Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 11th Feb., 1887.
I JAMES SIMPSON of SA Rumford place Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Alkali Manufacturer 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 improvements in and applicable to lids or closers such as
are described in the Specification to British Letters Patent No. 3647 of the year 1876
granted to me.
It has been found in practise that when lids or closers such as are described in the
specification above mentioned are used that great care must be taken to make that
part of the lid or closer next the lateral projections the exact size of the hole in the
head of the drum or cask; for if that part of the lid is larger than the hole, there is
great difficulty in fixing the said lid or closer, and if smaller than the hole, unclosed
apertures are left at each side of the lateral projections.
Now the object of my invention is to so improve such lids or closers that the said lids
or closers may be small enough to be easily fixed and yet apertures will not be left at
the points of junction of the lateral projections and the lid with the head of the drum
or cask.
The invention consists essentially in combining in the manner hereinafter set forth
with the lid or closer, elastic, soft or resilient material such as string, cord, gutia
percha, soft metal, wire and like substances. The said material is used in the form of
a cord, wire, ring, ferrule or similar structure and is passed over the surfaces of
juncture between the lateral projections and the lid or closer. The string or
substance may be in one length with the ends secured together or to the lid or closer
in any convenient manner or a seperate piece of the said string or substance may be
used for each lateral projection.

page_text: Figure 1. is a plan and Figure 2. an elevation of my improved lid or closer. 1.
body of lid, 2. lateral projections. 3 String or cord passed over the upper edges of
the lateral projections and beneath the body of the lid where the ends of the string are
tied or secured at 4. to keep it in its place. Instead of passing the string or its
equivalent directly from one lateral projection to another it may be made to cross as
shown by the dotted lines 5. the ends being brought to the crossing where they are
secured by cement such as pitch applied when melted. Instead of one piece of string
or its equivalent two pieces may be used and the ends secured to the lid or closer by
means of cement or other suitable adhesive substance. When metal is used the ends
are soldered or twisted together or secured by clips, splicing or in any suitable way.
Rings or ferrules of soft metal, as shown in figure 3. may be made to fit over the
lateral projections and be retained in position by friction or cement. The main
feature being the provision of a soft or resilient packing at the points of juncture of
the lateral projections and lid or closer, with the head of the druin or cask.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is -
The combination with a lid or closer for metallic drums or casks of string, cord,
gutta percha, soft metal or liko substance, substantially as set forth.