IMPROVED MODe or MEANS OF FORMING JOINTS IN MANUFACTURING TANKS, BOXES OR OTHER ARTICLES FROM METAL SHEETS OR PLATES
Year: 1884

page_text: We FREDERICK JAMES BIGGS of Leadenhall Buildings, Gracechurch Street in
the City of London Merchant and THOMAS LUDLOW of the same place, Manu-
facturer do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVED MODe or
MEANS OF FORMING JOINTS IN MANUFACTURING TANKS, BOXES OR OTHER ARTICLES
FROM METAL SHEETS OR PLATES to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to dispense with the use of rivets or other like
fastenings to form the joints between the several sheets or plates of which tanks,
boxes and other articles are constructed.
The invention essentially consists in forming a flange along the edge of each of
the two sheets or plates to be united and in then driving over the two flanges,
starting from one end thereof, a hollow piece or length of metal which is slit
longitudinally; an unwelded tube is what we prefer. As this tube or hollow metal
piece is driven over the two flanges with the edges of its slit or division gripping
them at or near the angles the two sheets or plates are forcibly drawn together and
a tight joint made between them which is permanently maintained by the tube.
If it be thought necessary to further ensure the formation and maintenance of a
tight joint a rod or bar may afterwards be driven into the end of the tube for the
whole or part of its length, or molten metal or cement may be filled in.
In manufacturing a tank, for example, by means of our invention, we form a
flange on each of the four edges of the sheet which is to constitute the tank bottom,
and a flange on the bottom edge and on each of the vertical edges of the four
sheets which are to constitute the sides and ends of the tank. We unite the side
and end pieces successively to the bottom piece by driving a tube over the flanges
as above described and we then unite the side pieces to the end pieces in like
manner, and afterwards when required drive rods or bars, or pour molten metal or
cement, into the tubes. In order to strengthen the tank, angle pieces with balf
tubes may be applied at the corners the half tubes being hammered over or round
the tubes which were driven over the flanges.
Our invention is well adapted for making the joints of metal trunks and
boxes, and many other articles in which metal sheets or plates have to be
joined.

page_text: In making articles of round or oval section the sheet for forming the body of
the article is bent into the proper shape and has a flange formed at each of the
meeting edges; a tube is then driven over the two flanges as above described.
It will generally be better for the flanges to be outwardly turned so that
in the finished article they and the tubes may be external but in some cases
it may be desirable to have the flanges and tubes within the body of the
article.

page_text: We FREDERICK JAMES BIGGS, of Leadenhall Buildings, Gracechurch Street, in
the City of London, Merchant and THOMAS LUDLOW, of the same place, Manu-
facturer do hereby declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVED MODE
OR MEANS OF FORMING JOINTS IN MANUFACTURING TANKS, BOXES OR OTHER
ARTICLES FROM METAL SHEETS OR PLATES" 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 our invention is to dispense with the use of rivets or other like
fastenings to form the joints between the several sheets or plates of which tanks,
boxes and other articles are constructed, or between the meeting edges of the
same sheet or plate in articles in which two edges of a sheet or plate have to be
connected together.
The invention essentially consists in forming a flange along each of the two
edges to be united, and in then driving over the two flanges, starting from one end
thereof, a hollow piece or length of metal which is open longitudinally; an unwelded
tube of either round or oval section is what we prefer. As this tube or hollow
piece is driven over the two flanges with the edges of its opening or division
gripping them at or near the angles, the two edges of the sheets or plates are
forcibly drawn together, and a tight joint made between them, which is perma-
nently maintained by the tube. If it be thought necessary to further ensure the
formation and maintenance of a tight joint a rod or bar may afterwards be driven
into the end of the tube for the whole or part of its length or molten metal or
cement may be filled in, or the tube after it has been driven into place may have
pressure applied to it externally.
In manufacturing a tank or cistern, for example, by means of our invention we
form a flange on each of the four edges of the sheet which is to constitute the tank
or cistern bottom, and a flange on the bottom edge and on each of the vertical edges
of the four sheets which are to constitute the sides and ends of the tank or cistern.
We unite the side and end pieces successively to the bottom piece by driving a tube
over the flanges as above described and we then unite the side pieces to the end
pieces in like manner, and afterwards when required drive rods or bars or pour
molten metal or cement into the tubes or apply pressure to the tubes externally.
In order to strengthen the tank, angle pieces with half tubes may be applied at the
corners the half tubes being hammered over or round the tubes which were driven
over the flanges.
---2
Figures 1 to 4 of the annexed drawings illustrate our invention as applied to
the manufacture of tanks or cisterns as above described. Figure 1 is a perspective
view of the tank complete. Figure 2 is a vertical section (on a larger scale) on
the line 11 of Figure 1 and Figure 3 a horizontal section on the line 2----
of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a top view of one corner of the tank. a represents the
bottom sheet or plate of the tank, b the front sheet, o the back sheet and d, e the
end sheets; all of these sheets are formed with a flange fat each edge which has

page_text: to be united to another sheet, by driving a tube over them, as above described, that
is to say, the bottom sheet a has a flange on each of its four edges, and the front
back and end sheets b, c,,d, e have a flange along their bottom edge and along each
of their vertical edges; if the tank is to have a fixed top the front, back and end
sheets will have a flange along their top odge also, while the sheet forming the top
itself will have a flange along each of its four edges but whether the tank is to
have a fixed top or not we prefer for the sake of strength to form the top edge of
the front, back and end sheets with a flange and to drive a tube over them.
9, g represent the tubes which are driven over the meeting edges at the bottom of
the tank, g g the tubes which aro driven over the vertical meeting edges and g³ g
the tubes which are driven over the top edges. h, h are rods or bars which are
driven into the tubes after the latter have been driven over the edges of the sheets.
Instead of these rods or bars molten metal or cement may be run into the tubes or
the tubes may be left without either rods or molten metal or cement. i, i are
angle pieces at the corners of the tank, they are formed with half tubes k, k which
are hammered over or round the tubes g', g; these tubes serve to strengthen the
tank but their use is optional.
Our invention is well adapted for making the joints of metal trunks and
boxes, and many other articles in which metal ahoets or plates have to be
joined.
In making articles of round or oval section the sheet for forming the body of
the article is bent into the proper shape and has a flange formed at each of
the meeting edges; a tube is then driven over the two flanges as above described.
Figures 6 and 6 illustrate this.
It will generally be better for the flanges to be outwardly turned so that in the
finished article they and the tubes may be external but in some cases it may be
desirable to have the flanges and tubes within the body of the article.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim, in respect of forming joints in manufacturing tanks, boxes or other
articles from metal sheets or plates, is
1. Making a flange along each of two edges to be united and driving a tube or
hollow piece of metal open longitudinally over the two flanges so as to draw them
forcibly together and form a tight joint substantially as described.
2. Making a flango along each of two edges to be united and driving a tube or
hollow piece of metal open longitudiually over the two flanges so as to draw them
forcibly together and then driving a rod or bar into the said tube or hollow piece
substantially as described.
3. Making a flange along each of the two edges to be united and driving a tube
or hollow piece of metal open longitudinally over the two flanges so as to draw
them forcibly together and then pouring molton metal or coment into the said tube
or hollow piece substantially as described.