US2602993A - Can cutter - Google Patents

Description

y l5TT952 w. ARMSTRONG 5 1 CAN CUTTER Filed May 29, 1950 wgybe firmsirang ATTO R N EYS Patented July 15, 1952 I PAT The present: invention v is. directed? to,-, and itis a-n object to" provide, a novel' device-for-splitting cans, which hold a nursery plant; from theiupper rim: to'thecantbottom'at'circumferentially spaced pointsi whereby the" can may-= be: easilybroken.

for ready'removal and transplanting of. the lant: I l

v Another object of the invention" is: to provide "a: can cutter" which. is relatively light-weight; portable; and convenient tousey thedevice' being hand supported and guided; but actuatediinpart onefoot: r Aiurther object oi? the invention; iSj'tb. provide ancan cutter which is, operativeLtQ, firstibreak, the upper; rim of; a can, amiito their splitfor out. the can fullglength. p p

' additional object. of. the invention is. to pro- 'vid'eja can cutter which? embodiesja'novefiaw assembly securedon the. lower end'of anupstand; inghan'dl'e, and. a f 'oot. levermountedfimcooperative relation to said jaw. assembly to. actuate the latter,

It' is also an object of the invention-tdprovide a can; cutter whichjs designediorease andieconomy ofi manufacture; the device being. Simple. in stizueture.,- butidurableandlstrong...

Stilllanothen object; oil theinventionisto pro.- vide a practical and.reliableucancutteiz,and one whichewillfIce-exceedingly efiective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objectsiare; accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangementoiparts as willfully appear by a perusalioftlie followin specification and claims.

In the-drawings:

Fig. ,1; is a perspectiveview of the can; cutter as;.in:.usei j I v Eig-z 2-.isu an enlarged side; elevation ofatheecan cutter; the jaw. assembly being. in-open position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentarysideelevation of the can cutter; with the jaw assembly'in closed position.

. Eig: .4 .is; a; top .plan View: of thee-devicewith the handle broken away.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the can cutter comprises an upstanding elongated handle I fitted, at its upper end, with a top cross bar 2 adapted for hand engagement whereby to manually support and manipulate the device.

At its lower end the handle I has a laterally facing mounting plate 3 fixed thereto, and such mounting plate projects some distance below the handle, as shown.

Annamaria-29, 1950; Se1:ialiNo:.164,8i37-* summe- (clean-a e) The front-lowerportion. of" the-mounting plate Biforms a fixedij aw ti ha'vihgat'forward guide and cutting ed'gefi e The numeral fi indicatesagenerallybellcrankshaped swinging jaw" pivotedj intermediate itsends, as at 15 totlie mountingpl'ate 3 above the fi xed'ijawportion diorthelatten As so niounted the swinging jaw 6- is movable from arr-open position, asiIrFig; 2; tic-a1 closed position, as in'Figa 3 such swinging'jaw including a rearWa-rdly facing; blade 8? having a 'relatively blunt upper cutting edge and a sharp lowercutting edge-I03 g I The cutting edges it and Hl of theblad'e i! are adapted tocooperate; in: downwardly cutting 're'- lation'; with the cuttingedge 5 orthe fixedjaw l, upon swinging of iaw'tbetween: the; aforesaid open and closedpositions'.

When the. swingingjaw E is; in its: fully,' closed position, as-inFi'g: a v gan I I remains between the extreme lower portions" of. the' cutting edges 5 and III for thepurpose hereinafter'described'i A; tension spring I2 connectsbetween the rearwardlyprojecting leg' P3- of" the swinging law 6, anda lower-point onthe mounting plate 3-, wherebyysaid spring normally actsto-urge said swinging jaw 6' to its open position;

A" foot lever I 4* is pivoted, intermediateits end's, as at I5; tothe mounting plate 3 rearwardly'0f the tension spring" I 2 and below the swinging-jaw leg I 3 said foot lever I 4- projectingsome distance to.- the.- rear of saidmountin-g plate 3 for ease: of foot'enga'gement.

The tip Wot 'the foot'lever- I 4-engagesj in work'- ing relation; with the lower edge of said leg [-3 toward the latters rear end;-- such footl'ever- I4 including a two-way stop I! thereon adapted to abut-the -rear end-of tliemountingplate-d to limit the uppermost 'and lowermost positions of said tootdve'r. As the leg I 3 works against the tip of the foot 'leverz- IA, thes-pring; I525. as it urges theleg lit d'oymwardly; similarly normally urges the foot lever I4 to its uppermost position, as in Fig. 2.

