US1471857A - Can opener - Google Patents

Description

Gm. 223 R923.

A. R. NEFF CAN OPENER Filed Nov. 5, 1920 Patented @ct. Z3, TQZB. nnirrin warnr n li e/lino I ABNER'R. NEFIF, L LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

SAN OPENER.

Application filed November 3, 1820. Serial No. 421,572.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ABNnR R. New, a citizen of the United States, residing Lon Beach, county of Los Angeies, State of alifornia, have invented new and use ful Improvements in Can Openers, or which" the following is a specification.

Tlus invention relates to a can opener and an object of the invention is to provide an improved device of this character.

In general the can opener provided by the present invention is or the character set forth in my copending application entitled Can opener, filed October 13, 1919, Serial Number 380,456, and although the present invention is in no way. limited or restricted to any one particular class or kind of can opener, it is particularly adapted for use in connection with can openers of the character set forth in said copending application.

It may be stated that a particular and noteworthy feature of the present invention is the cutter or blade. The generalshape of the blade is such as to cause it to follow and to cut at the edge of the can, while the cutting edge is such as to effectively and smoothly cut the metal of the can. The cutting or sharp edge is formed on the blade by a slight bevel at the side of the blade which engages the side otthe can and a comparatively large bevel at the other side of the blade. The edge thus formed is a knife edge sufiiciently sharp to efi'ectively out sheet metal such as cans are ordinarily made of. Small notches or indentations are formed in the knife edge along its entire cuttingportion. These notches'are particularly effective in preventing slippage of the sharp cutting edge over the metal without cutting it and also materially assist the sharp cutting edge in actually cutting the metal.

The general construction of the device is ofparticular note-in that it is neat and sanitary, and permits of simple and inexpensive. manufacture. The device 1s'formed of two pieces, a handle and a blade, welded together to form a continuous structure.

which would need cleaning out. The sanitary feature of the welded construction is in itself particularly important and lends great commercial value to the device.

The various objects and features of the invention will be best and more fully understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention throughout which reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a bottom plan of the device; Fig. 2is a side elevation of the device; F 3 is a top View of the device; Fig. l is an enlarged edge view of the blade or cutter showing it as viewed in Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the blade or cutter viewing it as it is viewed in Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed sectional view or the blade taken as indicated by line 66 on Fig. l.

Throughout the drawings numeral 10 designates the handle or" the opener to which is connected the blade 11. Various forms of handle construction can be advantageously used in the construction of the opener but it is preferred that the handle be formed from a single piece of strip metal or ribbon stock. in the preferred form of the handle 10 a single strip of metal is bent orlooped so that the blade 11 is held between its end portions 18 and-19. The portions 12 and 13 of the strip or" metal form the handle or that portion of the device adapted to be gripped by the hand of the operator. The shape or curvature of the portions 12 and 13 is such as to form a con venient and comfortable handle to begripped by the operator. From inspection of the drawings it will be seen how the portions 12 and 13 form a complete loop, or in other words how the strip or' metal is bent or shaped so that it comes together at A. In accordance withthe present invention the two portions of the strip of metal are welded or otherwise fused together at A 'making the handle portion, formed by porcomfortable brace for the thumb and forepermanently fused or welded together.

finger of theoperator when he is manipulating the device. looped portion prevents the hand of-the operator from slipping forward on the bandle and'enables him to geta firm grip or purchase on the handle. The two endportions 18 and 19 are flat and parallel with each otherand carry the butt portion-' of the blade 11 between them. As provided by this invention thetwo side'portions 18' ai1d19 of the strip of metal and the butt portion of the blade ll are positively. and The Y fusing together of these parts makes the catch dirt and need frequent cleaning.

blade practically a Continuation. of the handle and thereby renders the device particularly strong rigid and durable. Infthe preferred form of the invention the end portions 18. and 19 and the butt portion 20 are electrically spotwelded together as such method is inexpensive and particularly. ef fective. It is also preferred that thejointat A be electrically spotwelded for the reason just mentioned. 'It is perfectly obvious how the fusing or welding of the o1nts of' the device produces not only a strong rigid structure but also providesa neat sightly and sanitary device. With fused or welded joints or connections there are no projecting parts to form-corners such as would This is. an important point from, a practical standpoint and is. therefore considered of particular note. r The blade 11 eXtends from the endportions 18 and 19 and isshaped so that its outer. portion 21 is pointed. The blade 11 theiblade. cutting edge causes it to be closer to the side. B ofthe blade than it is to the sideC. The cutting edge is not smooth. but is made i:r-'

is transversely curved; is of uniform thickregular or;notched by running a knurling 'toolover. it before it is tempered or hardened. It will be readily understoodhow the passing of a linurling tool over the'edge 22 will form a'plurality of dents ornotches 22 in it as clearly shown throughout. the drawings. These notches .22" are not deep or large and'are not such as to spoil the cutting edge formed by the bevels 22 and 22 The notches 22 are provided primarily to prevent slippage ofl th'e blade on'the metal being cut by it although theyactually' have more or less of a'file action" and materially V assist in cutting the metal of the can. In the In practice this small.

