IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC PACKAGES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Walker at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th July
1859. A communication from James Wilson, Charles Green, and
William Wilson, the younger, all of whom reside at Wilmington, in
Newcastle County, in the State of Delaware, one of the United States
of America, and are Citizens of the United States of America.
I, WILLIAM WALKER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC PACKAGES, AND IN MACHINERY FOR
MANUFACTURING THE SAME," as communicated to me by James Wilson, Charles
Green, and William Wilson, the younger, all of whom reside at Wilmington,
in Newcastle County, in the State of Delaware, one of the United States of
America, and are Citizens of the United States of America, to be as follows
(that is to say):
The first part of this Invention relates to improvements in the construction of
cylindrical packages, such as barrels, kegs, cannisters, and so forth, from sheet
metal, and enclosing both ends by double seamed or lapped joints, and they
may be formed with plain, corrugated, or bulged sides. These packages may
be constructed without soldering, wealding, or riveting, and as the ordinary
black sheet iron may be used in their construction, a cheap, light, and tight.
enclosure can be produced by this Invention.

page_text: The second part of this Invention relates to the machinery for manufac-
turing these improved packages, and consists of a vertical shaft mounted in
suitable bearings, in which it can revolve and receive an up-and-down motion
for a given distance. This vertical shaft is provided at its lower end with an
horizontal disc, and receives its rotating motion from a driving pulley staked
on the shaft, and is also provided with a loose pulley for throwing it out of
motion. The rod and piston are always kept at the lowest position when not
acted upon from the under face of the piston by means of a weight, weighted
lever, or spring. Immediately below this vertical rod and piston there is a
second vertical rod with a disc or piston on its upper end, and which are so
mounted that they are free to revolve on their vertical axis, and can be
elevated towards the upper disc or piston by a foot lever, or other suitable
mechanical equivalent. A little above the lowest point of descent of the upper
piston there is securely fixed a stout metal circle, which carries the small rolls
which are used to turn the seams for securing the heads into the cylinders. These
small turning or bending rolls are so mounted that they can be advanced
towards the centre of the circle, as required. The first of these small rollers
used for bending the metal and forming the joint on the head of the package,
is a small horizontal wheel, with the periphery bevelled inward from the upper
edge, for forming what is technically called the "burring" on the lid or head
of the package. The second set to be brought into play, and which are used
to give the peculiar bend called in the trade "peaning down," consists of one
vertical and one horizontal roller, which by a lever or screw action are
gradually brought towards each other as the sheet of metal is bent round.
The third set of rollers to be used to complete the "double senin joint," con-
sists of two rollers, one of which rolls is formed with a hollow curved edge,
and revolves upon an horizontal axis, and the lower one has its axis placed at
an iuclination to the horizon, but in line with the shaft of the upper roller.
The edge of this lower roller is formed concave. The last and finishing roller
is placed horizontally, and is formed with the edge slightly convexed. The
second and third set of rolls herein-before described may be dispensed with
when only single seamed "joints are require to be made, and which can be
done by the use of the first and last rollers described.
When it is desired to form the packages with corrugations running round
them, or of a cask like form, I use an horizontal shaft, which carries on each
end a conical forming barrel, or other suitably shaped forming surface; this
horizontal shaft is driven by spur gear, or other mechanical equivalent, at or
near the centre of its length, and is mounted upon stout bearings on each side

page_text: of the toothed wheel thereon. Immediately above there is a second horizontal
shaft, which is free to revolve upon its axis, and is provided with suitably
forming chasing or embossing rollers at each end. This upper horizontal
shaft can be elevated or depressed by a lever or screw motion.
In the inside of the lower forming rollers there is a gauge plate, the position
of which can be regulated at pleasure, and there are three or more rollers
used to encompass the cylinder during the time the inner end thereof is
between the forming rollers, and a small roller is mounted so as to come in
contact with the inner edge of the cylinder during the time it
being shaped
by the forming rolls, for the purpose of keeping the cylinder perfectly round.
To construct a package according to this Invention, take a sheet of metal
and form a cylinder by joining two of the edges together in any of the ordinary
ways practised by metal plate workers, but it is prefered to use the "double
seamed" or "groved joint," then turn down both edges of the cylinder ends,
so as to form a flanch or collar all round the cylinder at a right angle to tho
outer surface. Then form, by means of a stamping press, the two ends to be
used for enclosing the cylinder. These ends are formed of a shape much
resembling a dinner plate, but, if prefered, the lower face may be formed with
circular corrugations. One of the enclosing discs is struck with a bole in the
centre, or other convenient position, with a raised collar around it, and on the
under side a small disc, having a raised collar, is secured thereto in such a way
that the collar of the small disc enters the hole in the centre of the enclosing
disc or head, so as to form a small annular passage or groove between the
raised collars for the admission of the lower edge of a circular cover which is
used to close the orifice. Now place the cylinder on the face of the lower
piston herein-before described; place on the top of the cylinder one of the discs
or heads of the package, then elevate them until they come into close contact
with the lower face of the upper piston, and which is pressed upward suf-
ficiently high to cause the driving strap to slip from the loose pulley to the fast
driving pulley on the shaft of the upper piston, which now rotates on its
vertical axis, carrying round the lower piston, which is free to revolve on its
axis. Now gradually press upwards the cylinder cover against the oblique
elge of the "burring roller." After the edge of the enclosing disc has been
turned down to a right angle all round its edge, then advance the pair of rolls
used for performing the operation known as "peaning," which is bending the
edge of the plate underneath the flanch of the cylinder, then bring into
play the pair of rollers used to bind the edge of the cover or head and the
flanch on the cylinder towards the surface of the cylinder, after which advance

page_text: the pressing down roller, which completes the operation on that head of the
cylinder; then let down the lower piston, invert the package, and place on it
the other enclosing disc, and repeat the operation as before, by which a cheap,
stout, and secure package is produced.
When the packages are required to be corrugated, barrel-formed, or other
shaped, this is done by means of the forming rollers herein-before described
after the cylinder is formed.