Improvements in Metal Cans and similar Receptacles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Nov., 1896-Accepted, 9th Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metal Cans and similar Receptacles.
A communication from abroad by GUSTAVUS ALBERT WAEBER, Merchant, of
182 Franklin Street, New York.
1, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent 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 or other receptacles formed of sheet metal or
other like material which are intended to contain meats, fish, vegetables, paints
or other substances and usually require to be sealed hermetically and it is par-
ticularly concerned with the method of or means for opening such cans or
receptacles. Such cans or their covers have heretofore been constructed in many
different ways with a view to facilitating the opening thereof and many different
devices have been applied to cans for the same purpose. A usual method of
opening such cans or receptacles is by tearing the cover along predetermined lines;
this is an easy and effectual method but it is not desirable for some purposes on
account of the incision made in the cover to receive the end of the starting tongue,
which incision, although soldered or cemented, is a frequent cause of leakage.
In no case, moreover, has it been directly sought, so far as I am aware to preserve
the cover or removed portion of the can or receptacle in such shape that it could
be applied again to the can or receptacle or body thereof, so that the unused
portion of the contents could be protected for the time being from exposure to the
air, insects, dust or other extraneous matter. On the contrary, the cover or
removed portion of the can has been cut or torn or twisted or otherwise left in
such shape as to be incapable thereafter of application to the can to effectively
shut out air, dust or insects. Realizing the defects which are here alluded to,
I have sought to provide not only for the easy opening of cans of the class referred
to without necessitating an incision in any portion of the cover in contact with the
contents of the can, but for the preservation of the cover or removed portion of
the can in such shape that it may be applied again to the opened can and protect
its contents as well as for the preservation of the can body without mutilation.
The invention is capable of application to cans or receptacles of great variety as
to form and construction, but in the accompanying drawings which form a part
hereof I have chosen for illustration of the invention certain common forms.
In the drawings-
Figure 1 is a view in perspective of an ordinary round can to which this
invention is applied, the cover being represented as detached from the body of the
can so that certain features of construction may be clearly seen;
Figure 2 is a similar view, but with the two parts of the can, that is to say
the body and the cover, assembled and an opening key applied to the starting
tongue;
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but representing the can as partly
opened;
Figure 4 is a detail view of a portion of a can body such as is represented in
Fig. 1, but showing a slight modification;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of a generally rectangular can or box in which

page_text: the cover is soldered or cemented upon an inwardly turned flange of the body,
portions of the cover and of the body being broken out to show the construction
more clearly;
Figure 6. is a similar. view of a can or box of like shape but with the cover
differently applied to the body;
Figures 7 and 8 are detail views illustrating the formation of the starting tong
with the cover blank;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of a can of like shape to that shown in Fig. 5
but having a cover with a downwardly turned, overlapping flange;
Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 7, but illustrating a slight difference in
construction ;
Figure 11 is a detail view of a portion of the can body shown in Figures 9
and 10, and illustrating a feature of construction;
Figure 12 illustrates a further feature of construction.
It will be understood that the invention finds expression in all of the different
forms represented in the several figures of the drawings, and it will be observed
that all of these forms have certain common characteristics, such as that the can
is made up of two parts, comprising a body and a cover or removable portion, that
the two parts of the can overlap and that a starting tongue projects from between
the two overlapping portions. Having thus indicated the general features of the
cans shown in order that the following description may be more readily understood,
I will now proceed to describe in detail the particular construction of each of the
different forms represented.
Referring first to the can shown in Figures 1 to 4, it will be observed that it
comprises a body A formed in any suitable way and a slip cover B having a
depending flange b which may be slipped upon (or, it may be, within) the body A.
