The present invention relates to a frame assembly for anchoring a containment box of the type used for the secondary containment of fluid spills at a gasoline service station.
Gasoline service stations typically include a number of islands upon which product dispensers are mounted. Beneath each product dispenser is a containment box penetrated by a product supply line which feeds product to the dispenser. The containment box is intended to contain any leakage of product from the dispenser in the event of a failure of the piping or other equipment located within the dispenser.
The top of a containment box typically has a dispenser frame that includes an outwardly extending flange upon which the base of the dispenser is mounted. The dispenser frame can be formed as an integral part of the containment box, or it can be a separate unit that is permanently attached to the containment box such as by rivets. A typical prior art containment box has an integral flange extending around the top of its perimeter. This flange is generally mounted flush with the concrete that forms a conventional service station island. A length of reinforcing angle stock is often attached to the containment box a few inches below the flange to help anchor the containment box in the concrete.
Containment box assemblies are often outfitted with electrical components and electrical wiring extending through conduits for providing electricity to the product dispenser. Electrical penetrations fittings that are not completely sealed, particularly when installed on a double wall product, create a potential leak point and exposure risk. Conventional electrical fittings are often made of an elastomeric rubber and are dependent on contractors in the field for proper installation which may lead to the fittings being installed improperly as opposed to having a factory-installed and tested solution integrated into the product. Elastomeric fittings under stress and chemical exposure common to containment box assemblies typically fail in one to five years after installation due to, among other things, the rubber drying out and becoming brittle or due to improper installation.
Often, holes are drilled through a dispenser frame to install electrical conduits from below ground to the concrete surface where the dispenser sits. Also, sometimes a fiberglass pocket is formed allowing the electrical conduits to pass vertically from below ground through the dispenser frame. These approaches to conduit installation provide limited points of entry into the dispenser. Further, the container box assembly designs may be deficient if the locations prevent the electrician from adjusting the conduit location to avoid the internal hydraulic hardware of the dispenser. If a contractor is required to cut through the structural panel of a dispenser, the warranty of the dispenser may be voided.
Aspects of the present invention provide a containment box assembly with an anchor frame for anchoring a containment box to either a concrete island, or the concrete driveway of a gasoline service station.
One embodiment includes frame assembly for anchoring a containment box with a top opening in a surrounding driveway surface and for removably attaching one of a plurality of different product dispensers to the containment box. The frame assembly includes an anchor frame attached to the top opening of the containment box, the anchor frame including a plurality of outwardly extending anchoring clamps for anchoring the containment box in the surrounding driveway surface, wherein the anchor frame is configured to be removably attached to any one of a plurality of different dispenser frames and a dispenser frame removably attached to the anchor frame, the dispenser frame including a plurality of frame walls having a frame area larger than an area of the top opening of the containment box such that the frame walls define an offset opening adjacent to the top opening of the containment box, wherein one of the plurality of different product dispensers is adapted to be mounted to the dispenser frame.
The frame assembly may further include a conduit extending along an exterior of the containment box and extending through the offset opening and a railing mount attached to the containment box and a clamp attached to the railing mount, wherein the conduit extends between the clamp and the railing mount. Further, the offset opening may be defined in part by an interior wall extending between two of the frame walls of the dispenser frame and the offset opening may have a width of from about 2 inches to about 6 inches. In one embodiment, the anchor frame is integral to the containment box.
Another embodiment includes a containment box and frame assembly for attachment to one of a plurality of product dispensers having a box assembly for containing fluid spilled from the product dispenser. The box assembly includes a containment box having side walls defining a top opening and a ledge protruding from the side walls and an intermediate box configured to mate with the containment box, the intermediate box including side walls defining a top opening having an area less than an area of the top opening of the containment box and a flange extending from the side walls, the flange configured to engage the ledge of the containment box. A dispenser frame is removably attached to the intermediate box, the dispenser frame including a plurality of frame walls having a frame area larger than an area of the top opening of the containment box such that the frame walls define an offset opening adjacent to the top opening of the containment box, wherein one of the plurality of different product dispensers is adapted to be mounted to the dispenser frame.
Referring to
The anchor frame 12 includes four walls in a rectangular configuration sized to fit in a flared top opening 22 of the containment box such as the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,143, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. In one embodiment, the anchor frame 12 is riveted to the containment box 14 such as with pop rivets 23. Once riveted in place, caulking is placed in the seam between the containment box 14 and anchor frame 12 to provide a fluid-tight seal. While rivets may be used to attach the anchor frame to the containment box, other fasteners such as nuts and bolts, or sheet metal screws can also be used. Instead of rivets or other mechanical fasteners, the anchor frame 12 can also be bonded with adhesive or welded to the containment box. In yet another embodiment, the anchor frame is provided as an integral part of the containment box. However, the use of fasteners such as rivets permit the use of different materials for the anchor frame and the containment box. For example, the containment box can be made of fiberglass or some other lightweight composite material while the anchor frame can be made of steel.
