Novel or Improved Method, or Methods of Manufacturing Aluminium, and other Sheet Metal Water Bottles, and other Sheet Metal Hollow-ware Articles, of a Shape other than Circular Transverse Section, and Tools or Dies for Use therein.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Oct., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 30th June, 1898-Accepted, 30th July, 1898
Novel or Improved Method, or Methods of Manufacturing Aluminium,
and other Sheet Metal Water Bottles, and other Sheet Metal
Hollow-ware Articles, of a Shape other than Circular
Transverse Section, and Tools or Dies for Use therein.
in
We, WILLIAM HALL JONES and BENJAMIN HIGHFIELD JONES, Directors of Jones
Brothers and Company, Wolverhampton, Limited, of Ablow Street, Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, Sheet Metal Workers and Japanners, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:--
Sheet metal water bottles are usually made for the purpose of carrying a supply of
water for the use of a soldier or other person on the march, and, for such purpose, are
usually shaped of a somewhat oval form as seen in front or back elevation, except for
the neck and mouth which of course narrow down from the body, and are consider-
ably wider across the front or back face of the main portion of the body than across
the transverse axis thereof, being in fact of an elongated oval form in transverse
section, except that usually the inner or back face of the body is somewhat flattened
back or curved inwards to enable the bottle to lie snugly against the wearer or person
carrying it. A demand has arisen for water bottles of aluminium on account of the
cleanliness of such metal, as it is not liable to corrode, and its lightness; but it can-
not conveniently be brazed or soldered, and it is desirable to form it up to the shape
of the required article without seam or joint, that is to say, to form each article in
one piece of sheet aluminium without seam or joint.
The main object of this invention is the formation of water bottles of which the
bodies are of an oval or analogous shape in transverse section, whether with a portion
of one side flattened or curved in or not, each in one piece of sheet aluminium with-
out seam or joint; but the invention applies also to the manufacture of such bottles
in other sheet metal besides aluminium, and to the manufacture of aluminium and
other sheet metal water bottles having bodies otherwise of a shape not circular in
transverse section, and also to the manufacture of other hollow articles of aluminium
and other sheet metal having bodies of a shape not circular in transverse section.
We will describe the invention in its application to the manufacture of water
bottles each having a body of an oval or analogous shape in transverse section, and
will describe the portion of the invention also which relates to the formation of one
side of the body as somewhat flattened or curved in, when such is required, to enable
it to lie snugly against the wearer or person carrying the bottle, when the application
of the invention to the manufacture of other water bottles having bodies otherwise
of a shape not circular in transverse section, and to the manufacture of other articles
having bodies of a shape not circular in transverse section, will be readily under-
stood.
The piece of aluminium or other sheet metal from which the bottle is to be formed
is first formed to a cylindrical shape open at the top and dome-ended at the bottom,

page_text: by drawing the metal through a drawing press, or by stamping. A margin of the
metal from the edge of the open end is then spun or closed down into a conical or
analogous form with a tubular projection forming the neck, and the edge of this
tubular projection is bent, doubled, or curled over to form the collar of the neck,
these processes all being well understood in the trade.
The partially formed bottle is then filled with a material, such as water or other
liquid, wax, or other plastic material of like character, or sand, which is incompressible,
or substantially so, but the bulk of which, owing to the particles thereof being capable
of readily moving amongst themselves, will readily change in form. Unless the
material used is of a character which prevents it being squeezed out through the
neck of the bottle, or partially formed bottle, during the subsequent process of shaping
the metal, the neck is closed in with a fluid-tight plug and held securely by a screw
device, or in any convenient manner. If the filling material consists of wax, or other
plastic substance of like character, it is poured into the partially formed bottle in a
molten state, and allowed to set. The partially formed bottle having the internal
yielding support consisting of the material which has been filled thereinto, is submitted
to the pressure of a pair of tools or dies, which shape the body into an oval form in
transverse section, and subsequently to other similar dies which complete the oval
shape in section. If the bottle is required to be formed with a flat or inwardly
curved portion at its inner or back face, it is then placed in the bottom die of the
last pair, and a die corresponding to the upper die of such pair, but with an opening
therethrough of the size of the required flat or inwardly curved portion, and with the
interior of the remaining portion somewhat deeper than the corresponding part of
such upper die, is placed upon the lower die and held down thereupon, and a third
die, shaped to pass through such opening and with its inner face formed to produce
by pressure the flat or curve desired, is brought through the opening in the upper
die and pressed upon the article, and the flat or curve thus formed.
