US3630408A

US3630408A - Protective bead for a container opening

Info

Publication number: US3630408A
Application number: US56801A
Authority: US
Inventors: William F Elser
Original assignee: Owens Illinois Inc
Current assignee: Automated Container Corp
Priority date: 1970-07-21
Filing date: 1970-07-21
Publication date: 1971-12-28
Anticipated expiration: 1988-12-28

Abstract

This application discloses a metallic convenience closure of the full panel tear-out type for a container body, in which the closure upstanding sidewall which perimetrically surrounds the central closure panel is provided with an inwardly extending protective bead. This bead is spaced above and extends generally parallel to the closure central panel. The score line which circumscribes the removable portion of the closure panel is located entirely radially outwardly of the bead, and therefore the sharp edge which is formed along such score line when the removable portion is removed is in noncutting relationship with the hand of a person manually emptying the contents of the associated container. The closure is provided with a removal tab, the nose of which is located in the space between the closure panel and the protective bead. The protective bead also serves to radially stiffen the associated container, and a closure with such bead may be used to particular advantage with a semirigid container body, e.g., a composite, laminated container body deriving its strength principally from one or more cylindrically wound fiberboard plys or laminations.

Description

United State-s Patent [72] Inventor William I". Elser Toledo, Ohio 21 Appl. No. 56,801

[22] Filed July 21, 1970 [45] Patented Dec. 28, 1971 [73] Assignee Owens-Illinois, Inc.

Continuation of application Ser. No. 808,022, Mar. 17, 1969, now abandoned. This application July 21, 1970, Ser. No. 56,801

[54] PROTECTIVE BEAD FOR A CONTAINER UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/l967 Taylor 3,434,623 3/1969 Cookson .a

ABSTRACT: This application discloses a metallic convenience closure of the full panel tear-out type for a container body, in which the closure upstanding sidewall which perimetrically surrounds the central closure panel is provided with an inwardly extending protective bead. This bead is spaced above and extends generally parallel to the closure central panel. The score line which circumscribes the removable portion of the closure panel is located entirely radially outwardly of the bead, and therefore the sharp edge which is formed along such score line when the removable portion is removed is in noncutting relationship with the hand of a person manually emptying the contents of the associated container. The closure is provided with a removal tab, the nose of which is located in the space between the closure panel and the protective bead. The protective bead also serves to radially stiffen the associated container, and a closure with such bead may be used to particular advantage with a semirigid container body, e.g., a composite, laminated container body deriving its strength principally from one or more cylindrically wound fiberboard plys or laminations,

Patented Dec. 28, 1971 3,630,408

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

\AhLLJAMEELSEE. v

imaws' I Patented Dec .28,1971 i 3, 30,402;

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. \lJmukM FT'ELSER 7 BY H6. 7 3 Q.

- 3" Ho er A'rmE JS PROTECTIVE BEAD FOR A CONTAINER OPENING This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 808,022 filed Mar. 17, I969 now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the packaging field, there has recently been a very rapid growth in popularity in convenience closures for cans and other types of containers, i.e., closures which can be opened manually without the use of a separate instrument. The selfopening feature is normally obtained by providing an element of the closure, e.g., the relatively flat central panel of a can closure, with a removable portion which is circumscribed by a tear line, formed by weakening such element along such line as by scoring. The circumscribed removable portion is removable from the closure by tearing it from the remainder of the closure, and a tab or other grasping means is normally attached to the removable portion to initiate the severing or tearing of the material at a predetermined location on the tear line by movement of the tab relative to the closure panel, and to complete the tearing or severing of the closure along the tear line by providing means to grasp the removable portion to pull it away from the rest of the closure.

Convenience closures as above described are customarily constructed of metal, as nonmetallic materials do not normally have enough strength to provide adequate safety against accidental opening in the region of the weakened tear line. Aluminum is an especially popular metal for this purpose as it has sufficient strength to safeguard against accidental opening of the closure and insufficient strength to resist tearing or severing once the intended removal of the removable portion of the closure has been initiated. In any event, however, metallic convenience closures, including aluminum convenience closures, are characterized by a rather sharp edge which is left at the tear line after the removable portion of the closure has been removed. This sharp edge can pose a safety problem with respect to the danger of cutting the hand of a user in closures of the full panel pullout type which are of increasing popularity as can closures for cans used in the packaging of products which are customarily manually removed from their container, e.g., food shortening and snack food items.

