Improvements in Devices for Closing the Openings in Cans and other Receptacles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Jan., 1896-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1896
[Communicated from abroad by DANIEL ELMER, of Bridgeton, New Jersey,
United States of America, Gentleman.]
Improvements in Devices for Closing the Openings in Cans and
other Receptacles.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
My invention relates to devices for closing the openings in cans or other
receptacles, and has for its object to provide a simple, efficient and economical
closing device. The nature of my invention will be best understood as described
in connection with the drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a top view of a can head;
Figure 2 an elevation of the can on line 1-1 of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a top view of the can top or lid partly broken away to show the
lugs ;
Figure 4 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 3;
Figure 5 shows the parts making up the lid or top before they are united and
the lugs & formed;
Figure 6 is a similar view showing the parts of the top united;
Figures 7 and 8 are the perspective views showing the method of forming the
lugs 3 and
Figure 9 a sectional elevation showing the lid in place on the can.
A is the can and A' the top thereof; this top I form with a depressed bead a' by,
in the case shown, first pressing down the metal of the top as shown at a then in
this depressed flange forming the beal a' so that its top will lie below the level of
the top A and continuing the flange inside the bead at a lower level as shown at a².
This corrugated formation of the flange is not only useful for the purposes hereafter
described but also gives stiffness to the inside rim of the can top surrounding the
opening formed therein. The edge of the top is bent down as shown and so cut as
to form wedges at which extend between notches a cut in the rim part a³ and
preferably running to the bead a' as shown, and, preferably I form wedge
extensions by prolonging the broader ends of the wedges a so that they will
extend below the notches u³ as shown. As shown, the can top is formed of sheet
metal and the corrugated construction of the top of course relates particularly to
such material as does also the springy action of the portion of the Hange a
oetween the notches a³ to be hereafter described and the best construction of
which requires five or more equidistant notches so as to make each flange section a
springy tongue; but the feature of construction, which consists in the combination
with the notches of a wedge as a extending away from its edge and a wedge as a
extending below its edge is I believe new in any material.
B is the cau lid or closure which I form of sheet metal, first striking it up as
shown in Figures 5 and 7 so as to give it a flange b, a depressed centre, adapted
to enter the opening in the can top and a bead at the edge of the centre which is
preferably formed with an abrupt outer side and a more gradually slanting inner
side as shown. The can top proper is formed with this blank by pushing out

page_text: lugs from the metal of the head as shown in Figure 8, the form of the bead
greatly facilitating this. It is desirable in many cases that a hail as D should be
attached to the lid and to secure it in place I prefer to use a hail plate C having a
seat to engage the ends of the bail, and I form this plate C so that its edges e
will fit closely in the depressed centre of the lid B, making it indeed slightly larger
so that it requires force to push it in to the centre and I then seat the said plate
by a die, preferably the same one used to throw out the Ings & pressing the edges e
so tight against the walls of the centre that they will grip and hold; this is
illustrated with some exaggeration in Figure 6 at M.
The uses of the devices described are obvious, the lugs of course correspond
in number and arrangement with the notches a³ and are shaped to enter said
notches when the lid is placed on the can top with its flange & resting on the top of
the depressed bead a' so that the lid will be flush with the can top. The lid is
then turned so that the lugs will run under the wedges a thus drawing the lid down
and pressing the rim & against the head a' or a gasket place! between them. When
it is desired to open the can we turn the lid in the opposite direction and then the
under sides of the lugs & ride up on the wedges as assisting in lifting the lid from
its seat on the can top. The flange a² is placed at a lower level than the top of
bead a' so that the lid shall bear solely against said bead, but in case of contact the
springy nature of the parts making up rim a permit it to readily yield under
pressure and this same springy quality permits it to yield somewhat to the upward
pressure to the lugs so that if by reason of defective work one or more wedge or
lug is not symmetrically placed with respect to the others the yielding of the rim
will equalize the defects and insure a uniform bearing all around.
My closure is adapted for use with any can or other receptacle having means
corresponding with the nutches a to permit the entrance of the lugs and cams
corresponding to the cams at which like said cams act against the lugs to draw
the horizontal flange 6 of the closure against the top of the receptacle. Again
while I consider the use of the head and the formation of the lugs from the
metal of said bead highly desirable I believe myself to be the first to form a
closure of a single piece of sheet metal having the horizontal flange, the depressed
centre and outwardly extending lugs formed from the metal of the centre, and I
do not therefore limit myself to the use of the bead & except where it is specifically
called for in the claims.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:
1. A closure consisting of an integral piece of sheet metal having a horizontal
flange, an adjacent vertical wall, a bottom and two or more lips projecting outward
from the vertical wall and formed from the metal of the closure.
2. A closure consisting of an integral piece of sheet metal having a horizontal
flange, an adjacent vertical wall, a bottom, a depending bead extending around the
bottom, and two or more lips projecting outward from the vertical wall and formed
from the metal of the depending bead closure.
3. A closure consisting of an integral piece of sheet metal having a horizontal
flange, an adjacent vertical wall, a bottom and two or more lips projecting outward
from the vertical wall and formed from the metal of the closure, in combination
with a sheet metal bail plate C clamped in the walls of the depressed centre of the
closure.
4. A can head having an opening therein a depressed bead a' formed in the head
and extending around the opening, a flange a extending inward from said bead
having noteles cut in it to, or nearly to the head a', and inclined downwardly
extending edges a between said notches in combination with a can closure having
a flange alapted to lie on the depressed bead a', a depressed centre adapted to
enter the opening in the can top and outward projections from said centre adapted
to enter the notches a³ and engage the edges a*.

page_text: 5. A can head having an opening therein, a depressed bead a' formed in the head
extending around the opening, a flange a extending inward from said bead having
five or more notches a cut in it to, or nearly to the bead a', and inclined down-
wardly extending edges a' between said notches in combination with a can closure
having a flange b adapted to lie on the depressed bead a', a depressed centre
adapted to enter the opening in the can top and outward projections from said
centre corresponding in number with, and adapted to enter the notches a³ and
engage the edges a.
6. A sheet metal closure B having a flange b adapted to lie on a can top, a
depressed centre 6' adapted to enter an opening therein and outwardly extending
lugs integral with the closure formed by pushing out the sheet metal at the
lower edge of the centre & in combination with a sheet metal bail plate C clamped
in the walls of the depressed centre.
Dated this 3rd day of January 1896.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.