US2102174A - Can opener - Google Patents

Description

Dec.. 14, 93,7- w. E.` v1mi-:SCHBACH 2,102,174

Y CAN OPENER Filed June 15, 195s 2 sheets-sheet 1 41- ram/Ex W. E.- AESCHBACH CAN OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June l5, 1936 v /NVEA/Toe: wan-Er E. ileso/anc# y am Hrrom/EK Patented Dec. 14, 1937 f UNITED' ls'xrATlzs PATIE.NT OFFICE CAN OPENER Waiter E. Aeschbach, St. Louis, Mo. Application .time 15, 1936, serian No. 85,292

9 claims. (orso-s) This invention relates to can openers' of the type in which the can is rotated in contact with a cutter after the latter has been caused to punc- -ture the top of the can.

It is the general object of my invention to provide acan opener of the type described which shall be characterized by extreme simplicity of construction and ease and certainty of operation. The cutter is slidably mounted, and is moved against the resistance of a spring to puncture the-top of the can by a handle-operated cam bearing on a friction disk mounted on the cutter, the latter also carrying a friction wheel for engaging the usual anged edge formingla raised rim surrounding the top of the can, and a detailed object of the invention is to provide novel means for allowing this friction wheel to yield in cases where the raised rim is deeper than usual, and thus avoid crushing or bending the rim when the friction wheel is forced into engagement with it at the same time that the cutter is forced through the top of the can. Another detailed object of the invention is to locate the axis of this friction wheel to one'side of the vertical plane of the axis of a cooperating driving wheel, and, in the 'arrangement shown,

in a direction to remove it farther froma xed can stop than the` .driving wheel, whereby the pressure exerted on the can by the friction wheel will be applied toone side of the axis of the driving wheel, which thus acts as a fulcrum, with the result that the can is tilted and its top forced into, and maintained in engagement with said stop whilethe can is being rotated. This insures a steady and uniform movement of the can-and` certainty of thecutting operation.

Other features of the invention will be set forth in the course of the detailed description of .the

invention to follow.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my improved device shown mounted in position on a wall bracket;

Fig. 2 is a view .in side `elevation thereof, the wall bracket being shown in section;

Fig.,3 is a view in side elevation ofa portion of the device, looking at the opposite sidethereof to that shown in Fig. 2 and illustrating more particularly the spring arrangement for effecting the retractile movement of the cutter;

Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation of the device viewed from the right of Figure 2;

Fig. 5 isa sectional detail view taken onvthe line 55 of Figure 2 and viewed in thedirection of the arrows;

55 Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line Ii--6 xof Figure 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows;

- Fig. 7 is -a view similar to Figure 2 but showing a can, partly broken away, in position, the cutter lowered to puncturing position, the friction wheel in frictional engagement with the rim of the can, andl the latter being canted thereby to Aforce its Y top into engagement with a fixed stop; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 7 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings, the body portion of my improved can opener comprises a flat metal bracket member, I, vertically enlarged, or extended at its .outer end to provide a head, 2, on which is mounted the main operating portions of the device. At its rear end the bracket member I is bifurcated as indicated at 3, and the metal on opposite sides of the cut bent in opposite directionsat right angles to the body I, and on these right angular flanges, il, Figure 1, a iiat metal rectangular plate, 5, is secured by rivets, 6, which plate is adapted to be insertedinto a wall bracket, 1, having a stop, 8, at its lower end, and thereby place the device in position for operation. The operating elements of the can opener will now be described. 4

'Ihe numeral 9 indicates a vertically disposed cutter having its lower end pointed, as indicated at Ill, for puncturing the can; this pointed portion being also beveled to provide a cuttingedge,

