AN IMPROVED CAN-OPENER
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN ALLISON, of the firm of Allison Brothers, of 52 Chancery
Lane, London, in the county of Middlesex, Patent Agents, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED CAN-OPENER," a communication to me
from abroad by Henry Arthur Herbert, Gentleman, of 155 Temple Court, and
Leopold Séldner, Broker, of 115 Nassau Street, both in the City and State of New
York, United States of America, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:—.
This invention relates to can-openers, and it has for its object to provide a device
of this character, whereby ordinary sheet-metal cans or boxes are capable of being
cut open in the most expeditious and convenient manner. A further object of the
invention is to provide an improved form of knife which will make a clean cut
around the can, the walls of the slot or slit being turned downwards, so that the
can may not be defaced and can be used for kitchen and other useful purposes, as
may be found desirable.
With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of
construction and combination of parts, as herein after set forth and particularly
pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view, showing my improved can-opener in position
for use.
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.
Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view looking at the cutter-wheel and pointed knife
from one side.
Fig. 4 is a similar view looking at the opposite side.
Like letters refer to corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.
Referring to the drawings, A represents a longitudinal slotted shank or bar
having its ends turned down, as at B C, a handle D being formed with or attached.
to the end B and a forwardly projecting pointed barb or tongue E extending from
the end C. and adapted to serve as the pivot or fulcrum of the implement.
In practice, I prefer to construct the bar, handle and barb or tongue from
ne piece of metal, since the cost will be reduced considerably thereby, but it is
Prine Gd1

page_text: apparent that the barb or tongue may be threaded to screw into the end C, or the
handle may be of wood and attached to the bar in any suitable manner.
Within the slot F of the bar A works the shank G of the knife K, the end of
the said shank which projects above the bar being threaded at H to be received by
the internally threaded opening I of the clamping collar or nut J, the latter being
arranged to bear against the upper face of the bar A and having its upper end
provided with a square head L, the sides of which are concaved to receive the
fingers in adjusting the knife or cutter.
The body of the knife on each side of the shank beans against the underside of
the bar A, so as to be held in an upright position, said knife having vertical
sides M M¹, tapered or bevelled off to a diamond-shaped point N, a slot O being
cut through the knife above this point and extending from the side M nearly to the
other side M'. The walls a b of this slot O terminate at the inner end in an
enlarged recess d, the upper wall a being straight, and the lower wall b having an
upwardly extending projection or point e, and tapering downward and outward
from this projection to provide a large mouth for the slot. To one side of the
knife is journalled a cutter-wheel 2 having its outer periphery bevelled to provide
a cutting edge, the wheel extending downward so as to partially cover the slot O;
and working flat against the projection or point e, of the lower wall of the slot.
The operation of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing
description taken in connection with the annexed drawings.
The implement is adjusted to the can by inserting the barb or tongue E near the
centre of the head or top of the can, then adjusting the knife to the size of cut to
be made, and finally pressing the point of the knife through the can close to the
rim until the cutter-wheel comes in contact with the can. Then by drawing the
implement around by the handle, the barb or tongue E acting as the fulcrum, the
cutter-wheel is caused to revolve and cut a concentric slot or slit in the can-top
close to the rim thereof. It will be seen that the flaring mouthed slot O, enables
the portion of the can not cut by the cutter-wheel to be received between the
projection or point e in the bottom wall 6 of the slot and the said wheel.
As seen,
the bottom wall b presses the can-top which is being acted upon against the cutter-
wheel, and as the latter revolves, its sharp edge makes the slit or slot, as aforesaid.
The recess d allows the free passage of the knife through the slit as it is cut in the
can-top, so that there will be no hitching in the operation. The diamond-shaped
point at the lower end of the knife readily penetrates the can-top until the slot O,
fits around the upper and under faces of the said top, the enlarged mouth of said
slot permitting the free passage of the knife in operation, and allowing the cutter-
wheel to act on the top. The clamping nut having the square head formed there-
with and binding against the upper face of the bar A serves to adjust the knife to
cut different sizes of slots, according to the size of the can, the concaved walls of
the head being of special convenience in operating the nut.
The implement is simple in construction and efficient in use, and will cut a clean
concentric slot or slit around the top of a can as close to the rim thereof as desired,
the edges or walls of the slot being turned downwards, so as not to deface the can,
which may be used for cooking or other purposes as desired.
It will be apparent that various modifications may be resorted to without
changing the scope of my invention. In place of only one cutter-wheel I may
employ two as found desirable, or may leave them off altogether, since the peculiar
construction of the slot, the walls of which are sharpened, will serve to cut the can-
top without the use of the cutter-wheel.
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. In a can-opener, the combination with the bar having a handle at one end and
a barb or tongue acting as a fulcrum at the other end, of a knife adjustable
longitudinally in said bar, and having a slot cut through the same to fit around the

page_text: upper and under faces of the can-top, the walls of said slot being sharpened, for
the purpose set forth.
2. In a can-opener, the combination with the bar A having a handle at one end,
and a fulcrum tongue at the other end, of a knife longitudinally adjustable on said
bar, and having vertical sides tapered to a diamond-shaped point, and a slot O, cut
in the knife above this point, the latter being adapted to penetrate the can-top and
allow the slot O, to fit around the upper and under faces thereof, the bottom wall of
the slot being sharpened to act on the under face of the can-top, as set forth.
3. In a can-opener, the combination with the slotted bar A, having its ends
turned down at B, C, a barb or tongue E extending from the end C, and a handle
secured to or formed with the other end B, of the knife having its shank G
working in the slot of the bar A, the end of the shank projecting above the bar
and threaded, as shown, and a clamping collar fitted over the extension of the shank
and having its upper end formed with a square head, the sides of which are
concaved, for the purpose set forth.
4. In a can-opener, the combination with a bar having a fulcrum tongue at one
end, and a handle at the other, of a knife adjustable longitudinally on said bar, and
adapted to penetrate the can-top, and a cutter-wheel attached to the knife and
arranged to revolve against the can-top to cut a concentric slot or slit therein, for
the purpose set forth.
5. In a can-opener, the combination with a bar having a fulcrum tongue at one
end and a bar at the other, of a knife adjustable longitudinally on said bar and
adapted to penetrate the can-top, and a cutter-wheel journalled to one side of the
knife and bevelled on its periphery to provide a cutting edge or wall of the slot
downwards, for the purpose set forth.
6. In a can-opener, the combination with a bar having a fulcrum tongue at one
end, and a handle at the other end, of a knife adjustable longitudinally on said bar
and having its end pointed to penetrate the can-top, a slot cut through the knife
above said point, and a cutter-wheel journalled to the knife above the slot and
working against the can-top, as set forth.
7. In a can-opener, the combination with a bar having a fulcrum tongue at one
end, a handle at the other end, of a knife longitudinally adjustable on said bar, and
having a diamond-shaped point to penetrate the can-top, a slot cut through the
knife from one side nearly to the other above this point, and a cutter-wheel
journalled to the knife above the slot and working against the lower wall of said
slot, for the purpose set forth.
8. In a can-opener the combination with a bar having a fulcrum tongue at one
end, a handle at the other end, of a knife longitudinally adjustable on said bar, and
having its end pointed to penetrate the can-top, a slot cut nearly through the knife
above the pointed end from one side to the other, the lower wall of said slot having
an upwardly extending point or projection, and tapering down from said projection
to provide an enlarged mouth for the slot, and a cutter-wheel journalled to the side
of the knife and working against the projection, for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 9th day of February 1885.
ALLISON BROS.,
52, Chancery Lane,
Agents for the Applicant.