Bearers for solid of revolution tanks on board ships

Claim 2

The combination comprising:

Claim 3

A cargo tank having a tank shell and a central vertical axis, said cargo tank adapted to contain liquified gas and including a. continuous peripheral structure means having upper and lower continuous stubs integrally connected with upper and lower portions, respectively, of the cargo tank shell thereby forming an annular portion of the tank shell in the vicinity of the horizontal mid-plane of the cargo tank, said continuous peripheral structure means extending in a lateral sense with respect to the vertical axis of the cargo tank and 1. defining two peripherally continuous protrusions each laterally spaced from one of said portions of the cargo tank shell, said two continuous protrusions being spaced laterally relative to the vertical axis of the cargo tank and with respect to one another, 2. a first peripherally continuous bearing and coupling member surrounding said one portion of the cargo tank shell, laterally spaced outwardly with respect thereto, and having a substantially vertical orientation, a. One edge of the first peripherally continuous bearing and coupling member being continuously and rigidly connected to the protrusion nearer the vertical axis of the cargo tank, 3. a second bearing and coupling member surrounding the first bearing and coupling member, spaced laterally outwardly with respect thereto, and having a substantially vertical orientation, a. the upper and lower edges of said second bearing and coupling member being continuous and one of said edges being rigidly and continuously connected to the peripherally continuous protrusion remote from the vertical axis of the cargo tank, 4. supporting structural means for mounting the cargo tank in a marine vessel for transportation thereby or for storage adapted to be fixed to the structure of the marine vessel, said supporting structural means rigidly and continuously interconnecting the other edges of said bearing and coupling members at a location vertically spaced from said peripheral structure means with said bearing and coupling members vertically extending from said peripheral structure means to said location free of interconnecting structure and vertically unstiffened, and 5. said peripheral structure means, said bearing and coupling members and said supporting structural means being constructed and arranged to interconnect the cargo tank shell to a marine vessel and to co-act so that in repose one of the bearing and coupling members is in compression and the other bearing and coupling member is in tension, a. to check all movements of the tank relative to the marine vessel, b. to prevent high stresses being induced in the tank shell or any bearing or supporting structure as a consequence of dimensional changes of the tank shell due to temperature differentials, c. to reduce strongly bending moments in the tank shell, and d. to prevent stress concentrations from occurring where the tank shell connects with support structure.

Claim 4

A cargo tank having a tank shell and a central vertical axis, said cargo tank adapted to contain liquified gas and including a. continuous peripheral structure means having upper and lower continuous stubs integrally connected with upper and lower portions, respectively, of the cargo tank shell thereby forming an annular portion of the tank shell in the vicinity of the horizontal mid-plane of the cargo tank, said continuous peripheral structure means extending in a lateral sense with respect to the vertical axis of the cargo tank and 1. defining two peripherally continuous protrusions each laterally spaced from one of said portions of the cargo tank shell, said two continuous protrusions being spaced laterally relative to the vertical axis of the cargo tank and with respect to one another, 2. a first peripherally continuous bearing and coupling member surrounding said one portion of the cargo tank shell, laterally spaced outwardly with respect thereto, and having a substantially vertical orientation, a. One edge of the first peripherally continuous bearing and coupling member being continuously and rigidly connected to the protrusion nearer the vertical axis of the cargo tank, 3. a second bearing and coupling member surrounding the first bearing and coupling member, spaced laterally outwardly with respect thereto, and having a substantially vertical orientation, a. the upper and lower edges of said second bearing and coupling member being continuous and one of said edges being rigidly and continuously connected to the peripherally continuous protrusion remote from the vertical axis of the cargo tank, 4. supporting structural means for mounting the cargo tank in a marine vessel for transportation thereby or for storage adapted to be fixed to the structure of the marine vessel, said supporting structural means rigidly and continuously interconnecting the other edges of said bearing and coupling members at a location vertically spaced from said peripheral structure means with said bearing and coupling members vertically extending from said peripheral structure means to said location free of interconnecting structure and vertically unstiffened, and 5. said peripheral structure means, said bearing and coupling members and said supporting structural means being constructed and arranged to interconnect the cargo tank shell to a marine vessel and to co-act so that in repose one of the bearing and coupling members is in compression and the other bearing and coupling member is in tension, a. to check all movements of the tank relative to the marine vessel, b. to prevent high stresses being induced in the tank shell or any bearing or supporting structure as a consequence of dimensional changes of the tank shell due to temperature differentials, c. to reduce strongly bending moments in the tank shell, and d. to prevent stress concentrations from occurring where the tank shell connects with support structure.

