Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 19th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 20th Dec., 1887
I FREDERICK WARNER JONES of Clarence House Queen's Road, South Norwood
in the County of Surrey Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a tool for opening the herematically sealed tins which are
used for fish, meat, milk, chocolate, fruit, paint, and various other articles, the object
being to produce a tool which will open a tin of any size either by cutting the top
out of it by a vertical cut round the top or by cutting the top of it by a horizontal
cut round the side.
1 construct my improved tool in the following manner. The tool consists essentially
of two parts, the one forming a purchase handle and a fixed centre or fulcrum about
which the other part which carries the cutters or knives works. The former consists
of a flat plate having a suitablo handle fixed on one end of it, and having the other
end splayed out to carry four pins on its under side placed equidistant apart so as to
form the four points of a circle, two pins being placed in a line with the handle and
two at right angles thereto. The pin furthest from the handle and in a line therewith,
is bent up at right angles so as to lie in a plane with the plate, and project beyond
it. On the top side of the plate is fixed a stud having a flat head.
The other part of the tool consists of a plate having a suitable handle fixed on one
end of it, and having a circular hole cut in the other end of it, from which a slot
extends throughout the available length of the plate. The hole in the end of the
plate is large enough to allow it to be placed over the head of the stud on the other
part of the tool and the slot is wide enough to allow the stud to slide freely in it.
On the slotted plate in close proximity to the handle are fixed two cutters or knives,
one standing at right angles to the plate and the other in the same plane with it a
short distance from its face, one knife being fixed on each side of the plate. The
vertical knife is for cutting the tops out of tins and it is provided with a stop or
guide close to it to bear against the side of the tin. The horizontal knife is for cutting
the tops of tins and is provided with a roller mounted with its axis at right angles

page_text: to the knife and plate, which roller bears against the side of the tin and acts as guide
for the knife.
To use the tool the part thereof carrying the stud is fixed in the top of the tin as
near to the centre of it as possible by thrusting the turned up pin through the tin and
then forcing the handle down so as to force the other three pins through the top of
the tin which thus fixes that part of the tool to the tin. The outer part of the tool is
then slipped over the stud, with the knife that it is intended to use underneath the
plate. The knife is then thrust into the tin and forced round it by the handle keeping
the stop guide or roller up to the edge of the tin, while the stud on the other part of
the tool forms the fulcrum about which it turns.
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
70, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tools for Opening Tinned Goods.
I, FREDERICK WARNER JONES of Clarence House, Queen's Road, South Norwood
in the county of Surrey, Engineer 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 a tool for opening the hermetically sealed tins which are
used for containing fish, meat, milk chocolate, fruit, paint, and various other articles,
the object being to produce a tool which will open a tin of any size, either by cutting
the top out of it by a vertical cut round the top, or by cutting the top off it by a
horizontal cut round the side. My improved tool consists essentially of two parts the
one forming a purchase handle and a centre or fulcrum about which the other part,
which carries the cutters or knives, rotates. The former consists of a flat plate
having a suitable handle fixed on one end of it, and having the other end splayed
out to carry four or more spikes or pins on its underside. Two of these spikes or
pins are placed equidistant on each side of the centre line of the plate at right angles
thereto, and the others are placed in a line with the handle. The spike or pin furthest
from the handle and in a line therewith, is bent up at right angles so as to lie in a
plane with the plate, and project beyond it. On the top side of the plate is formed or
fixed a stud having a flat head.
The other part of the tool consists of a plate having a suitable handle fixed on one
end of it, and having a circular hole cut in the other end of it, from which a slot
extends throughout the available length of the plate. The hole in the end of the
plate is large enough to allow it to be placed over the head of the stud on the other
part of the tool, and the slot is wide enough to allow the stud to slide freely in it.
On the slotted plate in close proximity to the handle are fixed two cutters or knives,
one standing at right angles to the plate and the other in the same plane with it a
short distance from its face, one knife being mounted on each side of the plate.
The vertical knife is for cutting the tops out of tins and it is provided with a stop or
guide close to it, to bear against the side of the top of the tin. The horizontal knife
is for cutting the tops off tins, and is provided with a roller mounted with its axis at
right angles to the knife and plate, which roller bears against the side of the top of
the tin and acts as a guide for the knife.
In order that my invention may be fully understood I will more particularly describe
it making reference to the accompanying drawing throughout the several views of
which similar parts are marked with like letters of reference.
Figure 1 is a plan of my improved tool with the vertical knife in position for use,
and the horizontal knife uppermost.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the tool, also with the vertical knife in position for
entting.

