US2041288A - Can opener - Google Patents

Description

Patented May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to can openers, and more particularly, to the so-called wall type can openers wherein the mechanism may be secured to a wall, kitchen cabinet, or the like so that an operators hand may be comparatively free for the loading and handle turning operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a can opener of simple design and one which will be economical to manufacture.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a can opener of the blade cutter and traction wheel type capable of holding large and heavy cans on the traction wheel better than those provided heretofore without a can supporting table or bottom support.

Some of the improved details of construction provided by the present invention are a blade cutter secured to the frame at a point far removed from its real cutting edge so as to be yieldable for irregularities in the rim of a can and means arranged to positively limit the yielding movement. Also, this latter means is adapted to prevent the can from tilting about the periphery of the traction Wheel.

Another feature of construction includes the provision of a novel bracket arrangement Wherein only a single screw is needed to lock and hold. the main supporting arm rigidly in its operative o position and about which the arm may be swung into and held in its inoperative position.

Still other features of the present invention are the provision of a novel arrangement for movably supporting a traction wheel on the frame and associated novel means for moving the traction wheel to and from operative and inoperative positions and for holding the wheel in these positions.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing- Figure 1 isa perspective view of the complete can openerof the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the main operating parts of the present invention, and shows the blade cutter punched into a can.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the main operating parts, showing the traction wheel in the raised operative position.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the main operating parts, on the handle side, in the raised operative position. l Y

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but shows the traction Wheel in the lowered inoperative POS- tion.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 4, but shows the handle parts in the lowered inoperative position.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional View through the cutter and traction Wheel, with these parts in the 5 inoperative position on a can.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but shows the parts in the raised operative position on a can.

Fig. 9 is a perspective detail view of the bracket 10 and main arm in the operative position.

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9, but shows the arm in its inoperative position.

Fig. 11 is a detail of the aligning studs.

Fig. 12 is a detail of the camming stud.

Fig. 13 shows the main operating parts of the present invention in position for cutting oif rather than cutting out the top of a can.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the present invention in its preferred form com-v prises a main frame l5 including a bracket I6 for attachment to a wall, kitchen cabinet, or the like, a horizontal plate or arm I1 and a vertical arm I8. The two latter arms are preferably located relative to each other by two aligning studs I9 on the vertical arm entering suitable cooperating apertures 20 in the horizontal arm, and are held together by screws 2| and 22.

Although it is possible to have the bracket I6 made integral with the horizontal arm I1, it is 30 now considered preferable to have it made separate, as shown, so that the long forwardly projecting arm may be moved from a handy operating, but sometimes unsafe or in the way position (see Figs. 1 and 9) to a safe out-of-the-way 35 position (see Fig. l0) In order to do this and to rigidly support the arms l1 and I8 in heavy load supporting and can cutting or operative position, the present invention provides a stud 23 and wing nut 24 and a tongue 25 on the bracket, with the tongue preferably lanced and formed integral therewith, and elongated slots 26 and 2l on the horizontal arm. 'Ihe stud 23 fits into the slot 26 and the tongue 25 fits into the other slot 21.

. When it is desired to move the frame from the inoperative position shown in Fig. 10 to the operative position shown in Fig. 9, it is merely necessary to loosen the wing nut 24 and swing the arm I1 around the stud 23 into the horizontal po- 50 sition, then slide it rearwardly on the stud as l permitted by the slot 26 until the tongue 25 enters the slot 21, whereupon the nut is again tightened. Thus, the present invention provides a simple positive and very rigid connection.

The main operating parts of the can opener are located near the front end of the horizontal arm I1 and comprise a blade cutter 28 secured to the frame I5 by the screw 2I. This screw also serves to hold the vertical arm I8 to the horizontal arm I1. Preferab1ythis blade cutter is secured only at its upper end, at a point quite remote from the angular cutting edge 29 to be yieldable for irregularities in cans, as will be pointed out in greater detail later.

