Improvements in Apparatus or Means for Guiding Gasholders.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th Jan, 1891-Accepted, 28th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus or Means for Guiding Gasholders.
I, GEORGE THOMAS LIVESEY of the South Metropolitan Gas Works, Old
Kent Road, in the County of London, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide means or apparatus whereby the
tilting of shallow gasholders may be prevented. In gasholders having the ordinary
guiding apparatus it is considered necessary for safety in working to make them
of a depth not far short of one fourth, or one fifth of their diameter. For very
large gasholders this necessitates the construction of very deep and consequently
very expensive tanks, especially where they have to be built in water bearing
strata. Thus for gasholders of 250 or 300 feet in diameter tanks of 50 or 60 feet
deep are desirable, but by means of this invention exceedingly shallow gasholders,
with many lifts can be safely worked.
The invention is not intended to entirely supersede the use of ordinary guide
framing and rollers, but only to keep the inner lifts level until one or two of them
are cupped, when their combined depth becomes sufficient to maintain the holder
level by means of the ordinary guide rollers.
There are three different arrangements of this invention, each being analogous
to the other in action, and for the purpose of carrying out the first of these I
fix vertically upon the sides of the gasholder a series of toothed racks which
extend from the top to the bottom of the holder to be supported. At or near each
rack, mounted in suitable supports attached to the grip or inverted cup of the next
lower lift is a short shaft or spindle which carries a toothed wheel and a pinion.
The toothed wheel is made to gear into the rack, while the pinion gears into a
rack that is placed horizontally on the top of the grip, and either extends round
the whole circumference of the lift, or may be made in a series of segments, each
segment being connected to the next one by a rod or bar or other suitable arrange-
ment. The rack whether made continuous or in segments being supported upon
and guided by rollers is free to revolve round the gasholder upon motion being
applied to the pinion.
In
It will be seen from the foregoing description that in working, one side of the
lift cannot rise or fall without a corresponding rise or fall on the opposite one.
other words motion imparted to any one part of the gasholder is by means of
this invention necessitated in all the other parts in an equal degree.
In the second arrangement in lieu of racks I use pitch chains and wheels some-
thing like those employed in bicycles. In this case I fix at suitable intervals
round the holder a series of chains one end of each being fastened to the top and
the other to the bottom of the lift, and cause it by a guiding roller or other
suitable means to gear with a toothed wheel, this wheel being attached to the top
of the grip of the next lower lift. On the spindle of the wheel just described is
keyed another similar wheel with a similar chain passing over and kept in gear
with it, the said chain extending the whole circumference of the gasholder and
being continuous or made in parts connected together by rods or other suitable
means. In a modification of this plan, by the adoption of suitably placed guide
rollers of appropriate size the number of wheels may be reduced.
In the third arrangement I use a number of wire ropes fixed to the top and
bottom of the lift. Each rope in descending passes round and gives motion to a
flanged wheel mounted upon the top of the grip of the next lower lift. Round
another similar wheel, keyed to the same shaft as the first one, a rope extending

page_text: the whole circumference of the gasholder is made to pass and serve the same
purpose as that of the pitch chain and horizontal rack before referred to.
The working of the two latter arrangements are identical with that described
with reference to the first one.
For the purpose of keeping the chains or ropes sufficiently taught, tightening
screws, or any other suitable device may be employed.
1441 day at A 1900.
W. H. BENNETT,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus or Means for Guiding Gasholders.
1, GEORGE THOMAS LIVESEY, of the South Metropolitan Gas Works, Old
Kent Road, in the County of London, Civil Engineer, 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:-
The object of this invention is to provide means or apparatus whereby the tilting
of shallow gasholders may be prevented. In gasholders having the ordinary
guiding apparatus it is considered necessary for safety in working to make them of
a depth not far short of one fourth, or one fifth of their diameter. For very large
gasholders this necessitates the construction of very deep and consequently very
expensive tanks, especially where they have to be built in water bearing strata.
