IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON- STRUCTION OF COATED AND UNCOATED SHEET-IRON BOXES, AND IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING COATED AND UNCOATED SHEET-IRON."
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Whytock, of Lansdowne Terrace, Gloucester
Road North, Regents Park, in the County of Middlesex, Galvanized
Iron Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CON-
STRUCTION OF COATED AND UNCOATED SHEET-IRON BOXES, AND IN THE MODE OF
AND APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING COATED AND UNCOATED SHEET-IRON."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Whytock at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th September 1862.
I, ANDREW WHYTOCK, of Lansdowne Terrace, Gloucester Road North,
Regents Park, in the County of Middlesex, Galvanized Iron Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COATED AND UNCOATED SHEET-IRON BOXES, AND IN THE
MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING COATED AND UNCOATED SHEET-IRON,"
to be as follows:-
In the manufacture of boxes from sheet iron it is found necessary to subject
the sheets as now sold in the market to the operation of hammering, tho
effect of which is to straighten the sheets, and remove the buckling and

page_text: bruises, which are rarely absent from them. This operation is not only
tedious but costly also, as skilful workmen are required to hammer out the
plates, and bring them to a proper state for conversion into boxes. In order
however to expedite this straightening operation, I propose to pass the sheets
or plates whether coated or not between a series of conducting rollers to which
rotary motion is imparted. These rollers, whether arranged in pairs or not,
will be so set with respect to each other that they will by friction of contact
with the passing plate or sheet, cause it to move in a serpentine or wavy
line, the deflections of which will decrease as the sheet nears the last rollers of
the series. If thought desirable fixed bars may be used in combination with
the rollers for guiding the sheet from one pair of rollers to another. By
simply passing the coated sheet (whether hot or cold) once through the
machine it will in general lose its buckled and bruised character, and be fit
for conversion into boxes, or other uses to which straight or flattened sheets
are now generally applied. When the black or uncoated sheet is thus treated
the scale on its surface will be either disturbed or removed, and thus the
action of the "pickle," to which the sheet is subsequently to be submitted, will
be rendered more rapid and efficient than heretofore.
In the making up of boxes into sheet iron treated as above described, I
propose, in order to prevent the disfigurement of the boxes by subsequent
buckling and bruises, to partially or wholly line them with wood, which besides
adding greatly to their strength, also facilitates the construction of the boxes.
I find generally that to line the top and bottom, and also the front part of the
box, to which the lock is attached, is sufficient to give the box the necessary
strength. This lining of wood gives facilities to the attachment of the rim to
the top of the box, and the body to the bottom of the box, as I am thereby
enabled to use nails or screws, which I prefer to be cone headed. At present
generally the tops and bottoms of boxes are attached to the rims and bodies
by the process called in the trade" seaming," and sometimes the process is called
64
knocking up; to do this requires considerable skill and very good material.
The nailing however requires much less skill, and a cheaper quality of iron may
be advantageously employed. Sometimes boxes are made not "seamed," but
merely having the tops and bottoms attached to the rims and bodies by soldering.
My improvement renders soldering unnecessary, and gives great extra strength
and stability to the box.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Andrew Whytock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th March 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
WHYTOCK, of Lansdowne Terrace, Gloucester Road North, Regents Park, in
the County of Middlesex, Galvanized Iron Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Andrew Whytock, Her special license that I, the said
Andrew Whytock, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as 1, the said Andrew Whytock, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COATED AND UNCOATED SHEET-IRON
BOXES, AND IN THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR STRAIGHTENING COATED AND
UNCOATED SHEET-IRON," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Andrew Whytock, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and causo
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and imme:liately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Androw Whytock, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):-
In the manufacture of boxes from sheet iron, it is found necessary to
subject the sheets as now sold in the market to the operation of hammering,
the effect of which is to straighten the sheets, and remove the buckling
and bruises which are rarely absent from them. This operation is not
ouly tedious but also costly, a skilful workman, moreover, is required to

page_text: hammer out the plates, and bring them to a proper state for conversion into
boxes.
In order however to expedite this straightening operation, which is the
object of the first part of my Invention, the sheets or plates (whether tinned
or otherwise coated or not) are passed between a series of conducting rollers
to which rotary motion is imparted. These rollers, whether arranged in pairs
or not, will be so set with respect to each other, that they will by friction of
contact with the passing plate or sheet, cause it to move in a serpentine or
wavy line, the deflections of which will decrease as the sheet nears the last
rollers of the series. If thought desirable fixed bars may be used in combin-
ation with the rollers for guiding the sheet from one pair of rollers to another.
By simply passing the coated sheet (whether hot or cold,) once through the
machine it will in general to a great extent lose its buckled and bruised
character, and will be fit for conversion into boxes, or for other uses, to which
straight or flattened sheets are now generally applied. When the black or
uncoated sheet has been thus treated the scale on its surfaces will be either
disturbed or removed, and thus the action of the "pickle," to which the sheet
is to be subsequently submitted will be rendered more rapid and efficient
than heretofore.
The second part of my Invention relates to the making up into boxes of
coated or uncoated sheet iron, to which end in order to prevent the disfigurement
of the boxes by subsequent buckling and bruises, my Invention consists
in partially or wholly lining them with wood, slabs of papier maché, or
other suitable material, which besides adding greatly to the strength of
the boxes, also facilitates their construction. I find generally that to line
with wood the top and bottom, and also the front or a portion of the front
part of the box to which the lock, is attached is suflicient to give the box the
necessary strength and rigidity, but if desired the whole of the interior of the
box may be lined in the same manner. This lining of wood facilitates the
attachment of the rim to the top of the box, and of the body to the bottom of
the box, as am thereby enabled to use nails or screws, which I prefer to be
cone headed. As at present generally practised the tops and bottoms of
boxes are attached to the rims and bodies by the process called in the trade
'seaming," and sometimes the process is called "knocking up." To do this
requires considerable skill, and a very good and high priced material is
absolutely necessary. The nailing however as proposed by me requires much
less skill, and a cheaper quality of iron may be advantageously employed than
heretofore. Sometimes boxes are made not "seamed," but merely having the
66

