US2983039A

US2983039A - Can opener

Info

Publication number: US2983039A
Application number: US761565A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank S Lapinski
Original assignee: JOSEPH A CAHIL
Current assignee: JOSEPH A CAHIL
Priority date: 1958-09-17
Filing date: 1958-09-17
Publication date: 1961-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 1978-05-09

Description

May 9, 1961 Filed Sept 17, 1958 F. S. LAPlNSKl CAN OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A is t xx Q INVENTOR.

FRANK S. LAPINSKI 73%? his irromvsrs.

y 1961 F. s. LAPINSKI 2,983,039

CAN OPENER Filed Sept. 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M F/G. 4.

/0 INVENTOR.

FRANK S. LAPINSKI ATTORNEYS United A States Pateut O CAN OPENER Frank S. Lapins ki, R.F.D., Winston Drive, Smithtown;

NhY. assignor to Joseph A. Cahil, New York, NY. Filed Sept. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 761,565 6 Claims. (Cl. 30-85) This invention relates to kitchen utensils and more particularly to an improved method of mounting a can opener of the general type represented in the US. Letters Patent No. 2,718,055 in the name of Maximilian C. Frins.

The can opener shown and described in the above patent is of the type wherein a cutting mechanism is mounted tion. A base plate 10 is fastenedto the wall by meansof four screws 11-1-4 and supports a bracket arm 15 bymeans of a connection at 16. The arm 15 carries a sup: porting ring 19 which may be cast integral therewith or secured to the arm by

screws

17 and 18. The arm 15 is attached to the plate 10 by a tenon and mortise jointat 16. The tenon37 is attached to the plate 10by screws as shown in Figure 3 fand is adapted to be received-in a down. The arm is prevented from moving upward by in a frame along with other kitchen utensils. The cutting mechanism is of the type comprising a feed wheel, a turning wing for rotating the feed wheel and a cutting edge. This type of can opener is highly satisfactory for the average home where the demand is for a can opener that is light in weight and transportable and which need be used only occasionally. Under some circumstances however a different type of can opener is needed. A restaurant kitchen, for example, where a large number of cans have to be opened rapidly, requires a can opener which is large, sturdily built and is adapted to be attached to a solid supporting surface for greater stability and ease of operation. Conventional can openers of the type used in commercial kitchens are generally unsatisfactory in that they can be attached to only one type of supporting surface. That is, the conventional can opener is designed to be attached either to the side of a vertical wall, the top of a table or the underside of a shelf. This restriction results from the fact that the can to be opened and the cutting mechanismmust always be in an upright position when the lid is removed. The conventional can opener is therefore generally unsatisfactory since there are many occasions when it is desirable to mount the can-opener in a variety of positions for different purposes.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a can opener which can be mounted for right or left hand operation on surfaces in various planes.

This and other objects of the invention are accomplished by providing a can opener comprising a casing enclosing a cutting mechanism for opening cans, a supporting arm which can be fastened on either the top or the underside of a horizontal surface or on the side of a vertical wall, and means for fastening the supporting arm to the casing in such a manner that the casing may be rotated with respect to the supporting arm.

This invention may be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures of the drawing in which:

Figure l is a view showing a can opener mounted on the side of a vertical wall for right hand operation;

Figure 2 is a view showing a can opener mounted on the side of a verticalwall and rotated 180 from the position shown in Figure 1 for left hand operation;

Figure 3 is a view showing a can opener mounted on the top side of a horizontal surface;

Figure 4 is a view showing the can opener mounted on the underside of a horizontal surface;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the plane 5-5 of Figure 4.

In Figure 1 there is shown a can opener constructed according to one embodiment of the invention and fastened to the side of a vertical wall for right hand operathe dovetailed sides of the joint as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Y

A casing 21 containing a cutting mechanism is attached to-the supporting ring 19 by the four screws 22-25 and is comprised of two

sections

48 and 49 secured together by a screw. The cutting mechanism is assembled within the casing 21 and may be of a conventional type or it may be of the type described in the U.S. Letters Patent No. 2,718,055 in the name of Maximilian C. Frins. The cutting mechanism shown is comprised mainly of a cutterl53 and a feed wheel 45 which is attached to a handle 31' and knob 32 for turning the feed wheel. An arm26 is attached to the casing 21 and supports a permanent magnet 27 in the manner shown in Figure '4. The magnet is attached to the arm by a shaft 28 having an enlarged head 28' which is received within a recessed portion '28" of a slot 30' formed in the arm 26. A spring 29 forces the magnet down against the lid of the can to' be severed and maintains the head 28' within the recess 28". The magnet is removed from the arm 26 by pushing the shaft'28 up 'until the enlarged head clears the uppersurface of. the arm 26 and then moving the shaft along the slot 30 until the head is in line. with the opening 44, after :which it is removed downwardly through the opening.

