US1519431A - Can opener - Google Patents

Description

A. ZIDOVEC C :AN OPENER Filed July 3, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,4 rrfrs.

Dec. 16, 1924.

A. ZIDOVEC CAN OPENER Filed July 3, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m\ WAK d @mvxl N\ mum VVE/V717@ A. Z/DVEC Afina-4 Patented Dee. l5, i924.

AUGUST ZIDOVEC, O'F SAN }Mi1ikli|`ll.j CALIFORNIA.

Application filed July 3, 1922.

T0 all whom 'it 17mg/ concern.' y

Be it known that I, AUGUST Zrnovnc, a citizen of the United States7 residing at San Rafael, in the county of Marin and State of California. have invented new and useful Improvements in Can @pene-rs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in can openers and resides in the provision of a simple,.compact, strong and easily operable can opener which is constructed so that it may be easily and cheaply manufactured.

One of the `objects of the invention is to provide in aca/n opener of the character described which includes Crossed pivoted handles operating similarly to! pliers and takes into consideration novel means for arranging a spring so as to normally force the handles apart, the said spring means being concealed and combined with the pivoted means for the handles in a novel and effective manner.

The invention further consists in the particular combination, inter-relation and association of certain parts and elements thereof with a purpose of generally improving the construction and operation of can opening devices whereby a clean and smooth cutting action may be easily effected.

The invention possesses other advantages and features some of which, with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the following description where I shall outline in full that form of the invention which' l have selected for illustration in the drawings 'accompanying and forming a part of the present specification. ln said drawings l have shown one form of the construction of my invention, but it is to be understood that l do not limit myself to such form since the invention as expressed in the claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l represents a top plan viewof -a can opener construct-ed in accordance with my invention, a part thereof beingbroken away for the sake of clearness of construction.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the can opener 'broken away and sectioned at the pivot point for thek purpose of illustrating the concealed spring and pivot arrangement,

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the can .ope-ner.

CAN OPENER.

Serial No. 572,371.

Fig. 4 represents a plan view of a blank of which the guide member and knife support are formed.

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of said member and knife support as when stamped into shape.

Fig. 6 is a view of said member taken at rightangles to Fig. 5. n

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the detail shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Figs. 8 and 8 are views in side elevation and top plan of the can grip members.

Figs. 9 and 91 are views in side elevation and top plan of the knife.

Fig. 10 is a top plan View ofthe spring.

Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are detail sectional views of spring housing and pivot arrangements of modified forms.

Fig. 14: is a front elevation members as when in use.

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary plan view of the opener as when in use.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 designate crossed handles which are preferably made of light sheet material and are shaped sol as to provide comfortable grip portions. rl`he handles are pivoted adjacent certain ends as at 3 and one handle carries a knife 4 whereas the other is provided with a jaw 5 adapted to engage a can during the cutting operation.

rlhe handles are normally forced apart by spring means forming a part of the invention, which meansis incorporated with the pivot 3. rlhe handle 1 is provided with a circular apertured boss 6 pressed out from its inner side and said boss constitutes asocket member. The handle 2 is provided with a circular tubular projection T which extends through the aperture of the boss 6 and is bent outwardly laterally, at its outer end to provide a retaining flange 8. rllhe member i" thus engaged in the apertured boss 6 provides for a strong and efficient pivot connection between the handles. The shape of the boss 6 and member 7 is suchr that there is provided an annularv chamber 9 between the crossed portions of the two handles. A coiled spring 10 is mounted in this annular chamber 9 and its ends engage in recesses 11 prod vided in the sides of the chamber 9 in the respective handles l and 2, This spring is of the can grip 12, is a. flat knife supporting and guidemem:

ber 13, which is preferably formed of one piece of material and upon its under side is vprovided with a depending arcuate guide flange 14 adapted'toengage the outer side of a can during the cutting operation. The

knife is detachably secured to a vertically lrecessed extension member 15 which projectsA upwardly from the member 13 and receivesh the knife in its recess. lAhead 16 is provided on the upper end ofthe extension -land is .engaged by the upper end of the knife. The knife; is pointed'v on its lower end andhas its cutting edgeV located on thelinner side or edge thereof.Y By placing; the pointed" end on the top of the can near the bead and pushing downwardly on theheadn16, the pointedy end willpuncture thecan, and'the cuttingedge on the side of the knife will b e disposed in position` to cut the can top. Cooperating with the fian'gell: is a shorter and smaller flangeA 17 which is carried on the member 13`o'pposite the flange 14C-and arranged to extendover the canl top and enga-ge the inner side of the bead of the can. l

