Devices for opening and handling from a distance a container, and in particular an irradiated tube

Claim 1

A DEVICE FOR CUTTING ONE END OF A CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER, WHICH COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION, A FRAME, A PLATE MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME FOR SUPPORTING SAID CONTAINER, MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID CONTAINER ON SAID PLATE, A WHEEL JOURNALLED IN SAID FRAME ABOUT AN AXIS IN COINCIDENCE WITH THAT OF SAID CONTAINER, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID WHEEL FROM A DISTANCE, A PLANETARY GEAR TRAIN SUPPORTED BY SAID WHEEL, THE RESPECTIVE AXES OF THE GEARS OF SAID TRAIN BEING ALL PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID WHEEL, A GEAR WHEEL FIXED IN SAID FRAME COAXIALLY WITH SAID WHEEL, THE FIRST GEAR OF SAID GEAR TRAIN BEING IN MESH WITH SAID GEAR WHEEL, A CAM HAVING ITS CLOSED OUTLINE IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID AXIS, THIS CAM BEING FIXED TO THE LAST GEAR OF SAID GEAR TRAIN COAXIALLY WITH RESPECT THERETO, A TOOL HOLDER GUIDED RADIALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID WHEEL ABOUT A RADIAL PLANE THEREOF INTERSECTING SAID CAM OUTLINE, SAID TOOL HOLDER HAVING A WALL TRANSVERSE TO SAID RADIAL PLANE ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID CAM TO RECEIVE THEREFROM A RADIAL MOVEMENT IN ADDITION TO THE CIRCULAR MOVEMENT IMPARTED THERETO BY SAID WHEEL, MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY URGING SAID TOOL HOLDER WALL AGAINST SAID CAM AND A TOOL HAVING ITS CUTTING EDGE IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID AXIS, SAID TOOL BEING CARRIED BY SAID TOOL HOLDER AND EXTENDING FROM SAID TOOL HOLDER TOWARD SAID AXIS, SAID TOOL AND SAID CAM BEING SO DIMENSIONED AND POSITIONED THAT, AS SAID WHEEL IS ROTATIN, SAID TOOL CUTTING EDGE IS CAUSED FIRST TO SLIDE ALONG THE WALL OF SAID CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER, THEN TO CUT MORE AND MORE THEREINTO IN A GRADUAL AND CONTINUOUS MANNER, AND FINALLY TO MOVE AWAY THEREFROM AFTER CUTTING OF SAID WALL.

Claim 2

A DEVICE FOR CUTTING ONE END OF A CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER, WHICH COMPRISES, IN COMBINATION, A FRAME, A PLATE MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME FOR SUPPORTING SAID CONTAINER, MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID CONTAINER ON SAID PLATE, A WHEEL JOURNALLED IN SAID FRAME ABOUT AN AXIS IN COINCIDENCE WITH THAT OF SAID CONTAINER, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID WHEEL FROM A DISTANCE, A PLANETARY GEAR TRAIN SUPPORTED BY SAID WHEEL, THE RESPECTIVE AXES OF THE GEARS OF SAID TRAIN BEING ALL PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF SAID WHEEL, A GEAR WHEEL FIXED IN SAID FRAME COAXIALLY WITH SAID WHEEL, THE FIRST GEAR OF SAID GEAR TRAIN BEING IN MESH WITH SAID GEAR WHEEL, A CAM HAVING ITS CLOSED OUTLINE IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID AXIS, THIS CAM BEING FIXED TO THE LAST GEAR OF SAID GEAR TRAIN COAXIALLY WITH RESPECT THERETO, A TOOL HOLDER GUIDED RADIALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID WHEEL ABOUT A RADIAL PLANE THEREOF INTERSECTING SAID CAM OUTLINE, SAID TOOL HOLDER HAVING A WALL TRANSVERSE TO SAID RADIAL PLANE ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID CAM TO RECEIVE THEREFROM A RADIAL MOVEMENT IN ADDITION TO THE CIRCULAR MOVEMENT IMPARTED THERETO BY SAID WHEEL, MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY URGING SAID TOOL HOLDER WALL AGAINST SAID CAM AND A TOOL HAVING ITS CUTTING EDGE IN A PLANE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID AXIS, SAID TOOL BEING CARRIED BY SAID TOOL HOLDER AND EXTENDING FROM SAID TOOL HOLDER TOWARD SAID AXIS, SAID TOOL AND SAID CAM BEING SO DIMENSIONED AND POSITIONED THAT, AS SAID WHEEL IS ROTATIN, SAID TOOL CUTTING EDGE IS CAUSED FIRST TO SLIDE ALONG THE WALL OF SAID CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER, THEN TO CUT MORE AND MORE THEREINTO IN A GRADUAL AND CONTINUOUS MANNER, AND FINALLY TO MOVE AWAY THEREFROM AFTER CUTTING OF SAID WALL.