Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Mar., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 27th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Nov., 1888
I, EDWARD ALBERT DAVIES, of the Crown Galvanizing Works, Wolverhampton in
the County of Stafford, galvanized iron manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
Sheet or plate metal articles, such as feeding troughs, corn bins, cisterns, and the
like, have frequently exposed sharp or angular edges which are liable to injure the
mouths or other parts of animals, or to cause injury to persons; and means have been
adopted for protecting such edges against liability to cause such injury, such for
instance as by riveting a solid bulbed section of metal along the edge, or by bending
a strip of metal over the edge. The methods hitherto adopted, however, for this
purpose are not completely satisfactory in all respects, and the object of this inven-
tion is improved means for such purpose.
According to this invention, such edges are protected by means of lengths of open-
jointed tube, the open joint of which is passed down over the thickness of the sheet
or plate, or of hollow bulbous section of metal formed of a tubular portion to pass
over the edges of the metal and of a flange or flanges by which they may be fixed
on one or both sides of the sheet or plate.
When a tubular section is employed without flanges it may be fixed by giving it a
blow or blows on one or both sides sufficient to distort it slightly (though not neces-
sarily visibly) sideways and thus cause the edges of the open joint to bind against
the sheet or plate; or rivets may be passed through the sides of the tube and through
the sheet or plate; and when a distance-piece is desired between the sides of the
article, in cases in which the edges on each side are protected in such manner, such
distance-piece may be formed as a rivet at each end and pass through the tubes on
each side, or the distance-piece may pass over the top of each tube and be fixed to the
outside of the article; or a tongue or tongues of metal may be punched to project

page_text: slightly from the surface of the sheet or plate in such position that as the tube is
pushed down the tongue or tongues will be sprung inwards by the edge of the open-
joint, and will, as such edge passes below them, spring out again and thus securely
prevent the tube from rising.
When a hollow bulbous section provided with a flange or flanges is employed
such section may be fixed by a rivet or rivets passing through the flange or flanges
and through the sheet or plate.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton and Walsall,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improved Means of Protecting Sharp or Angular Edges of Sheet or
Plate Metal Made up into Articles, such as Feeding Troughs,
Corn Bins, Cisterns, and the like, to Prevent Animals or Persons
being Injured thereby.
I, EDWARD ALBERT DAVIES, of The Crown Galvanizing Works, Wolverhampton
in the County of Stafford, galvanized iron manufacturer, 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:―
Sheet or plate metal articles, such as feeding troughs, corn bins, cisterns, and the
like, have frequently exposed sharp or angular edges which are liable to injure the
mouths or other parts of animals, or to cause injury to persons; and means have
been adopted for protecting such edges against liability to cause such injury, such
for instance as by riveting a solid bulbed section of metal along the edge, or by
bending a strip of metal over the edge. The methods hitherto adopted, however, for
this purpose are not completely satisfactory in all respects, and the object of this inven-
tion is improved means for such purpose.
According to this invention, such edges are protected by means of lengths of open-
jointed tube, the open joint of which is passed down over the thickness of the sheet
or plate, or of hollow bulbous section of metal formed of a tubular portion to pass
over the edges of the sheet or plate metal and of a flange or flanges by which they
may be fixed on one or both sides of the sheet or plate.
This invention will be readily understood on reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which various modifications are shown of the means by which the

