Flexible tank liner with vacuum fitting
OwnerF. C. Wittinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a vinyl lined metal tank, the manway or other opening includes a sealed vertical flanged collar that creates a space in the manway between the metal portion of the manway and the vinyl liner. A port extends from the periphery of the flange into communication with the created space. A vacuum maintained within the created space prevents the collapse of the vinyl liner while the tank is empty.
Claims6
A storage tank, said tank equipped with a flexible liner inside the tank, wherein an external surface of the flexible liner is maintained in close proximity to an internal surface of said storage tank by a vacuum between the internal surface of said storage tank and the external surface of said flexible liner, said storage tank having a manway opening, said flexible liner including a portion that extends into said manway opening, a removable vacuum collar sealably installed within said manway opening, said vacuum collar positioned to create an annular space between the internal surface of the storage tank and the external surface of that portion of the flexible liner within said manway opening;
- a conduit in said vacuum collar to controllably connect a vacuum source from an exterior of said tank to said annular space to maintain a vacuum therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.