US3449987A - Bottle opener and method - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1969 L, K U ET AL 3,449,987

BOTTLE OPENER AND METHOD Filed Aug. 7. 1967 United States Patent 3,449,987 BOTTLE OPENER AND METHOD Leonard S. Kavalus, Livingston, and Henrylr Lenarcik,

Linden, N.J., assignors to American Flange & Manufacturing Co. Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 658,873 Int. Cl. A47j 45/00 US. Cl. 813.3 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rigidly mounted tool for opening bottles, particularly lightweight metal tear off closures, comprising a metal body member having a closure receiving opening. The opening is for-med with a sharp cap gripping portion bordering one edge and a cap breaking finger on an opposing edge. The cap breaking finger extends in the direction of the one edge and out of the plane of the aperture. Positioned below the finger on the metal body member is a cap engaging panel disposed so that the finger extends into the mouth of a bottle operatively positioned against the cap gripping portion and the cap engaging panel.

This invention relates to apparatus for removing closures from containers and is particularly concerned with the removal of lightweight metal tear off closures from container necks.

The increasing popularity of at least one type of hand removable convenience closure such as the manufactured by applicants assignee under the registered trademark Rip Cap has, strange as it may seem, created a demand for a new and improved bottle opener. This type of closure with which this invention is primarily concerned is formed of lightweight metal and has a smooth skirt pressed tightly in against the neck of the bottle to which the cap is applied. A pair of score lines extending across the cap top and skirt define a tear strip therein commencing with an outwardly protruding gripping ear at the skirt edge. The need to which this invention responds stems from the fact that particularly in the restaurant trade the great volume of bottles opened requires the use of some mechanical aid whereby bottles can be opened in rapid succession with the use of a single hand. Numerous existing openers have been experimented with due to the desirability of having a bottle opener capable of removing both tear otf closures and standard crown caps. However, none of these known devices designed solely for removing a rigid crown type cap proved successful in removing the lightweight tear off closure. Each of these prior art openers employed the principle of prying an edge portion of the cap away from the underlying bottle lip by gripping the fluted skirt edge and using the center portion of the cap as a fulcrum point. Great diificulty and frequent bottle breakage was encountered in attempts to apply this principle to the altogether different smooth skirted lightweight closure.

In accordance with this invention a completely new method has been discovered to effectively remove lightweight metal tear 03 caps from bottles with a minimum of efiort such method being performed by an improved bottle opening device herein disclosed equally suited for the removal of both tear off closures and conventional crowns. This unique method differs from the existing practice in that instead of using the center portion of the cap top as a fulcrum and prying the cap skirt away from the bottle lip, the invention employs a point on the cap skirt to initially act as a fulcrum for the purpose of releasing the cap skirt from the underlying bottle neck. The fulcrum then shifts diametrically across the cap where- 3,449,987 Patented June 17, 1969 upon continued movement of the bottle completely removes the cap.

A still further object is to provide an improved bottle opener capable of removing different types of caps.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus for removing lightweight metal tear off caps through the use of a single hand.

Further and more detailed objects will in 'part be obvious and in part pointed out as the description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing proceeds.

In that drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the bottle opener of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a capped bottle, the opening of which the apparatus of the invention is particularly applicable;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the .an initial step;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the bottle opener showing an intermediate step of opening;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and showing a final step;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of bottle showing the efiect of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a sectional View taken on lines 7--7 of FIG. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on lines 8-8 of FIG. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a wall mounted bottle opening fixture 1 formed in a metal stamping operation and comprising an upper supporting wall 2, a sharply radiused front section 3, a lower bottle opening wall 4 and an upper mounting foot 5 and lower mounting foot 6 each provided with a hole 7 for reception of a screw 8. As shown in FIG. 3 the fixture 1 is rigidly mounted on a vertical supporting surface 9, however, other mounting arrangements could be employed without departing from the invention. The lower cap removing wall 4 is provided with an aperture 10 having a sharp upper edge 11 formed by a coining operation. The aperture 10 is further bordered by side edges 12 and has a rigid finger 13 which extends outwardly at 14 away from the lower edge 15 of the aperture 10 and then curves upwardly in a rounded section 16 terminating in an upwardly and inwardly extending end portion 17. A flat panel portion 18 is also formed in the lower wall 4 and extends between the lower edge 15 of the aperture 10 and the lower mounting foot 6.

FIG. 2 shows a capped bottle of the type to which the method and apparatus of the invention are particularly directed but by no means limited. The bottle 20 has a neck 21 formed with an enlarged lip 22 at the upper open end thereof as seen in FIG. 5. The bottle cap 23 is a lightweight metal closure secured over the bottle lip 22 by forming the lower portion of the skirt 24 in tightly against the underlying neck 21. The cap 23 is provided with a pair of score lines 25 formed in either the inner or outer surfaces of the cap top 26 and skirt 24, as desired, so as to define a tear strip 27 thereacross commencing with a gripping ear 28 extending away from the skirt edge. Ordinarily the bottle is opened by simply grasping the ear 28 and tearing along the weakened score lines 25 while holding the bottle with the other hand.

The invention as herein disclosed enables the quick and easy removal of the above described closure with the use of a single hand. This can be understood with particular reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 and to the spacial relationship between the sharp edge 11, the protruding finger 13 and the flat panel 18-. In FIG. 3 it can be seen bottle opener showing a partially opened the intermediate step of that the bottle 20 is first positioned with a portion of the cap 23 projecting into the aperture in the lower wall 4. A downward and inward rocking movement applied to the bottle causes the sharp edge 11 to grip the lower portion of the smooth skirt cap 24 below the bottle lip 22 at a point designated F1. The point P1 initially acts as a fulcrum about which the bottle is rotated causing the cap top 26 to bear against the rounded section 16 of the rigid finger 13. The relationship between the point F1 and the finger 13 is such that the finger engages the approximate center of the tear strip 27 regardless of the rotational orientation of the cap as illustrated by the phantom showing of the ear 28 in FIG. 3. Continued downward movement pivots the bottle about the point F1 and breaks the cap along the score lines 25 by forcing the tear strip and the finger 13 into the bottle opening. The consequent splitting apart of the cap along one or both of the score lines causes the cap skirt 24 to release its tight grip on the bottle neck 21 as shown by the condition illustrated in FIG. 6.

As soon as the cap is broken as above described the lowermost edge portion of the cap top strikes the fiat panel 18 at the point P2. Here it should be noted that the relationship between the point F1 on the sharp edge 11, the rounded cap contacting surface 16 of the finger 13 and the point F2 on the panel 18 is such that a straight line connecting point P1 and F2 is intersected by the finger 13. This relationship provides for sufficient extension of the finger 13 into the bottle opening to normally break both of the score lines 25. The final downward movement of the bottle causes the fulcrum point to shift diametrically across the cap from F1 as shown in FIG. 3 to the point P2 in FIG. 5. The bottle is then pivoted about the point P2 while the edge 11 still maintains its grip on the cap skirt with the result that the gripped portion of the skirt is pulled away from the underlying lip 22 and the broken cap is then quite simply and easily lifted 011 of the bottle.

It should be appreciated that although the invention has been described in detail for purposes of clarity the apparatus is used in practice with a mere flick of the wrist. Moreover, the bottle opening fixture herein described is equally elfective for removing ordinary fluted skirt crown caps in the conventional manner.

Changes in and modifications of apparatus of the invention as might suggest themselves to those skilled in the art could be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is accordingly intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as being illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tool for removing lightweight metal caps from container necks comprising a rigid member formed with a cap receiving aperture having an upper edge therein, a sharpened cap gripping portion bordering the upper edge of said aperture, a cap breaking finger extending upwardly from the lower edge of said aperture and outwardly from the plane of said aperture, and a cap engaging panel positioned on said member below said finger, whereby said finger extends into the mouth of a bottle operatively positioned against said cap gripping portion and said cap receiving panel.

2. A tool as in claim 1 wherein said finger intersects a line passing through said cap gripping portion and said cap engaging panel.

3. A tool as in claim 1 said rigid member forming an integral portion of a wall mounted fixture.

4. A tool as in claim 3 wherein said aperture is formed in one leg of a substantially V-shaped sheet metal member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,333,088 11/1943 Brown 813.3 2,548,697 4/1951 Belpedio et al 81-3.46 X 2,667,093 1/1954- Leonard 81-3.46 X 3,126,771 3/1964 Feiler 813.46

ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner.

R. V. PARKER, 1a., Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 8l3.46

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