US3325041A - Laminated seal structure for storage tanks employing floating roofs - Google Patents

Laminated seal structure for storage tanks employing floating roofs Download PDF

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Publication number
US3325041A
US3325041A US396210A US39621064A US3325041A US 3325041 A US3325041 A US 3325041A US 396210 A US396210 A US 396210A US 39621064 A US39621064 A US 39621064A US 3325041 A US3325041 A US 3325041A
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United States
Prior art keywords
annular
tank
side wall
wall structure
fabric
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Expired - Lifetime
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US396210A
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English (en)
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John H Wiggins
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Individual
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Individual
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Priority to US396210A priority Critical patent/US3325041A/en
Priority to GB24468/65A priority patent/GB1059602A/en
Priority to DE19651581058D priority patent/DE1581058B1/de
Priority to IL23715A priority patent/IL23715A/xx
Priority to AT535865A priority patent/AT262156B/de
Priority to FR21515A priority patent/FR1437271A/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3325041A publication Critical patent/US3325041A/en
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D88/00—Large containers
    • B65D88/34—Large containers having floating covers, e.g. floating roofs or blankets
    • B65D88/42—Large containers having floating covers, e.g. floating roofs or blankets with sealing means between cover rim and receptacle
    • B65D88/46—Large containers having floating covers, e.g. floating roofs or blankets with sealing means between cover rim and receptacle with mechanical means acting on the seal

