IMPROVEMENTS IN CANISTERS AND CANS FOR HOLDING PAINTS, VARNISHES, AND OTHER LIQUID AND SEMI-LIQUID SUB- STANCES.
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Eyles, of the City of Worcester, Paint Manufac-
turer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CANISTERS AND CANS FOR
HOLDING PAINTS, VARNISHES, AND OTHER LIQUID AND SEMI-LIQUID SUB-
STANCES.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Eyles at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th July 1876.
SAMUEL EYLES, of the City of Worcester, Paint Manufacturer.
<< IMPROVEMENTS
IN CANISTERS AND CANS FOR HOLDING PAINTS, VARNISHES, AND OTHER LIQUID
AND SEMI-LIQUID SUBSTANCES."
My Invention has for its object principally to simplify the construction of and to
render more convenient and efficient in use the canisters used for holding paints,
and the cans used for holding varnishes, than canisters and cans of the ordinary
construction. My Invention is, however, applicable to canisters and cans for other
purposes.
Instead of making the whole of the canister of tin plate, as is usual, I make the
body and bottom of tin plate, but I make the top of the canister of sheet lead. In
the middle of the top a neck is formed by punching or pressing a hole therein, the
metal punched or pressed out being raised into the form of a neck by the punching
or pressing process. By the punching or pressing process by which the neck is
formed one or more concentric corrugations may be formed, by which additional
rigidity is given to the top.
For the purpose of closing the neck I employ a stopper of boxwood or other
hard wood, the said stopper being slightly conical with a screw thread through its
When this stopper is screwed
whole length and a notch or nick on its larger end.
into the neck it forms a screw thread in the metal of the neck, and it can be
inserted in and withdrawn from the neck by means of an ordinary screwdriver.
Owing to its conical figure it does not become slack by long use as it can always
be made tight, notwithstanding the expanding of the neck, by driving it further in.
By making the top of the canister of sheet lead it can be readily cut away by a
knife without risk of the accidents which frequently happen in cutting away the
tops of canisters made of tin plate.

page_text: In making cans for varnishes and for other purposes, according to my Invention'
I employ a top to the neck of the can nearly similar in construction to that
described with reference to canisters, that is to say, a top made of lead having a
central hole and short neck made in it by punching. I use therewith a boxwood
or other hard wood screwed conical stopper, which is inserted and removed by a
screwdriver.
Although the hard wood screw plug or stopper employed with the canisters and
cans forms a concave screw by being screwed in the soft metal neck yet the screw
may be made in the neck by an ordinary screw tap or tool.
Instead of making a nick in the head of the screw plug, and turning it by a
screwdriver it may have a square or angular head, and be turned by a key.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Eyles in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th January
1877.
SAMUEL EYLES, of the City of Worcester, Paint Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN CANISTERS AND CANS FOR HOLDING PAINTS, VARNISHES, AND OTHER LIQUID
AND SEMI-LIQUID SUBSTANCES."
My Invention has for its object principally to simplify the construction of and
to render more convenient and efficient in use the canisters used for holding paints,
and the cans used for holding varnishes, than canisters and cans of the ordinary
construction. My Invention is, however, applicable to canisters and cans for other
purposes.
Instead of making the whole of the canister of tin plate as is usual, I make the
body and bottom of tin plate, but I make the top of the canister of sheet lead. In
the middle of the top a neck is formed. by punching or pressing a hole therein, the
metal punched or pressed out being raised into the form of a neck by the punching
or pressing process. I do not limit myself to the position described of the neck
in the sheet lead top as the said neck may be otherwise situated. By the process
by which the neck is formed one or more concentric corrugations may be formed by
which additional rigidity is given to the top.
For the purpose of closing the neck
employ a stopper of boxwood or other
hard wood, the said stopper being slightly conical with a screw thread through
its whole length and a notch or nick in its larger end. When this stopper is
screwed into the neck it forms a screw thread in the metal of the neck and it can
be inserted in and withdrawn from the neck by means of an ordinary screwdriver.
Owing to its conical figure it does not become slack by long use as it can always
be made tight, notwithstanding the expanding of the neck, by driving it further in.
By making the top of the canister of sheet Icad it can be readily cut away by a
knife without risk of the accidents which frequently happen in cutting away the
tops of canisters made of tin plate.
In making cans for varnishes and for other purposes, according to my Invention,
I employ a top to the neck of the can nearly similar in construction to that described
with reference to canisters, that is to say, a top made of lead having a central hole
and short neck made in it by punching, or the lead top and its screw may be made
by casting in a mould. I use therewith a boxwood or other hard wood [screwed
conical stopper which is inserted and removed by a screwdriver.
Although the hard wood screw plug or stopper employed with the canisters and
cans forms a concave screw by being screwed in the soft metal neck, yet the
screw may be made in the neck by an ordinary screw tap or tool.
Instead of making a nick in the head of the screw plug and turning it by a screw-
driver, it may have a square or angular head and be turned by a key.

