IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING HERMETICALLY CLOSED AND OTHER CASES, BOXES, AND CANS FOR 2
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmund Wallace Elmslic, of 5, Great Win-
chester Street Buildings, in the City of London, Gentleman, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR
OPENING HERMETICALLY CLOSED AND OTHER CASES, BOXES, AND CANS FOR
2
39
Sealed the 16th May 1873, and dated the 18th January 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmund Wallace Elislio
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th January 1873.
I, EDMUND WALLACE ELMSLIE, of 5, Great Winchester Street.
Buildings, in the City of London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND
APPARATUS FOR OPENING HERMETICALLY CLOSED AND OTHER CASES, BOXES, AND
CANS FOR CONTAINING PRESERVED ARTICLES OF FOOD OR OTHER GOODS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to further improvements in part founded upon
those described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me and
dated the 7th March 1872, No. 704.

page_text: To provide for the better opening of the cases, boxes, or cans, I
employ, as was described in the said Specification, a wire which I place
and attach with solder or other suitable means in an overlap of the lid
or bottom, or I place and similarly attach it in some other convenient
part of the body, lid, or bottom of the case, box, or can, the end or ends
or some other portion of such wire being exposed for the purpose of
being taken hold of. In some instances I make a hole or holes and I
pass the wire through them; I then use the wire to cut through the plate
of which the box or case is made, instead of using it as described in my
said former Specification for cutting through or removing the solder in a
joint.
The action of the wire is according to my present Invention in either
case facilitated by means of a travelling roller, lever, or instrument some-
what in the form of a key, having one end conveniently shaped for the
hand to grasp, and the other end being of cylindrical or of other suitable
form and having a slit or slot or hole for receiving the wire; one end of
the exposed wire is placed in the slit or slot or hole, and a revolving
motion being given to the instrument the wire is gripped and being
drawn with considerable force will cut through the plate or skin of the
case, box, or can. The wire is wound to the required extent on the
shaft of the instrument, the motion being continued until the plate
or skin is sufficiently cut so that the desired opening is effected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edmund Wallace Elmslie in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMUND
WALLACE ELMSLIE, of 5, Great Winchester Street Buildings, in the City
of London, Gentleman, send greeting.
2
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of January, in 8
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in
the thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Edmund Wallace Elmslie, Her
special licence that I, the said Edmund Wallace Elmslie, my executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edmund Wallace
Elmslie, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING HER-
METICALLY CLOSED AND OTHER CASES, BOXES, AND CANS POR CONTAINING PRESERVED
ARTICLES OF FOOD OR OTHER GOODS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Edmund Wallace Elmslie, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the dato
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edmund Wallace Elmslic, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 further improvements in part founded upon
those described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me and
dated the 7th March 1872, No. 704.
To provide for the better opening of the cases, boxes, or cans, I
employ, as was described in the said Specification, a wire which I place
and attach with solder or other suitable means in an overlap of the lid or
bottom, or I place and similarly attach it in some other convenient part
of the body, lid, or bottom of the case, box, or can, the end or ends or
some other portion of such wire being exposed for the purpose of being
taken hold of. In some instances I make a hole or holes, or a notch or
notches, and I pass the wire through them; I then use the wire to cut
through the plate of which the box or case is made, instead of using it
as described in my said former Specification for cutting through or
removing the solder in a joint.
The action of the wire is according to my present Invention in either
case facilitated by means of a travelling roller, lever, or instrument such
as is herein-after described, being somewhat in the form of a key having

page_text: one end conveniently shaped for the hand to grasp, and the other end
being of a cylindrical or of other suitable form, and having a slit or slot
or hole for receiving the wire. One end of the exposed wire is placed
in the slit or slot or hole, and a revolving motion being given to the
instrument the wire is gripped, and being drawn with considerable force
will cut through the plate or skin of the case, box, or can. The wire is
wound to the required extent on the shaft of the instrument, the motion
being continued until the plate or skin is sufficiently cut so that the
desired opening is effected.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a can, portion of which at A is shown removed
to explain section; the ends of the wire are shown exposed, being passed
between the overlap and the body of the case. C, O, is the overlap, and
B, B, the wire therein. D, D, show the exposed ends of the wire.
Fig. 2 is an elevation of a can similar to that shown in Fig. 1, but
with the ends of the wire brought through holes (marked E, E,) made
in the overlap for the purpose; the other letters of reference are same as
in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of a can, opening at another part, a portion being
removed to show section as in Figs. 1 and 2; the parts are referred to by
letters same as in Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of a can with opening in the
portion being removed to explain section as in Figs. 1
are referred to by letters as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.
top or bottom, a
and 2; the parts
Fig. 5 is a section of a can showing another mode of applying the
wire. In this case the overlap is formed by turning over the edges of the 1
body of the can; the parts are referred to and explained by same letters
as in Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of the travelling roller, lever, or opening key
which in this case has a slit for receiving the wire.
Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the mode of using the travelling roller,
lever, or opening key, when used to open a can by drawing and rolling
up the wire and so making it cut through the skin or plate as before
described.
Having now described my Invention and the manner in which it is to
be performed, I would have it understood that I do not claim generally ¦