US1537110A - Can opener - Google Patents

Description

May 12, 1925. 1,537,110

n H. J. EDLUND CAN OPENER Filed May 24. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l l J0 11 )l l .27 y l BxwM/g" A TTORNE YS May 12, 1925.

VH. J. EDLUND GAN oraux Filed nay 24, 1924 2 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEYS .':o by the cutting of the blade in the can so tion.

Patented 4May 12,1925. j l

UNITED? STATES PATENT OFFICE.

i HENRY J; EDLUND, OF BURLINGTON, VERMONT.

GAN OPENER.

Application filed May 24, 1924. Serial No. 715,631.

To all whomy it may concem: ing the results set out in the foregoing so as Be it 'known that I, HENRY J. EDLUND, to provide a strong, durable, reliable' and a citizen of the United States,and a resident conveniently operable can opener which of Burlington, in the county of Chittenden comprises but' relatively few parts and 5 and State of Vermont, have invented certain which will be thoroughly practical commer- 5i? new and useful Improvements in Can Opencially. ers, of which the following is a specilication. Other objects and advantages will be ap- My invention is an improvement in can parent froml the following description, conopeners of thattype which affords facilities sidered in conjunction with the accompanyfor rotating a can in Contact with a cutting ing` drawings, in which: 60 blade to effect cutting of the can top, and Figure 1 is a View partly in side elevation it consists intheI combinations, constructions and partly in vertical section, showingv a. and arrangements herein described and can opener embodying the present invention claimedF i in position for use,v The present invention may be described Figure 2 is a section along the line 2-T-2 of 65 as a branch or species of the broad invention Figure 1, disclosed in my prior application for Let- Figure 3 is a section along the line 3-'-3 ters Patent of the kUnited States, for imof Figure 1, j l provements in can Opening devices, Serial' Figure 4' is a relatively enlarged frag- ZO att-607,845), filed December 19, 1922. mentary vertical sectional view, showing the' 70 In my aforesaid prior application I disblade of the device in piercing relation to a closed a norel can opening device vhaving can top close to the marginal edge of the means for engaging with the peripheral latter and showing the means for controlling vwall of a can of any one of a considerable the movement of the blade in respect to the l5 range of sizes, to cause'rotation of the can can and the means for rotating the can in in engagement with a cutting blade toengagement with the cutting blade, and Vgether with an improved cutting blade Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective adapted, en rotation of the can in engagegroup view, showing the major elements of ment therewith, to roll the edge provided the' opener 1n drawn-apart detached posithat the edge of the opening defined by the -In carrying outmy invention, I-provide a cut will be continuously smooth.l Means also post 1 which preferably is non-circular in is provided in a device embodying -the incross sectional contour and is slidable in a `vention as disclosed in my aforesaid prior vertical sleeve 2. The latter is attached to :$5 application for adjusting the position of Ja table top 3 or like support'by-Ineans of a 85 j10 point somewhat removed from the marginal from the sleeve 2 in overlying relation to the cutting blade in respect to the marginal clamp-screw 4 carried by a lug 5 extending edge of the can which -is to be opened` laterally from the sleeve underneath the top' through the use of the device so thatfthe 3 in conjunction with a horizontal'plate 6 cutting blade will pierce the lcantop at a kwhich is integral with and extendsllaterally edge Of the can top and then will be moved the table top, the plate 6 being provided at in cutting engagement with the .can top its marginal edge with a depending flange nearly to lthe marginal edge of the can top .7 resting upon the table top and spacing the and practically 'the entire top will be sevplate 6 from th'e'table top. The plate 6 ered'from the can when the latter has been preferably is formed with openings receiv-'v 95 completely rotated in engagement with the `ing screws 8 which enter the table top and cutting blade. thus aid in securing the sleeve 2 to the table An object of the present invention is to top 3 and in addition hold the plate 6 rigidsimplify the construct-ion of a can opener ly to the table top. The post 1 is slidable i which will afford facilities for accomplishvertically in the sleeve 2 but isbeld against 190 v rotation about the axis of the latter by reason of the engagement of the walls of the post with the inner wall of the sleeve.