practical operation of the devioetheicom bined action of the sharp edge and the notches issuch as to cause the blades to feed into and effectively cutthe metal of a can.v

In the practical manufacture of theblade the bevels22 and 22 are formed bygrinding, the notches 22 are formed by knurling, and the blade" is'pressed and bent to have the proper transverse curvature. The blade is then tempered or hardened. It will be understood of course that the invention is in no way limited or restrictedto anyparticular method or'process of manufacture and that therefore the bevels 22" and 22l? may be formed by'other methods than by grinding andthat the notches 22 may be formed in manners other than knurling. I

herein, referring to the notches being formed by knurling merely because that is the way they are actually and practically formed and because they are. preferably off. the character produced by a knurling oper-' ation.

The end'25 of th strip of metal which forms the handle 10', extends or projects from the end portion 19 and is provided with a rounded end 26 spaced somewhat from theside B of the blade 11. y The side B of the blade 11 is the inner side ofjthe I I blade, thereby causing the end 26 to engage the endfof the can being removed or. cut out'by the device. From inspection-of the drawings itwill be seen that the formation or shape of the end 25 is suchas to form a space 27 between it and the blade/ll into which the edge'of the end of the'can may extend or curl when it is out. In practice it is preferred that the space 27 6f such size 1 r.

as to allow the end of thecan to 'curl slightly'due to thecutting but isnot largeenough to allow it to, curl so as to endanger the hand of the operator. I

7 When the device is in operation the side or surface B of' the blade 11 is kept tightly or close against the .inner surface 'of'the side wall of the canby' projection 40. which extends from the end portion '18 int the manner clearly shown in .the. drawings.

The projection 40 extends fromithejend' wall of the can extends between the ,pro-

'jection 40 and the blade :11 andiisen ga ged by both the blade and the priojectionf- .Thev 1 shape or curvature of the projectioneofis such as to form a tapered .or 'V shaped groove '42 between it and the' blade 1 1, as

" clearly shown in the drawings.l-;With this V construction downward pressure Toni: the I handle 10 (which causes cuttingof theend of the can) causes the edge of the side wall of the canto wedge between the projection 40 and the. blade 11- and. thereby prevent slipping of the opener on the edge of he .can when the bladellis cutting and also forms the fulcrum or pivot of the portion 18 so that theupper edge'oftheside 7' opener. The side C of the blade being held close against the inner side of the wall of the can causes the end of the can to be cut where it joins the wall of the can without leaving a flange or inwardly extending edge. It will be understood how the cutting operation may be started in the common or ordinary manner, that is, the point 21 of the blade may be forced or pumped through the top of the can at or near the edge of the side wall thereof. Downward movement of the handle 10, when the device is in a more or less vertical position will cause upward movement of the blade 11 and will thereby cause the edge 22 to out the end or top of the can. When the end or top of the can has been removed by the present device the contents of the can may be easily emptied from it without danger of the op erator being cut or injured by the cut edge of the can.

In the preferred form of construction the blade 11 is not fiat but is transversely curved so that the side B is convex and the side D concave, as clearly shown throughout the drawings. It will be noted particularly in Figs. 1, 3 and at of the drawings, that the concavity of the blade is produced by bending or curving it adjacent to the butt portion in the direction indicated by the arrow E and bending or curving it at the outer portion in the direction indicated by arrow F. It has been found in practice that blade when bent or formed in this manner will follow very closely the wall or side of the can and will cut the top very close to the side of the can. It will be understood however that the amount that the blade is bent as indicated by the arrows will deis to be used or upon the general size of can upon which it is to operate. It has been found in practice that the curvature shown in the drawing is satisfactory for cutting the average or ordinary sized can used in packing foodstufi' or the like.

Having set forth only a preferred embodiment of my invention 1 do not wish to necessarily limit or restrict myself to the specific details hereinabove set forth but wish to reserve to myself any variations that may appear to those skilled in the art or that may fall in the scope of the following claims.

Having described a preferred form of my invention, I claim:

1. In a can opener, a blade having a sharp edge and formed with a plurality of rela tively fine notches in and substantially confined to its sharp edge.

2. In a can opener, a blade having a knurled sharp edge.

3. In a can opener, a blade having a relatively finely knurled sharp cutting edge.

4. In a can opener, a blade having a relatively finely knurled cutting edge formed relatively close to one side of the blade by different sized bevels at the two sides of the blade.

5. In a can opener, a transversely curved blade having a sharp edge and formed with a plurality of relatively fine notches in and substantially confined to its sharp edge.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th day of September, 1920.

ABNER R. NEFF.

Witness VIRGINIA BERINGER.

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