US2303205A - Receptacle opener - Google Patents

Description

N0 24, 1942- H. E. FRANKENBERG 2,303,205

RECEPTACLE OPENER Filed June 1,1940` 4a 2z A Jig-7 Z6 46 Iv HE'anken e727 o INVENTOR ATTOR YS Patented Nov. 24, 1942 RECEPTACLE OPENER Henry E. Frankenberg, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Owens-Illinois Can Company, a corporation of Delaware Application June 1, 1940, Serial No. 338,389

(Cl. B-43) 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements 1n can openers of the lever type adapted for lifting and removing friction lids from receptacles and more particularly to an opener adapted to be permanently -attached to the lid.

Friction type lids are usually emplo-yed on Another object of the invention is to provide cf.

a lid lifter secured to the peripheral bead of a friction type lid and overlying it whereby said lifter in no way obscures or otherwise hides any printing or identifying marking on the lid.

A further object is the provision of an opener which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and is readily applicable to either single, double or full friction type plugs or lids.

4Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a receptacle having a full friction type lid to which my invention is applied.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the lifter in inoperative or closed position.

Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof.

Fig.. 4 is a sectional end view of the lifter taken substantially on line 4 4 o-f Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a similar 'view of the lifter shown applied to a single friction type lid.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a modified form of my invention; Fig. 6 being a side view thereof and Fig. 7 is an end view of the lifter shown in Fig. 6.

The lid lifter illustrated herewith in Fig. l is shown in connection with a lid Ill of full friction type having a peripheral bead II which overlies a bead I2 formed -on the can body I3. The lifter which is a simple lever, is formed of relatively stiff sheet metal and comprises generally a body portion I5 having formed at one end thereof, a key I6 or spreader, and disposed oppositely therefrom, a retaining guide finger I l. A finger piece IB formed on the opposite end of the body and projecting radially inward, provides means by which It is thus the primary object of the lifter may be rocked about a fulcrum formed by said key member I6 as will become apparent presently. In the preferred form of the invention, the body portion I5 includes an elongated flat strip 263, an outer integral -depending side wall 2| (Fig. 2) and an inner depending side wall 22, of which the retaining guide nger I'I forms a part. The side walls 2| and 22 are curved in the direction of their length and together with said strip V2l), form a channel 23, the whole of which straddles the bead II of the lid (Fig. 4).

The wall 22 of the lifter, is disposed in close proximity to the side sealing wall of the canY lid and the lower margin thereof projects well within a circular groove 425 formed in the surface of the lid I 'where it joins the side sealing wall. At least a portion of the guide I'I (Fig. 4) is at all times in contact with the inner wall or shoulder of the groove 25, thereby preventing the lifter from accidentally rocking about the bead I! and twisting off of the beaded rim of the lid. f

The lifting key I6 or spreader, formed integrally with the lower edge of the wall 2| and at one end thereof, projects radially inward of the lid and takes under the bead II outwardly of the body portion I5 and channel 23. The key is at and normally lies between'and in a plane parallel with the beads II and I2 (Figs. 2 and 4). A lifting force applied to the finger piece causes movement of the key about a horizontal axis extending radially of the lid for spreading or separating the beads and thereby raising the lid. The lifting of the lever causes the lower outer edge of the key I6 to become the fulcrum point, the inner upper edge bearing on the under side of the bead II to move the lid to the broken line position shown in Fig. 2. Thus it will be noted, the entire lifting action of the key takes place directly beneath the bead. The inner end of the key terminates short of the end of the strip 2t of the body portion to provide a space equal to at least the diameter of the bead in order not to bind thereon as the lever is lifted to near vertical position. Complete removal of the receptacle lid when particularly tight tting, requires at times more than one prying operation, thereby necessitating moving the lever to different points around the circumference, which may be readily accomplished by sliding the lever to the desired point.

In Fig. 5 the lever is shown applied to a single friction type plus, wherein a friction ring 26 is employed as a part of the can body 2l. In this type of container, the key I6 bears directly on the ring 26 and bead Il as the lid I 0 is forced upwardly.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 is substantially similar to that previously described wherein an arcuately shaped channeled lever 30 overlies a peripheral bead 3l formed on a double friction type plug 32 or lid. The plug is adapted to seat in a friction ring 33 forming a part of the can body 34. The outer Wall of the channeled lever 30 is provided at one end with a downwardly projecting cam 35 adapted to bear against the ring 33 and serve as a fulcrum for the lever. A key 36 formed adjacent the cam and rearwardly thereof, projects radially inwardly taking under the bead` 3 I wherebyupon lifting the lever, the key and cam operate to raise the cover from the ring. vA downwardlyvextending projection 31 formed on the'inner'wall of the lever opposite the cam 35 serves toretain it in operating position and prevent accidental dislodgement while the cover is removed.

Modifications may be resortedv to within the spiirt and scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

l. In combination, a pair of' separably connected members at least one of which has a continuous peripheral bead in close proximity to the other member, a lever which is inverted U-shape in cross section and straddles said beads, means for holding the lever against rocking movement about its longitudinal axis and a spreader substantially at one end of the lever, said spreader normally projecting into the space between the bead and other member and operable upon swinging movement of the lever to further separate said bead and other member, said spreader consisting of a broad at finger extending transverse to the length of the lever toward said means holding the latter against rocking.

2. In combination, a pair of separably connected members at least one of. which has a continuous peripheral bead in close proximity to the other member, a lever which is inverted U- shape in cross section and straddles said bead, a finger at one end of the lever engaging the beadedmember to secure the lever against rocking movement about its longitudinal axis, a spreader substantially at said one end of the lever, said spreader extending transverse to the length of the lever and normally projecting into the space between the bead and other member and operable upon swinging movement of the lever to further separate said bead and other member.

3. In combination, a pair of separably connected members at least one of which has a continuous peripheral bead in close proximity to the other member, a lever which is inverted U-shape in cross section and straddles said bead, means for holding the lever against rocking movement about its longitudinal axis, means substantially at one end of the lever projecting into the space between the bead and other member and operable upon movement of the other end of the lever away from the bead for effecting further separation of said bead andother member, said means consisting of a broad fiat spreader extending transverse to the length of the lever toward said means holding the latter against rocking, and an ear formed on the lever in proximity to said last named means and engaging one of said members to form a fulcrum about which the lever is moved.

4. In combination, a pair of separably connected members at least one of which has a continuous peripheral bead in close proximity to the other member, a lever which is inverted U-shape in cross section and'straddles said bead, a ringer forming a part of said lever for holding it against rocking movement about its longitudinal axis and a spreader substantiallyat one end of the lever, said spreader normally projecting into the space between the bead and other member transverse to the length of said lever and operable upon swinging movement of the lever to further separate said bead and other member, and anl ear formed on the lever in proximity to said last named means and engaging one of said members to form a fulcrum about which the lever is moved.

HENRY E. FRANKENBERG.

Images