'as indicated at II, in Figure 6. The cutter 9 is provided in its upper portion with a vertical slot, I2, and secured in the upper portion of the head 2 is a stud, I3, which extends through the slot I2 and is provided on .its outer end with a head, I4, which is wider than the slot I2, as shown by Figure 2, and engages the outer face of the cutter.V Pivotedly mounted on the stud I3 is a cam,

l5, which is provided with a handle, I6, for turning it. A collar, Il, mounted on Stud I3 is interposed between said cam and the cutter 9. Mount` ed in the lower end portion of the cutter 9 is a `shouldered shaft, I 8, Figures 6 and 8, having on its outer end a head, I9, between which and the cutter is located a cup-shaped spring member, 20, which operatesto hold theshoulder' on the shaft firmly against the inner side of the blade. Rotatably mounted on the shaft I8 is a friction disk, 2l, which is adapted to be engaged by the cam I5 when the handle I6 is depressed or brought from the position shown in4 Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 7. In order to permit 'of the downward movement o`f the friction disk centrally of the gap between the friction wheel cated at 22, in Figures 6 and 8, and by dotted lines in Figure 7, and a small collar, 23, may be mounted on the shaft to cause the same to move evenly in the slot 22. The shaft I8 projects through the slot 22 some distance beyond the,A

inner side of head 22, and is provided adjacent this side of the head with a circular flange, 24, which is of greater width than the slot, and is also caused to frictionally engage the surface of the head on either side of the slot by the c upshaped spring member 420. By this means the cutter and the operating elements therefor are held in relatively fixed relation to each other. Secured to the inner end of the shaft I8 is a coiled spring, 25, which at its upper end is secured to a stud, 28, which in turn is ilxedly secured in the upper end of head 2. ,When the cutter 9 is lowered by operating the handle I6 to cause its sharpened cutting edge I0 to puncture the top of the can, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, it is necessary to rotate the can against this cutting edge to make a circular cut in the top of the can. To this end I provide the following mechanism:

Mounted on the lower end of head 2, Figures 4, 6 and 8, is a sleeve-bearing, 21,.- in which is mounted a shaft, 28, having secured on its inner end a crank handle, 29, and on its outer end a serrated driving wheel, 30, the outer face of which is parallel with, but slightly removed from the plane of the inner face of the cutter 8, as shown by Figure 6. Loosely mounted on the shaft I8 immediately above the driving wheel 30, is a friction wheel, 3| having on one side a circumferential flange, or rim, 32, providing on such side of the wheel acircular recess in-which is housed a relatively thick rubber disk, 33, which is centrally apertured to rotate on the shaft I8. The friction wheel proper, 3|, is also centrally apertured, as indicated at, 3l, but this aperture is of considerably greater diameter than the shaft ,I8, so that, when necessary, the friction wheel may yield, or be displaced bodily, relative to the shaft. I 8, which movement will be permitted by compression of the rubber disk 83.. Mounted on the head, slightly to the rear of the friction wheel 3| is a flxed stopJFlgures 2, 4,- 5 and '7, which is made by securing the upper portion of a strip o f metal, 85, to the head and bending its lower end portion outward atl right angles to provide the stop 36.' This stop, as shown by Figures 2 and 4, lies substantially in a horizontal plane extending 3| and the driving wheel 8l.

'Ihe bottom endvof the head 2 is bent outwardly at right angles to provide a. rest, 31, for the side of the can when the same is positioned in the device for cutting, as shown more particularly in Figure 8. l

Itv is one ofthe features of my invention to cause the can to be canted. so as to force its top at one side into'engagement with the stop 38 when the friction wheel 3| is moved downward into engagement with the rim, and this is effected,

as shown more clearly in Figure 7, by positioning the shaft 2l .to one side 'of the shaft Il, the latter being farther from the side of the stop 38 than the former, and the operation of this -arrangement will be set forth in thel course of the following statement of the operation of the entire device.

With the parts in the normal, or inoperative position, shown in Figures 2, 4 and 6, the rim.'

