Improvements in, and in the Manufacture of, Infantry Mess Tins.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 9th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in, and in the Manufacture of, Infantry Mess Tins.
I, WILLIAM LEES, trading as Richard Perry, Son and Company, of Temple
Street Works, Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, Tinplate Worker and
Japanner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A D-shaped or infantry mess tin, constructed according to this invention, has
the body formed in one piece of sheet metal, and the interior surface is quite plain.
The upper portion of the body is strengthened by a surrounding rim or collar
which is in one piece of sheet metal with the other or main portion of the body,
the junction between such rim and the main portion of the body forming a rounded
edge to the top of the body. The lower portion of the rim is formed into a
rounded or beaded shape, projecting outwards around the rim and forming a ledge
or shoulder for the rim of the lid to rest upon.
A mess tin body of the construction above described is produced, according to
this invention, in the following manner :-By the aid of suitable punches and dies,
operated in a press, a cup or pan with parallel sides is formed out of sheet metal
of the size as seen on plan of the exterior of the intended rim or collar which is
to surround the upper portion of the body. On the upper edge of the said cup or
pan is formed an outward flange which makes with the sides of the cup or pan an
angle somewhat greater than a right angle. This flange may be left in the process
of forming the cup or pan, or the cup or pan may be subsequently opened out at
the top to form such flange. This flange is for the purpose of being formed into
The bottom of the
the bead, aforesaid, upon which the rim of the lid may rest.
cup or pan is then pressed, by means of a suitable punch, backwards into and
through the cup or pan so that the latter is turned inside out; and this process is
continued until the part thus reversed is of the depth required for the finished
body, and the portion which is left in its former state and not so reversed forms
the desired rim or collar around the upper edge of the body, being parallel with
the sides of the same, and in one piece with it. The projecting flange is then
shaped, by means of suitable tools, to form a bead upon the lower edge of the rim
or collar, in the ordinary method which is well understood in the trade.
Dated this 7th day of March 1895.
Improvements in, and in the Manufacture of, Infantry Mess Tins.
I, WILLIAM LEES, trading as Richard Perry, Son and Company, of Temple
Street Works, Wolverhampton in the County of Stafford, Tinplate Worker and
Japanner, 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 :-
A D-shaped or infantry mess tin, constructed according to this invention, has

page_text: the body formed in one piece of sheet metal, and the interior surface is quite
plain. The upper portion of the body is strengthened by a surrounding. rim or
collar which is in one piece of sheet metal with the other or main portion of the
body, the junction between such rim and the main portion of the body forming the
top edge of the body. The lower portion of the rim is formed into a rounded
or beaded shape, projecting outwards around the rim and forming a ledge or
shoulder for the rim of the lid to rest upon.
A longitudinal section through the body of a mess tin constructed according to
this invention is shewn by Figure 1 of the drawings herewith, and a plan thereof
by Figure 2. Figure 3 shews an enlarged sectional view of the upper portion of
one side of the body.
a is the surrounding rim or collar which strengthens the upper portion of the
body and is spaced out some little distance therefrom, though it may be closed up
thereagainst if desired, and b shews the rounded or beaded shape into which the
lower portion of the rim a is formned so as to project outwards around the rim and
form a ledge or shoulder for the rim of the lid to rest upon. It is preferred to
'enclose within the projection b a wire b' to stiffen it. Figure 2 shews the mess tin
to be of the usual D-shape, but the mess tin may of course be made of any desired
'shape as seen in plan.
A mess tin body of the construction above described is produced, according to
this invention, in the following manner :-By the aid of suitable punches and dies,
operated in a press, a cup or pan with parallel sides is formed out of sheet metal
of the size as seen on plan of the exterior of the intended rim or collar which is
to surround the upper portion of the body. On the upper edge of the said cup or
'pan is formed an outward flange which makes with the sides of the cup or pan an
angle somewhat greater than a right angle. This flange may be left in the process
of forming the cup or pan, or the cup or. pan may be subsequently opened out at
the top to form such flange. This flange is for the purpose of being formed into
the bead, aforesaid, upon which the rim of the lid may rest. The bottom of the
cup or pan is then pressed, by means of a suitable punch, backwards into and
through the cup or pan so that a portion of the latter is turned inside out; and
this process is continued until the part thus reversed is of the depth required for
the finished body, and the portion which is left in its former state and not so
reversed forms the desired rim or collar around the upper edge of the body, being
parallel with the sides of the same, and in one piece with it. The projecting flange
is subsequently shaped by means of suitable tools, to form a bead around the
lower edge of the rim or collar, in the ordinary method of forming such a bead
and which is well understood in the trade.