The post 1 is merged at its upper end into the walls of a tubular housing 9 and the latter is fashioned to provide in its lower past a substantially cylindrical chamber 10 for the recept-ion of a rotor 11. The rotor 11 is in the form of a disk having a threaded central opening screwed on a reduced threaded portion 12 of a shaft 13 against a shoulder 14 on the latter. The shaft is disposed vertically in the tubular housing 9 and has the lower end portion 15 thereof formed to have a diameter less than that of the threaded portion 12, said reduced lower end portion being journaled in a vertical socket 16 in the bottom wall of the chamber 10.

The' housing 9 is provided with a lateral opening 17 opening from the outer wall thereof into the chamber 10 and located at the same side of the post 1 asthe plate 6. The rotor 11 protrudes through the opening 17 from the chamber 10.- The rotor 11 has a circumferentially extending series of teeth 18 on its periphery, the respective teeth be.-

v ing inclined in respect to the perpendicular.

The tubular housing 9 is provided at its upper end and at anappreciable distance above the chamber 10 with a lateral extension which extends laterally of the same side of the post 1 as the plate 6 and is formed to provide a pair of spaced ears 19 connected at their upper edges and merged into the walls of the housing 9 by a sub# stantially horizontal web portion 20. The tubular housing 9 is in open eonnnunication with the space between the ears 19 and an arm 21 of a bell crank lever 22 which is fulcrumed on a horizontal pin that is secured at its ends in alined opcningsin the ears 19 extends into the tubular housing 9, and is provided at its inner end withforks 23 adapted to slidingly embrace the shaft 13 and to rest upon a washer 24 which slides on the shaft- 13. The extremities of the forks 23 preferably are rounded, as shown.

The other arm of the bell crank lever 22 is indicated at 25 and depends from the' the shank of the cutter blade and is adapted to abut the wall of the tubular housing when the blade is in the position shown in Figs.

1 and 4. A lock-or jam nut on'the outerl end portion of the stop screw engages with the arm 25 to hold the screw in adjusted position in respect to the arm 25 and critter blade 27. Thel cutter blade depends below the lower end of the arm' 25 and below the ylevel of the rotor 1l. The specific blade which I prefer to employ is described in my aforesaid prior application forv'patent, but

.at a slight distance from the marginal edge of the can top and on actuation of the bell crank lever in a manner to be presently described, to more radially outward in cutting engagement with the can top almost to Inarginal edge of the can top and then when the can is rotated to cut the can top along the marginal edge of the latter. An expansion spring 31 encircles the shaft 13 between'the washer 24 and an inwardly extending annular stop 32 which is formed on the inner wall of the housing 9 at the upper end of the chamber 10. The action of the spring 3l tends to raise the washer 24and the larm 21 of the bell crank lever and thus to swing the knife carrying arm 25 inward. A sleeve plunger 33 which has limited sliding movement on the upper end portion of the shaft 13 will be moved downward from the position shown in Figure 4 and by the full lines in Figure 1 to the osition illustrated by the dotted lines in igure 1, when a crank handle 34 having a pair of spaced cam ears 35 straddling an upstanding lug 36 at the upper end of the shaft 13 and pivotally attached by a horizontal pin 37 to the latter has been swung from the position indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1. This downward move- 'ment of the plunger will be caused by the contact of the cam ears 35 therewith and will be against the action of the spring 31. A flange 38 at the upper end of the plunger serves to give the cam portion of the handle a relatively large bearing surface. When the handle 34 is in the position indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1, the arm 21 will have been swung downward in the tubular housing from the position Shown in Figure 4 and the arm 25 will havebeen swung outward from the position shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 4. As soon as the handle 34 has been swung to horizontal po sition, the sleeve plunger is moved upward in response to the actuation of the spring l31 to an extent suliicient to permit swinging movement of the arm 25 inward until the stop 29 abuts the tubular housing.