page_text: Figure 3 is a plan of the reverse side of the tool showing the holding or gripping
spikes or pins, and the vertical knife.
Figure 4 is a cross section on line a, a, showing both knives and their guide
rollers.
Referring to these figures A designates the plate forming one part of the tool and
provided with a suitable handle B. C designates the stud fixed to or forming part
of the plate A, and having a flat head c. D, D etc. designate the spikes or pins
fixed to or forming part of the splayed out end of the plate A, one of the said spikes,
viz. that one furthest remote from the handle B being bent up to lie in the same
plano as the plate for a purpose that will hereinafter be explained. A¹ designates the
plate forming the other part of the tool, the said plate being fitted with a suitable
handle B' at one end and being enlarged at the other to form a hole a large enough
to admit tho head c of the stud C on the other plate A. From the hole a¹ a slot a²
extends longitudinally throughout the greater portion of the length of the plate.
E designates the vertical cutter or knife fixed to a snug a³ formed on one side of
the plate A by a small screw e. E designates the guido roller for the vertical
cutter or knife E, the said roller being mounted vertically on a suitable stud e¹.
F designates the horizontal cutter or knife fixed on to a raised portion of the plato A¹
by the screw so as to bring its cutting edge about half an inch above the face of
the said plate. F¹ designates the guide roller for the cutter or knife F the said
roller being mounted vertically on the plate A¹ between the cutter or knife and the
said plate, by a stud f1 formed on or fixed to the said plate. Although the cutter
or knife F may be made of many different shapes I find that the shape illustrated by
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing gives the best results.
I prefer to mount the handle B¹ out of line with the plate A' as shown so that a
better downward pressure can be exerted when using the vertical cutter or knife,
and a moro direct lateral thrust be exerted when using the horizontal cutter or
knifo.
To uso the tool the part A carrying the stud C is fixed in the top of the tin as
near to the centre of it as can be determined, by thrusting the turned up spike or pin 1)
through the top of the tin and then bringing the handle B down so as to force the
other spikes or pins D, D etc. through the top of the tin which thus fixes that part
of the tool thereto. The slotted end of the other part of the tool A' is then placed
over the stud C with the knife that it is intended to use on the underside of the said
plate. The knife is then thrust into the tin and forced round it by the handle B
keeping the roller guide up to the edge of the tin, while the stud C on the other part
of the tool forms the fulcrum about which it turns, the slot a' providing a means of
adjustment between the two parts of the tool to suit tins of any size. The handle B
of the part A of the tool enables the tin to be opened, to be held rigid while the cutter
or knife is being used.
It will be observed that both of the guide rollers are mounted and arranged so as
to bear on the edge of the top of the tin which owing to the flange or turn over" is
the stiffest portion thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the samo is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A tool for opening hermetically sealed tins, constructed arranged and foperating
substantially as set forth.
2. In a tool for opening hermetically sealed tins, the combination of the two cutters
or knives arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore
set forth.
3. In a tool for opening hermetically sealed tins the combination with the two
cutters or knives arranged to cut vertically and horizontally respectively, of the two
guide rollers both mounted vertically, as and for the purpose set forth.
4. In a tin opener consisting essentially of two parts one of which consists of a
fulcrum to be fixed or attached to the top of the tin to be opened, and the other, of a

page_text: frame or its equivalent to engage with and rotate thereon, the combination of the
headed fulcrum pin on the one part, and the slot in the other part, whereby the radius
of the cutters or knives may be varied to suit tins of any diameter substantially as
set forth.
5. In a tin opener consisting essentially of two parts, one of which consists of a
fulcrum to be fixed or attached to the top of the tin to be opened, and the other of a
frame or its equivalent carrying the cutters or knives, and arranged to engage with
and rotate round the fulcrum of the other part, the combination with the said parts,
of the handles B and B and the cutters or knives E and F, as set forth.
6. In a tin opener consisting essentially of two parts, each provided with a handle,
and the one part of which consists of a fulcrum to be fixed or attached to the top of
the tin to be opened, and the other part of which consists of a frame or its equivalent
to engage with the said fulcrum and rotate thereon, the combination with the said
frame or its equivalent of the two knives E and F mounted thereon vortically_and
horizontally respectively, one on each side thereof, and the guide rollers E' and F¹ or
their equivalent mounted vertically thereon, one on each side thereof, so that either
knife may be used or brought into operation by reversing the said frame or its
equivalent on tho said fulcrum, as set forth.
7. In a tool for opening hermetically sealed tins the combination with the plate A¹
carrying the cutters or knives E and F, and the guide rollers E' and F', of the hole a
and the slot a² in the plate A', the stud C with the head c on the plate A, and the
holding spikes or pins D, D etc. one of which is bent up to lie in the same plane as
the plate A, all arranged and operating as set forth.
8. In a tool for opening hermetically scaled tins the combination with the plates A
and A', the former provided with the fixing spikes or pins D, D etc. and the pivot
stud C, and the latter provided with the hole a', the slot a³, and the snug a³, of the
handlos B and B¹, the vertical cutter or knife E with its guide roller E', and the
horizontal cutter or knife F with its guide roller F, all arranged and operating as
and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
9. In a tool for opening hermetically sealed tins the combination of the plates A
and A¹ the former provided with spikes D, D etc., and the pivot stud C, and the latter
provided with the hole a', and the slot a², the handles B and B', tho vertical and
horizontal cutters or knives E and F, and the vertical guide rollers E' and F' all
combined arranged and operating as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated thie 10th day of November 1887
1887
ROBT. ED. PHILLIPS, M.I.M.E.,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent,
Royal Courts Chambers,
70 & 72, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.