US2090382A

US2090382A - Can opener

Info

Publication number: US2090382A
Application number: US3957A
Authority: US
Inventors: Zaremba Tadeusz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1934-02-01
Filing date: 1935-01-29
Publication date: 1937-08-17
Anticipated expiration: 1954-08-17

Description

Aug. 17, 1937. I T. ZAREMBA CAN OPENER I Filed Jan. 29, 1935 Patented Aug. 11, 1937 UNITED STATES CAN OPENER Tadeusz Zaremba, Warsaw, Poland Application January 29, 1935. Serial No. 3,957

In Poland February 1, 1934 r 7 Claims.

I have filed an application in Poland on the 1st February, 1934.

The present invention relates to an improved can opener. The main object of the invention is to provide a can opener in which the traction wheel performs in addition to the known rotary movement which propels the opener along the rim of the can, a further movement relatively to the cutter, which is directed towards the cutter in such manner that upon the traction wheel coming into contact with'the bead of the can, the cutter is drawn towards and into the wall of the can, whereby the wall of the can is cut through and the cutter is pressed into the wall. During the further rotation of the traction wheel, the

wall of the can is then cut by the butter in the usual manner. The improved can opener according to the invention can be supplied separate from the can go and used many times in connection with various cans, or it can be supplied with a particular can in which case it is placed by the manufacturer at once in the correct position upon the can. The can opener can be used either for cutting the g5 peripheral wall of the can or the cover, the out being in either case in the vicinity of the rim or bead. It can be used in connection with cans having beads of various vertical dimensions, inasmuch as the traction wheel automatically ad- 30 justsitself during the cutting operation for the required size of bead.

An important feature of the improved can opener is a guide slot which produces a required relative movement between the traction wheel 35 and the cutter blade or vice versa, and determines the direction of this movement, as well as other means'which convert the turning movement .im--

v 45 Several constructional forms of the improved opener are shown in the accompanying drawing, in which: 1

' Fig. 1 is an elevation of the opener seen from the interior, that is, from the side of the cutter blade,

Fig. 2 is anend view, Fig. 3 is an elevation of the opener seen from the exterior, that is from the side oi the handle,

Fig.4 is a plan corresponding to Fig. 1,

Pig. in an end view showing the can opener applied to a tin, the parts being shown in the cutting position of the opener.

Figs. 6, 6a, 6b and 7 show a modified construction, Fig.6 being an elevation of the shield, Figs. 6a and 6b showing details, and Fig. 7 being a sec- 5 tional elevation,

Figs. 8,811. and 8b show a further modification, Fig. 8 being an elevation of the shield seen from the side of the cutter blade, and Figs. 8a. and 8b showing details, 10

Fig. 9 shows a further modification of the shield in elevation seen from the side of the cutter blade.

Figs. 9a and 9b illustrate details appertaining to the construction shown in Fig. 9.

Figs. 10, 10a and 101) show a further modifica- 5 tion, Fig. 10 being an external view of the shield, and Figs. 10a andlOb showing details.

Fig. 11 shows the construction according to Figs. 1 to 5 with anadditional device for securing the whole can opener'to aocan in the required initial position. x

Referring first. to Figs. 1 to 5, the can openr comprises a shield I provided with a guide slot 2 and a handle 3 which latter forms a unit with'a traction wheel 4 a guide wheel 5 and a collar i5. The shield i has at its lower end a lug 1 which forms an abutment bearing against a portion of the tin. The middle or central portion of the lug I has a straight edge exactly parallel to the surface of the shield so that the can opener on being placed upon a can will always be located at the same angle no matter whether the side of the can is cylindrical or plane. The upper edge of the shield is in its middle portion bent to form a cutter blade 8 having an inclined cutting edge as shown. The slot 2 serves for guiding the handle 3 and the parts connected with the handle, namely the traction wheel 4, the guide wheel 5 and the collar IS. The upper portion '9 of the guide slot 2 is arranged at an angle relatively to the main 40 portion of the slot 2 either in the one or in the other direction and-serves as a bearing or support for the guide wheel 5 during the cutting operation. As will be seen from the drawing, the

hese projections 1 being adapted to cooperate with a in Iii carried downwards towards the cover of the tin. Assuming that the device has been placed upon a tin with a view to cutting the cover along the inner side of the rim, the cutter blade penetrates gradually into the cover and pierces the cover as shown in Fig. 5, the toothed traction wheel 4 simultaneously cominginto contact with the lower edge of the bead. At the same time, the guide 5 wheel 5 is moved towards the inclined extension 9 of the guide slot. As the cutter blade rests during the commencement of this operation upon 'a' still solid portion of the cover,- the traction wheel 4 will be firmly pressed into the bead of the tin. I

