An Improved Ladder for Gasholders.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Lelt, 14th June, 1894-Accepted, 28th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL ST EVITTUATION.
An Improved Ladder for Gasholders.
1, WILLIAM GADD, of 64 Barton Arcade, Manchester, Civil and Consulting
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
The improvements relate to ladders for telescopic holders, and the object of the
inprovements is to provide a ladder which can be permanently affixed to the inner
lift or lifts of the telescopic holder, and yet allow of sufficient foothold thereon.
To accomplish this and to effect my improvements, I attach at or about the top
of the topmost or inner lift of the gasholder, a suitably shaped bracket or brackets,
or other projection, which is made to project sufficiently from the face of the holder
for the purpose hereinafter described.
From the top of such gasholder, I suspend, in any convenient manner, a ladder,
preferably of iron, which, when the gasholder is fully extended, reaches to some
little distance below the top edge of the dip of the next lift, but outside such
lower lift; the bracket or brackets, or other projecting part beforementioned being
made long enough to allow of this.
By preference I attach to the bottom end of the suspended ladder one or
more rollers or wheels which are free to turn on their axes, and which rest on the
outside face of the lower lift, or in lieu thereof I cause the ends of the ladder .to
slide on rails, or the sides of such ladder to slide in grooves for telescoping
the same.
In applying the invention to those telescopic gasholders which have a spiral
motion when ascending or descending, I may provide one or more spiral rails
attached in any suitable manner round or partly round the face of the lower lift,
and extending from the top to the bottom, or thereabouts, on which rails may ride
one or more of the running rollers already referred to, and such. wheels may be
flanged or not for the purpose.
By preference I attach a ladder, like unto that already described, to each one of
the inner lifts of the gasholder; and in case of a vertical motion holder, I may
allow an upper ladder to be guided in its ascent or descent by sliding in suitable
grooves or other guides in or attached to the supporting bracket or brackets. on the
lift next below.
Platforms or gratings as well as suitable hand rails may be provided at the top
of each lift or otherwise as may be found necessary; and the outer lift of a
telescopic gasholder so arranged, may be fitted with a ladder of the ordinary or
other description, as may be found most desirable.
Variation in details may be made, such as the manner in which the ladders are
suspended, and the number of supports, without departing from the peculiar
character of the invention, which consists in providing a ladder suspended or
otherwise attached to the top part of the lift of a gasholder, the lower end of which
ladder lies outside the lift below, so that on the ascent or descent of the upper lift,
the ladder will slide or fall therewith on the outside of the lower lift.
Dated this 14th day of September 1893.
WILLIAM GADD,
64, Barton Arcade, Manchester.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Ladder for Gasholders.
I, WILLIAM GADD, of 64 Barton Arcade, Manchester, Civil and Consulting
Engineer, 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 :-
The improvements relate to ladders for telescopic gasholders, and the object of
the improvements is to provide a ladder which can be permanently affixed to the
inner lift or lifts of the telescopic holder, and yet allow of sufficient foothold
thereon.
To accomplish this, and to effect my improvements, I attach at or about the top
of the topmost or inner lift of the gasholder a suitably shaped bracket or brackets,
or other projection, which is made to project sufficiently from the face of the holder
for the purpose hereinafter described.
From the top of such gasholder, I suspend, in any convenient manner, a ladder,
preferably of iron, which, when the gasholder is fully extended, reaches to some
little distance below the top edge of the dip of the next lift, but outside such lower
lift the bracket or brackets, or other projecting part beforementioned being made
long enough to allow of this.
By preference I attach to the bottom end of the suspended ladder one or more
rollers or wheels, which are free to turn on their axes, and which rest on the
outside face of the lower lift, or in lieu thereof, I cause the ends of the ladder to
slide on rails, or the slides of such ladder to slide in grooves for telescoping
the same.
In applying the invention to those telescopic gasholders which have a spiral
motion when ascending or descending, I may provide one or more spiral rails
attached in any suitable manner round or partly round the face of the lower lift
and extending from the top to the bottom, or thereabouts, on which rails may ride
one or more of the running rollers already referred to, and such wheels may be
flanged or not for the purpose.
By preference I attach a ladder, like unto that already described, to each one of
the inner lifts of the gasholder; and in case of a vertical motion holder, I may
allow an upper ladder to be guided in its ascent or descent by sliding in suitable
grooves or other guides in or attached to the supporting bracket or brackets on the
lift next below.
