US2027624A - Combined label and can-opener holder - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 14, 1936. L. w. BASTOW 2,027,624

COMBINED LABEL AND CANOPENER HOLDER Fild Aug. 6, 1934 .Ef'yzfi Lloyd WBamiow.

3c 3 INVENTOR,

II. LABEL AND CAN-QIPENER t C l HOLDER Lloyd W. Bastow, South Portland, Maine Application August 6, 1934, Serial No. 788,664

""2Glaims. (01.404)

This invention relates to a can-opener holder quickly insertable in the depression of a can cover and serving as'a label-carrying member identifying the product the can contains and the name of the individual or concern who packed the goods.

One application which, in an illustrative man-v ner, discloses the general characteristics of my invention and perhaps best exemplifies its adaptability for use in awide variety of commercially prepared and canned products, is found in the well known sardine can; and it is in connection with this particular line of prepared food products that I shall, in this present application illustrate and describe my invention.

It is common practice in canning-sardines to I When employing a certain type of can a key,

I or can-opener deviceis used to strip the cover from the can body to gain access to the contents.

These openers are sometimes enclosed in a paper wrapper bound in some way to the can, or left loosely in the shipping container and delivered by the market man to the customer as each can of sardines is sold.

In other instances the whole can is enclosed in a carton with the latter labelled, instead of the can itself. In this case the opener is supposed to be placed in the carton, along with the can.

In the present invention I have sought to simplify and cheapen the cost of labelling the goods, as well also as to provide a very handy and convenient method of housing the little tool used to open the can.

The member which accomplishes these objects is a piece of still card-board, contoured to closely lit the upstanding walls of thedepression in the can cover, the fit being such as to frictionally bind the card in the cover space.

In addition to this I partially shear through the card two ears which, when slightly raised provide a space within which the opening tool for the can is inserted and held in position on the card.

The card is imprinted with the proper indicia, and when the parts are assembled and displayed on the dealer's counter creates a sales appeal to the customer lacking in any other method of exhibiting the product.

A feature of more than ordinary importance resides in the ability to closely stack the canswhen deposited in the shipping container, the can-opening tool in no way interfering with the cans being closely mounted one over the other. The character of my invention may best be understood by reference to the description found in the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. in which 5 similar reference characters are employed to identify like parts in all the diflerent views there oi. In the drawing, v Fig. l is a'perspective view of a sardine can showing one application or my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the tool-holding card on which a label may be imprinted;

" Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, showing the tool for opening the can;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line fl-t, Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 show alternative means ior holding the can-opening tool, and Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 1-7, Fig. 6. 4 Referring to the drawing, 6 is a sardine can of conventional design, and la the flap which serves to open the can when inserted in the slot in the can-opening tool 0 and the latter rotated. The v flap is integral with the cover 2.

Rising from all sides of the cover 2 is a vertical wall or flange 20: forming a depression D in the top of the cover. In this depression I mount the card 3, the edges of which are frictionally secured by being in strong engagement with the flanges 20 on all sides.

The label L is imprinted on the card and replaces the label ordinarily photo-lithographed on the metal cover 2. I

Partially sheared through the card 3 are two cars 3a, and under these ears, when lifted, the canopener 0 is inserted, the handle H of the opener lying flat on the card and below the plane in which lies the top of the flanged portions 2a of the cover.

Thus the cans can be closely stacked in ship ping in cartons with no space wasted. The opener is always available for opening the can, and the means required for securing it to the card is so simple that very little additional cost in providing it is involved. g

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the sheared portion is cut to make the two ears 30 on a substantially ogee line. This provides an overlapping efiect calculated to better secure the can-opener when positioned 1on-. gitudinally of the card. This particular shape so of sheared line is'not absolutely essential as a straight, diagonal cut, such as shown in Fig. 5, may serve the same purpose as the ogee line.

Furthermore, a construction as disclosed in Fig.

6 and Fig. 7, in which a loop 30 is employed for 55' the can-opener securing means, would suffice, but in this latter design the portion 30 should be pressed outwardly with a die, so that no deformation in the card, when the tool is inserted under the loop, will take place.

The advantage accruing from the use of my invention in marketing commercially packed or canned food fish and other products, in which the can-opening implement is used, may be summarized as follows: low cost of printing and attaching the labels; convenient method 01' securing the key, or can-opening tool; unobstructiveness of the keys in stacking the cans; and the generally favorable appearance of the container when exhibited on the counter of the market-man.

What I claim is:

1. The combination, with a can cover having a depression therein defined by a flat bottom portion surrounded by wall portions rising at right angles thereto, of a card, having indicia imprinted thereon constituting a label, disposed in said depression, said card being or such size and so positioned in the depression that its edges frictionally engage the said wall portions, and two ears partially sheared from said card adapted to be forced outwardly to embrace andhold an object disposed on said card.

2. The combination, with a container cover having a depression therein, said depression being defined by a flat bottom portion surrounded by 10 wall portions rising at right angles thereto, 01 a card, having indicia imprinted thereon, disposed in said depression, said card closely fitting the walls of said depression and irictionally held therein by the engagement of its edges with said 15'

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