GB1590992A

GB1590992A - Devices for removing screw caps

Info

Publication number: GB1590992A
Application number: GB5072977A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Usbeck & Soehne Monopolwerk; Monopolwerk Usbeck and Soehne GmbH and Co
Current assignee: Usbeck & Soehne Monopolwerk; Monopolwerk Usbeck and Soehne GmbH and Co
Priority date: 1977-12-06
Filing date: 1977-12-06
Publication date: 1981-06-10
Also published as: HK9083A

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO DEVICES FOR REMOVING SCREW CAPS (71) We, MONOPOLWERK USBECK & BR< SOHNE, im offeme Handelsgesellschaft Frauenbergstrasse 33, 3550 Marburg/Lahn, Federal Republic of Germany, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement : The invention relates to devices for removing screw caps.

It has previously been proposed to provide a device for removing screw caps, which comprises two legs so secured together in the region of an end of each of the legs as to be pivotable relative to each other about an axis substantially perpendicular to the directions in which the legs extend, between a configura tion in which the legs extend substantially side-by-side and a range of substantially V shaped configurations and in which one leg is provided with at least one projection and the other leg is provided with at least two projections, the said projections extending generally parallel to the said axis and on the same side of the plane in which relative pivo ted movement of the legs can occur, and the projections, serving to be brought into engagement with the periphery of a screw cap.

Although such devices permit good engagement of the projections with the screw cap, it has become apparent that difficulties may occur occasionally in detaching the cap from the container, because the vacuum in the container, which may be made of glass, permits loosening of the screw cap only upon the exertion of great force.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a screw cap remover giving an increased probability that the container can be opened even if there is a vacuum inside that makes it difficult to loosen the cap.

The invention provides a device for remov ing screw caps, which comprises two legs so secured together in the region of an end of each of the legs as to be pivotable relative to each other about an axis substantially per pendicular to the directions in which the legs extend, between a configuration in which the legs extend substantially side-by-side and a range of substantially V-shaped configurations, and in which one leg is provided with at least one projection and the other leg is provided with at least two projections, the said projections extending generally parallel to the said axis and on the same side of the plane in which relative pivotal movement of the legs can occur and the projections, viewed in a direction parallel to the said axis and with the two legs in the said substantially side-by-side configuration, are concave inwards and of such a shape that a circular bottle top or the like gripped by the three or more projections can, without undergoing deformation, come into contact only with the ends, in a circumferential sense, of the projections.

One form of screw cap remover constructed in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of the screw cap opener and Fig. 2 is a side view of the opener.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the two legs 11 and 12 of the screw cap remover are hingedly connected to each other the axis of relative rotation of the legs being shown at 7, and have a plurality of projections 1 and lain their central region. The projections 1 are disposed on the side of the legs facing the observer as seen in Fig. 1, while the projections la are disposed on the side of the legs facing away from the observer as seen in Fig.

1. In the illustrated example three projections each, 1 and la respectively, are provided which are to grip the outer rim of the cap and which permit engagement of screw caps of different diameters on the two sides of the tool. The projections 1 and la are curved more than is the periphery of the screw cap to be thereby gripped so that they contact the cap only at the two inner edges 8 and 8a, respectively.

When the remover is applied to a screw cap, the inner edges 8 or 8a of the projections act as wedges that make a pair of shallow indentations in the periphery of the screw cap which, however, are sufficient to deform the cap just enough to loosen the snug fit of the cap surface against the glass so that the vacuum in the container is eliminated. Thereafter a further rotation of the screw cap remover is sufficient to complete opening of the container.

The hinged connection of the legs in the region of the leg ends offers especially favourable lever action so that relatively slight forces applied to the handles 9 are sufficient to produce the desired indentations in the screw cap.

One leg end in the region of the axis of rotation 7 is designed as a cap lifter 5. Furthermore, the tool legs are provided with teeth 2 in the regions between the projections la forming an interrupted toothed rim around projections extending from the two inner leg sides. This toothed rim can be used to grip screw caps.

