Improvements in or connected with Milk or Cream Cans or Vessels.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Milk or Cream Cans or Vessels.
We, BENJAMIN DRAPER, of 2, Knowsley Grove, Everton, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, and WILLIAM DUTTON, of 6, St. Bride's Road,
Wallasey, in the County of Chester, Commission Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to cans or vessels used for the transmission, or
for holding and transmission, more especially, of milk; and has for its object,
primarily, to provide improvements in connection with such cans or vessels, by
which the milk shall be capable of being transmitted over lengthy journeys, and
also kept a long time without affecting materially its quality or condition; or at
any rate which will enable it to be carried or transmitted, so that its quality
or condition shall be better than that which exists in the case of milk as at
present carried and contained.
The invention, is, however, in part also applicable to the containing and
carrying of cream.
In a milk can according to the present invention, the lid is provided on its
inside with a body of suitable material, which acts as a displacer, for displacing
the air existing above the milk below the seat on which the cover rests when
in position; and in this displacer and cover is an aperture, normally closed by
a valve under suitable pressure, through which the air displaced in the intro-
duction of the cover into position, passes, and by which the entrance of air is
prevented.
Preferably the milk vessel is closed, and maintained under pressure above that
of the atmosphere; and this is effected by having a suitable strength of spring
upon the air escape valve. The seat on which the cover rests, and the part of
the cover which rests upon it are placed so as to form an air tight joint when the
cover is placed in position, in fact the cover forms a valve resting upon a seat in
the neck of the can.
The cover according to one construction is forced onto its seat, and into position
by inclines and spigots or bolts on the can and cover respectively, and so adapted
that by placing the cover in position, and giving it a partial revolution, it is
forced down onto its seat; and in so doing the displacer, which enters the body
of the can, forces the air existing above the milk through the air passage
referred to, and past the valve therein.
The can should always be filled to such an extent that no air whatever is
left in the can; that is, that a small quantity of milk should pass past the valve
when the cover is down.
A suitable catch or fastening will be provided in connection with the lid or
closing device, so as to prevent it slacking back off its face; and the displacer
is readily detachable on the cover, so as to be capable of being cleaned readily.
It may be of wood, or any other suitable material which does not affect, or is not
affected by the milk

page_text: In the case of cream bottles or vessels, to which the invention may be applied,
the fastening or forcing down device, such as the inclines above referred to, may
be on the outside of the neck, and the cover made in the form of a cap with
internal parts adapted to engage with the provisions on the neck. Whilst the
inside will have an internal projection or displacer and an escape passage, by
which the air is displaced from the bottle or vessel entirely.
Dated this 22nd day of August 1899.
.
Improvements in or connected with Milk or Cream Cans or Vessels.
We, BENJAMIN DRAPER, of 2, Knowsley Grove, Everton, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, and WILLIAM DUTTON, of 6, St. Bride's Road,
Wallasey, in the County of Chester, Commission Agent, 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:-
This invention has reference to cans or vessels used for the transmission, or
for holding and transmission, more especially, of milk; and has for its object,
primarily, to provide improvements in connection with such cans or vessels, by
which the milk shall be capable of being transmitted over lengthy journeys, and
also kept a long time without affecting materially its quality or condition; or at
any rate which will enable it to be carried or transmitted, so that its quality
or condition shall be better than that which exists in the case of milk as at
present carried and contained.
The invention is, however, in part also applicable to the containing and
carrying of cream.
In a milk can according to the present invention, the lid or cover is provided
on its inside with a body, which acts as a displacer, for displacing the air exist-
ing above the milk below the seat on which the cover rests when in position;
and in this displacer and cover there is an aperture, normally closed by a valve,
through which the air displaced in the introduction of the cover into position,
passes, and by which the entrance of air is prevented.
The seat on which the cover rests, and the part of the cover which rests upon
it, are faced so as to form an air tight joint when the cover is placed in position,
in fact the cover forms a valve resting upon a seat in the neck of the can.
In some cases, the milk is closed down and maintained under a slight pressure
above that of the atmosphere; and this is effected by having a suitable strength
of spring upon the air escape valve.
The invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanying draw-
ings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a milk can according to this
invention. Figure 2 is a plan of same, and Figure 3 is a detail of the neck of
the can. Figure 4 illustrates in side elevation, and Figure 5 in plan, a modifi-
cation of the invention. Figure 6 is a section shewing a detail of cover con-
struction.
Referring generally to the drawings a is the body of the milk can, and e is the
cover which acts as a displacer. In the neck of the body there is a metal ring b
having an inwardly projecting seat b, on which the face e¹ of the cover e rests
when it is placed in the can; and this cover is held in place by a bridge bar e,

