605,938. Reinforcing tanks. CROM, J. M. April 11, 1944, No. 6643. [Class 83 (iv)] [Also , in Groups X and XXIX] A method of banding tanks or the like circumferentially with continuous wire reinforcement, comprises effecting movement of a vehicle around and in contact with the outer face of the tank through the medium of frictional contact with said face and trailing a wire reinforcement from the vehicle in tight contact with the tank as the vehicle passes therearound and holds the wire taut through said frictional contact. One form of mechanism for winding a wire reinforcement 84 around a concrete tank having a side wall 10 and top 12 comprises a vehicle 14 adapted to travel around the cylindrical wall of the tank on wheels 42, Figs. 1 and 3, and suspended by cables 32 from a boom 16 mounted on a carriage 18 with wheels 25 and 26 adapted to run on the top wall 12 and side wall 10 respectively. Vehicle 14 and carriage 18 are both selfpropelled, and the driving unit 28 of the carriage is controlled by a plumb line suspended from the boom and engaged by fingers projecting from the vehicle 14 so that the carriage and vehicle are kept in step. The boom 16 is supported by a cable 20 pivotally mounted on a fixture 21 in the centre of the roof 12, the fixture also carrying a funnel-like guide 91 for the banding wire 84 which is fed from a drum 85, over a pulley 89 through the guide 91 and then over a pulley 92 carried by the boom 16 and down to the vehicle 14. An engine 50 mounted on the vehicle is connected through gear-box 53 to a shaft 52 which is coupled by a chain 64 and reduction gearing to a series of drums 36 around which are wound the ends of the vehicle-supporting cables 32. Rotation of the drums serves to raise or lower the vehicle. The shaft 52 may be connected. through a clutch, chain 57 and sprocket 58 to a shaft 120 carrying a grooved wheel 99, the rotation of which effects movement of the vehicle around the tank. The wire 84 from the drum 85 on reaching the vehicle passes through a series of grooved rolls 93 and then round a grooved wheel 95' controlled by brake drums 96 and thence to the wall 10. The last complete loop of wire already wound around the tank passes through the vehicle and around the driving wheel 99. By means of this completed loop, the vehicle pulls itself around the tank and as the wire of this loop finally leaves the vehicle it is tensioned by means of a pivotally mounted pulley block 103 having an indicator arm 111 and an arm 113 by which a spring 114 urges it in a direction to increase the tension of the wire. An arm 117 extending from a second pivotally mounted pulley block 109 is engaged by a manually-operated screw 121 by which the tension of the wire may be adjusted. The tension of the loop which is being wound is controlled by the brake drums 96 under the control of a lever 98. In addition to the winding mechanism, the vehicle 14 also carries a cement spray 147 for putting a coating 149 over the wire reinforcement. In a modified form of apparatus, the vehicle 14, instead of being suspended from a boom is mounted within a framework having wheels travelling on a circular rail around the foot of the tank (Fig. 9, not shown). In another form, Fig. 10, the cable 184 is wound permanently on the tank wall from the pulley 195 controlled by brake drums 165 and the vehicle travels around the tank with the aid of a separate complete annular wire 163 which passes around the tank and around the driving pulley 199. After leaving the braked pulley 195, the wire 184 to be wound passes through a pivoted pulley block 203 having an indicating lever 211 pulled in the tensioning direction by a spring 214 and coupled by a rod 194 to the control lever 198 of the brake drums 165. By this means a constant tension is maintained. Another form of vehicle designed to operate successfully to band a tank equally well at the top and bottom limits, is held in contact with the tank wall by means of an annular loop 348, Fig. 12, passing around an idler pulley 350 and the travel of the vehicle is effected by driving one of its wheels 330. Wire 84 to be wound on the tank passes from a drum 308 mounted on the vehicle around tensioning pulleys and thence to the tank wall through a resistance member 318 having a passage of a size causing it to grip the wire and place it under a predetermined tension. The resistance member may be carried directly on the carriage or on an arm 320 projecting above or below the vehicle for winding the top or bottom rows.