Platforms or gratings as well as suitable hand-rails may be provided at the top
of each lift or otherwise as may be found necessary; and the outer lift of a
telescopic gasholder so arranged, may be fitted with a ladder of the ordinary or
other description, as may be found most desirable.
But that the improvements may be better understood, I will, with the aid of the
accompanying drawings, proceed more fully to describe means employed by me.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figs. 1 and 2. shew views of a fully inflated, telescopic gasholder, whose lifts rise
and fall with spiral motion, provided with ladders according to my improvements ;
and Fig. 3 shows a view of the same holder deflated, the ladders having been
separated from each other by virtue of the spiral movement of the various lifts.
Fig. 4. shews a deflated holder whose lifts rise and fall with vertical motion, the
ladder of each inner lift being shewn capable of sliding in the bracket or brackets
of the ladder or ladders below; and
Figs. 5 and 6 shew enlarged views of the bracket arrangement in the case of
vertical holders, by preference, though the same, or a slightly modified method may
be employed for the spirally ascending and descending holders.

page_text: Figs. 7. and 8. shew a spiral holder, inflated and deflated, provided with radially
mounted ladders, as a variation. Figs. 9. and 10. shew a similar arrangement as
applied to a vertically moving holder, and Figs. 11 and 12. are enlarged detailed
views of the brackets shewn thereon; while Figs. 13. and 14. are enlarged views
of the brackets shewn in Figs. 7. and 8.
The same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
a. a. are the lifts of the gasholders; . . are the spirally moving ladders mounted
to face the holder, and supported by the brackets ; and c. c are the vertically
moving ladders, similarly mounted, and supported and guided by the brackets c c.
d. d. are the spirally moving ladders mounted radially, and d' dare their
brackets, while e. e. are the similarly mounted ladders having vertical motion, and
supported and guided by the brackets e' e¹.
In Figs. 3. and 8. the arrows indicate the direction of the ladders in rising. As
the holder is inflated, first the top lift rises and carries its ladder along the path
indicated by the dotted line, until the same comes in contact with the bracket,-or
it may be another projection-on the lift below, when the top lift is fully inflated.
In like manner, the second lift then rises, and carries its ladder against the bracket
or projection of the third lift, when the three ladders of the example shewn are in
continuity, and, as the bottom lift emerges from the tank, all will move round, in
spiral motion, together.
In Figs. 1 and 2. 12 are antifriction bowls or rollers, which may be attached
to the bottom ends of the ladders, if desired, and which rest against the outside
face of the bottom lift, or it may be upon rails, as they descend and ascend.
In vertically moving holders, each ladder is caused to pass, in its downward or
deflating motion, through the whole of the brackets of the ladders below. In the
examples given, three lifts only are employed, and therefore the top ladder, in
descending, passes through the brackets in the middle and bottom lift; while the
intermediate ladder only engages with the bracket on the outer lift, as illustrated
in Figs. 4, 10, and 12. In all cases, the ladder on the outer or bottom lift is, by
preference, fixed thereto, and secured both at its upper and lower extremities.
Variations in detail may be made, such as the manner in which the ladders are
suspended, and the number of supports, without departing from the peculiar
character of the invention, which consists in providing a ladder suspended or
otherwise attached to the top part of the lift of a gasholder, the lower end of which
ladder lies outside the lift below, so that on the ascent or descent of the upper lift,
the ladder will slide or fall therewith on the outside of the lower lift.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. In gasholders baving spiral motion, a ladder attached to each lift, moving
therewith, and projecting therefrom so as to pass outside the outer lift, each ladder
being supported by a bracket, or otherwise, at or about its upper extremity, and,
at its other end, in the elevated position of the lift, coming in contact with the
bracket, or other projection of the lift, or with the lift next below, for the purpose
and in manner substantially as herein shewn and described.
2. In gasholders having vertical motion, a ladder attached to each lift, moving
therewith and projecting therefrom so as to pass outside the outer lift, each ladder
being supported by a bracket, or otherwise, at or about its upper extremity, and
being capable of sliding within the bracket or brackets of or upon the ladder or
ladders below, as the lifts rise and fall, for the purpose and in manner substantially
as herein shewn and described.
Din 19th of Lunn 1904
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
64, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Agent.