The flange b, or overlapping portion of the cover, is soldered or cemented to the
corresponding portion of the body A and, in the particular form here represented
is scored or otherwise weakened along a predetermined line, as indicated by the
dotted line 6', which line indicates the extent of the overlap and corresponds or
coincides with the edge of the can body A. As the overlapping portions of the
body and cover are soldered or cemented together only between the edge 6 of
the outer portion and the line it will be observed that the lines 61 and 62 may
both be termed predetermined lines of weakness, along which, as will presently
appear, the separation between the two parts of the box takes place. At any
convenient point along the live & an opening tongue C projects from between the
two overlapping portions of the body and cover. This tongue may be disposed
differently according to the particular form of the can or the use to which it is to
be put, but as represented in the form now under consideration, it projects
outwardly through an incision 63 formed in the cover B but extending through or
nearly through the overlapping portion only of such cover, so that there shall be
no incision through any portion of the cover, which is in contact with the contents
of the box. Moreover, as this incision is formed only in that portion of the cover
which is soldered or cemented to the body, it does not constitute a weak place in
the sealed box. The tongue C should be secured by solder or any other suitable
means to the inner side of the outer of the two overlapping portions or between
said overlapping portions, that is to say, in the construction represented, to the
inner surface of the overlapping portion of the cover B or between the two over-
lapping portions and it projects outwardly through the incision 6. For convenience
in manufacture the tongue may be attached to the body of the box and be secured
to the inner side of the overlapping portion of the cover in one operation when
the latter is soldered upon the body. As indicated in Fig. 1, the tongue is formed
in a separate piece and is lightly soldered to the body of the box, its inner end
being cut off obliquely and matched with a correspondingly formed portion of the
outer overlapping edge of the box body, the purpose of this construction being
simply to avoid an undue thickness. The tongue C is preferably, however, formed
in one piece integral with the box body, as indicated in Figure 4, and weakened

page_text: along a line c¹, so that it may separate readily from the box body when the box is
being opened. It is not, however, deemed essential that there should be any line
of weakness between the box body and the tongue, inasmuch as without it the
tongue is readily separable from the body and would generally tear off from
the body without mutilating the latter to any material extent. If the tongue is
integral with the body or cover or otherwise it is preferably located at such a
point that it shall have a backing to be left to maintain the integrity of the box
below its upper edge when the tongue is torn off, the usual lap being well adapted
for such purpose. "In opening the box which has been described, the tongue C is
grasped by the fingers or by any suitable tool, but preferably by a key, such as is
shown at D, and is pulled backward upon itself or, if the key be used, is rolled
backward upon itself in the manner represented in Figure 3. As the edges of the
tongue correspond with or form continuations of the predetermined lines of
weakness of the overlapping cover and as the tongue is secured to the inner surface
of the portion between these lines, it will, as it is pulled back or rolled back, bring
with it the said overlapping portion of the cover, tearing it off from the body
along the predetermined lines of weakness 6' and 6. As these two lines are
parallel in the construction shown, and as the line 61 coincides with the edge of the
box body, the cover will thus be released by the tearing off of a strip of uniform
width, which leaves the cover in condition to be applied again to the box body,
the body itself being unweakened and capable of resisting the tendency to tear
as the strip is pulled off, will be left unmutilated below its upper edge and will
therefore retain its contents without leakage. It will be evident that if the
flange of the cover were inserted within the edge of the box body so that the
latter forms the outer of the two overlapping portions, the line of weakness 61
would be formed in the box body and would coincide with the edge of the cover,
the tongue in every case being adapted to start up and tear off a strip of uniform
width from the outer of the two overlapping portions whether it be the box or
the cover. It is also obvious that the tongue may be arranged to project
between the overlapping ends of the cover or body blank and a separate incision
be thereby dispensed with. I find that a key or other tool may be wholly
dispensed with if the tongue be so formed as to afford a firm grasp for the
fingers and to avoid the danger of cutting the fingers. Accordingly, I prefer
to provide the tongue C with a finger-piece C¹, as shown in Figure 12, the edge
of the finger-piece being crinkled, as shown at c', which not only permits it to
be firmly grasped by the fingers, but also obviates altogether any straight edge
which might cut the fingers.
In the form represented in Figure 5 the box body A is formed with an inwardly
turned flange a upon which the Hat cover B is secured directly. The one pre-
determined line of weakness 6' which is formed by scoring or otherwise coincides
with the inner edge of the flange a, while the other predetermined line of
weakness b, or the edge of the cover, is. flush with the sides of the box. The
tongue projects as before through an incision 63 which is formed wholly in that
portion of the cover soldered to the box body. The opening of the can is
performed in the same manner as that already described. It will be evident that
in this case the remaining portion of the cover, after the box has been opened,
will be of substantially the same size as the opening in the box and may there-
fore not be available to cover again the contents of the box. Nevertheless, this
form of box is desirable, because an incision through that portion of the cover
which comes in contact with the contents of the box is avoided.
The body A of the can shown in Figure 6 has an inwardly projecting bead a¹
upon which the cover B may rest. When the cover has been put in place a
flange a is turned down upon the cover and is soldered or cemented thereto, the
outer of the two overlapping portions being in this case a part of the box body.
