US1490525A - Can opener - Google Patents

Description

-April-l5 1924.

J. T. WOODS CAN OPENER Filed March 22. 1923 uvmvrok. @aep/z 7%( f/S,

A T TORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 15, 1924.

warren stares raaasza JOSEPH T. woons, or HAMMETT, IDAHO.

can I ormvna.

Application filed March 22, 1923. Serial No. 626,812.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn T. VVooDs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hammett, in the county of Elmore and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in can openers, and more particularly the handle element of the opener and has for its object to provide in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a can opener including a cutter blade and a handle, and with the latter provided with an integral reduced lengthwise extending portion forming a combined support, positioning and spacing means for the cutter, as well as a fulcrum for the cutter during the operation of opening the can.

Further object of the invention is to provide a can opener with a cutting blade guarded as much as possible and so arranged with a coupling member that when can opener is in cutting position it is fastened securely to can, minimizing the chances of instrument slipping and causing injury to operator. 2

A further object of the invention isto provide in a manner as hereinafter referred to a can opener including a handle element carrying a cutter and further provided at one end forwardly with respect to the cutter with a grooved coupling member swivelly attached to the handle element and constituting means for detachably connecting the latter to the can during the opening operation..

Further objects of the invention are to provide a can opener which is simple, small and, compact in its construction and arrangement, strong, durable, efficient in its use, conveniently connected with the can, readily assembled, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as hereinaftermore specifically described, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings,wherein is shown an embodinientof the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifica-. tions can be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings, wherein like "reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views 'Figure 1 is a'top plan View of a can opener in accordance with this invention, showing the adaptation thereof in connection with a can for opening it, the can being broken away, and further showing in dotted lines with respect to the can, cutting positions of the opener. I

Figure 2 is an inverted plan, broken away, of the handle element, showing the cutter secured thereto.

Figure 8 is aninverted view in perspective of the handle element.

Figure 4 is a side elevation, broken away,

showing the adaptation of the opener in connection with a can, the latter being in section. I

Figure 5 is a sectional detail showing the coupling member forthe handle element.

A can opener in accordance with this invention comprises a handle element, a coupling member, and a cutter, and the'said handle element includes a curved skeleton gripping portion 1, which has projecting therefrom, as well as offset with respect thereto, a shank 2. The shank 2 gradually increases in widthfrom its point of joinder with the gripping portion 1 to the free end of the shank. f

The shank 2 is of less thickness than the gripping portion 1, and the lower face of the shank 2, is formed with a lengthwise extending strip 3 which is formed integral with the shank 2 or, if desired, can be formed independently and secured to the lower face'of the shank2 in any suitable manner. The strip 3 has one side edge flush with oneside edge of the shank 2, and said strip 3 extends from the forward end of the gripping portion 1, and terminates at a point removed from the free end of the shank 2 The strip 3 is of materially less width than the width of the shank 2, and has the other side edge thereof of curvilinear contour as at 4. The forward edge 5 of the strip 3, is'inclined with respect to the lower face of the shank 2 and the said edge 5 extends transversely and rearwardly at an inclination with respect to the lower face of the shank 2. The strip 3 provides acombined support, positioning and spacing means for the cutter, to be presently referred to, as well as a fulcrum for the cutter during the operation of opening the can.

he lower face of the strip 3 extends in a plane inwardly with respect to the plane of the lower face of the gripping portion 1, or in other words, the lower face of the strip 3 is not flush with the lower face of the gripping portion 1, so that the forward end of the gripping portion 1 provides a shoulder 6, against which abuts the cutter to be presently referred to. The shoulder 6 extends at an inclination, and oppositely inclines with respect to the inclination of the forward edge 5 of the strip 3.

Mounted on the strip 3, is a cutter 7 of the same width as the width of the shank 2. One

end edge of the cutter 7 abuts against the shoulder 6 and its other end edge is fiush with the forward end edge 5 of the strip 3. The forward end edge of the cutter 7, which is flush with the edge 5 of the strip 3, is disposed throughout at an inclination, as indicated at 8, and the rear end edge of the cutter 7, is inclined in an opposite direction with respect to its forward edge, as indicated at 9 and with the edge 9 abutting against the shoulder 6. The cutting edge of the cutter 7, is indicated at 11, and which also extends at an inclination thereby providing in connection with the end edge 8, a penetrating point 12. The cutter 7 is fixedly secured upon t .e strip 3 by holdfast devices 13, which extend through openings 14;, formed in the strip 3, and the saidopenings 14 extend through the shank 2, so that the holdfast devices 13 will not only extend through the strip 3,but also through the shank 2 and by this arrangement the cutter 7 is fixedly secured in position on the strip 3, as well as being spaced from the shank 2. The outer face of the cutter 7 is flush with the lower face of the gripping portion 1, and the cutting edge is bevelled on underside as illustrated in Figure 2.

