US3153492A

US3153492A - Container opening device

Info

Publication number: US3153492A
Application number: US136400A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Verne Clair
Original assignee: Kelsey Hayes Co
Current assignee: Kelsey Hayes Co
Priority date: 1961-09-01
Filing date: 1961-09-01
Publication date: 1964-10-20
Anticipated expiration: 1981-10-20

Description

Oct. 20, 1964 v. CLAIR, JR

CONTAINER OPENING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 1, 1961 FIG.3

INVENTOR. Verne Clair, Jr.

ATTYORNEY.

V. CLAIR, JR

CONTAINER OPENING DEVICE Oct. 20, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 1, 1961 FIG.8

FIGJI FIG.9

IN l/E N TOR.

r- J .W. m C e n a V 2 plll r G F ATTORNEY.

Oct. 20, 1964 v. CLAIR, JR

CONTAINER OPENING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 1, 1961 INVENTOR. Verne Clair, Jr.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,153,492 CQNTAINER OPENING DEVKIE Verne flair, in, New Hartford, N511, assignor to Kelsey- Hayes Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of 'Delaware Filed Sept. l, 1961, Ser. No. 136,400 4 Claims. (U. 22054) The present invention relates to container opening devices and a method of making the same, more particularly to easy opening devices of'the general type comprising a rip or tearing tag or'detachable member being cold pressure welded to a wall portion of a container consisting of cold pressure weldable metal, such as aluminum, by means of an indentation pressure welded joint, to provide a strip-like weakened section or area of said wall portion, in such a manner as to effect severing or rupturing of the container metal along said area and to produce au opening in the container wall, upon forcefully pulling or tearing said tag or member off said wall portion, substantially without the aid of a special con-- tainer opening tool or implement, such as an opening key, can opene'r'or the like;

There is already described in U.S. Patent No. 2,792,145

a rip tag easy container opener or detachable member of this type which consists of cold pressure weldable metal,

such as aluminum, said tag overlying a wall portion of a sealed container also consisting of coldpressure Weldable material and being secured thereto by a closed lineat solid phase indentation pressure welded joint, such as for instance a ring-shaped joint where it is desired to produce a circular opening in the container wall. Due to the reduced metal thickness or weakened cross-section of the container wall at the weld line or indented area, as well as to the pressure hardening of the metal at said area, compared with the adjoining non-indented areas of the container wall, an opening conforming to the configuration or contour of the weld line or indentation will :be torn in the container wall by severing or rupturing of the container metal, upon forcefully pulling or tearing said tag off the container metal substantially without requiring a separate opening aid or implement. Such easy container opening devices are especially suitable for use in connection with aluminum cans or containers used for the storage of foods or other substances, in particular liquid or semi-liquid substances, due to the relative softness and high degree of cold weldability of the aluminurn used as container material.

While easy container opening devices of the type according to the aforementioned patent are especially suitable for the production of relatively small openings in a container wall, such as for producing pouring or venting holes in a sealed container containing a liquid or semi-liquid substance, it has furthermore been proposed by U.S. Patent 2,946,478 in the'name of the present applicant as joint inventor, to produce larger openings by combining a cold welded tearing tag of thetype mentioned with a weakened or scored line or linesof the con tainer wall, in such a manner as to cause the weld indentation of the container wall to smoothly merge into the score indentation, whereby to first tear or rupture the container metal along the weld line or contour and thereafter along the scoring indentation, in such a manner as to result in an opening having an outline or configuration composed of the combined weld and score indentations of the container wall. In this manner, it is posf sible for instance to remove the entire top or any other wall portion of a container" by the aid of a relatively small rip or tearing 'tag or the like detachable member being cold pressure welded to the container wall.

