A New or Improved Instrument or Apparatus for Opening Tins or Metallic Cases Containing or Storing Food, Paint, or other Articles or Commodities.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 18th Aug. 1892-Accepted. 24th Sept.. 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Instrument or Apparatus for Opening Tins or
Metallic Cases Containing or Storing Food, Paint, or other Articles
or Commodities.
I, EDWARD LOUIS ANSTIE of No. 31 Market Place, Devizes, in the County of
Wilts, Tobacco Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention consists of an instrument or apparatus constructed and used
substantially as hereinafter described for opening tins or metallic cases containing
or storing food, paint or other articles or commodities; that is to say, for cutting
out the end or top, or a portion of the end or top, of the tin or metallic case for the
purpose of gaining access to the contents of the tin or case.
The new or improved instrument or apparatus is particularly adapted for use by
shopkeepers and may be fixed to or used at the shop counter but it may be used
generally where it is required to open tins or metallic cases and the said instrument
may be made single or compound for opening tins of the same or of different
diameters.
I will describe a compound instrument constructed according to my invention
suitable for opening tins of two diameters.
I take a circular base plate, preferably of wood, which may be screwed to the
shop counter or other surface. The margin and middle parts of the upper side of
this base plate are removed so as to leave a projecting ring the inside of the said
ring having the diameter of and constituting a circular seat for the smallest tin to
be opened. Across the said projecting ring at one side, a slot is made the bottom
of the said slot being at a lower level than the bottom of the circular seat described.
In this slot a pointed vertical steel cutter is fixed the said cutter being situated a
little within the edge of the circular seat. The pointed cutter is made by bending
at right angles the end of a pointed steel strip which strip is screwed to the bottom
of the cross slot in the projecting ring. Or other kinds of pointed cutters may be
used; for example a pointed steel cutter capable of being driven into the wooden
base plate.
In order to fit the instrument thus made to open tins of a diameter greater than
that of the circular seat described a second larger concentric seat consisting of a
ring like horizontal shoulder is made by cutting away the upper part of the wall of
the said circular seat to a lower plane than the top of the projecting ring. This
second and larger ring like seat is provided with a pointed steel cutter situated a
little within the outer edge of the said seat and preferably opposite the first described
cutter. A cross slot similar to that before described is made in the projecting ring
to receive the second cutter which slot extends only to the outer or ring like
seat.
In opening a can of the diameter of the inner or circular seat the end of the can
to be opened or cut out is placed on the circular seat of the instrument and pressed
down upon the cutter at its edge so that the said cutter penetrates the end of the
tin. The tin being rotated by the hand a circular disc is cut from its top or end
and the tin thereby opened. In opening a tin having the diameter of the outer
ring like seat the top or end of the larger tin is placed upon the said seat and
pressed upon the cutter and the tin rotated so as to open or cut out the top as before
described.
By making a series of ring like concentric seats of progressively increasing
diameters each seat being provided near its outer edge with a pointed cutter the
instrument may be used for opening three or more sizes of tins or metallic cases.

page_text: Instead of fixing the cutting instrument to the shop counter or other surface, it
may be provided with handles for turning it upon the tin, which tin in this case, is
placed in and secured to a tubular block or socket fixed to the shop counter or other
surface.
D
1001
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Instrument or Apparatus for Opening Tins or
Metallic Cases Containing or Storing Food, Paint, or other Articles
or Commodities.
I EDWARD LOUIS ANSTIE, of No. 31 Market Place Devizes, in the County of
Wilts Tobacco Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my 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 consists of an instrument or apparatus constructed and used
substantially as hereinafter described for opening tins or metallic cases containing
or storing food, paint or other articles or commodities; that is to say, for cutting
out the end or top, or a portion of the end or top, of the tin or metallic case for
the purpose of gaining access to the contents of the tin or case.
The new or improved instrument or apparatus is particularly adapted for use
by shop-keepers and may be fixed or used at the shop counter but it may be
used generally where it is required to open tins or metallic cases and the said
instrument may be made single or compound for opening tins of the same or of
different diameters.
I will describe a compound instrument constructed according to my invention
suitable for opening tins of two diameters.
I take a circular base plate made of metal or wood, which may be screwed to
the shop counter or other surface. The margin and middle parts of the upper
side of this base plate are removed so as to leave a projecting ring, the inside of
the said ring having the diameter of and constituting a circular seat for the
sinallest tin to be opened. Across the said projecting ring at one side, a slot is
inade the bottom of the said slot being at a lower level than the bottom of the
circular seat described. In this slot a pointed vertical steel cutter is fixed the
said cutter being situated a little within the edge of the circular seat. The pointed
cutter is made by bending at right angles the end of a pointed steel strip which
strip is screwed to the bottom of the cross slot in the projecting ring. Or other
kinds of pointed cutters may be used for axample, a pointed steel cutter capable
of being driven into the base plate when made of wood.
