Improvements in Means for the Opening of Soldered Cans.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1898--Accepted, 8th July, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for the Opening of Soldered Cans.
I, JOHANN OTTO EGESTORFF, of 4, Cullum Street, in the City of London,
Merchant, 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 the opening without a knife or special tool of the
hermetically closed top or lid of tin cans such as are used for the canning of
edibles, tobacco or the like, and consists of improved means for effecting such
opening which are attached to and sold as part of such cans.
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. Like parts are indicated by similar letters
throughout the figures.
Figure 1 is a vertical part section and elevation of a can fitted with my opening
device adapted to the side of the lid.
Figure 2 is a similar vertical part section and elevation of a can fitted with my
opening device adapted to the top of the lid.
Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 2,
Figure 4 show enlarged sections of my ripping groove or bead and channel
therein.
Whereas the employment of devices for tearing open a portion of the soldered
tin by forcible removal of soldered pieces or by the ripping open with special
tools or a wire are well known many of these arrangements are open to the dis-
advantage that excessive force has to be used to effect the required purpose, and
where ripping is used the want of guidance as to the particular path of such
ripping has caused the cut edges to be ragged and frequently the cause of wounds
to the operator.
My invention therefore has for its essential characteristics, a wire as the ripping
instrument loosely laid except as regards its ends in a bead provided in the top
or side of the tin cover, such bead or groove being also prepared at the predeter-
mined point through which the ripping effect is desired to take place by a milled
or otherwise cut or prepared groove, in the thickness of the metal, thus producing
a grooved regular path of least resistance, short of perforation, for the ripping
travel of the wire, greatly reducing the resistance to ripping and ensuring uniform
edges to the torn tin.
The ends of the tipping wire lying as a ring in the said bead or groove are
brought through a hole in the tin cover, and are soldered there by a dab of solder

page_text: one end of the wire being firmly secured there, and the other, having
a handle
formed thereon, is arranged so that it can be readily torn from its hermetically
closing dab of solder.
It then lies loosely as to its length in the ripping groove prepared for it, so that
there is no resistance during the ripping by reason of any soldered attachment
throughout its length and the ring of wire is prevented from collapsing inwardly
by reason of a support within or backing to the wire groove of a solid edge or
part of the can body.
In the drawing, A is the can body and B is a lid hermetically fastened to the
can by soldering or otherwise.
C is a bead or groove formed in the side of the lid B as in Fig. 1 and on the
top of the outer edge as in Fig. 2 such groove being above the soldering attach-
ment. Within such groove or bead C, a wire 1) is laid, both ends of which are
brought out to an opening E in the lid and are soldered there to form an
hermetical closure of suchi orifice.
One end of the wire is permanently fixed in the groove, the other end being
brought further out and completed with a cross bar or handle F which may lie
on the top of the can, as shown for packing, or lie close to the can in any con-
venient position the exit aperture being closed by a dab of solder.
In the crown of the groove or bead C is milled or tooled a circular recess or
smaller grooved in the thickness of the metal giving a regular and uniform path
of least resistance (short of perforation of the metal) to the ripping tear of the
wire D, when pulled outwards.
The wire D is held in the groove or bead C. (so that it cannot collapse or deform
its ring shape under tension as it lies loosely in such groove) by the internal wall
of the can closing such groove on its inner side endways or sideways as shown in
Figures 1 and 2.
The adaptation of the groove or bead to the top edge of the lid as in Figure 2
permits an outside lid to be passed tightly over the top of the can after the
hermetically closed inner lid has been broken which is useful in tobacco cans for
the protection of the tobacco after opening when in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is―
A device for opening soldered cans consisting of a bead or groove in or about
the cap of such tin, such groove bead having a milled or tooled uniform recess
or channel in its thickness making a path of least resistance for a ripping wire
lying therein and supported from collapse by deformation one end of which wire
is secured to the lid and the other end passing outwards through an hermetically
closed aperture, substantially as and for the purposes described.
FELL & JAMES.
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.