# US 5,704,509 A · Full contact floating roof

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- Number: US 5,704,509 A
- Document ID: US5704509A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/436,574
- Filed: 1995-05-08
- Granted: 1998-01-06
- Earliest claimed: 1995-05-08
- Assignees: Allentech, Inc.
- Inventors: David Jon Rosenkrantz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5704509A

## CPC

- B65D 88/34: having floating covers, e.g. floating roofs or blankets
- F16B 2200/50: Flanged connections
- F16B 2200/506: bolted or riveted
- F16B 2200/509: clamped
- F16B 2200/60: Coupler sealing means
- B65D: CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D)

## Abstract

A full contact floating roof for a storage vessel includes a plurality of panels wherein each panel includes a core disposed between upper and lower skins. A plurality of closures are provided wherein each closure is secured to perimeter edges of a panel by welding the closure to at least one of the upper and lower skins. A plurality of fasteners connect adjacent closures thereby forming the floating roof.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A full contact floating roof, comprising:
a plurality of panels, each panel comprising a core disposed between upper and lower skins;
a plurality of closures, each closure having a plate-like vertical section and two spaced-apart horizontal sections extending perpendicular to the vertical section; and
a plurality of fasteners for connecting adjacent closures;
wherein each closure is secured to perimeter edges of one of the panels by sealing engagement of at least one of the horizontal sections to at least one of the upper and lower skins; and
wherein adjacent closures are held in abutting arrangement.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The roof of claim 1, wherein each vertical section extends above the upper skin and below the lower skin and each horizontal section extends substantially parallel to one of the upper and lower skin.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The roof of claim 1, wherein the plurality of closures includes a first and second plurality of closures, each closure of the first plurality of closures having a hook in a portion of the vertical section that extends below the lower skin, each closure of the second plurality of closures having a pin in a portion of the vertical section that extends below the lower skin wherein the pin is disposed in the hook.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The roof of claim 3, wherein the fasteners extend through a portion of the vertical section that extends above the upper skin.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The roof of claim 4, further comprising a cap channel fitted over portions of the vertical sections of the adjacent closures which extend above the upper skin.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The roof of claim 5, further comprising a gasket disposed between the cap channel and the closures.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The roof of claim 3, wherein each closure of the first plurality of closures includes a second pin in the portion of the section that extends above the upper skin and each closure of the second plurality of closures includes a second hook in the portion of the vertical section that extends above the upper skin and wherein the second pin is disposed in the second hook.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The roof of claim 7, wherein the fasteners include a first plurality of fasteners and a second plurality of fasteners, and the first plurality of fasteners extend through a portion of the vertical section that extends above the upper skin.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The roof of claim 8, wherein the second plurality of fasteners extend through a portion of the vertical section that extends below the lower skin.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

The roof of claim 4, wherein the vertical section of each of the plurality of closures includes a recess formed therein for receiving part of a gasket.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The roof of claim 10, wherein the recess of one of the first and second plurality of closures is of a size to receive one third of the gasket and the recess of the other of the first and second plurality of closures is of a size to receive two thirds of the gasket.

### Claim 12 (depends on 4)

The roof of claim 4, wherein an upper end of the vertical section of each of the plurality of closures terminates in a one half shape of a sealant reservoir whereby upper ends of the vertical sections of the adjacent closures form a sealant reservoir.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The roof of claim 1, wherein the fasteners include a first plurality of fasteners and a second plurality of fasteners, and the first plurality of fasteners extend through a portion of the vertical section that extends above the upper skin.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The roof of claim 13, wherein the second plurality of fasteners extend through a portion of the vertical section that extends below the lower skin.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The roof of claim 14, further comprising a cap channel fitted over portions of the vertical sections of the adjacent closures which extend above the upper skin.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The roof of claim 14, further comprising a cap channel fitted over portions of the vertical closures of the adjacent closures which extend below the lower skin.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The roof of claim 13, further comprising a midbeam disposed between vertical sections of the adjacent closures wherein the fasteners extend through the midbeam.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The roof of claim 17, wherein the midbeam extends vertically above the vertical sections of the adjacent closures.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The roof of claim 18, further comprising a protective coating applied to external surfaces of the panels, the closures and the midbeam.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The roof of claim 13, wherein the plurality of panels includes a first and a second plurality of panels and wherein a thickness of the first plurality of panels is greater than a thickness of the second plurality of panels.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

