US3374539A - Automatic can opener apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 26, 1968 J. E. BRIAR ETAL AUTOMATIC CAN OPENER APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 Filed March 23, 1966 INVENTORfi (/0616 5 5/ /0/ Foszefl L/s/e 2/941:

H/f/J/J Ta/jge BY M 4 ATTORNS I... VIII a 3 /#1 Fi W 2 2 March 26, 1968 J E. BRIAR ETAL AUTOMATIC CAN OPENER APPARATUS 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed March 25, 1966 INVENTORS Jack 5. 5774/ Fsfefi L/s/e 72(96 Jr: flan/1y J. Eye

United States Patent 3,374,539 AUTOMATIC CAN OPENER APPARATUS Jack E. Briar, Mission, and Foster Lisle Talge, Jr., Overland Park, Kans., and Henry J. Talge, Kansas City, Mo., assignors to Dazey Products Company, Kansas City,

Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Mar. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 536,697 14 Claims. (Cl. 30-4) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An automatic electric can opener having an improved cutting wheel and supporting linkages therefor, in which the wheel configuration prevents undue penetration of the cutting portion of the wheel into the lid of a can even under strong spring forces used to maintain the desired cutting relationship, and the linkages are so arranged as to utilize the engagement between the cutter wheel and a can lid as a fulcrum facilitating positive automatic control over operation of the drive motor responsive to the positioning of the cutting wheel and linkages and without damage or undue wear to the parts or danger to a user upon release of the wheel from one position to another under strong spring forces as the lid being cut becomes completely severed from the can.

This invention relates to improved mechanism for electrically operated can openers.

Automatic can openers for home use must be simple to operate and inexpensive. Traditionally, this type of can opener has been designed to utilize an operating bar for forcing the cutting blade into the lid of a can with the same bar then operating the electric switch for the apparatus with a slight further push. It has been necessary for the operator of the can opener to manually provide this force and further push, thus requiring his complete attention until the lid-removing process is completed and the can is removed from the apparatus.

There is a need for full-automatic operation in a can opener of this type so that once the cutting process is initiated, the user may direct his attention elsewhere. Full automatic operation requires mechanism having at least three positions. The first of these positions is the released or standby position with the mechanism ready for the acceptance of a can to be opened and with the electric motor for operating the apparatus de-energized. After a can to be opened is inserted into the apparatus, the cutting blade must be brought into a cutting position with respect to the lid and latched in that position with the electric motor energized. After the lid is completely severed from the can the apparatus must be capable of shifting into a cut-completed position within the electric motor de-energized.

In order to eliminate the need for constant hand pressure on the operating bar, the mechanism must include a spring which is strong enough to force the cutting blade into and maintain the blade in a lid-severing disposition at least until the lid is completely severed from the can. Thus, the operating bar which mounts the cutting blade must be used to cock the spring required to force the blade through the lid and then be latched in that position so that the spring will continue to exert force on the blade. It has been found that if the force from the spring is not neutralized at the end of the cut, the force from the spring will act through the blade which operates as a fulcrum point to exert tension on the operating bar causing it to react strenuously when the latch is released to remove the opened can.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the instant invention to provide improved control mechanism for an electrically operated can opener which utilizes the unsevered 3,374,539 Patented Mar. 26, 1968 ice lid of a can being opened as a necessary part in the linkage holding the electric switch closed so that, when the lid is completely severed from the can, the switch will open, thereby de-energizing the can opener.

As a corollary to the foregoing object, it is a primary aim of the instant invention to provide such control mechanism having shiftable means mechanically linked to the switch and prevented only by an unsevered lid from shifting to a switch-opening position to the end that the switch will be opened unless an unsevered lid is present to prevent the shiftable means from shifting.

A very important object of the instant invention is to provide an improved rotary cutter blade for can openers and the like which carries means adapted to contact and be supported by a lid or other surface undergoing severance, causing the depth to which the blade pierces the surface to be limited.

Another very important object of the instant invention is to provide an annular shoulder for such a blade having a smaller diameter than the cutting edge of the blade to the end that the shoulder will contact and be supported by the surface being cut adjacent the line of cut.

