GB1574541A

GB1574541A - Apparatus for manufacturing spherical reservoirs

Info

Publication number: GB1574541A
Application number: GB5045877A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: G P KONSTRUKT I PROEKT TEKHNOL
Current assignee: G P KONSTRUKT I PROEKT TEKHNOL
Priority date: 1977-12-03
Filing date: 1977-12-03
Publication date: 1980-09-10

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SPHERICAL RESERVOIRS (71) We, GOSUDARSTVENNY PRO EKTNo-KoNsTRUKToRsKY INSTITUT PO PRO- EKTIROVANIJU TEKHNOLOGII MONTAZHA LEGKOI I PISCHEVOI PROMYSIILENNOSTI, an enterprise organised and existing under the laws of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) of 2/34 Sadovo-Sukharevskaya ulitsa, Moscow, USSR, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to apparatus for manufacturing spherical reservoirs from a plurality of meridional segments.

The apparatus of the present invention can be efficiently utilized for manufacturing spherical reservoirs from pre-cut meridional segments, either relatively thin and originally flat, or else relatively thick and shaped by pressing, following their cutting out, to a double curvature.

In accordance with the present invention we provide apparatus for manufacturing spherical reservoirs from meridional segments and polar caps, of which apparatus a base has mounted thereon: a supporting frame for a reservoir, vertical guides supporting a shaft overlying this frame, mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and adapted to accommodate the polar caps of the spherical reservoir and to rotate the same in the course of its manufacture, and a support beam for accommodation of a welding unit, overlying said shaft; said supporting frame having a curvilinear surface adapted to have placed thereupon the meridional segments, the shape of this surface corresponding to the curvilinear shape of the surface of the meridional segments of the reservoir to be manufactured; the supporting frame being mounted on said vertical guides for movement therealong, to bring the meridional segments to the polar caps of the reservoir; said support beam having made thereon arcuate guideways having a radius greater than the radius of the sphere of the reservoir to be manufactured, said arcuate guideways being intended for accommodation of said welding unit adapted to move therealong ili the course of welding the reservoir.

It is expedient that one of the vertical guides supporting said shaft should have mounted thereon a member limiting the travel of the supporting frame, spaced from the shaft by a distance substantially equal to the radius of the polar caps of the reservoir being manufactured.

This would enhance exact positioning of a meridional segment on the curvilinear surface of the supporting frame, while the former has its ends welded to the polar caps of the reservoir.

It is not less expedient that the support beam with the arcuate guideways should be mounted on one of two posts flanking the vertical guides supporting the shaft, for rotation relative thereto in a horizontal plane.

This would enable to have sufficient space for removing a completed reservoir from the arrangement.

It is further expedient that the other one of the two posts should have mounted thereon for rotation in a horizontal plane, a cantilever beam having guideways for accommodation of a driven trolley carrying a load-handling mechanism adapted to lift the meridional segments and of removing a completed reservoir, and also the reduction of production space requirements and of the time required to make a reservoir.

It is also expedient that the driven trolley should be operatively connected through a flexible element with the welding unit, for moving same along the arcuate guideways.

This would obviate the need for an individual drive for the welding unit and enable simplification of the structure of the entire apparatus, and also reduction of its- weight and energy consumption.

An apparatus for manufacturing spherical reservoirs in accordance with the pre sent invention, although of a relatively simple structure, provides for performing both assembling of a reservoir from individual segments, with provisional welding of the joints therebetween in localized areas, and final welding to a final fluid-tight condition.

The arrangement offers a high efficiency, occupies a relatively small amount of production space and significantly simplifies the process of manufacturing a reservoir.

Following hereinbelow is a description of an embodiment of the present invention, with reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a general front view of an apparatus for manufacturing spherical reservoirs, in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 shows the apparatus for manufacturing spherical reservoirs in the initial position of an operating cycle; Fig. 4 shows the apparatus for manufacturing spherical reservoirs in the position of its components, corresponding to removing a manufactured spherical reservoir.

Referring now in particular to the appended drawings, the apparatus for manufacturing spherical reservoirs comprises a base 1 (Fig. 1) having mounted thereon posts 2 and 2a and a supporting frame 3 hereinafter referred to as "the frame". The frame 3 has a curvilinear surface (Figs. 1 and 2) shaped to correspond to the curvilinear surface of the meridional segments 5 of a completed reservoir, i.e. having double curvature (in the longitudinal and transverse directions).