A traction wheel 30 is also provided. to engage the underside 3| of the rim 32 of a can 33, and provided with serrations or teeth 34 on its periphery adapted to bite into the can and move it circularly about the blade cutter 28 while the latter cuts the top of the can, as may be seen best in Fig. 8. y

According to the present invention,` a simple, economical and very efficient mount is provided for the traction wheel 30. This comprises a spacing collar 35 having a sliding fit in a vertical aperture 36 in the arm I8 and a threaded stud 31 having threaded connections 38 and 39 with the traction Wheel and with a handle 48 respectively. Thus, in assembling these parts to the frame, it is merely necessary to screw the stud 31 slightly into the handle, drop the spacing collar over the stud, pass this assemblage into the aperture 36, then thread the traction wheel onto the stud, and solidly against the spacing collar 35.

This securing means may be, and preferably is, used to also hold a novel control cam 4I having a handle 49 to the frame I5. To this end the spacing collar 35 and stud 31 are made slightly longer than the thickness of the arm I8, and the cam 4I preferably with a spring washer 48 are passed onto the collar before the traction wheel is threaded onto the stud, solidly against the spacing collar.

'I'he control armA 4I in effect forms a carrier adapted to move the traction wheel 30 upwardly intoV the operative position under the rim 3I of the can 33, then move the can upwardly relative to the blade cutter 28 so that the angular cutting edge 29 pierces into the top of the can, and to hold the traction wheel and associatedy handle 40 in either the raised operative position, Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive, or in the inoperative position shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Y

To this end, the cam is provided with a flat 42 spaced a short extent from the stud 41 to allow the spacing collar 35 and associated traction wheel 30 to move downwardly relative to the blade cutter 28 into the position shown in Fig. 5. It is also provided with another flat 43 spaced a greater extent from the stud, which, when it engages the shelf44, maintains the traction wheel in the raised operative position shown in Fig. 3. A convex section 45 is adapted to ride on the shelf 44 and convex section 46 is adapted to ride on the camming stud 41 to raise and lower the traction Wheel relative to the cutter and shelf 44 as a handle 49 section of the cam is moved ontothe shelf. It should also` be noted that the flat 43 r is offset slightlyv relative to the center line of the stud 31 (see Fig. 4) so that -it is possible to lift `the traction wheel higher than the normal operative position; viz. higher than when the flat 43 and shelf 44 are parallel.

'Ihe vertical arm, I8 is also provided with a tongue 50 preferably integral with the arm and 'arranged to be thrown at a right angle to theY arm when the shelf 44 is formed. It serves to locate and maintain acan spaced slightly from the face of the traction wheel, as may be seen best in Fig. 2 in order to reduce friction.

It should be particularly noted that the present invention provides a novel form of yoke 5I overlying the blade cutter 28. Preferably, this yoke is made U-shaped with a back section 52 having arms 53 engaging a side and integral lingers 54 underlying the main arm I1. It is held in place by the screw 22. This screw together with the blade screw 2I pass through the plate I1 and are threaded into the other plate I8 to hold them on the locating lugs I9 and hold them rigidly together.

The arm 53 at the back of the blade cutter serves to prevent the cutter from moving' arcuately around the screw 2I and supports' it against regular cutting strain while the back' seic-r tion 52 thereof has a lanced nger 56 adapted to? limit the sidewise yielding movement of the cutter. If the yoke is formed with sharp bends on`- the inside corners wher-e the side arm 53 el1-- gages the back of the cutter, the back secto'nf alone may be spaced slightly from the cutter and it will not be necessary to provide a separate lanced finger 56.

The underside of the two arms 53 overlies the rim 32 of a can and serves to limit arcuate movement of the can about the traction wheel 30. The nger 54 section of the arms 53, by passing under the plate I1, locate the yoke vertically and prevent 'l it from shifting vertically when engaged by the top rim of a can.

Operation of the can opener is as follows-The underside 3| of the rim of a can 33 is hooked onto the teeth 34 of the traction wheel 30 while the latter is in the lowered inoperative position shown in Figs. 5 and 6, or the can is moved over the cutter 28 as shown in Fig. 7, then the handle 49 is grasped and turned to the raised position shown in Fig. 4, whereupon the traction wheel 30 is moved upwardly in the elongated slot 36 by the cam 4I riding on the shelf 44 and the blade knife 28 punches through the can as shown in Fig. 8.

