Improvements in or Additions to Metallic Vials and their Manufacture.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Oct., 1892—Accepted, 19th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Additions to Metallic Vials and their
Manufacture.
I, GEORGE HOOKHAM of Nos. 7 & 8, New Bartholomew Street Birmingham,
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
--
In the manufacture of metallic vials for containing gases under pressure it is of
importance to strengthen and toughen the material as much as possible so as to
obtain the greatest strength for a given weight. Thinner vessels may be used if
the metal is hardened and toughened by being worked as much as possible when
cold; but if reduced below a certain thickness it becomes extremely difficult to
close or "bottle" "the open end. To meet this difficulty I provide a cylinder
whose wall is thicker at the open end than in the body. I may effect this either by
drawing it down in the body by a contracting tool, such as the ball-bearing tool
described in my Specification numbered 16811", leaving the ends thick, or may
thin the walls of the body from the inside by an expanding tool, similarly leaving
the end thick. It is often desirable to provide a stand for metallic vials of this
description, which stand or foot shall be as nearly as possible solid with the bottle
itself. The practice hitherto has been to turn a ring on the bottom of the bottle
so as to form a projecting part, which passes through an aperture in the stand or
foot, and by means of which the foot is rivetted to the vial. This plan, in all cases
where high pressures are used, is a great source of danger, and I prefer to force
out a small projecting part having, say, a diameter about one-fourth that of the
bottle itself, and use this for the rivetting. The stand itself I prefer to make of
sheet metal, the stand being of somewhat larger diameter than the bottle, the edge
turning inwards and pressing strongly on the outer part of the bottom of the bottle
when the stand is forced upon the rivet. Or I may make the stand in the form of
a short cylinder with a bulging or expanded foot, the cylindrical part being shrunk,
screwed, or soldered on to the lower cylindrical part of the bottle. Though I
prefer to form the stand from sheet metal, I may use stampings or castings. I may
forin the vial with a thick bottom similar to the rear end of certain shrapnel shells,
and hollow or otherwise expand the thickened part so as to form a stand or foot
perfectly solid with the bottle. Or a less perfect foot may be formed by simply
leaving the thick bottom flat and square. But in all cases I provide, by preference,
a circular foot resting on an unbroken surface, so that when required the vial can
be conveniently rolled upon it, in the way milk-cans are moved by rolling on their
base. In some cases a cap is required to protect the valve from mechanical injury.
It has been usual to screw on this cap; but, this method is expensive and weakens
the neck, and I prefer to form a groove at the bottom of the nozzle, and either
fasten the cap to this by means of set screws, or I may make the cap in two
halves and close it over the valve by means of pinching screws, or by a screw or
screws and a hinge. I may cut this groove but I prefer to form it by pressure; or
instead of a groove I may form one or more nipples, or insert one or more pegs,
with which the cap engages. I may form the cap with slits so that its sides are
elastic and allow the rim at the open end of the cap to spring into the groove. The
cap may then be fixed by a band-clip and screw.
Dated Second day of December 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Additions to Metallic Vials and their
Manufacture.
1, GEORGE HOOKHAM, of 7 New Bartholomew Street, in the City of Birming
ham, Manufacturer, 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:-
In the manufacture of metallic vials for containing gas under pressure it is of
importance to strengthen and toughen the material as much as possible so as to
obtain the greatest strength for a given weight. Thinner vessels may be used if
the metal is hardened and toughened by being worked as much as possible when
cold; but if reduced below a certain thickness it becomes extremely difficult to
close or bottle the open end. To meet this difficulty I provide a cylinder whose
wall is thicker at the open end than in the body.
I may effect this either by drawing it down in the body by a contracting tool
such as the ball or roller bearing tool described in my Specification numbered 16811
of 1891 leaving the ends thick, or I may thin the walls of the body from the inside
by an expanding tool, similarly leaving the end thick.
Another part of my invention relates to the formation of a stand for a metallic
vial of the description referred to.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings:
Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 relate to the first part of my invention while Figures 5, 6, 7
and 8 illustrate the second part.
Figure 1 is a section of a vial partly formed but with the metal of uniform or
nearly uniform thickness throughout.
Figure 2 is a section after the contracting tool has been applied from the
exterior.
Figure 3 is a section after the tool has been passed over the whole exterior to
force the thicker metal to the interior or after an expanding tool has been applied
from the interior.
Figure 4 is a section showing the thickened part after bottling.
