Improved Machine to Open Metal Cans.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 25th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 13th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Machine to Open Metal Cans.
HENRY WREN ROWLAND Commercial Traveller 3 Regent Road Blundlesands
Liverpool and WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON Commercial Traveller Mayfield
Villas Aughton Ormskirk do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention is a machine constructed to open metal cans quickly, neatly & so
easily that practically no manipulating skill, but only force is required. It is an
arrangement of two levers & a two edged knife divided into two halves one of
The lever acting
which is attached to one lever & the other to the other.
vertically holds the can & forces divided knife through top of can, the lever acting
horizontally then forces half of knife attached to it, to cut through the top of can
near circumference nearly all the way round it, it would not matter if it made can
revolve, as other half of knife would cut instead. The one lever A is provided
with a strong hoop B made to fit can (to which is attached one half of divided
knife C) hinges from bearing D, the other lever E has other half of the knife F
attached to it, & binges from bearing G which forms part of the other lever;
the apparatus is mounted on a bed plate H which should be screwed to a
counter. To work machine hinge main lever back & put can in place on bed plate,
see halves of knife are together & draw hoop down on can & then make kuife cut
round the can by means of small lever.
Cambo 1905
H. W. ROWLAND.
WM. H. HARRISON.
χαρτονου
We HENRY WREN ROWLAND of 3 Regent Road, Blundlesands, near Liverpool,
and WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON of Mayfield Villas, Aughton, Ormskirk, both
in the County of Lancaster, Commercial Travellers, 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 an improved machine or apparatus constructed for
opening metal cans quickly, neatly, and so easily that practically no manipulative
skill and only a reasonable amount of force is required.
The said invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed will
be readily understood on reference to the sheet of drawings hereunto annexed and
the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the drawing is a side elevation, Fig. 2 an end view and Fig. 3 a plan
view of our improved can opener, Figs. 4 5 and 6 being detached views of
separate parts hereinafter more particularly referred to.
The improved machine consists principally of an arrangement of two levers
(one working on a horizontal and the other on a vertical axis) and a two edged
knife divided into two halves one of which is attached to one lever, and the other
other

page_text: The frame of the machine consists of a base-plate a which is to be screwed to a
counter or table; and is made with a recess to receive the bottom of the can, and
a standard b to support the horizontal fulcrum pin or axis c of the principal
lever d. This lever d is provided with a strong hoop e to fit the top of the can
so that by pressing down the lever d the can will be held firmly between the hoop e
and the base-plate a and prevented from turning.
To the hoop e of this lever d is connected the fixed half f of the knife, the
movable half + of the same being attached to the other lever 7 which turns on a
vertical axis also carried by the hoop e of the lever d.
The action of the apparatus in opening a can is as follows: the bottom of the
can being placed in the recess in the base-plate a the lever d is pressed down
causing the hoop e to take a firm hold on the top of the can, and at the same
time forcing the two halves ff+ of the knife (the points of which are then close
together, see enlarged section Fig. 4) through the top of the can near to the edge
thereof.
The lever d being still held down with one hand, the lever g is then pulled round
horizontally with the other hand in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 3) until the
movable part of the knife comes round into the position shewn by dotted lines
on Fig. 4 thus cutting a circular piece out of the top of the can with the exception
of a short web (represented by the dotted line z on Fig. 4) the part of the knife
remaining fixed, and the can not revolving.
But even if, owing to a deficiency of pressure being given to the lever d, the
can might be partially drawn round the result will be the same, as in that case the
fixed part of the knife will cut a portion of the circle.
Instead of making the lever d and its hoop e in the form shewn at Fig. 1 we
.propose sometimes to modify the form thereof as shewn at Fig. 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
The improved machine for opening metal cans consisting principally of the
combination of two levers (one working on a horizontal and the other on a vertical
axis) and a two edged knife divided into two halves, one of which is attached to
one lever, and the other to the other, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Dated this 24th day of April 1896.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.