Figure 2 is a drawing showing the can opener mounted on the side of a vertical wall as in Figure 1 but with the base plate 10, the arm 15 and the ring 19 displaced by an angle of 180 relative to the position shown in Figure 1 for left handed operation. The casing 21 is attached to the ring 19 in the manner shown in Figures 2 and 5. The two

sections

48 and 49 of the casing are attached to the ring by the four screws 22-25 and are positioned in the ring by the two

annular shoulders

51 and 52. To adjust the cutting mechanism to an operative position, the four screws 22 to 25 are removed from the holes 33-36 in the ring and the casing 21 is then rotated with respect to the ring 19 until the cutting mechanism is in the proper cutting position. The four holes 33 to 36 are drilled at intervals on the circumference of a circle having its center on the axis of rotation of the casing 21. Four similar holes are drilled and tapped in the casing 21 so that the screws 22-25 may be inserted through the ring and screwed into the casing'when the holes are properly aligned. Since the holes are spaced symmetrical-1y about the axis of rotation of the casing 21, there will be four positions for which the holes will be properly aligned. Therefore the arm 15 and ring 19 may be mounted in any one of four positions and the cutting mechanism may still be adjusted to its operating position. the can opener may be mounted on the underside of a shelf, on top of a table or in two positions on the side of a wall for the convenience of both right handed and left handed persons.

Figure 3 is a drawing showing the can opener mounted on the top side of a horizontal surface. The casing 21 Consequently,

,3 3 in this position is displaced by an angle of 90 with respect to the ring 19 from the position shown in Figure 2. In Figure 4 the can opener is mounted on the underside of a horizontal surface and the casing 21 is rotated 180 with respect to the ring '19 from the position shown in Figure 3.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, his apparent that changes and modifications may be made without. departing from this invention in its broader aspects. For example, instead of having only four screw holes in the ring and casing and therefore only four positions of the casing with respect to the ring, there could be a larger number of operable positions or any other adjustable fastening mechanism could be employed The ring and the easing could be permanently attached together and both of them rotatably mounted on the supporting arm. Therefore the invention described herein is not to be construed as limited save as is consonant with the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A can opener comprising a casing, a cutting mechanism for opening cans, said cutting mechanism adapted to be assembled in said casing, a support having a recess formed therein for said casing, means for fastening said support to a foundation, and means for fastening said casing to said recessed portion of said support in a manner such that said casing may be angularly rotated 360 with respect to said support. 2. A can opener comprising a casing, a cutting mechanism for opening cans, said cutting mechanism adapted to be assembled in said casing, a supporting ring, means for fastening said ring to a foundation, and means for fastening said casing to said ring in a manner such that said casing may be angularly rotated with respect to said ring.

3. A can opener comprising a casing, a cutting mechanism for opening cans, said cutting mechanism adapted to be assembled in said casing, a support means for said casing, and means for fastening said casing to said support means in a manner such that said casing may be angularly rotated 360 with respect to said support means.

4. A can opener comprising a casing, a cutting mech- 4 anism for opening cans, said cutting mechanism adapted to be assembled in said casing, a supporting ring attached to said casing by screws in amanner such that the casing is rotatably adjustable witlr-respect to said ring, a supporting arm, and means for fastening said arm to said ring.

5. A can opener comprising a casing, a cutting mechanism for opening cans, said cutting mechanism adapted to be assembled in said casing, a'supporting ring, means for fastening said casingto said ring in a manner such that said casing may be angularly'rotated with respect to said ring, said fastening means comprising a plurality of holes drilled and tapped in said casing and said ring on the circumference of a circle having its center on the axis of rotation of said casing, said plurality of holes being located symmetrically on the circumference of said circle, and a plurality of screws adapted to be screwed into said holes for holding said casing and said ring together.

6. A can opener comprising a casing, a cutting mechanism for opening cans, said cutting mechanism adapted to be assembled in said casing, a supporting ring, means for fastening said ring to said casing in a manner such that said casing may be angularly rotated to varying positions with respect to said ring, said fastening means comprising four holes drilled and tapped on the circumference of a circle having its center on the axis of rotation of said casing, said four holes being located distant from each other on the circumference of said circle, and four screws adapted to be screwed into said holes for holding said casing and said ring together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,204,368 Kublin June 11, 1940 2,263,604 Zirnmer Nov. 25, 1941 2,438,376 Squires Mar. 23, 1948 2,591,155 Horstmann Apr. 1, 1952 2,617,185 Lehmann et al Nov. 11, 1952 2,624,110 Acker Jan. 6, 1953 2,694,855 Talge'et al Nov. 23, 1954 2,718,055 Frins Sept. 20, 1955