US661570A - Can-opener. - Google Patents

Description

No. 66|,570. Patented Nov. I3, i900.

L. C. WITKWSKI.

C A N 0 P E N E B (Application filed Jan. 8, 1900.)

(No Mimet.) 2 sheets-sheet No. 661,570. Patented Nov. I3, |900. L. C. WITKWSKI.

CAN OPENER. (Application med un. a, moo.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(Nn Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

LOUIS C. WITKOWSKI, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 661.570, dated November 13, 1900.

Application filed January S, 1900. Serial No. 758. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, LoUIs C. WITKowsKI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington,in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Openers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in can-openers, and has particular relation to that construction of can-opener which is designed to be shipped with the can, so as to always be ready for use in opening the same, and which will rest liatly upon the can during shipment and will not be liable to puncture the can during such shipment or interfere with the packing of one can upon another; and the invention consists of certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter described and specifically claimed.

The main object of my invention is the production of a pivoted cutting point or knife which is either stamped out of or connected with the member which forms the operating member and which is adapted during shipment to lie flatly or horizontally, but which when it is desired to cut out the end of a can can be turned at substantially a right angle to the main body portion and by being forced through the tin and given a rotary movement will cut out the end of the can, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

Another object of my invention is the production of a can-opener which can be shipped {iatly or horizontally on top of a can Without requiring a depression to be formed in said top to receive said opener.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a can-opener constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the same in a Hat condition ready for shipment and provided with a penetrating pivotpoint. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, showing the cutting-point turned to a position at right angles to the main body portion. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my improved can-opener, showing the same provided with a bayonet-shaped slot. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the same, showing the cutting-point in an operative position.

during the cutting-out operation.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a can, showing my improved can-opener upon the same and ready for shipment. Fig. 6 is a Vertical section through a portion of a can with my improved can-opener in position upon the same as it would appear when cnttng ont the top of the same. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form ot' canopener. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the same, showing the pivoted cutting-point as it would appear when in a position to cut out the top of a can.

l in the drawings represents the body portion of my device, which, as seen in Fig. l, consists of a flat piece of thin sheet metal having its side edges preferably turned over or rolled, as at 2, to reinforce or strengthen the body portion along the said edges and to prevent the hand of the operator being cnt The body portion is provided with a cutting knife or point 3, which is adapted to lie flatly or hori- Zontally during transportation, but which when desired can be turned at approximately a right angle to the said body portion, as shown in Fig. 2, to cut out the top or end of a can. This feature of the pivoted cutter or knife is common to all of the constructions illustrated in the drawings. In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 the pivoted knife or cutter is formed by stamping the same out of the material constituting the member or body portion in which said knife or cutter operates, and in Figs. 7 and S the knife is shown as being constructed separately from the member to which it is attached, so that a cheaper grade of metal may be used for the main member or body portion, while the cutting point or knife may be constructed of steel capable of cutting most any gage of tin used in packing and shipping goods. Where the knife or cutting-point is formed integral With the main body portion or member, it is preferably stamped out of the same, so as to have a space all around eX- cept'at two points, which form pivots 4 4, as shown, which permit of the knife or cuttingpoint being readily turned at approximately a right angle to the body portion and at the same time be of sufficient rigidity to permit the cutting-point to be used in cutting out the top or end of a can. The cutting-point of my which Will'receive a depression or depressions S' 35' improved can-opener has only to be bentor turned once to bring it to an operative ,position, which bending operation does not sufficien tly Weaken the fiber of the metal to render it impracticable for the puncturiug and cutting out operation; but, on the contrary, I have found it to be exceedingly practicable. In Figs. land 2 I have shown one end of the device lprovided with a penetrating-point k5, which is bentl down slightly at an angle "fo the main body portion and which is designed To be forced through the top or end of a can, at or near the center of lthe same, when it is desired to cut out said end, and the cutter or.' knife having been turned at an angle to the main body portion, as shown in Fig. 2, it is simply necessary to force the point 5 through theend of the can near its center and theV cutter or knife through the end of the can, near its periphery, and, holding` the devicei` firmly, give it a rotary motion, the ,point serving as a pivot, the end of the can will bei com pletely and rapidly cut out. By this construction and arrangement it is not necessary to provide a pivot-point or riveton top of the can, nor to provide a depression in the top of the can for the reception of the point of the knife during shipment, both of which features are very important, as the provision of a Ipivotpoint on the top of a can adds to the cost of production, as a specially-constructed machine has tobe employed to apply the eyelets or rivets, and a special tin has to be employed at asuitable point for the reception of thef point of the knife, which will not be injured by forming such depression or depressions in; the same. rIhe construction shown in Figs. 3 and Llfis similar to that shown in Figs. 13. and 2, with the exception that instead of em- 3, ploying a penetrating pivot-point 5 I employ a bayonet-shaped slot 6, Which is designed to g engage a rivet or pivot-point l2 on the end or 2 top of a can, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this construction and arrangement the canopener is preferably applied to the pivotl point on a can before being shipped, which l is accomplished by inserting the device over l the head of the pivot by passing the latter through the opening 7in the bayonet-shaped g slot, which is slightly larger than the head1 of the pivot, and then sliding the device l along a slight distance until the Walls or edges of the slot engage the under side of the head of the pivot, in which condition it is shipped vand is held in place without other securing means. `W'ith this construction when it is g desired to ct out the end or top of a can the can-opener is drawn forwardly until the pivot on the can is engaged by the .opening 8 ofv the bayonet-shaped slot, which opening is j slightly smaller than the head of the pivot f and by which forward movement of the canopener the outer end l of said opener Will be E brought beyond the outer edge of the can 1 and serve as a handle to be grasped by the operator in cutting out the end of the can,