The base 1 has secured thereto vertical guides 6, 6a (Fig. 1) carrying thereon the frame 3 movable therealong in a vertical direction. The guides 6, 6a are inward of the posts 2, 2a and the axes of all four members are in the same vertical plane.

Movement of the frame 3 along the vertical guides 6 and 6a is effected by two driving means 7 and 7a which in the presently described embodiments are in the form of fluid cylinders designated, respectively, 7 and 7a.

The respective movable member 8 (8a) of each fluid cylinder 7 (7a) is connected with the frame 3, and the stationary element 9 (9a) is connected with the post 2 (2a).

Extending between the posts 2 and 2a above the frame 3 is a horizontal shaft 10 made up of a long or main span 11 and two shorter terminal portions 12 and 12a, the shorter terminal portions 12 and 12a being coupled with the main span 11 by respective couplings 13, 13a, and being journalled for rotation in bearings 14 and 14a supported by the respective vertical guides 6 and 6a.

The main span 11 of the shaft is adapted to accommodate thereon the opposite polar caps 15 of a spherical reservoir 16 being manufactured, to be hereinafter referred to as "the reservoir" and for rotation of the latter in the process of its manufacturing.

The multicomponent shaft 10 is associated with a drive including an electric motor 17, a coupling 18 and a reducer 19, and a means 20 for transmitting incremental rotation through successive angles 3600: n, where "n" is the number of the meridional segments in the reservoir being manufactured, the means 20 being in the form of a Geneva cross, or else in any other suitable form known per se.

To transmit the rotation of the shaft 10 to the polar caps 15 of the reservoir, there can be employed either a key-and-sIot connection 21 (schematically indicated in the drawing), or any other suitable means designed for this purpose.

The vertical guide 6a of the frame 3 has mounted thereon, spaced from the shaft 10 by a distance substantially equally the radius of the polar caps 15 of the reservoir, a travel-limiting member 22 which in the presently described embodiment is a limit switch connected with the drive means 7 and 7a and thus adapted to limit the vertical travel of the frame 3 toward the polar caps 15 of the reservoir.

The post 2a has mounted thereon a support beam 23 (Fig. 1) with arcuate guideways 24 adapted to accommodate a welding unit 25. The radius of the arcuate guideways 24 is greater than that of the sphere of the reservoir 16. The welding unit 25 is adapted to travel along these guideways 24, e.g. on rollers (which are not shown in the drawings for the sake of clarity).

The support beam 23 (to be hereinafter referred to as "the beam") is also of an arcuate shape. The beam 23 is pivotable on the post 2a in a horizontal plane, about a pivot axle 26 mounted on the post 2a.

The axle 26 has mounted thereon freely rotatable bushes 27 and 28 associated with a drive 29 (schematically shown in the drawings) for effecting their rotation. The drive and the driving connection can be of any suitable known structure. The bushes 27 and 28 are coupled with the beam 23 via brackets 30 and 31, respectively.

The post 2 has mounted thereon a stem 32 having pivotably mounted thereon, with aid of a rotatable bush 33, a horizontal cantilever beam 34 rotatable in a horizontal plane by being operatively connected with a drive 35 (schematically indicated in the drawings) of any suitable known structure.

The cantilever beam 34 has guideways 36 accommodating a movable driven trolley 37 remotely controlled from ground level.

The driven trolley 37 carries a winch 38 with a flexible element 39 connected with a load-handling or load-engaging mechanism 40 (Fig. 3) which in the presently described embodiment is in the form of a hook.

The load-engaging mechanism 40 mounted with aid of the trolley 37 on the cantilever beam 34 rotatable in a horizontal plane is intended to engage meridional segments 5 outside the apparatus and to place them onto the curvilinear surface 4 of the frame 3, and also to remove a completed reservoir from the apparatus.

To ensure that the ends of a meridional segment 5 snugly fit the curvilinear surface 4 of the frame 3, the latter has mounted thereon pivoted retaining members 41 permitting limited displacement of a meridional segment 5 along the curvilinear surface 4 when one of the edges of the meridional segment 5 engages the limiting member 22 during the vertical upward travel of the frame 3.

To move the welding unit 25 along the arcuate guideways 24, the presently-described arrangement uses the same driven trolley 37 and the winch 38 of which the flexible element 39 is connected with the welding unit 25.

The drive effecting movement of the welding unit 25 along the guideways 24 may be, however, of any other structure known per se and suitable for the purpose.