Claim 5

a first peripherally continuous bearing and coupling member surrounding said one portion of the cargo tank shell, laterally spaced outwardly with respect thereto, and having a substantially vertical orientation, a. One edge of the first peripherally continuous bearing and coupling member being continuously and rigidly connected to the protrusion nearer the vertical axis of the cargo tank,

Claim 6

a first peripherally continuous bearing and coupling member surrounding said one portion of the cargo tank shell, laterally spaced outwardly with respect thereto, and having a substantially vertical orientation, a. One edge of the first peripherally continuous bearing and coupling member being continuously and rigidly connected to the protrusion nearer the vertical axis of the cargo tank,

Claim 7

The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said two peripherally continuous protrusions are laterally spaced from the lower portion of the cargo tank, the upper edge of each of said first and second peripherally continuous bearing and coupling members is continuously and rigidly connected to its respective protrusion, and said bearing and coupling members vertically depend downwardly from said peripheral structure means.

Claim 8

The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein said continuous peripheral structure means comprises an open section characterized by a continuous substantially horizontally extending web from which said upper and lower continuous stubs and said two continuous protrusions project, said upper and lower continuous stubs projecting from the end of said web nearer said central vertical axis.

Claim 9

a second bearing and coupling member surrounding the first bearing and coupling member, spaced laterally outwardly with respect thereto, and having a substantially vertical orientation, a. the upper and lower edges of said second bearing and coupling member being continuous and one of said edges being rigidly and continuously connected to the peripherally continuous protrusion remote from the vertical axis of the cargo tank,

Claim 10

a second bearing and coupling member surrounding the first bearing and coupling member, spaced laterally outwardly with respect thereto, and having a substantially vertical orientation, a. the upper and lower edges of said second bearing and coupling member being continuous and one of said edges being rigidly and continuously connected to the peripherally continuous protrusion remote from the vertical axis of the cargo tank,

Claim 11

The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein said continuous peripheral structure means comprises an open section characterized by a continuous substantially horizontally extending web from which said upper and lower continuous stubs and said two continuous protrusions project, said lower stub projecting downwardly fRom the end of said web nearer said central vertical axis and said upper stub projecting upwardly from the end of said web remote from said central vertical axis.

Claim 12

supporting structural means for mounting the cargo tank in a marine vessel for transportation thereby or for storage adapted to be fixed to the structure of the marine vessel, said supporting structural means rigidly and continuously interconnecting the other edges of said bearing and coupling members at a location vertically spaced from said peripheral structure means with said bearing and coupling members vertically extending from said peripheral structure means to said location free of interconnecting structure and vertically unstiffened, and

Claim 13

supporting structural means for mounting the cargo tank in a marine vessel for transportation thereby or for storage adapted to be fixed to the structure of the marine vessel, said supporting structural means rigidly and continuously interconnecting the other edges of said bearing and coupling members at a location vertically spaced from said peripheral structure means with said bearing and coupling members vertically extending from said peripheral structure means to said location free of interconnecting structure and vertically unstiffened, and

Claim 14

said peripheral structure means, said bearing and coupling members and said supporting structural means being constructed and arranged to interconnect the cargo tank shell to a marine vessel and to co-act so that in repose one of the bearing and coupling members is in compression and the other bearing and coupling member is in tension, a. to check all movements of the tank relative to the marine vessel, b. to prevent high stresses being induced in the tank shell or any bearing or supporting structure as a consequence of dimensional changes of the tank shell due to temperature differentials, c. to reduce strongly bending moments in the tank shell, and d. to prevent stress concentrations from occurring where the tank shell connects with support structure.