As pressure is brought, by the operation of the tools, against any portion of the
sheet metal, and such portion forced consequently downwards or inwards, other
portions of the sheet metal are forced outwards by the resulting pressure of the
filling material, and the sheet metal is thus caused to take the exterior shape of the
interior surface of the matrix or hollow enclosed by the tools. The bottle, thus
shaped as required, is then removed from the dies, and the material which has formed
the interior yielding support is poured or emptied out; and if such material is wax
or like plastic material it is, of course, previously melted.
-
The main, feature of the invention consists, as will be apparent, in first forming the
sheet metal for the intended article to a cylindrical shape with one end closed, by
means of a drawing press or stamp, then closing the open end to the extent required
for the purpose of the intended article, or otherwise partially closing such end, then
filling the partially formed article with a material which is incompressible, or
substantially so, but the bulk of which, owing to the particles thereof being capable
of moving amongst themselves, will readily change in form, then closing the already
partially closed end of the article if such is necessary to prevent the escape of the
filling material during the operation of the tools, and then subjecting the sheet metal
to pressure in dies which are formed to bring it to the required shape by one or by
successive operations, as may be required to produce the special shape desired, and
finally pouring or emptying out the filling material which has acted as the internal
yielding support.
Dated : 201
300k
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Novel or Improved Method or Methods, of Manufacturing Aluminium,
and other Sheet Metal Water Bottles, and other Sheet Metal
Hollow-ware Articles, of a Shape other than Circular
Transverse Section, and Tools or Dies for Use therein.
in
We, WILLIAM HALL JONES and BENJAMIN HIGHFIELD JONES, Directors of Jones
Brothers and Company, Wolverhampton, Limited, of Ablow Street, Wolverhampton,
in the County of Stafford, Sheet Metal Workers and Japanners, 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:-
Sheet metal water bottles are usually made for the purpose of carrying a supply of
water for the use of a soldier or other person on the march, and, for such purpose, are
usually shaped of a somewhat oval form as seen in front or back elevation, except for
the neck and mouth which, of course, narrow down from the body, and are consider-
ably wider across the front or back face of the main portion of the body than across
the transverse axis thereof, being in fact of an elongated oval form in transverse sec-
tion, except that usually the inner or back face of the body is somewhat flattened
back or curved inwards to enable the bottle to lie snugly against the wearer or person
carrying it. A demand has arisen for water bottles of aluminium on account of the
cleanliness of such metal, as it is not liable to corrode, and its lightness; but it can-
not conveniently be brazed or soldered, and it is desirable to form it up to the shape
of the required article without seam or joint, that is to say, to form each article in
one piece of sheet aluminium without seam or joint. The main object of this inven-
tion is the formation of water bottles of which the bodies are of an oval or analogous
shape in transverse section, whether with a portion of one side flattened or curved in
or not, each in one piece of sheet aluminium without seam or joint; but the inven-
tion applies, also, to the manufacture of such bottles in other sheet metal besides
aluminium, and to the manufacture of aluminium and other sheet metal water bottles
having bodies otherwise of a shape not circular in transverse section, and also to the
manufacture of other hollow articles of aluminium and other sheet metal having
bodies of a shape not circular in transverse section.
We will describe the invention in its application to the manufacture of water
bottles each having a body of an oval or analogous shape in transverse section and in
front and back elevation, and will describe the portion of the invention also which
relates to the formation of one side of the body as somewhat flattened or curved in,
when such is required, to enable it to lie snugly against the wearer or person carry-
ing the bottle, when the application of the invention to the manufacture of other
water bottles having bodies otherwise of a shape not circular in transverse section, and
to the manufacture of other articles having bodies of a shape not circular in transverse
section, will be readily understood.
