An Improved Double-seamed Square-cornered or the like Metal Can, Box, or Case.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 25th May, 1891-Accepted, 13th June, 1891
PREVIVAL DE POLIVALIA
An Improved Double-seamed Square-cornered or the like Metal
Can, Box, or Case.
I, WILLIAM WOOLNOUGH of 10 Cranmer Road, Forest Gate, in the County of
Essex, Tin Plate Worker and Foreman Tin Smith, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
$6
My invention relates to improvements in double-seamed square-cornered or
approximately square-cornered or the like metal boxes tins cans or cases such as
petroleum cans "that is, my invention relates to double-seamed metal boxes or
cans &c. which are rectangular in form or of other angular shapes such as oblong,
diamond, triangular &c., other than round or curved.
My said improvements consist in making such double-scamed metal cans boxes
or cases with solid metal joints at the angles or corners thereof.
For facility of description I will describe a tin box or case of exactly square
shape.
Heretofore in double-seaming such a case it has been necessary and usual to
previously cut away the corners of the top or bottom and also of the side wall
or body of the case the part cut away being (approximately) that part at each
corner which lies outside of the lines of the sides of the body of the case where
such lines intersect one another at each corner or angle respectively; The metal
being thus cut out at each corner the edges are then folded up against the side
wall or body of the case so that the end of such turned up edge would just butt
against the end of the turned up edge lying next thereto. In the commoner class
of work still more of the metal is cut away in manufacture.
Now I have produced a metal can, tin, box, or case in which the said corners
are not cut away but are retained intact both on the top or bottom piece and
on the can &c. itself and these corners are compressed and squeezed up to form
a solid corner on the can &c. and thus give increased strength and solidity to each
corner and consequently improve the whole can.
To obtain this result I just slightly round off the corner to start with but leave
the said corners untouched so far as regards cutting out or cutting away the
corners thereof as of old and I then squeeze on this top or bottom piece by
means of squeezing jaws of suitable construction such as I am now making
application for Patent for, viz.; No. 9671 of 1890 by which means the double
seam is formed and at the same time the whole of the metal of each corner of
the top or bottom and of the side wall or body is squeezed up together and
compressed on to the can &c. so as to form a solid metal corner on the can.
Thus my improved can, box, tin, or case, as above can be constructed in a most
simple and economical manner and will be found to possess many advantages in
use, particularly for petroleum cans.
Oated this 21st day of Anril 1901

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Double Seamed Square Cornered or the like Metal
Can, Box, or Case.
I, WILLIAM WOOLNOUGH, of 10 Cranmer Road, Forest Gate in the County of
Essex Tin Plate Worker and Foreman Tin Smith 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 :-
66
"
My invention relates to improvements in double seamed square cornered or
approximately square cornered or the like metal boxes tins cans or cases such as
petroleum cans that is my invention relates to double seamed metal boxes or
cans etcetera which are rectangular in form or of other more or less sharp angular
shapes such as oblong diamond triangular etcetera-other than round or curved.
For facility of description I will describe a metal can tin box or case of exactly
rectangular shape.
1
Heretofore in double seaming such a case it has been necessary and usual to
previously cut away the corners of the top or bottom (and also of the side wall or
body of the case)-the part cut away being (approximately) that part at each
corner which lies outside of the lines of the sides of the body of the case where
such lines intersect one another at each corner or angle respectively-while in some
cases even more has been cut away.
The metal being thus cut out or cut away at each corner the edges are then
folded up against the side walls or body of the case so that the end of such turned
up edge would just butt against the end of the turned up edge lying next thereto.
In the commoner class of work still more of the metal is cut away in
manufacture.
Now I have produced a metal can tin box or case in which the metal on the said
corners is not cut away but retained intact both on the top or bottom piece and on
the can, etc. itself and these corners are compressed and squeezed up by machinery
to form a solid corner on the can etcetera and thus give increased strength and
solidity to each corner and consequently improve the whole can.
To obtain this result I just slightly round off the corners to start with but leave
the said corners untouched so far as regards cutting out or cutting away the
corners thereof as of old, after suitably stamping or shaping the edges to be folded
I then squeeze on this top or bottom piece by means of squeezing jaws of suitable
construction such as I am now making application for Patent ris.: No. 9671
of 1890, by which means the double seam is formed and at the same time the whole
of the metal of each corner of the top or bottom and of the side wall or body is
squeezed up together and compressed on to the can etcetera so as to form a solid
metal corner at each corner of such can box or case.
Thus my improved can box tin or case, as above, can be constructed in a very
simple expeditious and economical manner and will be found to possess many
advantages in use particularly for petroleum cans.
And in order that my invention may be easily understood and readily carried
into practice I will proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying
drawings (and by way of contrast) double seamed cans etcetera of the character
described, first as produced by the old methods and then secondly such double
seamed solid cornered cans etcetera as produced by me according to my present
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 to 20 (Sheet 1.) of the accompanying drawings illustrate the old
and well known methods of double seaming square cornered rectangular or the
like tins boxes cans or cases and the way the corners thereof are cut in forming
such doubla