. From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. Cans of various sizes, shapes and types of construction can be opened through the use of the device. A can of a given size and shape is placed upon the plate 6 which may be termed a table and the post 1 with the parts carried thereby, 'as hereinbefore described, is adjusted vertically in the sleeve 2 until Lasagne the cutter lblade 27 rests upon the to of the can at a point somewhat' removed rom 4the marginal ed e ofthe can, the handle 34 7 face of the body thereof will be in contact with the teeth on the periphery of therotor l1. 'A slight blow or pressure-*onthe top \of the handle will cause the cutter blade to'penetrate the can top. The handle 34. now. is swung toflowered position and the v consequent movement of the bellcrank lever will .force the blade radially outward in cutting engagement with'the can top nearly to the marginal edge of thelatter.vv The edge portion of the can top that will marD gin the. opening which will be provided when the eanhas been completely rotated in engagement with the cutter blade will Abe turneddownward and will have aE continuously smooth edge, thus obviating the cutting or tearing of the lingers of the operator and permitting the removal intact of the contents of the can. The rotation of the can is caused by the engagement of the teeth of the rotor therewith when the latter is .operated The rotor isv operated by turning the shaft 13 through the agency of thehandle 34. The engagementk of the teeth with the body of t-he can at the upper end of the latter is at a point close to the point of cuttingaction of the blade 27 at any given time and the inclination of the teeth 184 is such that the can will be fed or forced upward against the cutting edge 'of the blade 27v by the action of the teeth Iof the rotor on the cail.

` of as -fairly Obviously, the invention vis susceptible o-f embodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and I therefore consider as my own all' such modifications and adaptations therefall within the scope of the appended claims.

1. In a can opening deviceya vertically adjustable post, a horizontal support at one.

side of said post and ladjacent thereto on which a can may be disposed, a blade, means carried by said post for adjustably supporting said blade above said horizontal support and in positio'n` to penetrate the top 'of the can on said :horizontal support, a

rotor supportedon said post forengaging with said can to -feed the latter to said blade, a sleeve movable on saidpost in engagement `with said blade supportinggmeans for actuatin the latter to move the blade radially of t e can top, and a handle pivoted to the post for turning the latter and having a cam for actuating said sleeve.

2. In a can opening device, a table o n which a can mayl rest', a post at one edge of the table, a tubular housing at the upper -lateral opening in the housing and having i teeth on the periphery thereof for engaging with the ca n on'said table, a bell crank lever fulcrumed to swing abouta horizontal axis between said ears, saidlever having an arm extending through said first named opening in to said housing and having the second arm thereof depending alongside of the tubular housing, a blade carried by said depending arm forv cutting engagement with the top of the can on said table, spring means within said housing urging saidfirst named lever arm upward to eiiect movement of the blade toward the marginal edge of the can top, and means for rotating said shaft. n

3. In a can kopening device, a table -on which a can may rest, a post at one edge of the table, a tubular housing at the upper end of t-he post having a pair of horizontallaterally of the housing from a lateral openin'g in the housing, a vertical shaft `journaled in said housing, ,a rotor secured on said shaft and protruding through a second and lower lateral opening in the housing and having teeth on the periphery thereoffor engaglng with the can onysaid table, a bell crank Vlever fulcrumed to swing about a horizontal axis between said ears, said lever havin@ anl arm extending through said first named opening into said housing and having the second arm thereof depending alongside of the tubular housing, a blade carried by said depending Varm for cutting enga ement with the Vtop of the can on said tab e, spring means within said housing urging said first named lever arm upward to effect movement of the blade toward the marginal `*laterally of the housing from a lateral opening. in the housing, a vertical shaft journaled in'said housing, arotor secured on said shaft and protruding through a second and lower lateral' opening in the housing and having teeth on the periphery thereof for engaging with the canon said table, a bell xcrank lever fulcrumed to swing about a horizontal axis between `said ears, said lever having an zii-1n extending through said first said first named lever zum upward to effect named opening intosaid housing and havmovement of the blade toward the marginal ing the second arm thereof depending alongedge of the can top, means for rotating 10 lside of the tubuhuhousing, n blade carried said shaftand a stop for limiting the swingby Said depending arm for cutting engagellg IIIOVGIIIGII' 0f Sld bell Crank in IGSPOIISG ment with the `top of the can on said table, to the actuation o f sald spring.

spring means within said housing urging HENRY J. EDLUND.

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