The inner edge a³ of the flange a' is in this case one of the two predetermined
lines of weakness and the outer edge a of the flange is the other, this edge
substantially coinciding with the edge of the cover B. The tongue C is applied

page_text: as before, projecting from between the overlapping portions and in this particular
case projecting through an incision as formed wholly within the outer overlapping
portion and between the lines a3 and a', the edges of the tongue, as before, forming
continuations of these lines and the tongue being secured to the under surface of
the outer overlapping portion. In opening this box the overlapping portion of the
body is torn off, leaving the cover intact and adapted to rest upon the bead a and
thereby protect the contents of the box.
In Figure 6 the tongue is represented as independent of the box cover and
body. As a matter of economy in manufacture, however, it is preferable to form
the tongue in the manner indicated in Figures 7 and 8, and the tongue being
formed integral with the body or cover blank as shown in Figure 7. The
projecting piece from which the tongue is formed is bent over on the dotted
line of Figure 7 until it assumes the position shown in Figure 8 and the tongue
portion is raised that it may be passed through the incision in the overlapping
portion. When the box is opened the portion will tear off from the body or
cover along the line of the fold.
In Figure 9 I have shown a form of box similar to the form shown in Figures 5
and 6 but with a slip cover B, having a depending flange b, substantially as in
Figure 1 and the adaptation of the invention to this particular form is calculated
to avoid any incision through the cover of the box. The cover is provided, by
scoring or otherwise, with two predetermined lines of weakness 61 and 62 which
are brought out to the edge of the cover. The tongue C projects from between
the overlapping portions of the cover and body with its edges in line with the
predetermined lines of weakness 61 and 6, the tongue being secured to the inner
surface of the overlapping portion of the cover and being adapted to separate
readily from the body A. A key or other suitable tool being applied to the
tongue C, the latter being rolled back upon itself, the box cover will be torn upon
the predetermined lines of weakness and by continued rotation of the key may be
wholly removed from the box body. In this construction it is not even necessary
that the predetermined lines of weakness should be extended to the very edge of
the cover nor that the bead be flattened to form a path for the starting up of the
strip to be torn out, as indicated in Figure 9, but as represented in Fig. 10 the
lines 6 and may terminate inside of the bead of the box, and the latter need not
be flattened or weakened, for the tongue C will tear through the edge of the cover
until the lines of rupture, corresponding with the edges of the tongue, meet the
lines of weakness 6 and . The tongue C may be formed independently of
the box body or cover or it may be formed with the box body as indicated in
Figure 11, in which case the tongue will tear off the box body in line with its
edge.
From the foregoing description it will be obvious that the principle of the
invention, whether its object be only to avoid an undesirable incision through
the box cover or to preserve the cover in such shape as to permit its use after
removal or to prevent the mutilation of the can or box body, may be embodied in
a great variety of forms. Accordingly, I desire it to be understood that I do not
intend that this invention shall be limited to the forms and arrangements shown
herein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A can or receptacle having overlapping portions and a tongue or projection
secured to the inner surface of the outer of said overlapping portions but readily
separable from the other and passing from between the two portions, the can or
receptacle having a backing for said tongue or projection from which it may be
torn without mutilating the can or receptacle, substantially as set forth.
2. A can or receptacle having overlapping portions secured together by cement
or solder, the one of said parts which overlaps the other having predetermined

page_text: lines of weakness and the other part being unweakened and capable of resisting
the tendency to tear, in combination with a tongue projecting from between the
overlapping portions and secured to the inner surface of the outer of said over-
lapping portions but readily separable from the inner portion and having its
edges corresponding with said predetermined lines of weakness, substantially as
Bet forth.
3. A can or receptacle having overlapping portions secured together by cement
or solder, the one of said parts which overlaps the other having a predetermined
line of weakness, substantially parallel with its edge and substantially coinciding
with the edge of the inner portion and the other of said parts being unweakened
and capable of resisting the tendency to tear, in combination with a tongue
projecting from between the overlapping portions and secured to the inner surface
of the outer of said overlapping portions but readily separable from the inner
portion and having its edges corresponding respectively with the edge of the over-
lapping portion and with the predetermined line of weakness in said portion,
substantially as set forth.
4. A can or receptacle having overlapping portions secured together by cement
or solder, the one of said parts which overlaps the other having a predetermined
line of weakness, substantially parallel with its edge and substantially coinciding
with the edge of the inner portion and having an incision formed wholly between
said predetermined line of weakness and the edge of the overlapping portion, the
other portion being unweakened and capable of resisting the tendency to tear, in
combination with a tongue projecting from between the overlapping portions
through said incision and secured to the inner surface of said overlapping portion
but readily separable from the inner portion and having its edges corresponding
respectively with said line of weakness and with the edge of the overlapping
portion, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of November 1896.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.