US2673058A

US2673058A - Electric can opener

Info

Publication number: US2673058A
Application number: US141667A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wayne H Tyler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-02-01
Filing date: 1950-02-01
Publication date: 1954-03-23
Anticipated expiration: 1971-03-23

Description

March 23, 1954 w. H. TYLER ELECTRIC CAN OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 1, 1950 Wayne H. Tyler INVENTOR.

March 23, 1954 w. H. TYLER 2,673,058 ELECTRIC CAN OPENER File'd Feb. 1, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 10 Wayne H. 7jr/er IN V EN TOR.

A, B g 51W 8M0 Patented Mar. 23, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,673,058 ELECTRIC CAN OPENER Wayne H. Tyler, Tucson, Ariz. Application February 1, 1950, Serial No. 141,667 4 Claims. (Cl. 248-313) This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in an electric can opener and more specifically pertains to a power operated device for rotatably supporting a can and for rotating the can against a stationary cutter blade, together with means for holding the severed can top.

The primary objects of this invention are to provide in a power operated can opener, improved facilities for supporting and journaling the can and for rotating the same against a stationary cutter blade; to retain the severed head of the can; to readily accommodate different sizes of cans; and to reduce the friction and enhance the efiiciency of operation of the can opener.

The objects of the invention are attained by a can opener consisting of a supporting base having a supporting standard rising therefrom,

means for adjustably securing a stationary cutter head to the standard; a relatively fixed abutment vertically adjustable upon the standard and having anti-friction means for engaging the side of a can; a movable abutment slidably adjustable upon the base and having anti-friction means for engaging the opposite side of a can; anti-friction means supporting the bottom of a can; together with improved means for rotating a can when held between the fixed and movable abutments.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description pro-' ceeds, are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing a preferred construction of can opener embodying the principles of this invention, a can being shown in position in the opener for removal of its head; t

Figure 2 is a vertical central sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2-2 of Figure 3 and illustrating certain details of the cutter head, the reduction gearing thereof and the fixed and movable abutments forming a part of the invention, a can being shown in dotted lines in the device;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the broken section line 3-3 of Figure 2 and illustrating certain details of construction of the reduction gearing;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary end view of the base of the opener, showing certain details of the mounting of the movable abutment thereon;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 6-5 of Figure 7 and showing certain details of the locking means for adjustably securing the movable abutment to the base of the device; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 1-1 of Figure 3 and showing further details of the construction and mounting of the movable abutment upon the base of the device. 7

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, attention is directed first to Figures 1 and 2, wherein it will be seen that the apparatus illustrating the principles of this invention preferably comprises a fiat plate-like base 10 of any suitable character, which is provided with a vertical supporting standard [2 which may be conveniently in the form of a rod or tubular member. Slidable upon the standard l2 and adjustably secured in vertically adjusted position thereon, is a cutter head assembly indicated generally by the numeral l4.

Likewise vertically adjustable upon the standabutment IE while a movable abutment I8 is adjustably secured upon the base plate Ill and cooperates with the fixed abutment for rotatably retaining therebetween a can 2b which the device is intended to open.

Referring now to Figure 4, it will be seen that the base H] has its upper surface recessed to receive a plurality of anti-friction members 22, which may conveniently be in the form of cylindrical rollers or the like whose upper portions extend upwardly above the base [0, these rollers being disposed so as to receive and support the bottom of the can 20, as will be apparent from Figures 1, 2 and 4.

The fixed abutment may conveniently com prise a plate-like body or bracket 24 having a hub,

portion or sleeve portion 26 which is slidably received upon the standard !2. Secured to or if desired formed as integral part of the plate 2c, is an arcuately shaped member 28 having a concave cylindrical surface which is suitably slotted as at 30 and has retained therein in any suitable manner a plurality of anti-friction cylindrical bearing rollers 32 which extend inwardly of the concave surface and are adapted to rotatably engage and support the side of the can 29. i

The movable abutment l8 likewise includes a similarly shaped arcuated member 34 which is likewise provided with the anti-friction rollers 36, the

members

34 and 28 being adapted to embrace the opposite sides of the can 20 and by means of the

anti-friction elements

32 and 36, in conjunction with the elements 22, support and retain the can for rotational movement about its longitudinal axis.

The Inovable abutment l8, as will be more apparent from Figures -7, includes a supporting block or bracket 38, which slides upon the upper surface of the base 16 and is provided with adepending, wedge-shaped slide 40 which is retained for sliding movement lengthwise of a dovetailed shaped channel 42 formed in the base 10, this channel having upwardly and inclined side walls 44. Since this channel opens to the end of "the block, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the movable abutment can be mounted upon the block by endwise insertion "of the depending slide 40in the openouter end of the channel 42. Preferably the channel is disposed in alignment with the standard l2 so that the movable abutment may be moved toward and from the stationary abutment and the standard l2.

A novel and advantageous means is provided for selectively locking the movable abutment to the channel 42 in longitudinally adjustedpositions thereon. For this purpose, the member 38 is provided with a slot opening from its upper surface to its lower surface, and a pair of clutch levers '48 and extend through this slot and are pivotally connected to each other and to the member '38 as by a transversely extending pivot pin'50, these clutch

members having clutch'jaws

52 and 54 on their lower ends which extend within the channel 42 and are engageable with the inclined side walls thereof. As shown best in Figure 5, ar'esilient means such as a compression spring 56 yieldingly'urges' the clutch levers and consequently the clutch jaws into engagement with the inclined walls to thereby frictionally lock or engage the movable abutment in adjusted position upon the base I0.