A further important object of the instant invention is to shiftably mount such a blade in an electrically operated automatic can opener in combination with a spring for biasing the blade into cutting disposition with respect to the lid so that the electric switch controlling energization of the can opener may be mechanically linked to the blade and de-energize the apparatus when the lid is completely severed and the spring biases the blade into a cut-completed disposition.

Yet another important object of the instant invention is to provide an operating bar for such a can opener to move the blade into contact with the lid and then utilize the blade as a fulcrum for forcing the spring against its action, causing the blade to be forced into the lid solely by the force of the spring.

Still another important object of the instant invention is to provide a latch for such an operating bar to the end that the bar may be secured against movement under the influence of the spring through the fulcrum action of the blade.

Another very important aim of this invention is to provide mechanism in such a can opener for neutralizing the action of the blade biasing spring after the lid is cut through so that, when the operating bar is unlatched to remove an opened can, the bar will not be under tension.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of an electrically operated automatic can opener embodying the improved mechanism of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, rear elevational view of the can opener apparatus with the decorative housing removed;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the can opener with the housing removed;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, elevational view of the opposite side of the can opener with the housing removed;

FIG. 5 is a detail view showing an unopened can in place at the start of the lid-removal process taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, detail view showing the cutter blade in the same cutting position as that shown in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 2.

A cutting device in the nature of a can opener embodying the principles of the instant invention is broadly designated by the numeral 10. Can opener 10 comprises a front Wall or support structure 12 having mounted thereon all of the operational mechanism of the can opener and a decorative housing 14 attached to structure 12 and entrated in FIGS. and 6 fragment-arily. It is to be understood that can 22 has a lid 24 which the can opener is designed to completely sever at the peripheral edge 26 thereof adjacent rim 20.

Wheel 18 is rigidly mounted on an elongated, rotatable drive shaft 28 which is journalled through an aperture 30 in a boss 31 rigid with structure 12. A driven gear 32 is rigid with shaft 28 at the rearmost end thereof. A gear train broadly designated by the numeral 34 connects gear 32 with the drive shaft 36 of an electric motor 38 in a conventional manner sufiiciently so that wheel 18 is continuously rotated whenever motor 38 is energized. A stub shaft 40 is rigid with and extends rearwardly from structure 12. One end 42 of a lever arm 44 has an opening 46 receiving shaft 40. A retainer 48 engages shaft 40 to maintain arm 44 in pivotally mounting relationship to shaft 40. Means biasing arm 44 in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 2) in the nature of a tension spring 50 has one end 52 thereof hooked around a stub shaft 54.

A hook 56 at the opposite end of spring 50 is received through an eyelet 58 in the opposite end 60 of arm 44. Boss 31 extends rearwardly from structure 12 into alignment with portion 62 of arm 44 during the clockwise swinging of the latter to present stop means for preventing further clockwise swinging of arm 44 after portion 62 comes into engagement with boss 31. 7

An operating bar 64 disposed on the front side of structure 12 has a shaft 66 at one end 68 thereof. Shaft 66 extends re arwardly through a vertically elongated slot 70 and is journalled through an aperture 72 in arm 44 for pivotal mounting thereon.

An electric switch 74 having a pair of contacts 76 and 78'is mounted on structure 12. A pair of wires 80 (shown only partially in FIG. 2) are connected to a source of electricity and the armature of motor 38 respectively, the latter also being connected to the source of electricity in 'a manner Well known in the art such that whenever contacts 76 and 78 are in contact, motor 38 will be energized. Contact 76 is resilient and self-biasing toward the open position as shown in solid lines in FIG. 2. A mechanical link in'the nature of an elongated, rigid rod 82 has a lateral extension 84 proximal and underlying contact 76. A hook 86 at the opposite end of rod 82 is engaged around shaft 66 and held in place by a nut 88' threadably engaged with shaft 66 at the rearmost extremity of the latter.

