US2417979A - Metal-lined portable wooden tank - Google Patents

Description

March 25, 1947.

METAL-LINED PORTABLE WOODEN TANK Filed April 26, 1943 R. E. GILMORE 2,417,979

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Patented Mar. 25, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Roy E. Gilmore, Portland, Oreg.

Application April 26, 1943, Serial No. 484,593

This invention relates generally to the transportation and storage of liquids, and particularly to a portable tank,

The main object of this invention is to provide a means for easily and quickly converting flat cars and gondolas into tank cars.

The second object is to construct a portable tank for water, rail or truck transportation requiring only light gage, inexpensive and relatively obtainable material in the construction thereof.

The third object is to construct a tank of the class described in which the required materials are commonly available near oil producing and shipping centers.

The fourth object is to construct a tank of light gage materialsin a manner to withstand. the torsional strains to which such units are commonly subjected, without impairing the strength of those materials.-

The fifth object is to utilize a highly eiilcient form of timber construction in the formation of a cradle for supporting a relatively flexible lightweight metal container.

I accomplish these and other objects in the manner set forth in the following specification, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a representative form of the device.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through a modified form of the device, showing a plurality of containers in a single holder or cradle.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse section.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end elevation of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary bottom view of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a transverse section through a modified form of the device, showing the use of a corrugated tank without the wood covering on its upper half.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Before entering into an explanation of this invention, its purpose will be better understood when it is remembered that the railroad yards and sidings of the nation, contain large numbers of idle fiat and gondola cars normally used during coal shipping seasons, but otherwise standing comparatively useless, deteriorating in the weather and occupying valuable space on trackage.

It is also'a well known fact that the regretable 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-15) shortage of fuel oil and its derivatives is due largely to a lack of transportation and storage facilities. It is therefore my outstanding object to utilize idle rolling stock for the purpose of transporting as well as storing oil and other liquids without drawing severely upon the nations supply of materials otherwise needed in the war effort.

Referring in detail to the drawing, there is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and '7, the deck IU of an ordinary flat car or of a gondola. My portable tank consists primarily of a light weight shell preferably, although not necessarily of corrugated material. The shell is of cylindrical form and having the flat ends ii. The usual discharge valve l3 and man hole M are shown. Baiiles or any other means for preventing undue movement of the liquids within the tank may be utilized without departing from the spirit of this invention.

The shell II is supported in a cylindrical casing l5 whose lowermost portion rests in the horizontal ties l6, having the upright members l1 secured to the ends between the side planking l8 and bolts l9.

The members l6, l1, and I8 are curved to conform to the cylindrical surface 20 of the casing I5. The tics l6 rest upon the longitudinal skids 2| and are secured thereto by means of the bolts 22. Bands 23 are placed around the top side of the casing |5 and secured at their lower ends to the skids 2| by means of the bolts 24.. Clamp bolts 25 unite the upper ends of the members 23.

At each end of the casing I5 is placed a head 26 which is illustrated as being square and its underside rests upon the skids 2|. Each head 26 has a circular portion 21 which extends into its end of the casing l5 thereby insuring the casing l5 against movement with relation to the head 26. Cross braces 28 are placed on the outside of each head 26. Longitudinal stay rods 29 are placed along the lower corners of the unit and the diagonal truss rods 30 connect each upper corner 3| to the transverse bar 32 which is secured to the skids 2| by means of the bolts 33. Eye bolts 34 are placed at each end of each skid 2| to facilitate the handling of the unit. Cross members 35 are placed between the skids 2| for stiffening purposes.

Referring now to the form of the device shown in Fig. 4, it will be seen to differ from the first described form of the device only in the making of the tank member in the form of sections 36 which are separated from each other by the soft fibrous packing 31 as well as from the casing 38 by means of the packing 39.

The chief advantage of this construction lie in the elimination of torsional stresses from the shell as would otherwise be occasioned by the normal twisting and swerving of the car when negotiating curves and passing over banked tracks at high rates of speed. In this form of the device, the sections may be separately filled and discharged, or they may be flexibly connected to suit the particular requirement.

When this form of tank is employed, it is de sirable to crown the heads 40 slightly to better adapt the units to the suggested misalinement.

In the form of the device shown in Fig. 8, the shell 4| is of corrugated material and only its lower half is supported by the wooden casing 42; the cradle members |6, l1 and I8 being the same as in the first described form of the device.

In this form of construction, the stay rods 43 pass around the top side of the shell 4| and the lower ends 44 and 45 are secured to the skids 2|. The turn buckle 46 may be located on the side or the top as is most convenient for a given installation. It will be noted that in this form of the device, the stays 45 pass through the casing 42 in order that they may hold the shell 4| to the best advantage.

The details of construction may, of course, be varied indefinitely. It is therefore not my intention to be limited to the precise form of invention illustrated and described therein, but I do intend to cover all such forms and modifications as fall fairly within the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tank of the class described consisting of a horizontal cylindrical shell of light gage metal, a wooden casing surrounding the cylindrical portion of said shell, cradles disposed along the length of said casing adapted to maintain the lower portion thereof in a semi-cylindrical form, a head disposed across each end of said casing extending partially into said casing and contacting the end thereof, skids for supporting said shell and heads and truss rods between said heads and intermediate portions of said skids.

2. A supporting structure for light gage fluid containers, consisting of a horizontal cylindrical casing of wooden planking, a stepped head at each end of said casing, a portion of each of said stepped heads extending into said casing and the remainder of said stepped heads bearing against the ends of the planking, cradles for supporting the lower portion of said casing between said heads, skids for supporting said cradles and heads and truss rods extending from intermediate portions of said skids to the upper portions of said heads whereby a load imposed on the middle of said skids will tend to place said casing in compression.

ROY E. GILMORE.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,166,134 Fitch July 18, 1939 1,518,471 Weaver Dec. 9, 1924 1,755,176 Feldmeier Apr. 22, 1930 1,341,215 Kramer May 25, 1920 2,089,019 Edwards Aug. 3, 1937 1,096,497 Epstein May 12, 1914 1,123,366 Piaggio 1. Jan. 5, 1915 58,746 Allison Oct. 16, 1866 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 850,828 France Sept. 18, 1939

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