The herein described apparatus for manufacturing spherical reservoirs is operated as follows.

Let us first describe the operation of manufacturing a spherical reservoir from pre-cut originally flat meridional petal-like segments.

The support beam 23 with the welding unit 25 carried thereby and the beam 34 carrying the load-engaging mechanism 40 are initially pivoted aside, outside the apparatus.

A flat meridional segment 5 is suspended from the hook of the load-engaging mechanism 40 so that it bends under its own weight, and in this bent state the beam 34 with the load-engaging mechanism 40 is operated to hoist the segment 5 and to place it onto the curvilinear surface 4 of the supporting frame of the apparatus, by engaging and disengaging at appropriate moments the drive 35 rotating the beam 34.

In this case, the meridional segment 5 becomes bent longitudinally, following the curvature of the surface 4 of the supporting frame 3 in the same direction.

Should the edges of the meridional segment 5 be deformed by a stress resulting from the bending, while suspended, to a degree that they would not hug the curvilinear surface 4 of the supporting frame 3, the member 41 are pivoted to engage these edges or end portions, and thus to ensure that the meridional segment 5 snugly fits the curvilinear surface 4 along the entire length thereof.

The supporting frame 3 with the meridional segment 5 firmly engaging it is lifted by the drives 7 and 7a being engaged.

While moving upwardly, one of the edges of the meridional segment 5 is the first to encounter the respective polar cap 15 of the spherical reservoir-to-be, by engaging either directly the bottomost point of the polar cap 15, or else the travel-limiting member 22. In the first case, the drives 7 and 7a are overloaded by the ensuing resistance, so that they are automatically disengaged in any suitable known manner, and the supporting frame 3 is halted. In the second case, it is the travel-limiting member 22 which sends a command to disengage the drives 7 and 7a and thus to halt the frame 3.

When either end of the meridional segment 5 engages the edge of the respective polar cap 15, the meridional segment 5 becomes aligned on the curvilinear surface 4 of the supporting frame in the longitudinal direction-and its other end or edge engages the edge of the other polar cap 15.

In this position the ends of the meridional segment 5 are locally welded manually to the polar caps 15.

Then the drives 7 and 7a are engaged to lower the now empty frame 3 along the vertical guides 6 and 6a into its lowermost initial position.

Simultaneously, the drive 17 of the shaft 10 is engaged to drive the latter through an angle 3600: n where "n", as it has been already explained, is the number of the meridional segments making up the reservoir.

Then the abovedescribed cycle of placing the successive meridional segment 5 is repeated.

The cycle ends with this successive meridional segment 5 being brought against the polar caps 15 and initially secured thereto by manual welding. Besides, this successive segment 5 is initially secured at several points therealong to the previous meridional segment by manual welding, either internally or externally of the reservoir.

Should the two meridional segments fail to snugly engage each other throughout their length, the shaft 10 is rotated through a corresponding small angle to ensure their snug engagement.

The cycles of positioning and initially securing the meridional segment by manual welding are repeated, with placing the successive segments onto the curvilinear surface 4, until the contour of the reservoir is closed in the transverse direction.

Following the placing of the last meridional segment, the cantilever beam 34 is left to overlie the frame, whereas the supporting frame 3 itself is lowered into its initial position. Then the support beam 23 with the welding unit 25 is rotated from its initial position outside the arrangement to overlie the frame 3, by its drive 29 being operated.

The welding unit 25 is driven along the arcuate guideways 24 into the extreme left (in the drawings) position, by connecting it with aid of the flexible element 39 to the remotely controlled trolley 37 on the cantilever beam 34. In this way the welding unit 25 is prepared for the welding operation.

Then the drive 17 of the shaft 10 is engaged to bring one of the joints of the semifinished reservoir against the welding member of the welding unit 25 occupying its initial position at the left (in the drawings) of the support beam 23.

The welding unit 25 is started. Simultaneously the driven trolley 37 is operated to drive the welding unit 25 through the flexible element 39 along the arcuate guideways 24 of the beam 23. In this manner the welding of one external joint of the reservoir is performed.

Then, the shaft 10 is rotated through 360":n where "n" is the number of the meridional flaps making up the reservoir, so that the successive joint of the semifinished reservoir is brought against the welding unit 25 which is now at the right (in the drawings) end of the support beam 23. The drive of the remotely controlled trolley 37 is engaged in the reverse direction, and the welding unit 25 is driven through its working travel along the arcuate guideways 24 from right to left, to weld the successive joint of the reservoir.