In order that the method of manufacturing a mess tin body of the construction
above described may be clearly understood, I will proceed to describe the same
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 4 shews the shape of a sheet metal blank A for use in making the mess
tin body shewn by Figures 1 and 2.
Figure 5 shews, in vertical section, the set of tools which first operate upon the
blank A. These tools consist of a punch B, die C, and a pressure-plate D. The
blank A is laid upon the top of the die C, its position being fixed by suitable
gauges of the usual character employed in "raising" sheet metal in dies. The
pressure plate D is then brought down upon the plate, and the punch B is brought
down upon the blank A and carries it through the operative portion of the die C.
The blank is thus formed into a cup A' of the shape shewn in longitudinal section
by Figure 6 and in plan by Figure 7. The punch B is formed with its lower
corner c slanted off, as shewn, whereby the bottom corner c¹ of the cup A¹ is slanted
off all round, as shewn. The operative part d of the die C is made somewhat
shallow in depth, as shewn, so as to avoid unnecessary length of stroke in the
punch B, as the upper edge of the cup A' must pass below the bottom of the
operative part d of the die before the cup can fall from the end of the punch.
Figure 8 shews, in vertical section, the set of tools which next operate upon the

page_text: cup A. The lower tool or die C¹ is formed with its upper inner edge slanted off
for the slanted surface c¹ of the cup to rest upon, and the cup is placed with its
open mouth upwards and in position with its slanted corner c¹ resting upon the
slanted edge of the die C. An annular tool D¹ is then brought down inside the
cup A', and the lower edge of this tool is slanted off, as shewn, to hear upon
the interior surface of the slanted portion e¹ around the bottom of the cup, and
this tool D is utilised as a pressure-plate by being caused to press upon the
slanted portion c¹ of the cup. The punch B' is then brought down through the
tool D', carrying down the metal which surrounds the tool D₁ by drawing it
between the slanting bottom of the tool D' and the slanted edge of the die C.
Figure 9 is a corresponding view to Figure 8, but shews the punch B' at the
bottom of its stroke, the original cup A being drawn into a cup A2 having a
flange slanting outwards all around the top, such flange being between the
slanted bottom of the tool D¹ and the slanted edge of the die C¹. Figure 10. is a
detached section of the cup A2 as it leaves the tools shewn by Figures 8 and 9,
and Figure 11 is a plan thereof.
Figure 12 shews, in vertical section, the tools which next operate upon the
cup A
These tools consist of the annular tool D' and the die C' already
described, but placed in an inverted position, and of a punch B². The cup A³ is
placed in an inverted position with its slanting flange c upon the slanted top
(previously the bottom) of the tool D', and the tool C¹ is brought down upon such
flange and grips it tightly between itself and the tool D' and holds it securely
in position during the operation of the punch B². The punch B' is somewhat
smaller than the interior diameter of the cup A2, as shewn, and is brought down
upon the bottom of the cup and carries the bottom down right through the cup
itself. Figure 13 shews the punch B' in its bottom position, having carried down
a portion of the metal of the cup A to form, with the remaining portion, a cup or
body A³ of the sectional shape shewn in this figure, and of the interior shape as
seen on plan of the mess tin body shewn by Figure 2. The portion a¹ of the wall
of the cup, and also the flange c³, are left unaltered by the operation of the tools
shewn by Figures 12 and 13, and the portion a' forms the rim or collar a shewn by
Figure 1, an annular space being left between it and the wall of the cup A³, and
the flange is for the purpose of being formed into the rounded or beaded
projection of Figure 1.
The nearly formed body A³ is next operated upon by the tools shewn in vertical
section by Figure 14. A portion of one side of these tools and of the cup A³ is
shewn to an enlarged scale by Figure 15. The lower of these tools E is formed
with an annular upward projection e which fits up into the annular groove formed
between the vertical wall of the body A³ and the surrounding rim or collar a', and
immediately below this annular projection e the tool is formed to a somewhat
increased diameter e', the shoulder at the top thereof being rounded off as shewn.
An upper tool C is formed with an annular downward projection f to surround the
rim or collar a', and with a shoulder g to press upon the junction between the top
of such rim or collar and the top of the body, and when this tool descends it
presses firmly down thereupon and sets the same in a true plane, the surrounding
portion of the tool keeping or setting the rim or collar in proper shape and
position relatively to the wall of the body A³, and preventing it puckering.
