IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METAL CANS OR TINS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Dunn, of the Firm of Brown and
Company, of White Street, in the Borough of Southwark, and
Alexander Liddell, Foreman in the Employment of the said Firm,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METAL
CANS OR TINS."
Sealed the 16th November 1869, and dated the 17th May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Dunn and
Alexander Liddell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 17th May 1869.
WC, ANDREW DUNN, of the Firm of Brown and Company, of White
Street, in the Borough of Southwark, and ALEXANDER LIDDELL, Foreman
in the Employment of the said Firm, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METAL
CANS OR TINS," to be as follows:-
The chief objects of the Invention are to manufacture metal cans
or tins in such a manner that they shall occupy little room or space

page_text: for stowage, and that the freight charged by shipowners shall be thereby
less than with cans or tins of ordinary construction or any packages
hitherto made. The body of the metal cans, tins, or other similar vessels
is constructed of a square or other analagous shape to which the top
and bottom or end pieces are secured.
Our Invention consists in means of protecting the edges of the vessel
from injury through falls or rough usage by the employment of a turn-
down hoop or band over the edge of the head and bottom of square and
other analagous shaped metal cans or tins, which hoop is clamped
thereon. The hoop is notched at the bends or corners to enable it
to be fitted in a neat manner. When both ends of the vessel are
secured in this manner we propose to dip it into a bath of molten
metal to ensure the seams being hermetically closed, which is
accomplished by all the interstices being filled up by the molten
metal.
The Invention also consists in another mode of protecting the edges
of the vessels from injury, viz., instead of using the turn-down hoop
as first mentioned we employ a flat hoop fitted inside the chime of the
vessel both top and bottom, and we rivit, soldered, or otherwise fasten
the hoop to the body.
The Invention also consists in forming the top and bottom pieces
in order to bring them into a shape corresponding to the vessels
for which they are intended by stamping, pressing, or otherwise, that
is to say, their edges are turned up on all four or other number of
sides in order to form a recess in them; a portion of the turned-up
edges is again turned down. They are then placed on the body
and clamped in position. The end or bottom piece is partially
extended or pressed outwards to enlarge the holding capacity of
the cau.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 30
filed by the said Andrew Dunn and Alexander Liddell in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 17th November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, ANDREW
DUNN, of the Firm of Brown and Company, of White Street, in the

page_text: Borough of Southwark, and ALEXANDER LIDDELL, Foreman in the
Employment of the said Firm, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Andrew Dunn and Alexander Liddell, Her
special licence that we, the said Andrew Dunn and Alexander Liddell,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as wc, the
said Andrew Dunn and Alexander Liddell, our exccutors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF METAL
CANS OR TINS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
Andrew Dunn and Alexander Liddell, or one of us, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, or one of our, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Andrew Dunn and Alexander Liddell,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the accompanying Drawings, and to the figures and letters of reference
marked thereon, that is to say:-
The chief objects of the Invention are to manufacture metal cans or
tins in such a manner that they shall occupy little room or space for
stowage, and that the freight charged by shipowners shall be thereby
less than with cans or tins of ordinary construction or any packages
hitherto made. The body of the metal cans, tins, or other similar vessels
is constructed of a square or other analogous shape to which the top
and bottom or end pieces arc secured.
Our Invention consists in means of protecting the edges of the
vessel from injury through falls or rough usage by the employment

