Portable Reservoir Frame
A portable reservoir frame composed of interlocking panels secured by a series of flanges having holes and pegs. An inner liner to hold liquid inside the reservoir frame is presented.
This invention relates generally to a reservoir frame capable of being transported to various geographical areas, placed on or in the ground and able to provide containment for various liquids.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONOften in various industries is necessary to hold and contain various industrial liquids from process activity. In the oil and gas industry, for example, it is often necessary to contain fracturing fluid, which is a byproduct of drilling activity. Currently, trailers are used to hold and contain this liquid.
To accommodate oil and gas production in the field, a trailer is transported to the site where the liquid is produced. The trailers often have a 500 barrel capacity, so multiple trailers are needed in situations where much liquid is stored.
The cost of trucking trailers to various oil and gas drilling locations is significant. Additionally, transporting said liquid from the production site adds to the already high cost of oil and gas drilling operations. Furthermore, environmental concerns associated with numerous containment trailers for the liquid has generated governmental regulations, including rules regarding environmental quality, transportation, safety and health, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccordingly, it is an object of embodiments of the present invention to provide a portable reservoir frame to aid in the storage of liquid materials.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention comprises a portable reservoir frame comprising two or more interlocking panels for deployment on a ground surface, each of said panels having the following: a plate having an outer surface, an inner surface, a top edge, a bottom edge for resting on the ground surface, a first edge and an opposing second edge, said first and said second edges being disposed between said top edge and said bottom edge; a first flange having an inner face, an outer face, and at least one hole having a chosen diameter and perforating said first flange, said first flange attached to said plate and extending beyond the first edge; a second flange having an inner face and an outer face, said second flange attached to said plate and extending beyond the opposing second edge; and at least one peg attached to said second flange and extending in a direction perpendicular to the outer face thereof, each of said at least one peg adapted for insertion into one of said at least one hole.
Benefits and advantages of the present invention include, but are not limited to, providing a reservoir frame, which is portable and can function in a variety of terrains, and accommodate a wide variety of ground surfaces.
The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference characters refer to the same or similar elements in all FIG.s.
In one embodiment of the present invention the panels have a curvature such that when numerous panels are interconnected via the pegs 75 and holes 55, a generally circular reservoir frame system is constructed. The curvature is generally convex relative to the outer surface and concave relative to the inner surface.
In various embodiments of the present invention, the first flange 40 is integrally formed with the plate 5. Likewise, the second flange 60 is integrally formed with the plate 5, in many embodiments of the present invention.
It is believed that the apparatus of the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction, and arrangement of the components without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention and without sacrificing its material advantages. The forms described are merely exemplary and explanatory embodiments thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.
Claims
1. A portable reservoir frame comprising two or more interlocking panels for deployment on a ground surface, each of said panels comprising:
- a plate having an outer surface, an inner surface, a top edge, a bottom edge for resting on the ground surface, a first edge and an opposing second edge, said first and said second edges being disposed in-between said top edge and said bottom edge;
- a first flange having an inner face, an outer face, and at least one hole having a chosen diameter and perforating said first flange, said first flange attached to said plate and extending beyond the first edge;
- a second flange having an inner face and an outer face, said second flange attached to said plate and extending beyond the opposing second edge; and
- at least one peg attached to said second flange and extending in a direction perpendicular to the outer face thereof, each of said at least one peg adapted for insertion into one of said at least one holes.
2. The portable reservoir frame of claim 1, wherein each of said at least one peg has a hole there in.
3. The portable reservoir frame of claim 2, further comprising at least one pin adapted for insertion into the hole in said at least one peg.
4. The portable reservoir frame of claim 1, wherein said plates have convex curvature of the outer surface and concave curvature of the inner surface.
5. The portable reservoir frame of claim 4, wherein one of said interlocking panels connects to another of said interlocking panels, wherein at least one of said at least one peg of one panel is inserted into at least one of said at least one hole of said other plate.
6. The portable reservoir of claim 5, wherein at least 2 interlocking panels are connected to form a generally circular reservoir.
7. The portable reservoir of claim 5, wherein said at least one pin is inserted to lock the interlocking panels together.
8. The portable reservoir frame of claim 5, further comprising a liner adapted for covering the inside of the generally circular reservoir frame.
9. The portable reservoir frame of claim 1, further comprising at least one crossbar attached to said outer surface of the plate.
10. The portable reservoir frame of claim 1, further comprising at least one horizontal support beam attached to the plate and disposed between the first and second edge and said support beam disposed generally parallel to the top edge and bottom edge of the plate.
11. The portable reservoir frame of claim 10, further comprising at least one crossbar attached to said at least one support beam of the plate.
12. The portable reservoir frame of claim 1, wherein the first flange is integrally formed with said plate.
13. The portable reservoir frame of claim 1, wherein the second flange is integrally formed with said plate.
14. The portable reservoir frame of claim 1, wherein said at least one peg is integrally formed with said second flange.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 21, 2011
Publication Date: Apr 25, 2013
Inventors: Sean Michael Lovelace (Casper, WY), Christopher Jason Songe (Casper, WY)
Application Number: 13/245,492