IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO SHEET- METAL CANS, BOXES OR CASES
Year: 1885

page_text: We, FREDERICK WILLIAM FEAVER, and JOHN FEAVER, both of the Tin Factory,
Long Walk, Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey, Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO SHEET-
METAL CANS, BOXES OR CASES" to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the hermetic closing or sealing of tins cans and other
metal boxes or cases.
The method heretofore generally employed for hermetically closing tins cans or
other metal boxes consists in soldering the lids to the same in such a manner that
it is necessary to cut the said tins or boxes in order to open them.
Endeavours have been made to obviate this inconvenience by attaching the lid
so that it can be torn off, or by attaching the lid to a strip of metal around the side
of the tin or box and intended to be torn off when the tin is to be opened. All
these means have however been more or less uncertain in their action, frequently
rendering the employment of a knife or other instrument necessary in order to
open the said boxes or cases.
The object of this invention is to provide improved means whereby tins, cans or
the like may be readily and quickly opened without the use of a knife or other
tool, and to this end it comprises the improvements hereinafter described.
In carrying our said invention into practice, we provide the tin or can, at the end
which is to be closed, with a narrow projecting flange.
The lid is composed of two pieces viz an outer ring or band which is of the same
external dimensions as the flange and a piece of metal adapted to cover the aperture
in the centre of the said ring or band.
The said ring or band is divided in such a manner that the adjacent ends lie
beside each other, that is to say suppose the band is square the cut might be mado
parallel to one of the diagonals or in the case of a ring the cut might be made at
right angles to a radial line, and starting from the point where the said radial line
meets the inner circumference of the ring.
One end of this ring or band is formed with an extension in which a hole is
formed.
When the ring or band is thus severed the ends are caused to overlap each other
slightly and are then soldered together. This overlapping of the edges also has
the effect of making the lid slightly concavo-converx so that when applied to the
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page_text: box or case it is enabled to withstand any internal pressure better than would
otherwise be the case. On the convex side of the box or case is next soldered the
centre covering piece. The lid as thus formed is then soldered to the narrow
flange.
To open the tin can or box it is only necessary to take hold of the end of the
ring or band provided with the eye and to pull the same upward when it will be
torn from the flange and from the centre covering piece.
In the case of large tins or cans I sometimes construct them in such a manner
that after having been opened they may be used for paint or the like. For this
purpose the piece corresponding to the centre covering piece herein before described
is made hollow and the edge thereof is provided with a horizontally projecting
flange adapted to fit into a seat or recess in the flange on the tin or can so as to be
flush therewith. The ring or band is attached to the said lid prior to its applica-
tion to the tin or can, and is secured to the latter as before described.
I sometimes employ a single piece of metal for closing the box or case; for this
purpose the closing piece is adapted to cover a holo of smaller dimensions than the
top of the box or case, and is provided with a projecting piece at one portion of
such size that it will not extend beyond the sides of the box or case. The latter is
opened by taking hold of the said projection and tearing the closing piece from the
parts to which it is attached.
ז
I 1
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicants.

page_text: DECALS g to Sheetmetal Cans, Boxes, or Cases.
We FREDERICK WILLIAM FEAVER, and JOHN FEAVER, both of the Tin Factory,
Long Walk, Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey, 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:-
Our invention relates to sheet-metal cans, boxes or cases for containing and
preserving fruit, meat, fish and other substances; and has for its object to construct
the same in such a manner that they may be readily opened when the contents are
required for use.
The method heretofore generally adopted of hermetically closing sheet-metal
cans, boxes, or cases, consists in soldering the parts together in such a manner that
it is necessary to cut the metal in order to open them.
For this purpose various kinds or forms of instruments have been devised, but
their use is attended with considerable difficulty, and care has to be observed to
avoid cutting or lacerating the hands.
Attempts have been made to obviate this disadvantage, by uniting the parts of
the box or case so that the part which forms the lid or cover can be torn off; or by
attaching the lid or cover to a strip of metal extending around the side of the box
or case, and intended to be torn off when the same is to be opened. These con-
trivances have, however, been more or less uncertain in their action, frequently
rendering necessary the employment of a knife or other instrument for opening the
said boxes or cases.
Our present invention is designed to obviate the defects above mentioned, and to
this end it comprises the improvements herein-after described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawing, in which :-
Figure 1 is a vertical section of a can or box, and,
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a section of a portion of the can or box drawn to an enlarged scale.
Figure 4 is a plan illustrating a modification of our invention.
Figure 5 is a vertical section, and,
Figure 6 is a plan, illustrating another modification of our invention.
Figure 7 shews in section a portion of the same drawn to an enlarged scale.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawing.
a is the body of the sheet metal can or box, and b is the end or part of the same
provided with our improvements for facilitating the opening. As shewn in
Figures 1 and 2 this end is designed to be entirely removed when the can or box
is opened, the said end being composed of two pieces; vizt a ring c, which is of
approximately the same external diameter as the can body, and a piece d, herein-
after termed the lid, adapted to close the aperture in the centre of the ring.
The said ring or band is divided at e, as shewn in Figure 2, and one extremity
is provided with an extension f in which a hole is preferably formed.
In making the end b one extremity of the ring is caused to overlap the other
slightly, as shewn in dotted lines at fl in Figure 2, and soldered thereto. The

