Improved Means for Soldering Metal Boxes, Canisters, Tins, or the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Mar., 1895-Accepted, 18th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Soldering Metal Boxes, Canisters, Tins, or
the like.
We, JULES GERSANT of 71 College Road, Deal, Kent Engineer, and
ARCHIBALD GEORGE BUTTIFANT, of 8 St. Benet Place Gracechurch Street,
London E.C. Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention consists of improved means for soldering metal boxes, canisters
tins or the like by which we cause the heat of the flame to act directly upon the
article to be soldered instead of using a so-called soldering iron.
Moreover we do not find it necessary to use solder as heretofore thus effecting
considerable economy in cost and labour.
Our invention is applicable to deed boxes, tins for preserved meat, sardines,
milk, fruit or other products or to other articles made of tin, tinned sheet-iron or
other fusible metal.
In carrying out our invention we provide an annular closed metal chamber
having a series of perforations along its inner edge and with one or more inlets
furnished with tubes or piping for conveying gas or gas and air combined. Said
chamber is as nearly as possible of the same shape of the tin or article to be
soldered and may be divided into two parts and hinged so as to be opened to admit
of the article being placed in or withdrawn.
We also make two annular lips extending inwardly from the top and bottom of
the chamber and curved or leaning towards each other until they nearly meet the
cross section of the chamber being thus somewhat of a cone shape with a transverse
perforated diaphragm and having a hole at the apex of the cone.
The upper one of the two lips may be provided with holes so as to facilitate
ignition of the gas and to carry off the products of combustion.
The two portions of tin or the like to be soldered are first turned over at their
edges or overlapped in the usual way and the article is then placed in the annular
space within the chamber the gas having been previously lighted.
The heat produced by the corona or ring of flame surrounding the article is
sufficient to melt the block tin upon the same and cause the parts to be hermetically
sealed without the aid of any additional solder.
Instead of a gas flame we may by a slight modification be able to use spirit or
hydrocarbon or other oils.
Dated this 13th day of September 1894.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
12, Basinghall Street, London, E.C., Agents.

page_text: Improved Means for Soldering Metal Boxes, Canisters, Tins, or
the like.
We, JULES GERSANT of 71 College Road, Deal, Kent, Engineer, and
ARCHIBALD GEORGE BUTTIFANT of 8 St. Benet's Place, Gracechurch Street
London, E.C. Accountant, 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 relates to improvements in the method of and means for,
hermetically sealing metal boxes tins or cans such as those intended for preserving
alimentary substances and other articles and in the machinery necessary for
effecting this result and relates to such boxes tins or cans as are composed of iron
steel or other plates having a coating or coatings of tin or other fusible metal or
material thereupon. The invention consists essentially in fusing by means of a
direct flame a portion of the coating of tin or other fusible metal or material at
the junctions of the plates. In this way the tops and bottoms can be joined
with the bodies of the boxes tins or cans aforesaid so as to form a hermetically
sealed joint without employment of a soldering iron or of solder or any soldering
composition.
The operation of hermetically sealing the joints is thus much facilitated and a
considerable saving in the cost of production and labour is effected.
In carrying out this invention we use a frame of metal or other suitable
composition taking the shape or form of the box tin or can to be hermetically
sealed.
This frame consists of two or more parts which are connected by one or more
hinge or hinges or otherwise made moveable relative to one another so as to permit
of the frame being opened and closed at will whereby the box tin or can can be
inserted or withdrawn as required.
Thus as an alternative to hinging the parts of the frame may be made to slide
together or apart as required. These parts of the frame are divided concentrically
by a partition into two compartments the outer of which is intended for the
admission of the gas and current of air (which is sent in from a fan or other
arrangement for supplying it under suitable pressure) to be used in the process of
hermetically sealing. From this outer compartment through a series of holes or
apertures formed in the partition or dividing wall the gas and air enter into the
second or inner compartment where the gas and the air combined are ignited and
become blow pipe jets.
These blow pipe jets, passing through spaces or slots suitably formed in the
inner enclosing wall, play upon that part of the box, tin, or can where it is to be
hermetically sealed and the intense heat produced at the point of contact by the
ring of flame, melts the layer or coating of tin, or other fusible metal, which covers
the plate of iron, steel or other metal of which the box, tin, or can, is composed
and thereby causes the same to become hermetically sealed. The other part of the
box, tin, or can, not being directly in contact with the flame, will not be heated
sufficiently to cause a reaction on the interior air.
The box, tin, or can, can therefore be closed in the ordinary manner, and after-
wards hermetically sealed by being subjected to the action of the heat produced
by the apparatus herein described.
To more fully describe the construction of this apparatus, and its mode of
operation, we will refer to the accompanying drawings upon which
Fig. 1 is a side elevational view partly in section, of an apparatus, constructed
in accordance with this invention, for the purpose of hermetically sealing a round

