Improvements in Air Tight Metal Canisters or Boxes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 14th May, 1889-Accepted, 15th June, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Air Tight Metal Canisters or Boxes.
I SAMUEL BEAVEN STEVENS of Huntley, Boorne & Stevens "Tin Works" Reading
in the County of Berks Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
In sheet metal canisters or boxes for holding alimentary and other substances and
which are hermetically sealed by having their lids or covers secured by soldering, it
is desirable that the top or cover should be capable of easy, quick and complete
removal, by means which are practically always at hand rather than that a special
tool should be required for the purpose.
To meet these requirements I make the canister top or cover as follows:-
The cover is formed of a flat piece of sheet metal of a shape and size to suit the
canister and at one part of the edge of this flat cover I cut out a notch of con-
venient shape and size, and I find semicircular answer very well for shape, and about
an inch wide for size, though I do not bind myself to either as they may vary with
different sizes and shapes of canisters or boxes.
Upon the under side of the cover I solder, on its outer edge, a piece, or patch, of
sheet metal of same shape as the notch, but larger in size, and laid on so as to cover
same, leaving a space of, (say for example), a quarter of an inch between the edge
of the hole and the soldered edge of the patch for the insertion of a knife or other
thin piece of metal or material to start the opening.
This flat cover with the patch on its under side is now soldered around its edge
and on its top side to a small narrow flange thrown in from the body of the box.
To open the air tight canister or box all that is necessary is to insert the blade of
a penknife pocket knife, table knife, or a blade of any rigid material, between the
patch and the cover, and this will at once, and with case, start the breaking away
of the solder, and upon the knife or blade being worked round the edge the whole
cover is readily removed, the metal not having to be cut at all.
It will be seen that no sardine opener, or special tool, is required to open the air
tight canister, but only such an article as will be generally found at hand.
I sometimes provide a sunk or rim cover to fit over the canister after the soldered
cover is removed.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Air Tight Metal Canisters or Boxes.
I SAMUEL BEAVEN STEVENS of Huntley Boorne & Stevens "Tin Works" Reading
in the County of Berks Manufacturers, 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 :—
In sheet metal canisters or boxes for holding alimentary and other substances and
which are hermetically sealed by having their lids or covers secured by soldering it is
desirable that the top or cover should be capable of easy quick and complete removal
by means which are practically always at hand rather than that a special tool should
be required for the purpose.
To meet these requirements I make the canister top or cover as follows, reference
being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings Figure 1 of which represents a
section through a canister and cover soldered thereon and arrange and constructed

page_text: in accordance with my improvements.. Figure 2 is a perspective view of same showing
the cover attached to the canister. Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1 shewing the point
of a penknife just inserted in the notcht through the solder as hereinafter described.
The cover A is formed of a piece of sheet metal of a shape and size to suit the
canister and at one part of the edge of this cover I cut out a notch of convenient
shape and size. I find triangular or semicircular answer very well for shape and
about an inch wide for size though I do not limit myself to either as they may vary with
different shapes and sizes of canisters or boxes..
of
Upon the under side of the cover. A-I solder.as.shewn at C on its outer edge a
piece or patch of sheet metal B of about the same shape as the notch but larger in
size and laid on the underside of the lid A so as to cover same leaving a space
(say for example) a quarter of an inch between the edge of the hole and the soldered
edge of the patch B for the insertion of a knife or other thin piece of metal or
material to start the opening as shewn.
This flat cover A with the patch B on its under side is now soldered around its
edge in any suitable manner to a small narrow flange D¹ thrown in from the body of
the box D.
To open the airtight canister or box all that is necessary is to insert the blade of
a penknife pocket knife table knife or a blade of any rigid material in the space x
between the patch B and the cover A as shewn in Figure 3 and this will at once
and with ease start the breaking away of the solder and upon the knife or blade
being worked round the edge the solder thereon is broken away and the whole
cover is readily removed the sheet metal not having to be cut at all.
It will be seen that no sardine opener or special tool is required to open my
improved air-tight canister but only such an article (of the nature of a knife) as
will be generally found at hand.
I sometimes provide a sunk or rim cover to fit over the canister after the
soldered cover is removed as is well known and understood.
It will be obvious that my improvements as hereinbefore described and shewn
may be applied to other shapes and sizes of sheet metal canisters or boxes as
desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The improved arrangement and construction of air tight sheet metal canisters
or boxes in the lid A of which a suitable notch is cut out and a corresponding
patch B soldered thereon in such a manner as to leave a spacé x between the
two parts A and B for the insertion of a knife point or the like instrument in order
to open the said canister or box substantially in the manner and for the purposes
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto annexed.
Dated this 14th day of May 1889
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Patentee.