GB1122072A - Can opener - Google Patents

Abstract

1,122,072. Electrically powered can openers. SUNBEAM CORP. 10 Dec., 1965 [8 July, 1965], No. 52623/65. Heading B8D. A can opener, driven by an electric motor 39 through a worm, on the upper end of an armature shaft 41, and spur gears 42a, 42b and 45, has a traction wheel 24 and rotary cutting wheel 26 movable to an inoperative position, Fig. 2 (not shown), by means of a lever 28. The cutting wheel 26 is mounted in a boss 27 which has limited movement, due to a rubber mounting washer 31, in an opening 11b in a housing 11, thereby providing means to compensate for variable thickness in the rims of cans being opened. The boss 27 also forms a pivot for the lever 28. The shaft 41 carries a commutator ring 67 engaged by brushes (68, 69), Fig. 4 (not shown), connected respectively to a mains lead (19) and one end of the motor field winding. The other end of the winding is connected to a switch (77) to which the mains lead is also directly connected. On lowering a handle (38) on the lever 28 to engage the cutting wheel 26 with a can top, the lever 28 engages a flexible arm (84b) on the mounting of the switch (77). Further pressure on the handle (38) against a stop (11d) formed on the casing (11) causes a portion of the flexible arm (84b) to close spring contacts (80, 81) of the switch, thereby driving the motor 39. An assembly 104 including a magnet (105), Fig. 8 (not shown), is mounted on a cover (101) manually pivotable on posts (102) to an operative position where the magnet holds the can lid when cut. The magnet is itself pivotally mounted and has limited vertical movement in slots (107a) of the cover (101) to allow for cans of different sizes.