GB2033869A

GB2033869A - Tin opener

Info

Publication number: GB2033869A
Application number: GB7934484A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Leifheit International Guenter Leifheit GmbH; Leifheit International GmbH
Current assignee: Leifheit International GmbH
Priority date: 1978-10-05
Filing date: 1979-10-04
Publication date: 1980-05-29
Also published as: ES245882Y; DE2843442C2; NL181098C; DE2843442A1; ES245882U; SE7908196L; GB2033869B; NL7907189A; BE879192A; IT7926255A0; NL181098B; IT1123770B; SE437975B

Abstract

In a tin opener, a pin (20), which pin (20) mounts a feed wheel (15) and a toothed wheel (17) for rotation with a manually rotatable handle (16), is mounted without clearance in a bearing sleeve (21) preferably formed of a plastics material and comprising a cylindrical portion (22), a radially extending flange (23) and an abutment portion (24), the bearing sleeve (21) being received, by its cylindrical portion (22), in a collar (40) pressed out of a feed arm (14) of the tin opener. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tin opener The invention relates to a tin opener and particularly to a tin opener having two pivotally connected levers, wherein one arm of one lever mounts a rotatable cutting wheel, one arm of the other lever mounts a feed wheel which is rotatable by a rotary handle and the other arm of each lever is formed as a handle.

Previously proposed tin openers of this kind suffer from the disadvantage that, after the tin opener has been in use over a prolonged period, a pin mounting the feed wheel develops such a large clearance, in its mounting in said one arm of said other lever that the feed wheel can no longer reliably cause rotary movement of the edge of the can to be opened. This makes it more difficult for the cutting wheel to be effective, and in serious cases the cutting wheel is not effective at all. In that case, it is no longer possible satisfactorily to open the can.

According to the invention there is provided a tin opener having two pivotally connected levers, wherein one arm of one lever, mounts a rotatable cutting wheel, one arm of the other lever mounts a feed wheel which is rotatable by a rotary handle, and the other arm of each of said one lever and said other lever is formed as a handle wherein a mounting pin of the rotary handle, which pin has the feed wheel secured against rotation on its free end, is rotatably guided in a bearing sleeve without clearance and carries a toothed wheel interposed between the bearing sleeve and the feed wheel. The bearing sleeve can be precisely adapted to the requirements which occur, so as to ensure reliable operation of the feed wheel.

In a preferred embodiment, the bearing sleeve comprises a hollow cylindrical portion, a radially extending flange portion and an abutment portion.

For ease of manufacture, the bearing sleeve preferably comprises a one-piece moulded body of a plastics material. This has the advantage that said other lever, usually of metal, which carries the feed wheel does not have to be provided with a bent-over abutment projection which extends over the feed wheel. This therefore simplifies manufacture of the metal lever.

The hollow cylindrical portion advantageously passes through the centre of the radially extending flange of the bearing sleeve, at its one end. This arrangement provides for precise guiding and mounting of the pin of the rotary handle.

The abutment portion may be disposed at one edge of the radially extending flange portion and preferably extends at a right angle thereto. This arrangement provides that both the toothed wheel and the feed wheel which are both disposed at the lower end of the pin of the rotary handle are shielded by the abutment portion. There is therefore little danger of the fingers of the hand operating the tin opener being damaged either by the toothed wheel or by the feed wheel.

At its lower end, the abutment portion may carry a projecting portion which, in its working position, bears against the edge of the feed arm. The result of this arrangement is that the bearing sleeve is secured against rotation with respect to the feed arm.

The bearing sleeve may be accommodated, in regions, by means of its hollow cylinder, by a collar which is pressed out of the feed arm. The hollow cylindrical portion advantageously extends across the space between the surface of the feed arm and the lower edge of the rotary handle.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a plan view of a tin opener according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a side view of the tin opener of Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows a view in section taken on line Ill-Ill of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, a tin opener 10 comprisyes two metal levers 11 and 12 which are pivotally coupled together by a pivot pin 13. One arm of one lever 11 is formed as a feed arm 14 and mounts a feed wheel 15 which is provided with teeth. A toothed wheel 17 is disposed between the feed wheel 15 and the feed arm 14 and the feed wheel 15 and the toothed wheel 17 can be rotated by a rotary handle 16. The rotary handle 16 is carried on a screw-threaded pin 20 which is guided in a bearing sleeve 21 and which non-rotatably carries both the toothed wheel 17 and the feed wheel 15. The rotary handle 16 is made of a plastics material and is fixedly connected to the pin 20.

