Improvements in or connected with Airtight Receptacles or Cases for Chemicals and other Goods.
Year: 1894

page_text: .Date of Application, 27th Apr., 1894.
Complete Specification Left, 28th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Airtight Receptacles or Cases
for Chemicals and other Goods.
I, ALFRED APPS, Scientific Instrument Maker, of 433 Strand, in the County of
London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
My invention has for its object, to construct receptacles or cases for chemicals
and other goods in such a manner, that they will easily and automatically change
their volume under the influence of barometric or temperature changes, without
producing leakage or injurious strains.
For this purpose, I provide the vessel, which may be round, square or otherwise
shaped, and may have one or more openings, with an expansible lid or lids made as
follows:
It comprises an annular or polygonal frame of metal or other rigid material
adapted to be fitted to the mouth of the vessel, so as to form with the same an
air-tight joint, and a flexible membrane of indiarubber, thin corrugated sheet metal
(with annular corrugations), or other suitable water and air-tight material which
will yield to slight pressure so as to expand outward or collapse inward, said
membrane being hermetically fixed at its edges to the said annular frame and
closing the opening of the same.
To prevent the contents of the vessel from injuring the membrane or from
interfering with its free contraction, I fix to the frame of the lid a strong plate or
rigid guard situated at a certain distance from the inside of the membrane and
preferably parallel with the same, said plate or guard being provided with small
openings and sufficiently strong to resist the weight of the contents of the vessel,
and in case the diaphragmn might be damaged from outside during transit or from
other causes, a protecting plate or other suitable guard may be fixed also to the
outside of the lid, so as to leave the necessary clearance between itself and the
membrane, said guard being either permanently fixed or detachable.
For connecting the frame of the lid with the mouth of the vessel, I prefer to
employ a screw-joint and an elastic packing placed in a circular groove. The frame
of the lid may, for instance, have an externally screw-threaded flange fitting like a
cap over the mouth of the vessel, and the latter may be armed with a hoop over
which fits a union ring provided with an internal screw thread, so as to form a
screw nut adapted to be screwed over the said flange of the lid so that the latter
need not be turned during the act of closing. The outside of the said union ring
may be facetted, milled or otherwise shaped to facilitate attachment and removal.
The frame of the lid has also an annular edge or a concentric ring for pressing on
the packing contained in the annular groove mentioned above.
Instead of such a joint and packing, I may, however, use a washer, and a bayonet
joint or equivalent device adapted to easily and hermetically secure the lid to the
vessel.
If the external pressure rises owing to barometric or other changes, the end or
ends or sides of the vessel which is or are covered with a flexible membrane or
membranes in the manner described above, will bend inward, so that, if the volume
or capacity and the flexibility of the alterable parts are correctly proportioned, the
pressure inside the vessel will still be approximately the same as that outside.
Also, if owing to increase of temperature, or chemical action of the contents of
the vessel, the internal pressure rises, the flexible membrane or membranes will

page_text: expand outward, tending to establish equilibrium between the inner and outer
pressure.
Instead of fixing the membrane to the detachable lid or cover of the vessel, it
may permanently cover an opening formed in any convenient part of side of the
vessel, and be protected by a plate or guard similar to that described above.
Dated this 27th der of Anril 1804
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Airtight Receptacles or Cases
for Chemicals and other Goods.
I, ALFRED APPS, Scientific Instrument Maker, of 433 Strand, in the County of
London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
My invention has for its object, to construct receptacles or cases for chemicals
and other goods in such a manner, that they will easily and automatically change
their volume under the influence of barometric or temperature changes, without
producing leakage or injurious strains.
I
For this purpose provide the vessel, which may be round, square or otherwise
shaped, and may have one or more openings, with an expansible lid or lids made as
follows:-
It comprises an annular or polygonal frame of metal or other rigid material
adapted to be fitted. to the mouth of the vessel, so as to form with the same an air-
tight joint, and a flexible membrane of indiarubber thin corrugated sheet metal
(with annular corrugations) or other suitable water and airtight material which will
alternately expand and contract under slight variations of pressure, said, membrane
being hermetically fixed at its edges or on one side to the said annular frame.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the mouth of a receptacle embodying my
invention.
Fig. 2 shows a modification.
A represents the receptacle, B the annular frame of the lid, and C the flexible
membrane.
To prevent the contents of the vessel from injuring the membrane or from
interfering with its free contraction, I fix to the frame of the lid shown in Fig. I a
strong plate D or rigid guard situated at a certain distance from the inside of the
membrane and preferably parallel with the same, said plate or guard being provided
with a small, opening and sufficiently strong to resist the weight of the contents of
the vessel, and in case the diaphragin might be damaged from outside during transit
or from other causes, a protecting plate or other suitable guard may be fixed also
to the outside of the lid, so as to leave the necessary clearauce between itself and
the membrane, said guard being either permanently fixed or detachable.
For connecting the frame B of the lid with the mouth of the vessel, I prefer to
employ a screw joint and an elastic packing F placed in an annular groove f. The
frame B,may, for instance, have an externally screw threaded flange > fitting like a
cap over, the mouth of the vessel, and the latter may be armed with a hoop a over
which fits a union ring E provided with. an internal screw thread, so as to form a
screw nut adapted to be screwed over the flange of the lid, so that the latter need
not be turned during the act of closing. The outside of the ring E may be facetted,
milled or otherwise shaped to facilitate attachment and removal
The frame B has also an annular edge b' or a concentric ring for pressing on the
packing F contained in an aunular groove.