The piece of aluminium or other sheet metal from which the bottle is to be formed
is first formed to a cylindrical or similar shape open at the top and dome-ended or
similarly shaped at the bottom, by drawing the metal through a drawing press or in
other convenient manner. A margin of the metal from the edge of the open end
is then spun or closed down into a conical, hemispherical, or analogous form with.
a tubular projection forming the neck and with an outward flange surrounding the
outer end of such projection; and this flange is bent or curled over to form the.
collar of the neck. The processes thus far described are all well understood in
the trade.
The partially formed bottle is then filled with a material, such as water or other!

page_text: liquid, wax or other plastic material of like character, or sand, which is incom-
pressible or substantially so, but the bulk of which, owing to the particles thereof
being capable of readily moving amongst themselves, will readily change in
form. Unless the material used is of a character, as is the case for instance with
wax, which prevents it being squeezed out through the neck of the bottle, or partially
formed bottle, during the subsequent process of shaping the metal, the neck is
closed in with a stopper which is securely held by a screw device or in any convenient
manner. If the filling material' consists of wax, or other plastic substance of like
character, it is poured into the partially formed bottle in a molten state and allowed
to set. The partially formed bottle, having the internal yielding support consisting
of the material which has been filled thereinto, is submitted to the pressure of a pair
of tools or dies which shape the body into an oval form in transverse section, or into
a flatter or narrower oval if it was originally formed by the drawing or alternative
process into an oval form in section, and which shape the body into an oval shape,
also, as seen in front or back elevation. If the required oval shape of the bottle in
transverse section is such that such shape cannot be formed subsequently to the
drawing or alternative process by a single pair of tools or dies, the formation is
produced by successive operations in two or more pairs of dies, but usually a single
pair will be found sufficient for the shapes ordinarily required to be produced. If
the bottle having the body formed to an oval shape in transverse section between
the pair or pairs of tools or dies is required to be formed with a flat or inwardly
curved portion at its inner or back face, it is placed in the bottom die of the pair of
tools between which it was last operated upon, or in a bottom die having a sinking
therein of the same size and shape as such previously described bottom die, and a
die corresponding to the upper die of such pair, but with an opening therethrough
of the size of the required flat or inwardly curved portion, and with the interior of
the remaining portion somewhat deeper than the corresponding part of such upper
die, is placed upon the lower die and held down thereupon, and a third die, shaped
to pass through such opening and with its inner face formed to produce by pressure
the flat or curve desired, is brought through the opening in the upper die and pressed
upon the article, thus forming the desired flat or curve at or in the back or upper
face thereof.
As pressure is brouglit, by the operation of the tools or dies, against any portion
of the sheet metal, when the same is supported by the filling material which has
been poured thereinto and such portion of the material forced consequently down-
wards or inwards, other portions of the sheet metal are forced outwards by the
resulting pressure of the filling material, and the sheet metal is thus caused to take
the exterior shape of the interior surface of the matrix or hollow inclosed by the
tools. The bottle, thus shaped as required, is. then removed from the tools or dies,
and the material which has formed the interior yielding support is poured or emptied
If such material is wax or like plastic substance it must, of course, be pre-
viously melted; but this inconvenience may be avoided by using for the purpose a
liquid, such as water.
out.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, we have illustrated a
practical application of the same by the drawings herewith as applied, by way of
example, to the manufacture of sheet metal bottles for water or other liquid each
having a body of an oval or substantially oval form as seen in front and back eleva-
tion and of an ovai or substantially oval form in transverse section, with a curved-in
surface at the inner or back face of the body to enable the bottle to lie snugly against
the wearer or person carrying it.
Figure 1 shews the partially formed bottle produced by the operation of drawing a
sheet metal blank into a cylindrical formn.
Figure 2 shews the same after the second process which consists in forming the
upper portion of the body to a hemispherical shape with a neck surrounded at its
upper end by an outward flange.
Figure 3 shews the same after the further operation of turning down the flange to
form the collar of the neck.

page_text: Figure 4 is a plan view shewing the partially formed bottle shewn by Figure 3,
with its neck stopped by a suitable stopper, and the body portion placed within the
lower of a pair of dies by which it is shaped to an oval form as seen in front and
back elevation and to an oval form in both longitudinal and transverse section.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the middle of the tool or die shewn by
Figure 4 and of the upper or fellow tool thereto, and shews the partially formed
bottle in side elevation, as also the stoppering device.