.The jaw 5 is provid'edwith means adapted to grip the'o-uter' side ofthe can so that themember 13 with the knife thereonwill bemovedo'r pulled Vforwardly and effecta cutting action when the handles are pressed' togethenj Thegripping'` members 1'8" are so arrange d" that' the bevelledends thereof are in' staggered relation whereby both bevelled edgswillcont'act with'the outer side ofthe can and grip the latter so?` as to hold'the jaw 5 against slipping while the; member 13" is pulledtowardsvthe jaw 5.' This means comprises gripping members 18 to and dependii'ig from the under side of" the handle 11 and" having comparatively vsharp kbeve-lied ends 19,' which ends" are adapted to bind against'the can.` 0n onerendo'f'the jaw 5` there is providedl upstafndin'g` lia-nge 21 adapted to be engage'djby ai re;- silient hook i member-' 22 u carriedI -on the; outer' endo'f the member 13'; VVVh'enthis hookfnieni` Figs; ifa-111112, the handlesgl and 2 are-held' @lse togetherV against the action" or the spring; ALs/anl'additionalmeans for holding the. handles r closed, the' handle 1 is pro-vided with a` projection 23' adjacent tothe" members19y arranged't'o engage behind the'guide flange@ 17 when the member 13 is swungin'to positiony suchthat the 'hvo`ok2'21 may be .caused te snaptoventhe end"L of the-flange 21,

'point against the can.

f opener.

v of' the.Y handle?" 31i To operate the device, the handles are moved apart y substantially intol position shown in Fig. 15 and the point of the knife is placed on the top ofthe can and near the upstanding or beaded edge of the latter. By

Jressinfr downwardl on the other member tends over the top` ofthe bead'.` B'y raising the handles and closing them" together,` the handle 1 will be moved so as topullthe member l13 with thek knifeV thereon, for! wardly andtowards: the jaw 5, whichla-tter n is maderstationary dueto-[the grip o-f'the ypivot edges 2O of the members118` with theV can;A When the handles.aremoved` together they are. again expanded and a ,fresh grip taken with the'members-19}a-t an advanced v y This operation is continued until the top of the can is com# pl'etely out." Duetothe'arr'angement of the mem'ber13 when the handles/are Aclosed together, the pull onl the knife issubstantially at right-angles to the' adjacent end of the handle to which it is attached andi'n this way an effective cutting action is proy'fided; The' spring housed 'in the pivot arrangement will force the handles apartfof its ownac @ofertan-S facilitating the Operation 'of the As shown in Fig. 4:, theme1nber 13 may be formed' of a single blankl o-f metal,l stamped and bent into shape to provide sev eral separate elements, shown-in Figs. 5fand` 6; y Y In Figs 11, 12'Qand'13, there are shown modified forms' ofi pivotfa-ndspring housing construction. ln`Fig.' 11, the handlesy 25 and l26"airejoin'ed bfy a' common pivot member 27' inthe 'form of ai rivet and are providedw'ith oi'itwardly pressed annular grooves'28 which forma housing for the spring,not shown` each of the' grooves being'providedjwith an oif-seltportion 229i to facilitate the" anchorr` ing o-'f the 'eidsiofthespringg f A VIn Fig. 12,V the handles' 3d and 31 are' joined by a tubular'projection32 foilm'edinte'gral with' and,struck out' from one side The?. projection passes through' anf4 opening Ain thel handle `j and is theirl bentontwardlyas" at 34' sothat it is held"iripla'c'elv In formingthe projection. 32,' the handle 30 is `ci'lrved;so" that there is provided anv annular portion 35 in= which the' spring, not shown",l may' be hitnused.V

In Fig. 13,'. the` handles 36- and" are provided with apertured pivot pin bosssff''" as: particularly o surrounded by annular depressions 3f) which combined form the chamber for the spring. This construction may be provided by stamping each handle in a similar manner.

As particularly shown in Fig. 14C, the gripping members 19 are inclined or bevelled so that the lower portion of the sharpened edge projects outwardly at a gr'eate distance than the upper portion. This will cause the sharp or bevelled edge to project under the edge or bead of the can and prevent the tendency of the gripping members to slip upwardly.