An angularly disposed shaft 90 extends forwardly and downwardly from bar 64 and is rigid with the latter. Lid cutting means in the nature of a cutter wheel or, rotary cutting blade 92 is rotatably carried by shaft 90 and is held in place thereon by a keeper screw 94. Blade 92 has a continuous peripheral cutting edge 96 disposed proximal to the uppermost portion of wheel 18 so that the rim 20 of a can 22 supported by wheel 18 may be clamped tightly between blade 92 and wheel 18. Depth limiting means comprising an annular shoulder 98 having a smaller diameter than edge 96 is mounted on blade 92 and extends transversely from the plane of edge 96.

A pair of parallel, spaced-apart ears 100 are rigid with r and extend rearwardly from structure 12. Releasable means in the nature of a shiftable latch element 102 is received between ears 100 and held in place by a pivot pin 104. Element biasing means in the nature of a compression spring 106 is disposed between one end 108 of ele ment 102 and structure 12 forcontinually urging element 102 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4, around pivot pin 104. A knob 110 is attached to element 102 at the opposite'end thereof'Kn'ob 110 has a forward- 4 7 1y extending tab 112 and a camming surface 114. A rearwardly extending wing 116 on operating bar 64 has an edge 118 disposed to contact surface 114 for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

OPERATION Referring to FIG. 1, the operating bar 64 of the can opener 10 is shown in its released or standby position. The bar 64 is rotated around shaft 66 in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 1) to give clearance for the insertion of a can 22 with the peripheral rim 20 thereof disposed between support wheel 18 and blade 92. After can 22 has been inserted, operating bar 64 is manually rotated in a clockwise direction around shaft 66 as viewed in FIG. 1, until edge 96 of blade 92 is forced against lid 24 of can 22, the latter being rigidly supported by the cooperation between rim 20 of the can and wheel 18. As additional force is applied manually to operating bar 64 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1, the edge 96 of blade 92 will pierce lid 24 at the peripheral edge 26 thereof until shoulder 98 comes into contact with lid 24.

With the downward movement of blade 92 thus limited by the cooperation between shoulder 98 and lid 24, the shoulder 98 will act as a fulcrum point so that further clockwise movement of operating bar 64 (as 'viewed in FIG. 1) will result in an upward force being applied to shaft 66. This clockwise movement of operating bar 64 a is continued until edge 118 of wing 116 on bar 64 contacts the camming surface 114 of element 102,.the latter being forced in a clockwise direction, viewing FIG. 4, until it assumes the position shown by the dashed lines. At this time, edge 118 will clear surface 114. As soon as edge 118 has cleared the surface 114, element 102 will be swung in a' counterclockwise direction (viewing FIG. 4) until tab 112 overlies wing 116. Thus, operating bar 64 is prevented from swinging in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 1) until such time as element 102 is manually released from engagement therewith.

As operating bar 64 is swung into latching relationship with element 102, shaft 66 is moved upwardly because of the fulcrum action of the shoulder 98 in cooperation with the lid 24 of can 22. The upward movement of shaft 66 is allowed by slot 70 as can be seen .in'FIG. '7."The'upward movement of shaft 66 will cause arm 44 to be swung in a counterclockwise direction around stub shaft 40 and against the bias of spring 50 (as viewed in FIG. 2), 7,

the upward movement of shaft 66 will also result in an upward movement of rod 82. The extension 84 of rod 82' underlies contact 76 of switch 74 and the upward movement of rod 82 causes the contact 76 to be drawn into engagement with contact 78, thereby closing the electrical circuit and causing motor 38 to be energized. It is to be noted that so long as operating bar 64 and arm 44 remain in the cutting position shown in dashed lines of'FIG. 2 contact 76 will remain in engagement with contact 78* and the electric motor 38 will remain energized. The energization of motor 38 causes shaft 36 to rotate. This rotation is transmitted through gear train 34 and gear 32, resulting in the rotation of shaft 28 and wheel 18. Rim 20 is tightly clamped against the serrated wheel 18 and the rotation of the latter causes the rotation of can 22.