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to cylindrical storage tanks for petroleum products employing a cylindrical floating roof and is concerned more particularly with a sealing mechanism therefor wherein the seal is suspended or supported on the floating roof to extend into the liquid in the tank and to also be maintained in sliding contact with the side wall of the tank to minimize evaporation losses.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a seal of the above character of low cost yet providing effective sealing action.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide a sealing mechanism of the above character which has multiple strata laminated construction at the sealing area to provide a yieldable annular sealing structure including a rugged foam stratum, which stratum acts at all times as a horizontal load or bearing distribution member by compression stress and acts intermittently as a vertical load transmission member by shearing stress whenever the floating roof moves up or down in the tank. Special conditions are when ice is broken or when the seal must ride over horizontal or vertical lines of rivets under which conditions the shearing stress may be very great.
  • Still another object of the invention is to provide a seal of the above character which has a supporting means from the floating roof and which has means for exerting pressure radially outwardly on the seal to urge it into engagement with the cylindrical tank Wall, which seal provides for effective ice-breaking action or the like, both during the rising movement of the floating roof and during the lowering movement of the floating roof.
  • FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a storage tank of the floating roof type.
  • the parts are shown with a wide separation of the floating roof and the side wall of the tank.
  • the parts are also shown in the condition where the floating roof is descending with reference to the side wall of the tank;
  • FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the parts as positioned when the floating roof is rising with respect to the side wall of the tank.
  • FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing a modified form of the structure wherein springs provide the sole supporting connection of the seal from the floating roof. In this view the seal is shown in stationary relation to the side wall of the tank.
  • FIG. 4 is a View similar to FIG. 1 but showing a further modified form with the parts positioned with the roof rising with respect to the side wall and with a pivoted spring connection to the shoe.
  • FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view taken in a plane indicated by the line 5-5 in FIG. 1 passing through the sealing mechanism and looking toward the wall of the cylindrical tank, the View being shown as a developed view rather than as true sectional elevation;
  • FIG. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through the sealing mechanism and the wall of the tank with the view being taken as indicated by the lines 66 in FIG. 5;
  • FIG. 7 is a full size fragmentary sectional view of a portion of FIG. 2 illustrating details of the laminated seal construction.
  • a storage tank for petroleum products and the like including a cylindrical upright side wall 10 and a bottom wall 11 and a conventional floating roof having an outer pontoon 12, including an outside cylindrical wall structure or rim 13.
  • the upstanding substantially cylindrical side wall 10 of the tank and the upstanding substantially cylindrical wall structure 13 of the floating roof define between them an upstanding substantially annular space which generally is covered by a conventional weather hood 14.
  • the liquid level 16 usually rises and falls from time to time as the tank fills and empties, and the roof is designed to float on the liquid and to rise and fall with it.
  • sealing structure is also useful in riveted shells in moving over the lines of rivets and the shoulder formed by the adjacent overlapped plates of the shell.
  • the sealing mechanism of the instant invention is designed to accomplish the above general objects and also provides a sof sealing action by virtue of its bonded laminated or sandwich construction incorporating a resilient annular intermediate upright layer of a foamed plastic so that said construction is capable of transmitting vertical shearing force.
  • the sealing mechanism comprises generally an annular fabric 21 which has an upper circular line of attachment to the wall structure or rim 13 of the floating roof by means of a series of clamping plates 22 for securing the upper edge of the annular fabric 21 to an extension 13a of the annular upright wall structure 13 by means of a series of bolts 23.
  • the lower edge of the fabric 21 is also secured to the wall structure 13 by a series of clamping plates 24 and clamping bolts 26.
  • the annular fabric 21, which may be a suitable rubberized fabric, for example, provides a loop between two lines of attachments to the floating roof, and within this loop and combined with the annular fabric 21 there are provided other portions of the annular bonded laminated or sandwich seal construction which provides an integral circumferentially limber structure.
  • This seal includes a series of annular foam segments 31, each of which is bonded to the fabric 21 by a layer 30 of cement or other suitable glue, as best shown in FIG. 7.
  • Each resilient annular segment 31 is of a strength to transmit stresses therethrough both vertically as a shearing stress, for example, for breaking ice or riding over rivets, and horizontally as a compression stress, for example, to distribute the horizontal outward pressure on the bonded sandwich seal by the combined beam and column and spring and has associated therewith by gluing a flexible or circumferentially limber shoe or backing strip 32 which may be of metal or metal-like construction.
  • Each strip 32 as seen in FIG. 5, extends substantially throughout the length and height of the associated foam annular segment 31.
  • the foamed plastic segment 31 is also secured to this annular metal segment.
  • the three elements of the laminated seal structure including the annular fabric 21, a series of annular segments 31 of plastic foam, and a series of annular backing plates 32 for the annular segments 31 provide a bonded laminated seal construction for distributing the horizontal compression load applied to it throughout the surface or area of contact between the fabric 21 and the cylindrical wall 10, and also for transmitting certain shear stresses vertically during the rising and descending of the seal with the roof.
  • Each metal backing member 32 (FIGS. 1, 5 and 6) is provided with one or more lips or ledges 33, each of which is adapted to receive the lower end of a spring beam and column member 34 to provide a one-way drive.
  • the members 34 extends upwardly and is attached to the upper edge of the annular wall structure 13 at its upstanding portion 13a by means of the calmping strips 22 and the bolts 23. It will be seen that the lower end 34b of the spring and beam and column member 34 is free to move with respect to the laminated seal structure, both laterally and vertically, it being shown as transmitting downward thrust in FIG. 1 and as being free of its downward thrust transmitting function during rising of the roof, as shown in FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 3 there is shown a modified form of the invention wherein the annular fabric 21a is attached in the usual manner at its lower edge by means including the plates 24, but has its upper edge looped over and cemented to the inner side of the backing members 32a.
  • the backing members or shoes 32a are provided with pivot lugs 38, which are connected to the spring and beam member 34a by a looped lower end 39 and a pin 41.
  • FIG. 3 the roof is shown at rest, i.e., neither rising or lowering, and the foam member 31 is relatively undistorted, having no vertical forces applied to it. In this condition the sole forces transmitted through the seal are the outward spring pressures of the springs 34a and the plate or shoe 32a (as well as the plate or shoe 32 in FIG.