Figure 6 is a transverse section taken in the plane indicated by line x x of
Figure 5.
Figure 7 is a view corresponding to Figure 4, but shews the partially formed
bottle to the size and shape of the interior of the tool and the tool to be provided
with dowels which project from its upper face.
Figure 8 is a longitudinal section through the middle of the tool and partially
formed bottle shewn by Figure 7, and through an upper perforated tool, and through
the tool which forms the curved-in surface of the back or upper face of the bottle.
In this view the stoppering device, also, is shewn in longitudinal section.
Figure 9 is a transverse section taken in the plane indicated by line y y of
Figure 8; and
Figure 10 is a plan of the upper or perforated tool shewn by Figures 8 and 9.
The sheet metal blank from which a bottle is to be formed is first formed by
drawing or otherwise to the cylindrical shape shewn by Figure 1, with the upper end
open and the rim a flared or outwardly curved, and with the bottom 6 of a close-ended
dome or hemispherical or analogous shape. The article shewn by Figure 1 has its
upper end spun to the shape shewn by Figure 2, the opening through the upper end
being reduced to that of the neck c and the upper portion of the neck c being
surrounded with an outward flange d. The partially formed bottle shewn by Figure 2
next has the flange d curled over to form the collar d¹ of the neck c, as shewn by
Figure 3. The partially formed bottle shewn by Figure 3 is next filled with a yielding
supporting medium as above described, and is placed within a bottom tool Å
(Figures 4, 5 and 6). This tool has sunk in its upper face a mould or matrix A¹ of
the size and shape to form the outer or lower half of the bottle, and an opening e is
formed through one end of the tool for the passage of the neck c of the bottle. An
upper tool B (Figures 5 and 6) has a sinking in its under face corresponding to the.
sinking in the upper face of the tool A and has an opening e¹ corresponding to the
opening e; and by bringing down the tool B upon the partially formed bottle which
has previously been placed as explained within the sinking of the tool A, the body of
the bottle is brought to the shape of the mould or matrix formed by the sinkings in
the faces of the tools, that is to say, to an oval or substantially oval shape as seen in
front and back elevation in side elevation and in transverse section.
If water is used as the supporting medium within the bottle, the neck is closed by
means of a fluid-tight stopper f. This stopper is formed with a plug f¹ to enter the
neck of the bottle, and with a washer 2 of leather, rubber or other suitable yielding
material, which is compressed between a shoulder of the stopper and the rim of the
neck;
and the stopper is swivelled upon the end of a screw 9 which is screwed
through a cross-head h and is provided at its back or outer end with a cross-bar
handle i. At opposite ends of the cross-bar h are pivoted arms which are formed
to curve inwards near their free ends, and such ends are formed as jaws o to pass
around opposite sides of the neck of the bottle. p is a ring which surrounds the
screw g. To fix the stopper in place, the plug thereof is inserted within the neck
of the bottle, the jawed ends o of the levers are then engaged with the neck c of the
bottle behind the collar d¹ thereof, and the ring p is pushed over the arms to tighten
their jawed ends against the neck of the bottle, as shewn. The screw g is then screwed
up, by means of the cross-bar i, to securely tighten the stopper against the rim of the
bottle neck. The arms are pivoted in such positions, as shewn, that when their
jawed ends, are engaged with the neck of the bottle the arms incline somewhat
outwards from one another in a direction from their pivot centres, and as the
ring p is pushed up towards the bottle, while surrounding the arms, it draws the jawed

page_text: ends of the arms against the neck of the bottle and prevents them from opening out.
The stoppering device forms, also, a convenient handle for manipulating the bottle
between the tools.