page_text: a rectangular can tin box or case and the operation of making same in accordance
with my present invention.
All the figures on Sheets 1 and 2 represent part only (i.e. only one corner part)
of a tin box can or case.
Figure 1. illustrates the side walls a of a box tin can or case to be double seamed
by the old process-the dotted line 1-1 being where the plate is bent or folded
and the thick line marked a' being where it is cut or slit to allow the bottom edge b
to be turned up at about right angles to the side wall as shewn in Figure 2. which
is a plan looking down upon the edge of the side wall before the top or bottom has
been put on according to the old process.
Figure 3. is a plan of the bottom or top blank e to be attached to the side walls a―
the dotted lines illustrating the folding lines of the double seam formed by the
edge being first folded by itself and then a second time folded with the
corner is trimmed off in the blank as shewn all ready to be put on the body of
the can etcetera.
Figure 4. shews (in plan similar to Figs. 2 and 3) the side wall a and its flange
placed in position on the blank c and the outer edge c' or first fold turned over
thereon.
According to one old process the metal between the dotted lines d d (Figure 4.)
is now cut out and removed so as to leave the gap as in Figure 5.
The second fold is now made usually by hammering as in the first fold and the
double seam assumes the form shewn in Figure 6. lying flat and close against the
side wall a, and the ends of such double seam just "butting'
" on each corner as
shewn in Figure 6.
Figure 7. is a horizontal section of such double seam taken on the lines 2–2
and 3-3, Figure 6.
Figure 8. represents the top or bottom blank having the double seam unfolded
to show the amount of metal cut away at each corner in this old method of forming
the corners of and double seaming such cans etcetera.
Another method heretofore in use (for commoner class of work) is as follows:-
Figures 9, 10 and 11, respectively correspond in all respects with Figures 1, 2
and 3, and the same description applies respectively.
The first fold over being completed as in Figure 12, (also see Fig. 4.) the corner
is now bodily cut off in a diagonal direction as shewn in Figure 13, and the second
fold can then take place.
Figure 14 shews the finished double seam and corner formed by this method-a
considerable gap being thereby left on the corner.
Figure 15. shews a horizontal section on lines 4-4, and 5-5 Figure 14.
Figure 16 shews the bottom blank e again unfolded to shew how much of the
metal is thus cut away at each corner of said blank and Figure 17 shews the bottom
edge 6 (of the side wall a) unfolded to the same position as in Figure 10 to shew
the amount of metal also cut away in this case from the edges b.
Figures 18, 19 and 20, equally represent the double seam (except at the corners)
produced by both these old methods.
Figure 18 being a sectional elevation shewing the side wall a and bottom blank c
in position ready to be double seamed; Figure 19 represents same with the first
fold; and Figure 20 shews the second fold finished and the double seam completed
according to these old methods. All that is illustrated in Figures 1 to 20 is
well known and only now described and illustrated by me for the purpose of
the better describing my present invention by comparison therewith and contrast
thereto.
Figures 21 to 33 (Sheet 2.) illustrate my present invention.
Figure 21 is the sheet of metal from which the side wall e is to be formed the
dotted vertical line being the point of bend.
Figure 22 shews such sheet of metal bent and a flange or turned up edge f
formed thereon by any suitable mechanism or apparatus such as are well known in
the trade,

page_text: Figure 23 is a vertical section on a line 6-6, Figure 22.
Figure 24 is a plan of the bottom or top blank g and Figure 25 is a section
thereof on line 7-7 Figure 24 shewing the form of the flange or folding edge h
which is stamped or formed on the top or bottom y by any suitable machinery or
method known in the trade.
Figure 26 is a plan of the side wall as in Figure 22 placed in readiness (on the
blank Figure 24) to have the double seam formed all round and Figure 27 is a
section of same on line 8-8 Figure 26.
y
Figure 28 shews the edge partly turned in and curled over while by the
further continuous and uninterrupted movement of the specially constructed
squeezing jaws hereinbefore referred to I further curl over and double inwards the
edge until it assumes a form somewhat after the manner illustrated in Figure 29-
there being no interruption of the seam at the corners but on the contrary this
double seam is absolutely continuous right round each corner of either the top or the
bottom of the can box or case and thus is complete all round the can etcetera at the
top and also completely round the bottom.
Moreover all the metal at each corner of the blank as well as on the side wall is
retained as none is cut away during the double seaming and thus I get all this
metal on the corner at the very point where it is wanted to give increased strength
and solidity to each corner of a metal box can tin or case.
Figure 30 is a vertical section on the lines 9-9 Figure 29 shewing the formation
of the double seam-not squeezed up very tightly together.
Figure 31 is a horizontal section on lines 10-10 and 11-11 Figure 29 shewing
the solid mass of metal tightly squeezed up on the corner.
Figure 32 is a vertical section on line 12-12 Figure 29 and also on line 12-12
Figure 31 shewing the corner before it is all squeezed up tight.
Figure 33 is a similar view to Figure 32 only the mass of metal on the corner
has now been squeezed up tightly together and the solid corner finished.
Figure 34 shews a complete rectangular can double seamed according to the old
method.
Figure 35 shews a complete rectangular can having an uninterrupted double
seam right round according to my present invention, at the top and also at the
bottom.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I would remark that I
am aware that circular shaped metal cans boxes and cases have been made with
uninterrupted double seamed curved edges at the top and bottom and I do_not
claim the manufacture of any such cans boxes or cases which have curved edges
that is I do not claim any double seamed cans boxes or cases the uninterrupted
double seam on which can be made by rollers as is well understood, but what I do
claim is :-
1. An improved double seamed square cornered or the like can box or case
having the corners formed solid thereon substantially in the manner hereinbefore
described.
2. As a new article of manufacture I claim a double seamed solid cornered
square or other angular shaped metal box can tin or case having a continuous
and uninterrupted double seam completely around the top and similarly completely
around the bottom.
Dated this 25th day of May 1891.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentee.

page_text: No text detected.
No text detected.