US2595162A - Electric can opener - Google Patents

Description

April 1952 R. NE SSLER ELECTRIC CAN OPENER 2 SHEETS-Sl-IEET 1 Filed NOV. 6, 1950 INVENTOR Re'z'nbarai JVssZer av' M ATTORNEYS- April 29, 1952 R. NESSLER; 2,595,162

ELECTRIC CAN OPENER Filed Nov. 6,. 1.950

5.5 I 4i ,1 I4 13 I I 1s 6 r a 1 1 I2 I 3 I 15 I I V VIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'II'I g Reinbardz Msssler ATTORNEYS INVENTOR Patented Apr. 29, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CAN OPENER Reinhardt Nessler, Stockton, Calif. Application November 6, 1950, Serial No. 194,296

2 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a can opener.

In particular the invention is directed to, and

it is a major object to provide, a novel, electric motor driven can opener.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an electric motor driven can opener which includes a novel cutter wheel mount; such mount including a vertically slidable mounting plate arranged in an effective manner for ready and convenient manual adjustment.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an electric can opener, as above, wherein there is a novel assembly of the can cutter, and can hold-down plunger units, carried by the mounting plate.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electric can opener which includes a novel device for automatically starting the electric motor upon lowering of the mounting plate and engagement of the cutter, and hold-down plunger units, with the can.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an effective angle-positioned, bevel-faced cutter operative to positively and cleanly cut, and simultaneously smooth fold, the metal of the can end about the rim of said can.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an electric can opener which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable electric can opener, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the novel electric motor driven can opener, with the parts in operative position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar view, but fragmentary and ith the mounting plate and working parts thereon in raised or starting position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front sectional elevation on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, showing the position of the lever arm and mounting plate, with attached parts, when the can opener is in use.

Fig. 5 is a similar view, but shows such lever arm and mounting plate in its raised or starting position.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevation of the mounting plate and shifting block which cooperates therewith.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view on line 1-1 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional elevation of one of the hold-down plunger units.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the novel electric motor driven can opener comprises a base I fitted with a pedestal 2; there being an electric motor 3 secured to the pedestal 2, with the motor shaft 4 extending transversely. The motor shaft 4 drives a reduction gear box 5 fixed in connection with one end of the motor 3, and such reduction gear box includes a horizontal, forwardly projecting output shaft 6; said box being stabilized by a post 1 which upstands from the base I.

A can supporting cradle 8 projects horizontally forward from the post 7, being secured in connection with the latter, for vertical adjustment, by a hub 9 normally locked in place by a wing bolt [0.

The gear box 5 is fitted, at the front, with a fiat, forwardly facing, upstanding backing plate II which extends some distance above such box.

The output shaft 6 projects through a bearing l2 in the backing plate I! and terminates a short distance ahead thereof, with the terminal portion threaded and having a double-ended can feed wheel [3 threaded thereon. The can feed wheel l3 has each working end thereof peripherally serrated, as shown, for driving engagement beneath the bead [4 at the top of a can l5 seated in the cradle 8 and abutting a can stop It projecting forwardly from the lower end of said backing plate I l.

The can feed wheel i3 is double-ended so that it may be reversed in use when necessary.

Above the can feed wheel I 3 the device includes a vertically slidable mounting plate I?! secured and guided as follows:

Intermediate its ends the mounting plate II is formed with a vertically elongated slot [8, and a headed guide screw it extends through such slot into the backing plate H, with a compression spring 25 between the head of screw [9 and plate I].

At its upper end the mounting plate I l is fitted -With a horizontal, rearwardly projecting pin 2| which extends through a vertically elongated slot 22.

- lever arm is formed at its inner end with a fiat rotary disc 24 which lies flush against the outside of the mounting plate H, bein maintained in frictional engagement therewith in the following manner:

A horizontal spindle 25 is fixed to the backing plate H and projects through the upper portion of an inverted T-slot 26 in the mounting plate H, and a cap 21 encircles such spindle and is held thereon by a nut 28.

A compression spring 29 surrounds the spindle 25 in the cap 2?, bearing against a washer 30, which in turn has frictional, face to face contact with the mounting plate ll. As so secured, the mounting plate H may be adjusted up and down, but will remain in either position.

