Improvements in Metallic Boxes or Tins for Storing Tobacco, Snuff, and Articles of Food, and for other like purposes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left 27th Oct. 1896 Accented 28th Nov 1808
Date UT
μπο
ULIT
Complete Specification Left 27th Oct. 1896 Accepted 28th Nov 1808
PROVISIONAL. SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Metallic Boxes or Tins for Storing Tobacco, Snuff,
and Articles of Food, and for other like purposes.
I, GEORGE HENRY WILLIAMSON, trading as Williamson and Sons, of Providence
Works, in the City of Worcester, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference principally to square or oblong hermetically sealed
metallic boxes or tins for storing tobacco, snuff, articles of food and the like, the said
boxes or tins being provided with tear-off lids of the kind hereinafter described; the
object of my invention being to facilitate the tearing off of the lid for opening the
box or tin without the use of a knife or tool.
The tear-off lid to which my invention applies is inade in two parts, one part
covering about a third of the box or tin at one end and being permanently soldered
thereto, and the other part consisting of the tear-off strip covering the other two-
thirds of the box or tin. The sides and one end of this tear-off strip of the lid are
soldered to the horizontal flange at the mouth of the box or tin, while the other end
of the said strip overlaps and is lightly soldered to the inner end of the permanently
attached part of the lid. The lightly soldered end of the strip is provided with a
loose or unsoldered tongue piece or finger plate by the lifting of which the required
hold is obtained upon the strip for tearing it from the permanently attached part of
the lid and from the box or tin.
According to my invention I construct the loose or unsoldered tongue piece of the
tear-off strip of a square or rectangular box or tin, and the permanently attached
part of the lid in the manner hereinafter described, whereby the tearing off of the strip
for opening the box is facilitated and the loose tongue piece made to lie flush with
the said permanently attached part of the lid.
or
The loose tongue piece which I prefer to use has parallel sides and a semi-
circular top and in the said tongue piece I make a shallow circular recess
depression in which a wire ring is situated the said ring being so connected or
jointed to the said recess that it is capable of being turned down into or raised
out of the said recess. In the permanently fixed end or part of the lid I make a
circular recess corresponding to that in the tongue piece of the tear off strip, so that
the recess holding the wire ring can fit into that in the fixed end or part of the lid ;
and I also make in the fixed end or part of the lid and external to the circular
recess therein, a shallow depression of a figure proper for the whole of the tongue
piece to take into it so that the latter when in its normal position lies' flush with
the fixed end or part of the lid, the ring carrying recess in the tongue piece
passing into the corresponding recess in the fixed end or part. The loose or lifting
part of the tear off strip is thus made flush with the other parts of the lid and as the
wire ring lies in the recess in the said loose part the whole of the lid is practically
without projecting parts.
In order to tear off the strip of the lid, the ring is lifted out of its recess and the
tongue piece raised from the fixed part of the lid. By the firm hold which the
fingers are thus able to take upon the loose end of the strip by means of the ring
together with the increased leverage obtained, the tearing off of the said strip is very
readily effected.

page_text: My invention may be applied to oval, circular or other shaped boxes or tins as well
as to square or oblong metallic boxes or tins.
Dated this Sixth day of February 1896.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Metallic Boxes or Tins for Storing Tobacco, Snuff,
and Articles of Food, and for other like purposes.
I, GEORGE HENRY WILLIAMSON, trading as Williamson and Sons, of Providence
Works, in the City of Worcester, 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 has reference principally to square, oval or oblong hermetically sealed
metallic boxes or tins for storing tobacco, cigarettes, snuff, articles of food and the
like, the said boxes or tins being provided with tear-off lids of the kind hereinafter
described; the object of my invention being to facilitate the tearing off of the lid
for opening the box or tin without the use of a knife or tool.
The lid to which my invention applies is made in two parts, one part covering the
box or tin at one end and being permanently soldered thereto, and the other part,
consisting of the tear-off part, covering the remainder of the top of the box or tin.
The sides and one end of this tear-off part of the lid are soldered to the horizontal
flange at the mouth of the box or tin, while the other end of the said part overlaps
and is lightly soldered to the inner end of the permanently attached part of the lid.
The last described soldering is effected before the whole lid is soldered to the box.
The lightly soldered end of the tear-off part is provided with a loose or unsoldered
tongue piece or finger plate, by the lifting of which the required hold is obtained upon
the said part for tearing it from the permanently attached part of the lid and from the
'box or tin.
According to my invention I construct the loose or unsoldered tongue piece of the
tear-off part of the lid of a square or rectangular box or tin and the permanently
attached part of the said lid in the manner hereinafter described, whereby the tearing
off of the tear-off part for opening the box is facilitated and the loose tongue piece
with ring attached made to lie flush with the said permanently attached part of
'the lid.
