US2467232A - Can opener - Google Patents

Description

April 12, 1949. RUSH 2,467,232

CAN OPENER Filed Dec'. 17, 1945 55 u-fi ll 21 24 A 2 16 2a 1 I INVENTOR.

THONRS I. RUSH g/MM arr,

Patented Apr. 12, 1949 UNITED STATES iPATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention relates in general to can openers and, more particularly, to a can opener in which a rotatable traction element is arranged to engage and move a can relative to a pivotally mounted cutting blade.

The general object of my invention is to provide a can opener of the character described with new, improved and readily releasable, yielding holding means for holding a can in proper engagement with the traction element during can opening operations.

Another object of my invention is to provide a can opener of the character described with holding means yieldingly mounted, on the pivoted cutting blade to yieldingly hold a can in proper engagement with the traction element during can opening operations and permit quick release of the can when the cutting blade is shifted into inoperative position.

A further object of my invention is to provide a can opener of the character described with means for controlling and adjusting the position of the cutting blade to effect proper and easy opening of cans having circular, oval or substantially rectangular cross sections.

To obtain above and similar objects, the invention has other marked improvements and superiorities which distinguish it from presently known structures. These improvements or superior characteristics embodying certain novel features of construction are clearly set forth the appended claims; and a preferred form of can opener particularly well suited to obtain the objects of the invention is hereinafter shown with reference to the accompanying drawin forming part of the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a can opener constructed in accordance with the invention, the view showing the can engaging side of the opener.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the can opener shown in 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the can opener shown in Fig. 1, the view showing the can opener applied to a can.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the can opener as shown in Fig. 3, disclosing the handle side of the can opener.

Figs. 5 through 8 are side views of the elements of the cutting blade and holding member assembly, thus Fig. 5 is a side View of the cutting blade;

Fig. 6 a side view of the filler,

Fig. 7 a side View of the roller disc guide plate, and

Fig. 8 a side view of the roller disc assembly in.-

cluding the stud securing the disc supporting spring to the cutting blade.

Referring now more specifically to the accom-. panying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, reference numeral 2 denotes an elongated base plate adapted to be removably mounted on a bracket ,3. Base plate 2 carries near its one end a tubular, partly slitted member 4 sleeved. with its slitted portion 5 on plate 2 and secured thereto in any suitabl mam ner to form plate 2 with a depending pivot arm. This pivot arm cooperates with bracket 3 in nonrotatably supporting base plate 2 when said pivot arm is extended into sleeve 1 of said bracket and the lower edge of plate 2 is rested in the cross slot 8 of said sleeve. Base plate 2 mounts on its other end a traction element iconsisting of a hardened steel disc with a toothed peripheral edge. disc, which is rotatably mounted on the can engaging side ill of base plate 2, is rigidly coupled with a crank H arranged at the other side of said base plate, which latter includes a struck-up portion l2 laterally projecting from base plate 2 subjacent to traction element 9 to efiect proper spacing of a can and stabilizing of the can during cutting operations. Base plate '2 furthermore supports at the top portion above traction element 9 a cutting blade and holding member assembly M. This assembly is arranged opposite to the can engaging side of base plate 2 and pivoted at I5 to offset portion l5 of said base plate, which portion is specifically offset to effect the desired relation of assembly M with respect to traction element 9 so necessary for proper operation of said assembly.

The cutting blade and holding member assembly embodies a cutting blade I! and a spring supported pressure roller or disc member I8 which is mounted on the cutting blade. member is freely rotatably supported on the arm !9 of an L-shaped wire spring 29 provided with a central coil. 2i mounted on stud 22 in a bore 23 of cutting blade El, and a second arm 24, the end of which is extended into a bore 25 in blade I], The arm 19 of spring 20 has its pressure roller supporting end extended into an elongated slot 28 in blade H to limit yielding movements of said arm and effect pretensioning of spring 20. Pressure roller or disc member i8 is held against lateral movements by a guide plate 29 which includes bores 30 and 3! aligned with bores 23 and 26 in cutting blade I! and a slot 32 aligned with the slot 28 in said blade, the bores and slots being arranged for stud 22 and ends of spring arms l9 This pressure.

and 24. Guide plate 29 is spaced from the cutting blade by a filler 33 and secured to the cutting blade by stud 22.

