US1771493A - Can opener - Google Patents

Description

J. KOVATS July 29, 1930.

CAN OPENER Filed Oct. 13, 1928 Film-5:;

Patented July 29,1930

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN KOVATS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO LORRAINE METAL MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF BRIDGEI'ORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 01' NEW YORK CAN OPENER Application filed October 13, 1928. Serial No. 312,335.

This invention relates to a can opener and has for an object to provide asimple and improved can opener which may be easily and quickly applied to the can and which will be very easy to operate.

It is also an object to provide a can opener which will cut out the top of the can close to the rim or flange so as not to leave any burr, and will not form any chips in the cutting operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawing. In this drawing,

Fig. 1 is a section through a portion of one side and one end of a can with my improved opener shown in elevation, the elements being in the position they occupy just before the cutter is forced to cutting position.

Fig. 2 is an elevation looking from the left of Fig. 1 showing the top of the can in section.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing the cutter forced through the can to the cutting position.

Fig. 4 is a view looking from the left of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section substantially on line 55 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a detail section of the means for mounting the traction wheel.

Numerous can openers have been produced which have a shear blade which is drawnor forced around the edge of the top of the can to cut it out, but these have a serious objection in that they form chips in cutting the can which come off as fine pieces of metal and drop into the contents of the can, and these openers are also relatively difiicult to operate. I have provided an improved opener which will cut the end ,of the can clean and close to the rim or flange without forming any chips and without leaving a rough burr on the can, and which will operate very easily. It

comprises a body or frame member 10 which is bent intermediate its ends so that its opposite end portions are inclined at an angle to each other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In its lower end portion is mounted a wing member 11 carrying a traction wheel 12. This wheel has a knurled or toothed edge or rim to engage the under side of the turned over flange 13 of the can. This wheel has a non-circular opening to receive a non-circular extension 14 of the wing member, and-therefore, will rotate with this member. A circular bushing 15 is placed about this extension 14 to turn in an opening in the frame 10, and suit-. able washers 16 may be placed on the opposite sides of the member 10 to give a good bearing and permit easy turning of the traction wheel. The elements are held together by riveting over the end 26 of the extension 14. The support 10 has a laterally extending lug 17 at its rear edge adapted to rest on the top of the rim of the can and guide the device as it is forced around the can.

Pivoted to the upper portion of the support 10 by a pivot 18 is a lever 19 carrying at its lower end a circular cutter 20. This cutter is beveled at both its front and rear sides, as shown at 21 and 22 respectively, formin a cutting edge between them, and the mem r 10 is bent so as to bring the lever 19 at an angle so that the rear bevel 22 at the lower part of the cutter below its pivot is substantially parallel to the inner side of the rim of the can when in the cutting position, as shown in Fig. 3. The circular cutter is so located on the lever 19 that when this lever is in the vertical position or a slight distance to the right of the same, as shown in Fig. 4, which is the normal operating position, the lower edge of the cutter will, extend-through the top 23 of the can 24. The turning movement of the lever is limited by engagement of one edge thereof with a stop lug 25 on the support 10. The rear bevel 22 of the cutter that the device is cutter through the end wall of the can and bringing the lever and cutter to the position of Fig. 4. It will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 4 that when the lever is so swung on its pivot the center of the rotary cutter 20 passes by the line joining the centers of the driving wheel 12 and the pivot 18 of the lever so that there is in effect a sort of toggle action as the cutter is forced through the top of the can,

making the device very easy to operate. Also this arrangement tends to hold the lever in this position during the movement of the device around the can in cutting out the top, and therefore effectively holds the lever in the upright position with the cutter in proper cutting position and it is not necessary for the operator to hold the lever after the device is once started. By then turning the wing member 11 the traction wheel will advance the cutter around the periphery of the can making a clean cut without forming any chips to fall into the contents of the can. The circular cutter in view of the inclined arrangement of the lever 11 and the two beveled surfaces on the cutter permits the cutter to easily move around the can without any tendency to dig into the rim of the can, and the rotation of the cutter also facilitates its movement so that the cutter is very easy to operate as well as giving a good clean out. It will also be apparent very simple in construction involving a small number of parts and ma It ailso requires a small space and may be easily carried.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a can opener, a body member having a lug to rest on the top of the rim of the can,

-a driving wheel carried by said body to engage the under edge of the turned over flange a lever pivoted means for operating said wheel, to said body member above said wheel, and a circular cutter rotatably of the can,

mounted on said lever and adapted to be forced thereby and thencarried around the through the top of the can can by action of the drivin wheel to cut the top from the can, the'cutter ing so mountedon the lever that its axis-passes by the line joining the cenbe manufactured at relatively low cost.

of the can, and a stop to limit the turning movement of the lever.

2. In a can opener, an upright body memher having a laterally extending lug to rest on the rim of the can, a drivin wheel mounted to turn in said member an to engage the under edge of the turned over flange of the can, the upper portion of said body member being inclined inwardly, a lever pivoted to the upper portion of said body member, a circular cutter rotatably mounted on said lever and adapted to be forced thereby through the top of the can, said cutter being beveled at its opposite sides to form a cutting edge which will lie close to the wall of the can when the lever is in the upright position, and the cutter being'so mounted on the lever that its axis passes by the line joining the centers of the driving wheel and the lever pivot to secure an effect similar to a toggle action when the lever is operated to force the cutter through the top of the can.

3. In a can opener, an upright body member having a laterally extending lug to rest on the rim of a can, a driving wheel rotatably mounted in the lower part of the body member in turned over ange of the can, means for operating said wheel, a lever pivoted to the upper part of the body member, a circular cutter rotatably mounted .on said lever and adapted to have its lower edge forced through the top of the can by said lever, the cutter being beveled on its opposite sides to form a cutting edge, the lever being inclined to the axis of the driving wheel so that the inner beveled side of the lower part of the cutter is substantially parallel to the inner surface of the can wall when in cutting position, and a stop to limit the turning movement of the lever, the cutter being so mounted on the lever that its axis passes by the line j oining the centers of the driving wheel and the lever pivot to secure an effect similar to a toggle action when the lever is operated to force the cutter through the top of the can.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN KOVATS.

.ters of the driving wheel and the lever pivot .to simulate a toggle action when the lever is operated to force the cutter through the top osition to engage under the

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