1-10. CODING
A group of numbers or letters are stamped or embossed on the can end, or body.
The coded information may include: the item, date of pack, and shift during which it
was packed. If the code is embossed, it is done just before the can is sealed. This is
one way to identify the packer's end of the can from the manufacturer's end.
1-11. MEASUREMENT OF CAN SIZES
The size of a can is dependent upon the consumer's demand and the dimension
of the product. Certain trade names, such as "number ten," "number two-and-a-half,"
and "number three-O-three" have been applied to common can sizes to the extent they
are now household terms. (See Figure 1-5.) Its use is not mandatory but has received
wide acceptance in the trade. The system is used almost exclusively for designating
can sizes in federal and military specifications. All measurements are to the nearest
1/16th of an inch and are taken at the extremes of the double seams. Measurements
are stated in numbers of three or four digits. The first one or two digits in the number
represent the number of whole inches; the last two represent the number of fractional
sixteenths. For example, a can that is 3 inches in diameter by 4 and 8/16 inches in
height is designated numerically as 300 by 408. A can 4 and 8/16 inches in diameter by
10 and 12/16-inches in height is designated numerically as 408 by 1012. It is important
to remember that we record only the numerator of the fraction, which is in sixteenths.
Also the measurements are always to the extreme outer edges of the can.
MD0708
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