RONALD CARL KERN
Engineers in Katy, TX

6164479, Dec 26, 2000

Dec 15, 1998

9/212188

Ronald Carl Kern - Katy TX

Ultra Flota Corp. - Houston TX

B65D 8846

220216

A floating roof storage tank which includes a peripheral sealing ring of shoes distributed around the periphery of an internal floating roof within a storage tank. Spring loaded or otherwise resilient members with essentially level horizontal travel (without vertical travel) attached to the deck of the internal floating roof keep the peripheral sealing ring of shoes pressed against the tank wall and also keep the internal floating roof centered within the tank. The space between the peripheral sealing ring of shoes and the internal floating roof is covered by a flexible material that prevents product loss. Jamming of the resilient members between the tank shell and the relatively flexible rim of the internal floating roof is reduced or eliminated due to the level horizontal travel of the hanger-pushers and their horizontal mounting to the top of the deck. Vertical movement of the individual shoe segments over each other is also reduced or eliminated due to the level horizontal travel of the resilient members. The seal at the overlap of the shoe segments is assured by a stiffened leading edge along with the close proximity of resilient members.

2007009, May 3, 2007

Oct 17, 2005

11/252067

Ronald Kern - Katy TX, US

E04B 1/74

052404100

A non-welded deck used to support insulation from the roof of a low temperature or cryogenic storage tank is disclosed. The deck may be comprised of a plurality of spaced apart bars with metal sheets covering the spaces between the bars. The edge of the metal sheets may be clamped to the bars to form the deck. The edges of adjacent metal sheets may overlap and be clamped together in such a way as to deform the sheets creating a metal-to-metal vapor and dust proof seal. The plurality of clamping bars and support bars may secure the metal sheets with sufficient strength to allow the entire deck to support loadings as a stressed membrane. The tank may be constructed with hardware that remains secure even after being subjected to repeated thermal cycling of over 200° Celsius (360° Fahrenheit).

4244487, Jan 13, 1981

Apr 2, 1979

6/025836

Ronald C. Kern - Katy TX

Ultraflote Corporation - Houston TX

B65D 8834, B65D 8836, B65D 8840, B65D 8842

220216

A floating cover for a tank is characterized by a pivotal interconnection between confronting ends of longitudinally adjacent flotation pontoons such that one pontoon is pivotally movable with respect to the longitudinal axis of the other pontoon when the deck of the cover flexes in response to turbulence in the liquid on which the cover is disposed or in response to any other non-uniform loading on the deck.