An Improved Opener for Boxes and Cases Made of Tin, Cardboard, or other Material.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Opener for Boxes and Cases Made of Tin, Cardboard,
or other Material.
We, CHARLES WITHAM, of Steel Road, Northfield, near Birmingham, Engineer,
and WHITE & PIKE LIMITED, of Longbridge Works, Northfield, near Birmingham,
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved device for opening boxes, cases and other.
receptacles, made of tin, cardboard, or any other suitable metal or material.
The object of the invention is to provide a handy, portable and convenient means
of opening said boxes or cases, and has reference chiefly to sealed tins or cans for
containing perishable articles such as butter, fruit, and other articles of consump-
tion. These said articles are generally packed and conveyed in tins or cans, which
are hermetically sealed and made air tight by means of thin plates soldered on,
and which are eventually opened by cutting round the edges of said thin plates
and removing same, when the contents are required for use, and outer lid or cover-
ing being provided, and which is not sealed but removable, for covering the said
tin or can after it has been opened.
This improved device is for the purpose of opening or removing this said thin
plate and consists of a cutter made of steel or other hard metal wire, one end of
which is formed into a hook, flattened and brought down to a keen cutting point
or edge, somewhat after the manner of the end of a fish hook. The wire is of a
sufficient length and thickness to hold in the hand, and terminates at the opposite
end to the hook in a loop formed by bending the wire round and looping it across
the main part of the wire so as to form a handle. When the opener is used, the
point of the hook is inserted into the thin plate forming the sealed cover, and thus
a hole is punctured therein. The hook is then forced by means of the fingers or
thumb through the plate, the fingers being placed in the loop aforesaid of the
cutter and by this means the cutter is drawn along towards the person using it,
when a clean cut is made round the edges of the thin plate. This invention may
be applied to boxes or cases made of thin cardboard, or of plates of other metal or
material and in all such boxes or cases where the thickness or nature of the material
forming the covering is not too great to resist the strength of the fingers of the
person using it.

page_text: An Improved Opener for Boxes and Cases Made of Tin, Cardboard,
or other Material.
We, CHARLES WITHAM, of Steel Road, Northfield, near Birmingham, Engineer,
and WHITE & PIKE LIMITED, of Longbridge Works, Northfield, near Birmingham,
Manufacturers, 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 an improved device for opening boxes, cases and other
receptacles, made of tin, cardboard, or any other suitable metal or material.
The object of this invention is to provide a handy, portable and convenient means
of opening said boxes or cases, and has reference chiefly to sealed tins or cans for
containing perishable articles such as butter, fruit, and other articles of consump-
tion. These said articles are generally packed and conveyed in tins or cans, which
are hermetically sealed and made air tight by means of thin plates soldered on,
and which are eventually opened by cutting round the edges of said thin plates
and removing same, when the contents are required for use, an outer lid or cover-
ing being provided, and which is not sealed but removable, for covering the said
tin or can after it has been opened.
This improved device is for the purpose of opening or removing this said thin
plate and consists of a cutter made of steel or other hard metal wire, one end of
which is formed into a hook, flattened and brought down to a keen cutting point
or edge, somewhat after the manner of the end of a fish hook. The wire is of a
sufficient length and thickness to hold in the hand, and terminates at the opposite
end to the hook in a loop formed by bending the wire round and looping it across
the main part of the wire so as to form a handle. When the opener is used, the
point of the hook is inserted into the thin plate forming the sealed cover, and thus
a hole is punctured therein. The hook is then forced by means of the fingers or
thumb through the plate, the fingers being placed in the loop aforesaid of the
cutter and by this means the cutter is drawn along towards the person using it,
when a clean cut is made round the edges of the thin plate. This invention may.
be applied to boxes or cases made of thin cardboard, or of plates of other metal or
material and in all such boxes or cases where the thickness or nature of the material
forming the covering is not too great to resist the strength of the fingers of the
person using it.
In order that this invention may be readily understood reference is made to the
accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1, represents an elevation of the improved
opener, Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, and Fig. 3 shewing the opener cutting a
portion of a tin can or other article. In these several views A is the hook, pointed
at B, C is the loop for holding in the hand, I is a portion of a can or other article
to be cut open which is done by first puncturing the surface of the article by the
point of the cutter as shewn at E, and then by drawing the opener along with the
hand, and thereby cutting the material to be removed as shewn at F.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
The provision of a cutter or opener for opening boxes, cases, or other receptacles

page_text: made of tin, cardboard or any other suitable material, substantially as and for
the purpose herein set forth and described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 8th day of November 1898
REGINALD W. BARKER,
Applicants' Agent, 56, Ludgate Hill, London, E.C.