IMPROVEMENTS IN IRON TANKS AND CISTERNS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Burney, of Millwall, Poplar, in the
County of Middlesex, Tank Manufacturer, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN IRON TANKS AND CISTERNS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the' said George Burney at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 25th January 1871.
I, GEORGE BURNEY, of Millwall, Poplar, in the County of Middlesex,
Tank Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN IRON TANKS AND CISTERNS," to be as follows:-
The present Invention relates to an improved mode of forming or
completing the corners of iron tanks or cisterns. This is usually done by
means of iron rivets which are driven into the open corners and rivetted
there. The rivets in use for this purpose are defective in design, and the
slightest blow often jars and loosens them, causing leakage and loss of
the contents of the tank, and occasions damage to any building to which
they are adapted. When the blow is heavy the plates are frequently

page_text: '
split, so as to necessitate unsightly as well as costly repairs, the tank in
the meantime being rendered quite useless. These evils result from the
rivets at present in use not fitting solidly into the corners of the tanks
and cisterns as at the places where the plates overlap an uneven surface
is presented to the rivet head. With most of the present rivets the head
rests on the three nearest rivet heads in the plates, and therefore leaves
a large hollow space in addition to the overlaps all round the rivet itself,
the least blow therefore jars and loosens these rivets.
My Invention consists in making a solid rivet with the head shaped
by means of a die or tool by any ordinary known method so as to fit into
the recesses caused by the overlaps of the plates. The rivet is inserted
hot into the hole and fits the inside corner of the tank exactly quite solid
between the rivet heads and is beat over outside and caulked in the
usual manner.
A similarly shaped rivet but with a head large enough to have three
recesses made therein to receive the three end rivets in the plates may
be used and made to bear against the heads of the rivets, so that it
may not only be solid and made to exactly fit into the angle but in
addition to bear firmly and solidly on the three rivet.heads. It is to be
beaten down' and caulked like the others. Should these corner rivets
even be jarred by a very heavy blow they would scarcely leak at all and
could be easily caulked again. The same object may be effected by the
use of a corner piece hollowed inside to fit the overlaps of the plates
and punched for the three plate rivets to be rivetted through. Its pro-
jecting end passes through the open angle and is then beaten down and
caulked like the others. A solid angle rivet or corner piece may be
made to fit the overlaps but with a 3, or other hole through it to receive
a cup-headed bolt to close down on a washer or packing of any kind and
with a nut to screw up inside the tank. This form is useful when tanks
require to be taken to pieces.
A solid rivet may be made; to fit the overlaps as before and go through
the corner of tank 316 or ¼ inch, and have a thin cupped nut to screw
down outside the corner of tank on a washer or packing.
Another plan consists in adapting an outer cap or plate to fit the outer
overlaps of plates. It is to be punched for and made to fit the three;
end rivets, and is caulked to render it water-tight.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Burney in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th July, 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
BURNEY, of Millwall, Poplar, in the County of Middlesex, Tank
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George Burney, Her special
licence that I, the said George Burney, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Burney, 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 IRON TANKS AND CISTERNS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Burney, 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 George Burney, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):-
:-
The present Invention relates to an improved mode of forming or
completing the corners of iron tanks or cisterns. This is usually done
by means of iron rivets which are driven into the open corners and
rivetted there. The rivets in use for this purpose are defective in design
and the slightest blow often jars and loosens them causing leakage and

page_text: loss of the contents of the tank, and occasions damage to any buildings
or ships to which they are adapted. When the blow is heavy the
plates are frequently split, so as to necessitate unsightly as well as
costly repairs, the tank in the meantime being rendered quite useless.
These evils result from the rivets at present in use not fitting solidly
into the corners of the tanks and cisterns as at the places where the
plates overlap an uneven surface is presented to the rivet heads.
most of the present rivets the head rests on the three nearest rivet heads
in the plates and therefore leaves a large hollow space (in addition to
the overlaps) all round the rivet itself, the least blow therefore jars and
loosens these rivets.
With
My Invention consists in making solid or hollow-headed rivets and
corner pieces shaped by means of a die or tool in any ordinary known
manner, so as to fit into the recesses caused by the overlaps of the
plates.
In the accompanying Drawings I have shewn various ways of carrying
out my Invention. It will be seen that in all cases the rivets or corner
pieces are so shaped as to accurately fit the corners of the tank.
Fig. 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 an under side view of a rivet made
according to my Invention with sunk or recessed parts a, a, to fit neatly
against the projecting edges of the iron plates of which the tank is
formed.
Fig. 3 is an external perspective view of part of a wrought-iron tank
shewing the hole 6 in the corner which the rivet shewn at Figures 1.
and 2 is intended to close. Before inserting the rivet the hole 6 must
be rimed out with a proper tool so as to be made circular and fit the
rivet. The rivet is inserted hot into the hole b, and its head fits the
inside corner of the tank exactly quite solid between the rivet heads
and is rivetted over on the outside by hammering, and is caulked in the
usual manner, and when rivetted in place makes a water-tight joint.
.
Fig. 1 is a modification of the above. Instead of the corner or angle
bolt being secured in its place by rivetting it may be secured by a nut
screwed on from the outside.
Fig. 4 is a side view, and Fig. 5 an under side view of a similarly
shaped rivet but with a head large enough to have three recesses c, c, c,
made therein to receive the three end rivets in the plates; Fig. 6 is a
vertical section, and Fig. 7 a horizontal section of a corner of a tank

