Improvements in the Manufacture of Square Cornered Tins, Cans, Boxes, or Cases for Holding Petroleum or other Liquids or Materials, and in Apparatus or Machinery for Producing same.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 21st June, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 21st Apr., 1891-Accepted, 13th June, 1891
TRUY DIVAAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Square Cornered Tins, Cans,
Boxes, or Cases for Holding Petroleum or other Liquids or
Materials, and in Apparatus or Machinery for Producing same.
I WILLIAM WOOLNOUGH of 10 Cranmer Road Forest Gate in the County of
Essex Tin Plate Worker do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of tin cans boxes or
cases of the character commonly known as "petroleum tins" or square cornered
tins boxes or cases made by machinery from tin plate or other suitable sheet metal
for holding petroleum or for holding other liquids inaterials or articles and to
machinery or apparatus for producing such improvements.
Heretofore in making "petroleum tins" great difficulty has been experienced
in commercially successfully making them so that they would not leak when in
use the soldering of the single seam or joint-where the top and bottom are joined
to the sides-being always liable to give way and permit leakage hence causing
loss and damage.
It is well known that by double seaming (instead of single seaming) and thereafter
soldering such double seam a much more perfect and liquid tight joint can be
nade but heretofore it has practically only been found possible to double seam tin
cans boxes or cases of a circular forin or having the corners thereof rounded off in a
circular form and this double seaming has usually been effected by means of
grooved rollers.
Now I have discovered and invented a double seamed square cornered (or nearly
square cornered such as a sexagon tin) tin box can or case thus producing a
petroleum tin or the like square cornered can or box which is double seamed all
over and thereby obtaining great strength in all the joints and reducing the liability
to leakage and also giving other very material advantages including facility and
economy of construction as a boy can easily solder such double seams.
To produce such double seamed square cornered tin cans boxes or cases I use the
following or equivalent machinery or apparatus in the following or other equivalent
Inanner.
The edges of the sides and top and bottom are formed in such a manner (by
stamping or otherwise) and of such a size as to give sufficient lap of material to
form the double seain required.
་
The top (or bottom) and sides thus prepared are then placed in a squeezing
anachine or apparatus having four square cornered jaws which all approach simul-
taneously towards the centre from their four respective corners.
For facility of description I would remark that a squeezing machine for squeezing
on the tops and bottoms of square cornered and the like tins such as the well
known "No. 3" squeezing inochine made by Rhodes & Sons of Wakefield Yorkshire
is a suitable and convenient machine for enabling me to carry out this part of my
said invention though I do not limit myself thereto.
On the central sides of the four advancing and receding square cornered jaws I
forin a groove or channel all round-such groove or channel being of such shape
form or curves as will turn inwards the aforesaid projecting double edges of the
sides and top (or bottom and finally lap same over so that these turned in edges

page_text: lie olose against the body of the can or box thus forming all in one operation a
double seam right round the top (or bottom) of the tin box can or case,
Dated this 21st day of June 1890.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Patentee.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Square Cornered Tins, Cans,
Boxes, or Cases for Holding Petroleum or other Liquids or
Materials, and in Apparatus or Machinery for Producing same.
I WILLIAM WOOLNOUGH of 10 Cranmer Rond Forest Gate in the County of
Essex Tin Plate Worker 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 improvements in the manufacture of tins cans boxes or
cases of the character commonly known as "petroleum tins" or square cornered or
the like shaped tins boxes or cases made by machinery from timplate or other
suitable sheet metal for holding petroleum or for holding other liquids materials or
articles and to machinery or apparatus for producing such improvements.
Heretofore in making "petroleum tins" great difficulty has been experienced in
commercially successfully making them so that they would not leak when in use
the soldering of the single seam or joint-where the top and bottom are joined to
the sides--being always liable to give way and permit leakage hence causing loss
and damage.
It is well known that by double seaming (instead of single seaming) and thereafter
soldering such double seam a much more perfect and liquid tight joint can be
made but heretofore it has practically only been found possible to double seam
tins cans boxes or cases of a circular form or having the corners thereof rounded off
in a circular form and this double seaming has usually been effected by means of
rollers.
Now I have discovered and invented a method of manufacturing a double seamed
square cornered (or nearly square cornered such as a sexagon tin) box can tin or
case producing a petroleum tin or the like square cornered can case or box which is
double seamed all over and thereby 1 obtain greater strength in all the joints and
reduce the liability to leakage and also give other very material advantages
including facility and economy of construction--a boy can easily solder such double
seams or the double seam may be soldered in any other suitable way for instance
by "dipping" as is well understood,
To produce double seamed square cornered tins boxes cans or cases I use the
following or equivalent machinery or apparatus in the following or other equivalent
manner.
The edges of the sides and top and bottom are formed in such a manner (by
stamping or otherwise) and of such a size as to give sufficient lap of material to
form the double seam required.
The top (or bottom) and sides thus prepared are then placed in a squeezing
machine or apparatus having four square cornered jaws which all approach simul
taneously towards the centre from their four respective corners.
For facility of description I would remark that a squeezing machine (for
squeezing on the tops and bottoms of square cornered and the like tins) such as the
well known "No. 3" squeezing machine made by Rhodes and Sons of Wakefield
Yorkshire is a suitable and convenient machine for enabling me to carry out my
said invention though I do not limit myself thereto as iny special squeezing jaws
as hereinafter fully explained may be applied on any other type of machine suitable

