Improvements in Sheet Metal Cans and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1899-Accepted, 17th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sheet Metal Cans and the like.
1, EDWIN NORTON, of Maywood, in the County of Cook, in the State of Illinois,
United States of America, Manufacturer, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in sheet metal cans or vessels.
The object of my invention is to provide a sheet metal can or vessel of a simple,
efficient and durable construction having a cover of the full size or diameter of
the can body, so that when the cover is removed the contents may be readily
removed, and in which the cover is adapted to be sealed or secured to the can
body by a vacuum or atmospheric pressure seal, and also by a mechanical seal
or lock, and in which also the cover may be readily removed without mutilating
either the cover or the can, by prying the same off gradually at one portion of its
circumference at a time, and thus breaking both the vacuum or atmospheric
pressure seal and the mechanical or seaming seal by which the cover is secured
to the can body.
My invention consists in the construction or means I employ to accomplish
these results or objects, and will be readily understood by those skilled in the
art from the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in con-
nection with the detailed description thereof herein contained.
In said drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a can embodying my invention;
Fig. 2 is a central vertical section, showing the cover separate from the can and
ready to be applied thereto; Fig. 3 is a similar section showing the cover sealed
and secured to the can body by the vacuum or atmospheric seal and before the
cover is mechanically sealed or secured in place; Fig. 4 is a similar section
showing the cover sealed and secured on the can both by the vacuum or atmos-
pheric seal and by the mechanical seal; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional
view of the cover to more clearly show the particular construction of the annular
channel or seat for the packing; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view of
the finished and sealed can to better show its construction and operation: and
Fig. is an enlarged detail sectional view showing a modified construction in
which the seamless ring is omitted, the fulcrum or shoulder for prying off the
cover being formed integrally in the stock of the can body itself, and the co-operat-
ing roll or shoulder on the outer flange of the cover being formed at the lower
edge thereof instead of intermediate of said flange as shown in the other figures
of the drawing
In the drawing A represents the can body, B, the cover, C, the rubber, cement
or other packing inserted between the cover and the can body, 1), the bottom of

page_text: the can F, the seamless ring, which is preferably secured to the can body at the
upper end thereof.
The can body A may be, and preferably is, of a plain, smooth, cylindrical form,
as illustrated in the drawing, having the customary side seam. a.
The cover B has an outer upright flange 6 which fits outside the can body, and
an inner secondary flange which is also substantially upright or at right angles
to the plane of the cover. Between the flanges bb is the annular channel or
seat for the packing C, the horizontal flange 3 forming the upper wall or
bottom, so to speak, of the annular channel or groove 2. The inner corner b
of the channel is made curved or rounding, while the outer corner thereof is
made substantially square, and preferably about as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6.
The packing C may preferably be originally placed chiefly in this outer corner, as
indicated in Fig. 5. When the packing C is compressed between the cover and
the roll or shoulder at the upper end of the can body, this enlarged outer corner b³
gives room for the compressed packing, and thus prevents any danger of the thin
edge or ring of the packing being forced down into the can. The inner flange b
of the cover B has an outwardly projecting bend or crimp 66 in the finished or
sealed can, which projects under the inwardly projecting roll or shoulder fat
the upper end or mouth of the can body, and thus mechanically seals and secures
the cover on the can, as will be hereafter more fully explained. The outer flange b
of the cover is provided with an externally projecting bend, fold or shoulder
which co-operates with the external shoulder or fulcrum on the can body in open-
ing the can or prying off the cover. The external flange 6 of the cover preferably
projects below this external shoulder 67 so as to give greater depth to this external
Hange of the cover, and thus enable the cover to be more straightly, squarely and
properly guided home on the can body,in the operation of instantaneously forcing
the cover home by the suddenly restored atmospheric pressure in making the
vacuum or atmospheric pressure seal of the can." In this operation of forming
the vacuum or atmospheric pressure seal unless the cover is properly guided and
moved to place squarely and truly, the vacuum seal will not be perfectly and
properly formed.