page_text: with one of these rivets secured in place. It will be seen that the head
of the corner rivet is made to bear against the head of the rivets d, d,
which hold the plates together, so that the closing rivet may not only
be solid and made to exactly fit into the angle, but in addition will be
made to bear firmly and solidly on or against the three rivet heads.
The closing rivet is to be beaten down and caulked like the other.
Should these corner rivets even be jarred by a very heavy blow they
would scarcely leak at all and could be easily caulked again.
The same object may be effected by the use of a corner piece hollowed
inside to fit the overlaps of the plates and punched for the three plate
rivets to be rivetted through. Fig. 8 is a side view of this corner piece,
and Fig. 9 is an under side view of the same. d, d, d, are holes for the
plate rivets. The projecting end e of the rivet passes through the open
angle and at the corner of the tank, and is then beaten down and
caulked like the others, and is further secured by the three plate rivets
which pass through the holes d.
Fig. 10 is a vertical section and Fig. 11 a horizontal section of part
of a tank shewing the corners or angles closed by the corner pieces
represented at Figures 8 and 9.
For light tanks a corner piece without the projecting end e, Figures 8
and 9, may be employed. A corner piece of this kind is shewn at
Fig. 12. It is made to fit the angle or corner accurately and is secured
in place simply by the plate rivets through the holes d, as shewn at the
sectional plan view of a tank at Fig. 13.
round headed screw
may be screwed up
which is a horizontal
A solid angle or corner piece may be made to fit to the overlaps in
the manner shewn at Figures 13, 14, 15, and 16. The angle or corner
piece, shewn detached at Fig. 15, is made with a hole through it,
as shown in the under side view Fig. 14, to receive a
bolt g to which is fitted: a nut g¹ whereby the bolt
from the inside of the tank, as shewn at Fig. 16,
section of part of a tank made in this manner. This form is useful
when tanks are required to be taken to pieces for transport or con-
venicuce of packing, for which purpose the side, end, and bottom plates
of the tank are secured together by screw bolts, as shewn at Fig. 16,
instead of by rivets. Fig. 17 is another view of the same shewing the-
solid angle or corner piece fin section with tlie screw bolt g through it,
but without the nut.

page_text: To form water-tight joints, strips of india-rubber or other suitable
elastic material may be tightly nipped between the plates. As a modi-
fication of this a solid plug may be made to fit. the overlaps as before,
and go through the corner of the tank and have a thin cupped nut to
screw.down outside the corner of tank on a washer or packing.
"
Fig. 18 is another modification in which the angle or corner pieces,
which may be made of malleable cast-iron or other metal, is made to fit
the plates as in the former instance, but is held down in place by a
screw bolt with a conical head, the bolt being secured by a nut applied
from the outside. If preferred, however, this nut may be dispensed
with, and the end of the bolt may be rivetted externally as in some of
the other instances.
Another plan consists in adapting an outer cap or plate to fit
the outer overlaps of plates. This form is shewn at Fig. 19 which
represents one of the external corner pieces detached. This corner
piece is to be punched with holes d, d, corresponding in position with
the three last rivets of the plates, whereby it is held in place, as shewn
in Fig. 20, which is an elevation of the corner part of a tank with one
of the external angle pieces adapted thereto. It is hardly necessary to
state that the angle piece must be caulked like all the others in order
to render it water-tight.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in iron
tanks and cisterns, and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters
Patent as aforesaid, forming or completing the corners or angles of iron
tanks or cisterns by means of rivets, studs, blocks, or pieces which are
formed to fit the inequalities of the overlapping plates, as herein set.
forth, before being rivetted or otherwise secured in place.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Burney, have hereunto set:
my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year:
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.