Abstract: The machine is adapted to supply, manipulate and position steel strip, fed from a coil, so as to bring it into gapped relationship beneath the side wall of a partly constructed, elevated tank. This is done so that the strip can be welded to the side wall to add a course. It is the objective to ensure that the tank wall is plumb (vertical) and in radius (both as to curvature and relative to the center of the tank) and that the width of the gap is optimized, at the weld point. The machine comprises a ‘floating’ main frame or platform suspended on a mobile undercarriage by four pivotally mounted cylinders. The cylinders are independently responsive to instruments monitoring the elevation, levelness and plumbness of the tank wall and the width of the gap. The main frame carries the coil and carries the strip and the tank wall in the vicinity of the weld point.

Abstract: The machine is adapted to supply, manipulate and position steel strip, fed from a coil, so as to bring it into gapped relationship beneath the side wall of a partly constructed, elevated tank. This is done so that the strip can be welded to the side wall to add a course. It is the objective to ensure that the tank wall is plumb (vertical) and in radius (both as to curvature and relative to the center of the tank) and that the width of the gap is optimized, at the weld point. The machine comprises a ‘floating’ main frame or platform suspended on a mobile undercarriage by four pivotally mounted cylinders. The cylinders are independently responsive to instruments monitoring the elevation, levelness and plumbness of the tank wall and the width of the gap. The main frame carries the coil and carries the strip and the tank wall in the vicinity of the weld point.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for constructing cylindrical storage tanks from coiled strip steel. The apparatus carries and delivers the coiled strip steel circularly around the base of the tank. The strip steel is aligned and affixed with the overhead tank by a fitting frame provided behind the coil. The tank is thus constructed at ground level from a plurality of adjoined horizontal circular rings of strip steel. As each ring is completed it is progressively elevated on a support structure circularly arranged around the base of the tank. The apparatus includes a wheeled frame assembly, a turntable assembly rotatably mounted on the frame assembly, for vertically supporting the coiled strip steel, and a fitting frame mounted on the frame assembly and positioned to receive the strip steel from the turntable assembly. The fitting frame vertically guides the strip steel into alignment with the tank wall supported thereabove.