Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1897
1, GEORGE WILLIAM CLERIHEW, of 47 Cowan Avenue, in the City of
Toronto, in the County of York and Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of
Canada, Commercial Traveler, 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 :-
My invention relates to sheet metal cans used for putting up meats, fruits,
extracts and the like, of that class which may be opened without a special can
opener.
The object of my invention is a can that may be used without a special can
opener in such a manner as to leave a smooth upper edge without inwardly
projecting rim, flange, ridge or burr and in which the rim of the end or top may be
torn off, prepared in such a manner that it will tear readily and follow the intended
line of separation with certainty.
Can ends either top or bottom-that have been provided with a weakened line,
have hitherto had the drawback that in tearing off the rim or other part designed
for separation, the grain of the sheet metal or tin used has sometimes had a
predominating influence over the weakened line and has therefore prevailed more
strongly and produced deviation in the line and failure in successfully opening the
can. My present invention is designed to overcome this difficulty and to ensure
the intended line of separation.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sheet metal can having a top, lid or cover
constructed according to my invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the centre of the top of the same.
Fig. 3 is a part of the same section enlarged, to show the details more clearly.
Fig. 4 is a similar section to the preceding one, showing the weakening line on
the outside.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged section of body and end, but showing the modification of a
plain rim with inside weakening line.
A is the body of a sheet metal can (which may be of cylindrical or any other
shape) and B one of its ends-in this instance the top. Said end or top is made
of a blank so much larger than the edge a of the can upon which it is to be
secured as to allow of a crimped rim or flange, b, overlapping said edge and
extending partly over the body A to allow of its being soldered to the same, and
provided with a tangential projection or lug, b', forming a finger hold. At the
angle between the flat part of the end B and its vertical rim b, I prefer to bevel
the edge of the flat part slightly upwards (outwards), as at 2, Figs. 2, 3 and 4,
then turn the sharp angle, 3, and immediately below bead the vertical part of
the rim slightly inwards, as at 4, but so that the lower part of said bead projects
a little further outward than the upper part inwards, thus forming a shoulder, as
at 5, against which the upper edge of the can body may abut. At the inner part
of the slight bead, 4, I make a partial incision, indentation or weakening line, 61,
from the inside and not, of course, at any place entirely penetrating the metal of
which the end is formed. This weakening line 611 is continued tangentially at bli
to the inner angle between the lug band the edge of the rim 6 beyoud which rim
and angle said lug projects and is left free.
It will be readily understood that tin or other sheet metal or any other material

page_text: will tear and break with more certainty and greater facility from the side of a
nick or incision than from the opposite plain or uninjured surface, hence while I
prefer the outline of the rim described and shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the rim may
be plain as shown in Fig. 5 and yet be torn off with more certainty if the incision
or weakening line is on the inside, as there shown. On the other hand, when the
outline shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 is adopted, the weakening line may also be on the
outside and still tear fairly well. The shoulder 5, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4,
forms an abutment for, or collar upon, the edge of the body and prevents solder
getting into or close to the weakening line 6 and on the part of the top above
the weakening line, thus tending to avoid obstruction to the line of separation and
preventing the top sticking after the rim b has been torn off. The rim may be
torn off by hand or a key may be used upon which it is wound in a manner well
known.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is:
1. A hermetically scaled sheet metal can consisting of a body of any desired
shape or cross section and an end having a crimped rim or flange, the rim of the
flat portion of the end beveled slightly upwards, an inward bead just below the
angle or line at which the rim is bent down from the flat and the lower side of said
bead projecting a little more outwardly than the upper projects inwardly, a
tangential projection or lug on said rim and a weakening line on the inner face of
the bead extending tangentially to the inner angle between said lug and rim.
2. A hermetically sealed sheet metal can having an end or top with crimped rim
or flange provided with a tangential lug and having a weakening line on the inner
face of said rim or flange just below the angle formed between the flat part of the
end and the rim or flange extending tangentially to the inner angle between the
said lug and rim, substantially as set forth.
3. A hermetically sealed sheet metal can having an end or top with crimped rim
or flange provided with a lug, a bead in said rim immediately below the angle at
which it is turned down from the flat and a weakening line in said bead extending
tangentially to the angle between the said lug and rim, substantially as set
forth.
Dated this 17th day of August 1896.
GEORGE W. CLERIHEW,
By A. Harvey,
His Agent.