  • the beam and spring and column member 34a transmits the thrust in both rising and descending to break the ice indicated at 36, which may occur at the crevice between the fabric 21a and the cylindrical side wall 10.
  • FIG. 3 presumes the presence of a highly efficient secondary seal or weather hood to minimize the amount of water than can leak past it onto the sealing mechanism.
  • FIG. 4 construction is generally similar to the FIG. 1 construction in its action except that the roof in .rising and descending controls the sealing structure by means of beam and column and spring member 34 having the spring portion 34a and the beam and column portion 34b, being attached by a pivot connection 41 to the shoe in the same manner as described in connection with FIG. 3.
  • the ice breaking functions in rising are effected by the foam stratum and the shoe pressing through the fabric against the ice 36.
  • the invention herein provides in all the modifications a thin annular sealing sandwich which is made up of a bonded radial series of laminae, certain of which lamina are segmental in character, while the outer lamina forms a part of a continuous annular fabric.
  • the thin character of the annular sandwich provides for a minimum radial thickness of the foam stratum or lamina, and usually this will be of about one inch or less in radial thickness while its height will be from 5 to 10 inches.
  • This thin construction provides a desirable soft sealing action while also providing the necessary strength to transmit shearing stresses from the spring and beam and column members 34 in controlling movement of the seal.
  • the bonded laminated construction provided herein by virtue of the cementing of the normally limp annular fabric 21a to the segmental annulus 31 and its pressure against the outer wall of the tank, converts this portion of the fabric essentially into a rigid layer at the face of contact, so that a foam layer is sandwiched in radial series relation between two rigid layers for effecting a vertical shearing action.
  • the foam employed may be polyether uret-hane, load deflection 25% at 35 lbs. to 42 lbs. in a 12" x 12" X 2" sampler.
  • Such a foam is sold by the Central Foam Corporation of Chicago, Illinois, as their P-65 Polyfoam and also by the American Urethane, Inc., of North Chicago, Illinois, as their F-44 Everlon. However, any other suitable type of foam plastic may be employed.
  • a tank for storing liquids such as petroleum products including an upstanding substantially cylindrical side wall, and a floating roof arranged in said tank and including an upstanding substantially cylindrical wall structure spaced radially inwardly from said tank side wall and defining an upstanding substantially annular space therebetween; sealing mechanism for said annular space comprising a substantially annular radially thin sealing element arranged in said annular space and carried by said wall structure and movable therewith with respect to said tank side wall; said mechanism including a series of upright segmental annular metal-like circumferentially limber shoe members arranged in closely spaced-apart end-to-end relation about a vertical axis, an annular fabric envelope for closing said space and having an intermediate annular strip portion secured to said shoes and engaging said side wall and also having a lower portion looped downwardly and radially inwardly from said annular strip portion and secured to a lower circumferential portion of said cylindrical wall structure, said annular fabric envelope having an upper portion extending upwardly and radially inwardly from said annular strip
  • a tank for storing liquids such as petroleum products including an upstanding substantially cylindrical side wall, and a floating roof arranged in said tank and including an upstanding substantially cylindrical wall structure spaced radially inwardly from said tank side wall and defining an upstanding substantially annular space therebetween; sealing mechanism for said annular space comprising a substantially annular sealing element arranged in said annular space and carried by said wall structure and movable therewith with respect to said tank side wall; said sealing element comprising a combined bearing distribution and load transmission member of bonded laminate-d construction for horizontally directed bearing loads and for vertically directed operating loads, said member including a circumferential series of upright segmental annular and circumferentially limber metal shoes, a corresponding circumferential series of upright segmental blocks of foamed plastic material respectively located radially outwardly of and respectively bonded to said shoes, an annular fabric enveloped for closing said annular space and bonded to the adjacent outer surfaces of said series of blocks, and means connecting said sealing element to said wall structure to provide for both raising and lowering movements of
  • each of said blocks essentially comprises foamed polyurethane having a load deflection of 25% 35 to 42 lbs. on a 12" x 12" X 2" sample.
  • a tank for storing liquids such as petroleum products including an upstanding substantially cylindrical side wall, and a floating roof arranged in said tank and including an upstanding substantially cylindrical wall structure spaced radially inwardly from said tank side wall and defining an upstanding substantially annular space therebetween; sealing mechanism for said annular space comprising a substantially annular sealing element arranged in said annular space and carried by said wall structure and movable therewith with respect to said tank side wall; said sealing element comprising a.
  • said member including a circumferential series of upright segmental annular and circumferentially limber metal shoes, a corresponding circumferential series of upright segmental blocks of foamed plastic material respectively located radially outwardly of and respectively bonded to said shoes, an annular fabric envelope for closing said annular space and bonded to the adjacent outer surfaces of said series of blocks, and means connecting said sealing element to said wall structure to provide for both raising and lowering movements of said sealing element and also to provide for outwardly pressing of said sealing element against said tank side wall under control of said wall structure, said means connecting said sealing element to said wall structure including a plurality of circumferentially spacedapart leaf spring and column and beam members carried by said wall structure, each one of said leaf spring and column and beam members having its upper end comprising the leaf spring portion thereof and attached to said wall structure and having its lower end comprising the beam and column portion thereof and connecting to a corresponding one of said shoes
  • a tank for storing liquids such as petroleum products including an upstanding substantially cylindrical side wall, and a floating roof arranged in said tank and including an upstanding substantially cylindrical wall structure spaced radially inwardly from said tank side wall and defining an upstanding substantially annular space therebetween; sealing mechanism for said annular space comprising a substantially annular radially thin sealing element arranged in said annular space and carried by said wall structure and movable therewith with respect to said tank side wall; said sealing element comprising a combined bearing distribution and load transmission member of bonded laminated construction for horizontally directed bearing loads and for vertically directed operating loads, said member including a circumferential series of upright segmental annular metal-like circumferentially limber shoes arranged in closely circumferentially spacedapart and end-to-end relation and disposed about a vertical axis, a corresponding series of upright segmental blocks of foamed plastic material, each one of said blocks being substantially coextensive with the associated one of said shoes, an annular fabric envelope for closing said annular space and