Following the completion of the welding of the second joint, the welding unit 25 is once more at the left extremity of the arcuate guideways 24, whereafter the shaft 10 is rotated once more through 360": n, by engaging its drive 17. In this way, by moving the welding unit 25 through successive working travels from right to left and from left to right, all the external joints of the reservoir are finally welded.

Following the completion of the automatically performed welding sequence, the support beam 23 with the welding unit 25 is pivoted outside the arrangement. The supporting frame 3 is lifted against the reservoir, and liquid under pressure is fed into the latter, whereby the meridional segments 5 are deformed transversely, in which way the spherical reservoir is finally shaped, which is manifested by each meridional segment engaging the curvilinear surface 4 of the frame 3 during this hydraulic expan siw hugging this surface in both directions, acquiring double curvature.

The hydraulic expansion is also the means of testing the quality of the welding.

Then the supporting frame 3 islowered to clear the reservoir.

The reservoir is attached with ropes to the hook of the load-engaging mechanism 40, as shown in Fig. 4. The couplings 13 and 13a are undone.

Then the beam 34 with the load-engaging mechanism 40 and the reservoir suspended therefrom is pivoted outside the arrangement. Then the main span 11 of the shaft 10, connected with the aid of the key-andslot connection 21 with the polar caps 15 of the reservoir, is driven off the reservoir by applying a sufficient effort to this main span 11 at one of its ends. The openings in the polar caps 15, left after the removal of the main span 11 of the shaft 10, are closed by welding, and the reservoir is fit for service.

A spherical reservoir made from relatively thin, originally flat meridional segments can be made integral with a hollow central post enhancing the rigidity of the thin-wall reservoir. In this case the abovementioned shaft is hollow to serve as this hollow post, and at the end of the manufacturing sequence it is not removed from the reservoir, its ends protruding beyond the reservoir being cut off, e.g. by flame cutting.

A spherical reservoir is manufactured from relatively thick petal-like segments in a sequence of operations basically similar to the one described hereinabove. However, the process of manufacturing a reservoir from meridional thick-wall segments pre-shaped by pressing in other arrangements is more labour-consuming in comparison with the process of manufacturing a reservoir from thin-wall segments with subsequent hydraulic expansion.

Thus, the abovedescribed arrangement can be used for manufacturing spherical reservoirs from both relatively thick meridional segments of double curvature (preshaped either by hammering or by pressing) and thin, originally flat meridional segments with subsequent hydraulic expansion and testing the fluid-tightness of the welded joints.

The herein disclosed apparatus for making spherical reservoirs from individual meridional segments is efficient and performs a relatively simple production process accompanied by a fluid-tightness test.

It occupies relatively small floor space and has a moderate amount of metal in its structure, whereby it is operable both under factory conditions and directly in situ, on an installation site.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: - 1. An apparatus for manufacturing spherical reservoirs from meridional seg

