Improvements relating to Metal Cans and similar Receptacles, and to Means for Facilitating the Opening thereof.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 30th Mar., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Metal Cans and similar Receptacles, and
to Means for Facilitating the Opening thereof.
I, JOHN FEAVER, of Long Walk, Bermondsey Square, in the County of Surrey,
Iron & Tin Ware Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of tins, cans, boxes and other receptacles
for containing preserved food and other substances, and is designed to provide
improved means for facilitating the opening of such receptacles.
In the Specification of former Letters Patent dated 26th June 1891 No. 10,916,
I have described a tin or can which is so constructed that it can be opened by
the removal of its entire circumferential wall from its two ends by means of a
suitable key.
According to one part of my present invention, I provide for the opening of the
tin or can by the removal of a portion of one end of its circumferential wall by
means of a key or other suitable device. For this purpose I make the wall of the
tin or can with a suitable projection or tongue at that end of the can which is to be
opened, and with a circumferential bead a short distance from this end, so that,
when the said tongue is forcibly pulled outward by a key or the like, a portion of
the circumferential wall will be removed, the said portion being detached from the
solder whereby it is secured to the end of the tin or can, and the metal being torn
asunder along one edge of the said bead.
By this means I am enabled to provide for the opening of a tin or can filled
with soup or other liquid, the opening being made as near as practicable to the
upper end of the tin or can.
In making tins or cans intended for containing ox-tongues and the like, which it is
desirable to remove without injury to their shape, I sometimes provide for the
detachment of a portion of the circumferential wall from each end thereof in the
manner above mentioned, so that the two ends of the tin or can may be taken off
and the ox-tongue or the like pushed out of the body of the tin or can.
According to another form or modification of my invention, I close the body of
the tin or can at one end or at each end by means of a lid or cover which fits over
the end of the body, and I make the said lid or cover in a manner similar to that
above mentioned so that a portion of its circumferential wall may be removed by
separating one edge of the said portion from the solder whereby it is secured to the
body, and tearing it asunder from the remaining portion of the circumferential wall
of the said lid or cover. The removal of the said portion of the lid or cover either
effects the opening of the tin or can, or permits the opening thereof by the raising
of the said lid or cover. I prefer to so construct the said lid or cover that, after
the detachment of a portion of its circumferential wall as above mentioned, the
remaining portion of the said circumferential wall will still fit over the end of the
tin or can, so that, in order to open the tin or can, it is necessary to raise the lid or
cover, which may afterwards, if desired, be replaced upon the body of the tin or
can to preserve the contents thereof. I sometimes make the said lid or cover with
a circumferential bead to facilitate the tearing asunder of the metal along one edge
of the part to be detached.
According to a further modification of my said invention, 1 provide for the
opening of the tin or can by the removal or detachment of a portion of the top or
end of the same. For this purpose I form the top or end of the tin or can with a
suitable projection or tongue, and solder the said top or end to the body of the tin

page_text: or can in such a manner that, when the said tongue is forcibly pulled upward by a
key or other suitable device, a narrow portion of the top or end of the tin or can
will be raised therefrom, the said portion being detached from the solder whereby
it is secured to the body of the tin or can, and being torn asunder from the central
portion of the top or end. To facilitate the tearing asunder of the metal, I some-
times form a suitable depression or bead in the top or end of the can.
depression or bead may be arranged either so that the top or end will be wholly
detached from the body of the tin or can, or so that it will only be partially
detached therefrom thus leaving a portion which serves as a hinge.
This
Instead of forming the tin or can with a depression or bead as above mentioned,
I sometimes reduce the thickness of the metal or weaken the metal along the line
where the same is to be torn asunder.
Dated 3rd day of March 1893
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Metal Cans and similar Receptacles, and
to Means for Facilitating the Opening thereof.
I, JOHN FEAVER, of Long Walk, Bermondsey Square, in the County of
Surrey, Iron and Tin Ware Manufacturer, 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 :-
My invention relates to the manufacture of metal cans and like receptacles for
containing preserved food and other substances, and is designed to provide
improved means for facilitating the opening of such receptacles.
