Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1887
Complete Left, 1st Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th Apr., 1888
I ALBREOHT EDWARD BARTHEL of 50 Parliament Street in the City of
London S.W. Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In the construction of fluid reservois of great capacity as for instance, such as are
used for service or storage tanks for water or the large storage tanks for storing
hydrocarbons, or the tanks for gas holders and other purposes, in order to effect
economy in material and cost of construction it has lately been proposed to avoid the
heavy flat or horizontal bottoms which necessitates costly and strong supports and
columns to impart to them the necessary resistance to the pressure of the fluid. To
this end the cylindrical reservois have been constructed with hemispherical or convex
bottoms supported by masonry at their peripheral edges. In the construction of gas
holders it has also been proposed to employ sheet metal for the water tank or cylinder
thereof and these have heretofore been constructed with a flat or convex bottom seated
on a solid foundation of masonry so that no access can be had to the underside of the
bottom to trace a leakage or to protect the bottom from corrosion. To support such a
reservoir from a seat ring and to provide the desired room for supervision it is
necessary to surround the cylinder with inclosing walls of great dimensions, which
require very careful construction and which entail necessarily a great expense. On the
other hand the seat ring in large reservois should not only be very strong and carefully
built or constructed, but must be bolted to flanges or extensions of the cylinder walls,
since both the horizontal and radial pressures, exerted by the weight of the reservoir
and its contents is transferred through said ring to the supporting walls. To attain
this sheet metal cast metal, and masonry are combined under most unfavourable
conditions when it is desired to apply a hemispherical or convex bottom to such
reservois.
The object of my invention is to avoid the detrimental effect of the lateral pressure
exerted by the weight of the reservoir and its contents upon its supports, in that I
provide at the bottom of the reservoir an intermediate annular seat by forming the
outer portion of the bottom conical while the inner concave or convex or hemi
spherical or cone shaped portion of the bottom forms a counter bottom for the
outer one.

page_text: The further object of my invention is to support the water tank for gas holders at
such a distance from the ground as to afford ready access to the entire exterior surface
of the bottom thereof so that the said bottom may be readily protected from corrosion
by suitably coating the same with a protective agent, and so that any leakage may be
readily detected and located. By means of the described construction and by a
judicious selection of attendant conditions or circumstances the lateral pressure exerted
by the weight of the cylinder and its contents upon a seat ring or other support is
entirely avoided in that the combined pressures are exerted in a vertical direction upon
the supporting walls. Inasmuch as there is no lateral pressure exerted upon the
support for the reservoir, foundation or supporting walls of considerably less strength
than those necessary heretofore may be employed and the mounting of the reservoir
is simplified while access to the bottom of the latter is greatly facilitated, and lastly
the walls that support the reservoir are entirely disconnected from the outer masonry
that constitutes or supports the enclosing walls of the said reservoir, so that sagging
or other changes or displacements in the latter or in the ground can in nowise affect
the reservoir itself.
In carrying out my invention various forms may be given to the bottom of the
fluid reservoir or the tank of a gas holder, but whatever the form of such bottom may
be it should always be such that the weight of the load carried by the support for the
reservoir or tank will be exerted upon said support in a vertical direction. Thus for
instance the conical bottom of the cylinder may be formed of cone sections and
connected to the inner or hemispherical or convex counter bottom through which passes
the central overflow pipe.
The line of junction or intersection that forms the bearing edges of the two bottoms,
that is to say, the lines at which the bottoms abut against each other, constitutes the
seat for the reservoir and rests upon the base or foundation wall or on a seat ring
applied thereto in such manner that the entire weight is exerted thereon or transmitted
thereto in a vertical direction only.
1. The construction can be modified in various ways for instance, instead of a
hemispherical or convex counter bottom, a conical inner counter bottom is employed
which is connected with the outer conical bottom of the cylinder.
2. The outer conical bottom is bent inwardly on curved lines whereby it is not
absolutely necessary that the convex or conical form should be strictly adhered to.
This bottom is connected on the one hand with the cylinder and on the other with the
inner counter bottom.
3. The inner conical bottom has a tubular extension that extends through the
reservoir in which tubular extension is arranged a stairway or ladder. The outer
conical bottom is connected with the cylinder and bottom.
4. The reservoir is supported from a tubular column upon which rests the bearing.
edge or seat formed at the point of connection or intersection between the convex
counter bottom and the conical outer bottom.
5. The reservoir has an outer conical bottom connected with the cylindrical wall of
the reservoir and to this bottom is connected an inner conical bottom the upper portion
of which is concave.
6. The reservoir is provided with an inner convex bottom provided with a tubular
extension which extends vertically therefrom, nearly through the upper closed end of
the reservoir, and in which a flight of stairs or ladder is arranged by means of which
access may be had to the reservoir. To the inner bottom is connected the outer conical
bottom and the latter is connected to the walls of the cylinder. A reservoir of this
construction is more especially designed for storing bydrocarbons and other like
fluids.
'
When the invention is supplied to the water tank of gas holders, it is to be remarked
that whatever, the surface of the ground upon which the gas holder or reservoir may
be established the bottom of the tank thereof may be constructed so as to approximately
conform to such surface so as to reduce the labor of first leveling the ground to provide
an even surface for the reception of a foundation for the tank. Further than this the
supports for the tank or reservoir are in each case of such a height above the surface