I8, of a can, I8, is inserted in the space between the pointed end Il of the cutter and the driving wheel 80, with the side of the can bearing against the rest 31. While the operator holds the bottom of the can with his left hand, with the right hand he seizes the lever I6 and turns it toward him, or to the position shown in Figure '7. In this movement the cam I5 is turned into engagement with the friction disk 2|, which forces the blade 9 to be moved downwardly, causing its pointed end to puncture the top of the can adjacent to the rim 38, and the friction wheel 3| to engage the upper edge of the rim 3 8 of the can. This pressure. on the'upper edge ofthe rim forces the part of the rim surrounding the upper edge of the can proper, into engagement with the upper side of the driving wheel 3|).V But as the shaft 28 of this wheel is nearer the stop 36 than the shaft 8, or, in other words, is olf center as respects the vertical center of the can, the result wi11`be that the upper side of driving wheel 30 serves as a fulcrum, the can being canted by the pressure of the friction wheel on 'its rim to force the top of the can into engagement with stop 36, as clearly shown in Figure '1. The crank handle 29 is now turned with result that-,as the driving wheel 3Ilis rotated, the can will be turned causing the cutter to cut through the top on a line extending around the can adjacent to the rim.-

It will be noted from Figure 2, that in the upper side of the cam l5 there is provided a curved recess, 48, and when the cam is turned to the position, shown in Figure '7, this recess will engage the top of the friction disk 2| and lock the cam with the blade in the cutting position. When the cutting operation has been concluded the operator raisesthe lever I6, which operation is assisted by the pull of ,spring 25, against the resistance of which the cutter had been lowered, and the parts are returned to normal position.

By observing Figure 8, it will be seen that if the rim 38 were somewhat higher than shown, thefriction wheel 3| would engage the rim before the cutter had,4 entirely penetrated the top of the can, and if the friction wheel lwere immovable, further pressure thereon would crush, or bend, the rim, making it practically impossible to turn the can. With my improvement, however, when the above condition exists, the friction wheel 3| can yield, as it is only centered on the shaft I8 by the rubber disk 33, and as its ,central aperture 3l is considerably larger than the shaft, the rubber disk will be compressed under additional pressure, and the wheel 3| will then be moved .to an eccentric position relative to its shaft.

The normal distance betweenthe inner face of the cutter and the outer face of the driving wheel, as shown byl Figure 6, is very slight and when the cutter is forced downward to puncture the can, as shown in Figure 8, the cup-shaped spring, 20, permits the cutter to yield laterally, so that the rim plus the side of the 'can can be accommodated between the face of the driving wheel. Thus, the can Awill be firmly clamped between thesemembers.

l. In a can opener, in combination with a support, a driving wheel rotatably mounted in fixed position 'directly thereon, a cutter slidably mounted on the support, a friction wheel, positioned above said-driving wheel, and a contact member carried Aby the cutter, a handle-operated cam pivotally mounted on said support and adapted to be turned into engagement with said contact member-to force said cutter and friction.

vamarre 3 wheel downward, whereby a can having its rim inserted between the two wheels will be punctured by the cutter and have the under side of its rim forced into engagement with said driving wheel by engagement of the friction wheel with the upper edge cf said rim, and means'for rotating said driving wheel to cause it to rotate the i tion wheel downward, whereby a can having its rim yinserted between the two wheels will be punctured by the cutter and have the under side of its rim forced into engagement with said driving wheel by engagement of the friction wheel with the upper edge of said rim, and means for rotating said driving wheel to cause it to `rotate the top of the can against said cutter.

3. In a can opener, in combination with a support having a slot, a driving wheel rotatably mounted in fixed position directly thereon, a stud mounted on said support, a cutter having slotted engagement with said stud, a shaft carried by said cutter and projecting through said slot, a friction wheel and a friction disk mounted on saidv shaft, a handle-operated cam pivotally mounted on said stud and adapted to be turned into engagement with said contact member toA force said cutter and friction wheel downward, whereby a can having its rim inserted between the two wheels will be punctured bythe cutter and have the under side of its rim forced intov engagement with said driving wheelby engagev of said rim, means for rotating said driving wheel ment of the friction wheel with' the upper edge to cause it to rotatethe top of the can against said cutter, and a coiled spring connected at its lower end to the projectingend of said shaft and i at its upper end to said support 4. In a can opener, in combination with a support, a driving wheel rotatably mounted in fixed position directly thereon, a cutter slidably mounted on the support, a friction Wheel, positioned above said-driving wheel, and a contact 'member, carried bythe cutter, a handle-oper-v ated cam,v having a recess in its periphery, pivotally mounted on said support and adapted to be turned into engagement with said contact member to force said cutter and friction wheel downward, and to have said recess engage the contact member at the limit of said downward movement to lock the parts in such position, said wheels being adapted tovgrip the rim of a can 'inserted between them and the cutter being adapted to puncture the Itop of the can so positioned when it is forced downward, and means for rotating said driving wheel to cause it to rotate the top of the can against said cutter.