In order to fit the instrument thus made to open tins of a diameter greater
than that of the circular seat described a second larger concentric seat consisting of
a ring like horizontal shoulder is made by cutting away the upper part of the wall
of the said circular seat to a lower plane than the top of the projecting ring. This
second and larger ring like seat is provided with a pointed steel cutter situated a
little within the outer edge of the said seat and preferably opposite the first
described cutter. A cross slot similar to that before described is made in the
projecting ring to receive the second cutter which slot extends only to the outer or
ring like seat.
In opening a can of the diameter of the inner or circular seat the end of the can
to be opened or cut out is placed on the circular seat of the instrument and pressed
down upon the cutter at its edge so that the said cutter penetrates the end of the
tin. The tin, being rotated by the hand a circular disc is cut from its top. or end
and the tin thereby opened. In opening a tin having the diameter of the outer
ring like seat, the top or end of, the larger tin is placed upon the said seat, and

page_text: pressed upon the cutter and the tin rotated so as to open or cut out the top as before
described.
Figure of the accompanying drawing represents in perspective and Figure 2 in
cross section, my new or improved instrument or apparatus for opening tins or
metallic cases Figure 3 represents a tin or metallic case in the act of being opened
or having its top cut out by the use of the apparatus and Figure 4 represents in
side elevation; end elevation and plan, one of the cutters detached drawn to a
larger scale.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawing.
The instrument or apparatus represented is suitable for opening tins of two
diameters.
The said apparatus consists of a circular base plate a of metal or of wood,
screwed at, to the shop counter c or other surface or place at which it is required
to open tins or metallic cases. In the base plate a are two concentric circular
seats d, e at different levels for supporting cans or metallic cases of different sizes,
d being the seat for the larger tin to be opened and e the seat for the smaller tin
to be opened. The top larger seat is enclosed by the projecting ring shoulder or
flange which serves to support the side of the tin being opened and the other
smaller seat e is provided with a similar ring, shoulder or flange g for the same
purpose. The apparatus when of metal may be made by casting. When made of
wood or other hard and durable material, the parts of the block to form the seats
and flanges d, f and e, g may be cut away; hand i are the pointed cutters of the
apparatus, the longer cutter being used for cutting out the top of the larger_tin
and the shorter cutter i being used for cutting out the top of the smaller tin. The
longer cutter for cutting out the top of the tin, seated on the seat d, is fixed in a
slot cut across the said seat the pointed end of the cutter projecting from the face
of the seat in the manner seen in the drawing. Each of the said cutters h, i is
made by bending at right angles a strip of steel, the horizontal or base part of
which is screwed in its place. The outer face of the pointed cutters is preferably
bulged or made of a slightly convex figure for the purpose hereinafter described.
I do not however limit myself to this kind of cutter.
In opening a tin of the diameter, say, of the larger seat d, the end of the tin to
be opened marked is placed on the said seat as represented in Figure 3 aud
pressed down upon the cutter h, so that the said cutter penetrates the end of the tin
near its edge. The tin being rotated by hand, a circular disc is cut from its top
or end and the tin thereby opened. By giving the outer face of the blade of the
cutter the convex or bulged figure represented, it causes the edge of the tin from
which the top or end is cut to be folded or pressed against the side of the tin,
thereby forming a rounded or non-cutting edge to the open top of the tin. The
cutting of or injury to the fingers which often occur with tins opened in the
ordinary way is thereby prevented. In opening a tin of the diameter of the
seat e its base or end is placed on the said seat and the cutter i made to penetrate
the said base or end. The tin being rotated the top or end is cut out as described
with respect to the tin l.
One seat and its outer flange or ring and cutter may be used in the apparatus
when tins of the same diameter are required to be opened.
By making a series of ring like concentric seats of progressively increasing
diameters each seat being provided near its outer edge with a pointed cutter,
the instrument may be used for opening three or more sizes of tins or metallic
cases.
Although I have described and represented my new or improved instrument
or apparatus as being fixed to a shop counter yet I wish it to be understood that
it may be used apart therefrom. In this case the tin to be opened is held in one
hand and the instrument or apparatus in the other, the said instrument being
pressed and rotated upon the top of the tin.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I
claim as my invention ;-
The new or improved single or compound instrument or apparatus for opening
tins or metallic cases containing or storing food, paint or other articles or commo-
dities hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing; that
is to say, an instrument or apparatus for the purpose described, consisting essentially
of a circular seat and external circular ring or flange in combination with a
projecting cutter near the outer edge of the said seat, or of a series of concentric
circular seats, at different levels, and external circular rings or flanges, each
circular scat being provided near its outer edge with a projecting pointed cutter,
for opening tins or metallic cases of different diameters, substantially as described
and illustrated.
Dated the Sixteenth day of August 1892.
EDWARD LOUIS ANSTIE.