page_text: of the ground as to afford ready access to the entire exterior surface of the bottom of
the tank or reservoir, a feature heretofore not known, so far as I am aware, in the
construction of gas holders and the advantages of which will be readily understood by
those conversant with these structures.
In tanks or reservoirs of great capacity it is desireable to brace or re-enforce
the inner or counter bottom which may be effected by struts or braces and tie rods.
If desired the single plates of the bottom may be constructed with curved edges so as
to produce undulating circumferential joints of the bottom section. The above
described construction of the bottom, of the reservoirs and the mode of seating or
supporting the same is applicable to reservoirs or tanks of cylindrical as well as other
form in cross-section, as will be readily understood.
01
1007

page_text: I ALBRECHT EDWARD BARTHEL of No. 50 Parliament Street in the City of
London S.W. 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 :-
This invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in and connected
with tanks and reservoirs of the construction described in the specifications filed by
me in application for Letters Patent dated 31st May 1887 and numbered respectively
7886 and 7887 which construction avoids the detrimental effect of the lateral pressure
of metal reservoirs or tanks of great capacity as ordinarily constructed.
The said improvements consist first in supporting gasometer tanks having bottoms
formed as described in the aforesaid specification No. 7886 and as hereinafter described
at such a height from the ground as to admit of access to the under sides thereof
without necessity for the formation of pits or excavations beneath the tanks and
further to provide for facility of access to the under surfaces of the bottoms of such
tanks for examination and repair or for the application thereto of protective agents by
making the ground over which the tanks are erected so that the surface of the
ground beneath the tank bottoms shall conform or approximately conform to the
configuration thereof.
The said improvements consist further of the modifications hereinafter described in
the construction of tanks such as are described in both the aforesaid specifications.
According to one of the said modifications the outer part of the bottom of such
tanks is bent inwardly on curved lines.
According to another of the said modifications the middle part of the inner conical
bottom of such tanks is made concave the hollow of the concave parts being on the
innerside of the tank That is to say the reservoir or tank has an outer conical
bottom connected with the cylindrical wall of the tank and to this bottom is connected
an inner conical bottom the upper part of which is concave.
According to another of the said modifications the inner part of the bottom of such
tanks or reservoirs when of great capacity is braced or reinforced by struts or braces
and tie rods.
According to another of the said modifications the edges of the single plates of
which the bottoms of such tanks are constructed are curved so as to produce undulating
circumferential joints of the bottom section.
According to another of the said modifications a reservoir especially adapted for
the storing of hydro carbons and other like fluids is constructed with an inner convex

page_text: bottom provided with or connected to a tubular extension which extends vertically
therefrom nearly through the upper end of the reservoir which is closed and the said
inner bottom is connected to the outer conical bottom and the latter is connected at
its outer part to the cylindrical walls of the tank. In the said tubular extension a
flight of stairs or a ladder is or may be arranged to admit of access to the interior of
the reservoir.
The improvements hereinbefore described are illustrated in the accompanying
drawings which are hereinafter referred to by the letters marked thereon.
Figure 1 of the said drawings is a central vortical section of a gasometer tank
formed substantially as described in the aforesaid specification No. 7886 and mounted
at a height from the ground on annular walls ab the surface of the ground being
made up at c c to approximately conform to the configuration of the bottom of the
tank.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of a tank constructed substantially as illustrated in
the drawings accompanying the specification No. 7887 but with the outer portion d
of the bottom bent inwardly on curved lines.
Figure 3 is a central vertical section of a tank constructed substantially as described
in the aforesaid specification No. 7887 but with the middle portion e of the inner
conical bottom made concave the hollow of the concave part being on the innerside
of the tank.
Figure 4 is a central vertical section of a tank the outer portion g of the bottom
of which is bent or curved inwardly as illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying
Drawings and the middle portion h of which is formed concave and arranged with
the hollow side inward as illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 5 is a central vertical section of a gasometer tank illustrating the manner
in which according to this invention the bottoms of tanks of the construction described
in the aforesaid specification No. 7886 are braced or reinforced by struts or braces
and tie rods.
Figure 6 is a plan of a portion of the bottom of a tank formed substantially as described
in the aforesaid specification No. 7886 and embodying that one of the modifications
hercinbefore described which consists in curving the edges of the plates of which the
said bottoms are formed so as to produce undulating circumferential joints. Figure 7
is a section taken on the line A A Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a central vertical section of a reservoir of the construction hereinbefore
described for the storing of hydrocarbons and other like fluids. i is the inner convex
portion of the bottom.. j is the tubular extension which is connected to the part i
and is the outer conical portion of the bottom to which the part i is connected and
which is also connected to the cylindrical part of the reservoir.
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
First Mounting the water tanks of gasometers having bottoms formed as described
in the specification No. 7886 of 1887 and as herein before described on walls above
the level of the ground and making up the earth beneath the bottoms of the said tanks
to conform approximately to the configuration thereof substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly-Forming the outer portion of the bottoms of tanks or fluid reservoirs
of the construction described in the specification No. 7887 of 1887 as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figure 2 of the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly Forming the middle part of the bottoms of tanks or fluid reservoirs of
the construction described in the specification No. 7887 of 1887 as hereinbefore
described and illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.
Fourthly Forming the bottom of a tank or fluid reservoir as illustrated in Figure 4
of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: Fifthly Bracing or reinforcing the bottoms of tanks constructed as described in
the specification No. 7886 of 1887 by means of struts or braces and tie rods
substantially as illustrated in Figure 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
Sixthly Curving the edges of the plates of which the bottoms of tanks constructed
as described in the specification No. 7886 of 1887 are formed so as to produce
undulating circumferential joints as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying
drawings.
Seventhly A tank or reservoir for containing hydro carbons and other like fluids
constructed as illustrated in Figure 8 of the accompanying Drawings.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.