IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING OR MANUFACTURING TANKS AND OTHER VESSELS OF SLATE, STONE, MARBLE, AND OTHER MATERIALS, AND IN FITTING AND FASTENING SUCH MATERIALS TOGETHER
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
COLES, of the Town and County of Southampton, Slater and Slate Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-third day of December, in the fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Richard Coles, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Richard Coles, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said Richard Coles, my executors, adminis-
trators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during' the term of years therein mentioned, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAKING
OR MANUFACTURING TANKS AND OTHER VESSELS OF SLATE, STONE, MARBLE, AND
OTHER MATERIALS, AND IN FITTING AND FASTENING SUCH MATERIALS TOGETHER;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said
Richard Coles, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particu-
larly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled, in
Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Richard Coles, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had to
the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say):-
My Invention of improvements in making or manufacturing tanks and other
vessels of slate, stone, marble, and other materials consists in certain improved
methods of fastening or attaching together the materials of which such tanks or
vessels are composed, whereby greater strength is obtained. Before describing
the particulars of my Invention I will briefly explain the ordinary manner of
connecting together the several parts of which tanks are composed when the
above-mentioned materials are employed. The sides and_bottom of the tank
or other vessel are either screwed together or fastened together with dowels,
and the joints well cemented, in order to render them water-tight. When
either of the above methods is employed, the whole weight of the water con-
tained in the vessel acts upon the small portion of the material supported by the
screws or dowels, which, when the weight is considerable, are liable to give way.
Now, the object of my Invention is to distribute more equally the strain
occasioned by the weight of the contents of the tank, and I effect it in the
following manner:-The pieces of material of which the tank or other vessel
is to be constructed having been cut into the required form and size, I take
the slabs intended for the bottom and sides of the tank, and at about an inch
from their outer edges I cut or form a square groove, as seen in the accom-
panying Drawing, in plan at Fig. 1 and in section at Fig. 2, and in the internal
angles of this groove I bore a number of small holes, about a quarter of an
inch deep, and three inches apart; then I take the sides and ends of the tank or
other vessel, and having prepared the edges thereof, and made them of a proper
thickness to fit the square groove of the bottom slab easily, I cut or form
another groove along both sides of the edges of them. These grooves may be
either square or curved, as seen in Fig. 3, and when the several parts are
brought into their proper places, the cavities formed by the grooves and holes
are filled up with molten metal, see Fig. 4; lead answers the purpose very
well, and when cold, effectually holds the parts together, the joints being
afterwards made perfectly water-tight by means of a cement of white and red
lead. Sometimes I make the sides and bottom flush, as in Fig. 5, instead of
leaving a projecting part, as in Fig. 4. I sometimes connect the sides and
ends to the bottom by cutting or forming a dovetailed groove along two
opposite sides of the bottom slab, and then, after preparing the bottom edges

page_text: of the corresponding side slabs, these latter are slidden into the groove
formed in the bottom slab, and by that means tend to support it, as shewn
in Fig. 6. The end slabs may be fixed in their proper places in the manner
shewn in reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the joint made water-tight
by white or red lead. By these means a tank or vessel can be formed of any
square or angular shape, and will be found to be much stronger than when
constructed in the ordinary manner, as the strain occasioned by the weight
of the contents is more equally distributed throughout the joints.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself exclusively
to the precise manner herein shewn of attaching together slabs of slate, marble,
stone, and such other materials for making tanks and other vessels, as it might
be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but I claim,―
Firstly, the method above described of constructing tanks and other vessels
of slate, stone, marble, and other materials, whereby an increased degree of
strength is obtained from the more perfect union or connection of the parts.
Secondly, the application of molten lead or other metal in the cavities
formed by the holes and groove before mentioned for the purpose of effecting
such increased degree of strength.
And, thirdly, the method shewn in Fig. 6 of suspending the bottom slab, by
means of a dovetail formed on the lower edge of the side slab, and taking into
a corresponding groove made in the bottom slab, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Coles, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-one.
(L.B.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Fourteenth day of June,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Richard Coles, came. before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Twenty-third day of June, in the year above written.