Tank construction for liquified and/or compressed gas

Claim 2

In a cargo tank adapted to contain liquified gas and which is mounted by a supporting structure extending tangentially to the tank in a marine vessel for transportation thereby or for storage, means for connecting said tank to said support structure, comprising a one piece peripheral support member integral with and forming an annular portion of said tank and having a portion thereof extending beyond said tank for operative connection with said support structUre tangentially of the tank.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said cargo tank has at least one curvilinear peripheral surface and said support member is located at said surface.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said cargo tank is a sphere, said supporting structure is an integral skirt secured to the hull structure of said vessel and said support member comprises an annular ring, one surface of which forms a portion of the wall of said tank.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said support member has a groove therein, said groove extending parallel to the adjacent periphery of said tank and defining a support member extension adapted to be secured to said support structure.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said cargo tank is a sphere, said supporting structure is an integral skirt secured to the hull structure of said vessel and said support member comprises an annular ring having an integral annular support extension substantially parallel to the adjacent peripheral surface of said tank, said extension providing a support surface for operative end abutting connection with said support structure and being positioned in a predetermined spaced location with respect to the remainder of said support member and said tank whereby stresses in said tank are adapted to be predetermined.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said tank is a pressure vessel of plate construction and said support member is an independent annular member welded to said tank and forming a portion thereof.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said support member is located at the equatorial plane of said cargo tank.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein said extension is defined by an annular groove formed in said support member along a path generally parallel to said tank.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said groove has a generally semi-elliptical cross-sectional configuration, said semi-elliptical groove opening away from said support member.

Claim 11

Apparatus as in claim 8 wherein said support member includes an annular surface beveled towards said tank.

Claim 12

In a cargo tank having at least one horizontal circular dimension and adapted to contain liquified gas, which tank is mounted by a supporting structure, extending tangentially of said tank, on a marine vessel having refrigeration means associated therewith for maintaining said gas in its liquid phase, means for connecting said tank to said support structure, comprising a one piece horizontal annular section of said tank having an exterior dimension and section which defines an extension located in tangential relation to said tank for operative end abutting connection to said support member.

Claim 13

In a cargo tank having at least one horizontal circular dimension and adapted to contain liquified gas, which tank is mounted by a supporting structure, extending tangentially of said tank, on a marine vessel having refrigeration means associated therewith for maintaining said gas in its liquid phase, means for connecting said tank to said support structure, comprising a one piece horizontal annular section of said tank having an exterior dimension and section which defines an extension located in tangential relation to said tank for operative end abutting connection to said support member.

Claim 14

Apparatus as in claim 11 wherein said horizontal annular section comprises an annular ring welded to the remainder of said cargo tank.

Claim 15

Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said ring includes an annular groove adjacent the periphery of said tank, said groove defining said extension.

Claim 16

Apparatus as in claim 13 wherein said groove has a semi-elliptical configuration, said configuration opens away from said ring.

Claim 17

In a cargo tank adapted to contain liquified gas and which is mounted by a supporting structure, extending tangentially of said tank, on a marine vessel for transportation thereby, means for connecting said tank to said support structure comprising a one piece peripheral support member integral with and forming a portion of said tank, said support member having a greater width than adjacent sections of said tank whereby a portion of said support member extends beyond and in tangential relation to said tank for operative end abutting connection with said support structure.

Claim 18

In a cargo tank adapted to contain liquified gas and which is mounted by a supporting structure, extending tangentially of said tank, on a marine vessel for transportation thereby, means for connecting said tank to said support structure comprising a one piece peripheral support member integral with and forming a portion of said tank, said support member having a greater width than adjacent sections of said tank whereby a portion of said support member extends beyond and in tangential relation to said tank for operative end abutting connection with said support structure.

Claim 19

In a cargo tank having at least one horizontal circular dimension and adapted to contain liquified gas, which tank is mounted by a supporting structure, extending tangentially of said tank, on a marine vessel having refrigeration means associated therewith for maintaining said gas at its liquid phase, means for connecting said tank to said suppOrt structure comprising a one piece horizontal annular section of said tank having an interior dimension substantially equal to the interior dimensions of adjacent portions of said tank and having an exterior dimension greater than the exterior dimensions of adjacent portions of said tank whereby said tank section defines an extension located in tangential relation to said tank for operative end abutting connection to said support member.

Claim 20

In a cargo tank having at least one horizontal circular dimension and adapted to contain liquified gas, which tank is mounted by a supporting structure, extending tangentially of said tank, on a marine vessel having refrigeration means associated therewith for maintaining said gas at its liquid phase, means for connecting said tank to said suppOrt structure comprising a one piece horizontal annular section of said tank having an interior dimension substantially equal to the interior dimensions of adjacent portions of said tank and having an exterior dimension greater than the exterior dimensions of adjacent portions of said tank whereby said tank section defines an extension located in tangential relation to said tank for operative end abutting connection to said support member.