Improvements in Boxes or Cans and in Devices for Opening the same.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1899-Accepted, 29th July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Boxes or Cans and in Devices for Opening the same.
A communication by THE CROWN SELF-OPENING CAN COMPANY. of Washington
Loan and Trust Building, Southwest Corner of 9th and F Streets, Washing-
ton. District of Columbia, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester.
both in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County
of Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
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:—
This invention relates to improvements in boxes or cans, which are provided
with thin permanent covers generally termed. tagger tops, and which are
designed for keeping the goods packed in the same. hermetically scaled during
transportation, and also to the means for opening the same, and the invention
consists of a novel arrangement of a knife or cutter which is provided on the
tagger top, and which is designed to cut out the tagger top, when desired,
without the use of an auxiliary cutter, and also of improvements in the cutting
out means.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. is a perspective view of a slightly modified box or can, showing in
dotted lines, the means for opening the same, the can being in condition for
shipment.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same as it appears when being opened.
Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the end of a can also slightly modified in its
construction to receive the opening means.
Fig. is a vertical transverse section through the same.
Fig. 5 represents portions of two cans when packed, one upon the other.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the can opener.
Fig. is a longitudinal section thereof.
Fig. S is a perspective view of a can with the improved cutter in position on
the same and ready for shipment.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a can with the opener on the same and in
position for cutting out the top, and the end partially cut out.
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the improved can opener formed with rolled
edges, and
Fig. 11 is a vertical transverse section through the same on the line of the
cutter.
1 in the drawings represents a box or can, constructed in accordance with this
invention, and which is provided with a permanent thin top or cover 3, which
latter is provided with depression points, pockets or recesses 40 which depression
points are arranged preferably at different distances from the center of said
end for the purpose now to be described. A can opener 41 constructed of thin
Price Sd17

page_text: sheet steel is designed to be shipped with the can and said opener is provided
with a pivot point 42 and a penetrating point B as clearly shown in Fig. 2.
The opener 4 is made of such a length that it will fall within the circum-
ference of the end of the can so as not to project beyond the same during
transportation, but during the cutting out operation, projects beyond the said
outer edge to form a handle. One of the pockets 40 is designed to receive the
pivot point 42 of the opener and the other pocket is designed to receive the
penetrating point 13 so as to avoid all liability of the enn being punctured or
any injury being done to the can packed on top. By arranging the pockets at
different distances from the centre of the end of the can, that is eccentrically
thereto, a greater leverage can be secured for opening the can for the reason that
when the pivot point and the cutting point are lifted out, the pockets, and
the pivot point is forced into the can at a central point, indicated as at 44 in
Fig. and the catting point caused to penetrate the said end very close to the
periphery thereof, a greater length of the can opener will project beyond the
outer edge of the can than would be the case if the pockets or recesses are
arranged at equal distances from the center. That is, concentrically thereto, as
is obvious, and for this reason it is very important, that the pockets be arranged
in this manner, This is regarded as an important feature of the invention.
The same object would be accomplished by constructing a continuous groove.
recess or pocket 45 eccentrically in the center of the end as shown in Fig. 4
whereby two depressions would be secured. In order to retain the can opener
in position on the can and avoid any liability of the same becoming dis-connected
therefrom and lost, the same may be held in place in any suitable manner.
as for instance. by a label 46 as shown in Fig. I or by having another can placed
on top of the same as illustrated in Fig. 5. Where a label is employed, the
same would be found convenient for having the directions for opening the can
printed on it. Where means are employed for holding the cutter in position
on the can it is not desired to limit this invention to depression points arranged
eccentrically, as it is believed that this invention is the first one employing a
box or can provided with pockets or recesses to receive the pivot point and
cutting point of a can opener, said opener being designed to be shipped with
the can and which is held in place in said pockets, during transportation.
When the opening device is not pivoted permanently to the can but is designed
to be shipped with the can and applied for opening the same, as shown in Figs. 2
and 9, said opening device 41 is preferably struck up from a single piece of sheet
metal, preferably sheet steel and is formed with a suitable body portion 47, a
downwardly extending pivot point 48 and a downwardly extending cutting point
49. The pivot point and the cutting point are formed by stamping out the metal
and are preferably in V-shape. The cutting point 49 is preferably curved out-
wardly so as to conform to the curvature of the can and to facilitate in the cutting
out operation and may be adapted to cut on either edge. In forming the cutter
point the die either has to ent at an angle to form a cutting edge on the cutter or
the cutting edge has to be formed in any suitable manner after the cutter has been
stamped out, for if the cutter was simply stamped out vertically without the
cutting edge being formed thereon, it would not cut out the tin. The pivot
pin 18 is also curved outwardly and is formed with a notch 50, so as to engage
the end of the can when applied thereto and lock under the same when the can
opener is drawn forward in the cutting out operation, by which construction a
very small pivot point can be used and one which will readily turn in the end
of the can without making a very large hole or resist the rotary movement of
the can opener in the cutting out operation. The body portion of the can
opener being constructed of sheet metal and being made of the proper length,
can be shipped on top of the can without extending beyond the edge thereof but
which when applied to the can for opening the same will extend beyond the said
outer edge so as to form a handle to facilitate the cutting out operation. As
stated above, the can openers are stamped out of this sheet steel and are made at

