US1324494A

US1324494A - Edwasd w

Info

Publication number: US1324494A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-12-09
Anticipated expiration: 1936-12-09

Description

E. W. CARPENTER JAR OPENER.

APPUCATION HLED MAY 12, l9l9.

1,324,494. Patented Dec. 9,1919.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR AfTORNEY "cairn sna FFTQE ATE? EDNARD VI. CARPENTER, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSTGNOR T0 E. 'W'. CAREENTER MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BBIDGEPORT, CGNNEC TICUT, A

CORPORATION OF CGNNECTICUT.

JAR-OPENER.

Application filed May 12 To all whom it may concern Be it known that I. EDWARD l/V. CARPEN- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at 1837 North avenue, Bridgeport, county otF airfield, State of Connecticut, have in vented an Improvement in Jar-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a tool that will facilitate the opening of fruit jars, more especially the type in which the neck of the jar is provided with a shoulder upon which a gasket rests and a flanged cap resting on the gasket is secured in place by any of the well known types of wire clamps, without danger of cracking the ncrk of the jar.

it is of course well understood that in putting up either vegetables or animal foods in jars the vacuum is made as nearly coniplcte as possible, so that in addition to more or less sticking of the flange of the cap to the gasket and of the gasket to the shoulder on the jar there is a heavy atmosphere pressure frequently from ten to fourteen pounds to the square inch, to be overcome in opening the jar. The result is that it is extremely diflicult to remove the caps and frequently practically impossible to do so without the use of tools, which are not always handy and are furthermore not well adapted to the purpose.

The present invention enables me to provide a tool, so simple and strong as to be practically fool proof and so inexpensive to produce as to place it within the reach of all, that may be used by a person wholly unskilled in the use of ordinary tools, and that will enable jars to be opened without any difficulty whatever and without danger of injury to the jar, or of rendering the contents'unfit for use on account of broken glass. The function of the tool is to lift the cap sufliciently to cause the admission of air to the jaw either between the gasket and the flange of the cap or between the gasket and the shoulder on the jaw. This destroys the vacuum and makes it quite easy to remove the cap.

With this object in view I have devised the novel tool which I will now describe referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and using reference characters to indicate the several parts.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 191%.

Serial No. 298,411.

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a jar with the clamp turned out of operative position, and showing the use of my novel tool in admitting air between the gasket and the flange of the cap; v

Fig. 2 an elevation corresponding therewith, and partly in section on the line 22 in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 3 is a detached. v

10 denotes an ordinary glassfruit jar, so called, the neck of which is provided with a circular shoulder 11 on which arubber gasket 12 rests. 13 denotes the cap which is provided with a downwardly extending flange lt which fits loosely over'the neck of the jar and the edge of which rests on the gasket. Af er the jar has been filled and the air exhausted in the usual or in any preferred manner, the cap is secured in place by means of a clamp which is secured to the jar by means of a wire band 21 which encircles the neck of the jar and lies under a shoulder 15. The clamp comprises essentially a holding loop- 16, the midlength of which is adapted to lie between lugs 17 on the top of the cap and the ends of which are pivoted in eyes 18 in a clamping loop 19, the ends of the piece ofwire of which the clamping loop is formed being bent at substantially a right angle to the loop and pivoted in eye pieces 20, which are secured to band 21. To unlock the cap, the clamping loop is swung upward as far as possible which leaves the holding loop loose enough so that it can be swung over out of the way, as shown in the drawing.

My novel opening tool consists simply of a flexible metallic strap 22 and a lever 23 which is provided with a circular head 24: having a beveled edge, indicated by 25. Each end of the strap is provided with a slot 26 and on opposite sides of the slot with eyes 27. The head of thelever lies in one of the slots and the eyes are pivoted on the opposite ends of a pin 28 which passes through the head and is preferably seated tightly therein, although if preferred the pin may lie loosely in a hole through the head and the parts be secured in place by heading down the ends of the pin outside the eyes. The slot at the other end of the strap receives the shank of the lever at a the perspective view of the tool tance from pin 28, and the parts are secured in place y means of a pin 29 which passes through the shank of the lever and on the ends of which the corresponding eyes are pivoted. The pin may be set tightly in the shank of the lever or it preferred it may be loose and be secured in place by heading down its ends outside the eyes. The

pins

28 and 29 are placed far enough apart to give plenty of leverage and ample allowance for variation in size of the necks of jars.

The operation is as follows: Having swung the holding loop of the clamp out of operative position, as already described, the operator places the strap of the tool over the neck of the jar and then swings the lever in the direction to cause the strap to grip the neck of the jar and siinultaneously to lorce the beveled edge of the head either between the gasket and the shoulder on the jar or between the gasket and the flange on the cap, the latter position of. the head being shown in Fig. 2, although it is wholly immaterial which side of the gasket the head is placer The elfect of forcing the head of the lever between the shoulder on the jar and the flange on the cap, whether it be forced in above or below the gasket, is to pry up the edge of the cap and admit air to the jar which instantly destroys the vacuum and leaves the cap loose so that it may be readily lifted off. It is an essential feature of the invention that the position of pin 28 with relation to the circular edge of the head is such that full swing may he given to the lever and the edge will clear the neck of the jar, thus avoiding danger of cracking the jar and of broken glass in the contents.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A tool of the character described comprising a flexible metallic strap, a lever having a circular head with a beveled edge, one end oi the strap being pivoted to the lever adjacent said head, and the other end of said strap being pivoted to the circular head, eccentrically with respect thereto, and so the greatest distance between the pivot point and the outer edge of the head is slightly shorter than the shoulder of the jar neck, whereby a full swing of the lever permits a clearance between the edge of the jar neck as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EDVV XRD W. CARPENTER.