Insulated structure

Sept 8, 1942. c. o. friedly 2,295,103

INSULATED STRUCTURE

Filed July 17, 1940

<img file="US2295103A_D0001.tif" />

<img file="US2295103A_D0002.tif" />

Patented Sept. 8, 1942

2,295,103

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,295,103

INSULATED STRUCTURE

Charles O. Friedly, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to Johns-Manville Corporation, New York, N, Y., a corporation of New York

Application July 17, 1940, Serial No. 345,881

Claims. (Cl. 189—34)

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. 1, my invention is illustrated as embodied in an insulating structure for tanks as employed in the refining and storage of petroleum 5 products and the like. However, it will be understood that a construction embodying the invention may be employed with tanks of any type and for any use and for various other structures where similar problems are presented.

;o The tank !0 includes wall 12 (see Figs. 2, 3, and 4), suitably composed of steel sheets riveted or otherwise secured together in any conventional manner. Supported in spaced relationship to the wall is a sheathing 14 which comprises sheets 15 of a weather-resistant, moisture-proof material, preferably sheets of a hardened, compressed, asbestos-cement composition inasmuch as this material has been found to be especially suitable for this purpose. Due to limitations in size, 20 a plurality of sheets 14 are necessary, both vertically and circumferentially of the tank. Vertically of the tank wall the sheets are preferably overlapped or shingled, as illustrated in Figs.

and 3, Z-clips 16 secured adjacent the upper 25 edge of each lower sheet supporting the overlapping edge of the sheet thereabove. The edges of the sheets forming vertical joints are suitably butted (see Figs. 2 and 4) and supporting means 18, in accordance with the invention, are emP ployed to secure the- sheets to the tank wall adjacent the joints. The space between the sheathing and the tank wall is filled with a suitable insulating material 20. The insulating material may comprise a granulated insulation such as 35 nodulated rock wool, blanket insulation such as a mineral wool blanket, or block insulation of any suitable type, it being understood that the invention is in no way limited to the use of any particular insulating material, the above being ⁴³ named merely as examples.

In accordance with the preferred form of the invention, the supporting means (8 comprises a member 22 of T-shaped cross section formed of strips 24 and 26 of a strong, thermal-insulating, board-like material. Suitably for this purpose, a board insulating material is employed comprising a highly compressed, densified asbestos, lime, silica material. However, other board-like insulating materials of known type exhibiting a 50 relatively high modulus of rupture may be employed.

Strips 24 and 26, making up each T-member 22, may suitably be secured together by short angle irons 28 fastened at spaced intervals to strips .55 24 and 26 as by screws 29 and bolts 30, respecThe present invention relates to insulated structures, and more particularly, to improved insulating constructions for the side walls of tanks and the like.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to insulate 5 the walls of tanks employed in the refining and storage of petroleum products and for other uses, such prior installations comprising insulating blankets or blocks applied to the walls and in some instances surrounded by sheathing which 10 is supported by metal framing members or the like from the tank wall. The sheathing serves as a weather-resistant, protective exterior cover for the insulation, and hence, has been preferred. However, the metal framework heretofore re- 15 quired to support the sheathing conducts heat from the outer surface directly to the tank wall, or vice versa, in effect, by-passing the insulation and substantially reducing its overall efficiency. The principal object of the instant in- 20 vention is to provide a construction for the insulation of tanks and the like in which such a sheathing is supported over the insulation in a manner to make unnecessary the use of conducting members extending through or substantially .25 through the insulation which serve to provide channels for the flow of heat.

Another object of the invention is to provide an insulated structure, such as an insulated tank or the like, including an insulating layer and an 9 outer weather-resistant sheathing, the latter being supported from the tank wall by structural members including thermal-insulating material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structure of the type referred to above, in which 35 the supporting members for the sheathing comprise strips of a structural insulating material secured to the sheathing and tank wall.

My invention will be more fully understood and further objects and advantages thereof will ⁴⁰become apparent when reference is made to the more detailed description thereof which is to follow and to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a tank or the like insulated in accordance with the instant ⁴⁵invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 2—2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 3—3 of Fig. 1; ⁵³

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view depicting the sheathing supporting means of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, illustrating a modification of the supporting means. 55

2,295,103 tively (see Fig. 3). T-members 22 extend preferably the full height of the tank wall.

T-members 22 are secured to the tank wall 12 by means of spaced angle irons 32 fastened to opposite sides of the strip 26, forming the leg of the T, by bolts or the like 34 passing through one of the flanges and the strip. The other flanges are preferably welded, as indicated at 36, to the metal plates forming the tank wall 12. As illustrated in Fig. 3, angle members 28 and 32 are staggered along the length of the T-member 22 so that they will not be in contact with each other.

Sheathing 14, comprising a plurality of plates, preferably of asbestos-cement material as previously referred to, are secured to T-members 22, as shown in Fig. 4. The butt joint between the plates preferably overlies T-member 22, and secured thereover is a batten 38 which may suitably comprise a strip of the hardened, compressed, asbestos-cement material employed for the plates 14. Screws or other fastening means 40 penetrate batten strip 38 and the joint and enter strip 24, forming the head of T-member 22. A washer 42 may be placed beneath the head of the screw 40 if desired. Although supporting members 22 have been shown only at the joints, it will be understood that in the event relatively large sheets are employed for the sheathing, one or more intermediate supporting members may also be provided. In this instance, the construction will be the same, except that batten strips are, of course, unnecessary and screws or fastening means 40 are employed to secure the plates directly to the strip 24.

Referring now to Fig. 5, a slightly modified form of the invention is shown in which the sheathing supporting means comprises strip 44, preferably of the same or similar material as that employed for the strips 24 and 26 of the construction of Fig. 4. Strip 44 extends the full height of the sheathing and underlies the joint between the plates forming the sheathing 14. Fastening means 40 and batten strip 38 are employed to secure the sheathing to strip 44 in a similar manner to that previously described. Secured to the rear side of strip 44 is an extending angle iron 46, including a flange 48 fastened to a second insulating strip 50. Insulating strip 50, preferably of a similar material to the strip 44, is secured to a second extending angle iron 52, including a flange 54 welded or otherwise secured to the tank wall 12. The securing means 56 between the angle members 54 and 46 and the strips 44 and 50, respectively, may suitably be screws and bolts or the like, as illustrated.

It will be noted that by the instant invention, the sheathing members forming the exterior surface of the insulating covering are completely divorced from the tank wall. That is, no through metal members are provided at any point, with the result that paths of heat conduction are avoided and the maximum efficiency of the insulation 20 is obtained.