Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Cutting Open Tins of Provision and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 12th May, 1896-Accepted, 4th July, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Cutting Open Tins of
Provision and the like.
RUPERT THOMAS COOKE 51 Angus Street Roath Cardiff in the County of
Glamorgan Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
An apparatus for cutting open tins of sardines salmon tongue corned-beef fruit and
the like whereby the risk of injury to the hand of the operator usually incurred by
the existing methods is obviated and by which the said tins can be cut open easily
and quickly.
It is designed and arranged as a vertical apparatus but may also be used in a
horizontal position.
This apparatus consists of a horizontal base, a vertical guide a guide block and
fulcrum to work upon the said guide.
A lever to work upon the guide-block-fulcrum having one end formed into a handle
and a knife fitted into the other end for cutting open the tins the knife being
approximately at right angles to the lever a stop suitable placed to limit the
movement of the said lever handle.
The several parts of this apparatus may be made of iron steel or other suitable
material.
In cutting open a tin of provision and the like the action of this apparatus is
as follows
The apparatus is placed preferably in the vertical position the tin to be cut
open being placed upon the base. The guide-block is lowered down the guide and
brought into contact with the said tin and adjusted in the required position by a
screw and nut or any other convenient arrangement as required. The guide-block is
allowed freedom for an upward movement of approximately of an inch (one eighth
of an inch) the lever and knife are then in position for commencement of the
operation of cutting open the tin.
The tin is grasped by one hand and the lever handle by the other the lever
handle is then pressed down by the hand whereby the guide-block is also
pressed down upon the tin and holds it in position. Further depression of the lever
handle causes action of the knife whereby the tin is partly cut open. The
lever handle is brought to rest by a suitably placed stop then by an upward
movement of the said lever handle the pressure of the guide-block is released
from the tin. The tin can then be easily moved and readjusted for repeating the
operation.
The aforesaid operations are repeated until the tin is cut completely open or as
much as desired.
D
11
177 1
2
1007

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Apparatus for Cutting Open Tins of
Provision and the like.
I RUPERT THOMAS COOKE 31 Granville Street Ashton-under-Lyne in the County
of Lancashire Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
for cutting open tins of provision and the like and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
-
This invention is an apparatus made preferably of iron or steel for cutting open
tins of sardines salmon tongue corned-beef fruit and the like and by which the risk
of injury to the hand of the opening operator so often incured by the existing
methods is entirely avoided.
Refering to the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus ;
Figur 2 is a section through 00 of Figure 1 "with fulcrum & slide-block
shown in section."
This invention consists of a base plate A and a guide B at right-angles to each
other; a guide-block C to work upon the said guide and having a fulcrum D
and a ledge L; a detachable lever E to ossilate by hand power upon the said
fulcrum the ossilation being limited in a downward direction by a stop G coming
into contact with part I of the slide block whereby the motion of the lever handle E
is arrested and injury to the hand of the opening operator is prevented whenever
the knife is accidentally or suddenly released during the operation of cutting open
the tins; the said lever is approximately at right-angles to and ossilates in a
plane parallel with the guide B. One end of this lever is formed into a handle and
a knife H is fitted and fixed into the other end for cutting open the tins. This
knife is approximately at right-angles to the lever E and is parallel with the
guide B.
The fulcrum D may be in any position on or about the guide-block C.
The guide B may be round square or of any other suitable cross section.
The action of this apparatus in cutting open a tin of provision or the like is as
follows
The apparatus is placed in the vertical position as shown by the accompanying
drawings.
The tin to be cut open is placed upon the baseplate A, the guide-block C is
lowered down the guide B, one hand is placed upon the lever end J, the lever handle
is grasped by the other hand, the point of the knife H is forced into the tin and the
ledge L is brought into contact with the same.
The tin is now grasped by one hand and the lever handle by the other, the lever
handle is then pressed down by the hand whereby the ledge L of the guide-block is
also pressed down upon the tin and holds the same in position during the operation,
continued depression of the lever handle causes action of the knife whereby the tin is
partly cut open, the lever bandle is brought to rest by a suitably placed stop G, coming
into contact with the part I of slide-block. This stop prevents injury to the hand of the
operator whenever the knife is accidentally or suddenly released from the action of
cutting. By an upward movement of the lever handle the pressure of the ledge Lis
released from the tin which is then easily moved and readjusted for repeating the
operation.
The aforesaid operations are repeated until the tin is cut open to the desired
extent.

page_text: 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,
The mechanical combination and arrangement of a detachable lever E having a
knife H the hand press J and a stop G; a guide-block C having a fulcrum D and a
ledge L all working upon and supported by a guide B substantially as shown by
the drawings.
Dated this 9th day of May 1896.
RUPERT THOMAS COOKE.