Thus for gasholders of 250 or 300 feet in diameter tanks of 50 or 60 feet deep are
desirable, but by means of this invention exceedingly shallow gasholders, with many
lifts can be safely worked.
The invention is not intended to entirely supersede the use of ordinary guide
framing and rollers, but only to keep the inner lifts level until one or two of them
are cupped, when their combined depth becomes sufficient to maintain the holder
level by means of the ordinary guide rollers.
In order that the invention may be easily understood drawings are attached
hereto of which the following is a description.
Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional elevation of the side of part of two lifts of a gas-
holder.
Fig. 2 à front elevation, and
Fig. 3 a plan of the same when the first, or rack, wheel, and pinion arrangement
is adopted.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are similar views to those of 1, 2, and 3, when the pitch chain
and wheel system is applied, and
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are similar views to those of 1, 2 and 3 when wire ropes and
wheels are employed.
As before indicated, there are three different arrangements of this invention, each
being analogous to the other in action, and for the purpose of carrying out the first
of these fix vertically upon the sides of the gasholder A a series of toothed
racks B which extend from the top to the bottom of the holder to be supported.
At or near each rack, mounted in suitable supports attached to the grip or inverted
cup of the next lower lift is a short shaft or spindle C which carries a toothed
wheel D and a pinion E. The toothed wheel is made to gear into the rack B,
while the pinion E gears into a rack F that is placed horizontally on the top of the
grip G, and either extends round the whole circumference of the lift, or may be
made in a series of segments, each segment being connected to the next one by a
rod or bar, or other suitable arrangement. The rack whether made continuous or
in segments being supported upon and guided by rollers H is free to revolve round
the gasholder upon motion being applied to the pinion E.
It will be seen from the foregoing description that in working, one side, of the
lift cannot rise or fall without a corresponding rise or fall on the opposite one. In
L
J

page_text: other words motion imparted to any one part of the gasholder is by means of this
invention necessitated in all the other parts in an equal degree.
In the second arrangement in lieu of racks I use pitch chains and wheels
something like those employed in bicycles. In this case I fix at suitable intervals
round the holder a series of chains I, one end of each being fastened to the top
and the other to the bottom of the lift, and cause it by a guiding roller, or other
suitable means to gear into a toothed wheel J, this wheel being attached to the
top of the grip G of the next lower lift. On the spindle of the wheel just
described is keyed another similar wheel K, with a similar chain L, passing over
and kept in gear with it, the said chain extending the whole circumference of the
gasholder, and being continuous, or made in parts connected together by rods or
other suitable means. In a modification of this plan, by the adoption of suitably
placed guide rollers of appropriate size, the number of wheels may be reduced.
In the third arrangement I use a number of wire ropes M fixed to the top and
bottom of the lift. Each rope in descending passes round and gives motion to a
flanged wheel N mounted upon the top of the grip G of the next lower lift.
Round another similar wheel O keyed to the same shaft as the first one, a rope P
extending the whole circumference of the gasholder is made to pass and serve the
same purpose as that of the pitch chain and horizontal rack before referred to.
The working of the two latter arrangements are identical with that described with
reference to the first one.
For the purpose of keeping the chains or ropes sufficiently taught, tightening
screws Q, or any other suitable device may be employed.
A part of any one of the three arrangements hereinbefore described may be
employed in combination with a part of either of the other arrangements.
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. Gasholder guiding apparatus in which racks wheels and pinions are used as
herein described and shown on the drawings Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
2. Gasholder guiding apparatus in which pitch chains and wheels are used as
herein described and shown on the drawings Figs. 4, 5 and 6, and
3. Gasholder guiding apparatus in which wire ropes and wheels are used as
herein described and shown on the drawings Figs. 7, 8 and 9.
Dated this 24th day of January 1891.
W. H. BENNETT,
Agent for the Applicant.