US2738896A - Metal strip can opener - Google Patents

Description

March 20, 1956 F. A. POLLARD 2,738,896

METAL STRIP CAN OPENER Filed Oct. 29, 1953 IN VEN TOR.

iZgydAPdlm-d ATTD RN EYS United States Patent METAL STRIP CAN OPENER Floyd A. Pollard, Kendall, Wis. Application October 29, 1953, Serial No. 388,991 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-52) This invention relates to can openers of the type actuated by a crank and in which a cover of a can is sealed to the body of the can with a thin metal strip; and in particular a can opener having a split shaft journaled in a holder and having a crank adapted to be actuated by hand on one end of the shaft whereby with an extended tab of a metal strip extended through the split end of the shaft the shaft may be rotated by the crank to remove the strip from the can and after opening the can the sealing strip, which is rolled on the shaft, is readily removable.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a tool for positively removing a sealing strip from a can or other container in which the tool is adapted to be held in one hand and actuated by the other hand of an operator.

Cans and other containers in which covers or upper portions of the cans or containers are secured or sealed to lower portions thereof are provided with keys having slots into which tabs on the ends of metal strips are inserted whereby with the key rotated by hand the strips are removed to open the cans or containers.

Keys of this type are given away with cans and for this reason are of inexpensive construction and in numerous instances the sealing strips tear or break before the can is opened. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a can opener having a hand crank actuated shaft journaled in bearings at the end of a holder or handle in which the end of the shaft opposite to that on which the handle is positioned is split to re ceive a tab on the end of a sealing strip of a container and also to provide means whereby the sealing strip is readily ejected from the shaft after the sealing strip is removed from the container. A

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for forming a can opener for removing sealing strips from cans and other containers whereby the device for rolling the sealing strip is held in position with one hand as the sealing strip is rolled with the other hand of an operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can opener for removing sealing strips from cans and containers in which the device is adapted to be used repeatedly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can opener for removing sealing strips from cans and containers in which the device is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a holder having a handle extended therefrom with spaced bearings extended from the end of the holder opposite to that from which the handle extends, with a shaft having a split end journaled in said bearings and with a crank adapted to be actuated by hand carried by the end of the shaft opposite to the end having the split therein.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the use of the metal strip can opener and showing the device in the position of starting the removing operation of the strip from the can.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the parts shown on an enlarged scale showing a tab extended from the sealing strip extended through a slot of the shaft of the opener.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan similar to that shown in Fig. 2 showing the metal strip partly rolled upon the shaft of the tool.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the bearings of the holder with parts broken away and with the shaft partly withdrawn in which position the rolled metal strip as indicated by the broken lines, is removed from the shaft.

Figure 5 is a detail showing a plan taken on line 55 of Fig. 1 illustrating a finger projecting from the holder over the end of a can or container to locate the position of the device on a can.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the metal strip can opener of this invention includes a holder 10 having a handle 11 extended from one end with a shaft 12 journaled in bearings 13, 14, and 15 extended from the end of the holder opposite to that from which the handle extends and with a lever 16 having a crank 17 with a handle 18 on the end extended therefrom.

The holder 10 is also provided with a finger 19 positioned to rest on the upper end of a can and a prong 20 extended into a slot 21 between the bearings 14 and 15 and, as illustrated in Fig. 2, positioned to start a metal strip, as indicated by the numeral 22 into a slot 23 provided in the lower end of the shaft 12.

The slot 23 extends from the end of the shaft inwardly to a point 24 whereby with the shaft withdrawn, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the rolled strip is ejected from the end of the shaft. The outer surfaces of the shaft are tapered from the point 24 to the end of the shaft to facilitate removing the rolled metal strip therefrom.

The shaft is also provided with a stop or pin 25 that is positioned in a recess 26 between the bearings 13 and 14 whereby the shaft is retained in the holder and is not accidently displaced therefrom.

The lever 16 is provided with a hub 27 by which it is fixedly mounted on the upper end of the shaft 12 and, as shown in Figures 1 and 4 the crank 17 is connected to the lever 16 with an offset section 28.

The end of the handle 11 may be provided with an opening 29 by which the device may be placed on a nail, hook, or other holder.

With the parts formed in this manner the tab on the end of the metal strip 22 is raised by the prong 20 so that it may be inserted through the slot 23 in the end of the shaft 12 and with the shaft rotated by the crank as the device is held by the handle 11 in one hand the metal strip is rolled on the shaft until the can or other container is completely opened and after the container is opened the rolled strip is readily removed from the shaft, as illustrated in Figure 4.

It will be understood that modifications, within the scope of the appended claim, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A can opener comprising a holder having a handle at one end and a pair of outer bearings and an intermediate hearing at the opposite end, a shaft having a hand crank on one end journaled in the bearings on the holder and having a slot in the end opposite to that on which the crank is positioned for receiving a tab of a metal strip of a container, a removable pin mounted in the shaft transversely thereof and adapted to engage either the intermediate or one of the outer bearings for preventing accidental displacement of the shaft from the holder, said holder having an arcuate prong extending from the holder intermediate the intermediate bearing and the other of the outer bearings and positioned to raise a tab on the end of the metal strip to start the metal strip into the slot of the shaft and a finger extending from said holder for positioning the can opener on a can, said shaft being adapted to be moved longitudinally to remove a metal strip rolled thereon.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,381,037 Vogel June 7, 1921 1,985,290 Hildebrandt Dec. 25, 1934 2,140,151 Dazey Dec. 13, 1938 2,286,039 Reynolds June 9, 1942 2,649,990 Lyle Aug. 25, 1953

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