page_text: OVA, B, of can, such
15 used for canning meats, milk or other articles or an
alimentary nature.
Fig. 2. represents the same apparatus in plan view, also partly in section,
Fig. 3. is a view in plan, partly in section, of an apparatus intended for use in
hermetically sealing boxes, tins, or cans of a rectangular shape, such as sardine
tins.
Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in each of the figures.
a al are the two parts of the frame which, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, can either
be of a circular shape, adapted for the reception of round boxes, tins, or cans, or
they can be of a rectangular shape adapted for the reception of boxes, tins, or
cans, such as sardine' tins, as shewn in Fig. 3. Other shapes may of course be made
use of if desired. These two parts a a' may be (as shewn in Figures 2 and 3)
hinged together at b so as to allow them to be opened or closed at will to permit of
the insertion or withdrawal of the box, tin, or can, when desired c, and so as to
afford a secure holding of the box, tin, or can, when in position for being hermetically
sealed.
As aforesaid these two parts a a' instead of being. hinged together, may be made
to open and close by sliding together or apart, as may be required or any other
means for effecting this purpose may be employed if desired.
d and e are the concentric compartments into which the frame a a¹ is divided as
aforesaid being the partition or dividing wall, which is pierced with apertures f¹
through which the current of gas and air passes, as above mentioned, from one
compartment to the other.
The inner compartment or combustion chamber e is formed with a slot or space g
in its inner euclosing wall, which allows the flame to play regularly upon the exact
part desired of the box tin or can, see particularly Fig. 1.
The one portion a of the frame may be attached to a fixed standard h and the
other portion a' carried upon moveable support i which for facility of operation,
may be fitted upon a ball bearing or a castor as shewn.
k is the inlet tube for the gas and k¹ for the current of air. The tube k may
terminate as shewn in the curved branch / within the chamber or compartment d of the
frame of the apparatus. The tube k' may terminate in the chamber or compartment d
of the apparatus. The tube k may conveniently pass through the arm m and terminate
at its outer end in nozzle n. The tube may conveniently pass through the
arm m and terminate at its outer end in nozzle n¹. An india rubber or other tube
to conduct the gas may be connected to nozzle n and also to nozzle n' to conduct
the current of air. The line marked o in Figure 1 represents the top of the tin or
box under operation.
It is preferable to employ tubes for the admission of the gas and air entering
each of the parts a a' of the frame of the apparatus. The top or covering of the
inner compartment or combustion chamber e in which the gas is ignited is formed
with apertures or openings e¹ therein, in order to admit air to facilitate combustion.
In lieu of a gas flame, it is obvious that a spirit or hydro carbon oil flame may
be employed if so desired.
In order more particularly to explain the operation of the apparatus, and the
method of thereby hermetically sealing the boxes, tins, or cans in accordance with
this invention we will describe the process as applied to ordinary boxes, tins or
cans for preserving alimentary substances.
The top and bottom of the box, tin, or can the outer rims or edges having
first been wiped with the usual flux are then fixed to the body of the box, tin,
or can by means of the ordinary seaming machine or other machine of a like
character.
The current of gas and air having been ignited the frame a a¹ is opened and the
box, tin, or can placed therein. The frame is then closed, and the top or bottom
edge of the box tin or can or other part or parts thereof intended to be hermetically
sealed is subjected to the direct action of the flame. The intense heat in contact
with the parts of the box, tin, or can intended to be hermetically sealed, melts,

page_text: at the point of contact the tin or other fusible coating on the iron steel or other
plate of which the box, tin, or can is composed and there hermetically seals the
same.
It will be evident that this our invention can be applied though in a less complete
and satisfactory manner by the use of a frame which does not completely surround
the article so as to complete the operation at one time.
The parts to be hermetically sealed are in this arrangement submitted successively
to the action of the heat. The same may be done in the case of a straight seam
provided that the edges have first been turned over and brought properly together
by means of a seaming or other machine of a like character. The partial frame
should however cover a sufficient length of the seam at one time to prevent too
rapid radiation from and cooling of the parts during the operation. Instead
of gas we may use combustible vapours such as those hydro carbons where
convenient.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The improvements in method of, and means for, hermetically sealing metal
boxes, tins, or cans, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The herein before described apparatus for the purpose of hermetically sealing
metal boxes tins, or cans without the use of solder or any soldering composition
that is to say the combination of the frame consisting of two parts a a¹ made to
open and close by hinges or other means and each divided concentrically into two
parts de with one or more inlets for the gas in the outer compartment d with
orifices for air e¹ and communicating apertures in the dividing wall together with
a slot or space g through which space or aperture the flame is directed upon the
part or parts of the box, tin, or can intended to be hermetically sealed, the whole
constructed arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and
shewn on the drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of a frame or part of a frame constructed
as herein before set forth with tubes for the inlet of gas and air and arms and
nozzles for concentrating the heat directly upon the seam all as hereinbefore
described, and for the purposes herein before set forth viz., the utilization of the
layer of tin or fusible metal on boxes, tins or cans for the purpose of hermetically
sealing the same by means of the direct action of heat applied thereto as
herein before set forth.
Dated this 23rd day of March 1895.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for Applicants.