US3402519A

US3402519A - Foundation sealing system for a sealed storage structure

Info

Publication number: US3402519A
Application number: US604860A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Evers
Original assignee: AO Smith Harvestore Products Inc
Current assignee: CST Storage Inc
Priority date: 1966-12-27
Filing date: 1966-12-27
Publication date: 1968-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 1985-09-24
Also published as: DE1684935A1; DE1684935B2; GB1144420A; JPS5010047B1

Description

Sept. 24, 1968 W J, EVERS 3,402,519

FOUNDATION SEALING vSYSTEM FOR A SEALED STORAGE STRUCTURE Filed Deo. 27. 196e' My @uw United States Patent O l 3,402,519 FOUNDATION SEALING SYSTEM FOR A SEALED STURAGE STRUCTURE William J. Evers, Des Plaines, Ill., assignor to A. 0. Smith Harvestore Products, Inc., Arlington Heights, Ill.,

a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 27, 1966, Ser. No. 604,860 3 Claims. (Cl. 52-295) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLGSURE A foundation sealing system for a gas-tight storage structure used to store perishable materials, such as animal foods, which are preserved by protecting them from the atmosphere and method of assembly. The sealing system comprises a mastic sealer disposed between the concrete foundation of a sealed storage structure and the anchoring element for the structure. The mastic sealer extends through central passages in the anchor bolts which secure the structure to the anchoring elernent and completely fills all voids between the anchoring element and the concrete foundation to provide a gas-tight seal therebetween. In assembly of the storage structure, the anchoring element is first assembled on a suitable footing with the lowest tier portion of the storage structure bolted thereto. Mastic sealer is then extruded in a continuous fillet on the inside surface of the anchoring element completely around the periphery thereof, with the sealer covering each bolt and bolt opening in the anchoring element. Concrete is then poured into the assembled base portion of the structure to form a floor. The concrete extends up to the top level of the anchoring element and is in contact with the inner surface thereof. The fillet of sealer displaces the concrete in the portion thereof which it occupies, and the presence of sealer over the inner ends of the anchor bolts prevents closure of the central passages therein. Additional sealer is then added from the outside through the anchor bolt passages after the structure assembly has been completed.

The type of structure to which the subject invention can be applied is that shown in U.S. Patents 2,551,217 and 2,729,313. These patents are directed to gas-tight storage structures for perishable foods, and it is most important in such structures that there be no leaks to the, atmosphere. It has sometimes been difficult to provide adequate sealing between the concrete base of such a structure and the lower portion of the structure because the concrete base contracts slightly during curing, and at later times due to large temperature changes. In this situation, a space develops between the anchoring element and the concrete base. This is a potential air leak. Before applicants invention, it was necessary to empty the storage structure to repair the foundation sealing system. In addition, there was no simple way to effect the repair without rst disassembling a portion of the storage structure.

Summary 0f the invention This invention provides a sealing means between the concrete oor of a storage structure and the Walls of the structure which can be added to through passages in the anchor bolts which attach the walls of the structure to the anchoring element. The sealing system insures that all voids between the concrete base and the walls of the structure are completely lled with sealer to prevent the development of air leaks in the structure. The sealing system is particularly advantageous because it may be supplemented with additional sealer forced in through the passages in the anchor bolts at any time during the life of the structure, whenever a leak develops, without 3,402 ,5 19 Patented Sept. 24, 1968 emptying stored materials, or disturbing the structure in any way. The continuous mastic sealer fillet is disposed on the inner surface of the anchoring element prior to laying of the concrete door, so that it creates the necessary passage network through which additional mastic ller can be added through the anchor bolt passages.

Brief description of the drawings The drawings illustrate the presently preferred method of carrying out the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section of the foundation and floor of a storage structure incorporating the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is the same as FIG. 2, but showing the sealing system filled in after the concrete has contracted;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 1 showing the relationship of the sealing system to the anchor bolt;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1 showing a connecting joint between adjacent sections of the anchoring element;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the anchoring element as shown in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged lside elevation with parts broken away of the anchor bolt shown in FIG. 4.

Description of the preferred embodiment As shown in the drawings, a storage structure 1 is disposed on a concrete foundation 2, which is supported on footings 3 and secured thereto by a plurality of vertical anchor bolts 4. A plurality connecting assemblies 5 attach the respective vertical anchor bolts 4 to vertical foundation sheets 6 of the storage structure 1. The foundation sheets are also secured to an anchoring element 7, which comprises a plurality of arcuate right-angle members 8 extending around the upper outer edge 9 of the concrete foundation 2 of the storage 'structure 1.

