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Portable double-walled fuel tankRelated Patent Categories: Receptacles, Vehicle Mountable Tank, With BafflePortable double-walled fuel tank description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070181583, Portable double-walled fuel tank. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to a double-walled fuel tank, which is constructed so as to be readily transportable over rough terrain to a remote timber-harvesting site or re-locatable on such a site by log handling equipment such as, for example, a grapple machine. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Timber harvesting is generally carried out at sites which are initially remote and accessible only by very rough skid roads. Harvesting equipment such as feller-bunchers and grapple skidders are utilized in transporting cut logs and whole trees from even more remote and inaccessible locations to the skid roads. Such harvesting equipment, by way of example, and other equipment used generally in this timber-harvesting environment, need to be supplied with an adequate supply of fuel for their continuous and efficient operation. [0003] Presently, small quantities of fuel are carried in tanks of limited fuel capacity by four-wheel-drive trucks or the like to a remote timber-harvesting site. Even the transportation of these small quantities of fuel by this method requires that a fairly smooth roadway be provided, generally free of felled timber, logging debris and excessive gradients. [0004] Of further concern is the need to relocate the fuel within a cutting site to keep it in general proximity to the harvesting equipment as it works through a harvesting area. Generally, the cutting and harvesting of timber and the movement of associated equipment will produce a terrain unsuitable for travel by any vehicle other than articulated, high ground clearance grapple skidders or the like. [0005] There is a need under such timber harvesting conditions to provide a fuel tank of sufficient fuel capacity and manufactured with the strength and durability to be transported by a grapple machine or the like to and around a remote timber-harvesting site. Such a fuel tank, therefore, will provide all ancillary equipment necessary for pumping the fuel from the tank to the timber harvesting equipment as well as safety equipment necessary for suppression of accidental fire. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] The double-walled fuel tank of the present invention may be manufactured from 1/8-inch thick mild steel and comprise an inner cylindrical fuel-containing receptacle or tank and an outer cylindrical protective sheath. [0007] The inner fuel-receptacle is concentrically nested within the protective outer sheath by means of a plurality of radially outwardly extending spacers, for example mild steel spacers, extending between the outer surface of the fuel tank and the inner surface of the protective outer sheath. End spacers extend fore and aft of the respective end walls of the inner fuel tank and are suitably apertured at intervals along their length to permit liquid to drain by gravity to the lower portion of the outer sheath. The outer sheath has fore and aft end walls mounted to the end spacers so as to be spaced outwardly from the respective end walls of the inner fuel tank. [0008] Outer sheath may have a bulkhead spaced forwardly from its aft end wall to provide a storage compartment for retaining such equipment as batteries, an electrical motor, fuel hoses, fire suppression equipment and the like which are readily accessible through an access hatch provided in the aft end wall. The storage compartment may be secured by a door, hinged at an end to the aft end wall of the outer sheath and which may be supported in an open position by gas shocks or the like. The bulkhead wall of the outer sheath may be mounted to the respective ends of the corresponding end spacers on the fuel tank. A drain plug is provided in the aft end wall to allow draining of liquid from the storage compartment. [0009] Axially aligned separate fuel filler pipes are provided on the upper surface of both the inner fuel tank outer protective sheath near the aft end of the fuel tank. Similarly, axially aligned drainage plugs are provided in the respective lower surfaces of the fuel tank and the protective outer sheath. [0010] The inner fuel tank may have an internal anti-surge baffle mounted medially of the fore and aft ends of the receptacle, which inhibits imbalance due to fluid movement during transportation. [0011] A fuel shut-off valve passes through both the aft end of the fuel-containing receptacle and the storage compartment bulkhead. Such valve is normally closed and is opened when current from the battery power is connected to operate a fuel pump to discharge fuel to the timber harvesting equipment. [0012] The double-walled fuel tank has fore and aft supporting skids, an exterior, lower reinforcement collar positioned medially of its ends, an upper grapple platform and fore and aft grapple positioning brackets located in proximity to the upper grapple platform. [0013] Gussets affixed between the fore end tank supporting skid and outer sheath are apertured to permit attachment of chains or the like which may be secured to the body of a transporting mechanism such as a grapple machine to restrict yaw of the tank during transport. In addition, loops manufactured from a chain link or the like may be provided at each of the grapple positioning brackets to afford a safety chain connection point between the tank and suitable attachment points located on the grapple jaws. [0014] The portable double-walled fuel tank in accordance with one embodiment of the invention may be generally characterized as including: [0015] (a) an outer, generally horizontally disposed cylindrical sheath, which comprises the outer protective wall of the fuel tank, manufactured, by way of example, from 1/8 inch thick mild steel or the like material with fore and aft end walls which defined an internal cavity. [0016] (b) An internal bulkhead positioned forwardly from the aft end wall of the outer sheath which defines a smaller cavity or storage compartment, wherein external access is provided to the storage compartment through a securable door or access hatch provided in the aft end wall of the sheath. [0017] (c) Fore