The above described can cutter is used in the following manner:

The user grasps the top cross bar 2 and manipulates the device until the upper rim I8 of a nursery can I9 is engaged to its limit into the then open jaw assembly; i. e. between the relatively blunt cutting edge 9 and the corresponding portion of the cutting edge 5, the latter edge lying flush against the outside of the nursery can I9.

The user then places one foot, as at 20, on the foot lever l4 and depresses the latter, with the result that the relatively blunt cutting edge 9 cuts or breaks through the upper rim I8 01' the can [9.

Thereafter, with the foot lever I4 remaining depressed. with the jaw assembly then closed, as in Fig. 3, the entire device is pushed, by hand and foot, forcefully downward so that the side of the can l9 progressively rides into the V-gap H and is split apart by the adjacent cOQperating portions of the cutting edges 5 and Ill.

When the device reaches the floor 2| a downwardly projecting nub 22, on the lower edge of the mounting plate 3 directly below the fixed jaw l, strikes said floor and prevents the blade 8 from coming into engagement ,with, and possibly being damaged by, the fioor'.

If the side of the nursery can I9 is relatively thick so that it cannot be split by slicing downwardly with said closed jaw assembly, as'above described, then such jaw assembly may be scissored as the device is lowered. Such scissoring is accomplished merely by recurringly depressing and then releasing the foot lever I4.

The described can-cutter is convenient to use, and-provides a very practical device for cutting nursery cans from top to bottom, at circumferentially spaced points, to permit of breaking open of said can for removal of the plant 23 and its root system encased in earth 24.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

. 1. A can cutter comprising an upstanding handle, a fixed jaw 'on the lower end of the handle having a forward cutting edge, a swinging jaw pivoted in connection with the fixed jaw having a rearward cutting edge, said cutting edges cooperating in downward cutting relation upon motion of the swinging jaw from an open position toward the fixed jaw, spring means tending to move the swinging jaw to open position, and a projecting foot lever'pivotally mounted in connection with the fixed jaw and separate from but cooperating with the swinging jaw to cause motion of the latter from said open position toward the fixed jaw upon foot depression of said lever.

2.. A can cutter comprising an upstanding handle, a laterally facing mounting plate-fixed on the lower end of the handle, the front lower portion of said plate forming a fixed jaw having an upstanding forward cutting edge, a swinging jaw pivoted to the mounting plate having a rearward cutting edge, said cutting edges cooperating in downward cutting relation upon motion of the swinging jaw from an open position toward the fixed jaw. and a foot lever pivoted on the mounting plate operative to cause said motion of the swinging jaw.

3. A can cutter comprising an upstanding handle, a laterally facing mounting plate fixed on the lower end of thehandle, the front lower portion of said plate forming a fixed jaw having an upstanding forward cutting edge, a swinging jaw pivoted to the mounting plate having a rearward cutting edge, said cutting edges c0- operating in downward cutting relation upon motion of the swinging jaw from an open position toward the fixed jaw, the swinging jaw being 01 generally bellcrank shape including a rearwardly extending leg, and a foot lever pivoted on the mounting plate with the forward end of said lever in working engagement under said leg and with the rear end projecting from said mounting plate.

4. A can cutter comprising an upstanding handle, a laterally facing mounting plate fixed on the lower end of the handle, the front lower portion of said plate forming a fixed jaw having an upstanding forward cutting edge, a swinging jaw pivoted to the mounting plate having a rearward cutting edge, said cutting edges cooperating in downward cutting relation upon motion of the swinging jaw from an open position toward the fixed jaw, the swinging jaw being of generally bellcrank shape including a rearwardly extending leg, and a foot lever pivoted on the mounting plate with the forward end of said lever in working engagement under said leg and with the rear end projecting from said mounting plate; there being a spring connected to the swing jaw, tending to open the same and to move said leg downward, andstop means between the foot lever and mounting plate operative to limit both upward and downward motion of said foot lever.

5. A can cutter, as in claim 3, including a nub projecting downward from the lower edge of the mounting plate, adjacent its cutting edge, to a point below the lower end of the swinging jaw when the latter is in closed position.

WAYNE ARMSTRONG.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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