FIG. 3 of the drawings is an enlarged section through one of the right-angle members 8, and shows a fillet of mastic sealer 10 disposed between the concrete foundation 2 and the right-angle member 8 of the anchoring element 7. The mastic sealer 10 extends as a continuous fillet or bead completely encompassing the foundation 2, being disposed at all points between the anchoring element 7 and the foundation 2. The continuous fillet of mastic sealer is disposed over each anchor bolt 11, traversing inner end 12 thereof as seen in FIG. 4 of the drawings. FIG. 5 of the drawings shows the fillet of mastic sealer 10 crossing of the inner ends 12 of a plurality of anchor bolts 11. In addition, the path of sealer 10 relative to a connecting joint 13 between two adjacent rightangle members 8 is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. As seen in FIG. 6, adjacent ends 14 of the members 8 have end flanges 15 which are secured together by means of a connecting bolt assembly 16. As seen best in FIG. 6, the fillet of mastic sealer 10 is guided down around the end flanges 15 of the right-angle members 8. U-shaped sealer bolt anchor 17 is canted slightly as shown in FIG. 6 to accommodate a natural path for the sealer 10.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the anchor bolt 11 seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, and more clearly shows hollow core passage 18, which is adapted to receive additional sealer 10 therethrough. Presence of passages 18 in the anchor bolts 11 makes it possible to add sealer 10 after the structure 1 has been constructed, and even after it has been filled with material to be stored. The concrete foundation 2 tends to contract some time after being poured and, in most cases, long after the structure has been completed and filled. The sealing system of the invention provides a very simple means of adding additional sealer 10 through the anchor bolts 11. As seen in FIG. 3, void 19 formed between the foundation 2 and the anchoring element 7 can be completely filled with sealer 10 through the anchor bolts 11. After the void 19 has formed, sealer 10 is added under pressure through successive anchor bolts 11 until sealer 10 is caused to move outwardly through the next adjacent anchor bolt 11, thus insuring that all parts of the void 19 extending between the Iadjacent anchor bolts 11 are filled. The anchor bolts 11 are provided with spe-cial Washers 20 which are disposed over the respective bolts 11 at the outside extension thereof. Each Ianchor bolt 11 is secured in place by a retaining nut 21. A cap nut 22 is provided to seal the outer end of the hollow core passage 18 after it is filled with mastic sealer 10, las described above.

To assemble the structure, the foundation sheets 6 are first assembled on the footings 3, and the anchoring element 7 is assembled thereon, as shown in FIG. l. Mastic sealer 10 is applied to all metal-to-metal sealing surfaces such as the surface ybetween the inside of the foundation sheets 6 and the outside of the anchoring element 7. A continuous fillet of mastic sealer 10 is then applied to the inner vertical surface of the anchoring element 7, taking care to traverse the inner ends of each hollow core passage 18 in the respective anchor bolts 11.

The concrete foundation 2 is then poured, using the assembled foundation sheets 6 and the anchoring element 7 as a form. The mastic sealer 10 displaces concrete at the fillet to provide a passage network through the anchor bolts 11 to add sealer 10 at any time after the storage structure 1 has been completed. The main body of the structure can be assembled as described in U.S. Patents 2,605,540, 2,631,008 and 3,199,839. After the concrete has cured, additional sealer 10 is applied by means of a pressurized mastic gun (not shown) to ill all voids 19 which develop between the anchoring element 7 and the foundation 2.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for sealing the foundation of a gas-tight storage structure having a bottom portion, said structure comprising a concrete foundation, an anchoring element disposed around the outer upper edge of said concrete foundation, means securing said anchoring element to the bottom portion of said storage structure, said means having passage means extending therethrough from the inside to the outside of the anchoring element, and a semisolid gas-tight sealing mastic disposed between the inner surface of the anchoring element and the outer surface of the concrete foundation in a continuous fillet extending completely around said concrete foundation, said sealing mastic extending over the inner ends of the passage means in said anchoring element securing means to provide .a complete gas-tight seal between said: concrete foundation and the inside surface of said anchoring element, said passage means in said securing means providing accesswhereby additional gas-tight sealer can be applied at any time from outside the storage structure to add additional sealing mastic withgout disturbing material stored in the structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which said securing means comprises a plurality of hollow-cored anchor bolts.

3. In a gas-tight storage structure having a concrete base and a wall portion including an anchoring element disposed at the upper level of said base and connected to said wall portion and said base, a continuous, semi-solid ribbon of sealing mastic disposed .at the interface between said concrete base and said anchoring element, a conduit extending axially through said wall portion and through said anchoring element for conducting additional sealer material therethrough from outside said storage structure to the interface between said concrete base and said anchoring element to provide a continuous gas-tight seal therebetween even after contraction of said concrete base away from said anchoring element.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 609,733 8/1898 Coker 52-249 2,852,110 9/1958 Dueringer 52-247 2,899,820 8/1959 Headriok 52--744 2,903,877 9/1959 Meade 52-744 3,043,055 7/1962 Davey 52-127 3,302,814 2/1967 Dohner 220--80 FOREIGN PATENTS 184,241 7/ 1922 Great Britain.

637,812 4/ 1962 Italy.

HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner.

JAMES L. RIDGILL, JR., Assistant Examiner.