Improvements in Gas-holder and Liquid Reservoirs.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application; 20th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 17th Apr., 1997
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Gas-holder and Liquid Reservoirs.
I, RUDOLF KELTING, of Eschweiler 2 near Aachen, in the Empire of Germany,
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 :-
In constructing large receptacles of sheet metal, such as are intended to serve as
water reservoirs and more especially as water tanks for gas holders, the thickness
of the metal required rapidly increases to such an extent, that the construction is
rendered practically impossible. A diameter of 50 metres and a height of
10 metres for such reservoirs represent about the maximum dimensions obtainable
in the construction with such sheet metal. In cases where these dimensions were
insufficient it has hitherto been necessary to construct such reservoirs of beton
or masonry.
The object of this invention is to so construct gas holder or liquid reservoirs,
that the above difficulties are obviated.
and
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 represents a central section through such liquid-reservoir;
Figure 2, one half of the said reservoir in plan;
Figure 3 represents another constructional form of the reservoir in elevation ;
Figure 4 shows a graphic representation of the hydrostatic pressure to be taken
into consideration in calculating the thicknesses of the wall of such reservoir.
According to this invention a second wall b is so arranged around the inner
wall a, that its highest part is level or nearly level with the highest point of
maximum-thickness of the inner wall a. The annular space B formed between
the outer wall and inner wall a is filled with liquid, so that below the level of the
liquid in the annular space B, the hydrostatic pressure upon the inner wall a does
not increase, because the pressure increasing toward the bottom of the inner space A
is counterbalanced by a similar increasing pressure within the annular space B.
Therefore, from the level of the liquid in the space B downward, the wall a may
be constructed of uniform thickness.
If this bi-partite wall still involves the use of sheet metal of excessive thickness
for the reservoir, a further partition of the pressure may be made by providing a
further exterior wall e (Figure 3), arranged so that its upper part is level with the
point in the wall 6 where the thickness of the sheet metal is no longer sufficient for
the pressure upon it.
In Figure 4 the light-shaded surface A' represents that portion of the hydrostatic
pressure which acts upon the wall a and which pressure must be resisted by the
said wall; the cross-shaded triangle B¹ represents that portion of the pressure
which, by the liquid in the annular space B, is transmitted from the inner wall a to
the outer wall b.
In this arrangement which allows of the construction of large gas- and liquid
reservoirs by using wrought or welded iron, any suitable filling substance.inay, of
course, be employed to replace the liquid, for the transmission of the pressure to
the outer walls.

page_text: 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 gas-holder or liquid reservoir the walls of which are reduced in thickness to
the lowest limit by surrounding the said reservoir with one or more walls decreasing
outwardly in height, so that the liquid or other filling substance placed in the
aunular spaces thus formed, counter-balance the increasing static pressure within
the enclosed reservoir to the extent of the height of the enclosing reservoir
substantially as described.
Dated this 20th dox of Fobru 1807
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.