US541034A

US541034A - browne

Info

Publication number: US541034A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-06-11
Anticipated expiration: 1912-06-11

Description

W. G. BROWNE.

CAN OPENER.

No. 541,034. Patented'June 1-1, 1895.

lower faces.

UNITE Brien.

ATENT WVI-LLIAM G. BROWVNE, 'OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BROWVNE & DOWVD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,034, dated June 1 1, 1895.

Application filed November 26, 1894. $erial No. 530,009. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. BRoWNE, of Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Can-Openers; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of 'thesame, and which said drawings constitute part "of thisspeciiication, and represent, in

Figure 1, a view in side elevation of a canopener constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a plan View thereof; Fig. 3, a front view showing the notch in the fulcrum; Fig. 4, aplan view of one of the modified forms which my invention may assume.

My invention relates to an improvement in can-openers, the object being to produce at a low cost for manufacture, a simple, strong, durable, convenient and effective article, composed of few pieces, attractive in-appearance, and well adapted for advertising purposes.

With these ends in view, my invention consists in a can-opener having its handle and fulcrum composed of one or more pieces of sheet-metal, and having a portion of its fulcrum extending at or substantially at aright angle across the upper cutting edge of the knife toward the outer end thereof, and separatedtherefrom bya narrow clearance space.

My invention further consists in certain de-' tails of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the handle A, and fulcrum A of the device are-formed from a single piece of sheet metal, which is bent into therequired shape, and so that its ends come together in position to respectively receive the rivets B and B, which pass through the shank O, of the knife C, and also through that portion of the strip lying opposite its ends. The tapering, loopshaped handle A, thus formed, is hollow, and open above and below, or at its upper and Such a handle is agreeable to the hand, and enables the device to be firmly gripped, while its outer face affords ample opportunity for the display of advertising matter if desired. It also forms a convenient a notch a, which is seen in Fig. 3.

housing for a cork-screw D, in case it is desired to combine such an article with the device. As herein shown, the cork screw is formed of wire, the shank of which is bent to form an eye D, receiving a rivet D passing through the converging portions of the sheetmetal strip at the forward end of the handle A of the instrument.

The fulcrum A of the tool is triangular in general form, and merges at its tapering inner end or base into the tapering forward end of the handle, so that the said ends of the handle and fulcrum virtually form a neck which receives the shank of the knife, the body of which is located in a vertical plane below a horizontal plane coincident with the lower edge of the handle and fulcrum. The outer end of the fulcrum crosses the upper, cutting edge of the knife toward the outer end thereof, at or substantially at, a right angle, with a clearance space between it and the said portion of the knife, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. As herein shown, also, the center of the lower edge of its outer portion is constructed with limit myself, however, to forming the fulcrum in the shape shown, for my invention will be satisfied if it is formed of a shape which will permit. a portion of it to extend across the upper edge of the knife near the outer end thereof, and substantially ata right angle to its longitudinal plane, in the manner shown.

As herein shown, the several portions of both the handle and fulcrum lie in planes parallel with the plane of the knife, and that construction I prefer, though I do not limit myself to it.

In the modified construction shown by Fig. 3 of the drawings, the handle E and fulcrum F have substantially the same forms as shown in the other figures, but instead of being made from one piece of metal, they are formed independently of each other, and secured together by rivets G C", which also pass through the shank H, of the knife H. As represented,

and preferably, the ends of the strip from which the fulcrum F, is formed, are inserted between the ends of the strip from which the handle E is formed.

In view of the modifications shown and described, and of others which may obviously I do not be made, I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction herein shown and described,but hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A can-opener, comprising a knife,'a sheetmetal fulcrum, a portion of which extends at or substantially ata right angle across the up per cutting edge of the knife toward the outer end thereof and separated therefrom by a narrow clearance space; and a hollow, loopshaped, sheet-metal handle, open above and below, or at its upper and lower faces, substantially as set forth.

2. A can-opener, comprising a knife, a sheetmetal fulcrum, a portion of which extends at or substantially at a right angle across the upper cutting edge of the knife toward the outer end thereof and separated therefrom by a narrow clearance space; and a hollow, loopshaped, sheet-metal handle open above and below, or at its upper and lower faces, the said fulcrum and handle being formed from asingle, long strip of sheet metal, to which the knife is riveted at a point between the base of the fulcrum and the tapering forward end of the handle, substantially as set forth.

3. A can-opener comprising a-loop-shaped handle tapering forward, a fulcrum, triangular in general outline, and a knife, the shank of which is riveted between the base of the fulcrum and the tapering forward end of the knife, and the fulcrum containing a portion which extends at or substantially at a right angle across the upper cutting edge of the knife toward the outer end thereof, and separated therefrom by a narrow clearance space, substantially asdescribet].

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM G. BROWNE.

Witnesses:

WILLILAMC. MUELLER, WILBUR F. DAN T.