Figure 5 is a section showing my method of forming the bottom of a vial.
Figure 6 is a plan to show the squared configuration of the bottom flange.
Figure 7 is a plan and Figure 8 is a section showing projecting tongues cut from
the flange to form a stand.
In carrying the first part of my invention into effect I adopt the usual processes to
carry the vial to a stage like that illustrated in section at Figure 1, and then I
draw down the part a Figure 2 by means of my ball or roller bearing tool herein-
before referred to leaving a thickened part at the open end as at b. To ensure a
uniform external surface I insert into the cylinder a smaller mandril than I use in
my first rolling operation and pass the hollow cylinder through the roller bearing
tool and so force in the metal as shown in Figure 3. Sometimes I use an internal
or expanding ball or roller tool to expand the interior of the bollow cylinder as at a
Figure 3. When I thus form my thickened end I bottle that end as shown at c
Figure 4, using the ordinary mode of bottling and securing a sufficient thickness of
metal where required.
Instead of drawing down or thinning the part a Figures 2 and 3, 1 may swage
it down by swaging tools preferably rotating the hollow cylinder and its mandril
as the work is advanced through the tools. The swaging tools may be operated in
any convenient manner. I may also use a combination of the two metals thinning
to a considerable extent by swaging and finishing by ball or roller drawing.
These processes greatly toughen the metal treated and so I am enabled to
reduce the part a of the vial considerably without impairing the strength.

page_text: In carrying the second part of my invention into effect I provide a stand
for metallic vials of this description which stand or foot is solid with the bottle
itself.
The practice hitherto has been to turn a ring on the bottom of the bottle so as to
form a projecting part which passes through an aperture in the stand or foot and
by means of which the foot is riveted to the vial. This plan in all cases when high
pressures are used is a great source of danger.
I form the vial with a thick bottom similar to the rear end of certain shrapnel
shells and hollow or otherwise expand the thickened part so as to form a stand or
foot perfectly solid with the bottle. This is shown at Figure 5 where the dotted
line indicates the required thickness to be allowed. The metal is heated and the
flange e is projected by stamping or pressing, leaving the bottom d of the form
shown, which configuration is found to be convenient when high pressures are
used.
To do this, the thick bottom is heated to a red heat, a mandril is inserted within
the hollow cylinder shaped at its end to the finished form of the bottom d, the
bottom is then forced into a shaped die, the flange e being formed in a suitable
annulus or ring space and the exterior surface of the bottom d being formed by a
corresponding recess piece.
It is to be noted that the die must support the lower part of the external surface
of the vial as far up as the red heat extends. This is necessary to avoid
distortion.
The flange e Figure 5 may be formed by a subsequent process with pro-
jections, as indicated in plan at Figure 6. This may be done by heating
and forcing out the corners while the intermediate parts of the flange are knocked
in a little to produce a level surface or to allow the corner parts to form effective
points for standing.
The flange e may be heated in another manner as indicated at Figures 7 and 8;
Figure 8 being a section through the line .c, y Figure 7. In this case gaps are cut
out of the flange e and feet g, 9, 9, 9 are formed projecting preferably as shown at
Figure 8. In both modifications it is desirable to arrange the projecting parts so
as to prevent rolling, but in all cases the projections should be confined within a
square of the same side as the external diameter of the vial.
The flange e Figure 5 is sometimes utilized as a stand or foot without further
manipulation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is
1. In the manufacture of metallic vials; toughening and finishing the said vials
by working the metal walls cold, by means of ball or roller drawing, swaging or
other method, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. In the manufacture of metallic vials; the use of hollow cylinders having a
thicker wall at the open end to allow of the effective performance of the bottling or
closing in process while permitting thinner walls in the body of the vial, substantially
as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
3. The process of producing hollow cylinders having a thicker wall at the mouth,
by cold, roller or ball drawing, swaging or other method for manufacturing metallic
vials, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
4. In metallic vials, the use and construction of solid feet forming part of the
metal of the vial substantially as hereinbefore described, reference being had to
Figures 6, 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
5. In metallic vials, the process of producing a flange as e by forming a thick
bottom and stamping or pressing the said bottom when sufficiently hot substantially
as and for the purposes herein before described, reference being had to Figure 5 of
the drawings.

page_text: Dated, this 1st day of October 1892.
GEORGE: HOOKHAM,
7, New Bartholomew Street, Birmingham.
London: Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office, by Darling & Son. Ltd.-- 192.
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