Recently it has become customary, for economical and other reasons, to employ aluminum containers made of ice meals or pre-mixed foods, or the like substances. In the a case of containers of this type, diificulties have been experienced in controlling the weld and/or scoring indentations in an effort to ensure consistent and uniform results or to avoid leaks and other defects, as Well as to reduce the number of rejects or defective cold welded joints or scorings of the finished units. Besides, in the case of a material thickness of the order of magnitudes of a few thousandths of an inch, the construction of the indenting tools or dies for elfecting both the welding and scoring operations, as well as the frequent die replacement, becomes an ever increasing and vital problem, whereby to render'the techniques and methods according to the prior patents more and more unsuited or impractical as the gauge thickness of the container material is decreased or as the latter assumes the characteristics of flexible metal sheet or foil having a gauge thickness of the order of magnitude mentioned hereinabove. i

Accordingly, an important object of the present inventionis the provision of an improved tearing tag' container opening device of the type referred to and a novel method or technique for producing the same, by which the foregoing and related difiiculties and drawback inconnection with metal sheet containers or containers having a wall thickness of the order of and less than about 0.030 inch.

Another object of the invention is the elimination in the production of easy container opening devices of the type referred to of any special welding and scoring dies or tools subject to rapid wear as well as to other defects and requiring frequent adjustments and replacements.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of an improved cold welded type easy container opening device for sealed sheet metal containers or the like which is both simple in construction and can be produced economically and expeditiously; which does not require any special pressure welding tools subject to Wear and other defects and requiring frequent replacements; which can be readily adapted to varying types or shapes of containers or openings to be produced; and which will ensure an effortless tearing or production of an opening in or separation of a desired wall portion of a sheet metal container or the like by the average person, substantially without requiring a special implement or opening aid and without the danger of injury to the user whil effecting an opening operation.

The invention, both as to the foregoing and related objects as well as novel aspects thereof, will be better understood fromthe following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a sealed sheet metal container being fitted with a rip tag easy opening device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

'FIG. 2 is a plan view of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view illustrating a tool arrangement for the production of a strip-like cold welded tearing tag or member according to the invention, the position of the elements shown corresponding to the assembly prior to the cold welding operation;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2 and showing the cold welded tear strip or tag impressed in the container wall;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cold welded strip of FIG. 4; r

FIG. 6 is a plan view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 illustrates a modified easy opening rip tag or tear strip opener according to the invention for the separation of the top of a cylindrical container;

FIG. 8 shows an arrangement similar to FIG. 7 but for the production of a modified easy opening tear strip constructed according to the invention and structurally embodied in the double crimp joint of the top or cover of a container, the parts being shown in the position prior to the cold welding operation;

FIG. 11 shows the top according to FIG. after the welding of the tear strip;

FIG. 12 shows the top in the finalposition joined to the container body;

FIG. 13 is a plan piew of the completed container embodying a rip tag opener according to FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a tool assembly for producing a combined tear strip according to the invention and hermetic seal of two container halves;

FIG. 15 is a top view of the container made in accordi I ance with FIG. 14; and

FIG. 16 is an enlarged cross-section taken on line 1616 of FIG. '1.

Like reference characters denote like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

With the foregoing objects in view, the invention involves generally the provision of an elongated or stripi like tearing or container opening member being embedded in a corresponding depression or indentation of a container wall so to fit therein closely and being cold pressure welded to the bottom of said indentation, except for an end portion of said member projecting beyond said wall superimposing an elongated impression member of cold pressure weldable metal, preferably in the form of a wire bent to the desired shape or configuration, upon a container wall portion also consisting of cold pressure weldable material, after cleaning the areas of contact of the members to remove the oxide surface film and other contaminating matter, and applying a pressure to the contacting'members by means of apair of simple flat-surfaced pressure tools or dies, to cause the wire or the like member to become flattened and impressed into and flush with the surface of the container wall and to be cold pressure welded thereto by means of a single pressure application.

