Can Opener
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 29th Dec., 1894
Can Opener
I, JOSEPH BIEN, of No. 404 Sacramento Street, in the City and County of San
Francisco, State of California U.S.A. Machinist, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an apparatus for opening cans. It consists in certain
details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the
accompanying drawings upon which
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation showing my device as applied for opening circular
cans.
Figure 2 is a top view of a part of the same.
Figure 3 is a plan view showing its adaptation for rectangular cans.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the upper part of the same.
Figure 5 is a view showing the device without a base.
The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for opening cans by means
of a horizontal cut made around the top of the cylindrical portion of the can just
below the top.
In carrying out my invention I employ a bed A which is preferably made with
a series of stops B corresponding to the sizes of the can rising from the centre
toward the outside and increasing in diameter from the centre outwardly so that
cans of any size may be approximately centred and held in place when set upon the
step which approximates to their diameter.
Upon one side of this base is a vertically slotted sleeve or socket C. D is a
standard adapted to fit and slide in this sleeve.
At the upper end, this standard has attached to it a circular head E, and this
head has downwardly projecting points F which are forced into the head of the can
when the standard slides down in the slotted socket or sleeve until this head rests
upon a can head.
These points hold the can firmly in place and prevent its being turned around by
the operation of the cutter.
G is an arm pivoted to the centre of this head, as shown at H, so that it may be
turned about the centre.
This arm is slotted and a guide I is adapted to slide in the slot.
To the lower part of this guide is fixed a cutting blade J which extends toward
the upper side of the can, as the latter is held between the base and the cap previously
described.
The guide and cutter are moved outward and inward by means of a handle L
which passes under the arm, as shown, and the movement is sufficient to accommodate
cans of any varying diameter.
When the can has been placed in position upon the step B, with which its diameter
coincides, the standard D is allowed to slide down in the socket C until the points
in the head or plate E are forced into the can head sufficiently to steady and retain
it in place.
The cutter is then advanced by pushing the handle through its guide until the
edge of the cutter blade presses against and is inserted into the side of the can just
below the top.
The handle is now moved around its centre to which the arm is pivoted, and the
cutter severs the top from the lower portion of the can body, making a cut entirely

page_text: around from the point where the standard connects with this head to the opposite
side, the junction of the standard forming a stop. This leaves a small piece of
metal which will not be severed, and this small portion serves as a sort of hinge
about which the upper part can be turned as the can is opened, and it may be again
closed about this point, if desired, to retain a portion of the contents within the
can.
It will be manifest that this apparatus may be secured temporarily upon the edge
of a table or removed by means of a thumb screw and clamped as shown at M, or
if it is used in a place where it is to be permanently fixed, it is secured by screws
passing through the periphery of the base, as shown at M'. It will also be under-
stood that the upper plate of the can, with its holding points and revolving cutter
carrying arm, may be used by itself, the operator holding it firmly against the can
head while revolving the cutter. This is shown on Figure 5.
When the apparatus is to be used for square cans, the head E is made
rectangular, as shown on Figure 3, and has a slot or channel made around its
periphery.
The arm G which is pivoted in the centre of the plate is slotted as before
described, and the guide I which carries the cutter blade is fitted to slide upon a
supplemental bar P.
This bar has a pin p extending upwardly into the slot in the
pivoted arm, said pin extending down and having an anti-frictional roller in the
channel O around the periphery of the plate.
This construction allows the guide roller or pin to follow the rectangular channel
by moving outwardly and inwardly upon the line of the fulcrum arm G, as the
latter is moved around the exterior of the can.
By means of the handle attached to the guide I the knife is forced inwardly
against the side of the can and follows the side, as the pivoted arm is moved around
its centre, thus cutting the side of the square can with the same facility with which
it will cut the cylindrical can.
The spring which may or may not be used, acts to retract the cutter and prevent
its remaining in a position where it will extend over the top of the can when the
device
being put in place for use.
In Figure 5, R is a knob for holding the device and the can steady, when no base
is used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is―
1. In a can opener and devices for centring and holding the can, a swiveled
arm movable about the common centre of the can and the holder, and a cutter
slidable radially upon said arm and carried thereby so that when the arm is
moved around in a circle, the cutter will act to sever the metal of the can side as
described.
2. In a can opener, a base having a series of offsets of varying diameters, a
socket at one side, a standard slidable vertically in said socket having a head
or plate supported from its upper end and adapted to clamp the top of the can
and secure it between itself and the base, a radially slotted arm fulcrumed to
the centre of said plate projecting radially therefrom, a sliding guide traveling
upon the radially slotted arm having a cutter fixed to the inner end, and a
handle by which the cutter is moved and held in contact with the side of the
can so as to cut through it when the arın is rotated, substantially as herein
described.
3. A device for opening cans consisting of a holder for the can, a top plate having
a channel formed around its periphery, an arm fulcrumed centrally to said plate
projecting beyond its periphery and having a radial slot formed in it, a second arm
having a pin or anti-friction roller projecting upwardly into the slot of said arm and
downwardly to enter the channel around the periphery of the top plate whereby it
caused to follow the said channel when the arm is moved about its centre, and a

page_text: cutter fixed to a radially sliding guide and carried by said arm, substantially as
described.
4. In a can opener, a plate adapted to be fixed in contact with the can head, an
arm pivoted to said plate extending radially outward and serving as a guide to a
radially sliding cutter carrier, a handle by which the cutter is advanced into contact
with the side of the can, and a spring by which it is retracted away from the can,
when released, as described.