page_text: and screw spindle d, as hereafter described; the bridge bar c being detachably
held by the sides of the ring b by providing it with the angular recess b², which
extends from its upper edge downwards, and then at right angles as shewn
clearly in Figure 3. At the centre of the cover e, there is an aperture h, within
which fits the valve f, which, when in place, is pressed down into position on to
its seat in h in the cover lid, by the spindle d.
The cover e is provided on its edge with a projecting part e³, and below with
a projecting body or part et; and the under surface of this body or part is
conical or concave, as shewn, to act as a displacer, to displace or expel the air
through the central valve aperture h, when the filling and closing takes place.
The part, together with the projecting part et protects the face e of the cover
from damage, when off the can.
In use, when the can is nearly full, the cover e is placed in position on the
seat 61; and then some milk is poured through the central valve aperture h,
until it stands near the level of the upper part or neck of this aperture; the effect
of which is that all the air is displaced from the can, and it is entirely filled with
milk, with no vacant space at all in it. Then the valve f, which is loosely
mounted on the end of the screwed spindle dis placed in the aperture h, and is
pressed down onto its seat by the screw d (the bridge c of which has been
inserted in its holding recesses 62); and thus both the valve f is pressed upon
its seat, and the cover e upon its seat b', and tight joints are made, and the can
is closed.
The parts of the apparatus shewn and set forth with reference to Figures 1
to 3, are made of metal of any suitable kind.
A modified form of cover is shewn in Figures 4 and 5. It has a coned lower
portion below the face e¹, and with this construction, if the can be filled with
milk nearly up to the seat 61, when the cover c is placed in position, and fastened
down, the air is displaced, and also a small quantity of milk, so that no space
within the can exists for the milk to move about.
The cover e, also, in this case, is in effect a valve; and it may be of any suitable
material, such as wood or light metal, or other suitable material.
In the detail shewn in Figure 6, the seat b¹ is of the form shewn in Figure 4,
but the face of the valve consists of a ring let into and held in the metal or
other material of the cover. The seat ring is of rubber, or other suitable soft,
or more or less non-rigid material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The herein described improved milk or cream can for transporting or carry-
ing milk or cream, having a cover constructed and adapted in such a manner that
all the air is displaced from the can, when the can is filled, and the cover closed;
for the purposes set forth.
2. In a milk or cream can for transporting or carrying milk or cream, a cover
adapted to act as a displacer for displacing air from the can when it is placed
in position, and adapted to be held down upon a seat round the neck of the can,
making a tight joint on said seat; substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. In a milk or cream can for transporting or carrying milk or cream, a cover
fitting upon a seat within the neck of the can, and having an aperture in it,
and a valve in said aperture, adapted to close same.
4. In a milk or cream can for transporting or carrying milk or cream, a cover
fitting upon a seat within the neck of the can, and with which it makes a tight
joint, an aperture in the cover, a valve fitting in said aperture and adapted to
close same, and a screw supported and carried from the can, and adapted to press
upon the valve and keep it closed.
5. In a milk or cream can for transporting or carrying milk or cream, a cover
fitting upon a seat within the neck of the can, and with which it makes a tight

page_text: joint, an aperture in the cover, a valve fitting in said aperture and adapted to
close same, and a screw supported and carried from the can, and adapted to press
through the valve, the cover on its seat, and keep both closed upon their seats.
6. Milk or cream cans having covers and fittings as set forth with reference to
and shewn in the different figures of the drawings, respectively.
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1
01 1
1000
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
Applicants' Patent Agents, 15, Water Street, Liverpool.