US2253481A - Can opener - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 19, 1941. E. c. EBERTS CAN OPENER Filed June 21, 1959 INVENTOR Edward 1. lh'ris ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 19, 1941 Edward O.

Stokely apolls, 1116.,

Eberts, Indianapolis, Ind., Brothers & Company, Inc.,

a corporation of In usllnor to Indian- Application June 21, 1939, Serial No. 280,241 1 Claim. (CL 30-16) This invention relates to improvements in can openers, and more particularly to a metal canpuncturing device having associated therewith a shield or guard element'for reducing nd deflecting the initial spurt of the liquid co tents from the metal container when punctured.

Metal containers are extensively used in the packaging of beer, ale, fruit and vegetable products and numerous other. liquid or semi-liquid materials which contain expansive gases or which develop such gases due tochemical changes in the contents after packaging. Pressure conditions are thus set up so that when the container is punct red, in the container cause a liquid contents through the punctured opening, which are projected at considerable distances and in unpredictable directions. The disagreeable consequences resulting from puncturing pressure-packed metal containers by means of can openers now in general use are well known.

An object of this invention can opening device having associated with the can-puncturing portion thereof a an improved can opening device having a flexible spurt-deflecting guard associated therewith, which is inexpensive to construct and assemb and which assumes the proper position when the can-puncturing element is placed in puncturing position.

Other objects of this invention apparent as the disclosure proceeds.

Various other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following particular description and from an inspection of the accompanying drawing.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and which it may be will become carried out, may ring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming in which:

spurt shield associated portion thereof;

spurt-deflecting is to provide a with the can-puncturing Fig. 2 is a top plan ew of my improved can opener as applied to a metal container;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of my improved can opener applied to a metal container, this view showing particularly the arrangement of the can-puncturing portion and spurt shield when in operative position ready to puncture the can;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of my improved can opener showing the arrangement of the canpuncturing portion and the spurt shield as they appiear following the can-puncturing operation; an

Fig. 5 is a can opener, with downwardly flanges.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing and the specification.

My improved can opener is particularly designed for puncturing the metal side wall or top wall of a metal container, the can opener having associated therewith a spurt guard or shield which is so arranged with respect to the canpuncturing portion stantial spattering or spurting of when the container is punctured. Referring more particularly to the drawing, a metal container of the usual form is illustrated, having I and a metal cover 1 conformed by crimping the free edges of the side wall f and cover I together. More particularly, turning the edge 3 of the cover as at 3 and upwardly as at 5 so as same around the downturned edge 4 of the side wall I so as to form a liquid and gas-tight seal. The contents of the container which is under pressure has been designated by the letter C.

My improved spur shield may be associated with various diflerent types of can-puncturing devices. There is illustrated in the drawing one common type of can-puncturing device with which my improved spurt guard may be associated. The can-puncturing device shown in the figures of the drawing is generally made of steel, comprising a handle portion II, a neck portion l2, and a can-puncturing portion I! having a puncturing point ll.

It will be noted by referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, that the can-puncturing portion I3 is provided with tapered cutting edges it which taper down to the point It. Thus, when the .can is punctured, a triangular-shaped cross-sectional view of my improved showing the spurt shield provided extending spurt-deflecting opening is formed therein. The can openeris provided with a rim gripperelement which provides a fulcrum about which the handle portion II and the can-puncturing portion I! may be swung. The gripper element may comprise a prong l6 which is struck out from the body of the handle portion II as at II. The prong- II is bent downwardly and has the end portion ll thereof so shaped as to conveniently grip the rim of the metal container, as shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 4. The handle portion ll may be of any desired length and so shaped and formed as to provide a convenient and comfortable hand grip therefor. The neck portion l2 of the can opener is so'shaped as to conveniently vault the rim of the container so as to bring the puncturing portion is down to the proper operative position.

It will now be appreciated that when the handle portion ll of the can opener is swung inwardly, the puncturing portion l3 will pivotabout the can rim. The point I of the puncturing portion bites into the metal of the cover 2 and upon upward pull of the handle portion II the can cover 2 is punctured, causing a sudden release of the compressed gases in the container, and causing the contents to spurt in unpredictable upward directions and spraying the surroundings and often the operator with the liquid contents.

My improved spurt shield is so designed as to eifectively prevent the spurting of the liquid contents in uncontrolled directions, to break the force of the pressure-ejected liquid, to direct a substantial portion of the ejected liquid back into the container, and to diffuse that portion of the liquid which overflows along the surface of the cover and thus confine the overflow within the cover rim. Theshield 20 is preferably formed of flexible resilient metal of springllke quality. The spurt shield 20 is provided with a stem portion 2| at one end thereof, which is fixedly secured to the handle portion l l of the puncturing instrument as by rivets 22 or other securing means. The stem portion 2| merges into a shield portion 23, which is preferably substantially larger in area than the puncturing portion II, the stern portion 2| being defined therefrom by outwardly flared hip portions 24. The shield portion 23 may be provided with side edges 25 which taper from hip portions 24 down to a blunt point 28, the point 26 extending a distance beyond the point I of the puncturing portion IS. The shield portion 23 at the juncture of the stem portion 2| is provided with a ridge portion 21 which conforms generally to the oversprung neck portion l2 of the puncturing instrument.

By referring more particularly to Fig. 3, it will be noted that when the puncturing instrument is applied to the container and placed in position for puncturing, point 26 of the spurt shield will rest upon the top cover 2 of the container a distance beyond the puncturing point I. Since the spurt shield is fixed to the stem portion ll of the instrument at one end only, and since the shield is constructed of flexible metal or similar resilient material, the shield will readily flex about the rivets 22. When the handle portion II is pulled upwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, the point It breaks through the cover 2 and swings section 2a of the cover downwardly into the container. During the puncturing operation the point 28 of the spurt shield remains area thereof.

pressed against cover 2, with the shield portion 23 overhanging the triangular-shaped opening formed in the cover a substantial distance, so as to provide in effect a spurt-receiving housing.

Thus, as shown in Fig. 4, the liquid-carrying gases C will spurt upwardly and strike the inportion 23, immediately Also, if desired, the side edges 25 of the shield portion 23 may be provided with flanges so shaped 'as to substantially contact the top surface of the cover 2 when the instrument has been applied in operative position, thus providing a substantially enclosed housing, substantially completely covering the area of the cover which is to be punctured through.

Where it is desirable full release of the compressed gases, however, it may be found desirable to leave the side edges of the shield portion open so as to efiect' lateral deflection of the escaping g It will be apparent that my improved spurt shield may be applied to a number of different forms of can-puncturing instruments positioned to overlie the can-puncturing element so as to effectively break the forceof the spurting liquid, return a substantial portion thereof to the interior of the container, deflect the overflow latersuitable metal having a resilient springlike characteristic. This spurt shield may be applied as an integral part oi the can opener without substantially increasing the cost thereof.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In combination with a can opener having a can-puncturing portion, a portion adapted to grip the can edge, and a handle portion, of a metal shield element flexible substantially throughout its length including, a stem portion section shaped to generally conform to the ad- Jacent longitudinal cross-section of said can puncturing portion and tapering to a blunt point extending beyond the puncturing point of said can-puncturing portion whereby said blunt point is adapted to rest against the-wall of thecontainer to be punctured beyond the puncturing EDWARD C. EBERTS.

to permit prompt and

Images