A block C is carried by the tool C³, and is formed to enter within the mouth of
the body A and set and maintain the same in proper shape. The block C3³ is
conveniently made separate from the tool C and fixed thereto by means of bolts h
passing through ears i formed with the block C³. Two of these ears are sufficient
for the connection, and a plan of the connection at one side of the block C³ is
shewn by Figure 16.
After the body A³ has been operated upon by the tools shewn by Figures 14
and 15, it is operated upon by the tools shewn by Figures 17 and 18, which
correspond, respectively, with Figures 14 and 15. Of these tools, the tool El is
the same as that shewn by Figure 14. A tool C', corresponding to the tool C³, but

page_text: i
having at the bottom of the annular projection fa further annular projection f¹, is
substituted for the tool C' and carries the block C or a similar block. The
operation of these tools is precisely the same as that of the tools shewn by
Figure 14, except that the annular projection f¹ carries down the portion of the
flange c of the body part A³ which projects froin the portion e¹ of the tool E,.
around the portion e. The upper portion of the body part A³ is thus brought into
the shape shewn in detached section by Figure 19; and is subsequently formed, as
seen in section taken through any side thereof, to the finished shape shewn by
Figure 3, by wiring and beading the portion in the ordinary manner used for
analogous operations, as will be readily understood in the trade; and the mess
tin body is then complete. The ears may be riveted to the body in the usual
manner.
The tool E, shewn by Figures 14 and 17, is preferably supported on a block E,
for convenience in manufacture and use, but it may of course be made of a depth
which allows it to be carried direct upon the bed of the press.
The operations performed by the tools shewn by Figures 14 and 17 may be
performed as a single operation, by means of the tools shewn by Figure 17, but it
is preferred to produce the ultimate effect at two operations as described.
"
It, is not of course essential to wire the beaded projection around the bottom of
the collar surrounding the mess-tin body, though it is much preferred to do so.
The tools above described are operated in any convenient form of "drawing
press used in "raising" sheet metal, as will be well understood. The outer edge of
the sheet metal may require to be sheared or trimmed after one or more of the
operations by which the body is formed to shape from the blank, as to which it is
..impossible to give directions, as the extent to which the shearing or trimming may
have to be performed varies in a manner which can only be ascertained by
. experience. A competent workman will, however, readily understand what may be.
: necessary, or best, in this respect.
A peculiar advantage of the above described invention consists in the fact that
mess tins can be made in aluminium which combines in itself the properties of great
lightness with non-liability to corrosion. Heretofore, these articles have not been
made in aluminium, because in the ordinary method of their manufacture soldered
joints have been necessary, and such joints when applied to aluminium have
proved to be extremely unsatisfactory.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
--
1. An infantry mess tin body constructed (except for any wire stiffener, and any
mountings affixed thereto) in one piece of sheet metal without seam or joint, and
with the interior surface quite plain, substantially as described.
2. An infantry mess tin body constructed with a surrounding rim or collar such
as a having a beaded projection such as b around the bottom of such rim or collar,
the whole being constructed (except for any wire in the beaded portion, and any
mountings affixed thereto) in one piece of sheet metal without seam or joint,
substantially as described.
3. An infantry mess tin body constructed (except for any wire stiffener, and any
mountings affixed thereto) in one piece of sheet metal without seam or joint, and
with the interior surface quite plain, substantially in the manner described.
4. An infantry mess tin body constructed with a surrounding rim or collar such
as a having a beaded projection such as b around the bottom of such rim or collar,
the whole being constructed (except for any wire in the beaded portion, and any
mountings affixed thereto) in one piece of sheet metal without seam or joint,
substantially in the manner described.
5. In the manufacture of an infantry mess tin body, forming a sheet metal blank
into a cup or pan and subsequently pressing the bottom of the cup or pan inwards
and through the cup or pan so that the cup or pan is turned inside out throughout

page_text: the whole of its depth except for a margin thereof which is left of the original
shape of the upper portion of the cup or pan and surrounds the portion thereof
which has been turned inside out, substantially as described.
6. In the manufacture of an infantry mess tin body, forming a sheet metal blank
into a cup or pan with an outward flange around the month thereof and subsequently
pressing the bottom of the cup or pan inwards and through the cup or pan so that
the cup or pan is turned inside out throughout the whole of its depth except for a
margin thereof which is left of the original shape of the upper portion of the cup
or pan and surrounds the portion thereof which has been turned inside out, with
the flange aforesaid projecting from its lower or unconnected edge, and then
forming such projecting flange into a rounded or beaded edge which projects around
the bottom of the remaining portion of the metal which surrounds the main portion
of the cup or pan, substantially as described.
Dated this 6th day of December 1895.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.