page_text: Instead of such a joint and packing, I may, however, use a washer, and a bayonet
joint or equivalent device adapted to easily and hermetically secure the lid to the
vessel.
If the external pressure rises owing to barometric or other changes, the flexible
membrane C will bend inward, so that, if the volume or capacity of the vessel and
the flexibility of the membrane are correctly proportioned, the pressure inside the
vessel will rise in such a manner, that the difference between the external and
internal pressure can never exceed a certain allowable limit.
Also, if owing to increase of temperature or chemical action of the contents of the
vessel, the internal pressure rises, the flexible membrane will expand outward,
tending to establish equilibrium between the inner and outer pressure.
Instead of fixing the membrane to the detachable lid or cover of the vessel, it
may permanently cover an opening formed in any convenient part of the side of the
vessel, and be protected by a plate or guard similar to that described above.
In the receptacle represented by Fig. 2, the flexible membrane has the shape of
a bag C', and the frame of the lid is hermetically closed against the interior of the
vessel by a circular plate D' which serves as a guard for the membrane is attached
to the centre of the said plate D' by means of a short tube d, through which the
interior of the bag or membrane communicates with the interior of the vessel A'.
To protect the bag from external injury, the frame B' of the lid is covered with a
perforated guard plate G.
.
The drawing shows a flexible bag composed of two circularly corrugated metal
plates, similar.to those used in Schäffer's pressure gauges, and the bag at the top of
the receptacle is nearly at its maximum of contraction, corresponding to a high
atmospheric pressure or low internal pressure. If the external pressure falls or the
internal pressure rises, the bag will expand, and if the change of pressure continues,
the bag assumes the shape or condition represented at the bottom of Fig. 2.
If the receptacle has only one flexible lid, the latter should be so arranged, that
at an average barometric pressure, or at the normal internal gas pressure the flexible
membrane occupies an intermediate position so that a rise of atmospheric pressure
or a fall of internal pressure will cause it to collapse or to bulge inward, while a
fall of atmospheric pressure or a rise of internal pressure, will cause it to expand or
to bulge outward. If the receptacle has two flexible lids, one at each end, I prefer to
arrange them in such a manner, that at an average atmospheric pressure, or at a
normal inside pressure, and in the normal condition of the apparatus one of the
membranes can only expand or bulge outward, while the other inembrane can only
contract or bulge inward, and that the membranes are consequently capable of
expanding or contracting in accordance with the fluctuations of the external or
internal pressure..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. An air-tight receptacle for chemical and other goods, having an opening or
openings, each of. which is covered with a flexible membrane protected by a guard,
the whole being arranged and adapted to operate substantially as described.
2. In an airtight receptacle for chemicals and other goods, a removable lid
provided with a flexible membrane and a guard, substantially as described.
3. In an airtight receptacle for chemicals and other goods, a removable lid
provided with a bag-shaped flexible membrane and a guard, substantially as
described.
Dated this 26th day of January 1895.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents.