Improvements in the Construction of Hot Water Circulating Tanks.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Hot Water Circulating Tanks.
We, DAVIES BROTHERS AND COMPANY, LIMITED, of Crown Works, Wolver-
hampton, in the County of Stafford, Galvanized Iron Manufacturers, and EDWARD
ALBERT, DAVIES, of the same address,, Managing Director of the said Company,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Hot water circulating tanks, as usually constructed, have the bottoms thereof
riveted to the bodies or shells, and the tops, also, are either riveted to the bodies
or shells, or are fixed thereto by bolts and nuts, so as to be removable; and if
the cover is not removable, a manhole is sometimes provided for access to the
interior of the tank, and this hole is closed by a cover. It has been usual also
to lap the vertical joint of the shell or body and form it as a riveted joint. The
riveting of the ends to the shell or body involves considerable expense in manu-
facture, as is the case also if the cover is fixed by bolts, and in the latter,case the
removal and refixing of the lid occupies very considerable time. If the lid is not
made removable, there is great difficulty, whether a manhole is provided or not,
in ensuring that the interior of the tank shall be completely galvanized and in
ascertaining whether this has been the case or not. Moreover, a tank of the
ordinary manufacture does not readily adapt itself to being thoroughly enamelled
inside. When the cover is fixed by bolts, or is riveted to the body and no man-
hole provided, it is usual to rivet mountings to the tank for the purpose of
receiving the fittings, so as to avoid, in the former case, the delay of removing
the cover when a fitting has to be fixed to the tank, and so as to enable the
fittings in the latter case, to be fixed at all.
Now, this invention has for its more immediate object to greatly reduce the cost
of manufacturing hot water circulating cylinders, to facilitate access to the
interiors for cleaning and for making connections, to greatly facilitate the gal-
vanising of the insides of the cylinders and the inspection thereof, and to admit
of the interiors of the cylinders being readily and thoroughly enamelled.
The above object is accomplished, according to this invention, by forming the
top and bottom of the cylinder each with an annular groove in its inner face to
pass over the corresponding plain edge of the cylindrical shell or body, and
securely tightening the ends on to the body by a central bolt which passes down
the axis of the cylinder and through both the ends. The vertical joint of the
shell or body is brazed or otherwise made so as to avoid the projections which the
use of rivets would involve, and so as to maintain the true cylindrical shape of
the body. The bottom of the cylinder is preferably dished upwards as is usual,
and the top or cover is also dished upwards as is usual and is preferably
strengthened or stiffened (as the bottom may be also, if desired) by radial
corrugations. The joints between the top and bottom and the shell or body
may be made fluid-tight by a packing of asbestos tape, or other suitable jointing
material; and the openings through which the central bolt passes may be
similarly made fluid-tight.
By means of this invention all riveting is dispensed with, the cover may be

page_text: very quickly removed and replaced, thus greatly facilitating cleaning, and
enabling fittings to be conveniently connected by means of back nuts thereby
avoiding the need for riveting mountings to the cylinder for the reception of
fittings. The cylinder may be much more conveniently galvanised than in the
case of the cylinders as usually constructed, as the plane cylindrical shell or
body may be galvanised separately from both the ends; the coating thereupon
is very easily inspected. Moreover, the shell or body and ends being made for
fitting together in the manner described, the utmost facility is afforded for
enamelling the interior of the cylinder.
The invention is, of course, applicable to circulating tanks of other shapes
besides those of cylindrical form, such as tanks of an oval, or rectangular, shape
on plan.
.
Circulating tanks constructed in the manner of this invention are specially
adapted for transport as tanks of different sizes may be readily nested and the
parts be put together in situ.
1000
STEPHEN WATKINS & GROVES,
Wolverhampton, Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in the Construction of Hot Water Circulating Tanks.
We, DAVIES BROTHERS AND COMPANY, LIMITED, of Crown Works, Wolver-
hampton, in the County of Stafford, Galvanized Iron Manufacturers, and EDWARD
ALBERT DAVIES, of the same address, Managing Director of the said Company,
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:
-
A hot water circulating tank, as usually constructed, has the bottom thereof
riveted to the body or shell, and the top, also, is either riveted to the body or
shell or is fixed thereto by bolts and nuts, so as to be removable; and if the
top is not removable, a manhole is sometimes provided for access to the
interior of the tank, and this hole is closed by a lid. When the top or
cover of the tank is fixed by bolts in order to allow of its removal, the opera-
tion of removing and refixing it occupies a very considerable time.
cover is not made removable, and the tank is required to be galvanized, there
is great difficulty, whether a manhole is provided or not, in insuring that the
interior of the tank shall be completely galvanized, and in ascertaining whether
this has been the case or not. Moreover, a tank of the ordinary manufacture does
not readily adapt itself to being thoroughly enamelled inside.
If the
Now, this invention has for its more immediate object increased facility of
access to the interior of a tank, for cleaning, and increased facility for coating
the interior thereof by galvanising or enamelling, and for the subsequent inspec-
tion of the interior.
The above object is accomplished, according to this invention, by forming the
top and bottom of a cylindrical hot water circulating tank each with an annular
groove in its inner face to pass over the corresponding plain edge of the cylindrical
shell or body, and securely tightening the ends on to the body by a central bolt
which passes down the axis of the cylinder and through both the ends. The
vertical joint of the shell or body is seamed or folded, or may be riveted if
desired, if it is intended to galvanise the tank or to coat it otherwise
than by enamelling; but if it is intended to enamel the interior of the tank,