The relation between the diameter or cross-sectional dimension of the wire member to-the gauge thickness of the container wall is such as to create an adequate interfacial metal flow between the mating and expanding wire and container metal surfacesconducive to joining both members by a solid phase cold pressure welded bond or joint upon substantially completely embedding said wire in the container wall. In other words, the extent of weakening or scoring of the container metal may be accurately controlled by the diameter and'other characteristics, such as the degree of hardness relative to the container metal, of the wire or the like member without the use of any special tools or dies having indenters difi'icult to produce and to maintain, especially in case of reduced gauge thicknesses of the container material of the order of magnitude mentioned hereinahove. Another advantage of this technique of producing a cold welded tearing tag or strip is the fact that the wire or the like elongated impression member which serves both as an indenting (scoring) 7 tool or die and as a cold welded rip or tearing strip, may

to serve as a tearing tag, for the rupturing or severing of the container metal along the edges of said indentation by lifting and forcefully pulling said tag and member oif the container wall. The linear strip-like depression or indentation of suitable width and depth and the cold welded tearing tag or strip embedded therein may have any desired shape orconfiguration conforming with the size and outline of the opening to be produced in the container wail.

Looked at from a different angle, the improved tearing tag easy opening device according to the invention constitutes a kind of filled score line or strip having a desired configuration, to provide a weakened section of the container wall along the trace or outline of the opening to be produced with the tearing tag or strip being firmly embedded in said indentation and secured thereto by cold pressure welding. There is eliminated in this manner the problem of aligning a relatively short tag with a scored section or line, while avoiding undesirable weakening of the scored areas by the latter being'reinforced or strengthened by the tear strip proper, in a manner as will become further apparent as the description proceeds:

Aside from the aforementioned advantage of a purely structural nature of the easy opening device according to the invention, an essential further advantage resides in the ease and reliability of both scoring or weakening the material andwelding the tearing strip to the weakened or scored section of the container wall by means of a simple pressure tool assembly being devoid of any special indenters or projections subject to wear or'breakage, or requiring frequent readjustments or replacements. According to the invention, the scoring or weakening of the container wall along the trace desired to be ruptured by the tearing operation is effected in a most simple manner by be pre-shaped or bent to any desired configuration for the production of holes or openings in a container of a corresponding shape or outline. I

In the production of a cold welded tearing strip or opening device of the type described, leaving one end of the wire free so as not be flattened and impressed into the container metal provides a tag for lifting and tearing the main cold welded wire portion welded to the container metal in such a manner'as to sever the container material along the edges of the impression or indentation and to produce an opening in the container wall, as will be further understood from the following. I

7 Referring more particularly to FIGS. '1 and 2 of the drawings, the numeral 10 denotes a container made of metalsheet, such as aluminum and comprising in the example shown a pair of bottom and top halves or portions 11 and 12 provided with

meeting flanges

13 and 14, respectively, and being connected to provide a hermetic seal of the container, such as by means of a double-sided cold pressure welded indentation joint 15 located near the edges of the flanges, as shown in the drawing. The joint 15, being immaterial as far as the invention is concerned, may be of any other suitable type, such as in the form of a crimp joint (see FIG. 11), or any other joint or connection known in the art. Impressed into the flange 14 of the container part 12 and along an area inwardly of the joint 15 is an elongated or strip-like tearing strip or member 17 being cold pressure welded to the bottom of the impression or indentation formed in the flange, to provide what has been referred to as a filled score line or strip of weakened section 20 being closed upon itself and encircling the flange 14 adjacent to the top or cover 12.

