Horizontal support system for ship tanks for low temperature liquefied gas

Claim 2

In a ship having a cargo tank, with a circular horizontal cross section, which expands and contracts in service, supported in a hold therein, the improved tank support system comprising: tank restraining means providing both vertical upward and horizontal lateral support and including a plurality of support columns depending downwardly from the tank and providing primarily vertical support to said tank, and further, said tank restraining means including a plurality of both support keys attached to the side of the tank and support blocks attached in the ship hold and adapted to receive the associated tank mounted support key thereby primarily restraining the tank from horizontal movement induced from sea conditions yet allowing thermal expansion and contraction of the tank, each of said support keys having a pair of opposing spaced-apart vertical key contact faces extending in a plane forming an acute angle with a radius extending from the cargo tank center to a midpoint between the spaced-apart key contact faces, said plurality of spaced-apart support blocks joined by connecting means to the ship hold, said support blocks being located around the periphery of the tank with a support block opposite each support key, and each support block having a pair of opposing spaced-apart vertical block contact faces positioned at the same acute angle as the key contact faces and positioned to have a block contact face in mating contact with a key contact face, whereby upon expansion and contraction of the tank with temperature change uniform horizontal slidable support contact is maintained between mating key contact and block contact faces.

Claim 3

A tank support system according to claim 1 in which the key contact faces are insulated from the tank wall.

Claim 4

A tank support system according to claim 1 in which the tank has an insulated substantially spherical bottom positioned in a hold of the ship.

Claim 5

A tank support system according to claim 1 in which the block contact faces are insulated from the ship hold.

Claim 6

A tank support system according to claim 1 in which the tank has a substantially spherical bottom positioned in an insulated hold of the ship.

Claim 7

A tank support system according to claim 1 in which the connecting means joining the support blocks to the ship hold is a plurality of columns, with each column having a support block thereon.

Claim 8

A tank support system according to claim 1 in which each key contact face is slidable vertically with the mating block contact face.

Claim 9

A tank support system according to claim 1 and said tank support means including a horizontally disposed reinforcing ring extending about and attached to said cargo tank, and said support means also including vertically upwardly extending portions attached to both the tank and to said reinforcing ring, and each of said columns of the tank support means includes a plurality of downwardly extending beam means depending from said reinforcing ring and aligned with associated vertically upwardly extending portions.

Claim 10

A tank support system according to claim 1 in which the ship hold mounted support blocks include adjusting members connected thereto and to the ship hold thereby providing for adjusting movement of said support blocks into and from engagement witH the associated key contact face.

Claim 11

In a ship having a cargo tank with a circular horizontal cross section which undergoes thermal expansion and contraction during transport in said ship, an improved tank support system including: a plurality of tank restraining keys attached around the side periphery of the tank and each key having a pair of spaced key contact surfaces arranged in vertical planes diverging outwardly of said tank, and further, said tank support system including a plurality of spaced-apart support blocks joined by a mounting and connecting means to said ship hold and said support blocks having contact faces adapted to receive the associated tank mounted key contact surface whereby the restraining key and the associated support blocks provide primarily horizontal restraint to the tank to prevent horizontal tank movement from external forces yet permitting thermal expansion and contraction of the tank in a horizontal plane, and a plurality of tank support columns mounted adjacent the tank restraining key and providing primarily vertical support to said tank, support block adjusting means movably positioned within the ship hold connecting means and having attaching portions joined with said support blocks thereby providing for adjusting reciprocating movement of each support block contact face into and from engagement with an associated key contact face.

Claim 12

In a ship having a cargo tank with a circular horizontal cross section which undergoes thermal expansion and contraction during transport in said ship, an improved tank support system including: a plurality of tank restraining keys attached around the side periphery of the tank and each key having a pair of spaced key contact surfaces arranged in vertical planes diverging outwardly of said tank, and further, said tank support system including a plurality of spaced-apart support blocks joined by a mounting and connecting means to said ship hold and said support blocks having contact faces adapted to receive the associated tank mounted key contact surface whereby the restraining key and the associated support blocks provide primarily horizontal restraint to the tank to prevent horizontal tank movement from external forces yet permitting thermal expansion and contraction of the tank in a horizontal plane, and a plurality of tank support columns mounted adjacent the tank restraining key and providing primarily vertical support to said tank, support block adjusting means movably positioned within the ship hold connecting means and having attaching portions joined with said support blocks thereby providing for adjusting reciprocating movement of each support block contact face into and from engagement with an associated key contact face.

Claim 13

A tank support system according to claim 10 in which thermal insulating blocks are positioned between the tank and the ship connecting means, and said insulating blocks having portions mounted adjacent each tank support key and each associated support block.

Claim 14

A tank support system according to claim 10 in which each support block includes portions spaced from the attached ship hold connecting means thereby defining a cavity; a chock member being positioned within said cavity and having portions in binding contact with both the ship connecting means and the adjacent support block portion.

