Improvements in Hermetically Sealing the Lids of Cans and Boxes.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hermetically Sealing the Lids of Cans and Boxes.
I, WILLIAM ARTHUR HILLS, of 6, Great Winchester Street, London, Metallur-
gist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object novel or improved means whereby, cans or
boxes may become hermetically closed by easily rapidly and cheaply filling in any
space or air way that may exist between the upper and outer portion of the body
of a can or box, and the inner surface of the rim of the lid where it fits on to
the can or box, or other similar hollow article, which is covered with a lid.
Various devices exist for the purpose of hermetically sealing cans and boxes,
but it is difficult to know with any certainty that the can or box is effectively
sealed after it is filled, and the lid fixed on to the can or box especially with
those made of sheet metals.
To overcome this difficulty, after the can or box is filled, and the lid fixed on
by one of the ordinary methods, the process however being more particularly
applicable to hermetically closed cans or boxes such as those which are so con-
structed that the sealing substance cannot get into the inside of the can or box
after it is filled and closed. I take the can or box and place it with the lid
downwards in a shallow bath of melted paraffin or other wax, preferably of the
paraffin series that does not melt under a temperature of 130 to 140 F., and
known as hard paraffin. The melted fluid wax especially that of the paraffin
series, which is of a very searching and penetrating character, will, in a minute
or so run into and completely fill any portion of the joint round, the circum-
ference of the can or box, formed by fixing the lid on to the can, or any air
way, left open, or imperfectly closed by the supposed hermetical closing apparatus
previously employed. Thus a perfectly reliable hermetic joint is formed.
If heated to a temperature which makes the paraffin wax quite fluid and thin,
it readily runs off a metallic surface, so that little more than the quantity that
runs into the joint of the can or box, is retained on the can or box. Any excess
is readily wiped off with a cloth and the wax recovered therefrom by boiling
the cloth in water, when the wax will float to the top.
With the object of preventing the wax coming in contact with a greater
surface of the box or can than is necessary to form the joint I make a shallow
bath of hot water on the surface of which melted wax floats, so that the head of
the can or box when placed in the bath is standing in the hot water, while only
a sufficient portion of the circumference of the can or box, at the point where
that portion of the rim of the lid furthest from the top or head of the can or
box forms the joint with the body thereof, is standing in the layer of melted
wax which floats on the hot water, to enable the melted wax to run into and
down the joint, thus filling up and closing any possible space left by the previous
supposed hermetic closing operation. When taken out of the bath there will
be very little wax to wipe off the can or box with a cloth.
There are however cases where heat might spoil the contents of the can or

page_text: box. I therefore adopt an alternative method for cans or boxes, the lids of
which are formed with a rim which at its lower edge has an outwardly flanged
portion, of which a margin of the same from the edge thereof is folded back
under the flange. The said flanged portion has an outward and downward
direction, whereas the margin folded back under the flange has an inward and
upward direction and all round the inside of the lower part of the rim of the
lid. I put this lower part of the rim of the lid in a very shallow bath of melted
wax, preferably hard paraffin, which immediately fills the recess formed by the
folding back inwardly and upwardly of the margin of the flange of the rim of the
lid. The lid is then lifted out, care being taken to keep it flat. Most of the hot
melted wax, other than that contained in the recess round the bottom of the rim
of the lid, runs off, while the portion contained in the recess rapidly solidifies
and remains fast in it, until the lid is required for use.
When the lid is forced on to the can or box, and by the action of the closing
or sealing die through which it is forced, the rim of the lid is pressed close in
to the body of the can or box, the margin of the rim and the rim itself of the
lid, are forced close together thereby pressing the wax out of the recess reviously
existing there. The wax is forced into and completely fills up a small space or
groove or shoulder formed in the upper portion of the body of a can or box.
This small band of compressed wax forms a very impervious hermetic joint,
and it cannot get out of the joint or into the can. The wax fills up any possible
space or air way that might have been left open in the joint, if the closing had
been effected without the wax.