According to the present invention, however, the hand of the user of a manually emptying container with a metallic convenience closure of the full panel pullout type is protected from cutting by the sharp edge, formed in the closure panel after the removable portion has been removed, by a smooth surfaced bead which extends radially inwardly from the closure sidewall to a location which is entirely radially inwardly of the tear line of the closure. To make sure that the bead is entirely radially inwardly of the tear line, it is necessary that the bead be spaced above the closure panel by a distance sufficient to receive the terminal tear-initiating portion of a removal tab. Otherwise, the tear line, at least at the location where severing is to be initiated, would have to be located at least slightly radially inwardly of the inwardly extending bead, to prevent interference between the bead and the tear-initiating portion of the tab means. Any portion of the tear line which is located radially inwardly of the closure sidewall bead will, of course, after removal of the removable portion of the 7 panel, have a sharp edge which is exposed to contact with the hand of a user who is manually emptying the associated container and will, therefore, constitute, to a greater or lesser degree, a safety problem.

As an added benefit of the use of a closure sidewall bead, it has been found that such bead radially stifl'ens the closure, and this property can be exploited to particular advantage in closures for semirigid container bodies formed of laminated composite construction, viz the so-called fiber-cans. With respect to such containers, it has heretofore often been necessary to use extra heavy metal stock in forming the closure to impart adequate radial rigidity to the finished container. When such a composite container is finished provided with a closure according to the present invention, the closure may be formed from metal which is thinner than the metal required for container rigidity which is used in conventional closures for such containers.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved metallic convenience closure. More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a metallic convenience closure in which all portions of the sharp edge, which is formed upon removal of the removable portion of the closure, are shielded from contact with the hand of a user manually emptying the contents of the associated container.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide acontainer having a metallic convenience closure of improved construction. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a semirigid bodied container, with a composite cylindrically wound laminated body structure, having a metallic convenience closure with a bead projecting inwardly from the closure sidewall, which bead rigidities the container, in addition to shielding the sharp edge of the closure formed by removal of a removable portion therefrom. It is yet another object of this invention to provide a method for forming a metallic closure.

Further objects and a better understanding of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the drawing, the detailed description of the invention, and the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an elevational view, in cross section, of a closure according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partly in cross section, of a cylindrical container having a closure of the type shown in FIG. I affixed to the upper end thereof;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the container of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view, at enlarged scale, of a portion of the body of a container with which a closure of the type shown in FIG. I can be employed to particular advantage; and

FIGS. 5-7 are fragmentary elevational sectional views showing successive steps in a method by which a closure of the type shown in FIG. 1 can be formed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A metallic convenience closure according to the present invention, noted generally by reference character 11 in FIG. 1, comprises a generally flat central panel 12 adapted to span the opening of an associated container body. Central panel 12 is perimetrically surrounded by an upstanding wall 13, commonly referred to as a chuck wall" in the trade, which is fonned integrally with central panel 12 and which is adapted to fit snugly along the inside surface of the end portion of an associated container body. Upstanding wall 13 terminates in a generally radially outwardly extending curled flange 14, which is formed integrally with panel 12 and wall 13, and which is adapted to be assembled to the end portion of an associated container body in liquidtight relationship by a known technique commonly referred to as double seaming." A

Closure 11 is referred to as a convenience closure because a portion of the central panel 12, shown as portion 120, is manually removable from the remainder thereof, without the need for a separate instrument or tool. Removable panel portion 12a of closure 11 in the present invention is of the same shape as the interior of the container to which closure 11 is intended to be affixed, most commonly circular as shown, and is almost as large as the interior of such container. Convenience closure 11 thereby is of the full panel pullout" type, as other closures of this type are commonly called. Removable panel portion of closure 11 is removable from the remainder of the central panel 12 by tearing or severing along an endless tear line which is defined by score line means 15, most commonly comprising an endless score line.

