Improvements in the Means for the Opening of Soldered Cans.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Means for the Opening of Soldered Cans.
I, JOHANN OTTO EGESTORFF, of Oakwood, Sandycombe Road, Kew Gardens,
London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to means for the opening of hermetically closed and
soldered cans or similar metal cases, and consists of improvements upon a
device, for which protection has been applied by me under No. 15262 of
the 12th of July 1898 whereby external side and cover of the tin is without
beads or
excrescences adapting the surface of the tin for the convenient
affixing of labels or paper covers without creases or ridges, the path of least
resistance through which the cutting is effected is in such a position that it
is not liable to damage by transport or careless handling, and does not weaken
the tin as a whole, and the cutting appliance is supported from collapse or
deformation and is embodied in each tin, so that it cannot be mislaid, lost,
or broken, before the tin has been opened.
To carry my invention into effect, I use as a cutting appliance a fine wire
of great tenacity and place it in a circumferential channel or bead formed in
the inner upper edge of the cannister which is set forth so as to afford an external
ridge of the thickness of the cannister top, which when placed over the open
top of the cannister encloses the aforesaid cutting wire, and presents externally
a perfectly flush face with the body of the cannister, and is there soldered when
closed hermetically.
The cutting wire is attached at one end to the cannister and the other end
is brought out through a hole in the downward turned edges of the lid, in
which a groove
or circular recess has been formed by milling or cutting the
same of the thickness of the downward turned edge of the cover opposite to
the channel of the upper edge of the cannister in which the cutting wire lies,
and from which the cutting wire, after passing round the cannister is brought
out externally to the lid by a hole eventually closed by solder, and is provided
with a suitable handle by which the wire can be forcibly drawn outwards.
The milled or grooved recess in the downward turned edges of the cover
forms a path of least resistance for the cutting of the lid of the cannister through
the top of such groove when the wire is forcibly pulled outwards, and the edge
of the tin or metal when cut is uniform and smooth and is so protected by
the inner upper edge of the body of the cannister that there is no danger
to the user of the opened tin, when the cover is removed after cutting, of having
the hand torn by the cut edge.
The above described grooved recess or path of least resistance, may have
small bridges left across the said groove, of the original thickness of the nietal
without indentation or grooving of the metal at the bridges, so as to provide
points of stronger connection between the upper and lower parts of the cover

page_text: or lid, and such ungrooved bridges across the determined path of ripping, do
not interfere with the ease of ripping or with the smooth edge left after cutting.
The whole device is simple and inexpensive.
Dated this 16th day of February 1800
I, JOHANN OTTO EGESTORFF, of Oakwood, Sandycombe Road, Kew Gardens,
in the County of Surrey, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, 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 means for the opening of hermetically closed, and
soldered cans, or similar metal cases, and consists of improvements upon a
device, for which protection has been applied for by me under No. 15262 of
the 12th of July 1898, whereby the external side and cover of the tins is
without beads or excrescences adapting the surface of the tin for the convenient
affixing of labels or paper covers without creases or ridges, the path of least
resistance through which the cutting is effected is in such a position that it
is not liable to damage by transport or careless handling, and does not weaken
the tin as a whole, and the cutting appliance is supported from collapse or
deformation, and is embodied in each tin, so that it cannot be mislaid, lost,
or broken, before the tin has been opened.
To carry my invention into effect, I use as a cutting appliance, a fine wire
of great tenacity, and place it in a circumferential channel or bead formed in
the inner edge of the cannister which is set back so as to afford an external
ridge of the thickness of the cannister top, which when placed over the open
top of the cannister encloses the aforesaid cutting wire, and presents externally
a perfectly flush face with the body of the cannister, and is there soldered when
closed hermetically.
The cutting wire is attached at one end of the cannister, and the other end
is brought out through a hole in the downward turned edges of the lid, in
which a groover or circular recess has been formed by milling or cutting the
same in the thickness of the downward turned edge of the cover, opposite to
the channel of the upper edge of the cannister in which the cutting wire lies,
and from which the cutting wire, after passing round the cannister is brought
out externally to the lid by a hole eventually closed by solder, and is provided
with a suitable handle by which the wire can be forcibly drawn outwards.
The milled or grooved recess in the downward turned edges of the cover
forms a path of least resistance for the cutting of the lid of the cannister, through
the top of such groove, when the wire is forcibly pulled outwards, and the edge
of the tin or metal when cut is uniform, and smooth, and is so protected by
the inner upper edge of the body of the cannister so that there is no danger
to the user of the opened tin, when the cover is removed after cutting, of having
the hand torn by the cut edge.
The above described grooved recess or path of least resistance, may have
small bridges left across the said groove, of the original thickness of the metal
without indentation or grooving of the metal at the bridges, so as to provide
points of stronger connection between the upper and lower parts of the cover

