US2694324A - Wall attached jar lid remover with diagonal brace - Google Patents

Description

16, 1954 v. H. GQLDSMITH 2,694,324

WALL ATTACHED JAR LID REMOVER WITH DIAGONAL BRACE Filed Dec. 1, 1952 Fig.

Fig.2

Vernon H. Goldsmith INVENTOR.

tes Patent Ofiice 2,694,324 Patented Nov. 16, 1954 WALL ATTACHED JAR LID REMOVER WITH DIAGONAL BRACE Vernon H. Goldsmith, West Palm Beach, Fla.

Application December 1, 1952, Serial No. 323,409

1 Claim. (Cl. til-3.3)

The present invention relates to certain new and useful lmprovements in what is believed to be a structurally distinct and unique opener, one which is expressly well adapted to assist a user in loosening and readily removing lids and caps from commodity jars, soft drink bottles and analogous containers closed by removable lids.

The art to which the invention relates is highly active and is therefore characterized by many and varied styles and forms of lid-lifters and so-called bottle openers. Some of these are broadly categorized as hand tools and implements and others appertain to the field wherein the device or instrumentality is fastened on a rigid wall or other relatively stationary support surface. The invention herein under advisement has to do with a walltype jar lid remover. It is an obvious purpose of the instant matter to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon similarly constructed and performing lid and cap removers and, in doing so, to better fulfill the respective requirements and needs of manufacturers and users alike.

There has long existed a recognized need for a lid remover that not only safely lifts and removes the lid or cap from the container without breakage of the container but one which does the needed job quickly and with certainty and does not distort or bend the lid. It follows, therefore, that the lid may therefore be replaced and be used over and over again.

There are recognized instances wherein a particular commodity container, for example peanut butter, sold in a glass receptacle, will be covered by either a friction retained or vacuum packed lid having a rim of a prescribed and standard depth. It is an object of the invention to provide a lid remover for a given situation such as that stated wherein the proportions are precisely made to fit a lid having these known measurements thereby adapting the device or remover to the needs of a particular commodity.

More specifically, novelty is predicated upon a combination having to do with a relatively stationary vertical support, an arm or bar member disposed in a horizontal plane at right angles to said support and constituting a backing and stabilizing element which spans or bridges the lid which is to be removed, there being a depending, attaching and retaining bend at one end of said member which is secured directly to the support, the same having a lateral terminal bend which functions as a jar-lid or top-engaging lip frequently referred to in the art as a hook.

Novelty, in addition to that elaborated upon, has to do with the structural adaptations specified in conjunction with an oblique-angled brace, one end of which joins with the corresponding outer end of the backing member, and the other end of which is brought to bear against and directly secured to the vertical support in order to prevent the backing member from bending or getting out of position in relation to the lid-engaging and lifting lip.

Additional advantages in addition to those touched upon will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of drawings.

In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rigid-type jar lid remover constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a View of the same fragmentarily shown and illustrating the manner in which a lid is lifted and removed.

Figure 3 is a view based on Figure 2 showing the manner in which prongs on the lid-lifting lip may be used for puncturing and venting a vacuum-type lid.

Referring to the parts and elements by way of references to Figure 1, the relatively stationary support, which here takes the form of a vertical wall or equivalent part, is denoted by the numeral 4. The unit or fixture which is applicable thereto, and which cooperates therewith then to most satisfactorily attain the end results desired, is denoted by the numeral 6. This is preferably fashioned from a single bar of flat, rigid stock of appropriate material and rigidity. The principal component is the herizontal limb, bar or arm 8. More specifically, this is a horizontally disposed member and is flat on its working side, that is the underneath portion. It is of an appropriate length so that it may span or extend across caps and lids ranging from soft-drink crown cap sizes to relatively large lids used on jars, jelly glasses and similar commodity containers. This member is best referred to as a lid-backing and stabilizing arm or bar. It is in a horizontal plane at right angles to the vertical support wall and the inner end thereof is bent as at 10 to form a depending portion 12 which rests fiat and firmly against the support and is fixedly attached thereto by a headed fastener 14. The free terminal portion of the strap which is denoted at 16, underlies the backing number 8 in spaced parallelism and at a given distance below said number 8. Yet the distance is preferably regulated according to the depth of the rim or skirt of the lid which is to be most satisfactorily accommodate. This terminal 16 may be described, loosely perhaps, as a hook but more specifically as a jar lid engaging lip. The extremity, thereof, is curved as at 18, the corner portions are fashioned into pointed penetrating prongs 20-20. For strength and further rigidity the unit includes a diagonal or oblique-angled brace, and here again this is in the form of an inclined arm 22 which ioins the outer end of the arm 8 by way of the bend 24, which extends towards the support and has a suitably apertured terminal 26 bearing against the support and secured thereto by a screw or other equivalent fastener 28.

This device is an excellent construction for general use and, of course, the backing arm or number 8 should be in a horizontal plane to prevent spillage and must extend all the way across the surface of the lid and must fit, more or less, firmly against the lid to prevent the bending of the latter. The brace 22 prevents the backing number 8 from getting out of position in relation to the wall or other support as well as the lifting lip 16. The fact that all of these elements are combined in one device and that this device is made from one strip of metal is obviously a matter of importance. The device will remove tops and lids from jars and bottles without bending or injuring the tops in any way at all, as is obvious. Yet some products, like a jar with pickles or olives, include considerable liquid and the jolt of removing the top might cause spillage, even when held in horizontal position. In these cases it is advisable to puncture the top to release the vacuum and make the lid removal step easier as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. At times the compressed air in the jar forces the replaced top loose. A puncture in this case, too, is advisable as insurance against dislodgment. Yet with most products in containers, however, puncturing is neither needed nor desirable.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

As a new article of manufacture, a lid-lifting and removing device for attachment to a relatively fixed Wall or equivalent support comprising a relatively broad elon- "gated arm disposed in 'a horizontal plane and at right angles to a relatively fixed vertical support surface, 'said arm being rigid, linearly straight, and adapted to span and contact a lid or the like to serve as a backing member and to prevent said lid frorrrbeing undesirably distorted in shape, said arm being provided at one end'with a relatively short depending right angular-1y disposed portion to 'abut and be secured to said support, said depending portion being provided at its lower end "with a lateral terminal bend and said bend underlyingthe adjacent "end portion only of the backing member in spaced parallelism and cooperating therewith in providing a lid engaging and lifting lip, a diagonal brace secured at one end to the "other end of the backing member, said brace being diagonal to said arm and of a predetermined :length and having its other end terminating in 'alateral attaching terminal to abut and be secured to the support, sa'id'terminal being in the same plane with the aforementioned depending portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 46,983 Holden Feb. 16, 1915 1,561,519 Mathews Nov. 17, 1925 10 2,455,496 Kaskouras Dec. 7, 1948 2,542,295 Spraker Feb. 20, 1951 2,593,053 Porter Apr. 15, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 15 Number Country Date 20,5 Great Britain Sept. 9, 1912 441,819 France Aug. 17, 1912

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