US2510195A

US2510195A - Cutter blade can opener

Info

Publication number: US2510195A
Application number: US715254A
Authority: US
Inventors: James D Tinsley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-12-10
Filing date: 1946-12-10
Publication date: 1950-06-06
Anticipated expiration: 1967-06-06

Description

June 6, 1950 J. D. TINSLEY CUTTER BLADE CAN OPENER Filed Dec V EN TOR. James 0. 77/75 /eg Patented June 6, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CUTTER BLADE CAN OPENER James D. Tinsley, Bakersfield, Calif. Application December 10, 1946, Serial No. 715,254

2 Claims.

This invention relates to can openers of the type having prong adapted to hook over the bead on the end of a can to act as a fulcrum to enable a cutter to be forced against the side of the can so as to cut a substantial portion of the can side with a single quick swing of the can opener, and with another quick swing to bend the cut portion of the can end upwardly, so as to expose the contents of the can.

The most common form of can opener that hooks over the bead at the end of the can includes a rotating knife or knives and gears by which the cutting element is operated and as can openers must necessarily be inexpensive, the operating parts are cheaply made and quickly assembled so that the life of can openers of this type is very limited and the operation of can openers of this type is not generally efficient.

With this thought in mind, this invention contemplates a can opener for cutting into the side of the can in which all moving parts are eliminated and in which a single stationary cutting blade is readily forced into and around the can with a single simple action.

In the usual form of can opener, it is also necessary to properly adjust the can opener to the correct position on the can, which not only requires time, but is annoying, and with this though in mind, the can opener of this invention is designed so that with the handle thereof held in the hand, it may be instantly placed upon the can and immediately forced into the can and then turned upward to bend the cut portion of the can outward, the entire operation requiring only a, comparatively few seconds.

The purpose of this invention is, therefore, to provide an improved can opener of the type adapted to remove the ends of the can in which all moving parts are eliminated and in which the can may be opened by a novice with very little eifort.

Where it is necessary to incorporate moving parts in a can opener, bearings or journals in some form are required, and these require special material, whereas with all moving parts eliminated, as in the can opener of this invention, comparatively inexpensive material may be used, and all machine work and assembling operations are eliminated.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a, can opener wherein the holding and cutting elements are formed from a single piece of material so that all rivets, bolts, and the like may be eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can opener, wherein a prong may be placed over the head of the can, and a knife, fulcrumed by the prong, forced against the side of the can to cut the same.

Another object is to provide a can opener of the type adapted to remove or partially remove the end of the can which not only seVers the top from the can, but is provided with a receiving opening into which the severed end of the can passes as it is severed, so that the severed end can be readily bent upwardly or removed from the can.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can opener of the quick-acting type which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these ends in view, the invention embodies a, can opener formed of a single sheet of material bent in U-shape with the sides extending to form a handle and in which a projection is formed on the end of one of the sides and a knife blade on the associated edge of the other side, wherein with the projection placed over the bead at the end of the can, the knife blade may readily be forced through the side of the can beneath the end thereof to 'be severed.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the can opener.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the can opener showing the same in operative position on a can, the can being shown in dash lines.

Figure 3 is a right hand end elevation of the can opener.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts, the can opener of this invention is formed from a metal sheet to provide cutting blade II] which forms the lower side of the device, one longitudinal edge of the blade l0 being return bent at II to joint one longitudinal edge of the upper side l2 which is parallel to the blade l0. At the forward corner of the upper side l2 remote from the bead H is a forward projection l3 having a depending L-shaped flange or prong [4, which depends to the level of the top of the blade l0. As shown in Figure 1, the cutting edge 10' of the blade I0 is transversely angulated, so that one end of the blade edge is closely spaced from the flange M, the latter end of the blade edge being cut oil at the corner, as indicated at 28, to define an incising point 21. The point 21 is adapted to be forced into the side of a can I5 with the flange l4 engaged with the inward side of the bead IS on the can end. The device is then adapted to be swung sideways, with the flange l4 acting as a fulcrum, so that the cutting edge ll! of the blade It] will cut the side of the can below the bead l5 for substantially one half of the distance around the can with a single stroke. To remove the entire end of the can, it is only necessary to advance the prong M to a new position about half-way around the can and then with a second similar stroke, sever the remaining half of the end of the can. In this action the severed can end will slide into position between the blade l9 and the upper plate 12, and, in the event that the can end is completely severed from the can, the severed end will be located between the sides l0 and 12, so that the can end can be readily removed. In the event that only half of the can end is severed, the severed portion can be readily bent upwardly by raising the device. The blade ill and upper side I2 have rearward extensions forming a handle I1, and are connected along one edge by the portion II. The handle may be provided with a notch la in one edge having a hook 19 for removing bottle caps, and the rear end of the handle may be provided with a projection 29 forming a screw driver. A corkscrew 2-! may be mounted within the handle on a pin 22, and a pick or other device 23 may be similarly mounted on a pin 2 L The can opener may also be provided with a laterally extending semicircular ring 25, having toothed sections 25 therein that may be used for gripping jar tops to facilitate removing the same from a jar. Other elements or devices may be incorporated in the handle or parts of the can opener as may be desired.

The can opener of this invention, however, includes primarily a sheet of material bent in the form of a U with the forward end of one of the arms thereof sharpened to form a knife edge, with prong extending from the forward end of the other arm positioned to co-act with the knife edge, wherein with the prong hooked over the bead at the end of a can, the knife edge may be forced into the side of the can for cutting the end of the can from the body portion thereof; and with the parts arranged in this manner, the cut portion of the can may readily be bent upwardly or picked up by the can opener so that 5 it will not fall into the can.

What is claimed is:

1. A can cutter comprising asingle sheet of metal bent along a longitudinal line to provide upper and lower parallelly spaced plates connected together along one longitudinal edge, said upper plate having a forward projection on its forward end having a depending fulcrum prong adapted to be engaged behind the bead on the end of a can to be cut, the forward end of said lower plate terminating in a transversely extending cutting edge adapted to be applied to the side of the can below the head, said cutting edge being transversely angulated whereby rocking said plates'toward one side with said fulcrum operatively engaged with the inner side of the can bead causes said cutting edge to cut through the side of the can to produce a cut extending for a substantial portion of the circumference of the can.

2. A can cutter comprising a single sheet of metal bent along a longitudinal line to provide upper and lower parallelly spaced plates connected together along one longitudinal edge, said upper plate having a forward projection on its forward end having a depending fulcrum prong adapted to be engaged behind the bead on the end of a can to be cut, the forward end of said lower plate terminating in a transversely extending cutting edge adapted to be applied to the side of the can below the bead, said cutting edge being transversely angulated whereby rocking said plates toward one side with said fulcrum operatively engaged with the inner side of the canbead causes said cutting edge to cut through the side of the can to produce a cut extendingv for a substantial portion of the circumference of the can, said. forward projection being displaced towardone side of said upper plate and said cut ting edge being angulated toward the opposite side of said lower plate, and a forwardly projecting incising pointon said cutting edge located adjacent to said projection.

JAMES D. TINSLEY.

REFERENCES CIT-ED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,528,166 Rogue" Mar. 3, 1925 1,549,930 Tanner 1 Aug. 18, 1925 1,756,613 Whitney Apr. 29, 1930