Sealing mechanisms for storage tanks

Claim 1

IN 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 UPSTANDING SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL WALL STRUCTURE SPACED RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM SAID TANK SIDE WALL AND DEFINING A SUBSTANTIALLY ANNULAR SPACE THEREBETWEEN; SEALING MECHANISM FOR SAID ANNULAR SPACE COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY ANNULAR TUBULAR CASING ARRANGED IN SAID ANNULAR SPACE AND LOCATED PRINCIPALLY ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE STORED LIQUID, MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID CASING TO THE ADJACENT PORTION OF SAID ROOF WALL STRUCTURE AND SAID CASING IS MOVABLE WITH SAID ROOF WALL STRUCTURE AND WITH RESPECT TO SAID TANK SIDE WALL, SAID CASING BEING FORMED OF FLEXIBLE NON-METALLIC SHEET-LIKE MATERIAL THAT IS IMPERVIOUS TO THE CONSTITUENTS OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AND TO WATER AND TO AIR, SAID CASING INCLUDING AN INNER SIDE WALL LYING ALONG THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID ROOF WALL STRUCTURE AND AN OUTER SIDE WALL LYING ALONG THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID TANK SIDE WALL AND A BOTTOM WALL CONNECTING THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID INNER AND OUTER SIDE WALLS AND A TOP WALL EXTENDING BETWEEN THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID INNER AND OUTER SIDE WALLS, AN ANNULAR BODY OF SELF-SUPPORTING RESILIENT MATERIAL OF CELLULAR STRUCTURE ENCLOSED BY SAID CASING AND SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY FILLING THE SAME, WHEREBY SAID CASING CONSTITUTES AN OUTER WRAPPER FOR SAID BODY, SAID BODY HAVING A LATERAL CROSS SECTION THAT IS SUBSTANTIALLY OCTAGONAL WITH A FIRST PAIR OF OPPOSED FACES RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING SAID CASING INNER AND OUTER SIDE WALLS AND WITH A SECOND PAIR OF OPPOSED FACES RESPECTIVELY ENGAGING SAID CASING BOTTOM AND TOP WALLS, WHEREBY SAID BODY CONSTITUTES A RESILIENT CUSHION URGING SAID CASING INNER SIDE WALL INTO FIRM SEALED RELATION WITH SAID ROOF WALL STRUCTURE AND URGING SAID CASING OUTER WALL INTO FIRM SEALED RELATION WITH SAID TANK SIDE WALL DURING BOTH VERTICAL MOVEMENTS AND SIDEWISE MOVEMENTS OF SAID ROOF WALL STRUCTURE WITH RESPECT TO SAID TANK SIDE WALL, THE MATERIAL OF SAID CASING OUTER SIDE WALL ALSO BEING HIGHLY WEAR-RESISTANT TO PREVENT UNDUE SCUFFING THEREOF IN ITS SLIDING MOVEMENTS IN DIRECT CONTACT AND SEALED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TANK SIDE WALL, A PLURALITY OF STAYS CARRIED BY SAID ROOF WALL STRUCTURE IN AN ANNULAR ARRAY AND POSITIONED IN CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED-APART RELATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, SAID STAYS BEING SECURED TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID ROOF WALL STRUCTURE ABOVE SAID CASING AND PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY ALONG SAID ROOF WALL STRUCTURE AND INTO SAID CASING AND BETWEEN SAID CASING INNER SIDE WALL AND SAID BODY SO THAT THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CASING INNER SIDE WALL UNDERLIES THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID STAYS AND THE INNER PORTION OF SAID CASING TOP WALL OVERLIES THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID STAYS, SAID STAYS RESPECTIVELY TERMINATING AT THE LOWER PORTIONS THEREOF IN PARTS LOCATED BETWEEN SAID CASING AND SAID BODY AND ADJACENT TO THE JUNCTION BETWEEN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID CASING INNER SIDE WALL AND THE INER PORTION OF SAID CASING BOTTOM WALL, AND MEANS INCLUDING SAID STAYS FOR POSITIVELY PREVENTING SAID CASING FROM RIDING-UP SAID TANK SIDE WALL AND OUT OF SAID ANNULAR SPACE INCIDENT TO DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID ROOF WALL STRUCTURE WITH RESPECT TO SAID TANK SIDE WALL.