Liquid spill container and method of making and installing same

In a liquid spill container adapted for use at the inlet of a substantially vertical fill pipe for a storage tank, said container comprising a bottom wall, side wall means extending upwardly from said bottom wall and having at least one portion of said side wall means for being embedded in a fixed manner in a supporting substrate for said side wall means and container, a cover for said container, an opening in said bottom wall for receiving said fill pipe therethrough, and seal means providing a fluid seal between said bottom wall and fill pipe while allowing relative movement therebetween along a vertical axis, the improvement in which said side wall means comprises at least two separate portions having means detachably fastening said portions together, said one of said portions being the sole means for being embedded in said fixed manner in said substrate to provide the sole support for said container in said substrate and the other of said portions being detachable from said one portion with said one portion embedded in said substrate through the use of said means detachably fastening to enable replacement of said other portion, said one portion comprising a ring and said other portion comprising a vessel having a tubular wall which terminates in an upper annular flange, said annular flange comprising said means detachably fastening said portions together, said ring having an inwardly facing annular ring groove which also comprises said means detachably fastening, said annular flange being adapted to be snap-fitted in said ring groove to provide a fluid-tight seal between said vessel and ring, said vessel having a bottom wall which comprises said bottom wall of said container, said bottom wall having integral flexible convolutions which allow said movement along said vertical axis due at least in part to flexing movements of said convolutions with said convolutions also allowing movements of said bottom wall relative to said pipe transverse said vertical axis, said vessel tubular wall including said annular flange thereof and said bottom wall of said vessel being defined as a single-piece structure, said single-piece structure being made primarily of a yieldable resilient polymeric material which enables said snap-fitting of said annular flange in said ring groove, said side wall having a downwardly converging substantially frustoconical configuration which facilitates detachment of said vessel from said ring with said ring embedded in said substrate, said bottom wall comprising an annular planar portion adjoining the bottom edge of said side wall with a first arcuate transition portion therebetween, a first upwardly tapering frustoconical portion adjoining the inner edge of said annular planar portion with a second arcuate transition portion therebetween, a downwardly tapering frustoconical portion adjoining the top edge of said first upwardly tapering portion with a third arcuate transition portion therebetween, said downwardly tapering portion having a height which is less than the height of said upwardly tapering portion, a second upwardly tapering frustoconical portion adjoining the bottom edge of said downwardly tapering portion with a fourth arcuate transition portion therebetween, said second upwardly tapering portion terminating in surface means defining said opening in said bottom wall.