According to my said invention, I construct the can or other receptacle in the
improved manner hereinafter described, so that it may be readily opened by rolling
or pulling off, in either direction as desired, a narrow piece or strip of the flat
part of its top or bottom end by means of a key or other suitable device. For
this purpose I form the top or bottom end of the receptacle with a suitable
projection or tongue which extends over the side or edge of the body of the
receptacle and may be folded down against the side thereof; and I make one or
more suitable indentations or incisions in the said top or bottom end, and solder it
to the body of the receptacle in such a manner that, when the said tongue is
forcibly pulled in the required direction a narrow portion or strip of the flat part
of the top or bottom end will be removed from the body of the receptacle, the
metal adjacent to the said tongue being first separated from the solder along one of
its edges and torn asunder at the other edge along the line of the indentation or
incision, and the strip being then rolled or pulled off all, or nearly all. around the
end of the receptacle.
My improved can or other receptacle is preferably made with the top or bottom
end in the form of a flat plate or disc having a projecting tongue, the underside of
this plate or disc at or near its edge being soldered to the edge of the body of the
receptacle. In this case, when the narrow portion or strip is rolled or pulled off,
the metal is separated along one edge of the strip from the solder whereby it is
secured to the edge of the body of the receptacle, and is torn asunder from the
central piece of the top or bottom end of the receptacle along the other edge of the
said strip.
By this means I provide for the opening of a can or other receptacle filled with
soup or other liquid, when held in an upright position, without spilling the said
liquid the body of the receptacle not being cut or torn in opening the said
receptacle, but being left of its full length, the contents cannot run out when the
receptacle is opened.

page_text: Invention,
Figure 4 is a vertical central section, and
Figure 5 a plan illustrating another form or modification of my invention.
Figure 6 is a plan, and
Figure 7 a side elevation showing my improved can partly opened.
Figure 8 is a vertical central section, and
Figure 9 a plan illustrating a further modification of my said invention, and
Figures 10 and 11 are plans showing still further modifications thereof.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A is the body of the can; B is the top or cover thereof; C is the narrow
portion or strip of the said top or cover which is to be rolled or pulled off to open
the can.
In manufacturing a tin or can such as I have shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, or in
Figures 4 and 5, I make the top or end B of the said tin or can in the form of a flat
plate or disc, in which is preferably formed an incision E to weaken the metal along
the inner edge of the strip C, and which is provided with a suitable projection or
tongue D and I solder the said plate or disc to the upper edge of the body A of
the tin or can, in such a manner that, when the tongue D is forcibly pulled upward
by a key or other suitable device, the narrow portion or strip C of the top or end B
of the tin or can will be gradually raised therefrom, as indicated in Figures
and 7, the said portion being detached from the solder whereby its outer and
under edge is secured to the body of the tin or can, and being torn asunder at its
inner edge from the central portion of the top or end B, along the said incision E.
To facilitate the tearing asunder of the metal along the inner edge of the strip C,
I sometimes form a suitable depression F, Figure 1, or an indented or raised
V-shaped or other bead G, Figures 4 and 8, in the top or end of the can. This
depression or the indented or raised bead and the incision E may be arranged
either as shown in Figure 2 so that the top or end B will be wholly detached from
the body of the tin or can, or as shown in Figure 5 so that it will only be partially
detached therefrom, thus leaving a portion at H which serves as a hinge. I
sometimes form a hole D' in the tongue D, through which a string or wire may be
passed to facilitate the opening of the can when a key is not provided.
Instead of forming the tin or can with a depression or an indented or raised bead
as above mentioned, I sometimes simply reduce the thickness of the metal or weaken
the metal along the line E where the same is to be torn asunder.
In order to provide a suitable surface for the reception of the solder or other
jointing material, I preferably form a bead or inclined edge J around the upper
edge of the body A of the tin or can.
In making tins or cans intended for containing solid or coagulated substances,
which it is desirable to remove without injury to their shape, I sometimes provide
for the detachment of both ends of the can in the manner above described, so that
the contents may be pushed out intact from the body of the tin or can.
It will be seen that, by providing for the opening of metal cans in the manner
above set forth, I am enabled to make such cans at a very low cost.