page_text: open-jointed tubing or hollow bulbous section of metal is fixed in place for the purpose
set forth. Figure 1 is a plan of a feeding trough having its edges protected in the
manner of this invention, and is shewn with a distance-piece a carried across from
front to back at the top; and figure 2 is a transverse vertical section of figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan of a square cistern having its edges protected in the manner of
this invention, and with the straight tubes e protecting the top edges fitted into
angle pieces of tubular section fitted on to the corners. Figure 4 is a full-size
vertical section shewing the tube h in position protecting a sheet metal edge j, and
illustrates a modification according to which the tube is held on by tongues e punched
and bent from the sheet or plate metal; and figure 5 shews a front view of one of
such tongues standing outwards from the surface of metal from which it is punched.
Figure 6 is a section, corresponding to figure 4, and shews a method by which the
the tube is riveted to the sheet or plate metal. Figure 7 is also a view corresponding
to figure 4, but shews a hollow bulbous section of metal to be riveted to the sheet or
plate metal through flanges d. Figure 8 shews a method by which the tubular
distance-piece a (shewn also by figure 1) is held in place, and by which the middle
portions of the tubes e running lengthways of the feeding trough are securely held
to the sheet metal.
Referring again to figure 1, it will be seen that the corners of the feeding trough
are rounded in plan. In this case, therefore, it is convenient to braze the open-
jointed tube e, by which the upper edge of the sheet or plate metal is to be protected,
into one continuous length, and then to pass the open joint down over the entire
upper edge of the sheet or plate metal. The open joint is left wider than the gauge
of the sheet or plate metal, being about 1" wide for use with sheet metal of say
10 B. W. G., so that the tubes, or tubular frame, may be readily passed down into
place. The open joint may be widened out locally to pass over any joint in the sheet
or plate metal. The joint is closed up, so as to fit on each side of the sheet or plate
metal over which it has been placed, by hammering it up, or in other convenient
manner; and in being closed up it may be slightly distorted sideways (not necessarily
visibly) and thus cause sufficient bite or grip to retain the tube in place. It is
preferred, however, to force out tongues of metal c from the sheet or plate metal,
as shewn by figures 4 and 5, for the purpose of holding on the tube. These tongues
are pressed out at intervals of about one foot apart, the alternate tongues being,
preferably, pressed out on opposite sides of the sheet or plate. As the tube is pushed
down into its place the edges of the open joint thereof force inwards the tongues, until
the tubing is down in its desired position with the edges of the joint just clear of
the lower ends of the tongues, when the tongues spring, out again and securely
prevent the tubing from being removed. The tubing may, however, be held in place
by a few transverse rivets passed therethrough and through the sheet or plate
metal, as shewn by figure 6, but the previously described methods of fixing tubing
avoid the exposure of any rivet heads on the surface of the tubing which is of course
desirable.
Referring to figure 3, which as before explained is a plan of a square metal tank,
the tubes e for protecting the edges of the metal are fitted into tubular elbows at
the corners. These elbows may be conveniently made of malleable cast iron, and are
formed with angle slits in their lower sides to pass down over the angles of the sheet
metal forming the corners of the tank. The tubes e¹, being fixed in the manner
described with reference to the tubes e, or in any convenient manner, securely retain
the elbows also in place. In the case, however, of a square or rectangular metal
tank, or like article formed of a square or rectangular shape on plan, the upper edge
thereof may be protected, if desired, by forming a tubular frame in one piece, brazed
together at its joint or joints, as in the case of the trough shewn by figures 1 and 2;
but in such case the corners of the frame or tubing are rounded to as small a radius
as can conveniently be done, and the upper square corners of the tank or other
article upon which such tubular frame is to be fixed are themselves, also, rounded
(by hammering against a rounded tool held on the inside of the angle, or in other
convenient manner). When it is desired to employ a distance piece, such as a

page_text: figure 1, such piece may be hollowed out at its ends, as shewn by figure S, to fit
the size of the tubing running along the edges of the sheet or plate metal, and
may be held thereto by means of a rivet g passing transversely through the tubes e
and longitudinally through the distance-piece a. This method of fixing the distance-
piece ensures the fixture also of the portions of the tubes e against which the
distance-piece butts.
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 :-
1. The improved means, substantially as herein described, of protecting sharp or
angular edges of sheet or plate metal made up into articles such as feeding
troughs, corn bins, cisterns and the like, to prevent animals or persons being
injured thereby.
2. Protecting sharp or angular edges of sheet or plate metal made up into
articles such as feeding troughs, corn bins, cisterns and the like, by means of open-
jointed metal tubing, or of hollow bulbous sections of metal, substantially as
described for the purpose set forth.
up
3. Protecting sharp or angular edges of sheet or plate metal made into
articles such as feeding troughs, corn bins, cisterns and the like, by means of
open-jointed metal tubing passed down over such edges and fixed thereupon by
the aid of metal tongues punched out from the sheet or plate metal of which the
articles are formed, substantially as described for the purpose set forth.
4. The several modifications according to which the sharp or angular edges of
sheet or plate metal made up into articles such as feeding troughs, corn bins, cisterns
and the like, are protected to prevent animals or persons being injured thereby,
substantially as described with reference to the drawings herewith.
Dated this 25th day of September 1888.