The loose tongue piece which I prefer to use has parallel sides and a semi-circular
end and in the said tongue piece I make a shallow circular recess or depression into
I which I fit a wire ring the said ring being so connected or jointed to the said recess
that it is capable of being turned down into or raised out of the said recess. In the
permanently, fixed part of the lid I make a circular recess corresponding to that in
the tongue piece of the tear off part, so that the recess, holding the wire ring can fit
into that in the 'fixed part of the lid; and I also make in the fixed part of the lid
and external to the circular recess therein, a shallow depression of a figure proper
for the whole of the tongue piece to take into it so that the latter when in its normal
position lies flush with the fixed part of the lid, the ring carrying recess in the tongue
piece passing into the corresponding recess in the fixed part. The loose or lifting
part of the tear-off part is thus made flush with the other part of the lid and as the
wire ring lies in the recess in the said loose part the whole of the lid is practically
without projecting parts.
In order to tear off the detachable part of the lid, the ring is raised out of its
recess so that the finger can be introduced into it and the tongue piece raised from

page_text: the fixed part of the lid. By the firm hold which the hand is thus able to take
upon the foose end of the detachable or tear-off part by means of the ring the
tearing off of the said part is very readily effected.
My invention may be applied to oval, circular or other shaped boxes or tins as well
as to square or oblong metallic boxes or tins.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in side elevation, Figure 2 in
plan with parts of the lid broken away and Figure 3 in longitudinal section, a shallow
hermetically sealed box containing my improvements the said box being of the kind
commonly employed in the packing of sardines:
Figures 4 and 5 represent respectively in longitudinal section and plan, the said
box in the act of being opened;
Figure 6 represents in plan and longitudinal section the permanently fixed part of
the lid of the box and Figure 7 represents in plan and longitudinal section the tear-off
part of the lid of the box;
Figure 8 represents in plan a similar box to that represented in Figures 1 to 5
both inclusive with a modified lid :
Figures 9 and 10 represent the parts of the modified lid of the box separately.
Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 represent other forms of metallic boxes
provided with my improvements.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
drawings.
In constructing the lid of a box according to my invention I make the loose or
unsoldered tongue piece al of the tear-off part a of the lid preferably of a semi-
circular figure and with a circular depression for receiving a ring d by which a firm
hold on the tear-off part a is obtained for the finger in stripping the said tear-off
part a of the lid from off the box. The said ring d is permanently secured in the
circular depression or recess by the soldered lip piece e the said lip piece constituting
a joint in which the ring b turns when raised as represented in Figures 4 and 5 for
tearing off the tear-off part a of the lid.
I make the permanently fixed part 6 of the lid with a similar depression 61 and
with sunken edges 63, 6 the said sunken depression and edges being of a size and depth
suitable to receive the loose tongue piece a¹ and edges a³, a² of the tear-off part a of
the lid so that when the two parts of the lid are soldered together at their edges a³, b³
the top of the one part is flush with the top of the other part.
The permanently fixed part of the lid and the tear-off part a are secured together
by soldering the edges 6, 6 of the permanently fixed part to the underside of the
tear-off part a before the lid is applied to the box c. After the box o has been
filled the edges of the lid, which is now practically in one piece, are secured to the
horizontal flange of the box c by soldering.
When it is desired to open the box to get at the contents of the same it is only
necessary to raise the ring d and to pull back the loose tongue piece a¹ as illustrated
in Figures 4 and 5 when the tear-off part of the lid is easily stripped from off the
box c.
In Figures 8, 9 and 10 the permanently attached part 6 of the lid of the box c is
provided with a circular depression or recess b' only for receiving the ring recess or
depression of the tear off part a of the lid. It will be understood that in this
arrangement the edges a³, a³ and tongue piece a¹ of the tear-off part a of the lid are
not flush with the top of the permanently attached part 6 of the said lid.
Figures 11 and 12 represent the improvements described with respect to the box
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 applied to an oval shaped box.
Figures 13, 14 and 15 represent the improvements first described applied to an
oblong box of greater depth than those herein before represented:
Figure 15 is a cross section on the dotted line x, x Figure 13.
Instead of turning the edges of the boxes hereinbefore described outwards so as to
form the horizontal flange for receiving the edges of the lid the said horizontal
flange may be formed by turning the edges inwards as represented in Figures 16,
17 and 18.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my
invention of "Improvements in metallic boxes or tins for storing tobacco, snuff and
articles of food and for other like purposes
"
First. Forming the permanently attached part of the lids of boxes of the kind herein-
before described and represented with a sunken part for receiving the loose tongue piece
and those edges of the tear-off part of the lid which are joined by soldering to the
permanently attached part of the lid so that the top of the tear-off part of the lid is
flush or practically flush with the top of the permanently attached part in the closed
box substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the accompanying drawings.
Secondly. Providing the tear-off parts of the lids of boxes of the kind herein before
-described and represented with rings for lifting the tongue pieces of the said tear off
parts and with recesses for receiving the said rings and making in the permanently
attached parts of the lids recesses for receiving the ring recesses of the tear-off
parts substantially as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated the Twelfth day of October 1896.
GEORGE HENRY WILLIAMSON.