IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN KINDS OF MILK CANS
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Pitt and William Howard
Ingall at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th April 1879.
CHARLES PITT and WILLIAM HOWARD INGALL, both of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Tin Plate Workers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN KINDS OF
MILK CANS."
Our Invention has reference to those kinds of milk cans which are used for
conveying milk by railway and otherwise, and commonly called railway milk cans,
and our said Invention consists of the improvements in the said cans hereinafter
described.
The said milk cans are subjected in use to rough treatment, and consequently are
rapidly worn out.
The objects of our Invention are to increase the durability of the said cans and
to keep their contents cool during transit.
The said cans as ordinarily made consist of a conical body of strong tinned iron
supported upon a foot made of a wrought iron ring, the top of the said body being
furnished with a neck of malleable cast iron. According to our Invention we
completely cover the exterior of the said body with a covering of wood for
strengthening and protecting the said body, and we interpose between the external
wooden covering and the metal body of the can an imperfect conductor of heat for
the purpose of keeping cool the milk contained in the can. We prefer to make the
wooden covering and connect it to the conical body of the can in the following
manner:- -The upper edge of the wrought iron ring constituting the foot of the can
projects a short distance above the base or widest part of the body, so as to form
between the said projecting part of the ring or foot and the body of the can an
annular space having in cross section the figure of the letter V. We make on the
malleable cast iron neck of the can a horizontal shoulder or abutment. Between
the said recess at the base of the body and the shoulder or abutment on the neck
we fix the wooden covering, the said covering being composed of wooden staves.
The bottom ends of these staves are tenoned, that is, have such a figure given to
them that a portion of the tenoned end will fit into the space described between
the projecting part of the ring or foot and the body of the can, and the other part
of the tenoned end will rest upon the edge of the said projecting part of the ring
or foot, After the bottom ends of the said staves have been fitted and secured in
their places at the base of the body of the can, the upper ends of the said staves
are fixed under the horizontal shoulder or abutment on the neck of the can, In

page_text: this way the staves forming the wooden covering are securely fixed around the
exterior of the metal body of the can. Before fixing the wooden covering in its
place we cover the body of the can with hair, felt, or other imperfect conductor of
heat, and over the said felt or material we place a layer of waterproof canvas.
By the use of the wooden covering described the can is much strengthened and
made more durable, and by the use of the interposed imperfect conductor of heat,
assisted by the wooden covering, the milk contained in the can is kept cool. We
also place a layer of felt or other imperfect conductor of heat on the inside of the
metal cover of the can for the last described purpose; and protect the said felt by
an inner lining of tin plate.