US2549554A - Tank supporting cradle device - Google Patents

Description

April 17, 1951 w s 2,549,554

' TANK SUPPORTING CRADLE DEVICE File July 11, 1946 WITNESSES v INVENTZOR:

12012010711. lVI/SO/Z BY @u (A TTORNEYS.

l atented Apr. 17, 1951 TANK SUPPORTING CRADLE DEVICE Ronald M. Wilson, Ambler, Pa., assignor to William M. Wilsons Sons, Inc., Lansdale, Pa., a

corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 11, 1946, Serial No. 682,85

' This invention has general reference to means for the support of liquid containers, tanks and drums such as are used for the storage of gasoline, fuel oil and so forth. on farms; at construction jobs, and in other locations where portable means for such storage is notonly desirable but expedient. Heretofore, such means have generally consisted of metal. tanks mounted on spaced runners or sleds rigidly attachedto the tank, with associated means whereby the liquid can be pumped therefrom as needed or required. These runners or sleds are usually madeof angle-iron sections directly connected to the tank, or the like, by suitable support or cradles; while it is current practice to attach said cradles or supports to the tank at several points by welds for example. However, as these tanks are frequently made of thin sheet metal, and as the welded on skids transmit the weight of the tank, as well as any strains occasioned incidental to moving the tank, to the body shell mainly at the weld points only, it not infrequently happens that such tank shell becomes disrupted ortorn when moving it from place to place, with attendant loss of the content. Furthermore, the use of cradles for supporting liquid containing tanks, not welded to said tanks but secured in place by bands circumscribing each tankis known, being standard practice for railroad tank cars, as well as for gasoline transport-. ing tank trucks. However, structures of the above referred to types have the disadvantage that sooner or later; under general service conditions the clamping band'becomes strained or loosened,-

with the obvious result that it does not properly serve its intended purpose, while it fails to efiiciently resist the load and weight strains to which such tank trucks are normally subjected.

The fundamental object of my inventionis to overcome the foregoing noted disadvantages in a simple and effective manner by providing a combination cradle and clamping-band device that includes tensioning means whereby the load of thetank proper is positively distributed throughout the entire length of said clamping band and the central portion of the cradle.

Another object is the provision of a device, such as specified in the preceding paragraphs, wherein the forces resisting'the weight of the tank are wholly distributed round said tank and the associated cradle except negligible portions included within the actual supports of saidcradle.

Other objects, with ancillary advantages, of my invention, will be heerinaft'er manifest or suggested, as the'natur and purposeof said invention is revealed, by the following description and 9 Claims. (01. 248-146) accompanying sheet of drawings wherein there is illustrated a practical and preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side view of a conventional gas storage tank equipped with thev novel supporting prehensively designates a cylindrical gas tank which is conveniently made of thin sheet steel, in accordance with prevailing practice.

Each cradle 4, which is preferably made of strip metal, embodies a pair of spaced bifurcate legs or supports 5, which are united by an arcuate connection 6 embodying divergent end portions 1 conveniently, although not essentially, opposingly-directed at angles of sixty-degrees relative to the horizontal; It is to be also observed that the lower end portions of the respective supports are turned outwardly to define foot-pieces 8'and then continued vertical at 9, with the upper. free portions H! of the latter bent outwards to conform with the circumferential curvature of the tank 3; while it is furthermore noticeable that the curvature of the connection 6 also correspondingly conforms to the cylindrical body surface of the tank shell. Angle-section skids l I are opposingly positioned, as best seen from Fig.. 3, and are united to the leg portions 8 and 9 by welds l2, whereby said portions 8, 9 are lengthwise coordinated.

