US3198388A - Can opener and pouring spout - Google Patents

Description

3, 1965 B. L. CAMPBELL 3,198,388-

CAN OPENER AND POURING SPOUT Filed Jan. 2, 1964 FIG.I

BILL L. CAMPBELL INVENTOR.

AGENT FIG.2 lgw/y/tf United States Patent 3,198,383 CAN GPENER ANB POURING SPQU Bfil'L. Campbell, Star Rte, Canton, @ltla. Filed Jan. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 335,120 2 Claims. ((Il. 22233.5)

The present invention relates to can openers and more particularly to a combined can holder and opener.

The prior are reveals a plurality of can taps or openers which includes a pouring spout. Most of the can spouts or openers used for opening-quart cans of oil, or the like, feature a sharpened point at one end of the spout which is difiicult to force through the sealed end of the can and is similarly difficult to remove from the can after the latter is emptied. Furthermore, the patents of the prior art do not disclose a means for easily opening and holding a can while emptying the latter through the can tap spout or in removing the can from the opener when the can has been emptied.

it is, therefore, the principal object of the instant invention to provide a can opener having a pouring spout which may be easily connected to the can and retain the latter during the opening and emptying of the can.

An additional object is to provide a can opening device which may be locked in can opening position until the can has been emptied and is ready for disposal.

Still another object is to provide a can opening and holding device which will automatically release the can from the tap and pouring spout when the can is to be discarded.

A still further object is to provide a device of this class which features a non-dripping spout to eliminate dripping oil on the engine or driveway after the can has been emptied.

Yet another object is to provide a device of this class which is simply and ruggedly constructed, may be economically manufactured, and which will have a long useful life.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by forming a substantially rectangular can engaging frame and pivotally connecting a spout holding handle to the frame for movement of the spout toward and away from a can to be opened. 7

Other objccts'will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying single sheet of drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the device in can holding and opening position, the can being shown by dotted lines and illustrating by dotted lines, a can releasing position of the handle and pouring spout;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top plan View taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are horizontal cross-sectional views taken substantially along the respective lines 33 and 44 of FIG. 1; and,

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the outlet end of the pouring spout, per se.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral indicates the device, as a whole, which is rectangular in general configuration comprising a frame 12, bell crank 14 and pouring spout 16. The frame 12, in the example shown, is formed of channel iron material of a selected size, however, other crosssectional shaped material may be substituted. The frame 12 includes a can engaging longitudinal side member 18 and an opposing longitudinal hand grip side member 20 which are interconnected at their respective ends, in a common plane, by end members 22 and 24. The side member 18 is preferably coextensive with the longitudinal dimension of a can to be opened, such as a one quart 'ice.

I size oil can indicated by the dotted lines 26. One end axis of the side'member 13 forming a can end engaging foot member 28.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the foot member is provided with upstanding lugs 3b which engage the conven-. tional flanged end of the can to be opened when the can is placed adjacent the side member 13.

The bell crank 14 is pivotally connected, intermediate its ends, by a pin 32 to the frame 12 at the juncture of the hand grip side 20 and frame end'member 22. The bell crank has a first leg positioned within the plane formed by the frame 12 forming a handle 34. The other or second leg 36 of the bell crank projects outwardly of and substantially coextensive with the frame end 22 in right angular relation with respect to the handle 34 and parallel to the frame end 22 when in can opening position, as shown by solid lines (FIG. 1).

-The tubular pouring spout 16 is rigidly connected, intermediate its ends, to the free end of the second leg 36. The pouring spout 16 is provided with a sharpened end portion 38 so that its sharpened free tip end projects toward and into the can 26 adjacent and parallel with respect to the can engaging side member 18 of the frame. The adjacent end portion of the frame end 22 is arcuately curved, as at 4i), forming a stop for contacting a peripheral portion of the surface of the spout 16 when the spout is pivoted toward and punctures the can 26 to limit the movement of the sharpened end 38 of the spout toward the side member 13. The outlet end portion of the spout 16 is provided with a transverse partition or wall 41 so that fluid may be poured from the spout and after the can 26 has been emptied the entire device 16 may be manually rotated so that fluid tending to drain from the can or spout will be trapped behind the wall 42 to eliminate soiling an engine or driveway surface.

