IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL CANS OR CASES AND IN THE METHOD AND APPLIANCES FOR OPENING SUCH CANS OR CASES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Alexander Lloyd, of Bush Lane, Cannon Street, in
the City of London, for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL CANS OR
CASES AND IN THE METHOD AND APPLIANCES FOR OPENING SUCH CANS OR
CASES.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Alexander Lloyd at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd August 1882.
JOHN ALEXANDER LLOYD, of Bush Lane, Cannon Street, in the City of London
"IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL CANS OR CASES AND IN THE METHOD AND APPLIANCES
FOR OPENING SUCH CANS OR CASES
"3
My invention relates to metal cans or cases in which are preserved provisions or
other substances, and of which the lids or covers have to be cut open in order to
remove the contents; and it has for its objects novel methods of constructing such
cans or cases and the appliances or apparatus by which when necessary the lids or
covers are removed. It has been proposed to make such cans or cases with a
groove or recess in the lid or in the case at the part which is to be removed and to
fit a wire into such groove or recess the end of which wire is outside and is
provided with a loop upon pulling which the metal is cut and the lid or cover
separated. It has been found, however, that such method is ineffectual in operation,
the force required to cut the metal being too greet and the wire being liable to
draw out instead of cutting the metal.
In my present invention, supposing that it is to be applied to a rectangular
metal case such as is ordinarily used for the purpose of holding sardines, I form a
groove or recess round the lower side of the cover close to the edge of the latter, in
which groove I insert a metal wire of sufficient strength and flexibility one end of
which is left protruding through a hole in the cover, and after the wire has been
thus inserted I solder it into the groove preferably for the full length of the latter,
and the cover is then fitted and soldered into its place. The groove into which the
wire is inserted as described is preferably formed at the junction of the cover with
Din Ch

page_text: the edge of the case upon which it is fitted, so that when the lid is removed in the
manner hereinafter described from the case it separates through the line of junction,
comparatively little force being required.
I sometimes form the separate groove or recess for the wire at a short distance
from the edge of the cover, and I make the bottom of the recess with as sharp an
angle as possible so that when the end of the wire which is soldered into it as
described is pulled for the purpose of separating the plate in the manner herein-
after described, the metal may more readily separate along the sharp angle of the
groove. For the same purpose, I sometimes make a series of perforations along the
angle of the groove, and the metal is thus very easily separated. These perforations
are closed when the wire is soldered into its place. Instead of making a groove or
recess round the edge of the cover as described, I sometimes recess the cover into
the case the edge of the part so descending into the latter being made as square as
possible and of less diameter than the case, and the wire lying in the space left
between it and the body of the case.
In order to readily apply sufficient force to the protruding end of the wire for
the purpose of separating the cover by tearing it open along the line of the wire, I
use an instrument consisting of a cylindrical bar of sufficient diameter having a
transverse notch or slot extending from one of its ends for a short distance, the
other end being provided with a handle. The notch is fitted upon the protruding
end of the wire, and the handle is then turned round, winding the wire upon the
bar and tearing open the metal along the line of the wire until the cover has been
entirely or sufficiently opened. In this way the cover of the metal can or case is
removed with great ease and with little force, and the wire being soldered into its
place is not liable to draw out without separating the metal.
My invention may be applied to rectangular cases or to circular or other tins or
canisters.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Alexander Lloyd in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd February 1883.
JOHN ALEXANDER LLOYD, of Bush Lane, Cannon Street, in the City of London
"IMPROVEMENTS IN METAL CANS OR CASES AND IN THE METHOD AND APPLIANCES
FOR OPENING SUCH CANS OR CASES
"
My invention relates to metal cans or cases in which are preserved provisions or
other substances, and of which the lids or covers have to be cut open in order to
remove the contents; and it has for its objects novel methods of constructing such
cans or cases and the appliances or apparatus by which when necessary the lids or
covers are removed.
