Improvements in the Construction of Cisterns, Tanks, Baths, Basins, and similar Vessels or Structures.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Cisterns, Tanks, Baths, Basins,
and similar Vessels or Structures.
1, WILLIAM ORR, of 35 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the economical production of cisterns, tanks,
baths, basins and other vessels or structures from cement, concrete or similar
plastic substances strengthened by embedding therein bars, rods, tubes, wires or
netting composed of steel, iron or other metal.
Under the invention the vessels or structures are made by spreading moulding
or otherwise forming upon flat or curved floors or slabs a suitable thickness of
cement, concrete or like material to form the bottom and side walls of the vessel
within or through which the metallic bars, rods or wires or skeleton metallic
framings are embedded, and after the material has set tilting or raising up the
parts which form the side walls to the vertical or inclined position which they
assume in the finished structure, the meeting edges. being subsequently jointed and
finished with the cement or other plastic material.
The sheet or sheets of cement or concrete thus spread is or are divided to form
separate portions for the bottom and side walls by laying around the part serving
as the bottom wooden or other boards on a level with the thickness of cement
to be laid so that, whilst the cement may be spread to a practically uniform
level over the floor or slab, ou removal of these boards open spaces are formed
between the portions intended to serve respectively as the bottom and the sides.
In like manner spaces may be left between the portions forming the side walls and
narrower portions designed to form a lip, rim or slab around the top of the cistern,
bath or other vessel or structure. The metallic rods or bars or skeleton framings
are carried continuously through the several divisions of the sheet and are left
exposed at the open spaces left by removal of the boards; and thèse rods or bars
or frames which serve to hold together the divisions are bent in tilting up the
portions of the concrete sheet to form the side walls around the bottom of the
vessel or structure. The open spaces formed around the central or bottom portion
may be of such width that the lower edges of the side portions when tilted up
abut against the edges of the botton portion so that a slight filling in of cement
about the contiguous or meeting edges will generally serve to close and finish the
joints around the bottom edge of the vessel. The vertical joints at the corner may
in like manner be simply closed by cementing, but it is preferred to extend the
metallic rods, bars or framings beyond the outer edges of the portions of the sheet
formning the side walls, and these projecting ends are either directly united or
bound together or are secured by slit tubes slipped over them. The corner angles
both at bottom and in the sides as well as other parts may be strengthened by the
insertion of stiffening girder, or other ribs or posts before closing over with cement.
In this way large or small vessels of great strength combined with lightness may
be inexpensively produced.
In the case of baths or other vessels having rounded or curved ends, which could
not be produced in the form of flat panels on the floor, the panels or portions
iptended to be used in the formation of such ends are made up of a number of
strips or segments which when tilted up to meet or nearly meet form end parts of

page_text: curved contour approximating to that desired, the meeting edges of the strips or
segments being subsequently bound together and jointed with cement.
Dated this 1st day of February 1896.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Construction of Cisterns, Tanks, Baths, Basins,
and similar Vessels or Structures.
I, WILLIAM ORR, of 35 Bothwell Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
Merchant, 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 has for its object the economical production of cisterns, tanks,
baths, basins and other vessels or structures from cement, concrete or similar plastic
substances strengthened by embedding therein bars, rods, tubes, wires or netting
composed of steel iron or other metal.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings Figure 1 showing the
cistern, tank, bath or other vessel in the first stage, Figure 2 showing the same in
the second stage of construction and Figure 3 shows a view of a mould for
forming the curved bottom or end of a bath or other vessel.
Under the invention the vessels or structures are made by spreading or otherwise
forming upon flat or other shaped floors or on curved floors or slabs J, as shown at
Figure 3, a suitable thickness of cement B, concrete or like material to form the
bottom C and side walls D of the vessels within or through which metallic bars,
rods or wires or skeleton metallic framings E, shown particularly at Figure 1, are
embedded, and after the material has set tilting or raising up the parts D which
form the side walls to the vertical or inclined position which they assume in the
finished structure, the meeting edges being subsequently jointed and finished with
the cement or other plastic material.
The sheet or sheets of cement or concrete B thus spread is or are divided to form
separate portions for the bottom and side walls by laying around the part serving
as the bottom, wooden or other boards F on a level with the thickness of cement
to be laid so that, whilst the cement may be spread to a practically uniform level
over the floor or slab, on removal of these boards F open spaces G are formed
between the portions intended to serve respectively as the bottom and the sides.
In like manner spaces H may be left between the portions forming the side walls
and narrower portions designed to form a lip, rim or slab I, around the top of the
cistern bath or other vessel or structure. The metallic rods or bars or skeleton
framings E are carried continuously through the several divisions of the sheet and
are left exposed at the open spaces left by removal of the boards; and these ro.is
or bars or frames E which serve to hold together the divisions are bent in tilting
up the portions of the concrete sheet, as shown at. Figure 2, to form the side walts
around the bottom of the vessel or structure. The open spaces formed around the
bottom or central portion may be of such width that the lower edges of the side
portions when tilted up abut against the edges of the bottom portion so that a
slight filling in of cement about the contiguous or meeting edges will generally
serve to close and finish the joints around the bottom edge of the vessel. The
vertical joints at the ends may in like manner be simply closed by cementing, but
it is preferred to extend the metallic rods, bars or framings E beyond the outer

page_text: edges of the portions of the sheet forming the side walls, and these projecting ends.
are either directly united or bound together or are secured by slit tubes slipped
over them or by bars to which the framings are connected. The corner angles.
both at the bottom and in the sides as well as other parts may be strengthened by
the insertion of stiffening girder or other ribs or posts before closing over with
cement. In this way large or small vessels of great strength combined with
lightness may be inexpensively produced.
In the case of baths or other vessels having rounded or curved ends, which could
not be produced in the form of flat panels on the floor, the panels or portions-
intended to be used in the formation of such ends may either be made up of a
number of strips or segments which when tilted up to meet or nearly meet form
end parts of curved contour approximating to that desired, the meeting edges of
the strips or segments being subsequently bound together and jointed with cement,
or the curved end may be made in one piece on a mould J of the exact formation
of the bath end.
When circular, oval or like vessels or other structures such as building pilasters.
or columns are desired the above described method of moulding may be employed,
the mould being duplicated and the wire framing carried over from one to the
other and left exposed at the part J¹ of the mould J; the shells of these hollow
columns being further strengthened by transverse or vertical rods and filled in
with cement.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven--
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
A cistern, tank, bath or like vessel or structure built up as described of slabs of
concrete, cement or like substances having embedded therein metallic rods bars
wires or frames serving to connect the parts of the structures and to strengthen.
them.