Port closure for a tank
OwnerRobert Jacques Labelle, Richard Donald Lysenginventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A port closure is a combination which includes a tank, a closure member and an actuator. The tank has defining walls, an exterior surface, an interior surface, an interior cavity and an access port. The closure member is disposed within the interior cavity of the tank. The closure member has an access port engaging face that is larger than a cross-sectional area of the access port. The actuator is coupled with the closure member and moves the closure member between a first position in which the access port engaging face closes the access port and a second position laterally spaced from the access port.
Claims14
A port closure for a tank, comprising in combination:
- a tank having defining walls, an exterior surface, an interior surface, an interior cavity and an access port;
- a closure member disposed within the interior cavity of the tank, the closure member having an access port engaging face larger than a cross-sectional area of the access port;
- an actuator coupled with the closure member, the actuator moving the closure member between a first position in which the access port engaging face closes the access port and a second position laterally spaced from the access port;
- and
- the closure member comprising two or more components capable of being inserted through the access port but incapable of individually covering the cross-sectional area of the access port, the two or more components being capable of being combined to collectively form the closure member.
A port closure for a tank, comprising in combination:
- a tank having defining walls, an exterior surface, an interior surface, an interior cavity and an access port;
- a pair of guide tracks, one of the pair of guide tracks being mounted to the defining walls on the interior surface of the tank on each of two opposed sides of the access port;
- a closure plate having a pair of opposed track engaging edges, the track engaging edges being engaged with the pair of guide tracks, the closure being movable along the guide tracks between a first position closing the access port and a second position laterally spaced from the access port, the closure plate including a first layer having a cut out portion that permits the first layer to be inserted through the access port but renders the first layer incapable of completely covering the cross-sectional area of the access port and a second layer having a cut out portion that permits the second layer to be inserted through the access port but renders the second layer incapable of completely covering the cross-sectional area of the access port, the first layer and the second layers being secured in face to face relation to collectively form the closure plate with an access port engaging face larger than the cross-sectional area of the access port, the first layer and the second layer having interlocking members which, when interlocked, make the access port engaging face and the opposed face of the closure plate planar;
- a seal ring mounted to the defining walls on the interior surface of the tank circumjacent the access port, the seal ring sealingly engaging the access port engaging face of the closure plate when the closure plate is in the first position closing the access port;
- and
- a telescopically extendible actuator cylinder coupled with the closure, the cylinder being connected by fluid lines to a remotely located fluid control system that controls the supply of fluid to the cylinder to telescopically expand and contract the cylinder, thereby moving the closure between the first position and the second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.