The extended slot portion 9 serves also as a means for moving during the upward movement of the handle the engaged members away from each other so as to permit of a further rotation of the handle. This further rotation of the handle then causes the opener to move along, the cover of the tin being during this movement completely out by the cutter blade 8. It is not essential that the projections 6 and 6' be bent away laterally from the handle 8, this construction being shown only as a convenient one from themanufacturers point of view. If preferred, the projections 6 and- .6 might be arranged in the line of the handle.

By suitably applying the device to the. cover of the tin, the peripheral side of the tin can be cut through. w

The modification shown in Figs. 6, 6a, 6b and 'I differsfrom the construction just described only in that the collar I5 of the first construction is replaced by a lifting wheel I! formed with two recesses ll arranged diametrically opposite each other. The projections 6 and 8' are omitted. Otherwise the construction is the same as shown in Figs. 1 to 5. on turning the handle 8' a fiank of a recess l'l encounters the pin III of the shield and the whole handle together with the

wheels

4, 5, and I2 is moved upwardly, that is, towards thecutter blade, this movement causing again the cutter blade to pierce the can as previously described.

The modification shown in 8 to 10b refers to the shape of the guide slot 2 in the shields I, l",- l' and to the construction of the guide wheel and the lifting'wheel. In the modification according to Figs. 8, 8a and 8b the wall bounding the slot 2 is provided with a projection or tooth l3 and the guide wheel ll serves both for guiding and for lifting the handle, the collar I5 is, in this case circular and serves, as

in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5, merely for holding the handle in the slot 2. The guide wheel H is provided with a recess l8 which, dur-.

ing the turning of the handle, encounters the tooth l8 and moves the traction wheel relatively to the cutter blade in the manner previously described. In this construction the guide slot has not the extended'portion 9.

The construction shown in Figs 9, 9a and 9b differs from the construction according to Figs.

8, 8a and 82) only in that the guide and lifting wheel 16 is in the form of-a toothed wheel, the

guide slot 2 of the shield I" being provided with corresponding teeth l1. Upon rotation of the #5 handle the toothed wheel l6 engages the teeth before it is intended to open the tin,

2,090,882 of the slot and the same action, namely, relative movement between the traction wheel and the cutter blade is produced.

In the construction according to Figs. 10, 10a and 10b, the guide wheel 5 is constructed as in Figs. 1 to 7. The lifting wheel, however, has the form of a toothed wheel I8. This toothed wheel is adapted to engage between pins l0 provided upon shield i" By this engagement, the handle is moved upwardly and the cutter blade is again caused to enter and pierce the cam.

In place of the lifting wheel, the traction wheel 4 may be used which, in this case, may mesh with a short toothed rack fixed upon the shield upon the inner side, that is, upon the side corresponding to the cutter blade 8. The

guide slots

2, or 9, may be arranged at any desired angles relatively tothe cutting edge of the plate 8; they may consist of a continuous guide slot of arcuate shape, or of any suitable curved shape.

The relative movement of the traction wheel 4 and the cutter blade 8 may also be obtained by an arrangement in which a traction trotatably mounted in the shield of the'opener imparts to the cutter blade 8 the required relative movement, said cutter blade being for this purpose mounted upon a toothed rack slidable relatively to the shield and engaged by the traction wheel.

In some cases manufacturers supply a can opener with each tin and place the opener in the required position upon the tin in order to save customers the trouble of applying the opener to the tin. In order to prevent the tin opener from being accidentally operated in such cases I is, as shown in Fig. 11, provided with a retaining plate or member i 9, the ends of which are bent to engage on the one hand the tin opener and on the otherhand the rim of the tin, as shown in Fig. 11. This retaining member prevents accidental depression of the cutter blade 8 and consequently piercing of the tin. On

actuating the tin opener, the retainivig member is automatically put out of action 0 ing to the fact that the bent portions 20 are'straightened by the force used in turning the handle 3, 3', whereupon the opener will be actuated in the manner previously described.

