Essef Industries, Inc.

Robert G Ensell

Michael J Toth

A filament-wound plastic pressure vessel and technique for fabricating such vessel are disclosed. The pressure vessel includes a monolithic plastic liner having a cylindrical side wall portion and domed end portions. A multiplicity of resin-impregnated reinforcing filaments are wound about at least the cylindrical side wall portion of the liner in a predetermined winding pattern. A non-axial access opening to the interior of the tank is cut through the liner and through the filaments, resulting in discontinuous filament ends at the periphery of the opening. A reinforcement is provided for the filament ends to redistribute stress transmission paths around the opening. The reinforcement includes at least one randomly oriented fibrous mat pad sandwiched between a pair of woven cloth pads having a basket weave configuration. One cloth pad has its fibrous weave oriented at 90 degrees to the axis of the pressure vessel and parallel to the axis of the pressure vessel, while the other woven cloth pad is oriented at 45 degrees with respect to the first cloth pad.

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Kingsville, OH, United States of America

Robert G Ensell