US2979221A - Load supporting means - Google Patents

Description

April 11, 1961 R. F. BISHOP ETAL 2,979,221

LOAD SUPPORTING MEANS Filed April 22, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n l4 l4 FIG.

FIG. 2

INVENTORS Hana/d F 19 Stan/ey Zz'zf/e ATTORNEYS April 11, 1961 Filed April 22, 1958 R. F. BISHOP ETAL 2,979,221

LOAD SUPPORTING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS FIG. 4

I N VEN TORS Rana/a E Bis/2 Stan/ey [1' zf/e ATTORNEYS United States Patent LOAD SUPPORTING MEANS Filed Apr. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 730,160

Claims. (Cl. 220-15) In a vessel containing a heavy internal structure and subject to considerable changes of temperature, there may arise differences of temperature between the internal structure and the vessel which will cause the internal structure to expand or contract at a different rate from the vessel. The same effect may be produced without any difference in temperature, by expansion or contraction of the vessel due to changes in the internal pressure.

This invention provides new or improved means for so supporting an internal load within a vessel that such differential expansion and contraction will be accommodated without increase of stress.

The invention comprises a vessel having an internal structure supported from the shell of the vessel by a plurality of members spaced around the periphery of the internal structure, each of these support members being capable of pivotal movement as a whole in a radial vertical plane relative both to the internal structure and to the shell, but being restrained against such pivotal movement in the vertical plane at right angles to that vertical plane.

More specifically, the invention comprises a vessel having an internal structure in the form of a substantially circular and horizontal load carrying platform disposed within and spaced from the shell of the vessel, the platform resting on the upper ends of support members which rest at their lower ends upon surfaces fast to the shell, the support members being distributed around the centre of the platform and each having its upper and lower end surfaces shaped as parts of a cylinder whose axis is disposed horizontally and perpendicular to the radius of the platform which passes through that support member.

A particular form of support means in accordance with the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawing and described below by way of example. It will be understood that this particular construction may be varied in many ways within the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims, and in particular that the dimensions stated are intended by way of illustration only. In the drawing, Figure 1' is a side view, partly in section, of a vessel provided with internal load supporting means in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a partial vertical radial section taken along the line IIII of Figure 1 through part of the wall of a vessel, showing a single set of internal load supporting means; Figure 3 is an elevation of the internal parts shown in Figure 2, looking from the right of that figure; and Figure 4 is a plan view of the supporting means with some parts removed. v,

Referring to the drawing and initially to Figure 1 thereof, a large vessel having a spherical wall 1, contains a circular, horizontally disposed platform 2, measuring some 40 feet in diameter and serving to support a load indicated at 20. The perimeter of this platform is supported upon the horizontal upper surfaces of twenty equally spaced brackets 3 secured to the inner surface of the vessel wall, a roller structure 13 as described below being interposed between each bracket and the platform to allow relative radial movement between those parts. From the internal brackets 3, the load is transmitted through the wall of the vessel to correspondingly positioned external brackets 14. The horizontal bottom surfaces of brackets 14 rest on the upper end of ten columns 15, each having the form of an inverted A. The inner ends of the columns rest on a horizontal foundation 16. The top and bottom end surfaces of columns 15 are cylindrically curved, so as to permit each column to rock in a vertical radial plane, thus allowing expansion or contraction of the vessel, while preventing any bodily movement thereof.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 4, each roller structure 13 comprises a pair of horizontal rectangular top and bottom bearing plates, 4 and 5, one inch thick, which during installation of the structure are held spaced by a inch plate sheath 6 extending all round the bearing plates and secured by set screws 7 to their edges. The facing surfaces of the bearing plates are each formed with two grooves 8 extending across the width of the plates and each /2 inch deep and rather more than 12 inches wide. The grooves are directed radially of the vessel, so that they diverge from one another at a small angle. Between the bearing plates are disposed six roller support members 9,

each 12 inches in length, 15 inches in height and 4 inches in (radial) thickness. The top and bottom surfaces of these support members are curved so as to form parts of cylinders 15 inches in diameter, the remaining faces being vertical. The roller support members are arranged in two groups of three, the members of each group being disposed between and engaged in one of the pairs of superimposed radial grooves 8, the axes of the cylindrical surfaces being horizontal and perpendicular to the radial line of the grooves. The three rollers of each group are held spaced /2 inch apart from one another by a pair of end plates 10 secured to the rollers by bolts 11 disposed on the axes of the rollers and allowing them to rock relative to the end plates. Location of the rollers in a radial direction is effected by a pair of pegs 12, formed on the upper surface of one roller only of each group, and fitting loosely within recesses in the top bearing plate 4.

The bottom bearing plate 5 is bolted to the upper surface of the bracket 3 on the vessel Wall and the top bearing plate 4 is bolted to the perimeter girder of the loadsupporting platform 2. After assembly, the set screws 7 securing the sheath 6 to the lower bearing plate 5 are removed, so that the load is taken by the rollers 9. In use, expansion or contraction of the load-supporting platform 2 relative to the vessel 1 is freely permitted, the roller supports 13 distributed around the periphery of the platform rocking outwardly or inwardly, but no bodily movement of the platform as a whole is possible.

We claim:

1. A vessel comprising an enclosing shell carrying im wardly projecting brackets, vertical support members which rest at their lower ends on the upper ends of said brackets, and a substantially circular horizontal load carrying platform disposed within and spaced from said shell, said platform resting on the upper ends of said support members, which are arranged in groups symmetrically spaced around the center of the platform, the members of each group being disposed closely adjacent one another along the same radius of said platform and each support member having its upper and lower end surfaces shaped as parts ofa cylinder the axis of which is disposed horizontally and perpendicular to said radius.

2. A vessel as claimed in claim 1 in which said shell .carries outwardly projecting brackets registering with said inwardly projecting brackets and said shell is supported on said outwardly projecting brackets.

3. A vessel in accordance with claim 1 in which the support members of each group are maintained in ra- 3 dially spaced relation by end members pivotally connected to each support member on the cylindrical axis of that member.

4. A vessel in accordance with claim 3 in which the of the platform and shell, and the support members engaged between each pair of bearing plates are surrounded by a removable sheath temporarily secured between said bearing plates to hold the plates and support members support members of each group have their upper and 5 together during assembly.

lower ends engaged in a pair of radially extending grooves formed in opposed bearing plates one of which plates is fast to the platform and the other of which plates is fast to the one of said brackets.

5. A vessel in accordance with claim 4 in which the bearing plates are formed separately from the remainder References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,634,084 Ruths June 23, 1927 2,460,355 Kornemann Feb. 1, 1949 2,706,575 Soherr Apr. 19, 1955

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