It will be understood that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, which generally comprises any construction in which means are provided for obtaining a relative movement between the traction wheel and the cutting blade by the operation of the handle or traction wheel.

I claim:

. 1. A can opener, comprising in combination: a shield; a fixed wedge-shaped cutter blade on said shield; a traction wheel provided with a handle for rotating same; and means for relatively moving said cutter blade and said traction wheel towards and away from each other operable by rotation of said handle, said means comprising: a guide slot in which the traction wheel with the handle is slidably mounted, said guide slot being placed in such a manner relatively to the rear edge of the knife, that it is always in front of said edge, considered in the direction of the movement of the can opener during cutting.

2. A can opener, comprising in combination: a shield; a fixed wedge-shaped cutter blade on said shield; a traction wheel provided witha handle for rotating same; and means for relathe shield tively moving said cutter blade and said traction wheel towards and away from each other operable by rotation of said handle, said means comprising: a guide slot in which the traction wheel with the handle is slidably mounted, said guide slot being placed in such a. manner relatively to the rear edge of the knife, that it is always in front of said edge, considered; in the direction of the movement of the can opener during cutting, and said guide slot consisting of two arms, one of which is located below the knife, whilst the other is arranged at an angle to the first arm for the reception and guiding of the traction wheel during the actual cutting operation.

- 3. A can opener, comprising in combination: a shield; a fixed wedge-shaped cutter blade on said shield; a traction wheel provided with a handle for rotating same; and means for relatively moving said cutter blade and said traction wheel towards and away from each other operable by rotation of said handle, said means comprising: a guide slot in which the traction wheel with the handle is slidably mounted, said guide slot being placed in such a manner relatively to the rear edge of the knife, that it is always in front of said edge, considered in the direction of the movement of the canopener during cutting,

and a projection upon said shield and a member associated with said traction wheel and adapted upon striking said projection to move said traction wheelv towards said cutter blade.

4. A can opener comprising in combination: a shield; a flied wedge-shaped cutter blade on said shield; a traction wheel provided with a handle for rotating same; and means for relatively moving said cutter blade and said traction wheel towards and away from each other operable by rotation of said handle, said means comprising: a guide slot in which the said traction wheel with the handle is slidably mounted,said guideslot being placed in such a manner relatively to the rear edge oi the knife, that it is al- 4 ways in front of this edge, considered in the direction of the movement of the can opener during cutting, and projections upon said shield and a member associated with said traction wheel and adapted to co=operate with said projections upon the shield.

5. A can owner comprising in combination: a shield; a iixeclwedge-shaped cutter blade on a shield;

said shield; a traction wheel provided with a handle i'or rotating same; and means for relatively moving said cutter blade and said traction wheel towards and away irom each other operable loy rotation of said handle, said means comprising: a guide slot in which the traction wheel with the handle is slidabiy mounted, said guide slot being placed in such a manner relatively, to the rear edge of the knife, that it is always in front oi this edge, considered in the direction of the movement of the can opener during cutting, and a tooth in the guide slot in said shield, and a member associated with said traction wheel and adapted to co-operate with said tooth of the slot.

(LA can opener comprising in combination: a shield; a fixed. wedge-shaped cutter blade on said, shield; a traction wheel provided with a handle for rotating same; and means for relatively moving said cutter blade and said traction wheel towards and away from each other operable by rotation of said handle, said means comprising: a guide slot in which the traction wheel with the handleis slidably mounted, said guide slot being placed in such a manner relatively to the rear edge of the knife, that it is always in tr'ont of this edge, considred in the direction of the movement of the can opener during cutting and a cam slot having a toothed portion, and a member associated with said traction wheel and adapted to co-operate with. said toothedportioni 7. A oan" opener comprising in combination: a, fixed wedge-shapeddutter blade on said shield; a traction wheel provided with a handle for rotating same; and means for relatively moving said cutter blade and said traction wheel towards and away from each other operopener to a. can, said means consisting of a retaining plate or member engaging the lower edge of said shield and the rim of a can.