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
  • Gasket Seals (AREA)
  • Tents Or Canopies (AREA)
  • Bridges Or Land Bridges (AREA)
US396210A 1964-09-14 1964-09-14 Laminated seal structure for storage tanks employing floating roofs Expired - Lifetime US3325041A (en)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US396210A US3325041A (en) 1964-09-14 1964-09-14 Laminated seal structure for storage tanks employing floating roofs
GB24468/65A GB1059602A (en) 1964-09-14 1965-06-09 Storage tanks with floating roofs
DE19651581058D DE1581058B1 (de) 1964-09-14 1965-06-10 Abdichtungsvorrichtung fuer das Schwimmdach eines Speichertanks fuer Fluessigkeiten
IL23715A IL23715A (en) 1964-09-14 1965-06-11 Sealing mechanism for floating roof structure in liquid storage tank
AT535865A AT262156B (de) 1964-09-14 1965-06-14 Dichtungseinrichtung für Schwimmdächer
FR21515A FR1437271A (fr) 1964-09-14 1965-06-18 Mécanisme d'obturation pour toit flottant dans un réservoir pour liquide

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US396210A US3325041A (en) 1964-09-14 1964-09-14 Laminated seal structure for storage tanks employing floating roofs

Publications (1)

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US3325041A true US3325041A (en) 1967-06-13

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US396210A Expired - Lifetime US3325041A (en) 1964-09-14 1964-09-14 Laminated seal structure for storage tanks employing floating roofs

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US (1) US3325041A (de)
AT (1) AT262156B (de)
DE (1) DE1581058B1 (de)
GB (1) GB1059602A (de)
IL (1) IL23715A (de)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3565279A (en) * 1968-10-29 1971-02-23 Us Industries Inc Floating roof tank seal means
US3618813A (en) * 1969-11-24 1971-11-09 United States Steel Corp Flexible seal for a vapor cavity
US3625415A (en) * 1970-03-27 1971-12-07 Pittsburgh Des Moines Steel Floating roof seal
US3735891A (en) * 1969-11-24 1973-05-29 United States Steel Corp Flexible seal for a vapor cavity
CN111483712A (zh) * 2019-01-25 2020-08-04 中国石油天然气集团有限公司 一种外浮顶储罐二次密封的密封装置和外浮顶储罐
CN114684500A (zh) * 2020-12-31 2022-07-01 中国石油化工股份有限公司 一种浮顶罐挂壁油品原位回收高效密封装置和方法
US11548725B2 (en) 2013-03-15 2023-01-10 Industrial & Environmental Concepts, Inc. Cover systems, tank covering methods, and pipe retention systems