Claim 15

In a ship having a cargo tank, with a circular horizontal cross section, which expands and contracts in service, supported therein, the improved tank support system comprising: tank support means attached to and located around the periphery of said cargo tank and including a plurality of columns for imparting vertical support to said tank, and said tank support means also including circumferentially spaced-apart support keys adapted to provide horizontal restraint to said cargo tank, each of said support keys having a pair of opposing spaced-apart vertical key contact faces extending in a plane forming an acute angle with a radius extending from the cargo tank center to a midpoint between the spaced-apart key contact faces, a plurality of spaced-apart support blocks joined by connecting means to a ship hold, said support blocks being located around the periphery of the tank with a support block opposite each support key, and each support block having a pair of opposing spaced-apart vertical block contact faces positioned at the same acute angle as the key contact faces and positioned to have a block contact face in mating contact with a key contact face, whereby upon expansion and contraction of the tank with temperature change uniform horizontal slidable support contact is maintained between mating key contact and block contact faces; and, said tank support system including a horizontally disposed reinforcing ring extending about and attached to said cargo tank, and said support means also including vertically upwardly extending portions attached to both the tank and to said reinforcing ring, and each of said columns of the tank support means includes a plurality of downwardly extending beam means depending from said reinforcing ring and aligned with associated vertically upwardly extending portions.

Claim 16

In a ship having a cargo tank, with a circular horizontal cross section, which expands and contracts in service, supported therein, the improved tank support system comprising: tank support means attached to and located around the periphery of said cargo tank and including a plurality of columns for imparting vertical support to said tank, and said tank support means also including circumferentially spaced-apart support keys adapted to provide horizontal restraint to said cargo tank, each of said support keys having a pair of opposing spaced-apart vertical key contact faces extending in a plane forming an acute angle with a radius extending from the cargo tank center to a midpoint between the spaced-apart key contact faces, a plurality of spaced-apart support blocks joined by connecting means to a ship hold, said support blocks being located around the periphery of the tank with a support block opposite each support key, and each support block having a pair of opposing spaced-apart vertical block contact faces positioned at the same acute angle as the key contact faces and positioned to have a block contact face in mating contact with a key contact face, whereby upon expansion and contraction of the tank with temperature change uniform horizontal slidable support contact is maintained between mating key contact and block contact faces; and, said tank support system including a horizontally disposed reinforcing ring extending about and attached to said cargo tank, and said support means also including vertically upwardly extending portions attached to both the tank and to said reinforcing ring, and each of said columns of the tank support means includes a plurality of downwardly extending beam means depending from said reinforcing ring and aligned with associated vertically upwardly extending portions.

Claim 17

In a ship having a cargo tank with a circular horizontal cross section which undergoes thermal expansion and contraction during transport in said ship, an Improved tank support system including: a plurality of spaced tank support keys mounted on said tank and each key having a pair of spaced key contact surfaces arranged in planes diverging outwardly of said tank, a plurality of spaced-apart support blocks joined by connecting means to said ship hold and said support blocks being positioned to receive an associated tank support key, each support block having a pair of opposing spaced-apart block contact faces positioned for mating contact with the associated key contact faces, support block adjusting means movably positioned within the ship hold connecting means and having attaching portions joined with said support blocks thereby providing for adjusting reciprocating movement of each support block contact face into and from engagement with an associated key contact face; and, said tank support system including a horizontally disposed reinforcing ring extending about and attached to said cargo tank, and said support means also including vertically upwardly extending portions attached to both the tank and to said reinforcing ring, and each of said columns of the tank support means includes a plurality of downwardly extending beam means depending from said reinforcing ring and aligned with associated vertically upwardly extending portions.

Claim 18

In a ship having a cargo tank with a circular horizontal cross section which undergoes thermal expansion and contraction during transport in said ship, an Improved tank support system including: a plurality of spaced tank support keys mounted on said tank and each key having a pair of spaced key contact surfaces arranged in planes diverging outwardly of said tank, a plurality of spaced-apart support blocks joined by connecting means to said ship hold and said support blocks being positioned to receive an associated tank support key, each support block having a pair of opposing spaced-apart block contact faces positioned for mating contact with the associated key contact faces, support block adjusting means movably positioned within the ship hold connecting means and having attaching portions joined with said support blocks thereby providing for adjusting reciprocating movement of each support block contact face into and from engagement with an associated key contact face; and, said tank support system including a horizontally disposed reinforcing ring extending about and attached to said cargo tank, and said support means also including vertically upwardly extending portions attached to both the tank and to said reinforcing ring, and each of said columns of the tank support means includes a plurality of downwardly extending beam means depending from said reinforcing ring and aligned with associated vertically upwardly extending portions.