Means for opening containers of all kinds

June 18, 1935.

E. SAIGNIER

2,005,665

MEANS FOR OPENING CONTAINERS OF ALL KINDS

Filed May 9, 1934

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Patented June 18, 1935

2,005,665

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ' --.2,005,665

MEANS FOR OPENING CONTAINERS OF ALL KINDS

Etienne Saignier, Faria, France

Application May 9, 1934, Serial No. 724,790 In France March 1, 1934

Claim. (CL 229—51)

It is well known to Insert under a cover consisting of paper, a thread permitting the tear of the cover. Such threads must be necessarily fixed at one of their extremities and permit only of a 5 rectilinear tear; besides, they are embarrassing for packing up and complicate enorhiously the task of the packer.

First of all, no practical method exists for fixing a thread longitudinally. It is obvious that 10 by using for this purpose a gummed band overlapping the thread, either the band or the paper will be torn but never both of them simultaneously, so that the object aimed at is not obtained since neither in the first case nor in the 15 second one cover is entirely opened.

Secondly, it is obvious that if a paper cover is closed by a usual gummed band applied to the joint of the cover, the essential condition for the efficiency of a tearing thread placed underneath 2Q such band is the exact placing of the thread in the line of the joint as otherwise the package cannot be opened.

It is also extremely difficult for a single person packing up, to maintain the thread exactly in 25 place and to stick a gummed band above the same.

The present invention obviates these drawbacks and consists in that the thread is imbedded in a sheath formed simply by folding and stick30 ing together of the two parts of a paper band, the thread being placed in the folding line of this band. This band is also gummed at one of its outer sides so as to permit its easy application for all kinds of packages.

This band with its thread can be easily attached at any desired spot. By a simple pull on the extremity of the thread the same frees itself from its sheath by tearing this sheath exactly at the line of folding, and the point of attachment of the thread to its sheath displaces itself simultaneously with tear, so that by a suitable disposal of the sheath openings of all knids can be effected.

Moreover, owing to the fact that the thread liberates itself from the sheath exactly along the 45 folding line of the same, this sheath fixed for example inwardly of the package or roll or the like to be opened will not bridge over the two paper lips to be torn as it frequently happens with the known arrangement of a thread placed under50 neath a usual gummed band.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawing;showing in:

Figs. 1 and 2 the known; mostly inoperative, arrangement of a tearing thread below a gummed 55 band,

Figs. 3 and 4 the establishment of a sheath according to a first embodiment of the invention,

Figs. 5 and 6 two analogous views of another embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 7 another embodiment of the same, and 5

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 the mode of utilization of the sheath according to the invention for some typical cases.

According to Fig. 1 a simple tearing thread a is used for effecting the tear of a paper cover b, this 10 thread being fixed longitudinally by means of a gummed band c bridging oyer this thread. Now it is obvious that on pulling this thread in the direction / or f, either the paper b or the gummed band c will be tom up but never both of them 15 at the same time, so that neither in the one case nor in the other the coyer will be separated into two parts since they remain connected either by the bridge c (if tearing in the direction /) or by the paper b itself (if tearing in the direction /'). 20

The same will be the case with the arrangement according to Fig. 2.

According to the same, the two lips id' of a paper cover, for example a roller e, shall be Separated from each other by means of a thread 25 a provided below a gummed band c. In order to ensure efficiency of this arrangement, the thread ought to be placed exactly with regard to the lips d d', otherwise the package cannot be opened since the band c will be not tom exactly there 30 where it forms a sealing bridge between the lips dd'. Besides, it is very difficult for a person alone occupied with the packing up to maintain the thread in place and to stick the gummed band above the same. 35

According to the invention a paper band Λ (Fig. 3) is folded and in the folding line a thread a is placed, whereupon the both sides of the fold are stuck together. In the line of folding the band is, owing to the introduction of the thread, 40 swelled up, so as to form a pad fc.

A longitudinal border i (Fig. 4) of the paper band may be left so as to surpass the fold and to constitute means for fixation of the sheath to the package to be opened, since this border is cov- 45 ered with a glue.

It is also possible (Figs. 5 and 6) to fold exactly in the middle line of the band, one of the outer sides j being in this case covered with a sticking material. It is also possible to use an additional 50 band I covered on both its sides with an adhering material so as to permit of its fixation to the sheath and to the package paper.

The sheath prepared in this way is fixed, by wetting its gummed part, underneath the paper 55

2,005,665 . to be torn, viz. inwardly of the package or envelope to be opened, taking care that one or both of its extremities project outwardly.

From the free extremity of the sheath the ex5 tremity a’ of the thread or string is easily liberated (Fig. 8). On pulling laterally this extremity, the thread a will be liberated from its sheath, exactly in the folding line of the same, and at the same time the paper m gets torn, when the 10 sheath h has been fixed to the underside of paper m.

It is essential that the point of attachment of the thread to the sheath displaces itself simultaneously with the trace of tearing, whereby it is 15 possible to produce openings of all forms, as for example rectilinear, curved, and so on.

This particular action is especially interesting for providing window-like openings such as n (Fig. 9) in a cover or package or for effecting 20 opening in a broken or even curved line, which cannot be obtained by a simple tearing thread (since by the same, straight tears only are possible) .

The particular fact that the tearing thread is 25 disposed in the folding line of the sheath, permits not only tearing up in two opposite directions perpendicular to the plane of the paper but also in this plane itself, which last named feature permits the adaptation of such a sheath 30 for envelopes and the like; the sheath Is placed in this case inwardly in the folding line of the envelope to be opened.

It is to be noted that the tearing sheath according to the Invention, which cannot be con85 founded with the hitherto usual sealing band, permits of its being placed at any desired point of the package, for example on the border of the cover of a box (Fig. 10), previously to the outfit of the same, and can be even adapted preliminarily by the manufacturer of the boxes so as to allow the packer to dispense with this kind of work. The packer therefore does not have to situate the tearing thread exactly with 5 regard to the joint, and can limit himself to labelling.

The extremity h’ of the sheath h can also be placed at right angle to the rest of the sheath so as to project outwardly. io

The paper tearing sheath according to the invention constitutes consequently a very appropriate means for an easy and exact placing of the tearing thread or the like at the desired spot, this thread being situated in the folding 15 line of the sheath, and liberating itself and tearing the paper cover exactly there where it Is required, without any possibility for the sheath stuck below the paper to bridge over the lips of the paper. 20

The paper tearing sheath according to the invention can be fixed on all packages, metallic or non-metallic boxes, to paper labels, rollers, casings, letter-envelopes, and the like.