US2578401A

US2578401A - Can opener

Info

Publication number: US2578401A
Application number: US731185A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph C Cunningham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-02-27
Filing date: 1947-02-27
Publication date: 1951-12-11
Anticipated expiration: 1968-12-11

Description

Dec. 11, 1951 J. c. CUNNINGHAM CAN OPENER Filed Feb. 27, 1947 O pm. 4

Patented Dec. 11,1951

UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE CAN OPENER Joseph C. Cunningham, Baltimore, Md.

Application February 27, 1947, Serial No. 731,185

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to can openers and more particularly to those intended for manual or motor powered use.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved can opener that will avoid one or more of the advantages and limitations of the prior art.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can opener that will remove portions of the container, it is used on, in a manner that will avoid the sharp cutting edges that conventional forms of can openers make.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can opener that will open a can without allowing any parts of the opening device to enter the can during the opening.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the invention is more fully set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a'can opener embodying this invention with portions broken away to indicate its interior structure;

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of Figure 1, taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the drawings provided with this application, a structure is provided by way of example to illustrate the principles of the invention, while the claims indicate the scope of the invention.

In this structure a frame If] is formed hollow or open to permit the insertion of the works of a can opener mechanism. The mechanism consists of a shaft I l journalled in the frame l and operated by a motor I2 of a manipulator handle is mounted thereon.

The shaft ll carries a miter gear 43 that engages with an intermediate gear M of the same kind and meshes with another miter gear Hi. This gear in turn operates shaft 22 which contains another miter gear 3'6. Miter gear 36 meshes with another miter gear IS. The shaft ll on which the gear I6 is mounted supportsa knurled wheel 18 that rotates clockwise (Fig. 3) and rides without slipping against the inner rim is of a can top to be opened by the device.

The intermediate gear I4 is on a shaft 20 that turns a milling cutter 2| that rotates clockwise (Fig. 3) and cuts into the material forming the outer peripheral surface of the rim IS. The shaft 20 is held in the frame structure It and turns in the same direction to that of the knurled wheel I8.

A shaft 22 supports the gear l and the shaft ll supports the gear it, all of which are mounted on the frame structure I9. The shaft 22 is splined to permit the gear 36 to travel on it adjustably in a horizontal direction. This permits the sliding frame 24 which independently supports thev shafts I 1 and 22 to be adjusted to varying thicknesses of the rim l9. The screw 25 enables the adjusting to be done efiectively on the rod 38.

The container to be opened is supported on an adjustable bracket 26 attached to the frame structure as by the set screw 40 and is arranged with a ball bearing base plate 23 to allow the container 30 to rotate freely therewith, as the cutting mechanism Zi turns against its rim I 9.

The object of the miller cutter 2! is to abrade the material of the rim rather than out into it. The miller 2! cuts the material on its outside edge by abrading it and leaves the rib [9 with a smooth edge that is not apt to cut the hands and with its upper edge turned over so the cap can be replaced to cover the can and be removed easily by the hand of the user. Since the cutting is done on the outside of the bent rim of the can instead of into the can wall as is conventionally done, it allows the top of the can to be removed, as if it were a cover and prevent parts of the can or dirt from entering the can during the cutting operation. This permits the cover to be reused for covering the container many times if desired, a feature which the usual can opener does not anticipate.

While but one general form of the invention is shown in the drawings and described in the specifications, it is not desired to limit this application for patent to this particular form, as it is appreciated that other forms of construction could be made that would use the same principles and come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A can opener comprising a frame, a bracket adjustably mounted on said frame, means for rotatably supporting a container on said bracket, said container having a flanged closure, gearing carried by said frame, an abrading element driven by said gearing, said element being in contact with one side of the flanged closure, a knurled element also driven by said gearing, said knurled element being in contact with the opposite side of the flanged closure, and adjustable means for said knurled element to allow for the thickness of the flange closure.

2. A can opener as set forth in claim 1, the adjustable means for the knurled element including a shaft driving said knurled element, a

3 pair of gears driving said shaft, a housing for Number said gears and a sliding connection between said 1,424,960 housing and said frame. 1,531,442 JOSEPH C. CUNNINGHAM. 1,534,484 0 1,556,385 REFERENCES CITED 1,993,004

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

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS m 575,973 Number Name Date 1,393,412 Waller Oct. 11, 1921 Name Date Waller et a1. Aug. 8, 1922 Jerdee Mar. 31, 1925 Averill Apr. 21, 1925 Waller Oct. 6, 1925 Green Mar. 5, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Germany May 22, 1939