US1261045A - Can-opener. - Google Patents

Description

H. R. IVICFARLAND.

CAN OPENER,

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29,1916.

Patented Apr. f2, 1918.

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HARRY R. MGFARLAND, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

GAN-OPENER.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit lniown that l, HARRY RIVERS Mo- FARLAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of l/Vashington, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Can-Openers, of which the following is a. specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in a tool, and particularly to a device adapted for use as a can opener.

An object of the invention is to construct a tool of the character described which includes a bod portion having a handle at one end thereo a movable member slidably mounted on the body member and having a guide portion formed in conjunction therewith and extending substantially at right angles, a cutting knife carried by the body portion and disposed to be in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the guide portion, and an intermediate element carrying a penetrating center pin and havingparts associated therewith and with the body member and the movable member 1n such a way that as the movable member is adjusted along the body member to vary the disposition of the guide portion thereof with respect to the knife of the body portion, the penetrating center pin will be maintained in a substantially centered disposition between the guide portion and the knife. y

A still further object resides in providing means associated with the intermediate element by which the penetrating center pin is carried and which can be tightened down to clamp the movable member in rigid mounting upon the body `member when the desired adjustment of the guide or gage portion with respect to the knife has been accomplished.

Yet another object is to provide'an outstanding portion bent from the gage portion of the movable member in such relation that during the cutting operation as just described this outstanding portion will grip and hold with the ice while in yet another adaptation thisoutstanding portion can be used to pry a seal of the crown type from a bottle.

A still further object resides in providing a cutting knife for use in opening square cans and the like and in mounting a cork screw, these parts being so arranged that they may be placed in use when the tool 1s grasped through the medium of arhandle Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 19in..

provided to give a grip in the other uses as described.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in other novel features `of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter set forth in connection'with the drawings and then more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure l is a view in elevation showing the tool and with certain parts of the struc ture illustrated in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a view in edge elevation.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to F ig. l but showing the opposite side of the implement.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line it of Fig.` 3.

The handle l has a body portion or member 2 extended therefrom and as will be noted, this body member consists of a single piece of sheet or scrap metal which is provided with a longitudinally extending slotted opening 3, the rack teeth being formed at t along one of the side edges of the slotted opening 3. The opening 3 might be extended throughout the entire length of blade like body member 2, however, in the present adaptation it is necessary that this slotted opening and the rack tooth formation be provided only throughout the length of the outer portion of the body member, and at the extreme Vend of the body member the chipping point 5 is provided, the end being lsevered across diagonally and the saw teeth being` provided as shown at 6.

It is preferable that the body portion l be of a material which possesses some little stiffness, although this member might be of spring metal, and a movable member 7 is provided at its edges with the overhanging hook like flanges 8 and 9 which are disposed to form a guideway for the reception of the body member 2 and while having a reasonably snug fit therewith yet permits free sliding movement of the one portion with respect to the other. At one end of the movable member 7, the sheet or scrap metal piece from which the same is formed is bent downwardly substantially at right `angles to provide a gage portion 10 which is curved laterally to adapt the gage member to j be received against and fit upon the cylindrical outer surface of cans such as are generally used for the packing of fruit, vegetables, etc.` This gage portion l0 is slotted `to permit passage of the body portion 2, and

in its straight extent between the side flanges 8 and 9 has the longitudinally eX- tending` slotted opening 11. The movable member 7 has rack teeth formed as shown at 12 along one of the side edges thereof and oppositely disposed with respect to the rack teeth 4, although it is to be understood that the teeth of the rack portions 4t and 12 are of the same pitch. The body member 2 has a knife 13 extending at right angles from the lower side thereof adjacent the handle, and this knife which has the width "thereof disposed transversely Iof the body `member is made pointed and is sharpened on oneol both edges.

By the arrangement ofthe parts as set forth, when the 'movable member is shifted along the length of the body member, the space between the 'gage portion 10 andthe knife 13 is varied, and as the gage portion 10 is to fit on and bear against the outer surface of the canadjacent to the head end thereof while the knife is to be penetrated through thehead of the can and to Vbe moved in a substantially "circular path to cut through the head `of the 4can so "that the top cover vwill be opened, it is `necessary that a center lbe provided around which'the parts of the tool can swing and pivot. `-Withthis purpose in mind, 1 providethe penetrating center point `111 which is marde in substantially the form of a spur and is provided witha screw threaded :shank or stern 15. A substantially rectangular plate 16 isse- Vcured in 'conjunction with 4the 4centering p'oin't 14 and 'is made ofsuch size that it can be 4fitted against the under side of the `body portion 2 to rest between the flanges `8 and '9 of the movable member 'as the 4stem `or "shank 15 is fitted through the registering slotted `'openings of 'the members '2 and 7, this fitting of the plate holding the centering pinagainst turning movemeirt. A Wheel `17 is made of such size that it `can be Afitted in the 'slotted openings 3 and 11 and in `this relation will mesh with the teeth of therack portions 4 and 12, this gear being provided with a central opening by which it may be loosely mounted over the stem vor shank 15 to be capable of turning movement. A washer 18 is mounted overthe stem 1`5to bear `ag'gainst theA outer side of the movable member 7 and a knob handle A19 is provided with a screw threaded central orifice so that this `knob like handle can be placed `over the shank or stem to `be "tightened downagainst Y the washer 18 and 4thus the parts can be clamped i-n set position. The outer end of the shank or stem 15 is burred or headed over as shown at 20 so that the *knob 19 will be heldagainst entire removal from tthe stem or shank, it however-being understood that the stem is not headed over tight down against 'the knob butthat sufficient play 'ifs 'given that the'knobmay be un'screwed from portion, and thus the tool consists essentially of the three parts, the body portion, the movable portion and the intermediate portion.

