Antirolling and antipitching supporting method and device for a tank during transportation

Claim 2

In a construction including: a self-supporting structure undergoing roll and pitch rocking motions about two structurebound orthogonal geometrical axes of swing, respectively; a rigid tank supported mainly in weight-bearing relationship and at least partially encompassed by said structure; and an auxiliary device for bodily constraining said tank against roll and pitch with respect to said structure while allowing substantially free thermal expansion and contraction thereof; the improvement consisting in that said device comprises: at least one ring externally surrounding said tank and interposed in spaced relationship between the later and said structure; said ring being substantially parallel to the plane defined by the respective directions of said axes of swing; movably co-operating discrete keying means integral with said ring, structure and tank, respectively and providing slidable engagement of said ring with said structure and tank, respectively, to hold said ring against body motion parallel to said plane at least relative to said structure while allowing substantially free thermal expansion and contraction of said ring as well as substantially free body displacements thereof in parallel relation perpendicular to said plane; and weight-bearing means for unilaterally supporting said ring against its own weight while allowing its thermal expansion and contraction and body displacements therefrom.

Claim 3

An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said keying means comprise: at least one external plurality of discrete keying devices distributed about the outer periphery of said ring between the latter and said structure at least approximately on a same horizontal level and consisting each one of a pair of mating ring-bound and structure-bound members carried by saId ring and structure, respectively, and co-operating in slidable forced-guiding relationship, said ring-bound member defining one of a key and key-way whereas said structure-bound member defines the other of a key and key-way and engages said corresponding ring-bound member in slidable interfitting relationship; and at least one internal plurality of discrete keying devices distributed along the inner periphery of said ring and about the outer periphery of said tank between said ring and tank at least approximately on a same relative horizontal level and consisting each one of a pair of mating ring-bound and tank-bound elements carried by said ring and tank, respectively, and co-operating in slidable forced-guiding relationship, said ring-bound element defining one of a key and key-way whereas said tank-bound element defines the other of a key and key-way and engages said associated ring-bound element in slidable interfitting relationship, each keying device being at least approximately symmetrical with respect to a relative vertical center plane locally normal to the wall surface of said tank and perpendicular to said plane defined by said axes of swing; whereby the relative displacements of said ring and tank are confined to said relative vertical center planes.

Claim 4

An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the general configuration of the contour of said ring conforms in at least approximately parallel relationship to the local shape of at least the adjacent portion of the outer wall surface of said tank whereby the thermal deformations of said ring at least approximately follow those of said adjacent portions of said outer wall surface of said tank.

Claim 5

An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein each keying device consists of a key-forming lug-like slide-block and a key-way forming clevis projecting radially towards each other in opposite directions from their respective attachments; each clevis defining a guiding path consisting of a substantially straight elongated slot forming a substantially vertical through-passageway and extending from a closed end thereof near the attachment of said clevis to its opposite open end remote from said attachment, said slot being open both at its top and bottom and having opposite confronting edge side faces located on either side of said relative vertical center plane of symmetry, said slide-block constantly engaging in sliding relationship said slot, thereby allowing relative reciprocal motion through thermal expansion and contraction between said slide-block and slot horizontally inwards and outwards as well as vertically upwards and downwards in either direction with two degrees of freedom of motion in substantially parallel relation to said vertical local center plane of symmetry.

Claim 6

An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein each aforesaid clevis consists of a pair of spaced parallel arm-like portions the confronting sides of which form substantially symmetrical jaws defining said slot-like guiding path therebetween whereas each aforesaid slide-block is formed with opposite parallel substantially flat faces slidably engaging said jaws.

Claim 7

An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein each one of said jaws carries a heat-insulating pad, said pads defining a plane bearing for said slide-block.

Claim 8

An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said co-operating slide-block and clevis of each aforesaid keying device is provided with an anti-friction lining.

Claim 9

An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein at least one of said co-operating slide-block and clevis of each aforesaid keying device of at least one of said pluralities of keying devices is provided with a heat-insulating lining.

Claim 10

An arrangement according to claim 8, wherein said heat-insulating lining is interposed between the co-operating slide block and clevis of each aforesaid keying device of said external plurality of keying devices whereas said tank together with said tank-bound elements and said ring together with both of said Ring-bound elements and members are made from a metal capable of withstanding low temperatures.

Claim 11

An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said weight-bearing means consist of several stationary brackets integral with and radially projecting inwards from said structure in circumferentially spaced relationship substantially on a level with each other, said ring freely resting on said brackets at least under normal rest conditions.

Claim 12

An arrangement according to claim 10, wherein at least some of said clevis are carried by said structure whereas said slide-blocks associated with said clevis are carried by said ring and at least some of said brackets are located below the slots of corresponding clevis, respectively, and extend to have at least their free end portions located underneath said associated slide-blocks which may thus rest thereupon for supporting said ring thereby.

Claim 13

An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least the outer wall surface of said tank has at least one axis of symmetry extending at right angles to both of said axes of swing.

Claim 14

An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein said ring is substantially symmetrical with respect to an axis extending in coaxial relation to that of said tank.

Claim 15

An arrangement according to claim 13, wherein at least the outer wall surface of said tank has the shape of a body of revolution about said axis of symmetry and said ring has also the shape of a body of revolution about said same axis of symmetry, so that said relative displacements of said tank and ring are allowed in respective meridian planes passing through said axis of revolution.

Claim 16

An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said tank has a relative horizontal plane of symmetry parallel to both of said axes of swing and there are at least two sets of said keying means located at two levels substantially and overlying symmetrical relationship on either side of said horizontal plane of symmetry.

Claim 17

An arrangement according to claim 15, including a substantially spheroidal tank mounted on a vehicle and in particular in the hold of a cargo ship having a main deck, said tank being movably suspended from the hull structure of said ship, the upper one of said sets of keying means being positioned substantially at the level of said main deck.