Certain Improvements in Can Openers and the Manufacture of the same.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in Can Openers and the Manufacture of
the same.
I, VICTOR HERBERT GREGORY, of 29, Shaftesbury Road, Ravenscourt Park,
London, W., in the County of Middlesex, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of the herein described improvements in can openers and
in the manufacture of the same, which can openers are used for the cutting open
of sheet metal cans so that the contents may be removed.
By my invention I so construct a can opener of metal which shall cut away
evenly or smoothly a narrow strip of the metal can and not merely rip the metal
apart as is usual in other can openers, leaving a rough or jagged edge which
is apt to be a source of danger to the operator.
The can opener according to this invention consists of a short metal blade
having two rectangular shearing edges on the top side, this is provided with a
suitable handle for working the said blade in and out and just between two
blades which are rigidly held side by side, with rectangular shearing edges
forming the bottom inner angles.
The above described opener when in operation will thus cut away a narrow
strip of the can, as herein before described.
Dated this 28th day of September 1898.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in Can Openers and the Manufacture of
the same.
I, VICTOR, HERBERT GREGORY, of 29, Shaftesbury Road, Ravenscourt Park,
London, W., in the County of Middlesex, 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;
―:
This invention consists of the herein described improvements in can openers and
in the manufacture of the same, which can openers are used for the cutting open
of sheet metal cans so that the contents may be removed.
By my invention I so construct a can opener of punched sheet or strip metal,
such as mild steel or other suitable metal; which shall cut away evenly and
smoothly a narrow strip of the sheet metal can and not merely rip the metal
apart as is usual in other can openers, leaving a rough and jagged edge.
D'..0.1

page_text: I will describe my invention by refering to the accompanying sheet of draw-
ings which shows two methods of carrying out this invention.
According to one method of construction from sheet metal, Fig. 1 represents
the plain stamping which forms the piercing end, rigid blades and handle
thereof, of the can opener.
Fig. 2 shows the side view of can opener, the movable blade g being in the
closed position, h is the stamping struck to shape forming the rigid blades of
which represents one of them, c the piercer with end ground or otherwise formed
to a triangular point for piercing the can, d being a projection on the handle
on which a spring may be placed for the purpose of forcing the two handles of
the movable and rigid blades apart, thereby opening the blades of the can opener,
g is the movable blade with curved back which is ground or otherwise made to
form a sharp edge at o, k being the handle for working the blade g, a and a¹
are rivets, a forming the bearing for the blade g.
Fig. 3 is the plan of Fig. 1 with the movable blade, handle and spring
removed.
Fig. 4 is a section on the line A, B, showing the shearing edges j and f of the
movable and rigid blades respectively.
According to another method of construction, in Fig. 5 the rigid blades of
which represents one of them, and the piercer c, is made in one piece, and is
bent up from a strip of mild steel or other suitable metal, the ends of same being
bent and arranged as shown in Fig. 6.
In Fig. 5, 7 represents a flat spring for the purpose of opening the movable
and rigid blades, each end of the spring being fixed to the handles by the rivets m
and n.
C is the piercer, g the movable blade, o the sharp edge at the back of the
blade
ȧ one of the rigid blades, a and a rivets, and the handle of movable
blade.
Fig. 6 is a plan of Fig. 5 with the movable blade, handle and spring removed.
In operation the above described can openers are used as follows:-A starting
hole is first made by piercing with the end c at the side of the can near the edge,
then the blade g is inserted in the opening and by pressing the handles of the
movable and rigid blades together, a narrow strip of the can will be sheared out
by the two cuts made by the shearing edges j and f of the movable and rigid blades
respectively, then the blades are opened and the can opener is pushed 'forward
for another cut, and so on right round the can, making a smooth and even cut
until the top portion is cut completely off.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is―
(1). A can opener constructed substantially as herein before described and
shown.
(2). A can opener consisting of movable and rigid blades that will make a
smooth and even shearing cut, substantially as herein before described.
(3). A can opener that will shear out a strip of metal by the use of movable
and rigid blades with shearing edges, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the annexed drawings.
Dated this Twenty-sixth day of June 1899
VICTOR HERBERT GREGORY.