and the cutter `or knife 3 will be brought quite close to the edge ;of 'the can. The feature of a lever-handle extending beyond the periphery of the end of a can is common to the construction illustrated in Figs. l and 2, the length of the canopener being such that it will during shipment rest flatly on top of a can without extending beyond the edge of .the same, but which when the pivot-point 5 is forced through the center ofthe top of a can and the cutting-point 3 is forced through the end of the can near its `periphery extends beyond the same, to be grasped by the operator in Athe cutting-out operation. A

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a slightly modified formof construction `in which the ypivoted knife Ior .cuttin g-poin t, as heretofore explained, is formed separately from the main body `portionof the device, and in this construction the pivoted knife is located at one end of the vmain body ,portion `instead of intermediate its ends, as in Figs. land 3.

From the foregoing description it Will be seen that I have Yproduced a verysimple and cheap but effective can-.opener which can be shipped With any style of can Without-requiring any auxiliary means for ,preventing the cutting knife or point rpenetrating the tin during transportation and which when desired can be readily adjusted `to cut out `the end of a boxor can.

I have found that it isrnot desirable to form the top ofa can with a'depression to receive the cuttingpoint of a Acan-opener forthe reason that it involves expense to form such depression or depressions, and in working in some kinds of :tin it yis impractical to'form such depression rowing to breaking the fiber of the tin. I find, furthermore, that canners hesitate about adopting a vcan-opener which requires a special construction of can in order to successfully use the said opener. My invention is designed to overcome these objections and to be used on cans of ordinary construction.

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

l. As an improved article of manufacture, a can-opener consisting of a body portion provided with means for engaging the top or end ofa can and carrying a ,pivoted knife or cutting-point, which knife rests flatly or horizontally upon the top of a-can and parallel with the body portion during transportation, but, which, When it is desired to cut out the end of the can, is turned at substantially a right angle to the main body 'portion and forced through the tin and given .a rotary movement, substantially as described.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a can-opener consisting of a body portion provided with a puncturing point which serves as a pivot during the cutting-.out operation, said body portion also carrying a pivoted knife or cutter which, during transportation, lrests fiatly or horizontally upon TOO IIO

Igo

rests parallel with the body portion, but which, when it is desired to cut out the end of the can, can be turned at an angle to the body portion, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ax my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LOUIS C. WI'IKOWSKI.

Witnesses:

ESTHER V. BYNG, EDGAR M. KITCHIN.

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