By loosening the button 19, the clamping force exerted against the portions 2 and 7 is relieved and'tlrenthese partscan be freely vmoved with respect `to each other, or by screwing the button 19 down against the washer 18, the washer will contact `against the member 7 and the plate 16 will bear against the member 2te-draw these portions 'together and clamp the rsame to be rigidly set one with respect --to the'other inanyadjuste'd position to which they may have previously been formed. As the gear wheel 17 has the teeth thereof fin mesh with the teeth of the -r'aok'ba'r por-tionsl and 12, the movement of t-l-ie'one memberavith respect to the other will cause the intermediate portion to be given -equalizing movement which will *wall -of the 'can adjacent to the top and `through the medium of th'eihandfl'e 1 moving the parts suci'ently that the knife 13 rests `upon the top off the feanadjacent 4to `thediametrically'opposite point to tng fitting :or

the gage portion 10, the point .le will be centered l"after which bearing pressure eX- erted to force the tool downwardly vwill cause `the `knife 13 and the point '111 lto be penetrated throughfth'e top. The gage por tion 10 will hold the parts .against displacement from the Sean while thecentering portion 14 will give central .pivot around which the tool Ca'nbeswunig through grasping 'the handle 1l and the swingingmovement "of the tool w21-ll fcanse "the :knife 13 to cut .the

top around the side edge.

A corkscrew 21 is pivoted by the pin 22 to be 'capa-bile of movement to vfold against the underside of 'the =`body member 2 and `may also be swung to extend-substantially at a 'right -angle-tlrerefromiso @that a `cork screw is presented in-a positron Lfor Amost Yefficient use, anda cutting blade 23 1s mounted von the bodylmember 71at vone iside land vis provided with a pointed end and a cutting edge 2&1, a bent up lug-25 `'being-so positioned thatthis Vknife blade can be used in opemngrsquare or `other shaped cans in lthe fsame manner as the usual 'form `of lcan opener. When the can 'opener Ablade-is to be used, the movable portion 7 will be led along the length of the body portion 2 until the end thereof carrying the knife blade 23 is disposed adjacent to or beyond the toothed outer end of this body portion and then the knob 19 is tightened down to clamp the movable portion against backward shifting, in which relation the handle 1 may be grasped and the device may be used with great eliciencyras a can opener, the lug 25 being presented to act as a fulcrum in the raising of the handle to cause the knife edge 24 to cut.

When the tool is to be used in cutting or splitting a cake of ice, the saw toothed edge 6 may be moved backwardly and forwardly in the line which the cut or break is to take Vand ,this operation can be continued until a proper kerf is obtained after which the splitting 'of the cake or piece of ice can be accomplished by bringing the chipping or breaking point 5 sharply down within the kerf, or where it is desired to break a cake or piece of ice without Alirst making a kerf or mark, the knob 19 will be unsorewed to loosen the intermediate member and then the movable member 7 is brought down to have the outer end thereof provided with the extension 10, received against the cake or piece of ice after which the body portion 2 is moved back and forth in a reciprocatory path through this movable member 7 and then the repeated blows of the point 5 will all strike in' identically the same place thus accomplishing a better breaking action. To maintain the movable member 7 in the proper set position so that it is assured that the point 5 will always strike at the same spot, the extension 26 is cut and bent from the guide extension 10 and is preferably somewhat sharpened at its outer edge so that as this extension 26 is placed against the cake of ice, it will bite into the surface of the same and will hold the movable portion 7 against shifting. When the movable member 7 is brought to the raised relation. shown in Fig. 2, this extension 26 can be used in prying ofi' crown orother like bottle seals, the body portion 2 being pre sented to be received against the top of the cap and the extension 26 positioned to grip under the crimped edge of the cap where the same is held below the bead around the bottle neck.

l claim:

1. A tool including a body member; a

junction with said body and movable members to be maintained in a centering position between the guide and knife and to adapt the tool for use as a can opener, and means by which said intermediate member is locked to maintain the body member and the movable member in a fixed position with respect to each other.

2. A tool including a body member, a handle carried at one end of said body member and by which the same is held and moved, a movable member slidably mounted on the body member and having a guide carried at one end thereof away from the handle of the body member, a knife carried by the body member adjacent the handle, an intermediate member provided with a centering point mounted in conjunction with said body and movable member to be maintained in a centering position between the guide and knife and to adapt the tool for use as a can opener, said intermediate member having a screw threaded shank formed at the top thereof, and a knob handle fitted on the screw threaded shank to be turned down theretonto and to clamp and rigidly secure the movable member in set adjustment upon the body member.

3. A tool including a body member made of elongated form and provided with a slotted opening having teeth formed along one side `thereof to provide a rack, a movable member slidably mounted on said body member provided with a slotted opening cor responding to the opening of the body member and having rack teeth formed at the opposite side thereof, a guide carried by one of said members, a knife carried by the remaining member, an intermediate member having a centering point carried thereby provided with a gear wheel to be received in the slotted openings in mesh with the rack teeth of each of the members, said parts being so mounted that as the two main members are moved with respect to each other to secure the proper adjustment of the guide with respect to the knife the intermediate member will be maintained in a centering position to thus adapt the tool for use as a can opener, and means by which said intermediate member can be locked to maintain the body member and the movable member in'Xed position with respect to each other. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HARRY R. MCFARLAND. Witnesses:

ARTHUR W. BARKER, ERNEST M. LARsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for tive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente,

Washington, D. C.

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