In carrying the inventioninto effect, the embedded and cold welded tear strip 17 is advantageously produced by impressing a wire or the like elongated member 18 of cold pressure weldable material into the flange 14 also consisting of metal capable of cold pressure welding, as illustrated on an enlarged scale in FIG. 3. According to the latter, the superposed wire 18 and flange member 14, after cleaning of the contacting areas by scratch brushing or the like to provide pure metallic or uncontaminated surfaces, are placed between a pair. of flat-surfaced pressure tools, such as in the form of an anvil 22 supporting the flange 14 and a movable tool member 23, whereupon an adequate pressure applied to the superposed members as indicated by the arrow P in the drawing causes the wire 18 to become flattened and impressed into the container or flange metal, as shown in FIG. 4. By the proper design of the wire diameter D in relation to the gauge thickness t of the flange 14, an adequate andintense interfacial metal flow will be created between the mating and expanding surface of the wire and the flange metal conducive to effect a solid phase cold pressure welded bond or. joint between the flattened wire or strip 17 and the bottom of the indentation or scored section 20, as indicated by the dashed line a in the drawing. An end portion of the wire being left unattached and projecting from the flange 14 serves as a tearing tag preferably by reversely bending the same upon itself, as shown at 18 in FIGS. 1 and 2. As a consequence, lifting and pulling of the tag 18 from the flange ldcauses the flange being severed or ruptured along the edges of the indentation or weakened area resulting from the impression and cold welding operation, as shown at sections x-x in FIG. 4, in such a manner as to result in the separation or removal of the top or cover portion 12 from the container portion 11. This severing operation requires little or no effort due to the closely controlled weakening or thickness of the depressed or scored section Ztlreinforced by the tear strip 17, whereby to allow the opener to be used safely and expeditiously by the average person Without any separate aid or opening implement.

While the ratio between the flange thickness t and the diameter D of the wire 18 is not critical in any narrow sense, it will be appreciated that a wire of too small a diameter will result in the lack of an adequate interfacial metal flow required for cold pressure welding, while too great a wire diameter will result in crushing of the flange before any metal flow at the interfacehas been started. For practical purposes, satisfactory results may be obtained with wires having a diameter from about three to ten times the gauge thickness of the container wall for members having the same degree of hardness, the most favorable relation being advantageously determined by a few simple tests or experiments, to suit existing conditions and requirements. As an example, a wire diameter of about three times the gauge thickness wil result in the wire being distorted to a strip having a width about ten times and having a thichness of about 0.75 times of the gauge thickness of the container material, to in turn create an adequate interfacial metal flow between the members conducive to cold pressure welding in the manner described. As a consequence, there will be left a thickness d of the impressed or indented area 2% of the flange or container wall equal to about one fourth of the original wall thickness, whereby to ensure safe and easy rupturing of the wall metal along the edges of the indentation or tear strip, respectively;

In a practical case, a flange or sheet gauge thickness of t=0.0l inch and a wire diameter of D=0.032 inch resulted in a tear strip 17 of a width w=0.100 inch and 0.0075 inch thickness, leaving a thickness d of 0.0025 of the reduced or scored material 20 suflicient for easy and expeditious tearing or rupturing of the joint in the manner described.

In order to effect a gradual merging of the flattened wire portion 17 into the unflattened portion or tag 18, as shown A in FIGS. and 6, the pressure tool 23 may be formed with a suitable curved edge or corner, in the manner shown at 24 in FIG. 3. It is further understood that in place of a round Wire as shown in the drawings, the initial cross-section of the impressed member may have any suitable shape, such as square, rectangular, etc. Furthermore, the container may have any shape other than rectangular and the tearing tag may .be used for purposes other than opening of a container and involving the tearor the like member 26 is. preferably located as close as I possible to the edge of the top24, as shown at 26 with the ends of the flattened portion meeting or slightly overlapping one another, to result in a complete severing or removal of the top 24-, and with the unflattened portion being bent radially inwardly and into a circular tearing tag or member 26.

FIG. 8 shows another modification of a tearing tag or strip according to the invention, wherein a limited number of spaced fractional portions of the wire 26 are impressed into and welded to the container wall or top 24 by means of a suitably designed pressure tool 23, FIG. 3, having spaced projections or indenters as will be readily understood. Acccrding to this modification, a number of holes along the weld lines or contours 27 will be torn in the top 24, whereby to render this type of opener especially suited for use in connection with containers for the storage and dispensing of powdery or granular substances.

While according to the FIG. 7 modification the entire top 24 is removed from the container 25, it is furthermore possible to produce an opening of limited size only in the container wall, such as a pouring or venting hole, especially for the discharge of liquid or semi-liquid sub stances stored in the container. A construction of an easy opener of this type is shown by FIG. 9, wherein both nonflattened ends of the wire 28 are twisted to form a tearing tag 28, while the flattened and impressed wire portion 28' is bent to an oval, circular or the like closed shape conforming to the opening to be produced in the container wall.

FIGS. 10 to 13 illustrate a further embodiment'of the invention especially suited for circular containers having a top or cover connected to the container body by a double crimp or an equivalent joint including an intermediate cylindrical portion parallel to the container wall, whereby by the provision of an easy opening tag or strip according to the invention upon said intermediate portion thertop of the container may be removed and reused for protecting the contents left after partially emptying the container, in the manner described in and further understood from the following. Referring to FIG. 10, the numeralEtl represents a circular container top or cover having a central depressed portion 31, an intermediate ring-shaped portion 32 and an outer or pre-bent rim portion 33. The cover portion 32 is shown positioned upon a flat anvil 34 and a wire ring 35 is in turn placed in contact with the portion 32 after scratchbrushing or otherwise treating the contacting areas to remove the oxide surface film and other contamination. The wire 35 is then impressed into and cold welded to the container top by the aid of a suitable flat-surface welding tool member 36, to produce an embedded tear strip 38 in the intermediate portion 32, in the manner described and shown by FIG. 11. The top 30 together with the embedded tear strip 38 is then secured to the open end of the container body 4% by a double crimp joint by interlocking the reversely bent edge portion 41 of the container with the edge portion 33 of the top 30, in such a manner as to cause the intermediate portion 32 of the top to assume a cylindrical shape parallel to the container wall 40, as shown by FIG. 12. As a consequence, upon tearing of the strip 38 by the aid of the projecting wire or tag 35, FIG. 13, the top will be completely separated from the container body along the line yy and may be reapplied for protecting the contents left in the container.

FIGS. 14 to 16 illustrate yet another modification of the invention, wherein the embedded wire or the like de tachable tearing member serves both as a hermetic seal- 7 ing means for the container end as a tear strip or easy opening device asdescribed herein. For'this purpose, a ring-shaped wire 35, FIG. 14, is placed between the

superposed flanges

13 and 14 of the two halves or parts 11 and 12 of a cylindrical or otherwise shaped container, whereby the flanges will be joined by the flattening of the Wire to both

members

13 and 14 upon application of a suitable pressure P to the members bynieans of the

tools

34 and 36, as shown at 33 in FIG. 16. In order to enable starting of the tearing action along the weakened edges or sections xx, a separate tab 41 is connected to the flange 14 overlying the embedded sealing and tearing strip 38, such as by means of a criss-cross cold pressure welded joint according to US. Patent No. 2,894,322, as shown at 42, or by any other suitable means or method. As a consequence, upon lifting and pullingthe tab 41, the

flanges

14 and 15 will be severed along the weakened portions indicated at xx, whereby to result in the separation of the container halves 11 and 12, in a manner readily understood from the foregoing.

In the foregoing, the invention has been described with reference to a few illustrative devices or embodiments.

'Itwill be evident, however, that variations and modifications, as well as the substitution of equivalent parts or elements for those shown and described, may be made within tthe broader scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended'claims. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense.

I claim: I

1. in combination with a sealed container having at least a wall portion consisting of cold pressure weldable sheet metal; opening means comprising La strip-like area of weakened thickness of said wall portion having a width equal to a substantial multiple of the gauge. thickness of said wall portion, to provide an indentation having an outline corresponding to the outline of an opening to be produced in said container, and a flat elongated detachable member of cold pressure weldable metal having top, bottom and side walls forming a cross-section sub stantially conforming to the cross-section of said indentation, said member arranged in close-fitting engagement with said indentation and having its bottom wall connected to the bottom of said indentation by a solid-phase cold pressure welded bond, said member having an end portion being unattached to and projecting from said wall portion, to provide a pull tab, whereby to cause severing of the container metal along the edges of said indentation by pulling of said tab.

