Improvements in or connected with Milk Cans and other Vessels Containing Liquids.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Milk Cans and other Vessels
Containing Liquids.
I, JOHN COLEMERE GITTINS, of 7, Hope Street, Wrexham, in the County
of Denbigh, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention has for its object an apparatus for hermetically sealing vessels
containing liquids, and has been designed especially for application to milk cans
to avoid the continual motion of the milk when being conveyed by road or rail.
Hitherto the continual motion of the milk, when conveyed in the ordinary manner,
causes it to become virtually churned before it reaches its destination.
In carrying my invention into effect, as applied to milk cans, I provide the
vessel with a cover, the periphery or rim of which is made of hollow rubber
or other suitable material, and is capable of being inflated. The cover, when
its rim is deflated, is slightly smaller than the internal diameter of the vessel,
while, when inflated, it is a little larger. To close the vessel therefore, the
cover is placed inside the tank or vessel right on the top of the milk or other
liquid; the rim is then inflated by means of a suitable pump or otherwise, and
the inflated rim binding against the inside of the vessel will fix the cover in
place, perfectly close and airtight, preventing the liquid having any space in
which to work about. In actually making the cover, I propose to provide it
with a groove in which is placed the annular inflatable rim, a valve being
provided for inflating the rim in the same way as a pneumatic cycle tyre is
inflated. The cover moreover, may be provided with handles, and also with
an air tap for admitting air into the vessel when the milk or other liquids are
drawn off from the vessel through the eduction tap at the bottom or elsewhere.
The invention, as applied to other vessels besides milk cans, will be obvious
without further description.
Dated thin 10th 2
Manal 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or connected with Milk Cans and other Vessels
Containing Liquids.
1, JOHN COLEMERE GITTINS of 7, Hope Street, Wrexham in the County
of Denbigh, Merchant, 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:-
This invention relates to hermetically sealing vessels containing liquids, and has

page_text: been designed especially for application to milk cans to avoid the continual motion
of the milk when being conveyed by road or rail. Hitherto the continual motion
of the milk when conveyed in the ordinary manner, causes it to become virtually
churned before it reaches its destination.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a vessel containing liquid with my invention
applied thereto,
Figure 2, a detail view.
In these figures, A is the vessel containing milk or other liquid, and B a
cover, the outer periphery or annular rim C of which is made of hollow rubber
or other suitable material, and is capable of being inflated with air. The
cover B, when its rim is deflated, is smaller than the internal diameter of the
vessel A, while when inflated, it is slightly larger so as to press and bind
against the inside of the vessel. To close the vessel, therefore, the cover B is
placed inside the tank or vessel A right on the top of the milk or other liquid.
The rim C is then inflated through the valve D by means of a suitable pump
or otherwise, and the inflated rim binding against the inside of the vessel A
will hermetically close the vessel and prevent the liquid having any space in
which to work about. The annular inflatable rim C is by preference received
by a circumferential groove b in the cover B, the valve D being provided for
inflating the rim in the same way as a pneumatic cycle tyre is inflated. The
cover B, moreover, inay be provided with handles E and also with an air tap F
for admitting air into the vessel when the milk or other liquids are drawn off
from the vessel through the eduction tap G at the bottom or elsewhere. His
the lid of the vessel, which may be used or not as desired.
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. The improvement in or relating to milk cans or other vessels containing
liquids which consists in providing them with a cover having an inflatable rim or
periphery, so arranged as to be slightly smaller in diameter when deflated than the
internal diameter of the vessel, but when inflated to be a little larger, whereby
when inflated the rim or periphery of the cover will bind against the insides of the
vessel and hermetically close the same, substantially as described.
2. In milk cans or other vessels containing liquids, the combination therewith of
an auxiliary cover adapted to go inside the vessel on the top of the liquid, and
provided or formed with an inflatable rim or periphery, which when inflated will
hermetically close the vessel, but which when deflated can be removed, substantially
as and for the purpose described.
3. The cover for milk cans and other vessels containing liquids substantially as
described and shown on the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day of December 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London, Patent Agents.