Improvements in and connected with Charging Vessels with Volatile Liquids or other Substances, and Hermetically Sealing the same.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 31st July, 1894-Accepted, 1st Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Charging Vessels with
Volatile Liquids or other Substances, and Hermetically Sealing
the same.
We, JAMES MACNAB, of 17, Bolsover Street, Great Portland Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer, and JAMES DICKSON, of 48, Gray's Inn Road,
in the same county, Contractor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows
This invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for charging
glass or other vessels with volatile liquids or other substances and hermetically
sealing the same safely and instantaneously; and is specially applicable for use
with highly sensitive and volatile liquids, such for example as liquid ammonia,
benzoline, ether, alcohol, etc.
Owing to the rapidity with which such liquids evaporate when exposed to the
atmosphere, and to the circumstance that the vapours evolved are in some instances
of a readily-inflammable nature, considerable difficulty, uncertainty and danger are
commonly experienced in hermetically sealing vessels charged with liquids of the
kind alluded to.
According to the mode we find most convenient for carrying out our invention,
we employ a glass reservoir having a stoppered charging orifice at the top and a
delivery outlet at the bottom. A syphon may, however, be employed for with-
drawing the liquid if preferred. The delivery outlet or the lower extremity of
the syphon is fitted with a flexible tube, the free end of which is furnished with a
closing clip and a finely-tapered nozzle. The upper part of the reservoir is further
provided with a small hole and plug for regulating the air admission as the liquid
is drawn off.
The vessel to be charged is formed with a neck in which the finely-tapered
nozzle communicating from the reservoir may be inserted for the purpose of
charging the vessel.
The fluid supply is then shut off and the nozzle withdrawn.
If preferred, a small quantity of oil; shellac solution or other suitable substance
Day be poured into the vessel to form a layer on the volatile liquid to prevent the
liberation of vapour during the sealing operation. The neck of the charged
vessel is, with the aid of a blow-pipe, or an electric furnace, rapidly heated to the
temperature at which fusion takes place, and while in this state the two sides of
the neck are promptly pinched with a pair of spring-nippers or tongs and closed
together; hermetical sealing of the vessel being hereby effected before the liquid
has time to become heated to a degree calculated to cause the liberation of vapour
in such a quantity as to resist the closing of the neck orifice. As a further
precaution against leakage, as also to protect the closed neck from injury, the
extremity of the latter may be dipped in liquid gutta-percha, thick shellac or
other suitable substance.
Sensitive or hygroscopic substances such as ammonium nitrate, copper nitrate,
sodium uitrate, the fulminates and such like bodies may also be permanently
secured against atmospheric deterioration by enclosing them in glass vessels sealed
in the manner above described.
To facilitate the operation of sealing the tubes or vessels, the glass of which
they are formed should be soft or contain a good proportion of lead. It is also of
importance that the metal used for making the spring-nippers or tongs should be
of inferior conductivity and rounded at the pinching points so as to offer a limited
bearing surface. We find that a suitable length of galvanized iron wire doubled

page_text: up until the ends meet, thus forming the nippers or tongs, answers very well. Or
flat spring-tongs tipped at the pinching points with suitable lengths of galvanized
iron wire soldered or otherwise secured to the tongs may be employed. The tubes
or vessels should be supported in a holder or frame in an upright position after the
operation of sealing. This holder or frame may be composed of two flat pieces
of wood kept apart by a bar fixed at each end; the upper piece being perforated
with twenty-four or more holes for the reception of the glass tubes or vessels after
they have been charged with the volatile liquid and are ready for sealing. After
the tubes have been sealed, they are left in the holder to cool. They are
afterwards tested by shaking or otherwise to ascertain if there be any leakage.