I am aware that it has been proposed to make such cans or cases with a groove or
recess in the lid or in the case at the part which is to be removed and to fit a
wire into such groove or recess the end of which wire is brought outside and is
provided with a loop upon pulling which the metal is cut and the lid or cover
separated. It has been found however that such method is ineffectual in operation,
the force required to cut the metal being too great and the wire being liable to
draw out instead of cutting the metal.
In my present invention, supposing that it is to be applied to a rectangular
metal case such as is ordinarily used for. the purpose of holding sardines, I form a
groove or recess round the lower side of the cover close to the edge of the latter in
which groove I insert a metal wire of sufficient strength and flexibility one end of
which is left protruding through a hole in the cover, and after the wire has been
thus inserted I solder it into the groove for a sufficient part of its length, or for the
full length of the groove, and the cover is then fitted and soldered into its place in
the usual way.
a is the
In the accompanying drawing which is in illustration of my invention, my novel
method is shewn in figures 1 and 2 applied to an ordinary sardine box.
box, to which the lid b is soldered in the usual way. c is the recess or groove on
the lid in which the cutting wire d lies and is soldered into its place, either for its
full length, or at the corners as shown at e, e, e, e, in figure 4 which is a view of the
lid from below.
The groove into which the wire is inserted as described and shewn may be
formed at the junction of the cover with the edge of the case upon which it is
fitted, so that when the lid is removed in the manner hereinafter described from the
case it separates through the line of junction, comparatively little force being
required. This method of arrangement is illustrated in figure 3.
I prefer to form the separate groove or recess for the wire at a short distance
from the edge of the cover, and I make the bottom of the recess with as sharp an
angle as conveniently possible so that when the end of the wire which is soldered
into it as described is pulled for the purpose of separating the plate in the manner
hereinafter described, the metal may more readily separate along the sharp angle
of the groove.
This form of the groove or recess is shewn in figures 5 and 6, in which c is the
angular groove in which the wire d lies and is soldered.
For the same purpose, I sometimes make a series of perforations along the angle
of the groove as also shewn in figures 5 and 6 at f, and the metal is thus very
easily separated. These perforations are closed when the wire is soldered into its
place.
•
Instead of making a groove or recess round the edge of the cover as described, I
sometimes recess the cover into the case the edge of the part so descending into

page_text: the latter being made as square as possible and of less diameter than the case, and
the wire lying in the space left between it and the body of the case. Figure 7
illustrates this method of construction and arrangement, applied to a circular can
instead of to a sardine box,
In order to readily apply sufficient force to the protruding end of the wire for
the purpose of separating the cover by tearing the metal open along the line of the
wire, I use an instrument consisting of a cylindrical bar of sufficient diameter
having a transverse notch or slot extending from one of its ends for a short distance,
the other end being provided with a handle.
The notch is fitted upon the protruding end of the wire, and the handle is then
turned round winding the wire upon the bar and tearing open the metal along the
line of the wire until the cover has been entirely or sufficiently opened.
In this way the cover of the metal can or case is removed with great ease and
with little force, and the wire being soldered into its place is not liable to draw out
without separating the metal.
Figure 8 shews an instrument of the kind described, g being the notch into
which the end of the wire is inserted.
Figure 9 shews a modification of the instrument, in which the end of the wire is
inserted into the opening g.
My invention may be applied to rectangular cases or to circular or other tins or
canisters.
Having now described my invention and the manner in which it is to be
performed, I do not claim generally the use of a cutting wire for the purpose of
removing the lids of metal cans or cases, but I claim -The methods of soldering
such cutting wire into a recess or groove so that it is prevented from being drawn
out without cutting the metal. Also, the method of making the metal where it
is to be cut with a series of perforations by which the cutting is facilitated,
substantially as described and shewn. Also, in combination with the metal cans
or cases so formed, of the instrument substantially as described and shewn, by
which the cutting wire can be readily made to cut the metal.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Alexander Lloyd, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this 23rd day of February in the year of our Lord 1883.