page_text: I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing
the manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents partly in section and partly in elevation a canister for holding
paint or other semi-liquid substance made according to my Invention; Figure 2
represents the same with a screw stopper applied to it, and Figure 3 is a plan of
the same.
a is the top of sheet lead applied and fixed to the body b and bottom c of tin
plate;
is the short neck in the middle of the sheet lead top a for receiving the
screw stopper e made of boxwood or other hard wood or material. The said sheet
lead top a may either have the inverted conical figure represented or be made flat.
The said sheet lead top a with its neck d is inade by means of a punching and
pressing process, the said punching and pressing process being effected by tools
worked in a press similar to those commonly employed in raising or shaping sheet
metal. Rigidity is given to the top a by the concentric corrugations f, f, and the
said top is secured to the top of the tin plate body b by closing the edge a² of the
said top a upon the edge of the said body b and soldering it thereto. After the
paint or other semi-liquid substance has been put in the canister the neck d of the
said canister is closed by the screw stopper e, Figures 2 and 3. This stopper e is
slightly conical and has a nick or notch across its top for turning it by means of an
ordinary screwdriver. Or in place of a nick in the head of the stopper, the said
head may be made square or angular to receive a key for turning it. By driving
the said screw stopper e into a plain neck d, it forms a concave screw in thic metal of
the neck, which concave scrow retains the stopper firmly in the neck. Or a concave
screw may be first formed in the neck by a screw tap to receive the screw stopper.
Where the paint or semi liquid material can be removed from the canister through
the neck the said neck is opened by withdrawing the screw stopper e by turning it
by a screw driver or key, but where the contents of the canister cannot be removed
through the neck access to the canister is readily obtained by cutting away the
sheet lead top & by means of a knife. I prefer, however, when the canister is filled
with paint or other material which cannot conveniently be removed through the
open neck, to use in place of a screw stopper for closing the neck a plain cork or
stopper, as illustrated in Figure 4 and marked g.
Figure 5 represents in elevation, and Figure 6 in section, a portion of a can for
holding varnish and for other purposes, the neck of which is made and closed
according to my Invention.
is the neck of the can made of tin plate as usual, and i is the top of the neck made
of sheet lead, the said top i being made either by a pressing process or by casting
in a mould, in the latter case the interior may be cast plain or with a screw. The
said sheet lead top i is fixed to the neck h by closing the top edge upon the top
edge of the tin plate neck (see Figure 6), and fixing it by soldering. A shect
lead lining is thereby fixed in the upper half of the interior of the neck h. The
said neck is closed by the boxwood or other hard wood conical screw stopper k, the
said stopper either forming a concave screw thread in the lead top i on driving it into
the said top by means of a screwdriver, or by a key fitting on a square head, or a
screw thread may be tapped in the said lead top i to receive the screw stopper k.
Instead of making a top or lining of lead to the tin plate neck h, the said neck h
may be made of lead to receive the screw stopper.
I sometimes dispense with the conical part of the can and use a flat top to the
can, to which flat top the soft metal neck or the lined neck is applied.
Although I have herein-before described the tops of the canisters and the tops of
the necks or the linings of the necks of the cans as being made of sheet lead, and
which metal I prefer to use, yet other soft metals or alloys may be used in place of
sheet lead, such for example as pewter or Britannia metal.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the manner in which the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to
the precise details herein described and illustrated, as the same may be varied with-
out departing from the nature of my Invention; but I claim as my Invention the

page_text: improvements in canisters and cans for holding paints, varnishes, and other liquid
and semi-liquid substances, herein-before described and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawing, that is to say, making the said canisters of a body and bottom
of tin plate and a top of sheet lead or other soft metal or alloy, the said sheet
lead or soft metal top being provided with a neck which is closed either by a
screw stopper or by a plain stopper or cork, substantially as and for the purpose
described and illustrated; also making the necks or tops of the necks of the said
cans of sheet lead or other soft metal or alloy, or lining the tops of the necks with
sheet lead or other soft metal or alloy and closing the said necks by screw stoppers
substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Eyles, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Fourth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to Geo. Shaw,
Birmingham.
SAMUEL EILED.
(LS.)