In the lids of cans or boxes where a wire is fixed in the inside of the top out-
side edge of the lid for the purpose of opening the can or boxes, a little melted
hard paraffin wax may be run into the recess containing the wire. This will not
only readily keep the wire in its place, but will also stop up the holes where the
wires come through the top of the lid, and tend to stop any air passing either
over the edge of the can, inte the inside thereof or through the wire holes where
the wire is soldered outside. The solder contracts on cooling and if not_com-
pletely. "tinned" on to the wire air will pass. This the wax will prevent. Being
tasteless and harmless, the wax would do no harm to the contents of the can or
box, but if hard paraffin is used it would adhere to the wire, until heated to a
temperature sufficient to cause it to melt. It is not essential that the wire
should be in the top of the lid. The process can be used when the wire is
placed in the rim of the lid, or even on the bottom of the can or box.
I have named wax and wax of the paraffin description or series, but other
similar material that will melt and form a sufficiently thin fluid to penetrate
between the two surfaces of a metallic or other joint and solidify on cooling
may be used, or in the alternative method named any similar material that can
cheaply and readily be put into the recess in the rim of the lid as already
described, and that will remain solid therein until required for use, and then
readily squeeze out, and form an air tight joint, may be used. I consider hard
paraffin the best and most suitable material for nearly all purposes.
ונז
DHL 1
P
1000
Improvements in Hermetically Sealing the Lids of Cans and Boxes.
I, WILLIAM ARTHUR HILLS, of 6, Great Winchester Street, London, Metallur
gist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
-
This invention has for its object novel or improved means whereby cans or
boxes may become hermetically closed by easily rapidly and cheaply filling in
any space or air way that may exist between the upper and outer portion of
the body of a can or box, and the inner surface of the rim of the lid where it
fits on to the can or box, or other similar hollow article, which is covered with
a lid.
Various devices exist for the purpose of hermetically sealing cans and boxes but
it is difficult to know with any certainty that the can or box is effectively sealed,
after it has been filled and the lid fixed, thereto especially with those made of
sheet metals.
Now according to my invention, in order to overcome this difficulty and render
the hermetic closing of the box or can lid more certain than heretofore, I so
provide that after the lid has been placed upon the box any possible space, by.
which air could enter is sealed by a wax or the like sealing, as hereafter described,
the process being particularly applicable to hermetically closed cans or boxes,
such as those which are so constructed that the sealing substance cannot obtain
admission into the inside of the box after it is filled and closed.
In carrying out my invention in a general way, after the box is filled and the
lid applied thereto and secured or fixed by one of the ordinary methods I then
place the box with the lid downwards in a shallow bath of melted paraffin or
other wax, preferably of the paraffin series, that does not melt under a tem-
perature of 130 to 140 F., and known as hard paraffin. The melted fluid wax
especially that of the paraffin series, which is of a very searching and pene-
trating character, will run into and completely fill any portion of the joint round
the circumference of the can or box, formed by fixing the lid on to the can, or
any air way, left open, or imperfectly closed by the supposed hermetical closing
apparatus previously employed. Thus a perfectly reliable hermetic joint is
formed.
If heated to a temperature which makes the paraffin wax quite fluid and thin.
it readily runs off a metallic surface, so that little more than the quantity that
runs into the joint of the can or box is retained on the can or box. Any excess
is readily wiped off with a cloth and the wax recovered therefrom by boiling
the cloth in water, when the wax will float to the top.
In some cases it is desirable to prevent the wax coming in contact with a
greater surface of the box or can than is necessary to form the joint and there-
fore in carrying out my invention I make a shallow bath of hot water on the
surface of which melted wax floats, so that the head of the can or box when
placed in the bath is standing in the hot water, while only a sufficient portion of
the circumference of the can or box, at the point where that portion of the rim
of the lid furthest from the top or head of the can or box forms the joint with
the body thereof. is standing in the layer of melted wax which floats on the
hot water, to enable the melted wax to run into and down the joint, thus filling
up and closing any possible space left by the previous supposed hermetic closing
eneration. When taken out of the bath there will be very little wax to wipe
off the can or box with a cloth.
In some cases where heat might spoil or damage the contents of the can or
box I adopt an alternative method of producing the hermetic wax joint accord-
ing to my invention, and in order to enable this to be readily understood I will
describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings whereon Fig. 1 is
a sectional elevation of a box with the lid applied and Fig. 2 is a plan view of
same.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 which shows a suitable construction of box for
use when it is desired to make my improved joint without as aforesaid sub-
jecting the contents to heat, it will be observed that the lid A is formed with a

page_text: rim A which at its lower edge has an outwardly flanged portion, of which a
margin of the same from the edge thereof is folded back under the flange.