The method of treatment hereinbefore described is more appropriate with small
-vessels formed of thin glass. In sealing larger vessels, necessarily made of stouter
material, a longer time is required to heat the neck to the temperature at which
fusion takes place. In such cases, we prefer to enclose the liquid within a tube of
india-rubber, cloth or other waterproof material tied or cemented and rendered
liquid-tight at each end. Or a thin glass tube closed as already described may be
'substituted for the flexible tube of india-rubber or other material. The liquid-
charged tube or envelope is then inserted or rammed into the vessel; the capacity
of the latter being such that surplus air space is as far as possible avoided. The
neck of the vessel is then heated as previously described, pinched together and
the orifice hermetically closed. When an inner glass tube is used instead of a
flexible tube, the mouth or opening of the outer envelope or glass tube must
obviously be formed without a narrow neck. The head of the inner tube may be
tipped with gutta-percha or enclosed in cotton wool or otherwise, to guard against
shaking or concussion. The sealed head, whether thus protected or not, placed
downwards in the outer envelope or glass tube, the mouth of which is then heated
to the fusing point, drawn to a narrow neck, and finally closed or sealed with the
nippers or tongs.
In some instances, the liquid may be poured into the vessel and the neck closed
with a taper plug of cork. faced with gutta-percha tissue or other suitable material,
the same being applied previously to the heating and sealing process. Such a plug
when arranged in position in the mode we prefer has the small end above or
outwards; and, in order to place it in position, we attach a cord or wire to the
small end, force the plug (small end downwards) into the vessel, where there is
freedom for the plug to be reversed, and by means of the cord or wire we then pull
it upwards into the neck.
Dated the 1st day of November 1893.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Charging Vessels with
Volatile Liquids or other Substances, and Hermetically Sealing
the same.
We, JAMES MACNAB, formerly of 17, Bolsover Street, Great Portland Street
but now of 6, Red Lion Square, Holborn, Engineer, and JAMES DICKSON of
48, Gray's Inn Road, Contractor, both 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:-
This invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for charging glass
or other vessels with volatile liquids or other substances and hermetically sealing
the same safely and instantaneously; and is specially applicable for use with highly

page_text: vorane quids, such for example as liquid ammonia, benzoline, ether,
alcohol, etc.
Owing to the rapidity with which such liquids evaporate when exposed to the
atmosphere, and to the circumstance that the vapours evolved are in some instances
of a readily inflammable nature, considerable difficulty, uncertainty and danger are
commonly experienced in hermetically sealing vessels charged with liquids of the
kind alluded to.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure is a vertical section of apparatus adapted for charging vessels with
volatile liquids or other substances according to our invention :
Figure 2 is a view of an implement designed for use in sealing the said
vessels :
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a vertical section and a plan of a holder or frame
for supporting the charged vessels in an upright position.
According to the mode we find most convenient for carrying out our invention,
we employ a glass reservoir a, Figure 1, having a stoppered charging orifice a' at
the top and a delivery outlet at the bottom. A syphon may, however, be
employed for withdrawing the liquid if preferred. The delivery outlet or the
lower extremity of the syphon is fitted with a flexible tube c, the free end of which
is furnished with a closing clip d and a finely tapered nozzle e. The upper part.
of the reservoir a is further provided with a small hole in the cork stopper g, a
plug being inserted in the said hole for regulating the air admission as the liquid i
is drawn off.
The. reservoir a is advantageously provided with a cord arranged around it as
shewn and formed with a loop whereby the said reservoir can be suspended from
a peg or nail while in operation.
The vessel to be charged is formed with a narrow neck in which the finely
tapered nozzle of the reservoir a is inserted for the purpose of charging the vessel.
If desired a small quantity of oil, shellac solution or other suitable substance may
be poured into the vessel to form a layer on the volatile liquid to prevent the
liberation of vapour during the sealing operation. The vessel k having been filled
and the nozzle e withdrawn the neck k of the charged vessel k is, with the aid of a
blow-pipe, or an electric furnace, rapidly heated to the temperature at which fusion
takes place, and while in this state the two sides of the neck are promptly punched
with a pair of spring-nippers or tongs and closed together; hermetical scaling of
the vessel being hereby effected before the liquid has time to become heated to a
degree calculated to cause the liberation of vapour in such a quantity as to resist
the closing of the narrow neck orifice k¹. As a precaution against leakage, as also
to protect the closed neck from injury, the extremity of the latter may be dipped
in liquid gutta-percha, thick shellac or other suitable substance.