page_text: one operation, thus rendering them very cheap and light as well as practical for
the purpose intended. The can opener may be provided with rolled edges 52 as
shown in Figs. 10 and 11 by means of which construction all liability of the
hand of the operator being cut or any ways injured in opening a can is avoided.
A can with which the improved can opener is shipped is preferably provided
with a pocket. recess or groove 53, as shown on the can I in Figs. 8 and 9
forming depression points in which the cutting point and the pivot point of the
can opener rest, during transportation, so as to avoid any liability of said can
being accidentally punctured or the can above it being injured in any way.
Instead of the depressions, pocket or recess being made in the form of a con-
tinuous circle, two separated pockets, recesses or depressions might be formed
and the same object accomplished.
The end of the can may be provided with an index mark or depression in the
center to indicate where the pivot point is to be passed through the end in apply-
ing the can opener to the same.
This invention will be found very useful in shipping tobacco, condensed milk,
paint and other articles which it is desired to keep hermetically sealed, during
transportation, and before being shipped, and to have a box or can provided with
means applied on the tagger top for cutting out the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A box or can provided with a closed end, which latter is formed with
depression points or pockets at unequal distances from the center, one of said
depression points being for the reception of the point of a cutter and the other
for the reception of the pivot point of a can opener, substantially as described.
2. A box or can having a closed end which is formed with depression points or
pockets, a knife or cutter located on said end, said knife or cutter being pro-
vided with a pivot point and a cutting point which rest in the depression points
or pockets, and means for holding the said points in said depression points,
during transportation, substantially as described.
As an improved article of manufacture, a can opener struck up from a
single piece of sheet metal and formed with a pivot point and a cutting point.
the said opener being constructed of such a length as to be capable of resting
Hatly on top of the can without extending beyond the periphery thereof and
when applied to the can for opening the same will project beyond the outer
edge to form a handle, substantially as described.
4. As an improved article of manufacture, a can opener struck up from a
single piece of sheet steel, and formed with a pivot point and a cutting point,
said cutting point being curved outwardly in horizontal cross section, and said
opener being constructed of such a length as to be capable of resting flatly on
top of a can without extending beyond the periphery thereof and when applied
to a can for opening the same, will project beyond the outer edge to form a
handle, substantially as described.
5. As an improved article of manufacture, a can opener struck up from a
single piece of sheet steel and formed with a pivot point and a cutting point,
said points being curved outwardly in horizontal cross section, and said opener
being constructed of such a length as to be capable of resting flatly on top of
a can without extending beyond the periphery thereof and when applied to a
can for opening the same will project beyond the outer edge to form a handle,
substantially as described.
6. As an improved article of manufacture, a can opener struck up from a
single piece of sheet steel and formed with rolled edges and with a pivot point
and a cutting point, said points being curved outwardly in horizontal cross
section, and said opener being constructed of such a length as to be capable of

page_text: resting flatly on top of a can without extending beyond the periphery thereof
and when applied to a can for opening the saune, will project beyond the outer
edge to form a handle. substantially as described.
1800 انسا أو سلبا منطق لسلسل
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.