A helical spring 44 is interposed between the second leg 36 and adjacent surface of the end member 22 of the frame. The purpose of the spring 44 is to normally urge the second leg 36 and pouring spout i6 away from the adjacent end of the frame and out of can contact for disposal of the can 26 when emptied.

Locking means comprising a locking lever 46 is pivotally connected at one end to the frame end member 22. The lever 46 is provided with a J-shaped hook at its free end. which releasably engages a pin 48 secured to the second leg 36 for holding the spout 16 in can puncturing and opening position.

OPERATZON In operation the bell crank and pouring spout 16 are normally positioned as shown by dotted lines (FlG. 1). The frame 12 is manually grasped by the hand grip side 29 and a can to be opened 26 is positioned adjacent the can engaging side 18 with one end of the can retained by the foot member 28. The handle 34 is manually forced toward the hand grip side 26 thus pivoting the spout 16 so that its sharpened end 38 engages and punctures the adjacent end of the can 26 and forces a pcripheral portion of the can wall against the legs of the channel shaped frame side 18 in a wedging action. The handle 34 may be manually held adjacent and partially within the hand grip side 29 while emptying, the can of its contents or the locking lever 46 may be engaged with the pin 48 to hold the device in can opened position.

Fluid from the can 26 may be then poured into the desired receptacle and after the can has been emptied, the device 10 and can is rotated so that the wall 42 in the spout 16 forms a dam or obstruction to trap fluid within the spout and prevent drainage thereof while the device and can are moved to a disposal point for the can. The locking lever 46 is released, if in locking position, and the handle 34 is released wherein the spring 44 lifts the spout 16 out of can engaging position and permits the can to fall by gravity into a Waste disposal container, or the like.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A can opener and pouring spout, comprising: a rectangular channel iron frame lying in a common plane and having one longitudinal side adapted to longitudinally engage a side of a can to be opened, the other lngitudinal side of said frame forming a hand grip; a lateral extension on one end of the cam engaging side of said frame forming a foot; upstanding lugs formed on said foot for engaging and supporting one end of a can to be opened; a bell crank pivotally connected to the hand grip side of said frame, said bell crank having a first leg disposed within the confines of said frame forming a hanand away from the end of said frame opposite said foot; 2. pouring spout secured intermediate its ends to said second leg of said bell crank, said spout having a sharpened can puncturing end projecting toward said foot, said spout being adjacent and parallel to the can engaging side of said frame when in can puncturing position; a stop formed on said frame opposite said foot for engaging a side surface of said pouring spout and limiting the.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,292,569 1/ 19 Bennett 222--566 X 2,015,079 9/35 Lindeburg 222--83 2,024,898 12/35 Weltner 222-83.5 2,304,457 12/42 Hagan.

2,574,333 11/51 Lewis.

2,786,271 3/57 Charlton.

dle, said bell crank having a second leg movable toward RAPHAEL LUPO Primary Examinw LOUIS I. DEMBO, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A CAN OPENER AND POURING SPOUT, COMPRISING: A RECTANGULAR CHANNEL IRON FRAME LYING IN A COMMON PLANE AND HAVING ONE LONGITUDINAL SIDE ADAPTED TO LONGITUDINALLY ENGAGE A SIDE OF A CAN TO BE OPENED, THE OTHER LONGITUDINAL SIDE OF SAID FRAME FORMING A HAND GRIP; A LATERAL EXTENSION ON ONE END OF THE CAM ENGAGING SIDE OF SAID FRAME FORMING A FOOT; UPSTANDING LUGS FORMED ON SAID FOOT FOR ENGAGING AND SUPPORTING ONE END OF A CAN TO BE OPENED; A BELL CRANK PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE HAND GRIP SIDE OF SAID FRAME, SAID BELL CRANK HAVING A FIRST LEG DISPOSED WITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID FRAME FORMING A HANDLE, SAID BELL CRANK HAVING A SECOND LEG MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE END OF SAID FRAME OPPOSITE SAID FOOT; A POURING SPOUT SECURED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS TO SAID

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