US1870938A

US1870938A - Can opener

Info

Publication number: US1870938A
Application number: US519324A
Authority: US
Inventors: Daniel M Winans
Original assignee: DANIEL E WINANS CORP
Current assignee: DANIEL E WINANS Corp
Priority date: 1931-03-02
Filing date: 1931-03-02
Publication date: 1932-08-09
Anticipated expiration: 1949-08-09

Description

g- 9, 1932- D. M. WINANS 1,870,938

CAN .OPENER Filed March 2, 1931 Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES m'rrsu'rv o'rricefj;

DANIEL M. wI ANs, or BINGEAM'roN, NEW YORK; AssIoNoR 'ro DANIEL 1!. WINANS CORPORATION, or BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK CAN OPENER Application filed March 2, 1931. Serial No. 519,324.

My invention relates to can openers and particularly to a can opener which completely and smoothly severs the entire top of the can and which during the severing operation turns down the sharp severed portion around the top of the can so that a smooth surface is left thereon.

One of the principal objects of my invention lies in the provision of a'can opener which instead of requiring the operator to hold or steady the can with one hand and cut with and move the can opener with the other hand, grips the can tightly so that it may be easily supported during the cutting operation and upon turning a novel and ingenious cutting mechanism, rotates the can and simultaneously cuts the top thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide a can opener which enables the cutting of the can top with the supporting hand out of engagement with the can and therefore out of the way of the cutting knife, thus eliminating the likelihood of slippage and resultant cut fingers.

A further object of my invention is to provide a can opener which in operative position also serves as a holder for the can both during and 7 after the cutting operation, whereby the opener is usuable as a lifter or handle and eliminates the necessity of the hands touching the can at all. This is particularly useful if the can being opened is hot as in cases where food stuffs are cooked or heated in the can before use.

Another object of my invention lies in the provision of a novel gripping device for the can which serves as a holder, a feeding device, and a guiding means for the cutter.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the description proceeds, reference now. being had to the figures of the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved can opener.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 taken from the opposite side, certainparts being opener in actual cutting posi- Figure 4 is a detail perspective view illustrating theusefulness of a can opener as a holder or lifting device for the can.

igure 5 is a'detail view illustrating a F slight modification of my invention.

11 carrying out my invention I provide a pair of lever members 1 and2, one end of each of which is curved as at 3. The curved ends are offset slightly from the plane of the levers as at 4 and theseends pivoted together as at 5 by any suitable pivot means. Thus there is provided a pair of cooperating levers or clamping jaws, the free ends6 of which are grasped by thehand of the operator to move the pivoted levers towards and away from each other for a purpose to be described. I

A bail 7 is pivoted as at 8 to the lever member 2 and is in the form of a single piece bent back upon itself-around the upper lever member 1 whereby the separation of the lever members is'limited, and the same are held against lateral displacement. The ends 6 of the levers thus constitute the handles and of course, may be of any desired form or shape or provided with any suitable hand grips as may be desired. r

The lever member 2 is provided at a point 7 adjacent the pivoted ends of thelevers with i a disk or wheel 9, suitably mounted for free rotation onthe lever as at 10. The periphery of thedisk 9 extends beyond the edge of the lever member 2 as is clear from the figures of the drawing.

Rotatably mounted upon the upper lever member 1 at a point corresponding with the mounting of the disk 9 on the lever 2, is a toothed wheel 11 adapted to be rotated by means of a crank or finger piece 12, the rotatable parts being suitably journaled as by the sleeve bearing 13 in the lever member '1.

Obviously any desired type of rotating means for the toothed wheel 11 may be provided, the finger piece 12 being intended as illustrative only.

The lever member 1 is providedwith a lateral extension l hithe upperifree end of which is turned-over to provide a flange I5 'which is cut out centrally as at 16 to receive'the-re'-' duced end .17 .ofa knife. member .18 securedto the extension 14' inany suitable-manner as at 19. Of course, any'desiredmeans forse curing the knife on the lever 1 may b63310 vided, the form shown being intended as illustrative only. T.

The knife member 18 is, as shown clearly in"'Fi*gure"-3,- o ffset intermediate its length as at 20 and extends downwardly past the toothed wheel 1 1 and below the *lower. edge ofthe lever meniberfli This-'lower'extend'ing end of the 'knife is p-ointed as at 21 to provide a piercing means for the top 5220f the canj 23. "The edges of this; pointed end of the knife are, .o'f -conrse', left sharp to provide a cutting means for the top ofthe ean. V

