US2691909A - Jar cap lifter having levers pivoted together at corresponding ends - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 19, 1954 HOPMANN 2,691,909

. UAR CAP LIFTER HAVING LEVERS PIVOTED TQGETHER AT CORRESPONDING ENDS Filed Feb. 7, 1952 Arthur E. Hopniann INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 19, 1954 UNITED STATS PATENT OFFICE JAR CAP LIFTER HAVING LEVERS' PIVOTED TOGETHER AT CORRESPONDING ENDS 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an improved hand implement or tool which is primarily adapted for loosening, lifting or otherwise removing friction type covers and lids of the many styles and forms currently used on fruit containing jars, bottles and so-called jelly glasses.

By way of introduction to the particular subject matter under consideration, it will be helpful to the reader to take into account that the novel structural characteristics to be herein analyzed and described and have to do with improvements on a basically similar tool disclosed in a co-pending application identified as Serial No. 247,942 filed September 24, 1951, now Patent No. 2,651,226.

The subject matter of the stated co-pending application has to do with a pair of complemental lever units disposed in a plane with each other and interconnected for conjoint operation at corresponding ends, said units having opposed handle portions which carry closure engaging grips or jaws. The latter are formed with teeth and co-acting flanges which, in use, are especially well adapted to reside in contact with the upper side of the jar closure and to in this manner facilitate catching hold of a milled or correspondingly roughened rim portion on the closure. The flanges are in the same plane and are at right angles to said teeth and have perfectly smooth flat faces to contact the closure.

Another aspect of the co-pending application appertains to a pair of duplicate opposed levers hingedly connected together at corresponding ends and having free end portions with return bends the latter defining hooks, said hooks having bill portions and said bill portions being adapted to pilot themselves into a space between a friction held lid and the shoulder of a jar, whereby they combinedly served as fulcruming and lifting members.

One improvement in the instant transaction has to do with an implement for lifting and thus removing a lid from a jar or the like wherein the rim of the lid has an endless outwardly flaring lip-flange comprising a pair of opposed like levers hingedly connected with each other at corresponding ends and having free end portions of arcuate form which constitute gripping jaws and serve to conformingly embrace said rim, the inward surfaces of said free end portions having groove means for retentive reception of cooperating segments of said lip-flange.

Further novelty has to do with an implement for lifting and removing a lid from a jar or the like characterized by a pair of opposed levers hingedly connected with each other and having free end portions of general arcuate form providing gripping jaws which latter embrace the rim of the lid. At the juncture of the jaws and the coacting outer end lever portions are integrally formed lugs having selectively useable portions to assist in removing lids of varying constructional forms.

Features and advantages in addition to those specifically mentioned will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a lid remover constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and showing the manner in which the jaw-like grips are utilized;

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section showing one of the lever units seen in Figure l with said unit appearing alone;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the manner in which the jaws perform as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a View taken approximately on the vertical line 4-4! of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a view showing the tool turned upside down and the manner in which it functions in this position; and,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figures 3 and 5 but showing how the lugs come into play when the handle means is forced down in a manner to lift the jaw portions up and to in this manner dislodge and disconnect the rim portion of the jelly glass lid.

Reference is made first to Figures 1 and 2 and particularly to Figure 1. In the latter figure the numerals 8 and I0 designate a pair of like or correspondingly constructed lever units. At the right hand ends the units have curved portions 12 and 14 which portions are overlapped and hingedly connected together as at 16. The intermediate portions denoted at ll-Il are handle portions and these have their inner surfaces serrated to provide anti-friction gripping teeth l8--l8 and additional or auxiliary teeth 20--20. Associated with these respective sets of teeth are fiat surfaced flanges 2222 which are used in a manner not herein illustrated but covered and claimed in co-pending application Serial Number 247,942, now Patent No. 2,651,226. The outer free end portions of the lever units are formed with free end portions which may be conveniently referred to as jaws and these jaws are denoted by the numerals 24-24. The inward opposed surfaces are provided with arcuate grooves denoted by the numerals 26. These grooves are adapted to receive the endless skirt or flange 28 on the rim 30 of the jar lid 32 as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4. For more effective gripping and releasing the free end portions of the jaws have inturned hooks conveniently denoted by the numerals 3434 and the bill or terminal portions of these hooks have additional arcuate grooves 36-36 which coact with the stated grooves 26. It will be obvious, therefore, that by pressing the grooved hooks together and forcing the jaws 24-24 simultaneously together the skirt or flange of the lid is firmly and frictionally seated in the grooves and a satisfactory grip is thus had, making it possible to gradually loosen and yank the lid off of the jar.

Another phase of the invention has to do with a pair of companion lugs which are denoted by the numerals 3838 and these lugs are formed integrally as at 4940 with the junctural portions 42-42, that is the portions constituting the junctural connections between the jaws 24-24 and handle portions I'I-l1 of the lever units. These lugs are in approximately opposed parallelism and they are laterally offset in upward directions when the tool is used in the manner shown in all but Figure of the drawings. Each lug is somewhat hook-shaped as brought out advantageously in Figure 2 and the effective or working face of the lug has a ll-shaped and curvate beak 44 at its free end and a V-shaped abutment 46 intermediate its ends.

It will be evident that when the tool is used as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 only the hook equipped grooved jaws 2424 come into play with the skirt or flange 28 fitting into the groove means and hence when the lever units or handle portions thereof are pressed firmly together the device becomes a lid holding and lifting wrench. The flanged and toothed portions identified by the numerals l8 and 22 do not come into consideration in this case and are therefore not described with particularity.

When the tool is used in the manner shown in Figure 5 it is, of course, turned upside down and the jaws rest atop the lid and the beak portions 44 of the lugs become lifting hooks and they engage underneath of the flange 28 and the lid is removed in pry-bar fashion.

In Figure 6 the beak portions do not come into use but the abutments 46 rest on top of the lid 46 with the fiat rim 4%? on the jelly glass 50. Here the handle is moved down in the direction of arrow A and the jaws travel up in the direction of arrow B and lift the lid off in an obvious manner.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in shape, size and arrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

An implement for lifting and thus removing a lid from ajar or the like wherein the lid is circular and has an endless rim and the rim is provided with an endless outwardly flaring skirt, comprising a pair of coplanar duplicate levers having handles hingedly connected together at corresponding ends and their opposite ends free and movable toward and from each other in a manner to effectively embrace jar necks of different diameters, the inner ends being curved inwardly toward each other in a plane with each other and in the same plane with said levers and terminating in coplanar return bends defining lifting hooks, said hooks embodying bill-portions, the inwardly facing longitudinal edge portions of said levers inwardly of said hooks being longitudinally curved and providing a pair of neck embracing jaws, the latter being opposed to each other, the extremities of said hooks being grooved and said jaws likewise being grooved and the grooves of the jaws being in the same plane with the grooves in said hooks.

References Cited in the file of this patent France -2 Sept. 29, 1947

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