced by circumferentiaily extending T-beam members and vertically disposed I-beam members which are circumferentially spaced about the container and attached to the outer surface of the container. The vertical reinforcing members extend from the upper edge of the tank wall and are bent radially outwardly of the wall of the container as they appreach the foundation to provide a small diverging recess between each reinforcing member and the tank wall directly above the foundation. Upon heating, the base plate of the tank, which is joined to the tank shell by means of an outwardly curved alloy corner plate, is free to expand radially outward without being restrained by the nrrnly positioned reinforcing members, and hence no dangerous stresses are set up or transmitted to the relatively thin Wall of the container.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description of an embodiment of the invention illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational View partly in section of a storage tank embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the lower portion of the tank; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 showing a joint between two panels of the side wall.

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated a storage tank essentially as described in Patent No. 2,395,685 of Henry A. Schmitz, Jr., which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

The structure to which the invention is directed comprises a base or foundation l, on which is mounted a metal Storage tank comprising a generally cylindrical shell 2 which is closed at the top by a roof 3 and at the bottom by a base member 4. Base il rests on foundation l and is joined to shell 2 by a circumferentially extending corner piece 5 which is suitably welded to the shell and base of the tank.

In the tank illustrated roof 3 is formed of sectional plates suitably secured together. Shell 2 comprises a plurality of generally curved rectangular shaped plates 6 assembled in line circumferentially with one row of plates superimposed above the other. The plates are secured together along their horizontal seams by welds l and along then` vertical seams by welds 3.

The horizontal seams 'l are braced by T- shaped beams 9 which extend around the shell and across each weld seam l and are welded to the shell on each side of each respective seam.

The tank is additionally braced by circumferentially spaced I-beam members I@ which extend vertically of the shell substantially from top to bottom thereof along vertical weld seams S and are joined to the shell on either side of the respective vertical weld seams over which they lie by vertically extending welds i l to a line slightly below the lowermost horizontal seam 1. T-beams 9 are also welded to I-beams IU to make a unitary bracing structure for the entire tank. For further details of the I-beam construction reference may be had to applicants co-pending application Serial No. 200,184 filed December l1, 1950, as the I-beam and joint between plates forms no part of this invention.

Slightly below lowermost horizontal seam 1 each I-bearn I turns radially outward of the shell 2 and continues generally outwardly from the shell down to foundation I to provide a diverging recess I2 between the shell and each I- beam for a substantial distance above foundation l.

The lower end of each I-beam I0 is welded to a channel piece I3 which is secured to the foundation by bolts lli.

By oisetting the lower end portions of the reinforcing members III from the shell 2, the base 4 of the tank when heated by hot Contained fluid is free to expand radially into the recess I2 between each member I0 and shell 2. Thus any stresses transmitted to the reinforcing members I0 are minimized over a structure in which members I0 are rigidly secured to the shell for the full height of the tank.

The structure shown which comprises a sectional type tank with I-beam bracing members is merely for illustrative purposes as the invention is applicable to various types of tanks and bracing structures in which the bottom closure of the tank is in contact with the foundation so that the foundation prevents the heat from contained fluid being readily dissipated from the bottom wall of the tank.

Various embodiments of the invention may be employed within the scope of the accompanying claim.

I claim:

In a storage tank of the class described, a foundation, a thin-walled alloy cylindrical container, the base of said container being secured to the cylindrical Wall thereof and resting on said foundation in overlapping contacting relation therewith and expanding when subject to increases of temperature, and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced vertically disposed reinforcing posts rigidly secured to said foundation and attached throughout the greater portion of the length thereof to the outer surface of said container, the lower extremities of said posts being bent radially outwardly from the container and the cylindrical wall of the container extending substantially vertically downward from the bend in said posts to provide a diverging recess between each post and the container for permitting free expansion of said base under service conditions without wedging action during the expansion thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,885,601 Horton Nov. 1, 1932 2,301,061 Logeman Nov. 3, 1942 2,395,685 Schmitz, Jr Feb. 26, 1946 2,562,601 Caquot et al July 31, 1951 2,562,602 Caquot July 31, 1951