In order to provide added strength to the containment box and to help anchor the containment box in the concrete driveway, a plurality of anchoring clamps are provided. In this embodiment, a plurality of anchor blades 24 made from angle stock are attached to some or all of the four walls of the anchor frame 12 as the anchoring clamps. One wall of the angle stock is attached to the wall of the anchor frame such as by welding. The other wall of the angle is oriented to extend outwardly from the anchor frame 12 in a plane parallel to the surface of the driveway to form the anchor blade. In addition, the front and back walls of the anchor frame 12 each include an inward step 26 wherein the opening of the anchor frame narrows. This provides additional strength to the anchor frame and permits the use of a large containment box while allowing the same anchor frame to be used with a number of different product dispensers as will be discussed in more detail below. The containment box should be large enough to permit access to the piping within the containment box in the event repairs are necessary.
The anchor frame 12 also includes a pair of rails 27 (one shown) inside the anchor frame 12 on its front and back walls. In one embodiment, the rails 27 are made of channel stock with a C-shaped cross section welded to the walls of the anchor frame. The use of such rails is known in the art. Mounting rails are useful for fastening mounting bars that extend across the containment box between the rails. The mounting bars are useful for supporting the piping within the containment box. The use of rails permits the mounting bars to be moved from side to side to accommodate the specific piping configuration for a particular dispenser. The use of a flexible pipeline in combination with the containment box and frame assembly of the present invention further simplifies modification of the piping configuration as may later be necessary to permit use of a different dispenser and dispenser frame than was originally used.
A typical inner opening size for such an anchor frame is about 40 inches by 14 inches which corresponds to a containment box of similar dimensions. Of course, other sizes may be desired such as for a containment box used with a four-product dispenser (such as is provided for dispensing three grades of gasoline and diesel fuel), or one for a two product dispenser (for dispensing two grades of gasoline). The perimeter of the top opening of the anchor frame 12 also includes an inwardly facing lip 28 with a plurality of holes 29.
With reference to
The dispenser frame 50 is dimensioned to define a frame area larger than the top opening 18 of the containment box 14 such that a portion of the dispenser frame protrudes past a side wall 32 of the containment box and past the anchor frame 12 to create an electrical offset area 40. In other words, the electrical offset area 40 is generally adjacent to the top opening 18 of the containment box. The electrical offset area 40 extends in plane generally perpendicular to the side wall 32 of the containment box 14 such that electrical conduits 34 extending along an exterior of the containment box 14 are enclosed by the dispenser frame 50. The electrical offset area 40 is defined by a portion of three frame walls 52 and by an interior wall 53 that extends between two opposing frame walls. As shown in
In one embodiment as shown in
While only one particular dispenser frame is shown for the containment box 14, it is clear that various different sizes of dispenser frames can be provided, each of which will fit on a common anchor frame and provide an electrical offset area as described above. By producing a number of different sizes of dispenser frames that can be connected to a single size of containment box and anchor frame, a containment box manufacturer can maintain a smaller inventory of dispenser boxes than was previously possible. While several different sizes of dispenser frames may need to be kept in the manufacturer's inventory, since the dispenser frames are of a fairly simple construction and are of a fairly compact size compared to a conventional containment box with an integral dispenser frame, it is far less expensive to manufacture and store a large number of dispenser frames than a comparable number of containment boxes with integral dispenser frames.
In one embodiment, the various components that make up the anchor frame 12 are fabricated from a strong and durable material such as 12 gauge steel. For the anchor frame, this permits the various components that make up the anchor frame to be welded together. As pointed out above, the containment box can be fabricated from a number of different materials including steel, fiberglass, steel lined with fiberglass, or composites. Such materials are well known in the art. In one embodiment, the dispenser frame 50 is made of steel, but could be made of other materials as well.
According to
During installation of the containment box 14 and anchor frame 12, the four dispenser bolts 62 should be threaded into the threaded apertures 63 so that a small void under each nut on the dispenser frame is created in the concrete. After the concrete has set, the bolts can be removed and used to attach the product dispenser 51 to the dispenser frame 50. In order to simplify the removal of the bolts from the concrete, the thread of each bolt should be coated with grease while the concrete is setting.
