IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR SECURING HERMETICALLY THE HEADS, left by the said Nathan. THEEADS, COVERS, OR LIDS OF VARIOUS VESSELS AND ARTICLES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Nathan Thompson, of Brooklyn, in the County of King's
and State of New York, in the United States of America, but at present
of 23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR SECURING HERMETICALLY THE HEADS,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Nathan Thompson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th February 1881.
NATHAN THOMPSON, of Brooklyn, in the County of King's and State of New
York, in the United States of America, but at present of 23, Southampton
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR
Buildings, in the County of Middlesex.
SECURING HERMETICALLY THE HEADS, COVERS, OR LIDS OF VARIOUS VESSELS
AND ARTICLES."
The Invention has for its object improvements in means for securing hermetically
the covers or lids of various vessels and articles, and is applicable amongst other
things to bullion and treasure cases, mail vessels, preserved provision cans, water-
tanks, and various other articles.
In carrying the Invention into effect the articles to which it is applied may be
of any convenient shape, generally however they will be cylindrical with one end
permanently closed, whilst the other is capable of being closed hermetically by a
movable head, cover, or lid. For this purpose according to the Invention I form
the open end of the vessel or article with a seating for the cover and with a
projecting flange, or with lugs or ears to receive compression levers in pairs, acting
together and mutually assisting each other in forcing the head, cover, or lid to its
seat. A chase or groove is preferably formed in the seat to receive suitable
packing between the parts in order to obtain a hermetically tight joint by forcing
the head, cover, or lid to its seat by the compression levers.

page_text: The projecting flange or the lugs or ears are formed with openings to receive one
end of each lever, and to act as a fulcrum therefor, and with other openings on the
opposite side to receive bolts carried by the other ends of such levers. The head,
cover, or lid is also formed with a continuous projection, or with a number of lugs
or projections thereon, near the edge or periphery thereof, to act as fulera in combi-
nation with the compression levers, or the latter are formed with projections to act
against the head, cover, or lid. For small sizes a single pair of compression levers
will suffice for the purpose of forcing the head, lid, or cover to its seat, but for
larger sizes two or more pairs of compression levers will be employed as may be
found necessary:
The compression levers act in pairs placed alongside of each other, one of each
pair taking its fulcrum on one side of the vessel, tauk, or article, and the other on
the opposite side thereof, and both levers of each pair are forced against the head,
cover, or lid simultaneously, so that the latter is forced against its seat in a parallel
direction, by which means the bolt at the end of each lever can be shot into its
socket to retain the levers in their locking position.
Where two or more pairs of levers are employed the levers of one or more of
such pairs are so shaped as to readily pass the others without interfering with
each other's action.
If desired locking means may be employed to prevent the accidental return of
the bolts.
By these means a very heavy pressure can be quickly and easily put upon the
head, cover, or lid, and such pressure retained, thereby enabling a large or small
vessel, tank, or article to be hermetically closed in a very short time, and vessels
for containing preserved provisions, oil, water, petroleum, and other liquids or
substances can be readily closed and again opened without destroying the vessel,
whereby the latter is made available for future use.
Water tanks or casks on board ship are also enabled according to this Invention
to be speedily and efficiently closed and easily opened, thereby enabling the same
to be used for their original purpose, or, if on shipboard, when required to be used
as buoys for preserving life and property in case of shipwreck.
Tanks or vessels provided with my Invention may be used for the conveyance
and preservation of mails and property at sea, and for various other useful
purposes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Nathan Thompson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th August
1881.
FOR
NATHAN THOMPSON, of Brooklyn, in the County of King's and State of New
York, in the United States of America, but at present of 23, Southampton
Buildings, in the County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
SECURING HERMETICALLY THE HEADS, COVERS, OR LIDS OF VARIOUS VESSELS
AND ARTICLES."
The Invention has for its object improvements in means for securing hermetically
the covers or lids of various vessels and articles, and is applicable amongst other
things to bullion and treasure cases, mail vessels, preserved provision cans, water
tanks, and various other articles.