Removable portion 12a of closure panel 12 is provided with an elongate removal tab 16 which is attached, at a location intermediate its ends, to portion 12a by riveting, preferably by an integral rivet 12b formed from the metal of the closure panel, as is well understood in the art. Removal tab 16, which is shown in FIG. 3 as being constructed generally in the shape of a T, although other popular styles of removal tabs would, of course, be satisfactory for the purpose, has its forward nose or extremity 16a disposed adjacent to, and by above, a portion of score line means 15. Initiation of the tearing or severing of closure panel 12 along score line means 15 is effected by manually lifting the remote or head end 16b of tab 16 to rotate the tab about rivet 12b in a limited arc in a plane normal to the general plane of central panel 12, thereby to depress nose 16a into severing relationship with a portion of score line means 15. Thereafter, the severing of the central panel along score line means 15, may be continued by grasping head end 16b of tab 16 and pulling it generally upwardly away from the remainder of the closure 11. When the severing is complete, the removable portion 12a, with tab means 16 still attached thereto may be discarded.

A full panel pull out convenience closure as above described may be used to particular advantage in relationship to a container for the packaging of a product of a type which is commonly manually removed from its container, for example, food shortening and various snack food items such as salted nuts. For such an application, however, it is important to protect the hand of the user of the associated container from being cut or scratched by the sharp edge which is inherently left along score line 15 in a metallic closure after removable panel 12a is removed therefrom. According to the present inventions, the sharp edge is protected from contact with the users hand by smooth surfaced bead 17 of circumferentially endless character which extends inwardly from the sidewall'13 of closure 11 to a location which is at least slightly inwardly of all portions of score line means. For example, in a closure intended for use'with a No. 502 cylindrical container body of composite construction, satisfactory protection of the hand of a user from the sharp edge surrounding a 4.860-inch-diameter container opening can be obtained by means of a bead the inner nose of which defines a circular opening 4.834-inch diameter, with its center vertically aligned with the center of the container opening.

Bead 17, which may be formed in an initially straight closure sidewall by a technique which is subsequently discussed in greater detail, must be spaced above the plane of closure panel 12 by a distance sufficient to accommodate the tear initiating nose portion [6a of tab 16, for example by a distance in the range of 0.016 -0.024 inch depending on the type of tab employed. Otherwise, score line means 15, at least in the region where a circular score line is employed, could not be positioned radially outwardly of bead 17. Without such positioning of the score line means 15 relative to bead, 17, all, or at least a portion, of the sharp edge left along the score line would be in position to injure the hand or fingers of a person using the associated container.

A closure 11, as above-described, may be affixed to an open end of a cylindrical container body, designated generally by reference character 21 in FIG. 2. As is shown in FIG. 2, closure 11 is affixed to container body 21 by means of a conventional double seam 22, which is formed by folding the flange 14 of closure 11 around a folded back terminal portion of the container body and by tightly crimping together the in terengaged portions of the closure and container body. The other end of container body 21, shown as the lower end, is also closed, as by means of a conventional metallic closure 23 affixed thereto by means of double seaming, it being noted that one or the other of

closures

11 and 23, usually conventional closure 23, is not seamed onto the container body until after the single-ended body is filled with the product to be packaged (not shown).

Container body 21 may be considered to be of any conventional container body-forming material, including aluminum, tinplate and composite fiber-foil or fiber-film laminates. A metallic convenience closure 11, as described above, can be used with any of such container body types and in each case it will provide the safety features noted above.- However, anadditional advantage may be realized when such a closure is used with a container body 11 which is formed of composite fiber laminates, the portion of a wall of which is shown in section in FIG. 4. Such a container body, which lacks the rigidity under radial load of metallic container body, is formed by cylindrically winding e.g., by spirally winding, in known fashion, one or more body plys or lamina, shown as two plys 26 and 27, an outer impervious liner label ply or lamina 24 and an inner impervious liner ply or lamina 25.

It has frequently been found that container bodies formed of such composite, laminated construction required heavier gage closures than were required for metallic container bodies of similar size, in order to provide added rigidity to the completed container. A metallic convenience closure 11 according to the present invention, however, has added rigidity in the radial direction due to the presence of radially extending bead 17. Because of this added rigidity of the closure, it is expected that it will be possible to use closure stock of reduced thickness to obtain comparable rigidity in containers with composite laminated container bodies to the rigidity obtained with conventional metallic convenience closures for such purpose of greater thickness. For example, a convenience closure formed of 0.008- or .0.009-inch-thick aluminum sheet, according to the present invention, is expected to be satisfactory for No. 401 cylindrical can body of. laminated composite construction, (compared with a conventional sheet thickness of 0.010 inch for this size closure) a closure formed of 0.0l0-inch-thick aluminum sheet, according to the present invention, is expected to be satisfactory for a No. 502 cylindrical can body (compared with a conventional sheet thickness of 0.012 inch for this size closure), and a closure formed of 0.007-inch-thick aluminum sheet, according to the present invention, is expected to be satisfactory for a No. 21 l cylindrical can body (compared with a conventional sheet thickness of 0.008 inch for this size closure).

