대표
청구항
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1. A system for facilitating construction of a processing tank comprising a first ballast block, the system comprising: a cover assembly that can be assembled to form a cover that defines an upper barrier for the processing tank;a side wall assembly that can be assembled to form a side wall connectable to the cover; anda first ballast support assembly comprising: a first arm connectable to the side wall such that, when the first arm is pivotably connected to the side wall, the first arm is pivotable between a first horizontal orientation and a first upwa...
1. A system for facilitating construction of a processing tank comprising a first ballast block, the system comprising: a cover assembly that can be assembled to form a cover that defines an upper barrier for the processing tank;a side wall assembly that can be assembled to form a side wall connectable to the cover; anda first ballast support assembly comprising: a first arm connectable to the side wall such that, when the first arm is pivotably connected to the side wall, the first arm is pivotable between a first horizontal orientation and a first upwardly-angled orientation;a second arm pivotably connectable to the side wall such that, when the second arm is pivotably connected to the side wall, the second arm is pivotable between a second horizontal orientation and a second upwardly-angled orientation, wherein, when connected to the side wall, the first arm and the second arm each are independently pivotable;a first flexible member comprising a first proximal end connectable to the side wall and a first distal end connectable to the first arm, wherein, with the first arm in the first horizontal orientation when the first arm is connected to the side wall and the first proximal end of the first flexible member is connected to the side wall and the first distal end of the first flexible member is connected to the first arm, the first flexible member is tensioned to restrict pivoting of the first arm below the first horizontal orientation; anda second flexible member comprising a second proximal end connectable to the side wall and a second distal end connectable to the second arm, wherein, with the second arm in the second horizontal orientation when the second arm is connected to the side wall, and the second proximal end of the second flexible member is connected to the side wall, and the second distal end of the second flexible member is connected to the second arm, the second flexible member is tensioned to restrict pivoting of the second arm below the second horizontal orientation;wherein, with the first arm in the first upwardly-angled orientation and the second arm in the second upwardly-angled orientation, the first ballast support assembly does not significantly block vertical motion of the first ballast block from an initial ballast location to a final ballast location;wherein the final ballast location is offset substantially directly vertically from the initial ballast location;wherein, with the first arm in the first horizontal orientation and the second arm in the second horizontal orientation, the first ballast support assembly is positioned to retain the first ballast block in the final ballast location. 2. The system of claim 1, when connected to the side wall, each of the first arm and the second arm comprises a radially inward end, a radially outward end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the radially inward end and the radially outward end, the radially outward end being positioned closer to the side wall than the radially inward end, wherein when the first arm is in the first horizontal orientation and the second arm is in the second horizontal orientation, the longitudinal axis of the first arm is in a nonparallel orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the second arm. 3. The system of claim 2, wherein, when the first arm is in the first horizontal orientation and the second arm is in the second horizontal orientation, the radially inward end of the first arm is separated from the radially inward end of the second arm by a first distance, and the radially outward end of the first arm is separated from the radially outward end of the second arm by a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance. 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first arm comprises a first beam and a first lip, the first lip extending away from the first beam and being positioned on the first beam to limit movement of the first ballast block when the first ballast block is positioned on the first beam, and the second arm comprising a second beam and a second lip, the second lip extending away from the second beam and being positioned on the second beam to limit movement of the first ballast block when the first ballast block is positioned on the second beam, wherein each of the first and second lips are elongate. 5. A method for constructing the processing tank of claim 1, the method comprising: at least partially assembling the cover assembly to form at least part of the cover that defines the upper barrier for the processing tank;at least partially assembling the side wall assembly to form at least part of the side wall connectable to the cover;raising the first ballast block from the initial ballast location to a retraction ballast location;moving the first ballast support assembly from a deployed configuration to a retracted configuration;raising the first ballast block from the retraction ballast location to a deployment ballast location;moving the first ballast support assembly from the retracted configuration back to the deployed configuration; andlowering the first ballast block from the deployment ballast location to the final ballast location such that the first ballast support assembly retains the first ballast block in the final ballast location. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein moving the first ballast support assembly from the deployed configuration to the retracted configuration comprises, in response to moving the first ballast block to the retraction ballast location, abutting the first ballast support assembly with the first ballast block to move the first ballast support assembly to the retracted configuration. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first ballast support assembly is movably connectable to the side wall such that gravity exerts force on the first ballast support assembly tending to move the first ballast support assembly from the retracted configuration to the deployed configuration, wherein moving the first ballast support assembly from the retracted configuration back to the deployed configuration comprises, in response to raising the first ballast block from the retraction ballast location to the deployment ballast location, withdrawing the first ballast block from abutment with the first ballast support assembly to permit motion of the first ballast support assembly back to the deployed configuration. 8. The method of claim 5, wherein the cover assembly comprises an aperture, wherein at least partially assembling the cover assembly comprises positioning the aperture at a location within a vertical extension of the initial ballast location and the final ballast location, the method further comprising, prior to raising the first ballast block from the initial ballast location to the retraction ballast location: lowering a distal end of a third flexible member through the aperture; andsecuring the distal end of the third flexible member to the first ballast block;wherein raising the first ballast block from the initial ballast location to the retraction ballast location comprises tensioning the third flexible member to pull the first ballast block substantially vertically to the final ballast location. 