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB8425321D0 (en) * 1984-10-06 1984-11-14 Petroleum Seals & Systems Ltd Seal for floating roof tank
CN114013847B (zh) * 2021-10-22 2022-10-21 中石化石油工程技术服务有限公司 汽油内浮顶储罐

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1513043A (en) * 1921-03-12 1924-10-28 Huff Wilson Sylvester Gas-venting apparatus for oil tanks
US2089645A (en) * 1934-12-13 1937-08-10 Mcclintic Marshall Corp Liquid storage tank
US2803371A (en) * 1954-07-22 1957-08-20 Southwest Welding & Mfg Compan Floating roof seal construction
US2991901A (en) * 1959-07-10 1961-07-11 John H Wiggins Hydraulically actuated fabric seal with pull-down and push-out mechanism
US3043468A (en) * 1960-02-23 1962-07-10 Gen Am Transport Sealing mechanisms for storage tanks
US3119510A (en) * 1960-11-21 1964-01-28 John H Wiggins Sealing mechanisms for floating roofs for storage tanks
US3185335A (en) * 1961-11-24 1965-05-25 Levivier Sa Des Ets Sealing means for a liquid-storing reservoir having a floating roof
US3204809A (en) * 1962-10-05 1965-09-07 Lacy Mfg Company Free ring floating roof seal

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1513043A (en) * 1921-03-12 1924-10-28 Huff Wilson Sylvester Gas-venting apparatus for oil tanks
US2089645A (en) * 1934-12-13 1937-08-10 Mcclintic Marshall Corp Liquid storage tank
US2803371A (en) * 1954-07-22 1957-08-20 Southwest Welding & Mfg Compan Floating roof seal construction
US2991901A (en) * 1959-07-10 1961-07-11 John H Wiggins Hydraulically actuated fabric seal with pull-down and push-out mechanism
US3043468A (en) * 1960-02-23 1962-07-10 Gen Am Transport Sealing mechanisms for storage tanks
US3119510A (en) * 1960-11-21 1964-01-28 John H Wiggins Sealing mechanisms for floating roofs for storage tanks
US3185335A (en) * 1961-11-24 1965-05-25 Levivier Sa Des Ets Sealing means for a liquid-storing reservoir having a floating roof
US3204809A (en) * 1962-10-05 1965-09-07 Lacy Mfg Company Free ring floating roof seal

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3565279A (en) * 1968-10-29 1971-02-23 Us Industries Inc Floating roof tank seal means
US3618813A (en) * 1969-11-24 1971-11-09 United States Steel Corp Flexible seal for a vapor cavity
US3735891A (en) * 1969-11-24 1973-05-29 United States Steel Corp Flexible seal for a vapor cavity
US3625415A (en) * 1970-03-27 1971-12-07 Pittsburgh Des Moines Steel Floating roof seal
US11548725B2 (en) 2013-03-15 2023-01-10 Industrial & Environmental Concepts, Inc. Cover systems, tank covering methods, and pipe retention systems
CN111483712A (zh) * 2019-01-25 2020-08-04 中国石油天然气集团有限公司 一种外浮顶储罐二次密封的密封装置和外浮顶储罐
CN114684500A (zh) * 2020-12-31 2022-07-01 中国石油化工股份有限公司 一种浮顶罐挂壁油品原位回收高效密封装置和方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IL23715A (en) 1969-07-30
DE1581058B1 (de) 1970-03-19
GB1059602A (en) 1967-02-22
AT262156B (de) 1968-06-10

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