Hmt, Inc.

Patrick L Lippiello

David W Otto

A shoe seal for sealing the space between a floating roof and the inner wall of an oil storage tank includes a plurality of scissors hanger assemblies for mounting a shoe on the floating roof. Each assembly includes an elongated plate suspended from a shoe clip bolted to the shoe and pivotally coupled to an opposite pair of elongated bars suspended from a rim clip bolted to the outer rim of the floating roof. In a first embodiment, the shoe is biased into contact with the inner tank wall by pusher bars bolted to the shoe and having resilient legs extending into contact with the floating roof, and pusher plates bolted to the roof and having a resilient leg extending into contact with the shoe. In a second embodiment, only the pusher bars are used and they are mounted on the rim clips bolted to the floating roof so that the opposite resilient legs thereof extend into contact with the shoe. A vapor barrier fabric extends between and is joined to the shoe and to the floating roof to complete the shoe seal. After lowering the shoe and attached scissors hanger assemblies into place between the inner tank wall and the floating roof, holes are drilled in the floating roof for bolting of the scissors hanger assemblies thereto. The resilient pusher bars and plates are bolted in place, and the vapor barrier fabric is bolted to the shoe and to the floating roof.

Method of installing a shoe seal for floating roof of storage tank

A shoe seal for sealing the space between a floating roof and the inner wall of an oil storage tank includes a plurality of scissors hanger assemblies for movably mounting a shoe on the floating roof. Each scissors hanger assembly includes an elongated plate suspended from a shoe clip bolted to the shoe and pivotally coupled to an opposite pair of elongated bars suspended from a rim clip bolted to the outer rim of the floating roof. In a first embodiment, the shoe is resiliently biased into contact with the inner tank wall by pusher bars bolted to the shoe and having resilient legs extending into contact with the floating roof, and pusher plates bolted to the roof and having a resilient leg extending into contact with the shoe. In a second embodiment, only the pusher bars are used and they are mounted on the rim clips bolted to the floating roof so that the opposite resilient legs thereof extend into contact with the shoe. A vapor barrier fabric extends between and is joined to the shoe and to the floating roof to complete the shoe seal. The shoe seal may be installed in a tank in service, inasmuch as no welding is needed. After lowering the shoe and attached scissors hanger assemblies into place between the inner tank wall and the floating roof, holes are drilled in the floating roof for bolting of the scissors hanger assemblies thereto. The resilient pusher bars and plates are bolted in place, and the vapor barrier fabric is bolted to the shoe and to the floating roof with the aid of channels.

Shoe seal for floating roof of storage tank, and method of installing

A shoe seal for sealing the space between a pontoon supported lightweight floating roof and the inner wall of an oil storage tank includes a plurality of hanger assemblies for movably mounting a shoe on the floating roof. The hanger assemblies are mounted in spaced-apart fashion around the outer rim of the floating roof, and each includes a support bracket coupled to the floating roof at an upper end thereof and having an opposite lower end pivotally coupled to a lever bracket. Each lever bracket has a first end pivotally coupled to the shoe by a shoe clip and an opposite second end disposed beneath the outer rim of the floating roof and having a float coupled thereto by a support strap. The floats which comprise hollow, enclosed, generally cylindrical members are disposed in spaced-apart fashion beneath the outer rim of the floating roof at a level below the pontoons which support the roof so as to be completely submerged within the oil or other liquid product stored within the tank. The resulting buoyant forces on the floats pivot the lever brackets in a direction so as to maintain the shoe in contact with the inner tank wall.

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Spring, TX, United States of America

Patrick L Lippiello