The lower end of the yieldingly mounted blade 28 tends to keep the can rim on the traction wheel 38 a maximum extent. The traction' wheel ls kept in the raised operative position, biting into the rim of the can, by the flat 43 on the cam engaging the shelf 44.' Itis merely necessary for the user to turn the handle 4U, whereupon the traction wheel turns the can past the blade 28 until the top is cut out either partially or fully, as preferred. Then the cam handle 49 is turned to the down position where the can can be removed from the traction wheel again.

In the raised position, it is absolutely impossible to remove the can because of the manner in which the blade 28 and traction wheel 38 cooperate, as may be clearly seen in Fig. 2. By having the cutter yielding at its lower end, it may spring outwardly for bumps, seam sections, or other irregularities, yet the back section 52 of the yoke always prevents it from moving out far enough to allow the rim of even a heavy can from sliding olf the traction wheel.

Although this can opener is preferably used for cutting out the tops of cans, as shown in Figs. 1 to 12, inclusive, and as described so far, it may also be used equally well for cutting olf the tops of cans, by merely placing the frame in a flatwise direction over the top of a can and with the traction wheel inside the rim section, then moving the cam 4I into operative position and turning the crank 40 as when cutting out the top of the can. Such application is shown in Fig. 13.

It O

Other variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters Patent, isz- 1. In a can opener, the combination of a frame; a traction wheel on the frame; a blade cutter adapted to locate and maintain the rim of a can on the traction wheel and at its lower end being yieldable with respect to the traction wheel for irregularities in the rim of the can; means for moving the traction wheel into engagement with the rim and to force said cutter through the top of the can; a crank for turning said traction Wheel; a forwardly projecting arm forming a part of said frame; a U-shaped yoke with outer ends in the form of feet to engage a side of the arm and other sections of the yoke being adapted to engage the rim of the can on both sides of the cutter; and fingers on the ends of the U-shaped yoke adapted to underlie the arm while the feet thereof engage the side of the arm to prevent the yoke from shifting relative to the arm when either side of the yoke is engaged by the rim of a can.

2. In a can opener, the combination of a frame, provided with an elongated slot; a blade cutter on the frame; a traction wheeland a shaft therefore having a sliding t in said elongated slot in a direction toward and from said blade cutter; a shelf on said frame; a lug; and a cam pivoted'on the traction wheel shaft having two flats, one

spaced a short extent and the other spaced a longk extent from the pivot adapted to rest upon the rst -named shelf and maintain the traction wheel in operative and inoperative positions relative to the blade cutter and also having two convex sections riding between the shelf and the said lug so as to move the traction wheel into and out of engagement with the rim of a can and force the cutter into and out of the can.

3. In a can opener, the combination of a frame, provided with an elongated slot; a blade cutter on the frame; a traction wheel and a shaft therefore having a sliding t in said elongated slot in a direction toward and from said blade cutter; a shelf on said frame; a cam pivoted on the traction wheel shaft adapted to move the wheel to operative and inoperative positions relative to the rim of a can and tov the blade cutter; and a nat section on said cam adapted to rest upon the shelf and maintain the traction wheel in the operative position, said at section being tangential to the pivot and being adapted to eiect a secondary lift to the traction wheel from the regular operative position to compensate for slippage in the regular traction bite and to compensate for slight irregularities in the can.

4. In a can opener, the combination of a frame including a vertical arm having an elongated slot; a blade cutter secured to the frame; a traction wheel; and means for moving the traction wheel in said elongated slot towardand from said cutter blade, said vertical arm having at its lower end a right-angle bend forming a double tongue,

one of said tongues serving to locate the can relative to the cutter and traction wheel, and the other forming a shelf upon which the means for moving the traction wheel may Work to shift the traction wheel relative to the cutter.

HARRY V. GOULD.

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