A metallic convenience closure according to the present invention can be readily formed by the technique illustrated in FIGS. 5-7 from a closure blank A shown fragmentarily which is similar to a conventional closure blank except for a slightly deeper side or chuck wall. As is shown in FIG. 5, a loose shallow bead B is formed in the sidewall C of closure blank by tangentially engaging the sidewall between counterrotating tools D and E which have, respectively, engaging bead-forming male and female tool surfaces F and G, respectively. After forming a loose shallow bead B in closure blank A by the procedure illustrated in FIG. 5, the prebeaded blank is transferred to a scoring die comprising a scoring tool F for scoring the blank along an endless circular line G, the diameter of which is less than the inner diameter of the loose shallow bead B, as is shown in FIG. 6. Thereupon, the prebeaded and scored blank is transferred to a press which serves to press or collapse the loose, shallow bead to a tight, deep head H, the inner diameter of which is less than the diameter of bead B. This pressing action is obtained by the action of die members .I,K,L and M respectively, as is shown in FIG. 7. .l and K exert a pressing action upon the closure flange and bead. Distance x between K and J is adjustable and controls the degree of bead collapse and the distance or clearance between the bead and panel L is a spring-backed flange support ring which prevents distortion of the flange 14 during the pressing action. M is the fixed support plate for the end during the pressing action.

The best mode known to me to carry out this invention has been described above in terms sufficiently full, clear, concise and exact as to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the same. It is understood, however, that it is within my contemplation that certain modifications of the abovedescribed mode of practicing the invention can be made by a skilled artisan without departing from the scope of the invention and it is, therefore, desired to limit the invention only in accordance with the appended claims. For example, it is expressly contemplated that the invention can be applied to noncircular closures, for example, to closures for generally oval shaped containers, such as sardine containers and precooked ham container. I

l. A metallic convenience closure for a cylindrical container comprising, in combination: a central panel comprising a removable portion and a fixed portion surrounding the removable portion; an upstanding wall integrally attached to said fixed portion and perimetrically surrounding said central panel; a circumferentially endless U-shaped bead formed in the upstanding wall and extending inwardly in a direction generally parallel to said central panel, said bead defining a circumferentially endless space above the central panel and being normally-nonremovable with said removable portion; score line means forming a severing line completely surrounding and defining the removable portion of the central panel, said score line means being located entirely in the portion of the panel which underlies said bead, whereby all portions of the sharp edge of the central panel which is inherently formed along the severing line when the removable panel is removed from the'remaining portion of the central panel will be located radially outwardly of the bead and in noncutting relationship relative to the hand of a person manually emptying the contents of an associated container after said removable portion has been removed; and manually graspable tab means attached to said central panel for initiating severing of the central panel at a predetermined location on said score line means, for pulling the removable portion from the central panel to complete severing of the central panel along the score line means and for removing the removable portion of the central panel after the severing is completed, said tab means having a terminal portion initially disposed in the space between the bead and the score line means in alignment with the predetermined location of the score line means.

2. A generally cylindrical container comprising, in combination: a semirigid No. 502 size container body formed of composite laminated construction and including at least one fiberboard structural lamination; means closing and stiffening one end of the container body; and a convenience closure formed of aluminum sheet of a maximum thickness of 0.010 inch attached to and closing the other end of the container body; said convenience closure comprising, in combination, a central panel comprising a removable portion and a fixed portion surrounding the removable portion, an upstanding wall integrally attached to said fixed portion and perimetrically surrounding said central panel, a circumferentially endless U- shaped bead formed in the upstanding wall and extending inwardly in a direction generally parallel to said central panel, said bead being spaced above the central panel and being normally nonremovable with said removable portion, score line means forming a severing line completely surrounding and defining the removable portion of the central panel, said score line means being located entirely in the portion of the panel which underlies said bead, whereby all portions of the sharp edge of the central panel which is inherently formed along the severing line when the removable panel is removed from the remaining portion of the central panel will be located radially outwardly of the bead and in noncutting relationship relative to the hand of a person manually emptying the contents of an associated container after said removable portion has been removed, and manually graspable tab means attached to said central panel for initiating severing of the central panel at a predetermined location on said score line means, for pulling the removable portion from the central panel to complete severing of the central panel along the score line means and for removing the removable portion of the central panel after the severing is completed, said tab means having a terminal portion initially disposed in the space between the bead and the score line means in alignment with the predetermined location of the score line means, said bead also serving to stiffen said other end of the container body.