9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first ballast support assembly comprises the first arm and the first flexible member, wherein moving the first ballast support assembly from the deployed configuration to the retracted configuration comprises moving the first arm from the first horizontal orientation, in which the first flexible member is tensioned to restrict pivoting of the first arm below the first horizontal orientation, to the first upwardly-angled orientation. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first ballast support assembly further comprises the second arm and the second flexible member, wherein moving the first ballast support assembly from the deployed configuration to the retracted configuration comprises moving the second arm from a second horizontal orientation, in which the second flexible member is tensioned to restrict pivoting of the second arm below the second horizontal orientation, to the second upwardly-angled orientation. 11. A system for facilitating construction of a processing tank comprising a first ballast block, the system comprising: a cover assembly that can be assembled to form a cover that defines an upper barrier for the processing tank;a side wall assembly that can be assembled to form a side wall securable to the cover; anda first ballast support assembly movably connectable to the side wall such that, when the side wall is oriented vertically and when the first ballast assembly is connected to the side wall, the first ballast support assembly has, relative to the side wall, a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration, wherein the first ballast support assembly comprises a first arm and a second arm, each of the first arm and the second arm being pivotably connectable to the side wall, and wherein, when connected to the side wall, the first and the second arms are each independently pivotable;wherein, in the retracted configuration, the first ballast support assembly does not significantly block vertical motion of the first ballast block from an initial ballast location to a final ballast location;wherein the final ballast location is offset substantially directly vertically from the initial ballast location;wherein, in the deployed configuration, the first ballast support assembly is positioned to retain the first ballast block in the final ballast location. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the cover assembly comprises a plurality of cover panels, each of which has a generally sectoral shape, wherein the cover panels are attachable together to form the cover such that the cover has a generally circular shape, wherein the side wall assembly comprises a plurality of wall panels, each of which has a generally arcuate shape, wherein the wall panels are attachable together to form the side wall such that the side wall has a generally tubular shape. 13. The system of claim 12, further comprising: a slide guide assembly comprising a plurality of slide guides securable to an outer wall;a plurality of sliders securable to the side wall and/or the cover, wherein each of the plurality of sliders may slidably engage at least one of the slide guideswherein the cover and the first ballast support assembly can be coupled to the side wall such that the cover and the first ballast support assembly move vertically with the side wall relative to the outer wall when the cover and the first ballast support assembly are secured to the side wall and when each of the plurality of sliders are secured to the side wall and/or the cover and slidably engage at least one of the slide guides. 14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of additional ballast support assemblies, each of which is movably connectable to the side wall such that, with the side wall oriented vertically, each of the additional ballast support assemblies has the retracted configuration and the deployed configuration relative to an additional ballast block of a plurality of additional ballast blocks of the processing tank. 15. The system of claim 11, wherein the cover assembly comprises an aperture positionable at a location within a vertical extension of both the initial ballast location and the final ballast location such that, with the side wall oriented vertically and the cover assembly secured above the side wall, a distal end of a flexible member lowered through the aperture can lift the first ballast block substantially vertically to move the first ballast block from the initial ballast location to the final ballast location. 16. The system of claim 11, wherein the first ballast support assembly is movably connected to the side wall such that motion of the first ballast block from the initial ballast location to the final ballast location causes the first ballast block to abut the first ballast support assembly to move the first ballast support assembly from the deployed configuration to the retracted configuration. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first ballast support assembly is movably connectable to the side wall such that gravity exerts force on the first ballast support assembly tending to move the first ballast support assembly from the retracted configuration to the deployed configuration, wherein the first ballast support assembly is further movably connectable to the side wall such that motion of the first ballast block from the final ballast location to a deployment ballast location above the final ballast location causes the first ballast support assembly to return to the deployed configuration; wherein, in the deployed configuration, the first ballast support assembly is positioned to receive and retain the first ballast block in response to motion of the first ballast block from the deployment ballast location to the final ballast location. 18. The system of claim 11, wherein, when the first arm is connected to the side wall, the first arm is in a first horizontal orientation when the first ballast support assembly is in the deployed configuration, and in a first upwardly-angled orientation when the first ballast support assembly is in the retracted configuration, wherein, when the second arm is connected to the side wall, the second arm is in a second horizontal orientation when the first ballast support assembly is in the deployed configuration, and in a second upwardly-angled orientation when the first ballast support assembly is in the retracted configuration, andwherein, when connected to the side wall, each of the first arm and the second arm comprise a radially inward end, a radially outward end, and a longitudinal axis extending between the radially inward end and the radially outward end, the radially outward end being positioned closer to the side wall than the radially inward end, wherein when the first arm is in the first horizontal orientation and the second arm is in the second horizontal orientation, the longitudinal axis of the first arm is in a nonparallel orientation with respect to the longitudinal axis of the second arm. 19. The system of claim 18, wherein, when the first arm is in the first horizontal orientation and the second arm is in the second horizontal orientation, the radially inward end of the first arm is separated from the radially inward end of the second arm by a first distance, and the radially outward end of the first arm is separated from the radially outward end of the second arm by a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance. 20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first arm comprises a first beam and a first lip, the first lip extending away from the first beam and being positioned on the first beam to limit movement of the first ballast block when the first ballast block is positioned on the first beam, and the second arm comprising a second beam and a second lip, the second lip extending away from the second beam and being positioned on the second beam to limit movement of the first ballast block when the first ballast block is positioned on the second beam, wherein each of the first and second lips are elongate.