The said flanged portion has an outward and downward direction, whereas the
margin A2 folded back under the flange has an inward and upward direction
extending all round the inside of the lower part of the rim of the lid.
I put this lower part of the rim of the lid before its application to the box
in a very shallow bath of melted wax, preferably hard paraffin, which immediately
fills the recess formed by the folding back inwardly and upwardly of the mar
gin A2 of the flange of the rim of the lid. The lid is then lifted out care being
taken to keep it horizontal. Most of the hot melted wax, other than that con-
tained in the recess round the bottom of the rim of lid runs off while the portion
contained in the recess rapidly solidifies and remains fast in it, until the lid is
required for use.
When the lid is forced on to the can or box, and by the action of the closing
or sealing die through which it is forced (not forming the subject of this inven-
tion) the rim of the lid is pressed close in to the body of the can or box, the
margin A2 of the rim and the rim itself are close together thereby pressing the
wax out of the recess previously existing. The wax is thus forced into and
completely fills up a small space or groove or shoulder B formed in the upper
portion of the body B of a can or box. This small band of compressed wax
makes a very impervious hermetic joint, and it cannot get out of the joint or
into the can. The wax so applied fills up any possible air space or air way
that might have been left open in the joint, if the closing had been effected
without the wax.
of
In the lids of cans boxes, or the like (in this specification termed boxes) which
are provided with a wire for the purpose
the same,
opening
I may run melted
hard paraffin wax into the recess containing the wire.
A box provided with such a wire is shown in the drawings by way of example,
the said wire marked C, being located in a beaded recess around the rim of
the lid on the interior thereof, and into this beading I run the melted wax
aforesaid, the wire being in position meanwhile.
"
This will not only readily keep the wire in its place but will also close up
the holes where the wires come through the top of the lid as shown at A3, Fig. 2,
and tend to stop any air passing either over the edge of the can, into the inside
thereof or through the wire holes where the wire is soldered outside. The solder
tinned on to the wire air will
contracts on cooling, and if not completely
pass. This the wax will prevent, and being tasteless and harmless, the wax
would do no harm to the contents of the can or box, but if hard paraffin is used it
would adhere to the wire, until heated to a temperature sufficient to cause it to
melt. It is not essential that the wire should be in the top of the lid. The
process can be used when the wire is placed in the rim of the lid, or even on
the bottom of the can or box.
I have named wax and wax of the paraffin description or series, but other
similar material that will melt and form a sufficiently thin fluid to penetrate
between the two surfaces of a metallic or other joint and solidify on cooling
may be used, or in the alternative method described for example with reference
to such a construction of box as is shown in the drawings any similar material
that can cheaply and readily be put into the recess in the rim of the lid may be
used provided that it will remain solid therein until required for use, and then
readily squeeze out, to form the air tight joint. I consider hard paraffin the best
and most suitable material for nearly all purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:--
1. The means for hermetically sealing cans, boxes and the like after the same
have been filled and the lids applied thereto in any approved manner, consisting
in immersing the box or a part thereof in a bath of melted paraffin or other wax

page_text: having a melting point above the temperature to which such boxes are likely to
be subjected, allowing such melted wax to penetrate any portion of the joint or
any airway into the box, then withdrawing the box from the bath, removing any
superfluous wax adhering to the box, and allowing the box to cool, whereby
hermetic closure is assured, substantially as described.
2. In hermetically sealing cans, boxes and the like by immersing parts thereof
such as the lids, in melted paraffin or other wax, providing a shallow bath of hot
water having melted wax on the surface of same, so that when the box is placed
therein (lid downwards) for example the floating melted wax will penetrate the
joint and thereby complete the required hermetic closure, substantially as de-
scribed.
3. The means for hermetically sealing cans or boxes consisting in filling a
channel around the interior surface of the lid flange with wax or other suitable
material, before the application of the lid to the box and allowing the wax to
set in the said channel, then after the lid has been applied to the box com-
pressing the channel against the sides of the latter, squeezing the wax or the
like from the said channel and thereby forming an hermetic closure of the box
substantially as described.
4. The mode and means for hermetically closing any air space which may exist
between the lids and the bodies of boxes, or which may be caused by the passage
of wires or the-like substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 25th day 01 April 1900.
FREDERIC PRINCE,
Agent for Applicant,
37, Cursitor Street, Chancery Lane, London, E.C.