The top or
cover of the can, being simply a flat plate or disc cut and stamped to the required.
shape, is very easily and cheaply made. Moreover, as the projections or tongues D.
of the tops or covers B are tangential thereto, they may be cut out of those
portions of the sheet of metal which are usually wasted in making cans of circular
or oval form; therefore the actual waste is less than heretofore. And the said
tongue forming a part of the top and being composed of one and the same piece of
metal, does not require to be secured thereto by a soldered joint which is liable to
permit leakage. The said tongues may be turned down as shown in Figure 3 to
facilitate the packing of the cans in boxes or cases.

page_text: In the modification of my invention illustrated in Figures 7 and 8, I make the
top or cover B with a turned down flange B' to fit over the end of the body A of
the can, which flange extends around the top or cover except where the tongue D
is situated, this part being soldered to the upper edge of the body A, whilst the
said flange is soldered to the perimeter of the can. In this case, in addition to the
incision E, I form another incision E around the top or end, a short distance from
the edge or rim thereof, so that, when the strip C is rolled or pulled off, the metal
will be torn asunder along both edges of the said strip, the tongue D being first
separated from the solder whereby it is secured to the edge of the body A.
I sometimes form an indentation at H so as to facilitate the opening and closing
of the lid or cover B when the strip C has been removed.
The improvements above described are applicable to capsules or to any shape of
tins or receptacles.
The said improvements are also applicable for facilitating the opening of packing
cases and boxes which are closed by soldering a sheet of metal over an aperture in
the top of the box or case. For this purpose, I sometimes make a flat plate B as
shown in Figure 10, with a tongue D and with a raised or indented bead or an
incision E along the inner edge of the removable strip C of the said plate. This
plate is made of considerably larger dimensions than the aperture in the top of
the box or case which it is to close, and, after being placed in position on the top
of the said box or case, it is soldered thereto around its edge, the tongue D being
left free. To open the box or case, it is only necessary to pull on the tongue D
and thus remove the strip C, the metal being separated from the solder along its
outer edge and being torn asunder along its inner edge.
In some instances, instead of making the removable strip in one piece extending
all around the plate 13, I provide a removable strip C along each side of the said
plate as shown in Figure 11, so that each of these strips can be removed separately.
To provide for using the same lid or plate B for more than once closing a box or
case in the manner above described, I sometimes make the said plate with two
strips C and two raised or indented beads or incisions E along each side thereof, as
shown in Figure 11, so that, after the outer strips C have been removed to open
the box or case, the latter can be again closed by soldering the plate B thereto
around the outer edges of the inner or remaining strips C, and the opening of the
box or case can again be readily effected by removing the said inner strips C.
The tongues D can be readily turned back to permit the soldering of the adjacent
edges or parts of the strips.
In the Specification of former Letters Patent dated 20th July 1885, No. 8739, I
have described the manufacture of metal cans and other receptacles in such a
manner as to permit the opening of the same by the removal of a separate strip of
metal whereby two parts of the top or bottom end of the receptacle are secured
together. By my present improvements, I am enabled to dispense with the
separate strip of metal, thus simplifying the construction and reducing the cost of
manufacture of the can or other receptacle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it understood that
I do not claim broadly or irrespectively of my improvements herein set forth, a
metal can or receptacle which is so constructed that it may be readily opened by
the removal of a strip of the metal either from the end or the circumference of
the said can or receptacle, as I am aware that various forms of metal cans have
been devised with the object of attaining this result; but I claim :-
First. A metal can or similar receptacle closed at either end by a flat plate or
disc having a lateral or tangential projection or tongue formed in one piece
therewith and having a removable narrow portion or strip along the inner edge of
which there is a raised or indented bead or an incision to facilitate the tearing of
the metal, and the outer edge of which is soldered at its underside to the body
of the receptacle, so that, when the said strip is rolled or pulled off, the metal will

page_text: be separated from the solder along its outer edge and torn asunder at its inner edge,
substantially as described with reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 or to Figures 4, 5, 6,
and 7, or to Figure 10 of the drawings for the purposes specified.
Second. The modification of my invention wherein the plate or disc formed with
the lateral or tangential projection or tongue, is made with a turned down flange
extending partly around and soldered to the perimeter of the receptacle, and with
an incision around each edge of the strip to be removed, as above described with
reference to Figures 8 and 9 of the drawings.
Third. The modification of my invention wherein I make the flat plate or disc
with one or more removable strips along each side thereof as above described with
reference to Figure 11.
Dated the 30th day of March 1893
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.