Floating cover for a tank

Abstract

In a floating cover for inside a tank a plurality of spaced parallel support bars extend across the tops of laterally spaced horizontal pontoons that support them. Metal sheets covering the spaces between the bars have edge portions resting on the bars and clamped against them by clamping bars to form a deck. The deck may be provided with vertical sleeves, in which posts of different lengths can be mounted for spacing the deck different distances from the bottom of a tank.

I claim: 
     
       1. A floating cover for inside a tank, comprising a plurality of laterally spaced horizontal tubular pontoons, a plurality of spaced parallel support bars extending across the tops of the pontoons and supported thereby, metal sheets covering the spaces between the bars and having edge portions resting on the bars, said sheets being spaced above the pontoons and extending across them, clamping bars engaging the upper surfaces of said edge portions of the sheets, vertical fasteners extending through the clamping and support bars for holding them tightly together to clamp the edge portions of the sheets between them to form a deck above the pontoons, and sealing means extending around said deck for sliding engagement with the side wall of a tank. 
     
     
       2. A floating cover according to claim 1, in which each support bar and the overlying clamping bar are provided with interengaging ribs and grooves extending lengthwise thereof with said edge portions of the sheets pressed into the grooves by said ribs. 
     
     
       3. A floating cover according to claim 1, in which the bottom of each support bar is provided with laterally projecting side flanges, said cover including hanger members engaging the upper surfaces of said flanges and hanging down below the support bars above the pontoons, and clamping bands extending up around each pontoon and fastened to said hanger members above it to connect said support bars and pontoons together. 
     
     
       4. A floating cover according to claim 1, in which the bottom of each support bar is provided with laterally projecting side flanges, said cover including clips engaging the upper surfaces of said flanges and hanging down below the support bars, the clips being disposed in a pair of parallel rows above each pontoon, and clamping bands extending up around each pontoon with each band fastened to a pair of said clips in the two rows above the pontoon for connecting said support bars and pontoons together. 
     
     
       5. A floating cover according to claim 4, in which each of said clips is of general U-shape with its upper ends turned toward each other and slidable along said support bar flanges, the bottom of each clip having a hole through it, the cover including a bolt extending through each clip hole and the adjoining clamping band to hold them together. 
     
     
       6. A floating cover according to claim 1, in which each of said support bars is provided with an upwardly opening channel extending lengthwise thereof and receiving the edge portions of adjoining sheets, and each clamping bar extends down into one of the channels and clamps the edge portions of the sheets therein against the inside of the channel. 
     
     
       7. A floating cover according to claim 6, in which the side walls of said channels are provided with steps extending lengthwise thereof, and said clamping bars are shaped to overlie said steps and also extend down between them, whereby said clamped edge portions of the metal sheets are .[.vent.]. .Iadd.bent .Iaddend.between the adjoining clamping and support bars. 
     
     
       8. A floating cover according to claim 1, in which at least some of said pontoons include longitudinally spaced aligned tubular members, a pair of brackets secured to the opposed ends of adjacent tubular members, each bracket having upper and lower horizontal flanges disposed in overlapping relation with the flanges of the other bracket, said flanges and the metal sheet above them having aligned vertical openings therethrough, and a vertical sleeve mounted in said openings and projecting above said sheet and below the brackets, said cover including a post extending through each sleeve and downwardly below it, and a removable cap mounted on the upper end of the sleeve, said post being removable upwardly through the sleeve when said cap is removed, whereby the post can be replaced by a post of a different length. 
     
     
       9. A floating cover according to claim 8, including a collar secured to said sleeve above said deck, and fasteners extending down through the collar and underlying metal sheet and upper flanges of said brackets for connecting them rigidly together. 
     
     
       10. A floating cover for inside a tank, comprising a plurality of laterally spaced horizontal pontoons, a deck supported by the pontoons, at least some of said pontoons including longitudinally spaced aligned tubular members, a pair of brackets secured to the opposed ends of adjacent tubular members, each bracket having upper and lower horizontal flanges disposed in overlapping relation with the flanges of the other bracket, said flanges and deck having aligned vertical openings therethrough, and a vertical sleeve mounted in said openings and projecting above the deck and below the brackets, said cover also including a post extending through each sleeve and downwardly below it, and a removable cap mounted on the upper end of the sleeve, said post being removable upwardly through the sleeve when said cap is removed, whereby the post can be replaced by a post of a different length. .Iadd. 11. A floating cover for inside a tank comprising: a plurality of laterally spaced horizontal tubular pontoons,   a plurality of spaced parallel support bars extending across the tops of the pontoons and supported thereby, said support bars having clamping means disposed along the length thereof,   metal sheets covering the spaces between the support bars, said sheets being spaced above the pontoons and extending across them, the edge portions of said sheets being engaged by said clamping means and deformed thereby to form metal-to-metal seals defining a gas tight deck above the pontoons, and   sealing means extending around said deck for sliding engagement with the side wall of a tank. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. A floating cover according to claim 11, in which the clamping means includes:   clamping bars engaging the edge portions of the metal sheets, and   fasteners extending through the support bars for holding the clamping bars and support bars tightly together for clamping the edge portions of the sheets between them to form the deck. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. A floating cover according to claim 11, in which each support bar includes an upwardly opening channel extending lengthwise thereof and receiving the edge portions of adjacent sheets, and the clamping means includes clamping bars extending down into the channels to engage the edge portions of the sheets and form the deck. .Iaddend..Iadd. 14. A floating cover according to claim 11, in which the clamping means includes:   clamping bars engaging the edge portions of the metal sheets, and   fasteners holding the clamping bars and the support bars tightly together for clamping the edge portions of the sheets between them to form the deck. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. A floating cover according to claim 14, in which the support bars and the clamping bars include interengaging ribs and grooves extending lengthwise thereof for engagement of the edge portions of the sheets between the ribs and grooves to form the deck. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 16. A floating cover according to claim 11, including a plurality of clamping strips connected to the support bars and extending beneath the pontoons to tie the pontoons to the support bars. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. A floating cover according to claim 16, in which the bottom of each support bar is provided with laterally projecting side flanges, said cover including hanger members engaging the upper surfaces of said flanges and connected to said clamping strips to tie the pontoons to the support bars. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 18. A floating cover for inside a tank, comprising:   a plurality of laterally spaced horizontal tubular pontoons,   a plurality of spaced parallel support bars extending across the tops of the pontoons and supported thereby,   clamping strips connected to the support bars and extending beneath the pontoons to tie the pontoons to the support bars,   metal sheets covering the spaces between the support bars, said sheets being spaced above the pontoons and extending across them,   clamping bars extending along the length of the support bars and engaging the edge portions of the metal sheets,   fasteners holding the support bars and clamping bars tightly together to deform the edge portions of the sheets to form metal-to-metal seals defining a gas tight deck above the pontoons, and   sealing means extending around said deck for sliding engagement with the side wall of a tank. .Iaddend.