Improvements in and in Means for Use in Hermetically Closing Cans.
Year: 1899

page_text: .
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in and in Means for Use in Hermetically Closing Cans.
I, WILLIAM ARTHUR HILLS, of G, Great Winchester Street, in the City of
London, Metallurgist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object novel or improved means whereby cans may
be hermetically closed without the use of solder.
To attain the above object, according to this invention, a shoulder is formed
around the body of the can a short distance from the upper edge thereof and the
margin of metal of the body between this shoulder and the upper edge is formed
of a curved shape in vertical section having the convex side of the curve out-
wards. The lid is, formed with a rim to pass around the portion of the body
which is above the shoulder, and the rim is formed at its lower edge with an
outwardly flanged portion of which a margin of the metal from the edge thereof
is folded back under the flange. The lid is pressed down tightly upon the can,
and the can is then pushed lid first into a ring or circular die which presses
against the flanged portion of the rim of the lid and forms it into a cylindrical
shape, thus bringing the turned-under edge against the underside of the shoulder
of the body securely fastening the lid in place. The ring or die is bell-mouthed
to give an easy action. The forcing together of the lid and body
causes the top of the lid to press endways with considerable pressure
against the edge of the body which tends to buckle or increase the
curvature of the portion of the body which is above the shoulder
and thus to increase the outside diameter of the middle of such portion of the
can and press a width of the outer surface thereof firmly against the inner sur-
face of the rim of the lid. If the edge of the turned-under portion of the
flange of the rim of the lid is made to press tightly up against the shoulder of
the can as the flange is straightened, such action will intensify the tendency to
buckle the curvature of the upper portion of the body and will put such tension
on the rim of the lid as will tend to increase the contact pressure between the
outer surface of the curved upper portion of the body and the inside of the rim
of the lid. To avoid any reduction in diameter of the top edge of the body as
the endway pressure is brought thereupon by the lid, a bung is formed with the
lid which enters the rim of the body and forms a shoulder all around inside it:
and to facilitate the fitting of the parts together, this bung is somewhat tapered;
and the bung may be adapted to slightly expand the diameter of the edge of
the body. It is preferred to form the shoulder of the body as the upper side of
a groove which is formed around the can and into which the folded portion of
the flange of the rim of the lid is pressed by the operation of the ring or die.

page_text: If it is desired to open the can by means of a wire, the wire may be carried
within the groove of the lid which results from the formation of the bung, in
which case the edge of the body will enter between the inner side of the groove
and the wire and either become, wedged between the wire and the side of the
groove or be stopped against the back or roof of the groove.
The portion of the lower edge of the lid which is turned under the shoulder
of the body is not necessarily folded, though such is preferred.
Dated this 19th day of June 1800
Improvements in and in Means for Use in Hermetically Closing Cans.
I, WILLIAM ARTHUR HILLS, of 6, Great Winchester Street, in the City of
London, Metallurgist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object novel or improved means whereby cans may
be hermetically closed without the use of solder.
To attain the above object, according to this invention, a shoulder is formed
around the body of the can a short distance from the upper edge thereof and the
margin of the metal of the body between this shoulder and the upper edge is formed
of a curved shape in vertical section having the convex side of the curve out-
wards. The lid is formed with a rim to pass around the portion of the body
which is above the shoulder, and the rim is formed, at its lower edge, with an
outwardly flanged portion of which a margin of the metal from the edge thereof
is folded back under the flange. The lid is put over the mouth of the can, and
then the can is pushed lid, first into a ring or circular die which presses against
the flanged portion of the rim of the lid and forms it into a cylindrical shape,
thus bringing the turned-under edge against the under-side of the shoulder of
the body and thereby securely fastening the lid in place. The ring or die is
bell-mouthed to give an easy action. The forcing together of the lid and body
which results from pressing down the body whilst the flanged portion of the
rim of the lid is pressed against by the ring, causes the top of the lid to press
endways with considerable pressure against the edge of the body, which tends
to buckle or increase the curvature of the portion of the body which is above
the shoulder, and thus to increase the outside diameter of the part of such
portion of the can which is between the top and bottom edges thereof and press
a width of the outer surface thereof firmly against the inner surface of the rim
of the lid. If, as is preferred, the edge of the turned-under portion of the flange
of the rim of the lid is made to press tightly up against the shoulder of the can
as the flange is straightened, such action will intensify the tendency to buckle
the curvature of the upper portion of the body and will put such tension on the
rim of the lid as will tend to increase the contact pressure between the outer
surface of the curved upper portion of the body and the inside of the rim of the
lid. To avoid any reduction in diameter of the top edge of the body as the
endway pressure is brought thereupon by the lid, a bung is formed with the lid
which enters the rim of the body and forms a shoulder all around inside it;
and to facilitate the fitting of the parts together, this bung is somewhat tapered;