Sensitive or hygroscopic substances such as ammonium nitrate, copper nitrate,
sodium nitrate or their equivalents, the fulminates and such like bodies may also
be permanently secured against atmospheric deterioration by enclosing them in glass
vessels sealed in the manner above described.
To facilitate the operation of sealing the tubes or vessels, the glass of which they
are formed should be soft or contain a good proportion of lead. It is also of
importance that the metal used for making the spring-nippers or tongs should be of
inferior conductivity and rounded on the working faces near the points so as to
offer a limited bearing surface and thereby obviate as far as possible the cooling of
the glass whilst sealing the vessels. We find that the nippers or tongs are advan-
tageously formed by taking a length of galvanized iron wire and doubling or bending
it until the ends meet. Or flat spring tongs 1, Figure 2, tipped at the ends with
lengths of galvanized iron wire m or other suitable material soldered or otherwise
secured to the tongs may be employed.
The tubes or vessels are preferably supported in a holder or frame n, Figures 3
and 4, in an upright position after the operation of sealing. This holder or frame n
is advantageously composed of two flat pieces of wood o, p kept apart by a bar Չ

page_text: fixed at each end; the upper piece o being perforated with a number of holes for
the reception of the glass tubes or vessels & after they have been charged with the
volatile liquid and are ready for sealing. After the tubes & have been sealed, they
are left in the holder or frame n to cool. They are afterwards tested by shaking
or otherwise to ascertain if there be any leakage.
The method of treatment herein before described is especially suitable for sealing
small vessels formed of thin glass. In sealing larger vessels, necessarily made of
stouter material, a longer time is required to heat the neck to the temperature at
which fusion takes place. In such cases, we prefer to enclose the liquid within a
tube of india-rubber cloth or other waterproof material tied or cemented and
rendered liquid-tight at each end. Or a thin glass tube closed as already described
may be substituted for the flexible tube of india-rubber cloth or other material.
The liquid-charged tube or envelope is then inserted or rammed into the vessel, the
capacity of the latter being such that surplus air space is, as far as possible, avoided.
The neck of the vessel is then heated as previously described and pinched together
to hermetically close the orifice. When an inner glass tube is used instead of a
flexible tube, the mouth or opening of the outer envelope or glass tube must
obviously be formed without a narrow neck. The head of the inner tube may be
tipped with gutta-percha or enclosed in cotton wool or otherwise to guard against
shaking or concussion. The sealed head, whether thus protected or not, is placed
downwards in the outer envelope or glass tube, the mouth of which is then heated
to the fusing point, drawn to-a narrow neck, and finally closed or sealed with the
nippers or tongs.
In some instances, the liquid may be poured into the vessel and the neck closed
with a taper plug of cork faced with gutta-percha tissue or other suitable material,
the same being applied previously to the heating and scaling process. Such a plug
when arranged in position in the mode we prefer has the small end above or
outwards; and, in order to place it in position, we attach a cord or wire to the
small end, force the plug (sinall end downwards) into the vessel, where there is
freedom for the plug to be reversed, and by means of the cord or wire we then pull
it upwards into the neck.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The method of charging glass tubes or vessels with volatile liquids or other sub-
stances and hermetically sealing the same instantaneously consisting in first causing
the liquid to flow into the said vessels from a reservoir, the said flow being regulated
by regulating the supply of air to the reservoir and then fusing the neck of the said
vessel and pinching the sides of the said neck together while in a state of fusion,
substantially as described.
2. Means for charging glass tubes or vessels with volatile liquids or other
substances and hermetically sealing the same comprising a reservoir provided, with
a flexible tube having a closing spring-clip, a nozzle adapted to enter the neck of
the vessel to be filled and a movable plug for regulating the supply of air and
consequently the outflow of liquid from the reservoir, and tongs or nippers for
pinching the necks of the said vessel when fused substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.