CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF SUCH METALLIC PLATES AS ARE REQUIRED TO BE CONJOINED BY RIVETTING OR OTHER SIMILAR FASTENING
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Burrows, of Haigh Foundry, near
Wigan, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF SUCH METALLIC
PLATES AS ARE REQUIRED TO BE CONJOINED BY RIVETTING OR OTHER
SIMILAR FASTENING."
Scaled the 17th February 1854, and dated the 20th December 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Burrows
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 20th December 1853.
I, JAMES BURROws, of the Haigh Foundry, near Wigan, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE FORMATION OF SUCH
METALLIC PLATES AS ARE REQUIRED TO BE CONJOINED BY RIVETTING OR
OTHER SIMILAR FASTENING " to be as follows:-

page_text: My improvements relate to the formation of plates to be used in the
construction of boilers, cisterns, tanks, and other vessels of capacity, and
also in the construction of metallic ships, houses, and other fabrics or
buildings, wherein metallic plates are required to be conjoined by
rivetting or other similar fastening. My Invention applies chiefly to
the formation of what are technically termed "lap joints," and consists
in rolling or otherwise forming the sides or ends, or both the sides and
ends, or other parts of such plates (where the rivet or other holes are to
be punched or otherwise formed) thicker or stronger in substance than
the body of the plate, in order that when the said rivet or other holes
are formed in the said plates, that part of the plates shall remain as
strong and as capable of resistance to pressure or other force as any
other part or portion of the said plates. This object may be accom-
plished when the rivet or other holes are only required at one side or
end of the plates, by rolling them taper in thickness. But where the
holes are required at both sides or ends, or at both sides and ends of
the said plates, or in any other intermediate part, it is to be attained by
rolling or otherwise forming a "swell" at the required part. These
"swells" may all be formed on one and the same side in the same plate,
or upon opposite sides of the same; or, if preferred, the plates may be
swelled equally upon both sides, so long as that part of the plate where
the holes are required to be formed is swelled to a sufficient thickness
to compensate for the loss of strength occasioned by punching or
otherwise forming the holes in the plate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, a
filed by the said James Burrows in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th May 1854..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES BURROWS, of Haigh Foundry, near Wigan, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of December, in the

page_text: year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said James Burrows, Her special
license that I, the said James Burrows, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Burrows, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE FORMATION OF SUCH METALLIC PLATES AS ARE REQUIRED TO
BE CONJOINED BY RIVETTING OR OTHER SIMILAR FASTENING," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said James Burrows, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Burrows, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):-
My improvements relate to the formation of metallic plates to be
used in the construction of boilers, cisterns, tanks, and other vessels of
capacity, and also in the construction of ships, houses, and whatsoever
buildings or other structures or erections, wherein metallic plates
are required to be conjoined at any or all of their several sides or edges
or other parts, by rivetting or any other similar mode of fastening.
My Invention applies principally to the description of joining technically
termed "lap joints," and consists in rolling or otherwise forming, by
any other means or processes, the sides or ends, or both the sides and
ends, or other parts of such plates, wherein the rivet or other holes are
to be punched or otherwise formed thicker or stronger in substance
than the body of the plate, in order that when the said rivet or other
holes are formed in the said plates, that part of the plate so perforated

page_text: shall be in every way equal to (more or less) in strength, and as capablo
of resisting the same amount of force or pressure as the body or any
other portion of the said plate. In cases where the rivet or other holes
are required only at one side or end of the plates, the object may be
readily accomplished by rolling the plates bevelled or tapered in their
thickness, the thickest part being that side or end through which the
rivet or other holes are intended to be made, but' where the said holes
are required at both of the sides or ends, or both of the sides, and also
the ends of the said plates, or at or in any other intermediate part, I
effect this object by rolling or otherwise forming a "swell,". or by any
other method producing a greater thickness of metal in the part
required. These swells may all be formed on one and the same side in
the same plate, or upon opposite sides of the same; or, if preferred or
required, the plates may be "swelled" equally upon both sides, so long
as that part or parts of the plate wherein the holes are intended or
required to be punched or otherwise made, shall be "swelled" to a
certain thickness, sufficient to fully compensate for the loss of strength
occasioned by punching or otherwise forming the aforesaid holes in the
plate.
In order more particularly to illustrate my Invention I have attached
to these presents a Drawing exhibiting the same in full detail, in
which Fig. 1 is a sectional or edge view of metallic plates, "swelled"
or thickened at the edges on opposite sides; Fig. 2 is an illustration of
metallic plates swelled at the edges upon one side only; and Fig. 3
shows the application of bevilled or tapered plates to form the sides of
a cistern or other vessel of capacity. The "swelled" edge may be
either bent and rivetted on to the plate forming the bottom, or it may
be straight, and the edges of the bottom may be curved on both sides
and bottom.
-
Having thus described the nature and object of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same may be practically performed, I
desire it to be understood, in conclusion, that I claim as my Invention
the formation of such metallic plates as are required to be conjoined
by rivetting or other similar fastening, as above particularly set forth
and described in these presents, and baving any or all of their sides or

page_text: edges, or any other parts as are required "swelled," "bevelled," or
made thicker or stronger in substance than the body or principal part
or portion of the said plate, and also plates made taper in thickness or
regularly bevelled from one end or side to the other.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Burrows, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of February, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
JAMES BURROWS. (L.S.)