(57) There are dislcosed a split tank assembly with reinforcement in the region of a joint,
and a method of making such a reinforced split tank assembly. Of particular interest
is the possibility of releasably coupling tank sections 11 and 12 formed, for instance,
by transversely splitting a bag-moulded, reinforced tank. The assembly includes external
circumferential clamping flanges 13 and 14 which are conveniently provided by level
winding a relatively narrow band of resin-impregnated filaments on the sidewall of
the pressure vessel adjacent the midsection of the vessel. The resin in the filaments
is cured and the band and vessel are cut into a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal
axis of the vessel so that band parts 13 and 14 are provided adjacent each open mouth
of the resulting tank sections 11 and 12 and those band parts constitute the aforementioned
clamping flanges. A circumferential, outwardly facing recess 18 is machined in a one-band
part 13 and an 0-ring groove 19 is machined in that outwardly facing recess 18. A
circumferential, inwardly facing recess 22 is machined in the other band part 14 and
an 0-ring 28 is provided in the 0-ring groove 19. The band parts 13 and 14 are telescoped
together to form a pressure vessel with the 0-ring 28 pressed between the recesses
18 and 22 The band parts are clamped together by clamps 23 to form the assembly The
arrangement described above provides in an uncomplicated manner a means of providing
reinforcement in the zones in which clamping is to occur.
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