page_text: lid d is next soldered to the ring c on its convex side, so as to close the aperture in
the centre of the ring. This overlapping of the edges has the effect of making the
ring c slightly concavo-convex, as shown in Figure 1, so that the end b is enabled
to withstand the pressure, which is in some cases applied to the contents of the can
or box, better than if it were perfectly flat.
Upon the body a of the can or box is a flange g; this flange is formed by
bending the edge of the box inwards, a bead being formed around the said edge to
prevent the flange from projecting too far inwardly.
Instead of bending the edge of the box inwardly, as shewn, it may be bent
outwardly, to form the flange.
In attaching the end b to the can or box to close the same, the outer edge of the
ring c is soldered to the flange, as shown in Figure 1.
To open the can or box it is only necessary to take hold of the end f of the ring
and tear the same from the flange g and from the lid d.
If, for any reason, the ring should not tear off very easily, a string or a pointed
article such as the prong of a fork may be passed through the hole in the end f
of the said ring, to enable the same to be firmly grasped.
The arrangement last described is very serviceable when it is desired to remove
the contents of a can or box bodily without breaking the same, or where the
contents are to be used directly the box is opened. With this construction how-
ever there is no provision for again covering up the contents with the lid after a
can or box has been opened; as, when the strip c has been torn off, the lid d, being
smaller than the opening in the top of the can or box, will have no support.
This is a disadvantage where the entire contents of a box are not required. for
immediate use.
To obviate this objection the lid d is formed as an integral part of the end b, as
shown in Figure 4.
The said lid is formed by making a slit or cut d¹ in the end, the uncut
portion d², between the ends of tho slit, forming a kind of hinge upon which the
lid works.
The said slit or cut is hermetically closed by means of a band or strip c, as
herein before described; in the present instance, however, the said band or strip is
only of sufficient length to cover the cut or slit, and does not extend entirely around
the lid.
To open a can or box constructed according to this modification the free end f of
the strip or band is grasped, and the said strip or band pulled from the cover in
the manner shown in Figure 4. When the strip is entirely removed the lid d can
be raised to afford access to the contents of the can or box, which contents can bo
again covered by bending down the said lid d to its original position.
We sometimes construct the cans or boxes in such a manner that after having
been opened they may be used as paint-pots or the like; for this purpose the lid d
is dished, as shewn in Figure 5, and is fitted into a correspondingly shaped aperture.
The said lid is provided with a flange h upon its edge fitting into a seat h¹, formed
around the aperture in the end b, so as to be flush with the upper surface of the
latter, as shown in Figure 7.
The can or box is closed by applying the strip c to the end b over the joint
therein, as shewn in Figures 5 and 6. The ring or band c is preferably attached to
the lid & prior to the application of the same to the can or box, so that after closing
the latter, it is only necessary to solder the outer edge of the ring to the end.
After tearing off the strip c in the manner described the lid can be readily
removed, a ring j, Figure 6, being attached to the same to facilitate its removal.
The end b is placed below the edge of the body as of the can, in order to afford
space for the handle k.
Although the preceding description refers more particularly to the application of
my improvements to cylindrical cans or boxes, it is to be understood that the said
improvements are equally applicable to cans or boxes of square or other shape, such
as sardine-boxes, They are also applicable to sheet metal linings for packing cases or

page_text: the like.
For this purpose the band c, instead of being made in a continuous piece
as hereinbefore described, may be made in sections, to prevent the waste of metal
which would, in some cases, be caused by making the said band in one piece, and
to facilitate the application of the band in closing the box or case.
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
A sheet-metal can, case, or box provided with a lid which is secured, and her-
metically closed, by means of a soldered detachable strip or band, applied over the
cut, slit, or division between the lid and the surrounding metal substantially as,
and for the purpose, specified.