US1718833A - Oil-tank bracing - Google Patents

Description

LE @Y PRESTT OIL TANK BRACYING v Filed June ll, 1928 lllatented `.lume bd. i929.

ITED

lPATEN il# FFICE.

.application tiled .tune lt,

rlhis invention relates to bracing lor oil tanks.

Uil tanks lroni which oil is pumped and dispensed, particularly tor motor vehicle a service, in large measure are ot rectangular paralleiopiped torni having a horizon tal base, parallel vertical sides, similar ends and a horiaontal top. 'llhe area of the sides is large and the distance between in the sides is relatively short as compa-red to the arca and distance between the ends and a battery ot the tanks are usually placed close "together, each supplied with its own pump, it being necessary to have several oi the tanks is because oi the several different grades ot oil that are called tor by motor vehicle users. rllanks oi the shape described render it pos sible to economically conserve space, which would be wasted with cylindrical tanks orv au tanks ot various other shapes.

'.lhe sides ot the tanks being of considere able area andthe tanks also being quite dee when oil is placed within thetanks there 1s a tendency of the sides to bulge 'outwardly7 at the tanks being constructed of thin sheet instal. This causes the several tanks in the battery to separate at their upper and lower ends with the result that dirt and the like gets into the cracks between the tanks and ao the assembly is unsightly, While in many cases there is dispjute as to the quantity of oil placed in a tank y an oil company, inasmuch as bulging sides act to cause the tank to hold more oil than its standard capacity. The as present invention is directed to a very simple,

practical and effective braoin for maintaining the spaced a art arallelsldes of the tank in proper paral el re ation to each other and preventing bulging outward and thus avoid- 4.o ing all of the troubles recited.

To this end I have made the invention de- 'ined in the following description, and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fi l illustrates a battery of tanks located et close y together as used in service.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through a tank equipped with the device of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a tank an substintally on the plane of line SW3 of Fie.

Fig. 4C is a perspective view of one ot the bracing units used in the invention.

lllid. illerial No. @$4,494.

hike reference characters rater to like parts in the 4dilierent iigures oit the drawing.

'.lhe tank is inade ot sheet metal having parallel spaced apart vertical sides l, parallel spaced apart vertical ends 2, a horiaontal bottoni 3 and a horizontal top lt. Several ot the tanks comprising a battery thereoiE in service are located side by side so that. the sides l oi. contiguous tanks are in direct contact, as shown in liig. l.

rlhe bracing construction which ll have provided tor each tank includes two horizontal angle bars 5, one located at the inner side oi each side l oi the tank a short distance above thobottom and Welded to the sides of the tank Where the vertical tlanges oi" said bars engage tliereagaiust. lThis is fully shown iu llig. 3.

Above the bars 5 and spaced apart in the length oi the tanks are a plurality oi verti cal bracing units. Each of these units comprise two spaced apart vert-ical angle bars 6 connected by horizontal cross bars 7 of iiat metal. The bars 6 have two anges or legs G" and 6" located at right angles to each other, the flanges 6 bearing against the inner sides of the sides 1 of the tank and being welded or otherwise permanently fastened thereto,

while the ends of bars 7 are welded or otherwise permanently connected to the inwardly extending flanges 6, as best shown in Fig. 2. The lower ends of the vertical bars 6 rest against the horizontal flanges of the bars 5 lirst described, as shown in Fig. 3, and said bars 6 extend substantially to the upper end of the tank.

The bracin' structure described strengtlr ens and rein orces the sides 1 of the tank, holdin@ them rigidly against outward bulging and maintaining the same in true vertlcal planes irrespective of the quantity of oil which may be 1n a tank. As many of the vertical bracing units ma be used in a tank as is required. Two of tie same are shown in Fig. 2 but it is evident that with different dimensions of tanks a larger or a smaller nunber of the vertical bracing units may be use This invention while of simple character has proved very satisfactory and has solved the troubles previously encountered in oil tanks of the character described. The con tiguous sides oli a battery of tanks remain in close contact throughout their entire surfaces. There is no, bulging with unsightly dirtcollecting cracks between the tanks, and the tanks being designed to contain a stipulated quantity of oil, when said quantity is placed in a tank the tank is'full thus eliminating all disputes with regard to short measure.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming Within the scope thereof.

I claim:

l. A tank having spaced apart parallel vertical sides and spaced apart vertical ends, the areas of the sides of said tank being greater than the areas of said ends, and reinforcing means located within the tank comprising a vertical bar fixed to the inner side of each side .of the tank and a cross bar connecting the opposite vertical bars.

2. A tank having spaced apart parallel vertical sides, ends and a top and bottom, said sides being ofsheet metal, and reinforcing means located within the tank comprising angle bars having flanges located at right angles to each other, one flange of one of said bars lying against-and permanently secured to the inner side of each side of the tank and the'other flange of each of said bars extending inwardly, and a cross member connected at its ends to and extending between the inwardly extending flanges of said angle bars.

3. A tank comprising spaced apart vertical sides, ends, a top and bottom, said sides being of sheet metal and of relatively large area compared to the area of the ends top or bottom, and a plurality of bracing units located within the tank and spaced from each other, each of said units comprising two spaced apart parallel vertical bars and a pluralityl o cross bars connecting the vertical bars, said in combination defined in claim 3, said vertical bars of the bracing units extending from the upper end of the tank to points located a distance above the bottom of the tank, and horizontal bars secured one at the inner side of each side of the tank at the lower ends of the vertical bars of said bracing units.

5.A tank having spaced apart vertical sides, vertical ends and horizontal top and bottom, said sides of the tank being of sheet metal and of relatively large area compared to the area of the ends, top and bottom, and bracing means located within the tank comprising horizontal angle bars located one against the inner side of each side of the tank, cach comprising a vertical flange lying against the inner side of a side of the tank and secured thereto, and a horizontal flange extending inwardly from the adjacent side of the tank, and a plurality of bracing units within said tank located above said horizontal bars, each unit comprising two spaced apart vertical angle bars, each having one flange located against and permanently secured to the inner side of a side of the tank and a second flange extending inwardly from the adjacent side of the tank, and a plurality of flat bars of metal disposed between and connected at their ends to the inwardly extending flanges of'said vertical bars, said vertical bars at their lower ends lying above the horizontal flanges of the first mentioned angle 'bars and extending upwardly toward the upper end of the tank.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LE ROY A. PRESCOTT.

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