The bottle thus formed by the tools A and B is next transferred to a bottom
tool C, Figures 7, 8 and 9, which corresponds exactly to the tool A before described,
but is preferably provided with dowels r projecting from its upper face. The upper
side of the body of the bottle, previously to further operation, is shewn by broken
curved lines Figures 8 and 9. The upper tool D is then brought down upon the
lower tool C. This tool D has an opening D¹ formed through it of the size and shape
of the intended curved-in surface of the inner face of the bottle, as seen in a back
elevation of the bottle. While the tool D is firmly held down upon the tool C a third
tool E, which is just an easy sliding fit through the opening Di of the tool D, and
which has its bottom face shaped to give the desired curvature to the portion of the
body against which it operates, is then brought down through the opening D¹ of the
tool D and upon the portion of the bottle within the tools CD, and thus completes
the shaping of the bottle. It will be seen, by reference to Figures 8 and 9, that the
shape of the upper portion of the bottle, indicated by broken curved lines, leaves
some clearance space between itself and the interior of the working face of the
tool D. As the metal of the body is forced down by the tool E, the yielding
supporting material within the body forces out portions of the sheet metal to
fill in the clearance space of the tool D, thus causing the body to take the shape
of the mould or matrix formed by the operative surfaces of the tools C D and E.
Dowel holes are formed in the under face of the tool D to correspond with the
dowels of the tool C, the purpose of the dowels being to facilitate the accurate
setting of the tool D upon the tool C. This accurate setting is, of course,
necessary with the finishing tools.
.
The tools described are, of course, carried in any suitable press, the moving
tools being operated in a manner well understood in the trade.
The invention is applicable to the manufacture, also, of sheet metal hollow ware
articles which are open at each end, if such are required for any purpose, providing
that each opening is either of such size only that it will not allow the filling material
to escape to an extent which will interfere with the process, or that it is closed
during the time the article is exposed to pressure between the shaping tools.
While it is greatly preferred to draw the. sheet metal blank into a cylindrical form
by pressing prior to the insertion of the filling material and the shaping between
tools or dies, the cylindrical shape may be formed by stamping or spinning, or the
metal may be built up into a cylindrical form in any convenient manner in which
sheet metal is so built up.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The novel or improved method of manufacturing aluminium and other sheet
metal water bottles and other sheet metal hollow-ware articles of a shape other than
circular in transverse section which comprises the use of an internal supporting
material which is incompressible or substantially so, but the bulk of which, owing
to the particles thereof being capable of moving amongst themselves, will readily
change in form, and the shaping of the article by pressure between tools or dies,
substantially as described
2. The novel or improved method of manufacturing aluminium and other sheet
metal water bottles and other sheet metal hollow-ware articles of a shape other than
circular in transverse section, which consists in first forming the sheet metal for the
intended article to a cylindrical or analogous shape with one end closed, then partially
closing the open end, then filling the partially formed article with a material which
is incompressible or substantially so but the bulk of which, owing to the particles
thereof being capable of moving amongst themselves, will readily change in form,
then closing the already partially closed end of the article, if such is necessary to

page_text: prevent the escape of the filling material during the operation of the tools, and
then subjecting the sheet metal to pressure in tools or dies which are formed to
bring it to the required shape by one or by successive operations, as may be
required to produce the special shape required, and finally pouring or emptying out
the filling material which has acted as the internal yielding support, substantially
as described.
3. The novel or improved method of manufacturing aluminium and other sheet
metal bottles of an oval form in transverse section, and having a portion of the inner
or back face flattened or curved inwards, which consists in first forming the sheet
metal for the intended article to a cylindrical or analogous shape with one end closed
then shaping the upper end into the form of a neck, then filling the partially formed
bottle with a material which is incompressible or substantially so but the bulk of
which, owing to the particles thereof being capable of moving amongst themselves,
will readily change in formn, then closing the neck of the partially formed bottle if
such is necessary to prevent the escape of the filling material during the operation of
the tools, and then subjecting the sheet metal to pressure in tools or dies which are
formed to bring it to an oval shape in transverse section, then subjecting the article
to the pressure of a force or tool which forins the intended flattened or curved-in
shape of the inner face or back of the bottle whilst the same is inclosed between a
pair of tools or dies through one of which the force or tool for forming the flattened
or curved-in shape operates, and finally pouring or emptying out the filling material
which has acted as the internal yielding support, substantially as described.
4. The tools or dies used in carrying out the novel or improved method or methods
of manufacturing sheet metal water bottles and other sheet metal hollow-ware articles
claimed in the preceding claims, substantially as described, and illustrated, by way of
example, by the drawings herewith.
Doted this 20th day of Tom 1000
STEPHEN WATKINS.
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicants.