US501050A

US501050A - Alfred l

Info

Publication number: US501050A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1893-07-11
Anticipated expiration: 1910-07-11

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

ALFRED L. BERNARDIN, OF EVANSVIILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE BERNARDIN METALLIC CORK COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BOTTLE-UNCAPPING TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 501,050, dated July 11, 1893.

Serial No.465.903. (No model.)

To all whom t mag/concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED L. BEENAEDIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evansville, in the county of Vanderburg and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Uncapping Tools; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to bottle uncappi ng tools and has special reference to tools for removing bottle caps of the character illustrated in my application for bottle stopper and fastener combined, tiled July 21, 1892, Serial N o. 440,790.

The invention will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and then particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this description.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar letters of reference are used to denote similar parts, Figure l represents a perspective view of my improved bottle uncapping tool fixed to a counter or other stationary support, to adapt the bottle to serve as a lever in removing the cap. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same partly in section, illustrating the operation of removing the bottle cap. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the tool with a lever or handle for manipulating the device. Fig. 4 is a sec-` tional side view of the same, the section being taken on lineIV-IV of Fig. 3.A Fig. 5 is a front view of the device shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 6 is a plan illustrating a modiii-v cation of the tool, and Fig. 7 is a front view of the same.

The bottle and cap shown herein are not claimed as a part of my present invention, but form the subject-matter of my aforesaid lpending application.

The uncapping tool consists essentially of a suitable shank or handle provided with a head having a prong or prongs a, and an adjacent terminal lifting flange or lip a2, together with a toothed fulcrum-piece a', supported in advance of said lip andadapted to engage the top of the cap.

In4 Figs. l and 2 the tool proper-is shown as being attached to or formed `with a shank which serves as a support for attachment to a table, counter or other fixture, so as to permit the device to be held stationary while the bottle is properly applied for removing the cap. In the remaining figures the shank is inthe form of an ordinary handle or lever to adapt the device to be conveniently carried about the person orhung upon a nail or other suitable support when notin use. The shank A, (Figs. l and 2) of the tool is preferably provided with a pair 'of divergent arms or prongs a, a, which extend ina gentle curve upward and outward and then forward to the point of intersection with a cross-bar or fulcrum-piece a', which may be formed integrally therewith. At the junction of the arms and shank the latter is provided below the plane of the fulcrum piece a with a slightly depressed prolongation or lip a2, having a curved edge to tit the curvature of the bottle cap and providing an intermediate recess as, to receive a circumferential rib or bead b, projecting from the edge of the bottle cap B, as shown in Fig. 2. The fulcrum bar a', is provided with two (more or less) indenting points or teeth a4, which are adapted to take into or indent the top or upper surface of the cap so as to prevent the tool or bottle from slipping when power is applied in removing the cap.

In the stationary form of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the prongs a, a, are also preferably provided with side flanges or ears a5,

a5, which serve as guides in inserting the bottle neck so as to cause the bead of the cap to enter the aforesaid recess @intermediate the base of the prongs and lip. These guides, however, may be omitted, in which case the head or tool proper shown in Fig. l will be substantially the'same as that shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. In the latter igures the tool does not differ from the construction described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, except as stated, save that instead of a shank forming a support for attachment to a counter or other fixture, the tool is provided with a shank A',

which serves as a handle for manipulating the device in removing the cap, and adapts the tool to be conveniently carried in the pocket.

In Figs. 6 and 7, the tool is provided witha T-head A2, the single supporting prong of which springs from the handle or support A, so as to rise slightly above the lip or flan gc a2, and terminates in a cross-bar having a tooth or teeth a4, as described with reference to Figs. l to 5. It will be understood, of course, that the number of teeth upon the tool head is immaterial, and while I preferably use the divergent prongs with two teeth, one at the intersection of each arm a. with the cross-bar a', for the purpose of providing a firm hold or grip upon the bottle cap, a greater or less number of teeth may be employed.

The operation of the inven tion will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In uncapping with the stationary tool the bottle is applied, as shown in Fig. 2, with the bead l), of the cap engaging the 'recess and the lip a2, underneath, while the fulcrumpiece is supported with the points or teeth a4 thereof in contact with the surface of thefpb In this position by lifting the bottle the teeth a4 taking into the cap will prevent slipnng while the lip a2, holds the bead, thus disconnecting the cap. The operation with the device shown in the remaining figures is precisely the same, except that the power is applied to the lever orhandle A,instead of the bottle, which serves as a lever in the former case.

A can-opening device has heretofore been devised having a handle with a pendent lifting lip to engage underneath the outer edge or rim of the cover and an arm extending across the top of the can and having an inclined lip adapted to engage the opposite outer edge or rim of the cover, so as to force the cover down and toward the can at one side while its opposite side is being raised; but such devices are unsatisfactory and obj ectionable in use, for the reason that the Wedging action of the device tends to injure or break the mouth or neck of a glass or other breakable vessel. But with my improved uncapping tool it will be observed that the prongs which support the fulerumbar with indenting points or teeth do not extend entirely across the cap when the tool is applied to a bottle head, as shown in Fig. 2, but only partially across, and preferably about one-half the width of the cap, so as to adapt the indenting points to engage the upper surface of the cap at a point which will insure a firm hold and thereby prevent slipping, and this feature with the added advantage of the leverage secured by the described construction makes it easy to remove the cap without liability to break the bottle mouth or head.

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. A tool for removing bottle caps comprising a suitable shank or handle provided with a head having a terminal lifting ange or lip, together with a fulcrum-piece having indenting points supported in advance of said lip and above the plane thereof so as to engage the upper surface of the cap, substantially as described.

2. A tool for removing bottle caps comprising a suitable shank provided with a head havinga recess adapted to receive the circumferential bead of the cap and an adjacent lifting ange or lip adapted to itundersaid bead, together with a fulcrum-piece having indenting points supported upon divergent arms springing from the shank above the plane of the lip and adapted to engage the upper surface of the cap, substantially as described.

,i 3. A bottle uncapping tool comprising the shank having the pronged head with fulcrumpiece extending partially across the head and provided with indenting points and the depressed lip in rear thereof and below the plane of said points for engaging and lifting the bead of the cap, substantially as described.

4. A bottle uncapping tool comprising the shank having the pronged head with toothed fulcrum-piece supported upon said prongs the latter extending only partially across the bottle cap, and the lifting flange or lip projecting below the plane of the prongs so as to provide an intermediate recess adapted to receive the bead of the cap, substantially as described.

5. The bottle uncapping tool comprising the shank having the head provided with divergent arms or prongs extending partially across the bottle cap and having the ears or guides thereon, and the cross-bar with teeth integral therewith, together with thelip or flange projecting between said arms below the plane thereof so as to provide an intermediate recess to receive the bead of the cap, substantially as described.

6. A cap removing tool provided with a shank or handle having a head formed with a terminal iange or lip adapted to lift the projecting circumferential bead of the cap, and a forwardly projecting fulcrum support extending partially across the cap above the plane of said lip and provided with indenting points adapted to take into the uppcrsurface of the cap so as to prevent the tool from slipping, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED L. BERNARDIN. lVitnesses:

AUGUSTUS D. BERNARDIN,

Having thus fully described my invention,

JACOB HAAs.

IIO