The knife 18 provides a bearing as zit-24 shown-clearlyin Figures l and'Q. 'In such position *the operator new -e'Gmp-resses; 'the handle members 6 of the levers 1 and-2, a'nd of::course =forcesthe pointed knife member throughthe :topof'the canan'd downwardly thereindirectlyiadjacentthe inside surface of the ean, -until theto'othed wheel 11 engages the u-p-per surface of the -bead 2%;. Continned pressure on the handles 5 6 of course, holds the toothed Wheel =11 in tight engage I ment -with the upper-surface of the jbead2'5 and-the rotatable disk. '9 tightlyagainst the under surface thereof, In this positionithe cutting endofthe knife 18' extends downeeiniyaaaehe si -toe pas-ima th jpe-j bead 25 and consequently rotates the can 23, the knife of course, cutting the top 22 during such rotation. A full rotation of the can, resultsin the complete cutting of the top 22 which may then be removed entirely. It will be clear from Figure 3 that the inner surface of the knife member engages the inner upper edge of the can and bead duringthe cuttingoperation,compressingthe cut edge thereof between the knife and the bead, the opposing surface of the rotary disk 9, assisting such compression, whereby-the cut. edge a is turned tightly in alongside thei'nner surface of the "can whereby no sharp edges are left when the cutting operation iscompleted. It will also be notedwith reference to Figure 3 that the toothed wheel 11is offset laterally with ;respe ct'to the rotary disk 9 a slight amount,

sufficient. merely to accommodate the thick- .ness o'f thecanr23rbetween the knife and the disk 9. I

"Fromthe foregoing' it will be obvious-that with the can o'pener-in'cutting positionitacts as a handle or holding device forthe'ca'n; the can being unable to become detached so'long as pressure is maintainedfupon :the handles 6. Therefore,'the opener may,'as illustrated in Figure 4:, be used as a liftingdeviceifor the can-, thus facilitating pouring the -con-, tentslout-o'f the can. iFronrtheforegong'ile scriptioni-t-is, of course, obvioustthat-the operator need notnecessarily 'touch the can at a all, r as the opener may be attached without holdingthe can and a'fterzatta-chment itsecurely' gripsand holdsthe can. This feature is particularly usefulin connection with the opening of cans which are hotor dirty. In Figure 5 thereis-shownagslightmodification-of the invention wherein the position of the rotatable disk and the toothed wheel are'reversed'fromthepositions-shownin the otherfigures of thedrawing. In Figure -5 the toothed wheel 110; is shown mounted on the lower lever member *2 and the rotatable disk 9a is mounted on the upper lever 1. The operation of the device is i-dentical with that describedfthe only difference being that in this case thetoothed wheel 11a engages and bites into the undersideof the'bead-Qfiof the 6211123 and :the rotatable disk .90 opposes the pressureon the-"top of the-bead. "Otherwise the structure and operation oftheopener is identicalwith that just described. Of coursechanges 'maybe made indetails of, construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope Ofmy invention. 7 I do not limit myself to the specific rorm 'here'in shownand described other than by the appended-claims.

i iii if%w pri is'ajr -l f Piv-i oted levers videl ithapairtof rotatable a spr n has.sateenm nner ih'g methane adapted to eng e the upper surface of the head of acanhndyacting to turn the can when rotated, the other of said means being adapted to engage the under surface of said bead in opposing relation to said first means and in substantial alignment therewith, and a knife carried by one of said levers and independent of said gripping means operable to cut the top of said can when turned.

2. A can opener comprising a pair of levers pivoted together at one end, rotatable can grippingmeans on' said levers intermediate their ends and insubstantial alignment said means comprising a toothed wheel adapted to engage the upper surface of the bead of a can and a second wheel adapted to engage the underside of said bead in opposing relation to said toothed wheel, said means coacting to turn the can when rotated in gripping position, and a knife independent of said gripping means in top-cutting position during such turning, said knife being carried by one of said levers and extending to a position alongside said gripping means but inside the can.

3. A can opener comprising a pair of levers pivoted together at one end, rotatable can gripping means on said levers intermediate their ends and in substantial alignment, said means coacting to turn the can when rotated in gripping position, and a knife carried by one of said levers and independent of said gripping means in top cutting position during such turning for cutting the said top inside of said bead, one of said gripping means being toothed and adapted to bite into the upper surface of the bead of the can upon rotation, for turning the can.

4. A can opener comprising a pair of pivoted parallel levers each provided with a rotatable can gripping wheel mounted in substantially opposing relation intermediate the ends of said levers and one of said wheels being toothed for biting into the top surface of the bead of the can when in gripping position, means for rotating said toothed wheel to turn the can and a knife independent of said gripping means and carried'by one of said levers adapted to cut the can top inside the head as the can is turned.

turning, one of said gripping means being toothed and adapted to bite into the upper surface of the bead of the can upon rotation, for turning the can.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

DANIEL M. WINANS.

5. A can opener comprising a pair of pivoted parallel levers each provided with a rotatable can gripping wheel mounted in substantially opposing relation intermediate the ends of said levers and one of said wheels being toothed for biting in the top surface of the bead of the can when in gripping position, means for rotating said toothed wheel to turn the can and a knife independent of said gripping means and carried by one of said levers adapted to cut the can top as the can is turned, said knife extending into the can beyond the peripheries of both of said wheels in cutting position.

6. A can opener comprising a pair of levers pivoted together at one end, rotatable