page_text: of a turn-down hoop or band over the edge of the head and bottom of
square and other analogous shaped metal cans or tins, which hoop is
clamped thereon. The hoop is notched at the bends or corners to
enable it to be fitted in a neat manner. When both ends of the
vessel are secured in this manner we propose to dip it into a bath of
molten metal to ensure the seams being hermetically closed, which
is accomplished by all the interstices being filled up by the molten
metal.
The Invention also consists in another mode of protecting the edges
of the vessels from injury, viz., instead of using the turn-down hoop
as first mentioned we employ a flat hoop fitted inside the "chime"
of the vessel both top and bottom, and we rivet, solder, or otherwise
fasten the hoop to the body.
The Invention also consists in forming the top and bottom pieces
in order to bring them into a shape corresponding to the vessels
for which they are intended by stamping, pressing, or otherwise,
that is to say, their edges are turned up on all four or other number
of sides in order to form a recess in them. A portion of the turned-
up edges is again turned down. They are then placed on the
body and clamped in position. The end or bottom piece is partially
extended or pressed outwards to enlarge the holding capacity of
the can.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a perspective view of a
metal can or tin of the construction as above described.
A is the body, which is composed preferably of one piece of metal
bent into a proper shape and having its ends buckled over and secured
together in the usual manner by solder or otherwise; B is the cover
or top plate with a portion of the central part raised as shown to
increase the holding capacity of the can or vessel. The central portion C
of same is somewhat depressed or sunken to form a space to admit
the hand of a person when it is necessary to lift or move the can
from place to place by means of the handle D, which stretches
across the sunken portion as shown, the handle being attached to
the cover by means of rivets a, a. The edges of the cover are turned
upwards, so that when it is in place on the body it rests a short
distance from the top edge and admits of the handle being just below
or in a line with the top edge to prevent its becoming injured or
put out of shape by any article that may come in contact with it. It

page_text: also economizes space in stowing. The edges of the cover are again
turned downwards to form a lap for embracing the top edges of the
body, the corners being cut or slit to admit of this being done. The
lapped portions with the edges between them are pressed together
to bring them in close contact and make a hermetic scaling. The
overlaps when the can is finished are flush with the sides, so that when a
number of them are placed side by side no spaces are left between them.
The edges of the bottom E of the can are bent or turned up in a similar
manner, as the top or cover, and also a raised central part but with no
depression in the middle. The extreme edges of the bottom are likewise
turned back again to form the overlap, so that it can be secured to the
body by clamping as before explained with regard to the top or cover.
The top and bottom edges of the body are bent or curved inwards so
as to ensure the overlap not extending beyond the sides.
In Figure 2 we have shewn a section of a can or tin on a larger
scale than that shown at Figure 1, in which the arrangement or
form of the top or cover and the bottom have to take in our improved
construction.
Although we have shown in the Drawing annexed hereto the can
or tin as being of a square shape in cross section we wish it to be
understood that we do not confine ourselves to that shape alone as cans
or tins may be constructed of 5, 6, or any number of sides in cross
section as may be desired.
In order to strengthen the edges of the can or tin and to resist any
serious injury which may be caused by a fall or from other causes,
we place a flat hoop round the inside of the rim or "chime" for that
purpose; this hoop may be secured in place by means of solder, rivets, or
other appliances as found most suitable. We prefer, however, to prepare
the outside of the can or tin after it is made up by brushing over
it some composition or mixture that is not affected by acids or to
which molten solder will not adhere. We then remove the com-
position or mixture from the crevices or seams and dip the can or
tin into a bath of molten solder, which will only adhere and fill up
the crevices or seams from which the composition or mixture has
been removed.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we

page_text: Firstly. Constructing metal cans or tins in the manner and for the
purposes herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly. Forming the tops or covers for metal cans or tins with
a double turned over edge or edges, in the manner and for the purpose
herein before described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Thirdly. Forming the bottoms for metal cans or tins with double
turned over edges in the manner and for the purpose herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourthly. The employment of the tops or covers and the bottoms
of metal cans or tins with extended and sunken portions, in the manner
and for the purpose herein-before described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings.
And, fifthly. We claim fitting hoops inside the rims or chimes, in
the manner and for the purpose herein-before described and represented
in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, wc, the said Andrew Dunn and Alexander
Liddell, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventeenth
day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-nine.
AND DUNN.
(U.S.)
ALEXANDER LIDDELL. (L.S.)