page_text: or lid, and such ungrooved bridges across the determined path of ripping, do not
interfere with the ease of ripping or with the smooth edge left after cutting.
And in order that my invention may be the better understood I now proceed
to describe the same reference being had to the drawing hereto annexed and
to the letters and figures marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a part broken elevation of a can fitted with one form of my opening
device.
Fig. 2 is a part broken elevation of a can with a modified form of my opening
device.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the can showing stripping wire loop lying in the crown.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional elevation of my device for opening the can
laterally leaving a flanged lid for removal and replacement.
Fig. 4 is the same, with an external position of groove to form line of least
resistance.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional elevation of my device for opening the can
vertically around the top.
Fig. 5 is the same, with an external position of the groove to form the line
of least resistance.
Fig. 6 is a transverse section of a lid removed, showing recess for line of least
resistance provided with bridges to maintain strength between upper and lower
part of lid.
A is the body of the can or cannister, and B is a lid fitting over a smaller
diameter of the end of the can body, so that the exterior face of the lid, and body
is flush, and thus suitable for the convenient affixing of labels or paper covers
without creases or ridges.
The stripping wire Clies (in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 4")
in a bead D of the inner reduced neck of the can body, one end of the wire C
being soldered to the can body, and the other after being passed round the body
of the can in the said recess, which body prevents the deformation or collapse
of the wire, is brought out through an opening in the lid opposite the point
of fixed attachment of the other end, and terminates in a loop or cross bar E
to give a grip for the finger or hand to pull the said wire outwards.
In the covering lid B opposite to the wire O lying in the bead D of the can
body, is a recess or groove F, milled or otherwise pressed in or cut out of the
thickness of the cover B, and thus forms a path of least resistance for the
stripping wire C, and determines a smooth and uniform edge to the cut lid,
so that there is no danger to the user from ragged remaining edges.
In Figs. 2, 5, and 5ª, the stripping wire C is arranged on the top of the inner
reduced neck of the cannister A and lies in an arched bead G of the closing
lid, the wire being thus held up from collapse or deformation, under strain
upon the hand loop or bar of the wire C.
In the under side of the bead G (as in Fig. 5) or on its outer face (as in
Fig. 5) a recess or groove F is milled, or otherwise cut or made, in the thick-
ness of the cover, forming a path of least resistance for the stripping of the
wire C.
These recesses or grooves F may be pressed or stamped in the thickness of
the material of the lid and may have bridges H (Fig. 6) left at suitable intervals,
to maintain the continuity in its full strength between the upper and lower
parts of the lid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1st. In a device for opening soldered cans, the arrangement of a stripping
wire lying in a bead of an inner reduced neck of the can, covered by an outside
dished lid forming a flush face with the outside periphery of the can, and
having a tooled or stamped recess in the depending flange of the dished lid

page_text: opposite to the stripping wire and formed either upon the inside face or the
outside of the depending flange of the said lid, to form a path of least resistance
to the stripping of the said wire, substantially as described.
2nd. In a device for opening soldered cans, the arrangement of a stripping
wire, lying upon the top of an inner reduced neck of the can, and within a
raised bead upon the upper edge of a flanged lid, the depending flanges of the
said lid being flush with the body of the can, and the said bead having a tooled
or stamped recess in its thickness above the said wire, formed either in the
inside or outside face of the said bead, to form a line of least resistance for the
stripping of the said wire.
3rd. In a device for opening soldered cans, the arrangement, in a tooled or
stamped recess in the thickness of the lid or metal to be cut or stripped by a
wire, of bridges left intact in said recess, to form strengthening points between
the two parts of the lid, or metal, weakened by the said tooled or stamped
recess substantially as described.
Dated this 15th 1
Domhan 1000
FELL & JAMES,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
FELL & JAMES,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.