Year: 1888

page_text: HERBERT CHURCHILL CAPEL and JOHN YOUNG of 57 Wall Street Ball's Pond Road
in the county of Middlesex, Metal Stampers do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:
Our invention relates to cutting devices chiefly designed for opening metal cans
such as are used for preserving food and other substances-Our improved devices
are however applicable for other purposes.
The main object of our said invention is to provide for opening metal cans in a
neat, easy and expeditious manner without liability to injury to the hands of the
person using the cutting device.
Our improved cutting device has one or more knives or cutters either fixed or
moveable attached to a disc or other piece of metal, glass or other suitable material
in such a manner that when the said disc or other piece is applied to the end of
a can a hole may be cut therein or the end of the can wholly or partially divided
from the body thereof by rotating the said disc or piece or the knife or knives.
One form of our improved cutting device comprises a cap or cover which has
the knife or knives attached thereto and is made to fit into or over the end of the
can so that the can itself will serve to guide the device when rotated for the purpose
of opening the can. The cap or cover may in this case be used for closing the
can after the same has been opened. We sometimes make the knife with a shoulder
to bear against the under side of the cap or cover and with a piece which extends
through a hole in the said cap or cover and is secured therein in any convenient
manner. For example the said extension may be split and the two parts of the
split end bent in opposite directions and after the knife has been inserted in the
said cap or cover the spaces at the sides of the bent parts be filled with cement
or other suitable material.
We in some instances combine with the said cap or cover a jar or other receptacle
for holding the can when opened. The cap or cover is then so formed that it will
fit in or upon the said jar or receptacle.

page_text: We sometimes make the knife or knives adjustable towards and away from the
centre of the disc or other piece or otherwise, and if desired we provide means
whereby the cutting device may be adjusted to fit cans of different sizes. The said
cutting device is if desired provided with a suitable handle to facilitate the cutting
operation.
According to another modification of our invention we attach the knife or knives
to a lever pivoted to the disc or other piece so as to facilitate the cutting of the
metal.
According to a further modification of our invention we arrange the knife or
knives in the disc or other piece so that while the latter is held stationary upon
the can the said knife or knives may he moved to effect the cutting of the metal.
For
It is obvious that the construction of our improved cutting device may be
otherwise modified without departing from the nature of our invention.
instance we can employ a pin or pointed stud fixed in the centre of the disc or
other piece so that it may be driven into the end of the can to guide the device
when rotated.

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Cutting Devices, Chiefly Designed
for Opening Metal Cans.
'
HERBERT CHURCHILL CAPEL and JOHN YOUNG both of 57 Wall Street Ball's Pond
Road in the county of Middlesex, Metal Stampers 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 :-
Our invention relates to cutting devices chiefly designed for opening metal cans
such as are used for preserving food and other substances, our improved devices are
however applicable for other purposes.
The main object of our said invention is to provide for opening metal cans in a
neat, easy and expeditious manner without liability to injury to the hands of the
person using the cutting device.
In the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 is a plan and
Fig. 2 a section on the line z x, Fig. 1, showing a simple form of our improved
cutting device.
Fig. 3 is a plan.
Fig. 4 an underside view and
Fig. 5 a section on the line y, y, Fig. 3, showing another form or modification of
our improved cutting device.
In Figures 1 and 2 a is a casting or other piece which is made of polygonal form as
shown, or is ribbed, fluted or otherwise so forined as to enable a firm hold of the same
to be obtained-This part a has a recess or cavity a' in the under side thereof to fit
over the end of a can to be opened. b is a knife or cutter formed with two pins or
studs which are fitted into holes in the part a and are secured therein by means of
cement or in any other convenient manner. The said knife or cutter is, moreover,
formed with a shoulder to bear against the under side of the part a.
By making the part a of polygonal form, we provide for enabling it to be very
firmly beld by the hand for the purpose of rotating it to effect the cutting of the
metal forming the end of a can.
The cutting edge of the knife or cutter b is slightly inclined to facilitate the cutting
operation. By securing the said knife or cutter in the part a by means of the two
pins or studs as above described, twisting or turning of the knife therein is very
effectually prevented even when cutting thick metal cans.
The part a is made of metal, glass, earthenware or other suitable material.
When the cutting device above described is applied to the end of a can, the can
itself will serve to guide the device when rotated for the purpose of opening the
said can.
The said cutting device is if desired provided with one or more projections or
handles to facilitate the cutting operation or is, as above stated, otherwise so formed
as to enable it to be very firmly grasped by the hand.
In Figures 3, 4 and 5, a' is a ring adapted to fit over the end of a can, c is a ring
or annular piece which is fitted to rotate in the ring a* and in which the knife or
cutter b is firmly secured as above described or in any other convenient manner.
A short spindle d is fitted to rotate in one side of the annular piece c and has fixed

page_text: 9
thereon a pinion e which is geared with an internally toothed ring f fitted to turn in
the ring a². A plate or disc g is secured to the under side of the annular piece c by
screws or otherwise. This plate or disc retains the said annular piece c, the ring,
and the ring a in their proper position relatively to each other; the said plate or disc
is formed with a hole through which projects the knife or cutter. The spindle dis
provided with a crank-handle h for rotating it. The part of this handle is pivoted
so that it can he turned into the position shown in full lines in Figure 5 and will then
enter a notch c' in the annular piece c, or it can be turned into the position indicated
by dotted lines in Fig. 5 when it is desired to rotate the pinion e. The part ¹ is
provided with a spring bolt 2 adapted to engage with one or the other of two notches
in the handle and thus retain the part in the desired position.
The ring is provided with a projection which works in a recess a³ in the
ring a². The ends of this recess therefore limit the movement of the ring f. A
circular spring j is firmly attached at one end to the ring a² and at its other end to
the projection f¹.
:-
The operation of the improved cutting device last above described is as follows;
viz. The cutting device is applied to the end of a can to be opened and the part
of the handle being turned into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5 the
said handle is turned with one hand while the outer ring a² is firmly held with the
other hand; the pinion e is thus rotated. In the first part of this rotation, the ring f
is partly rotated, thus moving one end of the spring towards the other end thereof
and causing the said spring to tightly grip the said can. The continued rotation of
the pinion e causes the annular piece c to move around with the knife or cutter b and
thus cut a circular piece out of the end of the can. It will be seen that great forco
can in this manner be applied for cutting the metal of the can, and by reason of the
gripping of the can by the spring j very little power is required to hold the can steady
during the cutting operation.
For opening cans made of thin metal the part of the handle h may if desired be
turned into the position shown by full lines in Fig. 5, and the entire device be rotated
upon the can for the purpose of opening the same.
In some cases we modify the construction of our cutting device. For instance
instead of the ring a we provide a disc formed with a recess to fit over the end of
a can and provided with a set screw for securing the said ring upon the can during
the cutting operation. The knife or cutter is fixed in a disc formed with an
internally toothed ring which is geared with the pinion, the spindle of which is fitted
to rotate in the outer disc. The disc carrying the knife or cutter is secured at its
centre to the outer disc so that it is free to rotate therein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. The improved cutting device constructed substantially as described with
reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, for the purpose above specified.
Second. A cutting device wherein the part carrying the knife or cutter is fitted in
a ring or disc designed to be held stationary upon a can or the like and is provided
with means for rotating it for the purpose above specified.
Third. The improved cutting device constructed substantially as described with
reference to Figures 3 4 and 5 of the drawing and operating as and for the purposes
above specified.
Dated this Twenty seventh day of November 1888.