Importance

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Abstract

A seal for sealing the space between the inner wall of a tank and a roof floating on a liquid product within the tank includes a plurality of partially overlapping barrier plates mounted along a rim of the floating roof so as to extend outwardly along a first portion of each plate and then downwardly along a second portion of each plate which is relatively flat and which forms a seal against the inner wall of the tank. A plurality of resilient tension springs, mounted in spaced-apart relation along the rim of the floating roof, extend outwardly and bias the seals formed by the second portions of the plates against the inner tank wall. A vapor barrier fabric, mounted on the rim of the floating roof together with the plates and the tension springs, covers the first and second portions of the plates, while a plurality of fabric spring straps, mounted on the rim of the floating roof in conjunction with the tension springs, extend along the undersides of the plates and protect the vapor barrier fabric from the tension springs. Bumper bars, mounted in spaced-apart relation along the rim of the floating roof, extend outwardly along the first portions of adjacent ones of barrier plates to curved outer ends thereof which engage the inner tank wall to limit movement of the floating roof toward the tank wall. The barrier plates, tension springs, vapor barrier fabric and fabric spring straps are mounted on the rim of the floating roof by arrangements of bolts, washers and seals, and holddown bars which extend over adjacent pairs of the barrier plates. The barrier plates, tension springs and fabric spring straps are made of full hard stainless steel so as to retain the desired shapes thereof in resilient fashion and to better enable the relatively flat second portions of the barrier plates to conform to and seal against the inner wall of the tank.

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First Claim