The shank 2 in'proximity to its free or forward end, and at one corner thereof is provided with an opening 15, in which is.

s 'ivelled a coupling member, formed of a cylindrical body portion 16, provided with a diametrically extending groove 17 for the reception of the head or rim 18 of the can 19. lhe coupling member further includes a shank 18 of less diameter than the body portion 16, and the shank 18 terminates in a head 19'. Interposed between thehead 19' and the shank 2, is a holding disk 20. The holding disk 20 is non-rotatably secured upon the shank of the head 19 and its edge is preferably knurled to facilitate turning of the head to properly aline the groove 17 therein with the rim or bead of the can. The upper face of the disk is provided with a diametrical line 20 which is disposed in accurate parallel rotation to the groove 17 whereby the operator may readily determine the position of the groove with respect to the handle in applying the can opener to a can, by aligning the line 20 with an indicator 20 The cutter extends in close proximity to the body portion 16, as shown in Fig. 2, but is spaced therefrom by the strip 3, as shown in Fig. 4.

When the handle element is connected with the can, through the medium of the coupling member, the edge 15 of the strip 3 will engage the can and act as a fulcrum during the operation of the cutter, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In use, the can 19 to be opened is stood on end and the handle element is adjusted so as to be coupled with the head or rim 18 at the top of the can, by the mounting of the body portion 16 of the coupling member on said bead 18. When the can opener is initially applied to the can, it is disposed in the position illustrated by full lines in Fig. 1, the penetrating point 12 of the cutter 7, lying contiguous to the side wall of the can. As the can opener is swung in the directions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the penetrating point 12 enters the side. wall of the can and the movement of the handle element is continued in the direction as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 1, the cutting edge 11 forms a long cut in the side wall of the can. At the end of the cutting stroke, the handle element is swung outwardly, and then shifted upon the head or rim 18, the latter sliding in the groove of the body portion 16 of the coupling member and after the tool has been shifted, the swinging movement of the handle element is repeated as often as necessary until the circumferential out has been made entirely about the can.

. From the foregoing, it is evident by virtue of the close arrangement of the coupling member to the penetrating point 12, the can may be merely penetrated or punctured to initially enter the cutter 7. Furthermore, owing to the inward movement of the cutter, during the cutting operation, the edge of the can at the cut is turned inwardly, instead of outwardly as usual, thus minimizing liability to injury of the hands of the operator during handling of the can subsequent to the opening thereof. It is also evident that by slotting the coupling member or rather grooving it in the manner as shown, the can opener is maintained in position upon the can during the operation and possibility of accidental displacement of the implement and consequent injury to the hands of the operator is minimized.

The strip 3 forms an extended hearing or support for the cutter 7, as well as spacing the cutter 7 from the shank 2, so that the shank can pass over the rim of head 18,

during the entrance of the cutter 7 into the can through the wall thereof, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Further, the end 15, bears against the can, during the operation of the can opener, and acts in a manner as a fulcrum for the cutter 7.

The curvature of the edge 4 of the strip 3, conforms in contour to the curvature of the can body, and said edge leis spaced from that edge of the shank 2, from which the cutter 7 projects, and does not retard in any manner the entrance of the cutter 7 into the can during the cutting operation as the curvature of said edge 4, as well as the width of the strip 3, provides aclearance between the cutter and the shank 2, so as not to retard the cutting operation performed by the cutter 7.

()wing to the construction and arrangement and alsothe shape of the cutter 7, the latter is of extremely substantial and rigid construction and its cutting edge 11 is very readily accessible for the purpose of sharpening and further by virtue of the bevel being on the underside'of the cutting blade, the side wall of the can is practically sheared off directly below the head of can, producing a straight and smooth out. It is further evident that with the cut mad on the inward stroke and by virtue of the arrangement of the cutter 7, with respect to the shank 2, that pressure applied in making the cut is directed towards the center of the can, thus eliminating any twisting motion and minimizing the power or pressure required to hold the can.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying draw ings, a construction of can opener is set up. which includes a combined supporting, positioning and spacing means for the cutter, as well as a fulcrum for thecutter during the operation of opening the can, and although. the preferred embodiment of the invention is as shown and described, yet it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction can be had which will fall within the light of the invention as claimed.

l/Vhat I claim is:

1. A can opener comprising a ment formed with a gripping portion and a shank, a strip extending lengthwise of the lower face ofthe shank'and terminating at a point rearwardly with respect to the forward end of the shank, said strip being of less width than the width of the, shank and having a curved inner edge, said at .a point rearwardly with respect to the forward end of the shank, said strip being of less width than the width of the shank and having a curved inner edge, said strip providing a supporting, positioning and spacing means for a cutter, and a cutter secured to said strip and projecting from one side of the shank and permanently maintained in spaced relation with respect to the shank by said strip, and a grooved coupling member swivelled to the free end of said shank forwardly of said strip, said cutter} handle eleo having its forward end inclined and fur-' ther provided with an elongated cutting edge terminating at said forward end in' a penetrating point.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature hereto.

JOSEPH rwooDs

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