The bottom or lower head D of the can is, or may be, of any suitable con-
struction. It has an external flange d, and preferably a raised central portion or
annular bead fitting within the inner flange b₁ of the cover, to enable the cans
to be stacked securely one on top of another; the free upper end of the can body
bearing said internal roll or bead permitting the same to give as the cover is pried
off, gradually at different points of its circumference.
The seamless ring F is provided with an inwardly projecting fold or roll f which
fits over the upper end of the can body A, and thus forms or constitutes the
inwardly projecting roll or shoulder at the mouth or upper end of the can body.
As the ring F is seamless the shoulder or roll f is likewise of course seamless and
thus affords a smooth and perfect bearing not only for the packing C, but also for
the metal to metal contact between the outward crimp or bend 66 in the inner
flange b¹ of the cover, and the upper or lower part of said roll or shoulder f. The
seamless ring F is further provided near its lower edge with an exteriorly pro-
jecting fold or shoulder f, which serves as the fulcrum for prying off the cover
by inserting any suitable instrument between said fold, shoulder or fulcrum fi
and the external shoulder 67 on the outer flange 6 of the cover B, as will be readily
understood from the drawing. The seamless ring F is soldered to the can body
and serves to materially reinforce and strengthen the same, and thus better adapt
the can to withstand both the external or atmospheric pressure due to the vacuum
or atmospheric pressure seal of the can, and also any internal pressure that may be
due to the cooking or processing of the contents of the can while it is in an
hermetically sealed condition. In the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 7
where the seamless ring F is omitted, the internal roll or shoulder f which
co-operates with the outward bend 66 of the inner flange of the cover to lock

page_text: the cover on the can body is formed integrally at the upper edge of the can body
by simply folding the upper edge thereof inward; and the fulcrum or externally
projecting shoulder f is likewise formed by an integral fold in the stock of the
can body itself; and the shoulder on the outer flange 6 of the cover is also
formed by a simple roll at the lower edge of said flange as will be readily under-
stood from Fig. 7 of the drawing.
In operation or method of use, after the can is filled, the cover B is loosely
placed thereon, the air is then exhausted from the can by placing it within the
receiver of an air pump, the cover is then hermetically scaled and secured to the
can body by suddenly restoring the atmospheric pressure, thus instantaneously
forcing the cover home on the can body and compressing the packing C between
the cover and the inwardly projecting roll or shoulder f at the upper end or mouth
of the can body; the cover B is then mechanically sealed and secured to the can
body by forming the outwardly projecting bend or erimp in the inner flange 61
of the cover B, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, thus mechanically securing the
cover on the can and mechanically holding the packing C in a compressed form.
The cover is thus sealed and secured to the can by a double seal, the vacuum or
atmospheric pressure seal and a mechanical seal. The can is opened by placing
a suitable instrument between the external fulcrum f' on the can body, or rather
on the seamless ring which is secured to the can body and forming a part thereof,
and the external shoulder 7 on the outer Hange of the cover.
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:
1. In a sheet metal can or vessel, the combination with a can body of a seamless
ring fitting outside the can body and having an internal roll or shoulder at its
upper edge fitting over the upper end of the can body, and an externally pro-
jecting body or shoulder at its lower edge to serve as a fulcrum in prying off the
cover, and a cover having an outer flange provided with an external shoulder to
co-operate with said external shoulder or fulcrum on said seamless ring, said
cover having also a secondary inner flange bent or crimped outwardly under and
against said internal roll or shoulder at the upper edge of said seamless ring,
substantially as specified.
2. The combination with a can body, of a seamless ring secured to the can
body and provided at its upper edge with an inwardly projecting roll or shoulder,
and a cover having an outer flange and a secundary inner flange bent or crimped
outwardly under and against said internal roll or shoulder on said seamless ring,
said seamless ring being also provided with an outwardly projecting fold or
shoulder near its lower edge, and the outer flange of said cover having also au
outwardly projecting shoulder and a straight or cylindrical portion below said
shoulder, substantially as specified.
