Spiral wound can having discrete label and reinforcing elements

Claim 1

A spirally wound composite cylindrical can adapted to be opened in two stages and having discrete label and reinforcing elements for packaging fresh leavened dough products, said can comprising: a. a stiffening bodystock sheet of spirally wound configuration, b. a butt joint between the adjacent side edges of the bodystock sheet, the butt joint extending generally longitudinally and spirally thereof, c. a liner composed of a flexible sheet material bonded within the bodystock sheet, d. a tensile element comprising a reinforcing strip removably, adhesively bonded to the outer surface of the bodystock sheet over the butt joint, the adhesive bond between the reinforcing strip and the bodystock sheet being rupturable and serving to hold the adjacent edges of the butt joint in close proximity with one another until the reinforcing strip is removed, e. a label formed from flexible sheet material removably bonded to the outer surface of the bodystock sheet but unbonded to the adjacent outer surface of the reinforcing strip and portions of the bodystock laterally of the reinforcing strip to define an unbonded center section intermediate the side edges of the label. f. a circumferentially extending collar cut through the label and reinforcing strip, the collar cut being positioned relatively close to one end of the container, g. a portion of the edge of the label adjacent to the collar cut being unbonded to the underlying bodystock layer whereby the lifting tab is defined for the label allowing the label to be lifted manually and peeled away from the underlying bodystock material during a first opening stage without removing the reinforcing strip and, h. lifting tab means operatively associated with the reinforcing strip to thereafter permit the separate removal of the reinforcing strip in a second opening stage from the bodystock to thereby weaken the butt joint by a factor of at least about 20% when the reinforcing strip is removed, i. whereby the butt joint can then be separated substantially its entire length from one end of the can to the other to provide an opening in the can sufficiently large to withdraw the contents therethrough.