As a means for opening, for example, screw capped tubes or other screw caps too small to be gripped by the teeth 2a toothed opening 3 is provided near the bases of the plastics handles 9, and a bottle cap lifter 6 is provided on the outside of each of the two legs.

Finally, at the outside of one leg there is a device 4 which is suited for lifting caps.

The screw cap remover is generally made of iron or another suitable metal. The surface of the handle of the remover is formed from dishwasher-resistant plastics material and is designed, especially by the provision of a flange 10, so as to reduce the risk that the user's hand will slip off.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS 1. A device for removing screw caps, which comprises two legs so secured together in the region of an end of each of the legs as to be pivotable relative to each other about an axis substantially perpendicular to the directions in which the legs extend, between a configuration in which the legs extend substantially side-by-side and a range of substantially V-shaped configurations and of which one leg is provided with at least one projection and the other leg is provided with at least two projections, the said projections extending generally parallel to the said axis and on the same side of the plane in which relative pivotal movement of the legs can occur and the projections, viewed in a direction parallel to the said axis and with the two legs in the said substantially side-by-side configuration, are concave inwards enad of such a shape that a circular bottle top or the like gripped by the three or more projections can, without undergoing deformation, come into contact only with the ends, in a circumferential sense, of the projections.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two legs are also provided with such projections on the other side of the said plane, the projections on one side of the plane being closer together than those on the other.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each leg is a generally planar member lying in the said plane.

4. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each projection, as seen in section parallel to the said plane, is generally V-shaped.

5. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein one leg projects beyond the pivot axis and has its end portion in the form of a flat, substantially square-tipped blade suitable for use as a lid lifter.

6. A device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one leg is provided with bottle cap lifter projecting substantially in the said plane and away from the other.

7. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each leg is provided with a toothed arcuate recess. The recesses facing one another when the legs are in the said substantially side-by-side configuration.

8. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the legs each have arcuate recesses which, when the legs are in the said substantially side-by-side configuration are between the said projections, and projecting portions extending into the recesses, the projecting members having toothed top portions which together, when the legs are side-by-side, form parts of the circumference of an imaginary circle.

9. A device for removing screw caps substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. cap just enough to loosen the snug fit of the cap surface against the glass so that the vacuum in the container is eliminated. Thereafter a further rotation of the screw cap remover is sufficient to complete opening of the container. The hinged connection of the legs in the region of the leg ends offers especially favourable lever action so that relatively slight forces applied to the handles 9 are sufficient to produce the desired indentations in the screw cap. One leg end in the region of the axis of rotation 7 is designed as a cap lifter 5. Furthermore, the tool legs are provided with teeth 2 in the regions between the projections la forming an interrupted toothed rim around projections extending from the two inner leg sides. This toothed rim can be used to grip screw caps. As a means for opening, for example, screw capped tubes or other screw caps too small to be gripped by the teeth 2a toothed opening 3 is provided near the bases of the plastics handles 9, and a bottle cap lifter 6 is provided on the outside of each of the two legs. Finally, at the outside of one leg there is a device 4 which is suited for lifting caps. The screw cap remover is generally made of iron or another suitable metal. The surface of the handle of the remover is formed from dishwasher-resistant plastics material and is designed, especially by the provision of a flange 10, so as to reduce the risk that the user's hand will slip off. WHAT WE CLAIM IS

1. A device for removing screw caps, which comprises two legs so secured together in the region of an end of each of the legs as to be pivotable relative to each other about an axis substantially perpendicular to the directions in which the legs extend, between a configuration in which the legs extend substantially side-by-side and a range of substantially V-shaped configurations and of which one leg is provided with at least one projection and the other leg is provided with at least two projections, the said projections extending generally parallel to the said axis and on the same side of the plane in which relative pivotal movement of the legs can occur and the projections, viewed in a direction parallel to the said axis and with the two legs in the said substantially side-by-side configuration, are concave inwards enad of such a shape that a circular bottle top or the like gripped by the three or more projections can, without undergoing deformation, come into contact only with the ends, in a circumferential sense, of the projections.