US2008430A - Can opener - Google Patents

Description

July 16, 1935. H. VON WOLFORSDORF CAN OPENER Filed Oct. 9, 1953 Patented July 16, 1935 2,008,430

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

von Wolforsdorf, administratrix of said Hans von Wolforsdorf, deceased Application October 9, 1933; Serial No. 92,735

2 claims. ('01. 30--3') .ThiS invention relates to can openers of the of the frame plate II is the shank I3 of a cutter manually operable type, and has reference more blade I4. This blade extends generally lengthparticularly to a known type of such can openers wise of the handle'and is formed with a lower structurally characterized by a frame plate or beveled cutting'edge=;l5 (Fig; 61), and, as best 5 bar formed with an inwardly overhanging cutter shown in Fig.3, is preferably outwardly inclined 5 blade for piercing and cutting out the top wall forapurpose later disclosed. The blade is formed of the can, and a traction. wheel and operating with a comparativelysharp piercing end or tip I6. handle therefor journaled in the frame plate and Rotatably mounted on the inner side of the serving to effect a travel of the frame plate and frame plate II is a toothed. traction wheel I'I fast cutter blade around the top edge of the can on the inner'end of thestem, or shank I 8 of an 10 through biting engagement with the underside operating handle I9, the stem or shank I8 being of the usual annular bead or rim on the end of slidable in theslot I2." Integral withthe upper the can. edge ofthe frame plate It and directly in rear One object of this invention has been to proof the blade I4 is'-a laterally extending lug 20 vide a can opener of this type of exceedingly simthat, in the lowered position of the handle shown 15 ple construction and few parts, thereby conducin Fig. 5 rides on the top edge of the top bead of ing to low cost. Another object has been to prothe can, and on the lower edge. of the frame plate vide an improved can opener that may very II is an inwardly extending lug 2| that, as shown easily be applied to and removed from the can, in Fig. 6, bears against the vertical wall of the and that will effect a smooth and easy cutting can during the cutting operation to prevent fric- 20 operation. A still further object has been to tion between the traction wheel and the can wall. provide a can opener of such construction that, The blade shank I3, as best shown in Fig. 3, is as the top wall of the can is pierced by the cutting continuous with the lug 20; and, in order to render blade and the latter shifted to cutting position, the blade resiliently yieldable to a small extent,

the traction wheel will be automatically brought its shank I3 is separated from the frame plate I I 25 into a position favorable for biting engagement by a longitudinal kerf 22. This characteristic with the lower edge of the bead or rim so as to of the blade is not indispensable to a satisfactory insure good traction on the latter. functioning of the tool, but has two advantages.

Still other objects and attendant advantages In the first place, as the tool is entered on the of the, device will be apparent to those familiar can and moved to cutting position, its horizontal 30 with tools of this character by the following despringiness tends to draw the frame plate carrytailed description, taken in connection with the ing the traction wheel snugly against the outer accompanying drawing in which I have illuswall of the can; and in the second place, when the trated one practical embodiment of the princitraction wheel is turned to engage with the lower ple of the invention, and wherein:-- edge of the can bead, as shown in Fig. 6, its ver- 35 Fig. 1 is an inner side elevation of the can tical springiness causes the traction wheel to take opener. a good grip on the bead.

Fig. 2 is an outer side elevation of the same In using the tool for cutting out a can top, turned end for end. it is first applied in a substantially vertical po- 40 Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 1. sition, as shown in Fig. 4, and downward pres- 40 Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the first operation sure on the handle causes the blade to puncture of piercing the top wall of the can. the top, the traction wheel and its operating Fig. 5 is aview similar to Fig. 4 but showing the handle at the same time dropping to the lower handle swung down to bring the blade into cutend of the slot I2 so that. the traction wheel ting position. lies below the head. The handle is then swung 45 Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section on the offset down to the position shown in Fig. 5, rocking on line 56 of Fig. 5. the shank of the blade as a fulcrum. I This Referring to the drawing, I0 designates a hanslightly raises the traction wheel into engagedle member preferably of wood and of a size and ment with the under side of the bead, and at shape to be held securely in one hand of the opthe same time starts the cutting operation by erator. Rigidly mounted on the inner end of causing the cutting edge I5 of the blade to sever the handle Ill and extending lengthwise of the a portion of the can top. The user, grasping latter is a flat frame plate I I preferably formed the handle II] with one hand, turns the operat with a longitudinal slot I2 in its outer portion. ing handle I 9 clockwise (viewing Fig. 2) with Integral with and continuous with the top edge the other whereupon the traction wheel first form of the invention which, in practice, has

travels to the inner end of the slot I 2, and, as soon as it abuts the inner end of said slot, the grip of the Wheel on the bead causes the can to rotate, thus effecting a complete severance of the can top close to the inner wall of the can body. When the top has been completely severed, a slight turning movement of the handle the latter to the device as shown, except to the extent indicated in specific claims.

I claim: 7 1 1. A can opener, comprising a handle, a flat frame plate rigidly mountedon one end of said handle and extending lengthwise of the latter and'having a straight longitudinal slot, a fixed cutter blade mounted on and inwardly offset from said frame plate, said blade lyingopposite said slot and extending generallylengthwise of said handle and formed with a pointed end for piercing the can under a down thrust on said handle, a. traction wheel operating handle having 'a shank rotatably and slidably mounted in said slot, a traction wheel fast on the inner end "of said shank, said slot, through engagement with said shank, operating to raise said traction wheel into biting engagement with a bead on the can when said first-named handle is swung downwardly, and an upper lug on said frame plate adapted to rest on the top edge of the can when said first-named handle is in substantially horizontal position.

2. A can opener, comprising a handle, a fiat frame plate rigidly mounted on one endof said handle and extending lengthwise of the latter and having a straight longitudinal slot, a'fixed cutter blade integral with the top edge of said plate and inwardly offset from the latter opposite said slot, said blade extending generally lengthwise of said handle and being resiliently yieldable both vertically and horizontally and formed with an outwardly inclined pointed end portion for piercing'the can under a down thrust on said handle, a traction wheel operating handle having a shank rotatably and slidably mounted in said slot, a traction wheel fast on the inner end of said shank andlying against the inner side of said frame plate, said slot, through engagement with said shank, operating to raise said traction wheel into biting engagement With' a bead on the can when said first-named handle 'is swung downwardly, an upper lug on's'aid frame plate adapted to'rest on the top edge of the can when said first named handle is in substantially horizontal position, and a lug on the lower edge of the frame plate adapted to bear on the side Wall of the can.

' HANS vow WQLFORSDORF.

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