Improvements in Cans.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Mar.; 1892
¡Complete Specification Left, 2nd Dec., 1892-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cans.
I, WILLIAM PRATT, of 85 Congregation Street, in the City of Montreal, in the
District of Montreal and Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, Tinsmith,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to cans of the kind shewn in United States Patent
No. 431,913 granted April 23, 1889 to G. A. Waeber, in which the can is opened
by removing a strip of metal from the cover thereof, my improvement consisting in
a simpler and more economical construction or arrangement of the detachable
strip.
The rim of the can cover has heretofore been of considerable depth in order to
allow of the removal of a strip from the centre of it, and, in order to diminish such
depth and avoid leaving any part of the rim attached to the body (as is the case in
the construction mentioned) I work around the perimeter of the cover a single bead,
preferably of the special form shewn in my previous application No. 21359 filed
December 7th 1891, the same being in cross section of an obtuse, or wide V-shaped
form, in the main, with an extended acute apex, so that the detachable strip is
formed upon the outer edge of the cover rim.
I am able to stamp my cover out of a single piece of metal and secure a free
end for the detachable strip by switching the bead off obliquely from the main ring
of beading and running it to the edge of the cover rim the end portion being bent
back before soldering the cover in place upon the body; or, in other words, the
invention comprehends broadly a metal can, box or receptacle having upon its
perimeter a single borizontal main weakening bead and a branch weakening bead at
an angle to the main bead for the purpose set forth. If the cover to the can fits
within the body the bending will be formed upon such body and if it fits outside of
same it will be formed upon the cover.
Dated this 7th day of March 1805
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cans.
1, WILLIAM PRATT, of 85 Congregation Street, in the City of Montreal, in the
District of Montreal,, and Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, Tinsmith,
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 cans which are opened by removing a strip of metal
from the cover thereof, the improvement consisting in a simpler and more economical
construction or arrangement of the cover and detachable strip whereby such cover
and strip with the necessary projecting portion can be made in one piece.
For full comprehension however of the invention, reference must be had to the
annexed drawings, in which like symbols indicate corresponding parts and where
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cylindrical can with cover constructed according to
my invention; Figure 2 a similar view of a can showing the detachable connecting
strip partially removed, and Figure 3 a vertical-section of the complete can after
the connecting strip has been removed and the diminished cover put in place.
Heretofore it has been necessary in providing a projecting tongue portion for the

page_text: removal of the connecting strip to either make the cover and rim of two pieces, or
to solder a separate tongue to such strip, which requirements I overcome by working
around the perimeter of the cover A, about midway of its depth, a single horizontal
main weakening line, or bead, B, and an oblique branch weakening line, or bead, b,
from the main line to the edge of the rim, which secures a free end, as such end
portion can be bent back as shown before soldering the cover in place upon the
body. The weakening beads are preferably of the special form shown in my
previous application No. 21359 of 1891 the same being in cross section of an obtuse
or wide V-shaped form, in the main, with an extended acute apex.
The detachable strip C, by the midway location of the bead B upon the rim, is
thus formed by the lower or outer edge portion of the rim instead of by a central
section of it requiring two incisions or beads, and the necessity of making the rim
of a separate strip of metal is also avoided.
The object of removing the connecting or detachable strips from the covers
instead of the bodies of cans is to avoid diminishing the depth of such bodies which,
when liquids are contained in them, would be a serious disadvantage, and it will be
noticed that my invention in addition to fulfilling this requirement in an improved
way also allows the re-use of the cover, thus producing a can especially useful for
carrying paints and oils or any other liquids.
It will be noticed, on referring to Figure 3 that the upper edge portion of the
body is left perfectly clear after removing the strip C and also that the edge of the
cover rim is slightly flared to secure an easy fit upon the body which has a common
bead upon its perimeter to determine the proper location of the cover when
originally set in position.
While I have shown my weakening line, or lines of detachment, as effecting a
combination of the horizontal and oblique yet I do not wish to be confined to such
arrangement as I consider any variation of line from the horizontal as coming
within the scope of my invention.
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 :-
1. A metal can, box or receptacle having upon its perimeter varying weakening
lines running one into the other for the purpose set forth.
2. In a metal can, box or receptacle of the class described, a cover having a
removable or semi-detached strip and tongue portion forming a part of its perimeter
and formed by varying weakening lines running one into the other and the whole
made from one piece of sheet metal.
3. In a metal can, box or receptacle of the class described, a cover having a
removable or semi-detached strip and tongue portion formed by a weakening line
and a slit running into same and the whole made from one piece of sheet metal.
4. A metal can, box or receptacle having upon its perimeter a single horizontal
main weakening line and a branch weakening line at an angle to the main line for
the purpose set forth.
5. A metal can, box or receptacle the cover or rim of which has a single main
weakening bead around its perimeter about midway of its depth and a branch bead
from said main bead to the edge of the rim, for the purposes set forth.
6. In a metal can, box or receptacle (the cover of which is detachable by the
removal of a connecting strip) a cover and detachable strip, including the necessary
free tongue portion, formed in one piece.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1892.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.