AU2003200568B2 - Petroleum Tank - Google Patents

Description

S&F Ref: 626896

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Goweal Pty Ltd 1717 Ipswich Road Rocklea Queensland 4106 Australia Trevor Dingle Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower,Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Petroleum Tank ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS [33] Country [31] Applic. No(s) AU PS0635 [32] Application Date 18 Feb 2002 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815c Petroleum Tank Technical Field The present invention relates to tanks for vehicles and more particularly but not exclusively to road tankers used to transport petroleum.

Background of the Invention Conventional road tankers, such as petroleum carrying tankers, normally have a walkway down the centre of the top wall. The width of the walkway is approximately 1000 mm. Along the walkway, there are hatches for the various compartments. These hatches are typically 70 mm high and may have a lid and other items of equipment including dip points that must be at the transverse centre of the tanker and at the longitudinal centres of the compartments. The hatchway are offset to one side so as to free portion of the top of obstacles in respect of someone walking along the top of the tanker. Rails about 200 mm high are provided on each side of the walkway to protect the equipment mounted thereon from damage in the case of a rollover. Outside of the rails, the top of the tanker usually slopes down and transversely outward. As the top of the tanker is in the order of 3,000 mm above ground, a person walking along the top of the tank will generally feel most unsecure. Typically, an anti-slip preparation and/or a grating may be used to inhibit slipping. However, this does not ameliorate the problems in respect of a person tripping on the pieces of equipment located adjacent the walkway.

A further disadvantage is that a person wishing to use the equipment adjacent the walkway needs to stoop to manipulate the equipment.

A still further disadvantage is that to accommodate the walkway and equipment, the safety rails need to be widely spaced. This is undesirable as the equipment may still be damaged in a rollover.

A more important problem in respect of road tankers that transport the goods such as petroleum, is the surge of the petroleum when the vehicle is undergoing a change of direction. There is required in each tank a volume which is not to be occupied by the liquid being transported. For example, in the case of petroleum, that volume is typically about 3% of the volume of the tank. Accordingly, adjacent the upper portion of the tank, there is a volume of vapour. When the vehicle undergoes a change of direction, the petroleum moves and changes the centre of gravity of the tank. This change in centre of gravity can result in the tanker falling.

[R:\LIBTT]02986.doc:yxa:hxa C Object of the Invention OJ2 It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages or to provide a useful alternative.

SSummary of the Invention There is disclosed herein a tank for a vehicle, the tank having a longitudinally 00 INO extending top wall extending between side walls of the tank, said top wall including: a longitudinally extending central wall portion; N a pair of longitudinal generally co-extensive upwardly extending rails that are transversely spaced so that the central portion is located there between with the rails extending upwardly from the central wall portion; a longitudinally extending side wall portion adjacent each of the rails and extending transversely outwardly with respect thereto toward said side walls; and wherein said central wall portion is raised relative to the side wall portions so that an internal cavity is located below said central wall portion and between the side wall portions.

Preferably, at least one of the longitudinally extending side wall portions is transversely generally horizontally extending and is provided with a longitudinally extending safety barrier so that said one side wall portion provides a walkway.

Preferably, the safety barrier is movable between an upright position and a horizontally extending position located above the side wall portion.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic top plan view of a tank for a road vehicle; Figure 2 is a schematic side elevation of the tank of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic sectioned side elevation of the tank of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a schematic sectioned side elevation of portion of the tank of Figures 1 to 3.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments In the accompanying drawings, there is schematically depicted a road tanker The tanker 10 includes a hollow tank 11 supported at its rear by wheel assemblies 12.

The tank 11 has transverse dividers and/or baffles 13 that are located internally of the hollow shell 14.

925060-1 ha The tank 11 has a longitudinally extending top wall 15 joining upwardly extending side walls 16. Joining the lower edges of the side walls 16 is a bottom wall 17, the bottom wall 17 being provided with a fifth wheel centre pin 18 to engage the rear 19 of a prime mover.

Internally of the shell 14, there is provided a longitudinally extending surge plates that are transversely joined by means of angle ties 21. The surge plates 20 are attached to the top wall 15 by means of clips 22 that are formed from an extrusion. More particularly, the clips 22 are attached to an extrusion 23 forming part of the top wall The extrusion 23 has a longitudinally extending recess 24 within which a pair of diverging arms 25 of each clip 22 are received. Each clip 22 further includes a pair of parallel flanges 26 between which the plate 20 is located and engaged by means of a transverse bolt 31. The surge plates 20, although inhibiting liquid flow, provide for vapour flow to ensure that vapour is not trapped below the wall portions 29.

The top wall 15 includes a longitudinally extending central wall portion 27 which is is slightly convex but generally horizontally oriented. The central portion 27 is located between a pair of co-extensive upwardly extending safety rails 28 that are to protect equipment such as hatches and dip points located in the central wall portion 27. The rails 28 protect the equipment in the case of a "rollover".

Extending from each rail 28 is a respective one of the extrusions 23. Each extrusion 23 extends to a longitudinally extending side wall portion 29. Each side wall portion 29 is transversely generally horizontally extending so that at least one of the side wall portions 29 can be used as a walkway. In this particular embodiment, the left hand side wall portion 29 (Figure 3) is intended to be a walkway and is provided with a longitudinally extending safety barrier 30. The barrier 30 is pivoting movable between an upright position and a folded (transport) position located adjacent the side wall portion 29. When in the upright position, the barrier 30 provides security for an operator walking along the side wall portion 29. In this respect, it should be appreciated that the central wall portion 27 is raised relative to the side wall portions 29 so that equipment on the central portion 27 is more accessible and reduces the extent to which a user needs to bend to operate the equipment. The barrier 30 would be provided with a stop to ensure that it is retained in the upright position 30 when the side wall portion 29 is being used as a walkway.

[R:LIBTT]02986.doc:yxa:hxa SThe raised central wall portion 27 and extrusions 23 generally surround an internal cavity 32 that provides a volume not occupied by the petroleum, that is a volume occupied by vapour. The cavity 32 is therefore located between the side wall portions 29.

When the tanker is generally horizontally oriented, the liquid would generally have a 5 level 33. Under cornering conditions, the liquid would occupy a level 34. As can be seen, the volume of liquid undergoing movement is restricted to that liquid contained 00 IND within the cavity 32. This greatly reduces movement of the centre of gravity of the tanker when changing direction, and therefore, reduces the risk of a "roll-over".

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Claims (4)

1. A tank for a vehicle, the tank having a longitudinally extending top wall extending between side walls of the tank, said top wall including: C€ a longitudinally extending central wall portion; a pair of longitudinal generally co-extensive upwardly extending rails that are 00 IDtransversely spaced so that the central portion is located there between with the rails extending upwardly from the central wall portion; a longitudinally extending side wall portion adjacent each of the rails and Cextending transversely outwardly with respect thereto toward said side walls; and wherein said central wall portion is raised relative to the side wall portions so that an internal cavity is located below said central wall portion and between the side wall portions.

2. The tank of claim 1 wherein at least one of the longitudinally extending side wall portions is transversely generally horizontally extending and is provided with a longitudinally extending safety barrier so that said one side wall portion provides a walkway.

3. The tank of claim 2 wherein the safety barrier is movable between an upright position and a horizontally extending position located above the side wall portion.

4. A tank for a vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A trailer having a tank according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Dated 28 August, 2007 GOWEAL PTY LTD Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON

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