3. In a sheet metal can or vessel, the combination with a can body of a seam-
Jess ring fitting outside the can body and having an internal roll or shoulder at
its upper edge hitting over the upper end of the can body, and an externally pro-
jecting fold or shoulder at its lower edge to serve as a fulcrum in prying off the
cover, and a cover having an outer flange provided with an external shoulder to
co-operate with said external shoulder or fulcrum on said seamless ring, said cover
having also a secondary inner flange bout or crimped outwardly under and against
said internal roll or shoulder at the upper edge of said seamless ring, said cover
having an annular channel or seat for a packing between its said outer and inner
flanges provided with a curved or rounded inner corner and a square or enlarged
outer corner, and a packing in said receptacle or seat, substantially as specified.
4. In a sheet metal can or vessel, the combination with a body having an internal
rell or head a at its upper end or mouth and provided with an externally project-
ing shoulder near its upper end to serve as a fulcrum for prying off the cover,

page_text: of a cover B having an outer Hange fitting outside the can body
and provided at its lower edge with a roll, bend or fold to co-operate
with said shoulder on the can body, said cover B having also an inner secondary
flange adapted to be bent or crimped outwardly under and against said internal
roll or bead on the can body, a gasket, cement or packing C fitting in the groove
or channel between said flanges on the cover, and compressed between the
cover and said roll or bead a on the can body, said cover being sealed and secured
to the can body by a vacuum seal and a mechanical seal, substantially as herein
.shown and described.
5. In a sheet metal can or vessel, the combination with a can body having an
internal roll or bead at its upper end or mouth, and an externally projecting
shoulder, of a cover having an outer flange and a secondary inner flange bent
or crimped outwardly under and against said internal roll or bead at the upper edge
of the can body, said outer flange of the can cover having a roll or fold at its
lower edge to enable the cover to be pried off against said externally projecting
shoulder on the can body as a fulcrum, the free upper end of the can body bear-
ing said internal roll or bead permitting the same to give as the cover is pried
off, gradually at different points of its circumference, substantially as specified.
6. The combination with a can body having an internal rolled edge at its upper
end, of a cover having a deep outer flange fitting outside the can body, an inner
secondary substantially upright flange fitting inside the can body and adapted
to be bent or crimped outwardly under and against said internally rolled edge
of the can body by a single horizontal operation, said inner and outer flanges
of the cover forming between them a seat for a packing ring to enable the cover
to be sealed and secured to the can body by a vacuum seal, and said cover when
removed from the can body, leaving an opening the full size of the can body
so that the contents of the can may be readily removed therefrom, substantially
as specified.
7. The combination with a can body having an internal rolled edge at its upper
end, of a cover having an outer flange fitting outside the can body, an inner
secondary flange fitting inside the can body and adapted to be bent or crimped
outwardly under and against said internally rolled edge of the can body and a
packing C fitting in the annular groove or seat in the cover formed by said inner
and outer flanges thereon, said can body having an external shoulder to act as
a fulcrum and the cover having a roll or shoulder on its external flange to co-operate
with said fulcrum on the can body in prying off the cover, substantially as
specified.
8. The combination with a can body A, having internally rolled upper edge,
of cover B, having inner and outer flanges bb fitting one inside and one outside
the can body, packing C sealing and securing said cover to said body by a vacuum
seal, said inner flange on the cover being crimped outwardly under and against
said rolled upper edge of the can body and securing said cover to said body by a
mechanical seal, said outer flange 6 of said cover B having a shoulder and said
body A having an external shoulder serving as a fulcrum for prying off the cover,
the free upper end of the can body bearing said internal roll or bead permitting
the same to give as the cover is pried off, gradually at different points of its
circumference, substantially as specified.
9. The combination with a can body A, having internally rolled upper edge,
of cover B, having inner and outer flanges & fitting one inside and one outside
the can body, packing C sealing and securing said cover to said body by a vacuum
seal, said inner flange bl on the cover being crimped outwardly under and against
said rolled upper edges of the can body and securing said cover to said body by
a mechanical seal, said outer flange 6 of said cover B having a shoulder, said
body A having an external shoulder serving as a fulcrum for prying off the cover,
and a bottom D having a raised central portion d' fitting within said inner flange b
of the cover to enable the cans to be stacked securely one on top of another, the free

page_text: upper end of the can body bearing said internal roll or bead permitting the same
to give as the cover is pried off, gradually at different points of its circumference,
substantially as specified.
TIL
T
EDWIN NORTON.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton. Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.