IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SOLDERING TOGETHER PARTS OF VESSELS FORMED OF TIN OR TIN PLATE."
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Forbes, of Canal Terrace, Aberdeen, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR SOLDERING
TOGETHER PARTS OF VESSELS FORMED OF TIN OR TIN PLATE."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Forbes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
February 1863.
I, ALEXANDER FORBES, of Canal Terrace, Aberdeen, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR
SOLDERING TOGETHER PARTS OF VESSELS FORMED OF TIN OR TIN PLATE," to be as
follows:-
The top and bottom parts together with the cylindrical or side surfaces of
such vessels being formed to receive one the other, I apply with suitable flux
the solder in a ring or other form; and then, in place of a soldering iron, I
apply the heat of a ring or other form of jets 'adapted to the form of the vessel,
and supplied by gas through the stem thereof by a flexible pipe, from a
suitable reservoir, and for the straight part I apply a burner adapted to the
form.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Forbes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st August 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
FORBES, of Canal Terrace, Aberdeen, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Alexander Forbes, Her special licence that I, the said Alexander Forbes,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alex-
ander Forbes, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR SOLDERING TOGETHER PARTS OF VESSELS FORMED OF TIN OR
TIN PLATE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander
Forbes, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Forbes, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
The top and bottom parts together with the cylindrical or side surfaces of
vessels formed of tin or tinned plate having been shaped to receive one the
other, I, at the part to be united, apply the solder in a ring or other form,
together with suitable flux; and then, in place of a soldering iron, I employ
the heat from the flame of gas jets arranged in a ring or other form adapted
to the figure of the part of the vessel for the time to be united, such ring or
other form being supplied with gas through the stem thereof by a flexible or
other suitable pipe from a suitable reservoir, and for the straight part I apply
a burner adapted thereto.
But that the nature of the improvements and means which I adopt in

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a section, and Figure 2 a plan view of a vessel, of tin or
tinned plate, of a cylindrical form, with the parts a, a, thereof adapted to
receive suitably-formed tops or bottoms, one of which is shewn separately by
Figures 3 and 4, Figure 3 being a section, and Figure 4 a plan of one of
such parts; and it will be seen that whilst the parts a, a, of the cylindrical
or side surfaces of the vessel are opened out or bell-mouthed at a', a', with a
recess to receive the edge of the top or bottom piece, the edge b' of the top or
bottom piece is formed so that when pressed down into a bell-mouthed
part a' such edge 6¹ will rest in the recess, fitting it tightly, as indicated by
the separate section of the parts together at Figure 5, where it will be seen
that when the side surfaces and top or bottom parts are thus put together
a groove z will be left all round to receive a ring of solder, as indicated by
Figure 6. The parts thus arranged are then placed so as to be subjected to
the heat of the flame of gas in apparatus according to my improvements, as
indicated by side view, Figure 7, and plan view, Figure 8, where the dotted
lines a indicate a vessel of a cylindrical form in position to have the solder,
aided by a little resin or other suitable flux, run into the groove z already
referred to, thereby connecting the two parts. The required heat is obtained
by the flame of gas passing out from a series of fine holes or otherwise, so that
a continuous flame may be obtained from the ring d to impinge on the outer
edge of the surface a³. The ring d is supplied with gas by the hollow stem
thereof e, which I find convenient to be fed by a piece of india-rubber tubing f,
but the means of supply may be varied. I also form the stem e to turn upon
a joint at e', so that it may be tilted up out of the way for change of can or
vessel, as indicated by dotted red lines in Figure 7; and I also, by preference,
form the centre of motion e' as the plug of a tap, so that when the ring d is
tilted, as indicated by the red dotted lines, the supply of gas to the ring d may
be almost suspended, whereby economy of gas. will be obtained. I would
remark, that although I have only shown one ring according to my improve-
ments in operation, in practice I prefer to employ several soldering means at
a time to be attended by the same person, in order that whilst the solder is
being melted in one, others may be placed in position or removed therefrom;
and although I have shown the vessel of a cylindrical form, such vessels may
be of a square or other polygonal figure, when the surrounding frame d will
be of a corresponding figure. For the soldering of the longitudinal seams

page_text: connecting the opposite or other edges of the side of the vessel I employ a
burner with jets to produce a continuous flame adapted in form to the form of
the parts to be connectel. The holes for the jets of gas to produce the flame
are pierced or cut in the frame d slightly above the centre line thereof, in
order that the flame produced may incline slightly upwards. In place of gas
alone being employed atmospheric air may be combined therewith, either with
or without pressure before it passes out from the jets; but if the atmospheric
air is not forced in with the gas, and is simply allowed to flow thereto, I form
the passage or passages for such atmospheric air in an inclined or vertical
direction to facilitate such flow. I also sometimes cause the atmospheric air
to mix with the gas immediately as it escapes from the apertures for the flame,
and for this purpose I prefer the ring or other form d to be as represented by
Figure 9, where d represents the passage for the gas d', the position of the
gas jets, and d³, a metal guard with wire gauze at d. The atmospheric air
rising between this guard d³ and the pipe d mixes with the gas escaping from
the pipe d, whilst the flame is formed externally at d³ from the combined air
and gas passing out through the wire gauze. By combining atmospheric air
with the gas I find a saving of gas and increased heat are obtained. This
method of soldering together the parts of such vessels is applicable when the
vessels have been previously filled.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and means which
I adopt in carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that what
I claim is, the adaptation or combination of means or apparatus for soldering
together parts of vessels formed of tin or tinned plate, substantially as
explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Forbes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.