US2581875A - Pry type cap lifter - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 8, 1952 v P, PALMER 2,581,875

PRY TYPE CAP LIFTER 7 Filed May 3, 1946 F\G.Z FIG. 5

INVENTOR.

Phi/1, 1 Palmer Patented Jan. 8, 1952 ;A4UNIKTEDL ;STATES a rhili ralm r,Newr rieNJiz,

a Application May 3,1946,seri msgsssgsse I '1 Claim. .(Cl. 8i 1li3:.46

This invention relates especially adapted forread-ily and quickly removing; the: well-knpwn vacuum sealed metal tops from glass vacuum jars. Caps and jars of other materials can. also-be, operated-upon. Friction gripped caps can also, beremoyed iromcontainers provided they are of a fit'andfforrn suitablefor the lifters. My lifter removes the cap with little effort and withoutdamage to the cap so that it can be readily replaced.

Thelifter consists essentially of a handle and sh nfi the terese 91 the h n in. d dwi h as e ew .eeteh h sk; gives. 11. 5. t? Pren Te -wages ererelatirelr t ei base 'in' comparison to their height, so that they offer great resistance to bending-and distortion. The provision of the notch enables the outer edge fthe shankftq. be. thrustunder e. ap without ein bl ked b he 2 .ature o t e neck ofithe jar, the notch providing space for the curve.

A line joining the apices of the prongs is substantially parallel to the long axis of the handle. When the handle is turned about an axis midway between the prongs and perpendicular to said long axis, great leverage is obtained for lifting the cap. When the lifter is inserted under the cap and the handle is turned, one prong bears down on the shoulder of the jar and the other prong pushes up on the cap. The lifting action of the prongs is assisted by having one or both prongs bent out of the plane of the surfaces of the shank. The prongs are so bent out from the handle or shank that they are given a hook shape. When one or both prongs are so hooked, the portion of the prong under the cap is prevented from being pushed out as the handle is turned for lifting the cap. In my preferred form both prongs are hooked, so that no matter which way the lifter is inserted under the cap, there is always a hooked prong in contact with the lower edge of the cap.

By having the side edges of the shank at the prongs extend substantially parallel to the aforementioned axis of rotation of the prongs when lifting the cap, or by having said edges undercut or relieved the tool may be rotated about said axis of rotation without a tendency for the shank to slip out from under the cap.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon further study of the description and drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a form of cap lifter having a handle of wood, plastic or other suitable material.

Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. 1 looking along the to a cap lifter which is;

2Q, 9 1g. o,t a -j;a.1; f .i;ea withihe prongs of the cap lifter inserted; under the cap, a portion of the handle of the lifter being 1 11 32271 or :rie.=.-1.showing-are Teams-w shank.

Fig. m asp anview; of-arform oii-cap liit n whip-2h the; handle'is of; s eet material and; mtg-re gralwith. the shank. T-he: shank extends from;

the middle portionot magnets .Qf handles Fig. 5 is a plan view of a form of cap lifter We hin n le a: wo nlastie ori' h r is looped: back onIitslf and is inte ral. with the.

broken away.

Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 7, the bottom portion of the jar being broken away, and

Fig. 9 is a section taken similarly to Fig. 8 except that the lifter has been rotated effecting a partial removal of the cap.

The lifter of Figs. 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9 is provided with a handle H] in which the tail portion M of shank H, is rigidly mounted. The outer edge of shank II is provided with a shallow notch l5 which gives rise to pointed prongs I2 and I3.

These prongs are generally in the form of a right angled triangle in which the apices are at or near the side edges it of the shank. Prong l2 has one of its surfaces in the plane of and as a direct continuation of one of the surfaces of shank II. The other surface of prong I2 is also a direct continuation of the other surface of shank H, except that it curves inward to reduce the edge thickness of the prong for easy insertion under cap I! of jar i8.

With prongs I2 and I3 inserted under cap II, handle in is turned counter-clockwise. The great leverage of handle I0 applied to said prongs, prong l2 being in contact with shelf l9 of jar l8 and prong B which is bent out into a hook from shank I I, being in contact with cap ll, readily lifts the cap off the jar as seen in Fig. 9. The shape of the hook is such that prong [3 can have a surface inserted under the lower edge of the cap with its outer end coming higher than said edge when the lifter is in position to lift the cap,

one; prong is inch'nedto the general plane. ofgthe fie-13E is has view eat, mama. safe: but showing atmodifiied form; in. which :batlrrongs are-inclined to the eeneralplane or e ri mme ha k .emie fi e im g n able material.

that is when prong l3 contacts said lower edge and prong I2 is pressed down against shelf I9 of jar I8,

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the lifter of Figs. 1 and 2 in which both prongs 20 and 2|, while forming direct continuations of the surface of the shank are bent out of the plane of these surfaces into a hook, the inclination of prong 20 being opposite to the inclination of prong 2|. The shape of both prongs 20 and 2| is similar to that already described for prong I3. 5 The configuration of the surfaces of theprongs contacting the lower edge of the cap is such that lines can be drawn in them 7 which are substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the prongs extend from the shank. The direction in which the prongs extend is toward the top of the sheet in Fig. 1. Fur-- ther, said lines are parallel to thesurfaces or general plane of shank I I. surface for contacting the cap also of the above noted configuration.

",In Fig. 4, shank 22 is a direct continuation and integral with handle 23. Prongs I2 and I3 are formed on the outer edge of shank 22, just the same as they are formed on'the outer edge of shank I I, Figs. 1 and 2. Handle-23, shank 22 and prongs .I2and I3 are all one sheet metal piece. The edges of prongs I2 and I3 on their sides away from each other are undercut or relieved. The edges referred to are the left edge of prong I2 and the'right edge of-prong l3. The undercutting improvesthe hooking action of the prongs under the cap:

- In Fig." 5, shank: 25 is set in a transverse elongated handle 24 or wood; plastic or other suit- Pronge I2'a'nd- I3 are the same as inFigs.1and2.- *1

In'Fign-G, handle'26 is' a direct continuation and integral with shank 21, said handle being formed of a sheet metal strip which is looped back on itself. Prongs I12 and I3 are also the same as in-Fi'gs. 1 and 2.

Prong I3 of Fig. 2 has its having both its surfaces inclined to the surfaces o'f'the other prong, at least one of said surfaces of eachprong being concave to enable the concave surface of one prong to be inserte under the lower edge of the cap with the outer end of a prong so inserted higher than the lower dge of the cap while the other prong engages th radially extending portion of. the container, sai concave surface of one prong facing substantially in the opposite direction and away from said concave surface of the other prong.

PHILIP PALMER.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 478,615 Lindahl July 12, 1892 1,226,827 Tevander 'May 22, 1917 1,568,312 Becker Jan 5, 1926 1,963,007 Week June 12, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 7 Date 116,925 Switzerland Oct. 1, 1926 781,941 France Mar. 4, 1935'

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