2. In combination with a sealed container having at least a wall portion consisting of cold pressure weldable metal sheet; opening means comprising a weakened striplike area of said wall portion having a thickness less than one half of the gauge thickness of said wall portion and a width equal to a substantial multiple of said gauge thickness, to provide an indentation having an outline corresponding to the outline of an opening to be produced in said container, and an elongated detachable member of cold pressure weldable material comprising a main flattened portion having top, bottom and side walls forming a cross-section substantially conforming to the crosssection, of said indentation, said main portion arranged in close-fitting engagement with said indentation and having its bottom wallconnected to the bottom of said indentation by a solid-phase cold pressure welded bond, and a non-flattened end portion of said member being unattached to said wall portion and gradually merging into said flattened portion, to provide a pull tab, whereby to cause a severing of the container metal along the edges of said indentation by pulling of saidtab.

3. In a container opening device as claimed in claim 2, said indentation and member being substantially closed upon-themselves and adjoining and-following the edge of a container wall, for severing and removing said wall by pulling of said tab Y 4. In combination with a sealed container of the type having a container portion provided with a flange, a cover portion consisting of cold pressure weldable material having an outer zone conforming to and overlying said flange, and means forming a hermetic joint between the outer edge portion of said flange and cover portion; opening means for said container, comprising a-strip-like area of said cover portion located inwardly of said joint and having a substantially weakened cross-section, to provide an indentation parallel'to the edge of said cover portion, and an elongated detachable member of'cold pressure weldable material and comprising a main flattened portion having top, bottom and side walls forming a cross-section substantially conforming to the cross-section of said indentation, said main portion arranged in close-fitting engagement with said indentation and having its bottom wall connected to the bottom of said indentation by a solid-phase cold pressure welded bond, and an end portion of said member gradually merging into said flattened portion and being unattached to said cover portion, to provide a pull tab, whereby to enable opening of said container by severing of the cover metal along the edges of said indentation by pulling of said tab.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 924,507 Strathmann .Tune 8, 1909 2,354,081 Weder July 18, 1944 2,592,734 Pike Apr. 15, 1952 2,707,823 Sowter May 10, 1955 2,763,057 Clair Sept. 18, 1956 2,792,145 Sowter May 14, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 127,721 Great Britain June 4, 1919 706,987 France May 26, 1931

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A SEALED CONTAINER HAVING AT LEAST A WALL PORTION CONSISTING OF COLD PRESSURE WELDABLE SHEET METAL; OPENING MEANS COMPRISING A STRIP-LIKE AREA OF WEAKENED THICKNESS OF SAID WALL PORTION HAVING A WIDTH EQUAL TO A SUBSTANTIAL MULTIPLE OF THE GAUGE THICKNESS OF SAID WALL PORTION, TO PROVIDE AN INDENTATION HAVING AN OUTLINE CORRESPONDING TO THE OUTLINE OF AN OPENING TO BE PRODUCED IN SAID CONTAINER, AND A FLAT ELONGATED DETACHABLE MEMBER OF COLD PRESSURE WELDABLE METAL HAVING TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS FORMING A CROSS-SECTION SUBSTANTIALLY CONFORMING TO THE CROSS-SECTION OF SAID INDENTATION, SAID MEMBER ARRANGED IN CLOSE-FITTING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID INDENTATION AND HAVING ITS BOTTOM WALL CONNECTED TO THE BOTTOM OF SAID INDENTATION BY A SOLID-PHASE COLD PRESSURE WELDED BOND, SAID MEMBER HAVING AN END PORTION BEING UNATTACHED TO AND PROJECTING FROM SAID WALL PORTION, TO PROVIDE A PULL TAB, WHEREBY TO CAUSE SEVERING OF THE CONTAINER METAL ALONG THE EDGES OF SAID INDENTATION BY PULLING OF SAID TAB.