page_text: tops and bottoms attached to the rims and bodies by soldering, my Invention
however renders soldering unnecessary, and gives great extra strength and
stability to the box.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional diagram of the arrange-
ment of apparatus I prefer to employ for straightening the sheets and removing
therefrom either partially or wholly the buckling and bruises which are found
therein. a, a, are a pair of rollers, one of which is adjustable in its bearings,
so that the two may be accurately set, according to the thickness of the plates
or sheets it is intended to operate upon. The wavy black line b, b, represents
the sheet of metal, or, rather, a series of sheets following each other in
succession through the machine. The sheet when put in from an angle some-
what above the nip of the rollers, will as it passos between the rollers a, a,
have a tendency to turn upwards in a curve; this tendency is further
increased by means of an inclined fixed bar c, which will direct the end of the
sheet as may be desired. In order, however, to prevent the sheet from
passing round the upper roller a fixed bar or block d, which, if desired, may
have a curved or concave under surface, as shewn in the Drawing, is placed
in such a manner that one of its edges is brought nearly if not quite into
contact with the surface of the upper roller a, so that when the sheet passes
between the rollers a, a, and its end strikes against the fixed bar c, or against
the third roller e, it will, by coming against the under surface of the block d,
be guided by this stationary block over the third roller e, over which the sheet
will be bent back and conducted down between a second pair of rollers f, f.
To facilitate the entrance of the sheet between the second pair of rollers
another stationary inclined bar g is fixed, as shewn in the Drawing. In this
manner the sheets will be conducted through the machine in a serpentine
direction, and in so doing will be bent alternately in opposite directions, as
shewn in the Drawing, whereby buckling and bruises will be to a great
extent removed from the sheets, and they will be, moreover, delivered straight
or flat, or nearly so.
Fig. 2 is a sectional diagram of a modification in which the stationary
block d is dispensed with, and an additional roller d* is employed in place
thereof; or the machine may be so arranged that this serpentine motion may
commence with a downward instead of an upward curve.
Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 represent various views of parts of a metal box con-
structed according to the second part of my Invention; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal
vertical section of the lid of a metal box constructed according to the old plan.
By comparing this with Fig. 5, which is a longitudinal vertical section of tho

page_text: lid of a box constructed according to my improvements, the distinctive
characteristics of my Invention will be at once seen.
Fig. 8 is a sido elevation, and Fig. 4 a top or plan view of the lid of one of
my improved boxes; and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same,
showing the wooden or other lining 7 secured therein by pins or nails i, i.
The sides j,j, of the lid are constructed of sheet metal in the ordinary manner,
except that a raised line ", ", is formed round the lid near the upper edge to
receive the top or cover plate k, which is panelled or recessed at the central
part by being stamped up with a die in a suitable press. It will be seen that
the edges of the top or cover plate k are bent over, and worked into the form
of a kind of moulding k', which fits over the raised line j, and is secured in
its place by means of pins or nails i, ', which are driven into the wooden or
other lining of the lid k.
In order to protect and make a neat finish to the corners of the lid I adapt
thereto malleable cast-iron corner pieces, which are secured in their place by
pins or nails driven through into the wooden or other lining.
Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of the body of a shallow box, shewing
the bottom and sides of the box lined with wood or slabs of papier mâché, or
other suitable material in the manner already explained. The bottom l, l, of
the box is secured to the sides, front, and back in precisely the same manner
as the top or cover & of the lid is secured thereon, as already explained. The
sides and front are made with a projecting ledge m, m, on which the lid will
rest when shut, but although in the Drawing I have shewn the sides as
provided with lining, I do not always propose to do so, as it may sometimes be
dispensed with.
I would here remark, that although I propose generally to use wood for the
linings of my improved boxes, other material, such as slabs of papier mâché
and other compositions possessing sufficient rigidity, and into which nails may
be driven, may be used in place of wood if thought desirable; I do not, there-
fore, limit myself to the use of wood.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in the Construction
of Coated and Uncoated Sheet-iron Boxes, and in the Modo of and Apparatus
for Straightening Coated and Uncoated Sheet Iron," and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to
me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,―
First, the mode herein set forth of straightening the metallic sheets employed
for the manufacture of metal boxes, and removing or partially removing the
buckling and bruises therefrom.

page_text: Second, I claim the mode herein set forth of constructing coated and
uncoated sheet-iron boxes; and particularly I claim lining the lid or top and
bottom, and front or other parts of metal boxes with wood or other suitable
material, for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Whytock, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
ANDREW WHYTOCK. (L.S.)