A pin 31 on the rotary disc 24, in radially offset relation to the spindle 25, is fitted with a shifting block or head 32 which rides in the horizontal or lower portion of the inverted T-slot 26. Consequentlmuponswinging of the lever arm 23 from an upstanding position, as in Fig. 5, to a lowered or horizontal position, as in Fig. 4, the mounting plate I! is vertically slid from its raised to its lowered position.

At the lower end thereof the mounting plate I! is formed with a cutter and hold-down assembly, indicated generally at 33; this cutter assembly embodying the following:

Substantially centrally between the sides, the mounting plate i7 is formed with an upturned bracket finger 34, and a bevelcfaced rotary cutter 35, including a hub 36 is securedto and projects forwardly from the bracket finger 34 by means of a screw 31. The bracket finger 34 is angled so that the rotary cutter 35 is disposed with its axis at a forward and downward incline and slightly laterally or horizontally canted contra to the direction of rotation of. the can under the influence of the can feed wheel 53.

On opposite sides of the rotary cutter 35, the

. mounting plate IT is fitted with a hold-down plunger unit 33, each of which includes a perpendicular, cylindrical body 39 fixed to an outturned bracket ii] integral with the. lower end of said mounting bracket ll. A plunger 4| works upwardly in each cylindrical body 39 against the resistance of a compression spring 42 in said body; the plunger being held against escape by a screw 43 which runs in a slot 44 in the adjacent side of the plunger.

When the device is in use with a can l5 seated on the cradle 8, the lever arm 23 is first swung to its down position, which causes the rotary cutter 35 to initially cut through the top of the can immediately inside the rim hi. At the same time the hold-down plungerunits 38 are placed under pressure, effectively maintaining the can seated on the supporting cradle 8 during the cuttin operation.

Thereafter, with the can feed wheel l3 engaged beneath the rim l4, drive of such wheel rotates the can, and the rotary cutter 35 severs the top out of said can.

By reason of the particular angled or diagonaled relationship of the cutter 35, it not only effectively cuts the top out of the .can, but folds down the raw edge which would otherwise remain on the inner face of the rim l4.

When the lever arm 23 is swung downwardly, as above, and for the purpose of operation of the device, the electric motor 3 is automatically brought into operation. This is by virtue of a control lead 45 which extends from the motor 3 to an on-off switch 46 secured to the'rear. side of the backing plate I I'; such switch including an upwardly extending but depressible element ,41

"which closes the "switch. A vertically adjustable screw 48 is threaded through the rear end of the pin 2| and is set to engage and depress the element 4'! when the lever arm 23 is swung down, whereby to close said switch and cause operation of the electric motor 3.

The above described can opener functions in a positive and effective manner, and is arranged for practical and convenient use.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

a While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device,

still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. In a power driven can opener, a flat upstanding backing platefixedly mounted, a fiat upstanding mounting plate flush against the backing plate, means securing the mounting plate to the backing plate for guided-vertical sliding motion, manually actuated means to so slide the mounting plate between raised and lowered positions, a driven shaft projecting forwardly and horizontally below-the mounting plate,- a can 5 feed Wheel on the forward end ofthe shaft, a rotary, can top cutter secured to the lowerend of the mounting plate in cooperative relation to but above the can feed wheel, and a pair of separate can hold-down spring-urged plunger units secured to the lower end of-the mounting plate with the rotary cutter disposed-therebetween.

2. In a can opener, a flat upstanding backing plate fixedly mounted, a flat upstanding mounting plate flush against "and-terminating above the lower end of the backing plate, means securing the mounting plate to the backing plate for guided vertical, movement, a can feed wheel mounted on the backing plate below the mounting plate, a can-top cutter mounted on the lower end of the mounting plate in cooperative relation to and above the can feed wheeLand means to move the mounting plate up and down and comprising a spindle projecting forward from the backing plate, the mounting plate having an inverted T slot therethrough, thespindle projecting through the upper portion of the slot, a rotary member on the spindle in front of the mounting plate, a lever arm radiating from the member, a pin on the member projecting into'the bottom portion of the inverted T slot, and a shifting block on the pin and engaged in said bottom portion of the slotfor motion therealong.

REINHARDTNESSLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record :in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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