Improvements in or relating to Cans and Packing Vessels.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1899-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Cans and Packing Vessels.
A communication from GEORGE WIGHTMAN VAILLANT, Foundryman, of 165,
Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of London,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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:-
-
The invention relates particularly to cans adapted for containing and pre-
serving various kinds of food, paint, and the like.
The object of the invention is to provide such a can which can be cheaply
made, is neat in appearance, and is capable of being easily opened.
The invention pertains to the construction of a cap to close one end of the
can (the end to be opened), and to the combination of the same with the can,
as hereinafter described and pointed out definitely in the claims.
In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a can con-
taining the invention. Figure 2 is a view partly in section of one corner of
a modified construction. Figures 3 and 4 represent sectional views of the can
and its cap; Figure 5 is a sectional view of one corner of the can after the same
has been opened by pulling on the ripping wire; Figure 6 is a bottom view partly
in horizontal section of the cap.
Referring to the parts by letters, A represents a cap capable of embracing and
closing one end of the can B. This cap consists of a top a of suitable shape,
(which will commonly be circular); and an annular cylindrical flange whose
lower edge a¹ is rolled inward and embraces a ripping wire C. In this rolled
lower edge are two notches a² a³. The ripping wire C crosses one of these
notches a³, extends around the cap and out through the other notch a,the end
outside the cover being sufficiently long to be conveniently taken hold of by a
suitable key or other instrument by which it may be forcibly pulled out and
the cap flange cut thereby. A drop of solder may be employed to seal each of
these two notches. In sealing the notch a³ the solder also attaches the wire to
the cap whereby, when the free end of the wire is forcibly pulled upon, the
wire will not be pulled out but will cut the cover loose. It will not, coinmonly,
be necessary to seal these notches and fasten the wire to the cap, as described.
By an independent operation, because the cap is capable of being soldered to the
can by the kind of machines now commonly used for such purposes, and these
two notches may be filled with solder during this operation.
The can, which is preferably used with this cap, is shown in Figure 1. It
has a short cylindrical neck b of less diameter than that of the body of the can,
and a trifle less than the interior diameter of the rolled edge of the cap, whereby
The diameter of the body, ', of
the cap may be easily placed over this neck.
the can is substantially the same as the external diameter of the cap. The
formation of this neck leaves a shoulder 2 against which the lower rolled edge
of the cap impinges, and to which it is soldered. This shoulder is preferably con-

page_text: cave, thereby to more exactly conform to the lower edge of the cap. When
the shoulder is concave as described, less solder will be used in fastening the
cap to the can.
This construction is illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 4. Figure 2 however,
shows the cap used to close the end of a can which has no contracted neck.
An upwardly and outwardly bevelled bead at is formed around the edge of
the top of the can by bending the metal. The diameter of this bead at its
inner edge is less than the diameter of the end of the can. It is of course not
necessary that the cap shall have this bevelled bead to perform the functions
heretofore described, but the bead may serve a further useful purpose. If, for
example, the cap is pressed down upon the can with sufficient force, by suitable
mechanism, the upper edge of the can will, by reason of the bevelled bead, be
caused to flare outward as shown in Figure 4 so as to fit with more or less exact-
ness inside the flange of the cap.
When now by pulling on the wire C the lower edge of the cap has been cut
loose from the can, as shown in Figure 5, the cap fits the outwardly flared end
of the can, wherefore the cap becomes a more or less tight fitting cover which
may be taken off. or replaced at will. When the can is used to contain paint or
some analagous substance, this is a valuable feature; when however, the can
is used to contain something, as fruit, vegetables, it is customary to use the
entire contents of the can at one time, and therefore this flaring of the upper
end of the can has little practical value, and need not be used. In other words,
the cap need not have the bead at; or if it does, the cap need not be forced down
upon the can so as to curve the top of the can outward, as described.
The other end of the can may be closed by a cap E having a hole e.
may be filed through this hole which may be closed by a cap plate G soldered
over the same. What is the bottom of the can while it is being filled, namely,
the end which is closed by the wired cap A, becomes the top of the can when the
can is opened.
The can
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A cap for closing the end of a packing vessel, which cap consists of an end
plate and an annular flange whose lower edge is rolled inward and has two
notches a, a, and a ripping wire embraced by said rolled edge, which wire
extends across one of said notches around the cap and out through the other
notch, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. The combination of a can and a cap therefor which has an annular flange
fitting over the outside surface of the can, said flange having its lower edge
rolled inward and having two notches in said edge, and a ripping wire embraced
by said rolled edge which wire extends across one of said notches around the cap
and out through the other notch whereby the same solder which holds the cap
to the can may hold the end of the ripping wire within the cap so that a pull
on the wire may cut the cap, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
3. In a packing vessel, the combination of a can having a neck of smaller
diameter than the body and having an annular upwardly concave shoulder b
with a cap having an annular flange with an inwardly rolled lower edge, which
flange embraces the neck of the can and its lower edge fits said concave shoulder
and is soldered thereto, and a ripping wire embraced by said rolled edge, one
end of said wire being extended out through a notch therein, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
4. A cap consisting of a plate having at its edge an outwardly and upwardly
bevelled bead and an annular flange depending therefrom and having its lower
edge rolled inward, and a ripping wire embraced by said rolled edge and extend-
ing out through a notch therein, combined with a can having a reduced neck
which extends upward substantially parallel with the sides of the can and when

page_text: the cap is forced down onto the can bends the edge of said neck outward beneath
the bevel of the cap, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5. In a packing vessel, the combination of a can having a neck of smaller
diameter than the body, said neck continuing substantially parallel with the
body, with a cap having an annular flange with an inwardly rolled lower edge
the external diameter of said flange being substantially that of the can and the
length of the flange being sufficient for said rolled lower edge to fit against
the shoulder formed by the neck with the body of the can, there being within
said rolled lower edge a ripping wire, one end of which is extended out beyond the
cover, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
6. The can cap or similar article, substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1899.
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicant.