Vapor storage vessel and method of making same

Claim 1

A VAPOR STORAGE VESSEL HAVING AT LEAST AN UPPER SUBSTANTIALLY HEMI-ELLIPSOIDAL SHELL PORTION ARRANGED ABOUT A VERTICAL AIXS, SAID SHELL PORTION BEING MADE OF THIN FLEXIBLE PLATES EACH OF A SIZE INCAPABLE OF RETAINING ITS SHAPE WITHOUT SUPPORT, EACH PLATE BEING BENT IN A SINGLE PLANE TO A CURVATURE HAVING AN ELLIPTICAL CROSS SECTION TAKEN IN THE SINGLE PLANE OF BENDING, SAID ELLIPTICAL CROSS SECTION BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DIMENSIONS AS THE ELLIPSE OF REVOLUTION OF THE ELLIPSOIDAL SHELL, SAID BENT PLATES BEING EDGE-JOINED TO EACH OTHER ALONG LINES LYING ON MERIDIANS OF THE SHELL PORTION PASSING THROUGH ITS POLE, SAID PLATES BEING JOINED TOGETHER TO HOLD THE INDIVIDUAL PLATES IN SAID ELLIPTICAL SHAPE AND SAID UPPER SHELL PORTION FROM COLLAPSE, SAID UPPER PORTION BEING JOINED TO A ROUND SHELL PORTION HAVING A CIRCUMFERENCE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE PERIMETER OF THE HEMI-ELLIPOSIDAL PORTION AT THE JUNCTURE, AND HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL ANNULAR PLATE INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE ADJOINING EDGES OF THE UPPER AND LOWER SHELL PORTIONS WITH EACH PORTION BEING SECURED TO THE PLATE.