For attaching the tank 3 to the spaced cradles 4 use is made ofa band element l3, preferably of narrower width than the associated cradle 4, while each such element has its free ends conveniently shaped to define angularly-contoured loops having one part l5 straight, for coaction with the outer face of the relative confronting leg vertical 9, whereas the other, or substantially Z-shaped part 16 functions as a buttress intermediate the vertical 9 and the clamping band adjoining end, as well as the associated over-lapping free portion in of the leg or support 5. To clamp the band element I3 inactive positionI employ tensioning elements or bolts I1 with associated lock-washers l8 and nuts 19, for securing said element to the respective legs or supports 5. The bolts ll are engaged through aligned holes, 20, 2i and 22 in the respective parts I 6, l5, 9 and 1, preferably with the longitudinal axis of each said bolt directed downwardly-inward at an angle of approximately thirty-degrees to the horizontal for example, as readily understood from Fig. 2. It is also to be noted that the cradle divergent end portions 1 and the web portions of the Z-shaped buttress parts [4 of the band elements are approximately parallel when in active position which has been found in practice to greatly enhance the stability of the structure as a whole, while positively preventing the cradle l and clamping band 13' from working loose relative to the tank 3 when the latter is moved from place to place, or incidental to other vibrating influences.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent to those conversant with the art that, incidental to the tensioning elements or bolts ll being part of the cradle 4 they serve not only to draw the clamping band down into frictional binding engagement with the shell of the tank 3, but that they likewise distribute the load of said tank evenly throughout the entire length of the belly-band or arcuate section 6 of the associated cradle 4. It is also to be particularly noted that the weight of the tank 3, that tends to force the parts 7 and 9 of the respective legs apart at their upper ends, is positively resisted by the bolts 17 which places the arcuate section 8 under tension, whereas the entire length of the clamping band !3 is also under tension due to its connection at 20, 2| to said bolts, while the buttress portions N5 of the loops [4 positively resist any collapse of such loops under locktightening as of the washers 18, by the nuts l8. It is to be further noted that the forces resisting the weight of the tank are thus distributed substantially around the surface of said tank, where the respective bands 13 are contactively clamped, except for the negligible arcuate portions intervening the parts I and 9 of the respective legs or supports 5. This results in an infinitely better distribution of said load than heretofore possible; or over that attainable when the cradles i are rigidly made and consequently incapable of being subjected to tension, as aforesaid. In other words, if the cradles 4 were of rigid formation, and the straps l3 merely served the purpose of keeping the tank 3 from rolling-01f said cradles,

the efiicient distribution of the tank load attained by my invention could not be accomplished.

While there has been particularly described and shown one practical embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that changes and variations in the details of construction may be effected without departing from the spirit of said invention; while the device, obviously, may be provided with a hauling bail or yoke 23, as conventionally indicated in Fig. 1, for use and convenience in moving the device about.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a tank supporting device, the combination of spaced cradles each including a pair of bifurcate legs with an intervening arcuate section; associated clamping bands adapted to engage around the tank and having looped collapseresistive terminal-portions for coaction with the outer ends of the spaced cradle legs; and tensioning elements engageable through and across the band loop portions and associated cradle bifurate legs, whereby the clamping bands and intervening arcuate sections of the cradle are subjected to tension throughout the entire length thereof, for the purpose specified.

2. A tank supporting device, in accordance with claim 1 further including skid elements integrated to the relatively aligned foot portions of the pairs of spaced legs. I

3. In a tank supporting device, the combination of spaced strip-like cradles, each embodying a pair of biiurcate legs and an intervening arcuate section with interspacially-related end continuations of said section; a clamping band, for each cradle, engageable about the shell portion of the tank and embodying suitably shaped loop-terminals for abutment against the outer ends of the associated cradle legs; and tensioning elements engageable through and across the loop terminals and bifurcate legs of the respectively associated cradle whereby the load of the tank is positively distributed throughout the length of the clamping band and cradle arcute' portions.

4. A tank supporting device in accordance with claim 3 further including angle-section skids integrated to the relatively aligned leg bifurcation inner portions, and hauling means at one end of said skids.

5. A tank supporting device in accordance with claim 3 wherein each'cra'dle leg portion embodies an inclined and a straight section, with an intervening foot piece; and wherein the straight section upper end portion is curved, for the purpose specified.

6. A tank supporting device in accordance with claim 3 wherein each bifurcate leg portion of the cradle includes an approximately sixty-degree outwardly inclined portion, a vertical portion, and an intervening horizontal foot-piece; and wherein the upper terminal section of the vertical portion is shaped to conform with the body curvature of the tank.

7. A tank supporting device in accordance with claim 3 wherein each loop terminal of the tank clamping band is of angular-contour, for the purpose set forth.

8. A tank supporting device in accordance with claim 3 wherein each loop terminal of the tank clamping band includes a straight section for coaction with the associated cradle leg confronting vertical, and a substantially Z-shaped section serviceable as a buttress to effectively resist collapse of the loop terminal under tensioning of the clamping band about the tank.

9. A tank supporting device in accordance with claim 3 wherein each tensioning element consists of a lock-bolt, and wherein said bolt passes through relatively inclined holes in and across the loop-terminal and associated cradle leg, for the purpose specified. t

RONALD M. WILSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Brown May 22,

Images