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. left to overlie the frame, whereas the supporting frame 3 itself is lowered into its initial position. Then the support beam 23 with the welding unit 25 is rotated from its initial position outside the arrangement to overlie the frame 3, by its drive 29 being operated. The welding unit 25 is driven along the arcuate guideways 24 into the extreme left (in the drawings) position, by connecting it with aid of the flexible element 39 to the remotely controlled trolley 37 on the cantilever beam 34. In this way the welding unit 25 is prepared for the welding operation. Then the drive 17 of the shaft 10 is engaged to bring one of the joints of the semifinished reservoir against the welding member of the welding unit 25 occupying its initial position at the left (in the drawings) of the support beam 23. The welding unit 25 is started. Simultaneously the driven trolley 37 is operated to drive the welding unit 25 through the flexible element 39 along the arcuate guideways 24 of the beam 23. In this manner the welding of one external joint of the reservoir is performed. Then, the shaft 10 is rotated through 360":n where "n" is the number of the meridional flaps making up the reservoir, so that the successive joint of the semifinished reservoir is brought against the welding unit 25 which is now at the right (in the drawings) end of the support beam 23. The drive of the remotely controlled trolley 37 is engaged in the reverse direction, and the welding unit 25 is driven through its working travel along the arcuate guideways 24 from right to left, to weld the successive joint of the reservoir. Following the completion of the welding of the second joint, the welding unit 25 is once more at the left extremity of the arcuate guideways 24, whereafter the shaft 10 is rotated once more through 360": n, by engaging its drive 17. In this way, by moving the welding unit 25 through successive working travels from right to left and from left to right, all the external joints of the reservoir are finally welded. Following the completion of the automatically performed welding sequence, the support beam 23 with the welding unit 25 is pivoted outside the arrangement. The supporting frame 3 is lifted against the reservoir, and liquid under pressure is fed into the latter, whereby the meridional segments 5 are deformed transversely, in which way the spherical reservoir is finally shaped, which is manifested by each meridional segment engaging the curvilinear surface 4 of the frame 3 during this hydraulic expan siw hugging this surface in both directions, acquiring double curvature. The hydraulic expansion is also the means of testing the quality of the welding. Then the supporting frame 3 islowered to clear the reservoir. The reservoir is attached with ropes to the hook of the load-engaging mechanism 40, as shown in Fig. 4. The couplings 13 and 13a are undone. Then the beam 34 with the load-engaging mechanism 40 and the reservoir suspended therefrom is pivoted outside the arrangement. Then the main span 11 of the shaft 10, connected with the aid of the key-andslot connection 21 with the polar caps 15 of the reservoir, is driven off the reservoir by applying a sufficient effort to this main span 11 at one of its ends. The openings in the polar caps 15, left after the removal of the main span 11 of the shaft 10, are closed by welding, and the reservoir is fit for service. A spherical reservoir made from relatively thin, originally flat meridional segments can be made integral with a hollow central post enhancing the rigidity of the thin-wall reservoir. In this case the abovementioned shaft is hollow to serve as this hollow post, and at the end of the manufacturing sequence it is not removed from the reservoir, its ends protruding beyond the reservoir being cut off, e.g. by flame cutting. A spherical reservoir is manufactured from relatively thick petal-like segments in a sequence of operations basically similar to the one described hereinabove. However, the process of manufacturing a reservoir from meridional thick-wall segments pre-shaped by pressing in other arrangements is more labour-consuming in comparison with the process of manufacturing a reservoir from thin-wall segments with subsequent hydraulic expansion. Thus, the abovedescribed arrangement can be used for manufacturing spherical reservoirs from both relatively thick meridional segments of double curvature (preshaped either by hammering or by pressing) and thin, originally flat meridional segments with subsequent hydraulic expansion and testing the fluid-tightness of the welded joints. The herein disclosed apparatus for making spherical reservoirs from individual meridional segments is efficient and performs a relatively simple production process accompanied by a fluid-tightness test. It occupies relatively small floor space and has a moderate amount of metal in its structure, whereby it is operable both under factory conditions and directly in situ, on an installation site. WHAT WE CLAIM IS: -

1. An apparatus for manufacturing spherical reservoirs from meridional seg

ments and polar caps, of which apparatus a base has mounted thereon: a supporting frame for a reservoir, vertical guides supporting a shaft overlying this frame, mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis and adapted to accommodate the polar caps of the spherical reservoir and to rotate the same in the course of its manufacture, and a support beam for accommodation of a welding unit, overlying said shaft; said supporting frame having a curvilinear surface adapted to have placed thereupon the meridional segments, the shape of this surface corresponding to the curvilinear shape of the surface of the meridional segments of the reservoir to be manufactured; the supporting frame being mounted on said vertical guides for movement therealong, to bring the meridional segments to the polar caps of the reservoir; said support beam having made thereon arcuate guideways having a radius greater than the radius of the sphere of the reservoir to be manufactured, said arcuate guideways being intended for accommodation of said welding unit adapted to move therealong in the course of welding the reservoir.

2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein one of the vertical guides supporting said shaft has mounted thereon a member limiting the travel of said supporting frame, spaced from said shaft by a distance substantially equalling the radius of the polar caps of the reservoir being manufactured.

3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said support beam with the arcuate guideways is mounted on one of two posts flanking said vertical guides supporting said shaft, for rotation relative to said post in a horizontal plane.

4. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the other one of the two posts has mounted thereon for rotation in a horizontal plane, a cantilever beam having guideways for accommodation of a driven trolley carrying a load-handling mechanism adapted to lift the meridional segments and to place them onto the curvilinear surface of the supporting frame, and also to remove a completed reservoir.

5. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the driven trolley is connectible via a flexible element with said welding unit, for moving the latter along the arcuate guideways.

6. An apparatus for manufacturing spherical reservoirs from meridional segments and polar caps substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the ac companying drawings.