page_text: the vertical joint is welded so as to leave a plain surface at the joint. The top
or cover of the cylinder is, preferably, dished upwards, as is usual, and the
bottom also may be dished upwards, and both the top and bottom may be
strengthened or stiffened, if desired, by radial corrugations. The joints between
the top and bottom and the edges of the shell or body may be made fluid-tight
by a packing of rubber, asbestos tape, or other suitable jointing material, and
the openings through which the central bolt passes may be similarly made
fluid-tight.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will now proceed to
describe a convenient practical application of the same by reference to the
drawings herewith, of which Figure 1 is a vertical section through the centre of
a cylindrical circulating tank, Figure 2 an enlarged sectional view shewing the
upper end of the central bolt and the middle portion of the cover, and Figure 3
a vertical section, to the same scale as Figure 2, of one side of the cover and of
the upper end of the cylinder and the corresponding side of the bottom and of the
lower end of the cylinder.
C
.
The cover A, which is preferably formed of an upwardly dished or domed shape,
as shewn, has an annular recess a in the lower face of the rim 6 which is formed
by bending the outer margin of metal of the cover into a form having a general
resemblance in cross section to the letter S but with the outer extremity of the
curve continued straight downwards for a short distance to form a cylindrical
portion to surround the upper end of the body or shell B. The annular recess
is passed down over the upper edge of the cylinder or shell B, and as the cover
is tightened down, by means of the central bolt C which passes through both
the cover and bottom of the tank, a fluid-tight joint is made by the compression
of packing d of rubber asbestos tape, or other suitable jointing material, between
the interior of the annular recess and the upper edge of the cylinder or shell B.
The bottom D of the tank is formed of an upwardly dished shape, as shewn, and
the outer margin of metal of the bottom is formed of a U-shape in transverse
section which leaves a groove a², corresponding to the groove a of the cover,
and a fluid-tight joint is made between the bottom and the lower edge of the
cylinder or shell B by means of a packing of rubber, asbestos tape, or other
suitable jointing material. The outer side of the U-shaped part is formed with
a portion which corresponds with the portion of the lid and extends a short
distance up the outside of the cylinder or shell B. The joint between the bottom
and the cylinder is, of course, made also by the tightening up of the bolt C. It
is preferred to transmit the pressure of the bolt head to the outside of the metal of
the cover A, through a washer e, in order to distribute the pressure over a con-
siderable area, and to transmit the pressure of the nut through a corresponding
washer e to the underside of the metal of the bottom D. Joint rings of rubber,
or other suitable material, are placed between the washers and the ends of the
tank, and a fluid tight joint is made at the inner faces of the head and nut,
respectively, by means of hemp and red lead, or in any convenient manner. The
joint rings for the ends of the body are conveniently grooved rings, to the section
shewn, which are slipped on to the ends previously to putting on the cover and
bottom. The bolt C is made, preferably, square under the head and passes
through a square hole in the washer c and cover A. When the vertical joint of
the body is seamed or riveted it is, preferably, thinned down at the top and
bottom edges of the shell for convenience in making the joint. It is preferred
to true up the ends of the shell in a spinning lathe and to take off the sharp
edges.
Mountings are shewn as riveted to the exterior of the tank (or they may be
riveted against the inside if preferred), for pipe connections; but the pipes may
be connected in other convenient manner, such as by back nuts, if preferred.
By means of the invention above described, the cover may be very quickly
removed and replaced, thus greatly facilitating cleaning the cylinder may be
much more conveniently galvanised than in the case of the cylinders as usually

page_text: constructed, as the plain cylindrical shell or body may be galvanised separately
from both the ends; and the coating also is very easily inspected. Moreover, the
shell or body and ends being made for fitting together in the manner described,
the utmost facility is afforded for enamelling the interior of the cylinder and for
examining the enamelled surface.
The invention is, of course, applicable to circulating tanks of other shapes
besides those of cylindrical form, such as tanks of an oval or rectangular shape
in plan.
Circulating tanks constructed in the manner of this invention are specially
adapted for transport, as tanks of different sizes may be readily nested together
and the parts be put together in situ.
While it is greatly preferred to construct both the top and bottom of a hot
water circulating tank to be fixed in the improved manner described, some
advantage gained even if the top or cover only is adapted to be fixed in this
manner.
.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
1. A hot water circulating tank having the top and bottom thereof formed
with grooves to receive the edges of the body, jointing material within the
grooves, and means by which the jointing material may be pressed tightly
against the edges of the body and fluid-tight joints be thereby made (and,
also, the modification thereof in which the cover only is adapted to be fixed to
the body in this manner), substantially as described.
2. A hot water circulating tank having the top and bottom thereof formed
with grooves to receive the edges of the body, jointing material within the
grooves, and a central bolt which passes through both the top and bottom of the
tank and by means of which the jointing material may be pressed tightly
against the edges of the body and fluid-tight joints be thereby made (and, also,
the modification thereof in which the cover only is adapted to be fixed to the
body in this manner), substantially as described.
3. A hot water circulating tank having the top and bottom fitted and fixed
to the body thereof (or the top so fitted and fixed) substantially as described
and shewn by the drawings herewith.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1900
STEPHEN WATKINS & GROVES,
Chartered Patent Agents, Wolverhampton,
Agents for the Applicants.