page_text: for actuating the same. Neither do I limit myself to having my special squeezing
jaws in four parts only as same may be formed in any suitable number of parts more
or less than four-if desired-for tins etcetera having more or less than four corners
as for instance octagonal or triangular shaped cans or cases.
On the central sides of the four advancing and receding square cornered jaws I
form a groove or channel all round-such groove or channel being of such shape
form or curves as will turn inwards the aforesaid projecting double edges of the
sides and top (or bottom) and finally lap same over so that these turned in edges
lie close against the body of the can case tin or box thus forming all in one operation
a double seam right round the top (or bottom) and corners of the tin box can
or case.
And in order that my present invention may be easily understood and readily
carried into practice I will proceed to further describe my said invention with
reference to the av
Figure represents a suitable machine having my improvements applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a plan-on a larger scale of the top of the said machine illustrated in
Figure 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are detail views-upon a still larger scale-of the shaped
compressing jaws or pieces in operation the arrangement formation and action of
which constitute the essential features of my present invention.
a is the main body of the machine in which the four sliding parts b b are caused
by any suitable power to simultaneously converge towards, their common centre-
in the machine illustrated in Figure 1 the power utilised as being convenient being
foot power by means of the treadle c-all of which is well understood as in the
aforesaid well known "Rhodes" machine.
In or on the vertical inner face of each of the sliding pieces I form arrange or
mount a groove or channel of a curve or shape to obtain the desired result.
Such a groove or channel is shown in Figures 3 and 4 at d such grooved in the
case illustrated being formed in a detachable block of metal e which block e is
firmly attached to the part b by means of screws e¹-or otherwise suitably secured
as desired.
The lower projecting part of this grooved block e serves as an anvil or rest to
support the underside of as it is being doubled over and said tongue f has a
corresponding recess formed in the stationary block to receive same upon which
block the body or sides of the tin case etcetera and top (or bottom) thereof are
placed as shown in Figure 1 and in detail in Figure 3-just previous to having
their edges double seamed according to my invention.
The top or bottom i for the can or case etcetera is cut out or formed with a
sufficient margin of metal i to overlap and form the double seam and is shaped all
round as shown in Figure 3. The side walls m have a projecting edge m' (also
see Figure 3) both of which edges and in respectively are easily formed-as
also the side walls m are prepared ready-as is well understood.
The operation is as follows:-
The top (or bottom) i is first placed upon the stationary block and then the
side walls m all ready prepared as above for each can etcetera are then placed in
position on said top i (see Figures 1 and 3) and the jaws are then simultaneously
closed by means of the treadle c.
The curved channel or groove & first turns over the outer edge of i¹ on to m¹ and
then as it further advances it turns over in second time together with m¹ therein-
between and so makes a double seat as shown in Figure 4 which represents the
seam just before such double seam is finally all squeezed up tightly together and
against the side wall m of the can.
The other end or cover of the can
in one operation.
etcetera is then put on in a similar way-all

page_text: If desired any above described squeezing jaws may be inverted so as to turn the
overlapping edges downwards instead of upwards and also if desired the machine
may be arranged with two sets of jaws to squeeze on and double seat both top and
bottom simultaneously.
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 I claim
and claim only :-
1. The grooved or channelled squeezing jaws such as having a groove or
channel therein such as d with the tongue f fitting into the recess g for double
seaming rectangular or the like tins cans boxes or cases substantially in the manner
and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto
annexed.
2. In a squeezing machine for squeezing on and double seaming the tops and
bottoms of tin cans boxes and cases or the like I claim broadly a groove or channel
in the squeezing jaw which acts to turn over and double seam the edges of a
rectangular can or case or the like substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore set forth.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the latentee.