Referring now to the cutter head assembly hi, it willbe seen that the latterincludes a casing or housing 58, having a flat horizontallyextendinglower surface iimtowhich is detachably secured a permanent magnet 62 of any desired character for magnetically retaining th top of a can whe'n'the latter has been cut from the 'canby the operation of this device, and to which is further secured the base portion 54- of a depending can opener or knife blade 66.

A tapered or conical toothedroller' 63is provided for gripping the edge or rim of a can and rotating the'sarne against the stationary cutter 5 3, this'roller being provided with an axl Hi which extends through the bottom wall iifijbeing joun naled therein in any suitable manner, and 'is providedwith a gear 12 within the housing '58.

As will be apparent from FiguresZ and 3; a reduction gearing is provided within the housing 58 for rotating the gear 12' reduction gearing includes a gear 14 meshing with the gear 12, th gear M having a coaxially disposed gear76 rigidly associated therewith. The gears M and may conveniently be'fixedly sccured to a common shaft"!!! 'as will be apparent from Figures 2 and 3. The gear =16, in turn, meshes with a worm gear 8!] which is fixedly secured to a shaft 82 having one extremity journaled in a supporting bracket 84 mounted upon the interior of the housing 58. The other-vend of and the roller 68. This electric power such as by Adjacent the shaft 82 may be detachably secured to or if desired may form an integral part of the armature shaft of an electric motor indicated generally by the numeral 86, and which may be of any desired character, being provided with a customary speed controlling switch 88, and being electrically connected to any suitable source of electric cables 90.

The entire cutter headassembly, including the electric motor 8B which is detachably secured to a flange upon the cutter head assembly, as by fastening screws 92, is adjustably slidable upon the standard 12. For this purpose, the housing 58 is provided with a vertically extending tubular portion '94which constitutes a sleeve slidable upon the standard I2 as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

v its upper end, this sleeve is provided with a laterally extending housing 96 having a lateral bore 98 therein opening into the bore receiving the standard, [2. A pair of locking levers I00 and 102 are pivotally mounted in the lateral bore '98, as upon pivot pins IE4 and 1%, and are provided with adapted for wedging engagement upon thesurface of the standard 12. A suitable compression spring H2 yieldingly urges th levers Idil and IE2 away from each other orinposition to wedge the jaws against the standard, whereby the cutter head may belocked'in'vertically adjusted position.

The fixed standard '24, above mentioned, may be adjustably mounted'upon the-standardjlfi "by the same type of clutch construction .just .described with respect to thecutter'head. Such a construction has been-indicated in Figures 1 and 2, wherein the clutch levers H10 and H12 .have been indicated.

'From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will'be readily understood and further explanation-is, believed to be unnecessary. It will be seen that the apparatus will'accommodate readily different sizes of cans, will rotatably support the base of the can, retain the sides'of thecan'whilethe sameare being revolved against astationary:cutter-blade.

It is not intended to limitthe-inventionto the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents 'may be resorted to, falling within-the scope-ofthe appended claims.

Having described the claimed asnew is:

l. A can opener-comprising a-base, rneansior rotatably supporting a can uponsaid base,=said supporting means including a fixed abutment having a cylindrical concaveface for receiving the sideof a-c'an, astandard on said base, said fixed abutment being vertically movable upon said standard, locking means for retaining said fixed abutment in-vertically adjusted position on said standard, said locking means comprising a pair of levers pivoted to saidfixed abutment, toothed jaws onsaid levers wedgeably engageable with said standard and'resilientmeans urging invention, what I is said jaws into wedged engagement with said standard.

2. A canopener comprising a base, means for rotatably supporting-acan upon said base,-said supportingmeans including a fixed abutment and a movable abutment for rotatably: retaining thesides of a can therebetween, means 'for's1id ably and guidably securing said movable abutment to said base for rectilinear movement thereon, said means comprising a. channel in said base having inwardly inclined'esidewalls,*a' slide toothed jaws Hi8 and Hilwhich are,

and. will rotatably depending from said movable abutment and slidably retained in said channel.

3. A can opener comprising a base, means for rotatably supporting a can upon said base, said supporting means including a fixed abutment and a movable abutment for rotatably retaining the sides of a can therebetween, means for slidably and guidably securing said movable abutment to said base for rectilinear movement thereon, said means comprising a channel in said base having inwardly inclined side walls, a slide depending from said movable abutment and slidably retained in said channel, a pair of clutch arms pivoted to said movable abutment and having clutch fingers extending into said channel for engagement with said inclined walls.

4. A can opener comprising a base, means for rotatably supporting a can upon said base, said supporting means including a fixed abutment and a movable abutment for rotatably retaining the sides of a can therebetween, means for slidably and guidably securing said movable abutment to said base for rectilinear movement thereon, said means comprising a channel in said base having inwardly inclined side walls, a slide depending from said movable abutment and slidably retained in said channel, a pair of clutch arms pivoted to said movable abutment and with said walls.

WAYNE H. TYLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 54,668 Baldwin May 15, 1866 936,927 McCallum Oct. 12, 1909 1,207,883 Dugan Dec. 12, 1916 1,409,650 Beedham Mar. 14, 1922 1,441,652 Andrae Jan. 9, 1923 1,742,069 Greenwald Dec. 31, 1929 1,823,608 Kalkonis Sept. 15, 1931 1,884,120 Mross Oct. 25, 1932 2,248,513 Riley July 8, 1941 2,388,950 Booth Nov. 13, 1945 2,456,307 Noblett Dec. 1-4, 1948 2,503,102 Edlund Apr. 4, 1950 2,518,190 Scieri Aug. 8, 1950 2,532,898 Drugman Dec. .5, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 325,454 Germany Sept. 14, 1920