The roof of claim 13, wherein the roof is rectangular, the plurality of panels are rectangular and arranged in rows and columns, and one of the rows and columns are separated by a plurality of midbeams disposed between vertical sections of adjacent closures.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The roof of claim 1, wherein the core of each panel comprises honeycomb type cells.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The roof of claim 1, wherein the plurality of panels are connected in a running-brick pattern.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The roof of claim 1, wherein the plurality of panels are connected in a herringbone pattern.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The roof of claim 1, wherein the plurality of panels includes a first plurality of panels of a first thickness and a second plurality of panels of a second thickness which is greater than the first thickness and wherein the second plurality of panels are arranged around a perimeter of the first plurality of panels.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The roof of claim 25, wherein the first plurality of panels are arranged in a herringbone pattern.

### Claim 27 (depends on 1)

The roof of claim 1, wherein said sealing engagement is effected by welding.

### Claim 28

A method of making a full contact floating roof for a vessel, comprising the steps of:
providing a plurality of panels, each panel comprising a core disposed between upper and lower skins;
providing a plurality of closures, each closure having a plate-like vertical section and two spaced-apart horizontal sections extending perpendicular to the vertical section;
securing the closures to perimeter edges of the panels by sealing engagement of at least one of the horizontal sections to at least one of the upper and lower skins; and
connecting together the plurality of panels by fastening adjacent closures such that adjacent closures are held in abutting arrangement.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein the securing step is performed external to the vessel and the connecting step is performed inside the vessel.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29, wherein the connecting step includes fastening the adjacent closures through portions of the vertical sections that extend above the upper skin.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The method of claim 30, wherein the connecting step includes fastening the adjacent closures through portions of the vertical sections that extend below the lower skin.

### Claim 32 (depends on 29)

The method of claim 29, wherein the connecting step includes placing a midbeam between the vertical sections of the adjacent closures.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of applying a protective coating to external surfaces of the panels, the closures and the midbeams.

### Claim 34 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein the connecting step includes connecting the plurality of panels in a running-brick pattern.

### Claim 35 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein the connecting step includes connecting the plurality of panels in a herringbone pattern.

### Claim 36 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein the providing step includes providing a first plurality of panels of a first thickness and a second plurality of panels of a second thickness which is greater than the first thickness and wherein the connecting step includes connecting the second plurality of panels around a perimeter of the first plurality of panels.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The method of claim 36, wherein the connecting step includes connecting the first plurality of panels in a herringbone pattern.

### Claim 38 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein the vessel is rectangular, the providing step includes providing rectangular panels, and the connecting step includes connecting the panels in rows and columns and separating one of the rows and columns by placing midbeams between vertical sections of the adjacent closures.

### Claim 39 (depends on 28)

The method of claim 28, wherein said sealing engagement is effected by welding.

### Claim 40

A full contact floating roof, comprising:
a plurality of panels, each panel comprising a core disposed between upper and lower skins;
a plurality of closures, each closure having a plate-like vertical section and two spaced-apart horizontal sections extending perpendicular to the vertical section; and
a cap channel for connecting adjacent closures such that adjacent closures are held in abutting arrangement;
wherein each closure is secured to perimeter edges of a panel by sealing engagement of at least one of the horizontal sections to at least one of the upper and lower skins.

### Claim 41 (depends on 40)

The roof of claim 40, wherein each vertical section extends above the upper skin and below the lower skin and each horizontal section extends substantially parallel to one of the upper and lower skin.

### Claim 42 (depends on 41)

The roof of claim 41, wherein an upper end of the vertical section includes a serrated edge.

### Claim 43 (depends on 42)

The roof of claim 42, wherein the cap channel includes internal serrations.

### Claim 44 (depends on 40)

The roof of claim 40, wherein said sealing engagement is effected by welding.