As can be seen from Figure 3, the bearing sleeve 21, which is made in one piece from a plastics material, comprises a hollow cylindrical portion 22, a radially extending flange portion 23 and an abutment portion 24. The hollow cylindrical portion 22 passes through the centre of the radially extending flange 23. The abutment portion 24 extends from the outer edge 18 of the flange 23 at a right angle thereto. Both the toothed wheel 17 and the feed wheel 15 lie protected behind the abutment portion 24 which has a projecting portion 19 which bears against the edge of the feed arm 14.

A lid lifting projection 26 is fitted at the upper end 25 of the lever 11. Disposed below the projection 26 is an eye 27 for hanging up the tool. A recess 28 is also formed in the feed arm 14, the recess 28 having a lower lifting hook portion 29 and an upper projection 30. This configuration may be used to remove crown corks from bottles.

The second lever 12 is formed as a cutting arm 31 at its upper end. A rivet pin 33 is carried on the cutting arm 31, on a frusto-conical shaped bearing 32 which is pressed obliquely out of the cutting arm 31. The rivet pin 33 rotatably carries a toothed wheel 35 and a cutting wheel 36, with an interposed disc member 34.

The two toothed wheels 17 and 35 are engaged with each other so that the rotary movement produced byan operatorturning the rotary handle 16 is transmitted to the cutting wheel 36.

As can be seen from Figure 2, the lower ends 37 and 38 of the levers 11 and 12 are bent outwardly and are provided with handles.

The bearing sleeve 21 is received in a collar portion 40 which is pressed out of the feed arm 14 and bears against the outer face of the cylindrical portion 22.

The bearing sleeve 21 is tightly constrained axially by the skirt of the rotary handle 16 bearing against one face of the feed arm 14 and the toothed wheel 17 pressing the radially extending flange 23 against the 9therface of the feed arm 14.

As already mentioned, the embodiment illustrated is only given by way of example of the invention which is not restricted thereto, many modifications being possible within the scope of the appended claims. Thus, the handle 16 and the pin 20 could be in one piece. The bearing sleeve 21 could be formed of metal if desired.

Claims

1. A tin opener having two pivotally connected levers, wherein one arm of one lever, mounts a rotatable cutting wheel, one arm of the other lever mounts a feed wheel which is rotatable by a rotary handle, and the other arm of each of said one lever and said other lever is formed as a handle and wherein a mounting pin of the rotary handle, which pin has the feed wheel secured against rotation on its free end, is rotatably guided in a bearing sleeve without clearance and carries a toothed wheel interposed between the bearing sleeve and the feed wheel.

2. A tin opener according to claim 1, in which the bearing sleeve is a one-piece moulded body of a plastics material.

3. A tin opener according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the bearing sleeve comprises a hollow cylindrical portion, a radially extending flange portion and an abutment portion.

4. A tin opener according to claim 3, in which the hollow cylindrical portion extends through the centre of the radially extending flange portion.

5. Atin opener according to claim 3 or claim 4, in which the abutment portion extends from the outer edge of the radially extending flange portion, preferably at a right angle thereto.

6. Atin opener according to claim 5, in which the abutment portion includes a projection which in its working position bears against an edge of said one arm of said other lever.

7. A tin opener according to any one of claims 3 to 6, in which the bearing sleeve is mounted in said one arm of said other lever in a collar portion pressed out of said one arm of said other lever, the hollow cylindrical portion of said bearing sleeve engaging in said collar.

8. A tin opener according to any one of claims 3 to 7, in which the hollow cylindrical portion extends across the space which is disposed between the surface of the feed arm and a lower edge of the rotary handle.

9. A tin opener substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawing.