US1768980A - Can opener - Google Patents

Description

July 1, 1930. A s. A. HAINES cm OPENER Filed May 25, 1924 n 2 Sheets-Sheet l K fj, o 1 Y 1 38 46 n s. A. HAINES cm OPENER Jul 1, 1930.

Filed May 23, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i tated. 1

Patented July 1, .1930

ems- STATES PA ENT -FFIcE" STACEYA. HAINES, 0F CLEVELAND, 0HIO,-AS SIGNOR TO HULDA LEFFEBT, 0F 1 CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CAN OPENER Application filed May 23,

This invention relates to machines for opening cans and more particularly to a machine having a relatively stationary cuttingelement adapted to' 'engage a can while theflcan is ro- Qne' of the objects of nyinvention is the provision of a canopening machine whiohis simple in construction, convenient and easy tooperate and is adapted to work satisfactoriiy onany shaped can. In thisconnection my lnvention contemplates the provision of a machine which eliminates the necessity for clamping devices to position the can with rela tion to thecutting member. i A further object of my invention is the provision of a cutting member havingsuch characteristics that the severed edge of the tin is automatically pressed downwardly and outwardly, against the sides of the can, so as to permit safe removal of substantially'the'entire contents of the can.

I have illustrated my'invention in the preferred form inthe accompanying drawing which will hereinafter be fully set forth indetail. The essential characteristics of my invention, however, will be summarized in the claims. I i

In the drawings Fig. lfisa longitudinal section taken through a can opener embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the device shown'inFig. 1; Fig. 3 isia horizontal section through a portion of the device showing the cutter actuating member inplan view; Fig. 4 is asection takenon the. line 4 .4 in Fig. 3 and showing the cutting elementon an enlarged scale. Fig. 5'is a horizontal sec-- tion taken on the linei5-5 in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a vertical section through -;a modified con- 46 struction of cutting element; and Fig. 7 is a section taken on the line in Fig. 6.

I have shown my invention in connection with'a standard 10,, which is adapted to be secured to a wall or a bracket, and a table 11,

which may be attached'to the standard by Y securing members '12 and which functions as a can support The standard m'ay also have a laterally extending portion 13Qto permit attachment to a table if desired. Thecan to be out is placed asindicated a e in pright 192a. Serial. No. 715,329.

position 'upon'the table 11 and directly beneaththe cutting means. i i

The cutting means preferably embodies a knife 15 which is adjustably positioned in an arm'116 asby athumb screw 17. This arm is shown as having a handle 18 at the outer end thereof and as being pivotally mounted as at 19' adjacent the inner end to a bracket 20. To permit vertical adjustment for accommodating various sizedcans', I have shown: the co bracketQO as being slidably mounted "on' a. guide21 and as being adapted to be adjustably positioned thereon by binding screw 22. The guide member is illustrated as being supported'at the 'topwithin a forwardly extending portion 23 of the standard and at the bottom by the plate 11. The bottom of the'guide member may be reduced, as at 24:, to provide a shoulder which engages the top of the table. The guide member may be maintained 'inadjuste'd position by a 1nember'25 which enga es the underside of the table and is in threaded engagementwith the reduced portion 24.

To rotate a can during the cutting operation, I may utilize a feed wheel 30 having a non-circular opening through which a complementary shaped shaft 31 extends. The feed wheel, as shown, is disposed within a =recess "adjacent the outer end of the bracket 20 and is maintained in such position by a 0 plate 32 which engages the underside thereof,

and on opposite sides of the shaft 81. A. securing member 33 may beemployed for maintaining the plate in adjusted position. The upper end of theshaft :81 is journa lled inthe extension 23, while the; lower end thereof'is J suitably journalled in the table 11. V Rigidly mounted on the lower end .of the shaft 81, I

have shown a bevel gear 34: which is adapted to be rotated by a bevelgear 35 on a shaft 36. so

As' shown, the shaft .36 is supported bydugs 37 and 38 respectively which extend downwardly from thetable. Av-crank arm 39 may then be employed for rotating shaft 36.

To maintain the can in close fitting lenga-s m nfi ithth fee he l, I menus trated a f lower 40 which i lo sely m nntsld in th m v rect y b hind the ni e 11 this connection, it is. to he noted that the Vertical axis of the knife and follower'are disposed on opposite sides of a plane passing through the center of the can and the axis of the shaft 31. This provides in effect a three-point engagement between the cutting mechanism and the can wherefore the can is firmly held against lateral movement during the cutting operation. The lower end of the follower may be knurled as at 41, while the knife may be extended rearwardly to engage the bottom of the follower and to prevent it from falling out of the arm 16. This follower functions not only to cooperate with the feed wheel in rotating the can, but also to, turn down the remaining portion of the top of the canbetweenthe cutter and the periphery of the can, thereby lessening the danger to injury in removing the contents of the-can, and also increasing the size of the opening to substantially the full cross-sectional area of the can.

To facilitate insertion of a can beneath the cutter, I have shown a spring 45, one end'of which engages .the arm 16 and the other end of which-engages the bracket 20. This functionsto maintain the arm in the inclined posit-ion'shownin Fig. 1. r

To prevent injury to the cutting point in the eventthe bracket is lowered, I haveillustrated a compression spring 46 which surrounds the, guide 21 and of such length as to engage ashoulder47 on the hub of the bracket .whenever the bracket is lowered or is inadscribed. The point of the knife and the heel thereof cooperate with the feed wheel to grip feed wheel whenever downward pressure is exerted on thehandle 18. y 1 To operate a device made in accordance with my invention, the bracket 20 is raised sufficiently to permit entrance of the can beneath the cutter. 'Thereupon the operator presses downwardly on the handle 18 with 'onehand, while with the other hand turns the crank'arm 39.. This rotates the shaft 36, and through the gears 34 and 35 rotates the shaft 31. The downward pressure on the arm 18 forces the knife and followerinto engagement with the top of the can wherefore the can is forced against the feed wheel 30. The lower end of the follower, as shown at 41, is tapered wherefore increased downward pressure on the handle 18 effects an increasing pressure of the can against the feed wheel. As heretofore explained thecan is prevented from shifting since the cutter and follower are offset with relation to a plane passing throughthe center'of the can and the axis of the. feed wheel. Thus the can is rotated so long as the arm 39 is revolved, wherefore the extent to which the can is out can be con-, trolled at will.

In view of the foregoing description, it will be understood. thatmy invention provides a can opening machine which is very simple in construction, easy to operate and durable 1n use. Moreover my inventlon is of such a character that the can is automatically rotated without the necessity for complicated clamping mechanism. In addition, I provide a device which is capable of cutting cans of various shapes and sizes and of so operating on the cans that the remaining strip adj acent the peripheral edges of the can is automatically turned down thereby reducing the danger of. injury in'removing the contents of the can. 7

. Having thus descrlbed my invention I claim:

1. A can opemng machine comprising 1n combination, a can support, a shaft journaled therein, a feed wheel splined on the shaft, means for rotating said shaft, and a cutter associated with the feed wheel.

2. A can opening machine comprising in combination, a can support, a shaft journaled therein, a bracket slidably mounted upon the shaft, a feed wheel splined to the shaft, and associated with, said bracket, said feed wheel being adapted to engage the side of a can positioned on said support, an arm pivotally mounted on the bracket, a cutter fixed to the arm and adapted-to engage the top of the can and to force the can against the feed wheel whereby rotation of the wheel effects rotation of the can during the cutting operation.

3.; In a can opening machine, the combination with a can support, of a post journalled I therein, means for rotating the post, a feed wheel splined to the post and adapted to engage the side of the can, a cutter, and means associated with the cutter for cooperating with the feed wheel to effect rotation of the can during the cutting operation.

4. In a can opening machine, the combination with a can support, of a vertically extending shaft journalled in said support, a

bracket movable with relation to said shaft,

an arm mounted on the bracket, afeed' wheel associated with the bracket and splined to said shaft,,a cutter carried by the arm and means associated with the arm for cooperat ing with the wheel to efiect rotation of the can during the cutting operation.

' ed on the bracket, acuttercarried by the arm, r

5. In a can Opening machine, the combination with a can support, of a vertically extending guide member carried by the support, a spring surrounding the guide member adjacent the bottom end thereof, a'bracket slidable on the guide member and adjustable with relation thereto, an arm pivotally mountsaid spring having such characteristics that the cutter is prevented from engaging the support when said bracket is in the lowermost position. v

,6. In a can opening machine, the combination with a can support,of a bracket movable Vertically with relation to the support, an arm mounted on the bracket, a feed wheel 7 ment of the can during the cutting operation.

signature.

7. In a can opening machine, the combina- I tion with a can support, of parallel upright members mounted on the support, one of said members being rotatable and having a gear,

adjacent one end thereof, means carried by the support for rotatitngsaid gear, a feed wheel splined to the rotating member, a

bracket a djustably' mounted on the other a member and having means associated therewith for retaining the feed wheel in adjusted 1;

position with relation to the bracket, an arm pivotally mounted on the bracket above said. wheel, a cutter mounted on 1 the arm, and

means for normally holding the arm in such position that the top of a can maybe forced against the feed Wheel while the cutterclears the top of said can.

In testimony Whereof,-I hereunto affix my e ema, HAINES a

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