Method of attaching a fitting to a fuel tank

Claim 1

A METHOD OF ATTACHING AN ANNULAR RIGID FITTING TO A FLEXIBLE FLUID CONTAINER WHICH METHOD COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (A) FORMING A FLEXIBLE FLUID CONTAINER OF HEAT-CURABLE RUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL, (B) ADHERING A THIN REINFORCING PATCH OF HEAT-CURABLE NITRILE RUBBER TO A LEAST THE OUTER SURFACE OF A WALL OF THE UNCURED CONTAINER, (C) HEATING THE CONTAINER AND REINFORCING PATCH UNDER PRESSURE TO CURE AND UNITE THE RUBBER-LIKE AND NITRILE RUBBER MATERIALS, (D) CUTTING AN OPENING ENTIRELY THROUGH THE CURED WALL AND PATCH OF THE CONTAINER WHICH OPENING HAS A DIAMETER APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF SAID ANNULAR FITTING, (E) CUTTING A PLURALITY OF SMALLER SIZE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED HOLES ENTIRELY THROUGH SAID CURED WALL AND PATCH ADJACENT SAID OPENING, (F) COATING ONE SIDE OF AN ANNULAR METAL INNER MEMBER AND ONE SIDE OF ANNULAR METAL OUTER MEMBER OF SAID FITTING WITH A LIQUID EPOXY RESIN BASE CEMENT WHICH THERMOSETS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE AND IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE CURED RUBBER-LIKE AND NITRILE RUBBER MATERIALS OF THE CONTAINER, SAID ANNULAR INNER MEMBER AT SAID COATED SIDE THEREOF HAVING AN UPRIGHT CONTINUOUS FLANGE EXTENDING ABOUT ITS RADIALLY INER PERIPHERY AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED PROJECTIONS, (G) PLACING SAID INNER MEMBER WITH ITS COATED SIDE EXTENDING ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID OPENING IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SAID CURED WALL, THE SAID PROJECTIONS EXTENDING INTO SAID HOLES AND SAID FLANGE CONTACTING THE CUT EDGE OF SAID OPENING IN THE CURED WALL AND PATCH, (H) PLACING SAID OUTER MEMBER IN SUPERPOSED REGISTERED RELATION TO SAID INNER MEMBER WITH THE COATED SIDE OF THE OUTER MEMBER EXTENDING ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID OPENING IN CONTACT WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID PATCH, AND (I) PRESSING SAID INNER AND OUTER MEMBERS OF THE FITTING TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AND AGAINST THE CURED WALL AND PATCH PORTION BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS, WHILE THERMOSETTING SAID EPOXY RESIN BASE CEMENT AT ROOM TEMPERATURE AND ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE THEREBY BONDING SAID INNER AND OUTER MEMBERS OF THE FITTING TO THE SAID CONTAINER.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF ATTACHING AN ANNULAR RIGID FITTING TO A FLEXIBLE FLUID CONTAINER WHICH METHOD COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (A) FORMING A FLEXIBLE FLUID CONTAINER OF HEAT-CURABLE RUBBER-LIKE MATERIAL, (B) ADHERING A THIN REINFORCING PATCH OF HEAT-CURABLE NITRILE RUBBER TO A LEAST THE OUTER SURFACE OF A WALL OF THE UNCURED CONTAINER, (C) HEATING THE CONTAINER AND REINFORCING PATCH UNDER PRESSURE TO CURE AND UNITE THE RUBBER-LIKE AND NITRILE RUBBER MATERIALS, (D) CUTTING AN OPENING ENTIRELY THROUGH THE CURED WALL AND PATCH OF THE CONTAINER WHICH OPENING HAS A DIAMETER APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF SAID ANNULAR FITTING, (E) CUTTING A PLURALITY OF SMALLER SIZE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED HOLES ENTIRELY THROUGH SAID CURED WALL AND PATCH ADJACENT SAID OPENING, (F) COATING ONE SIDE OF AN ANNULAR METAL INNER MEMBER AND ONE SIDE OF ANNULAR METAL OUTER MEMBER OF SAID FITTING WITH A LIQUID EPOXY RESIN BASE CEMENT WHICH THERMOSETS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE AND IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE CURED RUBBER-LIKE AND NITRILE RUBBER MATERIALS OF THE CONTAINER, SAID ANNULAR INNER MEMBER AT SAID COATED SIDE THEREOF HAVING AN UPRIGHT CONTINUOUS FLANGE EXTENDING ABOUT ITS RADIALLY INER PERIPHERY AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED PROJECTIONS, (G) PLACING SAID INNER MEMBER WITH ITS COATED SIDE EXTENDING ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID OPENING IN CONTACT WITH THE INNER SURFACE OF THE SAID CURED WALL, THE SAID PROJECTIONS EXTENDING INTO SAID HOLES AND SAID FLANGE CONTACTING THE CUT EDGE OF SAID OPENING IN THE CURED WALL AND PATCH, (H) PLACING SAID OUTER MEMBER IN SUPERPOSED REGISTERED RELATION TO SAID INNER MEMBER WITH THE COATED SIDE OF THE OUTER MEMBER EXTENDING ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID OPENING IN CONTACT WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID PATCH, AND (I) PRESSING SAID INNER AND OUTER MEMBERS OF THE FITTING TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AND AGAINST THE CURED WALL AND PATCH PORTION BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS, WHILE THERMOSETTING SAID EPOXY RESIN BASE CEMENT AT ROOM TEMPERATURE AND ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE THEREBY BONDING SAID INNER AND OUTER MEMBERS OF THE FITTING TO THE SAID CONTAINER.