Sanitary drum and can opening device

A drum deheader device comprising a pair of mounting bars for respectively supporting a shearing blade and an opposing anvil adapted to be positioned at opposite sides of a can cover portion of a chime and a linkage interconnecting said bars to advance and retract the bars for cutting and releasing the device, the linkage being formed and arranged to cut the chime twice as the operating levers are moved back and forth toward and away from each other, the blade being positioned to cut through an upper section of an outer layer only of the chime and to expose an inner layer of the chime beneath the shear blade which has a wedge face which slides on the exposed portions of the inner layer of the chime to separate the layers apart, thereby loosening a cover from the container and forming a continuous strip of scrap material whereby sliver forming is inhibited.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention is directed to a deheader for opening a can or drum. 
Conventional devices separate the end panel closure from a drum by cutting 
the end panel of the closure about its periphery. The panel is offset 
inwardly into the can body and is integrally formed with a cylindrical 
flange which extends from the periphery of the end panel to the adjacent 
end of the drum body. Debris, which is collected at the juncture or corner 
formed between the end panel and flange, is dumped into the contents of 
the can as the end panel is removed. Also as the closure is being cut at 
this juncture, slivers of metal are invariably produced which with any 
dirt or other debris drop into the food in the drum and thus contaminate 
the product within the drum. 
Discussion of the Prior Art 
The following patents have been found in a prior art search: 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,360,256 illustrates a roller cutter embracing opposite 
sides of the edge portion of the sealed can in which the cutter cuts 
through the chime and the body portion of the can conventionally; 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,935,680 illustrates a rotary cutter wheel which cuts 
through the head against another rotary cutter; 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,618,054 shows a rotary cutter cutting through a pressure 
disk against the upper edge of a can while the rotary cutter cuts the side 
of the can; 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,510,941 shows a cutter engaging the chime at its out side 
and a rotary drive wheel engaging the inside; 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,806 shows a drive wheel cooperating with a rotary 
cutter which cuts through an outside layer of the chime. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of this invention is to provide a cutter which comprises opposed 
shear and anvil which are lever-activated toward each other and arranged 
to cut off an upper portion of a bight of a chime and leaving enough 
overhang of the upper edge of the bight to prevent the cover from dropping 
into the drum. This eliminates slivers and leaves enough leftover metal to 
allow forming of a ring larger than the diameter of the chime and drum. 
A further object of the invention is to provide opposed shear and anvil 
members which are arranged to impose a vertical force vector on the chime 
which provides a lifting force on the cover as the cutter progresses 
around the chime, thus loosening the cover particularly in the area of 
engagement of the inner flange against the inside of the container so as 
to facilitate removal of the cover from the drum body. 
A principal object is to provide a novel cutter having opposed anvil and 
shear blade arranged to cut off a bight portion of a chime in such 
location and manner that a continuous strip of scrap is produced exposing 
the upper portion of the container edge so that the cover with its flange 
is biased to lift off the container body and the production of slivers is 
virtually eliminated. In the unlikely event of any slivers being produced, 
they are deposited on the cover panel. 
Another object is to provide a cutter comprising a shear and anvil arranged 
to grasp an uppermost edge portion of the chime therebetween thus wedging 
it against an upper edge portion of the can body to loosen the cover with 
portions of the chime flange to facilitate removal of the cover. 
A different object is to provide a cutter with opposing blade and anvil 
which act to scalp an upper bight portion of a chime in a location 
radially outwardly of the cover flange larger than the diamter of the drum 
to prevent the cover from falling into the container. This is accomplished 
by leaving a portion of the bight overhanging the upper edge of the can 
end.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to the drawings, there is shown a cutter 2 in association with a 
steel drum 4 which comprises a cylindrical body 6 having bottom 8. It will 
be understood that a removal closure 10 usually is the same as shown at 
the upper end 12 of the drum of container. The terms "top" and "bottom" 
are used for orientation of the closure or cap 10 which comprises a 
horizontal flat end panel 13 and an integral peripheral annular axially 
extending flange 14 which tightly fits within the can portion of the 
cylindrical container body or shell 6. 
