An Improved Can Opener for Opening Hermetically Sealed Cans, Canisters, and the like.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 12th Feb.,
1898
COME LEIE
An Improved Can Opener for Opening Hermetically Sealed Cans,
Canisters, and the like.
I, JOSEPH SAMUEL BEEMAN, of 182, Earls Court Road, London, S.W., Engineer, 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 improved can opener for opening hermetically sealed
cans, canisters and the like, especially such cans, canisters and the like as have an
inner attached cover or top of tagger tin or equivalent metallic covering and an
outer separate lid or cover. The said invention consists in an improved instrument
for enabling such cans, canisters and the like to be readily opened and is in no way
a part of or attached to any part of the cans, canisters or the like, and is of such a
shape and form and weight as to be readily packed or stored away in between the
separate lid and tagger top or other equivalent covering of such cans, canisters and
the like, when such separate lids are used and supplied with the said cans, canisters
and the like.
One object I have in view is to provide a cheap can opener of little weight and of
such a design as to be readily packed. or stored away between the tagger top of a can
and its separate lid, especially in the vacant space so common in this class of cans
and that shall be sufficiently strong and serviceable for cutting one can top open.
Although my can opener can be made of cast metal, I prefer in carrying out this
invention to stamp it from a sheet of metal preferably steel in such a manner as to
form along one edge three projections the middle one being shaped as a cutter. The
portions of the edge between these three projections form checks to prevent the
cutter entering the tagger top to too great a depth.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:-
Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the drawings.
Figure 1 represents an elevation of my can opener as it leaves the stamp formed
out of sheet metal, said can opener as represented being only suitable for opening
circular cans, but being suitable when bent as hereinafter described for opening not
only circular but oval or square or oblong cans, canisters, or the like, having tagger
tin or equivalent tops.
a represents the handle, the upper end of which may be of any convenient shape,
and may be in any convenient direction as shewn in full lines in Figures 1, 2, 4, 4A,
and 13, or in the direction of the dotted lines in those figures. The three projec-
tions from the lower end of the plate are represented by e be¹. In this figure b is
shaped as a cutter having its two cutting sides by preference symmetrical. I prefer
the V shaped cutter as shown. It is not even necessary that the cutter should be
sharpened on its cutting edges as it will be found in practice that the edges of the
cutter as they leave the stamping tool are sufficiently sharp to sever the tagger tin
top of the can. The remaining two projections e el serve the purpose of guides, a
portion of each of which guides sit during use upon the outer circumference of the
can, it is preferable but not necessary that these guides e e¹ should be longer or
project further downward than the cutter b from the handle a.

page_text: These
The edges c c¹ of the metal plate between e and b and between 6 and e¹ serve as
checks to prevent the cutter entering the tagger top to too great a depth. The
ends d d¹ of the edges c c¹ are preferably equi-distant from the centre line of the
cutter b. The projections e e¹ have edges ff¹. These edges start from d and d¹
and terminate at d² and d³. As shown in this Figure 1 these edges are at right
angles to the checks c c¹ and this is preferable although not necessary.
edges and fare the portions of the guides e e¹ which sit upon the outer circum-
ference of the can or canister. Between the ends d² and d³ is the space g which is
a means provided whereby the distance of the cut in the tagger top from the outside
edge of the can is determined. The distance between the edges f f is greater or
less according to the diameter of the can the opener is intended to open, or
according to the size of the hole required to be cut in the tagger top.
If required for opening tagger topped square cans the opener must be bent into a
more or less complete curve as shewn in Figures 4 and 44.
Figure 2 represents a horizontal cross section on line H I of Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a side elevation of the blank described and illustrated in
Figure 1.
Figure 4 represents a horizontal cross section on line H I of Figure 1 after the
blank has been curved.
Figure 4 represents a horizontal cross section on line H I of Figure 1 after the
blank has been bent into an angular formn.
Figure 5 represents a side elevation of the blank described and illustrated in
Figure 1 after being more or less bent, as shewn in cross section in Figures 4
and 4A.
The cutter or the guides or all of them may be bent somewhat as shewn in side
elevation in Figure 6, but this is not advisable as it tends to weaken the instrument
and prevent its doing good work.
In order to save weight of metal by using thinner material, I can impress, emboss,
corrugate, or otherwise strengthen the can opener as shewn in Figure 7.
Figure 8 represents the top of a circular can j having a tagger top with the can
opener such as is described and illustrated by Figures 1, 2 and 3. Said can opener
having been placed in position and pushed home and partially moved as hereinafter
described, thereby cutting away the tagger tin top k, the incision made in the tagger
tin top k being represented by the line marked 7.
Figure 9 represents a cross section on line P. Q. of Figure 8 shewing the can
opener in its cutting position on the top and side o of the can j.
Figure 10 represents the top of a square can j having a tagger tin top with the
can opener such as is described and illustrated by Figures 1, 2 and 3, after said can
opener has been bent or curved by the operator as described under Figures 4, 4ª and 5.
Said can opener having been placed in position and pushed home and partially moved,
thereby cutting into the tagger tin top k, the incision made in the tagger tin top k
being represented by the line marked t.
Figure 11 represents a cross section on line M N of Figure 8
opener in its cutting position on the top k and side o of the can j.
2"
shewing the can
Figure 12 represents a cross section of a circular can ; with a tagger tin top k
furnished with a separate lid r, and between the lid and tagger top k the method
of packing or storing the can opener represented by 8. In some cases the lid r or
tagger top k may be recessed. The recess being approximately the shape of the can
opener s, so that the can opener will be prevented from moving about during transit
from place to place.
The method of using the can opener is as follows, and for the purpose of more
readily explaining it I will do so in reference to circular cans. Referring to Figure 12
the separate lid is first removed and laid on one side. The can opener is taken in the
right hand and gripped by the handle a the can j being held at its bottom end in
the left hand. The ends of the guides e e¹ being laid on the side of the free end of
the can as shewn in Figure 13, the can opener is then pushed towards the left hand
thereby causing the cutter b to pierce the tagger top. The next operation is to
+

page_text: rotate the tin and can opener in opposite directions until the portion of the tagger
tin top is separated from the can.
The can opener above described may be varied but not advantageously by shaping
the two guides as two cutters and shaping the cutter as a guide, or by shaping all the
three projections as three cutters, of which two may act as guides.
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 consisting of a plate having along one of its edges projections in
its plane serving as guides and a cutter the edge between the projections serving as a
stop substantially as described.
2. A can opener such as is referred to in Claim 1 which is afterwards bent
substantially as described.
3. Can openers substantially as described and shewn in the drawings.