In carrying the Invention into effect the articles to which it is applied may be
of any convenient shape, generally however they will be cylindrical with one end
permanently closed, whilst the other is capable of being closed hermetically by a
movable head, cover, or lid. For this purpose according to the Invention I form
the open end of the vessel or article with a seating for the cover and with a
projecting flange, or with lugs or ears to receive compression levers in pairs
acting together, and mutually assisting each other in forcing the head, cover, or
lid to its seat.
A chase or groove is preferably formed in the seat to receive suitable packing
between the parts in order to obtain a hermetically tight joint by forcing the head,
cover, or lid to its seat by the compression levers.
The projecting flange or the lugs or ears are formed with openings to receive one
end of each lever and to act as a fulcrum therefor, and with other openings on the
opposite side to receive bolts carried by the other ends of such levers. The head,
cover, or lid is also formed with a continuous projection or with a number of lugs
or projections thereon, near the edge or periphery thereof, to act as fulcra in com-
bination with the compression levers, or the latter are forined with projections to
act against the head, cover, or lid. For small sizes a single pair of compression
levers will suffice for the purpose of forcing the bead, lid, or cover to its seat, but
for larger sizes two or more pairs of compression levers will be employed as may
be found necessary.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings,
Figure 1 is a cross section, Figure 2 is a side elevation of parts, and Figure 3 is a
plan of the upper part of a cylindrical vessel with my Invention applied thereto.
In the above Figures only two compression levers are shown.
Figure 4 is a cross section, and Figure 5 is a plan representing the use of four
compression levers which are required for large sizes of vessel.
a represents the body of the vessel which is supposed to be provided with the
bottom or one end permanently closed; b is the head, cover, or lid; and c, c, are
compression levers used to force the head, cover, or lid b to its seat a¹ which is
formed on or fixed to the body a of the vessel, which is also provided with a
projecting flange a³, or with lugs or ears; a chase or groove a² is preferably formed
in the seat a¹ to receive suitable packing d between the parts in order to obtain a
hermetically tight joint by forcing the head, cover, or lid b to its seat a' by the
compression levers c.

page_text: The projecting flange a³ or the lugs or ears are formed with openings a¹ to
receive one end of each lever c to act as a fulcrum therefor, and with other
openings a on the opposite side to receive bolts c¹ carried by the other ends of
such levers c.
The head, cover, or lid b is also formed with a continuous projection b¹, or with
a number of lugs or projections thereon, near the edge or periphery thereof, to act
as fulcra in combination with the compression levers c, or the latter may be
formed with projections to act against the head, cover, or lid b, as will be readily
understood.
The compression levers c act in pairs placed alongside of each other, one of each
pair taking its fulcrum on one side of the vessel, tank, or article, and the other on
the opposite side thereof, and both levers of each pair are forced against the head,
cover, or lid b simultaneously, so that the latter is forced against its seat in a
parallel direction, by which means the bolt c' at the end of each lever c can be
shot into its socket as to retain the levers c in their locking position.
Where two or more pairs of levers care employed, the levers of one or more of
such pairs are so shaped (see Figure 4) as to readily pass the others without
interfering with each other's action.
If desired locking means may be employed to prevent the accidental return of
the bolts.
By these means a very heavy pressure can be quickly and easily put upon the
head, cover, or lid, and such pressure retained, thereby enabling a large or small
vessel, tank, or article to be hermetically closed in a very short time, and vessels
for containing preserved provisions, oil, water, petroleum, and other liquids or
substances, can be readily closed and again opened without destroying the vessel,
whereby the latter is made available for future use.
Water tanks or casks on board ship are also enabled, according to this Invention,
to be speedily and efficiently closed and easily opened, thereby enabling the same
to be used for their original purpose, or, if on ship board, to be used when required
as buoys for preserving life and property in case of shipwreck.
Tanks or vessels provided with my Invention may be used for the conveyance
and preservation of mails and property at sea, and for various other useful
purposes.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is the
employment of levers c acting together in pairs to force a head, cover, or lid to its
seat, in manner substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Nathan Thompson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
NATHAN THOMPSON. (L.S.)