In order to simplify the leveling of the anchor frame 12 during its installation in the concrete of the service station, in one embodiment, the dispenser frame 50 is provided with four leveling nuts 66 at the four corners of the dispenser frame. The use of the leveling nuts 66 is illustrated in
In one embodiment with reference to
In order to protect against corrosion, any steel components of the containment box, anchor frame and dispenser frame should be painted, preferably by a powder coating process. Such processes and the materials they use are well known in the art as similar coatings are typically provided on steel containment boxes.
While the anchor frame 12 and dispenser box 14 are illustrated as separate components, it is clear that the two could be formed as an integral unit. Since a single design for the containment box can be used with a number of different dispenser frames to accommodate various different dispenser designs, the containment box manufacturer can maintain a reduced inventory of containment boxes, yet still satisfy its customers' demands.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, once a containment box assembly including an anchor frame and dispenser frame has been installed, the replacement of the dispenser frame to accommodate a different style or brand of product dispenser can be easily performed. The existing dispenser is removed along with the dispenser frame. A new dispenser frame including an electrical offset area is selected to accommodate the new dispenser and accompanying electrical conduits and the new dispenser frame is bolted to the existing anchor frame. If necessary, holes can be drilled in the concrete before the dispenser frame is bolted in place to accommodate the dispenser mounting bolts for the new dispenser. Any changes in the piping configuration within the box can also be made easily, especially if flexible piping is used. The rails on the front and back of the anchor frame permit adjustment of the orientation of the mounting bars and the various pipelines to accommodate differences between dispenser designs.
In another embodiment, a split level containment assembly is provided as shown in
The intermediate box 112 includes four side walls 138 in a rectangular configuration having an area smaller than an area of an open top of the containment box 114 and a flange 136 extending outwardly from a bottom of the side walls, the flange having an area about equal to an area of the top opening of the containment box 114. In one embodiment, the flange 136 does not extend an equal length around the side walls 138, but rather is configured such that a portion of the flange extending adjacent to one of the side walls, for example, a short or lateral side wall, extends a shorter distance than the rest of the flange. As such, the side walls 138 defining a box portion are offset with respect to the flange 136 and one of the side walls 138 of the intermediate box 112 can be generally aligned with a side wall 132 of the containment box 114 when the intermediate box is attached to the containment box.
During shipping of the split level containment assembly of the present embodiment, the intermediate box 112 can be inverted and stored within the containment box 114 such that the side walls 138 are within the containment box and the flange 136 rests on the ledge 129 of the containment box. Additionally, other components, such as the dispenser frame 150 can also be stored in the containment box during shipping. As such, the split level containment assembly can have a substantially smaller profile for shipping than in its assembled state. When the split level containment assembly is installed, the components can be removed from the containment box 114 and the intermediate box 112 can be rotated such that the flange 136 rests on the ledge 129, but the side walls 138 protrude outwardly with respect to the containment box as shown in
A railing 139 is attached to each of the two long or longitudinal side walls 138, the railing generally having a L-shaped configuration with one leg flush with and attached to the side wall and the other leg extending outwardly from the sidewall. The railing 139 may be attached to the side wall 138 by bolts or any other appropriate fastener. The railing 139 provides additional support to interior mounting rails on the intermediate box 112 for fastening mounting bases as described above with respect to the containment box 14.
A dispenser frame 150 similar to the dispenser frame described with respect to previous embodiments is mounted to the intermediate box 112. The dispenser frame includes four upper frame walls 152 arranged in a rectangular shape. A lower flange 154 extends outwardly from the base of each of the upper frame walls 152 in a horizontal plane at the perimeter of the rectangle defined by the frame walls. In one embodiment, lower frame walls extend from the lower flange 154 in a direction substantially opposite to the upper frame walls 152. The lower frame walls are adapted to engage the side walls 138 of the intermediate box 112 to attach the dispenser frame 150 to the intermediate box. A sealant can be applied to the lower frame walls to more permanently attach the dispenser frame to the intermediate box 112. Alternatively, bolts can be inserted through holes in the lower flange 154 and in an upper lip of the intermediate box 112 and secured with nuts to fasten the dispenser frame 150 to the intermediate box 112. In another embodiment, the intermediate box 112 and the containment box 114 may be a single integral piece.
The dispenser frame 150 is dimensioned such that a portion of the dispenser frame protrudes past a side wall 132 of the containment box 114 to create an electrical offset area 140 through which electrical conduits 134 can extend similar to the electrical offset area described above. The electrical offset area 140 is defined by a portion of three frame walls 152 and by an interior wall 153 that extends between two frame walls. As shown in the inset of
As shown in the inset to
With reference now to
Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, it should be understood that many variations and modifications of the basic inventive concept herein described will still fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 61/030,193, filed on Feb. 20, 2008, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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