3. A generally cylindrical container comprising, in combination a semirigid No. 401 size container bod formed of composite laminated construction and mclu mg at least one fiberboard structural lamination; means closing and stiffening one end of the container body; and a convenience closure formed of aluminum sheet of a maximum thickness of 0.009 inch attached to and closing the other end of the container body, said convenience closure comprising, in combination, a central panel comprising a removable portion and a fixed portion surrounding the removable portion, an upstanding wall integrally attached to said fixed portion and perimetrically surrounding said central panel, a circumferentially endless U- shaped bead formed in the upstanding wall and extending inwardly in a direction generally parallel to said central panel, said bead being spaced above the central panel and being normally nonremovable with said removable portion, score line means forming a severing line completely surrounding and defining the removable portion of the central panel which underlies said bead, whereby all portion of the sharp edge of the central panel which is inherently formed along the severing line.

4. A generally cylindrical container comprising, in combination: a semirigid No. 211 size container body formed of composite laminated construction and including at least one fiberboard structural lamination; means closing and stifiening one end of the container body; and a convenience closure formed of aluminum sheet of a maximum thickness of 0.007 inch attached to and closing the other end of the container body; said convenience closure comprising, in combination, a central panel comprising a removable portion and a fixed portion surrounding the removable portion, an upstanding wall integrally attached to said fixed portion and perimetrically surrounding said central panel, a circumferentially endless U- shaped bead formed in the upstanding wall and extending inwardly in a direction generally parallel to said central panel, said bead being spaced above the central panel and being normally nonremovable with said removable portion, score line means forming a severing line completely surrounding and defining the removable portion of the central panel, said score line means being located entirely in the portion of the panel which underlies said bead, whereby all portions of the sharp edge of the central panel which is inherently formed along the severing line when the removable panel is removed from the remaining portion of the central panel will be located radially outwardly of the bead and in noncutting relationship relative to the hand of a person manually emptying the contents of an associated container after said removable portion has been removed, and manually graspable tab means attached to said central panel for initiating severing of the central panel at a predetermined location on said score line means, for pulling the removable portion from the central panel to complete severing of the central panel along the score line means and for removing the removable portion of the central panel after the severing is completed, said tab means having a terminal portion initially disposed in the space between the bead and the score line means in alignment with the predetermined location of the score line means, said bead also serving to stiffen said other end of the container body.

Qg g grime r @FFECE Patent No. 5, 650908 1m December 28, 1971 Inventofls) William F. Elser It is certified that error appears in the eboveifientifie& patent vand that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shawl: belew'z 5m Column 5, line 6, "b should be -slightly-; line #9, E

between w"nere" and "a", insert "severing is initiated, and in all regions where- Column LL, line 6, between "of" and "metallic", insert -a.-

Signed and seele this 23rd day of May 129K 2 HEAL} itteet':

EDWARD l lFLETfli iEfi JP, ROBERT GSTTSGHALK Atteeting Offieer Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. A metallic convenience closure for a cylindrical container comprising, in combination: a central panel comprising a removable portion and a fixed portion surrounding the removable portion; an upstanding wall integrally attached to said fixed portion and perimetrically surrounding said central panel; a circumferentially endless U-shaped bead formed in the upstanding wall and extending inwardly in a direction generally parallel to said central panel, said bead defining a circumferentially endless space above the central panel and being normally nonremovable with said removable portion; score line means forming a severing line completely surrounding and defining the removable portion of the central panel, said score line means being located entirely in the portion of the panel which underlies said bead, whereby all portions of the sharp edge of the central panel which is inherently formed along the severing line when the removable panel is removed from the remaining portion of the central panel will be located radially outwardly of the bead and in noncutting relationship relative to the hand of a person manually emptying the contents of an associated container after said removable portion has been removed; and manually graspable tab means attached to said central panel for initiating severing of the central panel at a predetermined location on said score line means, for pulling the removable portion from the central panel to complete severing of the central panel along the score line means and for removing the removable portion of the central panel after the severing is completed, said tab means having a terminal portion initially disposed in the space between the bead and the score line means in alignment with the predetermined location of the score line means.

