other Purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: Electrical and other Purposes.
I, DAVID ARMYTAGE DAVIS of 12 Princes Street, Hanover Square in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TANKS AND CELLS FOR
ELECTRICAL AND OTHER PURPOSES to be as follows :-
"
My Invention consists in the Application of cellulose compounds or products
such as Parkesine &c to the manufacture of tanks and cells for electrical and
other purposes, whereby such vessels are rendered both water and acid proof.
The cellulose compound may either be applied exclusively to the manufacture of
the tank or cell or applied in combination with wood or other material.
In the one case the tank or cell may be made by moulding the material when
in a plastic state in dies or by cutting sheets of the material into pieces of the
required shape and uniting them by a solvent. The tank or cell may have grooves
moulded in the sides to receive partitions of the same material the joint being made
liquid tight by uniting the adjacent surfaces by means of a solvent. The cells may
be made of cylindrical form and have covers or lids fitted to screw on.
In the other case the pieces of wood or other material to form the tank or cell
may be coated on one or both faces and around the edges with sheets of cellulose
compound in a plastic state which are shrunk on, and the coated pieces united by
a solvent the sides projecting beyond the ends and being united by dovetailed ties
or otherwise no screws or nails being used. Or the compound may be applied in a
liquid state to the surfaces of tanks or cells already constructed.

page_text: Electrical and other Purposes.
I DAVID ARMYTAGE DAVIS of 12 Princes Street, Hanover Square in the
county of Middlesex, Gentleman, 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 :-
My Invention consists in the application of cellulose compounds, or products,
such as Parkesino, Xylonite, or Celluloid, to the manufacture of tanks and cells
for electrical and other purposes whereby such vessels aro rendered both water and
acid proof.
The cellulose compound may either be applied exclusively to the manufacture of
the tank or cell, or applied in combination with wood or other material.
One mode of making the tank or cell is by moulding the cellulose compound
when in a plastic state in dies.
In making the cell by moulding, it is found necessary to mould the material of
a tubular form by expressing it whilst in a green state through a die (in the
manner of moulding earthenware pipes) and to place it immediately upon a
mandrel or core of metal or wood on which the material is allowed to shrink and
Beason.
The shrinkage of the material is so great that it is necessary to use a core
constructed in segments to permit of its subsequent withdrawal.
A disc or plate of the material may be applied to the end of the tubular part to
form a bottom for the cell, either before or after the sides have seasoned. If both
the bottom and sides be green they may be united by simple pressure, but if the
bottom be of seasoned material its edges must be heated until pliable, a solvent
must then be applied and the parts to be joined pressed forcibly together. If both
the sides and bottom be seasoned, the edges of both must be heated until pliable,
solvent applied and combined heat and pressure by means of a hot iron to the
parts to be joined, after which the joints must be quickly cooled with water.
In all these cases I prefer to make the joint by bending inwards the edges of the
side portion which extend beyond the end of the core or mandrel and applying
the bottom plate against such inwardly bent portions and uniting it thereto in
one of the ways described.
Tho tanks or cells may be made of square, cylindrical, or other form, and if of
cylindrical form may have covers or lids of the same material fitted to screw on
by cutting screw threads in the material after moulding and seasoning.
Another mode of making the tank or cell is by cutting sheets of the material to
the proper shape, and size, and uniting them by a solvent. In this case I employ
'thoroughly seasoned stuff to avoid subsequent shrinkage, and cut it into such shape
as to form the tank with as few joints as possible, and unite the parts to be joined
by heating the material near the edges, applying a solvent, making a lap joint,
and applying heat and pressure, (as will be well understood by a worker in
Xylonite) and afterwards cool in water. In order to strengthen the joints when
the material is thin, strips of woven fabric saturated with a thin solution of nitro-
cellulose may be applied over the joints either at the time or after making them,

page_text: and the upper edges of the tank may be bound with the same material to
strengthen them.
Tanks or cells constructed of thin material may be strengthened to enable them
to support the internal pressure of the liquid by an external casing or frame work
of wood.
The tank may have grooves moulded in the sides to receive partitions of the
same material, the joint being made liquid tight, if required to divide the tank
into separate cells, by uniting the adjacent surfaces by means of a solvent.
Another mode of making the tank or cell is by coating or lining the pieces of
wood or other material of the proper shape and size to form the tank or cell, on
one or both faces and around the edges with sheets of cellulose compound in a
green or plastic state which are shrunk on. This is done by cutting the sheets of
celluloid sufficiently larger than the wood to cover the faces and edges thereof,
clamping the celluloid against the edges of the wood and allowing it to dry and
season before releasing it. In constructing the tank or cell, the joints between
these coated pieces are made by softening the parts to be united, applying a solvent,
heat and pressure, as when using solid sheets of the nitro-cellulose compound, the
sides of the tank in this case being made of sufficient length to project beyond
the ends and being united at their extreme ends outside the tank by dovetailed
cross ties or otherwise.
Another mode of making the tank or cell is by applying the compound in a
liquid state to the inner surfaces of wooden tanks or cells already constructed, the
parts of the cell being preferably put together in the manner described in the
Specification of Letters Patent granted to T. I. Jones dated November 12th 1884
No 14933 or in any other suitable way.
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
1. The application to the manufacture of tanks or cells for electrical and other
purposes, of a nitro-cellulose compound or product whether the same is used
exclusively for that purpose or applied in combination with wood or other
supporting material.
2. The manufacture of tanks or cells for electrical and other purposes of a nitro-
cellulose compound, by moulding the compound in tubular form, shrinking the
same on to a core or mandrel, and uniting a bottom or end piece thereto whilst
on the mandrel in either of the ways described.
3. The manufacture of tanks or cells for electrical and other purposes of sheets of
nitro-cellulose compound united as herein described.
4. The manufacture of tanks or cells for electrical and other purposes by covering
plates of wood or other material with sheets of a nitro-cellulose compound and
uniting the coated plates to form the tank in the manner described.
5. The manufacture of tanks or cells for electrical and other purposes by coating
tanks or cells of wood or other material with a nitro-cellulose compound applied in
a liquid state to the inner surface of the tank or cell, as specified.
Dated this 30th day of September 1885.
D. ARMYTAGE DAVIS.
By A. M. & Wm Clark,
Patent Agents,
53, Chancery Lane, London.