Spring 50 continually urges arm 44 in a clockwise direc- 7 tion, viewing FIG. 2, thus causing a downward force to be exerted on bar 64v and blade 92 through shaft 66. Thus, the blade 92 is continually forced against lid 24 with the edge 96 piercing the lid, but with shoulder 98 resisting further downward movement of blade 92.

As can 22 .is revolved, edge 96 will continually sever the lid 24 at edge 26 thereof and during the severing operation, bar 64, arm- 44, and contact 76 are held in the cut ting positions shown in dashed lines of FIG. 2 by the cooperation between shoulder 98 and lid 24. After lid 24 has been completely severed from the can, the lid will fall away and thus the support for shoulder 98 is no longer present. At this time, blade 92 will shift downwardly to assume the position shown in dashed lines of FIG. 6, and likewise, bar 64, arm 44 and contact 76 will shift to the cut-completed position as shown in solid lines in FIG. 2.

It is to be noted that if the releasable latch means 102 were to be released while the mechanism is in the cutting position illustrated by dashed lines in FIG. 2, spring 50, by urging shaft 66 downwardly, would cause the free end of bar 64 to be thrown upwardly because of the fulcrum action caused by the cooperation of shoulder 98 with lid 24. After lid 24 has been severed and the mechanism shifted to its cut-completed position, portion 62 of arm 44 comes to rest on boss 31 and, therefore, further downward movement of shaft 66 is prevented. In this position, the forces acting on operating bar 64 are neutralized and when latch means 102 is moved in a clockwise direction, viewing FIG. 4, to release the operating bar 64 for the removal of the opened can 22, bar 64 will not be thrust upwardly.

It is to be noted that the novel structure of cutter blade 92, although particularly useful for providing full automation of a can opener as described above, is not necessarily limited to use in can opening apparatuses. Shoulder 98 has utility whenever the depth of a cut must be limited.

The instant invention provides control mechanism for an automatic can opener which utilizes the lid of a can being opened as a necessary element in the mechanical linkage holding the switch controlling energization of the motor in a closed position. Thus, when the lid is completely severed, the necessary element is rendered inoperable and the switch will open to de-energize the motor. The can opener embodying the principles of the instant invention includes mechanism having a powerful spring for forcing the cutter blade through the lid of a can to be opened and having stop means whereby the forces exerted by the powerful spring may be neutralized when the cut has been completed to thereby relieve the forces acting on the operating bar.

Having disclosed an illustrative embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that various modifications thereof could be used without departing from the spirit of this invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention shall be deemed limited only by the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a can opener for severing the lid from a can:

a support structure;

means on the structure for supporting a can whose lid is to be severed therefrom;

a lever arm pivotally mounted on the structure;

means biasing the arm for swinging'movement in one direction;

stop means on the structure for limiting swinging of the arm in said one direction under the influence of said arm biasing means, whereby the arm is normally held in a normal position by the arm biasing means;

an operating bar pivotally mounted on the arm and shiftable from a release position into a cutting position and thence into a cut-completed position;

lid cutting means on said bar engageable with the lid of a can to be severed when the bar is swung into its cutting position, said engagement of the cutting means with an unsevered lid presenting a fulcrum for the bar, whereby the arm is swung in an opposite direction and away from its normal position against the action of the arm biasing means and the force of the latter is applied to the bar and the cutting means to maintain the cutting means in engagement with the lid while the bar is in its cutting position, said can supporting means including drive means for shifting said cam and said cutting means relative to each other when the cutting means is in said cutting position thereof; and

releasable means for holding the bar against movement from its cutting position to its released position under the influence of said arm biasing means, said arm being arranged to move back into its normal position as severance of the lid is completed and the bar moves into its cut-completed position under the influence of the arm biasing means, whereby the transmittal of excessive forces to the bar from the arm biasing means is prevented after completion of the lidsevering operation when the releasable means holding the bar is to be released.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said drive means includes a rotatable drive element adapted for engaging the rim of a can whose lid is to be severed therefrom and for rotating the can as the element is rotated, and said drive means including an electric motor operably connected with the drive element for rotating the latter.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein is provided switch means electrically coupled with said motor for controlling energization of the latter, and a mechanical link operably coupling said lever arm and said switch for actuating the latter only when said arm is swung in said opposite direction and away from the normal position thereof.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein said releasable means includes a shiftable latch element mounted on said structure for movement between a pair of positions, and means yieldably biasing said element toward one position thereof and away from the other position thereof, said element having a tab for engaging said bar and maintaining the latter in said cutting position only when the element is in said one position.

5. The invention of claim 4, wherein is provided means on the operating bar and the latch element for shifting the latter to said other position against the bias of said element biasing means as the bar is shifted from said released position to said cutting position and then allowing the element to return to said one position under the influence of said element biasing means only after said bar is in said cutting position.

6. The invention of claim 5, wherein said element shifting means includes an inclined camming surface on said element disposed for engagement by said bar as the latter is shifted from said released position to said cutting position.

7. The invention of claim 1, wherein said stop means includes a boss aligned for engagement with said arm as the latter is biased in said one direction and for supporting the arm while the latter is in the normal position thereof against further swinging under the influence of said arm biasing means.

8. The invention of claim 7, wherein said arm biasing means includes a tension spring sufliciently strong to force said lid cutting means through an unsevered lid without substantial mechanical advantage.

9. In a can opener:

a support structure;

means on the structure for supporting a can to be opened and for rotating the same;

an electric motor operably connected with said cansupporting and rotating means for actuating the latter;

switch means electrically coupled with said motor for controlling energization of the latter;

a cutter wheel shiftably carried by the structure and adapted for movement to a first position for piercing the lid of a can supported by said supporting and rotating means, said wheel having a continuous peripheral edge adapted for continually severing the lid from the can as the latter is rotated;

means for shifting said wheel to a second position inwardly of the can with respect to said first position 7 when the lid has been completely severed from the can;

means on the wheel adapted for cooperation with the lid of an individual can being opened by contacting said lid adjacent the point of severance of the lid by said edge for limiting the depth to which said edge pierces the lid and maintaining said wheel in the first position thereof during severing of the lid and until the lid is completely severed, then permitting said wheel to move to said second position thereof; and

mechanism operably coupling said wheel and said switch for actuating the latter only when said wheel is in the first position thereof.

10. The invention of claim 9, wherein said means on the wheel comprises an annular shoulder coaxial with said edge and having a smaller diameter than the edge, said shoulder extending transversely from the plane of said edge.

11. The invention of claim 10, wherein the plane of said edge is disposed to intersect said lid at an acute angle.

12. The invention of claim 9, wherein said wheel shifting means includes means for yieldably biasing said wheel toward said second position and for forcing the wheel through said lid in severing relationship thereto.

13. In a cutting device:

a support structure, means on the structure for supporting a member presenting a surface to be cut;

a rotary cutting blade having a peripheral, continuous cutting edge adapted to engage and enter into said surface to be cut;

means shiftably mounting said blade for rotation about its axis and for movement toward and away from said surface;

means yieldably biasing said blade toward said surface,

and means carried by said blade and rotatable therewith adapted for contacting said surface laterally adjacent the point of engagement of said cutting edge with said surface for limiting the depth to which said edge enters the surface, said member supporting means including drive;

means for moving the surface to be cut and the blade relative to each other while they are interengaged, the blade being rotated by frictional contact between the surface and said edge and said depth limiting means of the blade.

14. The invention of claim 13, wherein said depth limiting means comprises an annular shoulder on said wheel coaxial with and to one side of said edge, said shoulder having a smaller diameter than said edge, the plane of said edge being disposed to intersect said surface at an acute angle when said shoulder is contacting said surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,676,135 7/1928 Cuyler 309 1,795,478 3/1931 Davis 3015.5 2,186,668 1/1940 Curtis 30--8.5 3,018,548 1/1962 Rogers et al. 304 2,994,953 8/1961 Aberer 30-4 3,078,568 2/1963 McLean et a1. 30-4 OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Examiner.

G. WEIDENFELD, Assistant Examiner.

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