The thus constructed cutting blade and holding member assembly extends, when in proper working position, through an aperture 34 in base plate 2 formed with a laterally projecting flange 35 at the upper edge of said aperture to facilitate positioning a can between the cutting blade and traction element and prevent excessive angular displacement of the can during opening operations.

The proper working position of cutting blade and holding member assembly for cans of different diameters and shapes is controlled by a screw member 38 threadedly extended through an ear portion 36 on base plate 2, which screw member engages with the rounded edge 39 of cutting blade ll. Screw member 38 carries at its rear end a knob 4|] to facilitate rotation for adjustment of the position of cutting blade and holding member assembly l4, all as indicated in Fig. 4, showing in dotted lines the position of assembly 14 when screw member 38 has been shifted to the dotted line position.

In operating the can opener, cutting blade and holding member assembly I4 is first swung upwardly, as indicated by arrow 4| in Fig. 1, to permit placing of the lower surface of the rim or seam of the can to be opened on traction ele ment 9, and then swung downwardly to place cutting blade [1 into puncturing engagement with the can top at a point immediately adjacent the inner periphery of the bead, and place the pressure roller or disc member l8 into yielding engagement with the upper surface of the can bead. In this position, rotation of traction element 9 by crank H causes the can to be moved and its top punctured and sheared by the inclined cutting edge 42 of cutting blade H, the blade preferably being held in somewhat inclined position (see Fig. 2) to effect shearing of the can top close to the bead and flattening of the cut edge of the can downwardly and against the inner side of the can so that a smooth surface will be had.

The yielding mounting of pressure roller or disc member 18 of cutting blade and holding member assembly 14 permits automatic adjustment of member I 8 to cans with different heights claim is:

1. In a can opener a frame embodying a substantially flat body, a laterally offset top portion extended from said body in a plane spaced from and parallel to said body and an elongated aperture extending in adjacent portions of said body and top portion, a traction element rotatably mounted on the can engaging side of said body, and a cutting blade and pressure member assembly pivotally mounted on said offset portion of the frame and extended through said aperture toward said traction element for cooperation therewith.

2. A can opener as described in claim 1, wherein said assembly includes a cutting blade, a spring mounted on said blade and a pressure roller rotatably mounted on said spring to yieldingly force a can when the opener is applied thereto into contact with said traction element.

3. A can opener as described in claim 1, wherein said assembly includes a slotted cutting blade, an L-shaped, pretensioned wire spring pivoted to said blade provided with arms, one of which is secured to the blade and the other one of which is extended through a slot in said cutting blade, and a pressure roller freely rotatably mounted on said last arm.

1. A can opener as described in claim 1, including shiftable stop means mounted on said frame body and cooperating with said assembly in adjusting the relative working position of said assembly and the traction element for cans of different diameters and shapes.

5. A can opener as described in claim 1, including shiftable stop means mounted on said frame body and extended into said aperture for cooperation with said assembly in adjusting the relative working position of said assembly and the traction element for cans of different diameters and shapes.

6. In a can opener a frame embodying a substantially flat body, a laterally offset top portion extended from said body in a plane spaced from and parallel to said body, and an elongated aperture extending in adjacent portions of said body and top portion, a traction element rotatably mounted on the can engaging side of said body, a lever pivotally mounted on the offset portion of said frame having a cutting edge extended through said aperture toward said traction element for cooperation therewith, and shiftable stop means mounted on said frame body and extended into said aperture in alignment with one edge of said lever for cooperation therewith in adjusting the relative working position of the traction element and th cutting edge of said lever for cans of different diameters and shapes.

THOMAS L. RUSH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,070,279 Killman Feb. 9, 1937 2,102,174 Aesbach Dec. 14, 1937 2,204,368 Kublin June 11, 1940

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