2. A generally cylindrical container comprising, in combination: a semirigid No. 502 size container body formed of composite laminated construction and including at least one fiberboard structural lamination; means closing and stiffening one end of the container body; and a convenience closure formed of aluminum sheet of a maximum thickness of 0.010 inch attached to and closing the other end of the container body; said convenience closure comprising, in combination, a central panel comprising a removable portion and a fixed portion surrounding the removable portion, an upstanding wall integrally attached to said fixed portion and perimetrically surrounding said central panel, a circumferentially endless U-shaped bead formed in the upstanding wall and extending inwardly in a direction generally parallel to said central panel, said bead being spaced above the central panel and being normally nonremovable with said removable portion, score line means forming a severing line completely surrounding and defining the removable portion of the central panel, said score line means being located entirely in the portion of the panel which underlies said bead, whereby all portions of the sharp edge of the central panel which is inherently formed along the severing line when the removable panel is removed from the remaining portion of the central panel will be located radially outwardly of the bead and in noncutting relationship relative to the hand of a person manually emptying the contents of an associated container after said removable portion has been removed, and manually graspable tab means attached to said central panel for initiating severing of the central panel at a predetermined location on said score line means, for pulling the removable portion from the central panel to complete severing of the central panel along the score line means and for removing the removable portion of the central panel after the severing is completed, said tab means having a terminal portion initially disposed in the space between the bead and the score line means in alignment with the predetermined location of the score line means, said bead also serving to stiffen said other end of the container body.

3. A generally cylindrical container comprising, in combination a semirigid No. 401 size container body formed of composite laminated construction and including at least one fiberboard structural lamination; means closing and stiffening one end of the container body; and a convenience closure formed of aluminum sheet of a maximum thickness of 0.009 inch attached to and closing the other end of the container body, said convenience closure comprising, in combination, a central panel comprising a removable portion and a fixed portion surrounding the removable portion, an upstanding wall integrally attached to said fixed portion and perimetrically surrounding said central panel, a circumferentially endless U-shaped bead formed in the upstanding wall and extending inwardly in a direction generally parallel to said central panel, said bead being spaced above the central panel and being normally nonremovable with said removable portion, score line means forming a severing line completely surrounding and defining the removable portion of the central panel which underlies said bead, whereby all portion of the shArp edge of the central panel which is inherently formed along the severing line.

4. A generally cylindrical container comprising, in combination: a semirigid No. 211 size container body formed of composite laminated construction and including at least one fiberboard structural lamination; means closing and stiffening one end of the container body; and a convenience closure formed of aluminum sheet of a maximum thickness of 0.007 inch attached to and closing the other end of the container body; said convenience closure comprising, in combination, a central panel comprising a removable portion and a fixed portion surrounding the removable portion, an upstanding wall integrally attached to said fixed portion and perimetrically surrounding said central panel, a circumferentially endless U-shaped bead formed in the upstanding wall and extending inwardly in a direction generally parallel to said central panel, said bead being spaced above the central panel and being normally nonremovable with said removable portion, score line means forming a severing line completely surrounding and defining the removable portion of the central panel, said score line means being located entirely in the portion of the panel which underlies said bead, whereby all portions of the sharp edge of the central panel which is inherently formed along the severing line when the removable panel is removed from the remaining portion of the central panel will be located radially outwardly of the bead and in noncutting relationship relative to the hand of a person manually emptying the contents of an associated container after said removable portion has been removed, and manually graspable tab means attached to said central panel for initiating severing of the central panel at a predetermined location on said score line means, for pulling the removable portion from the central panel to complete severing of the central panel along the score line means and for removing the removable portion of the central panel after the severing is completed, said tab means having a terminal portion initially disposed in the space between the bead and the score line means in alignment with the predetermined location of the score line means, said bead also serving to stiffen said other end of the container body.