and aft skids secured beneath the outer cylindrical sheath support it in an elevated aspect relative to the ground surface. [0018] (d) A lower reinforcement collar, generally surrounding the lower segment of the outer sheath, intermediate its ends, extends generally upwardly to the mid line. [0019] (e) A grapple platform and fore and aft grapple positioning brackets are located on the upper side of the cylindrical sheath [0020] (f) An inner fuel receptacle concentrically nested within the protective outer sheath by means of a plurality of radially outwardly extending mild steel spacers extending between the outer surface of the fuel containing receptacle and the inner surface of the protective outer sheath. The spacers generally extend fore and aft of the inner fuel receptacle. [0021] (g) An internal anti-surge baffle is provided medially of the fore and aft ends of the fuel-receptacle to structurally reinforce the tank where it is gripped by a grapple while being carried, the baffle having upper and lower apertures or cut-outs which inhibit surging, for example due to a pressure differential on either side of the baffle, and which allows substantially unrestricted flow of liquid during pumping of liquid from the tank. [0022] In summary, the present invention maybe characterized in one aspect as a double-walled tank for the transport of fluid, the tank including a rigid fluid impervious substantially cylindrical inner container concentrically nested within a rigid correspondingly substantially cylindrical outer container, the inner and outer containers having end walls sealing the containers. A grapple mount is mounted to an upper side of an outer surface of the outer container at a substantially medial position substantially medially along the outer container. A lower side of the outer container, opposite the upper side, is reinforced. The grapple mount may include a rigid plate mounted atop the upper side of the outer container at the medial position. [0023] An anti-surge baffle is mounted across, so as to extend between and into engagement with, an upper side of the inner container adjacent the baffle mount and a lower side of the inner container adjacent the reinforced lower side of the outer container. The baffle has an upper aperture in an upper side of the baffle adjacent the upper side of the inner container. The baffle has a lower aperture in a lower side of the baffle adjacent the lower side of the inner container. The lower aperture is defined between lower extremities of the baffle mounted to the lower side of the inner container. The lower extremities of the baffle extend along in supporting contact with an inner surface of the lower side of the inner container so as to be coextensive with distal ends of grapple arms of a grapple engaging the grapple mount so as to extend the grapple arms of the grapple around a grapple line extending substantially from the substantially medial position and extending around the outer container from the upper side to the lower side of the outer container. [0024] A radially spaced apart array of rigid stringers extend along the inner and outer containers in a substantially cylindrical gap between the inner and outer containers. The array of rigid stringers are mounted to, so as to extend between, into engagement with, the inner and outer containers so as to rigidly space apart the inner and outer containers. At least one stringer of the array of rigid stringers is sandwiched on opposite lateral sides of the inner and outer containers between the inner container and the reinforced lower side of the outer container. [0025] In one embodiment the end walls are single-walled end walls providing a common end wall on each end of the inner and outer containers, and the reinforced lower side of the outer container includes a rigid reinforcing collar mounted to and around the lower side of the outer container. Advantageously the reinforcing collar extends partially along the length of the outer container so as distribute compression loads from the grapple arms along the stringers sandwiched between the inner container and the lower side of the outer container. [0026] The baffle may be a rigid circular plate having a first cutout at an upper end thereof forming the upper aperture, and having a second cutout at a lower end thereof forming the lower aperture. The first and second cutouts may in one embodiment be substantially semi-circular and symmetrical about a vertical plane bisecting the inner and outer containers. The second cutout advantageously may be larger in cutout area than the first cutout. For example, the second cutout may extend substantially one quarter of the vertical inside diameter of the inner container. The first cutout may be an air passage. The second cutout may be a fluid passage in fluid communication between opposite ends of the inner container on corresponding opposite sides of the baffle. [0027] The array of rigid stringers may include eight elongate rigid members in radially spaced apart array about a longitudinally extending substantially centroidal axis through the inner and outer containers. The radially spaced apart array of stringers may be substantially equally radially spaced apart, and five of the eight rigid members may be sandwiched between the lower side of the inner container and the reinforced lower side of the outer container. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Continue reading about Portable double-walled fuel tank... Full patent description for Portable double-walled fuel tank Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Portable double-walled fuel tank patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Portable double-walled fuel tank or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: System for fastening two components, method of fastening by means of this fastening system, and fuel system Next Patent Application: Gauge to indicate the level of beverage held in a beverage container Industry Class: Receptacles ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Portable double-walled fuel tank patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.61347 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Canon USA , Celera Genomics , Cephalon, Inc. , Cingular Wireless , Clorox , Colgate-Palmolive , Corning , Cymer , 174 |
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