Claim 15

said peripheral structure means, said bearing and coupling members and said supporting structural means being constructed and arranged to interconnect the cargo tank shell to a marine vessel and to co-act so that in repose one of the bearing and coupling members is in compression and the other bearing and coupling member is in tension, a. to check all movements of the tank relative to the marine vessel, b. to prevent high stresses being induced in the tank shell or any bearing or supporting structure as a consequence of dimensional changes of the tank shell due to temperature differentials, c. to reduce strongly bending moments in the tank shell, and d. to prevent stress concentrations from occurring where the tank shell connects with support structure.

Claim 16

The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein said continuous peripheral structure means comprises three continuous sections having horizontal and parallel peripheries of different lateral spacing relative to said central vertical axis, which sectionally define the vertices of a triangle, said three sections being interlinked by means of intermediate shells defining the sides of the triangle, and said upper and lower continuous stubs of said continuous peripheral structure means projecting from the end thereof nearer said central vertical axis.

Claim 17

The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein said continuous peripheral structure means comprises three continuous sections having horizontal and parallel peripheries of different lateral spacing relative to said central vertical axis, which sectionally define the vertices of a triangle, said three sections being interlinked by means of intermediate shells defining the sides of the triangle, said lower stub of said continuous peripheral structure means projecting from the end thereof nearer said central vertical axis and said upper stub projecting from the end thereof remote from said central vertical axis.

Claim 18

The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein said continuous peripheral structure means is defined by an open section, said bearing and coupling members are continuous throughout their height over their entire peripheries and define with said open section and said supporting structural means a conduit whereby a coolant fluid may be circulated.

Claim 19

The combination as defined in claim 2 wherein said continuous peripheral structural means is comprised of three continuous sections having horizontal and parallel peripheries of different lateral spacing relative to said central vertical axis, which sectionally define the vertices of a triangle, said three sections being interlinked by means of intermediate shells defining the sides of the triangle, and said intermediate shells being continuous and defining in combination with said three sections a conduit whereby a coolant fluid may be circulated.

Claim 20

The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said tank shell has the shape of a body of revolution, the axis of revolution being vertical, and the spacings of the said two peripheral continuous protrusions and said first and second bearing and coupling members are radial relative to the vertical axis of revolution.

Claim 21

The combination as defined in claim 9 wherein said two peripherally continuous protrusions are radially spaced from the lower portion of the cargo tank, the upper edge of each of said first and second peripherally continuous bearing and coupling members is continuously and rigidly connected to its respective protrusion, and said bearing and coupling members vertically depend downwardly from said peripheral structure means.

Claim 22

The combination as defined in claim 10 wherein said continuous peripheral structure means comprises an open section characterized by a continuous substantially horizontally extending web from which said upper and lower continuous stubs and said two continuous protrusions project, said upper and lower continuous stubs projecting from the end of said web nearer said vertical axis of revolution.

Claim 23

The combination as defined in claim 10 wherein said continuous peripheral structure means comprises an open section characterized by a continuous substantially horizontally extending web from which said upper and lower continuous stubs and said two continuous protrusions project, said lower stub projecting downwardly from the end of said web nearer said vertical axis of revolution and said upper stub projecting upwardly from the end of said web remote from said vertical axis of revolution.

Claim 24

The combination as defined in claim 10 wherein said continuous peripheral structure means comprises three continuous sectioNs having horizontal and parallel peripheries of different radial spacing relative to said vertical axis of revolution, which sectionally define the vertices of a triangle, said three sections being interlinked by means of intermediate shells defining the sides of the triangle, said upper and lower continuous stubs of said continuous peripheral structure means projecting from the end thereof nearer said vertical axis of revolution.

Claim 25

The combination as defined in claim 10 wherein said continuous peripheral structure means comprises three continuous sections having horizontal and parallel peripheries of different radial spacing relative to said vertical axis of revolution, which sectionally define the vertices of a triangle, said three sections being interlinked by means of intermediate shells defining the sides of the triangle, said lower stub of said continuous peripheral structure means projecting from the end thereof nearer said vertical axis of revolution and said upper stub projecting from the end thereof remote from said vertical axis of revolution.

Claim 26

The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said first peripherally continuous bearing and coupling member is vertically continuous throughout its height over its entire periphery.