The flange 14 merges at its upper end with an internal chime portion 20 of 
an upwardly convexed curved bight portion 22. 
The bight or can hook or crown portion 22 merges into outer flange 24 which 
merges integrally into the upper end 25 of an outer flange or seaming wall 
26 which extends downwardly and merges at its lower edge 31 into an upper 
edge 32 of an outer portion 34 of a lower bight portion 35 which is curved 
under the lower end 36 of an outer leg or flange 38 of the cover end 
portion. 
The lower end of the flange 26 merges into the lower end 48 of an outer leg 
of flange 50. An upward curved or convexed bight 55 of the can body 
portion which has an upper face 54 complementally fitted into a downwardly 
open concave face 55' of the bight or crown portion 22. This type of chime 
construction is conventional as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,510,941. 
The cutter described in association with the container has an L-shaped 
blade-supporting bar or leg 64 which extends chordally with reference to 
the can body 4 as shown in FIG. 1. The bar 64 is integrally connected at 
one end 65 to one end of a transverse extension arm 67. 
The distal end 69 of crossbar 67 is pivotally connected to an arm 71. 
Member 67' is fixedly connected, as by welding, to one end of the anvil 
carrying bar 70. Bar 67 is pivotally connected to one end of a handle or 
lever member 72. 
The free end of bar 70 is pivotally connected as by a pin 76 to an 
intermediate portion or elbow 77 of a handle lever arm 78. An inner end 
portion 79 of the lever arm 78 is pivotally connected as at 80 to one end 
of a motion transfer swing link 82 which is pivotally connected at its 
other end 84 to an adjacent end 85 of the leg member 66. 
The leg member 64 mounts intermediate its ends a shear blade 90 which has a 
diagonal shear edge 92 terminating in a leading end piercing point 93. The 
shear edge 92 is beveled to form a ramp or wedging surface 95 sloping 
downwardly to a flat bottom face 93 of the blade. 
The blade opposes an anvil 96 which is mounted on the leg 64 intermediate 
its ends. The anvil has a concave face 97 which seats against the 
complementary outer annular sector face 98. 
As seen in FIGS. 4 and 7, the blade as it progresses in cutting the bottom 
face 93, slides over the crest 22 and tugs against the cover flanges to 
loosen the it. Also only the outer flange is cut in contrast to the four 
flanges having to be cut by the prior art devices. 
The leg 64 has a pair of guides 99,99 adjacent to opposite ends of the 
anvil which hook over the chime at the upper end of the can. The guides 
are provided with coplanar limit faces 100,100 which maintain the blade at 
a predetermined level such that the blade edge is adapted to cut through 
the inner flange portion 14 of the chime in the region below the bight 
portion of the inner portion of the chime which is in engagement with the 
flat face of the blade in cleaving relation thereto. As the outermost 
portion of the chime is being cut and the flat bottom face slides upon the 
lower or inner convex portion 22, the blade tends to lift the flange 
portion 4 which is part of the cover or lid and thus lifts the lid so as 
to loosen the cover which thus facilitates removal of the cover. 
Also by cutting the exterior portion 22 of the chime, a maximum amount of 
the material of the flange of the cover is retained as shown at 22' so 
that it can be easily rolled into a bead thereby preserving the cover 
flange bead thereby preserving the cover flange so that it may be reused 
as a closure. By cutting only through the outer crown portion as seen in 
FIG. 8 less effort is required than when cutting through the four layers 
as done presently. 
A strip 102 as seen in FIG. 2 of cut off material develops as seen in FIGS. 
6 and 7. The cutting as done inhibits formation of slivers and if any 
develop, such slivers will fall into the cover, thus preventing 
contamination.