IMPROVED METHOD
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Julius Boult of the firm of WP Thompson
& Boult Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors of 323 High Holborn in the
county Middlesex and G Lord Street Liverpool in the county of Lancaster
Engineer for an Invention of "IMPROVED
METHODS 013 AND
14 τα
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Julius Boult at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th August 1882.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of the firm of W. P. Thompson & Boult Agents for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
and Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster Engineer, "IMPROVED
METHODS OF AND MEANS FOR MANUFACTURING AND HERMETICALLY CLOSING BOXES
CASES OR CANS OF SHEET METAL" [A communication to him from abroad by
Charles Dauché and Patrice Deniaud both of La Ville en Bois in the Republic of
France]
This invention relates to the manufacture and closing of sheet metal boxes or
cases in such a manner as to make the same airtight and to the means and
apparatus employed for this purpose.
It consists in uniting the bottom and body of a box or case and the like either
by stamping or by a beading or edging device as will hereinafter ap; ear
The
If the box is to be made round and by stamping the body is first made with a
flange which may be bent up gradually so as not to strain or split the metal.
shape of the box may then be made more accurate on a mandril. The box body
may however be stamped to its ultimate form in a single operation. The bottom
or lid is then made in the usual manner and has a preferably curved rim for
[Price 6d1

page_text: overlapping the flange of the body. To render the joint more tight a strip or
washer of India rubber or similar material is inserted in the curved rim of the
bottom.
The body and bottom (or the lid, as the case may be) are next together placed
into a matrix or die made in parts hinged together so as to surround the body;
this die has a raised edge which takes under the flange of the body. Above this
matrix is a punch consisting of a central part corresponding to the top of the box
which central part forms the punch proper and is fixed on a spindle as will be
readily understood. On the same spindle is mounted a collar to which are hinged
two levers or arms and to the latter are hinged two halves of a ring or hoop the
internal diameter whereof is equal to that of the periphery of the box
When the punch descends the halves of the hoop, whose edges are beveled, enter
recesses in the uprights of the machine which recesses act as cams upon the hoop
and cause the same to bend the rim of the box bottom to an angle, the central
punch which descends a little later than the hoop completes the joint which will be
sufficiently tight to resist even ebullition of the contents of the box
For making the joints of a box by beading instead of by stamping the parts are
first made substantially as above described but the flange on the body has a
projecting portion. The box is then placed on a platform or plate having a
groove for receiving the flange and bottom-rim. This platform is raised (by a pedal
or a counterweight for instance) till the top of the box abuts against a plate
similar to the bottom plate thus partly closing the joints by concussion; both
plates are revolved, with the box between them, in a horizontal plane by power
which may be applied to the spindle which carries the top plate.
To make the joint perfect a beading wheel revolving (also round a vertical axis)
on a movable spindle, is by means of a lever or the like firmly pressed against the
joint and being revolved by friction from the box, makes the joint tight.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Julius Boult in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th February 1883.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of the firm of WP Thompson and Boult Agents for
Foreign Patent Solicitors of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex,
and 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the county of Lancaster Engineer "IMPROVED
METHODS OF AND MEANS FOR MANUFACTURING AND HERMETICALLY CLOSING BOXES,
CASES, OR CANS OF SHEET METAL a communication to me from abroad by
Charles Dauché and Patrice Deniaud, both of La Ville en Bois in the republic of
France.
This invention relates to the rapid and inexpensive manufacture and closing of
all kinds of metal boxes.
It consists in jointing the lid and bottom either by means of a fly-press or by
means of a dise or "milling wheel" mounted on a vertical spindle. For making
the joint by the fly-press the metal band or strip for forming the body is first
passed through what is known as a bending or folding machine which it leaves
having nearly the shape shown in Fig 1 of the accompanying drawings which
is that of an ordinary box only more sharply defined. To avoid straining the metal
and to prevent cracking the bend T in said figure is at first less sharp at the edges.
The requisite regularity is obtained by passing the box under a stamp or die which
imparts to it the exact shape required for the same. This however is merely a
precaution as the ultimate shape may be obtained by the bending machine and in
one single operation
The box being thus made up and bent the lid shown in Fig 2 is fitted to it,
which lid is stamped up in the fly-press as usual but to render the joint the more
tight a washer is first placed in the groove B so as to make a tight joint. This
washer may be made of any of the materials commonly used for such purposes,
specially India rubber.
It is called a washer as the drawing shows a round box only but as this method
is applicable to boxes of all kinds, it will be understood that the joint takes the
form of the particular box to which it is applied.
The box provided with its lid or its bottoin, as the case may be, (Fig 3) is placed
into a matrix consisting of two parts connected by a hinge; this matrix is closed
by means of a lever and its shape shewn at M in Fig 5. Above this matrix is a
stamp constructed as follows viz
(a) A hoop A A formed of two half hoops attached to the spindle of the fly-press
by the arms R R fixed on said spindle by a collar R'.
(b) An interior stamp P which is fixed to the fly-press When the press goes
down the two parts of hoop A slide along the uprights V. V. and when they arrive
at the recess V1 V₁ they move apart impelled by the arms R R leaving the interior
stamp P free to pass.
Now as the inside of the hoop A A is bevelled and inclined at an angle of
about 45° it will at first bend the edge of the box beneath, furnished with its lid,
to the same inclination and the central stamp completes the operation by bending
down to the horizontal position the edge folded or bent over by the bevel of the
hoop A A.
This single operation is sufficient to obtain the perfectly hermetical closing as
indicated in Fig 4 which resists all ebullition.
For jointing by means of beading or milling wheels the body of the box is
prepared by the bending machine as in jointing by the press (Fig 6) but the edges
are somewhat thrown back beyond the point D.

page_text: The washer is placed on the body at the point J. The lid is stamped up to the
shape F in the usual press. The lid F being placed on the box body C the whole is
placed on a platform K Fig 7 which is movable both vertically and horizontally.
When this platform is raised say by a pedal or a counterweight it presses the box
which it carries against the disc L which mounted on a vertical spindle is
rapidly rotated by any suitable power such as steam or hand power in a horizontal
direction.
On a level with this disc there is the wheel or disc N mounted on a small
When the
carriage which is moved in a horizontal direction by means of a lever.
disc which is free to rotate on its axis is pressed against the box, it will, by
contact be caused to participate in the rotary motion imparted to the former by
the first disc, and by firmly pressing it by means of the lever the joint shown at O
is produced.
This extremely simple operation is effected with great rapidity and one man
unaided can easily repeat it a thousand times in an hour.
This joint like the stamped one is hermetically tight and resists the strongest
ebullition
Having now described this invention as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondents I wish it to be understood that what I claim and desire to protect
under the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is;
First. The combination of the matrix M divided hoop A. and stamp P substantially
as and for the purposes set forth and shown.
Second-The arms R R and collar R₁ as an automatically adjustable attachment
for the divided hoop A.
. Third-The combination of the movable platform K revolving disc or face plate L
and supplementary disc N as a means of closing the joints in tin and other metallic
boxes substantially as described and shown.
Fourth The process of rapidly closing the joints of met illic boxes substantially
as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof I the said Alfred Julius Boult have hereunto set my
hand and seal this tenth day of February in the year of Our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
T
TוזA
ALFRED J. BOULT