Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 188:
Complete Left, 29th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 29th June, 1883
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to metal cans or cases in which are contained provisions or
other substances, and of which the lids or covers have to be cui open in order to
remove the contents; and it has for its object a novel method of constructing such
cans or cases and of opening the lids or covers when necessary.
It has reference more especially to cans or cases in which a groove or recess is
formed in the lid or cover, or in the case at the part which is to be removed, and a
wire of sufficient strength is fitted into such groove or recess the end of which wire
is brought outside through a hole and is provided with a loop or attachment upon
pulling which the metal is cut and the lid or cover separated. In such method of
construction and arrangement, however, it has been found necessary to solder the
wire into the groove for the whole or a sufficient part of the length of the latter in
order to prevent the wire, when pulled from leaving the groove instead of cutting the
metal, whilst the force required is great, and my present invention has for its object
a novel method of construction and arrangement by which such use of solder is
unnecessary.
Supposing that my invention is to be applied to a cylindrical metal can having
ends one of which is removed for the purpose of opening the can, I fit such end upon
the can by means of an external cylindrical flange fitted over and soldered to the body
of the can, and I make the end inside the flange enter for a short distance into the
can, such entering part being made at an angle with the can so that it forms with the
latter an angular groove inside. I curve or bend the extreme edge of the can itself
inward, so that when the end or cover is in its place it forms with the bent-in edge
of the can an annular recess, large enough in cross section to receive a steel or other
wire of sufficient strength which lies in it.
I fix one end of the wire in the groove, by soldering or other means, preferably
bringing the end of the wire through a hole in the cover and bending it over or fixing
it, the hole being closed by solder if necessary.

page_text: The other end of the wire, after passing nearly round the groove or recess formed
as described is brought out through a second hole a short distance from the first one
and is provided with a loop or other means by which it can be grasped and pulled.
The latter hole is also made air-tight round the wire, if necessary, by solder or
other means.
When it is required to remove the end to open the can, the end of the
wire is pulled with sufficient force to cut the cover at the angle which it forms with
the can, the circular piece so cut only remaining attached for the space between the
two holes, and it can then be bent back and the contents of the can removed.
By this arrangement the end is cut perfectly evenly and regularly and with little
force, and no solder is required to hold the wire in the recess formed for it.
The invention may be applied to cans or cases of any other shape as well as
cylindrical.
1001
EDWARDS & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Metal Cans or Cases and in the Method of
Opening such Cans or Cases.
I, JOHN ALEXANDER LLOYD, of Bush Lane, in the City of London, Manufacturer,
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
tatement and accompanying drawing, that is to say :—
My invention relates to metal cans or cases used to contain provisions or other
substances, and of which the lids or covers have to be cut open in order to remove
the contents; and it has for its object a novel method of constructing such cans or
cases and of opening the lids or covers when necessary.
It has reference more especially to cans or cases in which a groove or recess is
formed in the lid or cover, or in the case at the part which is to be removed, and a
wire of sufficient strength is fitted into such groove or recess the end of which wire
is brought outside through a hole and is provided with a loop or attachment upon
pulling which the metal is cut and the lid or cover separated.
In such method of construction and arrangement, however, it has been found
necessary to solder the wire into the groove for the whole or a sufficient part of the
length of the latter in order to prevent the wire, when pulled, from leaving the groove
instead of cutting the metal whilst the force required is great, and my present
invention has for its object a novel method of construction and arrangement by which
such use of solder is unnecessary.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention.
Supposing first that my invention is to be applied to a cylindrical metal can having
ends one of which is removed for the purpose of opening the can, I use the method
of arrangement shewn in section in figure 1 and in plan in figure 2, in which the
end 6 which is to be opened is shewn fitted upon the can a by means of an external
cylindrical flange c fitted over and soldered to the body of the can, and I make the
end inside the flange enter for a short distance into the can a, such entering part
being made at an angle with the can as shewn at d so that it forms with the latter
an angular groove inside. I curve or bend the extreme edge of the can itself at e
inward, so that when the end or cover b is in its place it forms with the bent-in edge e
of the can an annular recess, large enough in cross section to receive a steel or other
wire of sufficient strength which lies in it. I fix one end of the wire f in the groove
so formed, by soldering or other means, preferably bringing the end of the wire
ibrough a hole in the cover b and bending it over or fixing it, the hole being closed
by solder if necessary.
The other end of the wire after passing nearly round the groove or recess formed
as described is brought out through a second hole a short distance from the first one
and is provided with a loop y or other means by which it can be grasped and pulled.
The latter hole is also made air tight round the wire, if necessary, by solder or other

page_text: means. When it is required to remove the end to open the can, the end of the wire
is pulled with sufficient force to cut the cover at the angle which it forms with the
the circular piece so cut only remaining attached for the space between the two
holes, and it can then be bent back and the contents of the can removed.
can,
By this arrangement the end is cut perfectly evenly and regularly and with little
force, and no solder is required to hold the wire in the recess formed for it from
which by the method of construction shewn it cannot escape.
The invention may be applied to cans or cases of any other shape as well as
cylindrical, the method of construction being similar to that already described; or
it may be slightly modified as shewn in figures 3, 4, and 5 which represents a
rectangular case, the upper side of which is to be cut open and has a groove h,
preferably rectangular in cross section formed upon its lower side round but at a
short distance from three of its edges. The wire lies in this recess, one of its ends
being soldered or otherwise fastened at whilst the other end passes out through a
hole at in which it is soldered, the end being provided with a loop g or other means
by which it can be grasped and pulled as in the arrangement first described.
form of case no special means are required to retain the wire in the straight parts of
the recess, but at the corners which are curved as shown, corresponding curved
flanges are soldered to the lower side of the cover, which are equivalent to the
inclined parts of the cover at d and of the edge of the can at e as shewn in figures 1
and 2, and serve to retain the wire fin its position and ensure the cutting of the
cover in the right direction when the wire fis pulled for the purpose.
In this
I do not claim generally the use of a cutting wire for the purpose of removing the
covers of metal cans or cases, but having now particularly described and ascertained
the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The method of forming a recess in which such cutting wire is retained, by the
combination of the recessed cover band the bent-in edge e of the cam, substantially-
as described and illustrated in figures 1 and 2 of the drawing.
2. The modified method of retaining the cutting wire in the recess by means of the
recess in the cover and the depressed guides 1, substantially as described and
illustrated in figures 3, 4, and 5 of the drawing.