As shown in Fig. 5, the flange 14e is inwardly off-set or bevelled at its upper por tion opposite the bead of the can, as at 40. By having this portion bevelled or inwardly olf-set the flange clears the bead of the can. When the gripper members 10 engage the bead of thewcan, series of nicks or rough places are provided which if engaged by the flange 14- would interfere with the smooth operation of the cutting. |The bevelling of the flange 14 thus prevents the engagement of the flange with the nicks on the bead and renders the cutting operation much more reliable. and smooth. Another point of advantage is that the knife is provided with a barb or shoulder l1 which will prevent slipping of the knife out of cutting position during the cutting operation. An additional feature is that the 'flange 21 will abut the adjacent side of the handle 2 when the handles are closed and serve as a stop to prevent movement of the handles into position such as will distort or place a strain upon the parts of the device.

The flange ist provides a shoulder or bevelled off-set, which shoulder serves to prevent slipping of the flange upwardly off of the can.

l claim:

l. A can opener comprising crossed pivoted handles, a can gripping member on one of said handles, a knife supporting member pivoted on the other handle, a guide flange on the knife supporting member arranged to engage the outer side of a can near the upper end of the can, a knife carried by the supporting member, said flange being arcuate and arranged to avoid engagement with that part of the can subject to engagement by the gripping member and another guide flange on the supporting member arranged to engage the inner side of the upper bead of the can.

Q. A can opener comprising crossed handles, one of said handles having an apertured socket, an integral projection on the other handle extending through the socket and bent back to provide a pivotal connection. said last named handle having an annular groove registering with the socket and a spring surrounding the projection and engaged in the socket and groove.

3. A can' opener comprising crossed handles, one of said handles having an apertured socket, an integral projection on the other handle extending through the socket and bent back to provide a pivotal connection, said last named handle having an annular groove registering with the socket and a spring surrounding the projection and engaged in the socket and groove, said socket and groove having off-set recesses in which the ends of the spring engage.

l. A. can opener comprising crossed pivoted handles, a knife supporting member pivoted to one handle, a knife on said member, acan gripping lug depending from the other handle at a point near but spaced inwardly from one end thereof and arranged to engage the outer side of the bead at the upper end of the can, said lug having its gripping edge beveled and inwardly inclined from its lower to its upper edge.

5. A can opener comprising handles operatively associated with one another, a can gripping member on one of the handles, a knife supporting member on the other handle, a guide flange on the knife supporting member arranged to enga-ge the outer side of a can near the upper end of the latter and a knife carried by the supporting member, said flange engaging the can beneath the bead and constructed to avoid contact with that part of the can which is subject to engagement by the gripping member.

6. A. can opener comprising handles pivoted to one another between their ends, a can opening knife support pivoted on one of the handles, a can gripping member on the other of the handles, a knife carried by said support, a projection on the second named handle, a hook on the knife support arranged to engage said projection to hold the handles in closed position and spring means normally forcing said handles apart against the action of which said hook holds the handles.

7. A can opener comprising handles pivoted to one another between their ends, a can gripping member on one of the handles, a knife support pivoted on the other han die, a knife carried by said support, a guide flange on said support arranged to extend over the top and engage the inner side of the upstanding bead on a can and a guide flange on the support adapted to engage the outer side of a can adjacent the bead.

8. A can opener comprising handles pivoted to one another between their ends, acan gripping member on one of the handles, a knife support pivoted on the other handle, a knife carried by said support, a guide flange on said support arranged to extend over the top and engage the inner side of the upstanding bead on a can, a guide flange on the support adapted to engage the outer side of a can adjacent the bead and a proj eetion onI the; first namedfi hand-lei' adapted to? engzige ithfe' first' named i lingeE Wii'en-` the hundlesare in cloeedpositionu 9. Aean fopener'i'compri'sing han-'diesfpivotedto one* another between their@ ends',v a cuttersupportedonhone of' thelfan'dles, a ciin'fvgrippingmemberl onI the other handle, flanges: extendngblongitudinally. on the Vojo'- K posedledfgeso-portonsothe handlswhiicti exten'dfrom thev pivot toward the adjacent l0 eiifds,ywheh ange'si arel arranged to abut and limit the movement ofthe handles inl one direction and meaifis.Y on one of the` handies adapted to'l hookA over and retin the are in abutting position.

AUeUS/rjv zIDoVEo.

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