page_text: and the bung may be adapted to slightly expand the diameter of the edge of
the body. It is preferred to form the shoulder of the body as the upper side of
a groove which is formed around the can and into which the folded portion of
the flange of the rim of the lid is pressed by the ring or die.
The body of the can is solid drawn, which may be effected according to the
process, and by means of the tools, described in Wise's Patent Specification
No. 6099 of 1896.
If it is desired to open the can by means of a wire, the wire may be carried
within the groove of the lid which results from the formation of the bung, in
which case the edge of the body will enter between the inner side of the groove
and the wire and either become wedged between the wire and the side of the
groove or be stopped against the back or roof of the groove.
The portion of the lower edge of the lid which is turned under the shoulder
of the body is not necessarily folded, though such is preferred, as such edge
might be spun in behind the shoulder after the lid has been forced on to the
body, the lid in such case being, preferably, pressed tightly upon the body while
the edge is spun in.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to
describe a practical application of the same by the aid of the drawings herewith.
Figure 1 is a transverse section through the middle of a can lid which is to
be fixed to the body in the manner of this invention. Figure 2 is a vertical
section through the upper portion of the can body. Figure 3 shews the can
and lid to have been placed together, and placed, with the lid downwards, within
a ring or circular die by means of which the lid is to be securely fixed to the
body in a manner which ensures the hermetic closing of the can; and Figure 4
is a vertical section, to an enlarged scale, of one side of the lid and of the upper
portion of the body, after the lid has been securely fixed to the body by the aid
of the ring.
The can body A has a shoulder a formed therearound some little distance
from the upper edge, and from the point of the shoulder to the upper edge of
the body the metal is formed of an outwardly curved shape in transverse section,
the diameter of the mouth of the can being somewhat less than the diameter
between opposite points of the shoulder. The shoulder is formed, preferably,
by forming a groove around the can, as shewn. The lid B is formed with a
downward rim c, and the lower portion of this rim is slanted outwards, as shewn
at , and has a folded-back portion e. The lid is formed with a bung f which
is preferably slightly taper, as shewn, partly for convenience in pressing the
metal into shape and partly that the bung may tighten itself within the mouth
of the can.
If it is desired to open the can by means of a wire, the wire g is
placed within the groove h between the bung and the rim, the ends of the wire
being, of course, carried out through the lid, as is usual with wire-opening
devices. To fix the lid to the can, it is placed over the mouth thereof somewhat
tightly, being preferably quite a tight fit around the portion of the can which is
immediately above the shoulder, and then the can and lid are placed within
the ring or die C, and are forced thereinto by pressure exerted upon the bottom
of the can, with the result that the slanted portion of the rim of the lid is
straightened down, and the folded-under portion thereof brought with its edge
up against the underside of the shoulder a of the body. The force used drives
the can body home into the lid, bringing the edge of the body against the top
of the groove h, or wedging it tightly between the inside of the wire and the
bung, and after this has been effected the pressure causes the curved portion of
the body between the shoulder a and the upper edge of the body to buckle or
increase its curvature, and thus press a portion of the curve all round the body
against the interior of the rim of the lid. forming so tight a joint as to hermetically
close the can. The rim and flanged and folded-under portion of the lid
may be so proportioned in relation to the upper portion of the body that the
straightening down of the flanged portion may so tighten the edge of the folded

page_text: under portion e against the shoulder a as to put considerable stretch on the metal
of the rim and intensify the tendency of the curved portion of the body to
buckle outwards, thus increasing the security of the joint.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is-
1. Hermetically closing a can by means of endway pressure transmitted
through the lid to the upper edge of the body which tends to increase the curva-
ture as seen in transverse section of the upper portion of the body and causes
a portion of the outer surface thereof around the entire circumference to press
tightly against the interior of the rim of the lid, substantially as described.
2. Hermetically closing a can by means of endway pressure transmitted
through the lid to the upper edge of the body which tends to increase the curva-
ture as seen in transverse section of the upper portion of the body and causes
a portion of the outer surface thereof around the entire circumference to press
tightly against the interior of the rim of the lid and locking the lid securely
upon the body by closing in the lower portion of the rim of the lid under a
shoulder of the body, substantially as described.
3. Hermetically closing a can by exerting endway pressure through the lid
against the upper edge of the body which tends to increase the curvature as
seen in transverse section of the upper portion of the body and causes a portion
of the outer surface thereof around the entire circumference to press tightly
against the interior of the rim of the lid and by locking the lid securely upon
the body by closing in a folded-under portion of the rim of the lid in a manner
which brings the edge thereof so tightly against the underside of a shoulder
of the body as to put tension upon the rim of the lid, substantially as described.
4. Means for use in hermetically closing a can, which comprise an upper
portion of the body formed of an outwardly curved shape in transverse section,
in combination with a lid having a downward rim, the lid being so constructed
in relation to the body, that when pressed into place with the required force the
upper edge of the body will come against the top of the inside of the lid,.or
against other definite stop or abutment, with the result that further and sufficient
pressure will cause the curved portion of the body to buckle or expand outwards
against the rim of the lid, substantially as described.
5. Means for use in hermetically closing a can, which comprise a shoulder formed
around the body a short distance from the upper edge thereof, and the portion
thereabove formed of an outwardly curved shape in transverse section, in com-
bination with a lid having a downward rim and a portion of the lower edge
of the rim which may be turned in under the shoulder of the can, the lid being
so constructed, in relation to the body, that when pressed into place with the
required force the upper edge of the body will come against the top of the
inside of the lid, or against other definite stop or abutment, with the result that
further and sufficient pressure will cause the curved portion of the body to
buckle or expand outwards against the rim of the lid, substantially as described.
6. Means for use in hermetically closing a can, which comprise an upper
portion of the body formed of an outwardly curved shape in transverse section,
in combination with a lid having a bung to enter the mouth of the body and
having a downward rim, the lid being so constructed in relation to the body that
when pressed into place with the required force the upper edge of the body will
come against the top of the inside of the lid, or against other definite stop or
abutment, with the result that further and sufficient pressure will cause the
curved portion of the body to buckle or expand outwards against the rim of the
fid, substantially as described.
7. The improvements in, and in means for use in, hermetically closing cans,
whereby an outwardly curved upper portion of the can body is pressed outwards
against the rim of the lid by endway pressure which tends to increase the

page_text: curvature, and whereby the lid is locked upon the body by means of a folded
portion of the rim of the lid of which the edge is brought under a shoulder of
the can, all substantially as described and shewn by the drawings herewith.
Dated this 12th day of March 1900.
STEPHEN WATKINS & GROVES,
Chartered Patent Agents,
Wolverhampton, Agents for the Applicant.