5. In a can opener, in combination with a support, a driving wheel rotatably mounted in fixed position directly thereon, a cutter slidably mounted on the support, a fixed stop 'mounted on said support to one side of said cutter, a friction wheel, positioned above said driving wheel,.

and a contact member carried by the cutter, a handle-operated cam pivotally mounted on said support and adapted to be turned into engageme'nt with said contact member to force said cutter and friction wheel downward, whereby a can having its rim inserted between the two wheels will be punctured by the cutter and have its under side of its rim forced into engagement with said driving wheel by engagement of the friction wheel with the upper edge of said rim, and means for rotating said driving wheel to cause it to rotate the top of the can against said cutter.

6. In a. can opener, in combination with a support, a driving wheel rotatably mounted in fixed position directly thereon, a cutter slidably mounted on the support, a fixed stop mounted on the support to one side of said cutter, a friction wheel and a contact member carried by the cutter, the friction wheel being located immediately above the driving wheel and having its axis located to one side of the vertical plane of ward, whereby a can having its rim inserted between the two wheels will be punctured by the cutter and have the under side of its rim forced into engagement with said driving wheel by engagement of the friction wheel with the upper edge of said rim, causing .the can to be canted to force its top into engagement with said stop, and means for rotating said driving wheel to cause it to rotate the top of the can against said cutter.

'7. In a can opener, in combination with a support, a driving wheel rotatably mounted in fixed position directly thereon, a cutter slidably mounted on the support, a fixed stop mounted on the support to one side of said cutter, a shaft carriedv by said cutter and projecting, through a slotiin said support, a friction wheel and a friction disk mounted on said shaft, the friction wheel being located immediately above the driving wheel and having its axis located to one side of the vertical plane of the axis of the driving wheel in a directionv away from said stop, a coiled spring secured at its lower end to theprojecting end of said shaft and at its upper end. to said support, a handle-operated cam pivotally mounted on said support and adapted to be turned into engagement with said friction disk to force said cutter and friction'wheel downward against the resistance of said spring, whereby a can having its rim inserted between the two wheels will be punctured by the cutter and have the under side of its rim forced into engagement with said driving wheell by engagement of the friction wheel with the upper edge of said rim, causing the canto be canted fo force its top into engagement with said stop,

and means for rotating said driving wheel to cause it to rotate the top of the can against said cutter.

8. In a can opener, in combination with a support, a driving wheel rotatably mounted thereon, a cutter slidably mounted on the support, a shaft carried by said cutter, a friction wheel and a disk tion wheel downward, whereby a can having its rim inserted between the two wheels will be punctured by the cutter and have the under side of its rim forced into engagement with said driving wheel by yieldable engagement of the friction wheel with the upper edge of said rim, and means for rotating said driving wheel to cause it to rotate the top of the can against said cutter.

9. In a can opener, in combination with a support, a driving Wheel rotatably mounted in xed position directly thereon, a cutter slidably mounted on the support, a shouldered shaft carried by said cutter and projecting through a slot in support, a friction wheel and a friction disk mounted on said shaft, the friction wheel being located immediately above the driving wheel, a coiled spring secured at its` lower end to the projecting end of said shaft and at its upper end tol said support, a collar on the projectingportion of said shaft bearing against the side of said support, a cup-shaped spring mounted on the opposite end of said shaft and bearing against the side of said cutter and operating to hold the shoulder of said shaft against the side of said cutter, a handle-operated cam pivotally mounted on said support and adapted to be turned, into engagement with said friction disk to force said cutter and friction wheel downward, and means for rotating said driving wheel.

WALTER E. AESCHBACH.

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