Can opener

Claim 2

A motor driven can opener of the type having a housing enclosing an electric motor which is drivingly connected to a can rotating means and cutting means movably mounted on said housing for engagement with the top of a can being opened, the improvement comprising pivot means projecting from said housing, a manually operable lever mounted on said pivot means for rotation thereon, a cutter supported on said lever and rotatable therewith into and out of engagement with the cover of a can, said cutter being mounted for slidable and rotatable movement with respect to said lever, said cutter engaging said pivot means to retain said lever against axial movement with respect to said pivot means and being slidable to disengage said cutter from said pivot means and release said lever for axial movement with respect to and for disengagement from said pivot means to removably support said lever and cutter with respect to said housing.

Claim 3

The can opener of claim 1 wherein said lever comprises a pair of spaced plates with said cutter being received in a recess therebetween, manually operable release means supported for slidable movement between said plates in engagement with said cutter, spring means biasing said cutter and said release into latching engagement with said pivot means.

Claim 4

The can opener of claim 1 wherein said cutter is formed with a keyhole-shaped slot, the width of the wide portion of said slot being larger than the diameter of said pivot means, a peripheral groove formed in said pivot means, the diameter of said pivot means at said groove being less than the width of the narrow portion of said slot, said cutter being movable between a latching position in retaining engagement with said pivot means and a release position in which said lever and said cutter may be removed from said pivot means, said cutter in said latching position being received in said groove with said pivot means at the narrow portion of said keyhole-shaped slot.

Claim 5

The can opener of claim 2 wherein said spring means comprises an elongated spring restrained at its opposite ends between said plates, means on said cutter engaging the midpoint of saId spring, said spring urging said cutter into latching engagement with said pivot means.

Claim 6

The can opener of claim 4 wherein said lever is formed with spaced abutments which permit limited pivotal movement of said cutter with respect to said lever about said pivot means, said spring being deflected by said means on said cutter as said cutter is rotated in a direction opposite to the direction in which it is rotated by the cutting action on the cover of a can.

Claim 7

A can opener comprising support means mounting a motor operated can rotating wheel and a movable cutting mechanism in juxtaposition to grip a can and to sever the cover as it is rotated, said cutting mechanism including a lever mounted for pivotal movement about a fixed axis on said support means, a cutter carried by said lever and movable by said lever between a retracted position in which it is radially spaced from said wheel to a cutting position in which it overlaps said wheel, said cutter being supported for limited pivotal movement with respect to said lever about said fixed axis, motor actuating means to drive said wheel when said lever is rotated to the cutting position for said cutter, during the opening of a can said can engages said cutter to rotate said lever to continuously operate said motor actuating means until said cover is severed from said can, spring means biasing said cutter to said overlapping position with respect to said wheel when said lever is in engagement with said motor actuating means, said cutter being rotatable in opposition to said spring means by the engagement with said can cover so that said lever may operate said actuating means prior to said cutter piercing said cover or moving to said overlapping position.

Claim 8

A can opener comprising support means mounting a motor operated can rotating wheel and a movable cutting mechanism in juxtaposition to grip a can and to sever the cover as it is rotated, said cutting mechanism including a lever mounted for pivotal movement about a fixed axis on said support means, a cutter carried by said lever and movable by said lever between a retracted position in which it is radially spaced from said wheel to a cutting position in which it overlaps said wheel, said cutter being supported for limited pivotal movement with respect to said lever about said fixed axis, motor actuating means to drive said wheel when said lever is rotated to the cutting position for said cutter, during the opening of a can said can engages said cutter to rotate said lever to continuously operate said motor actuating means until said cover is severed from said can, spring means biasing said cutter to said overlapping position with respect to said wheel when said lever is in engagement with said motor actuating means, said cutter being rotatable in opposition to said spring means by the engagement with said can cover so that said lever may operate said actuating means prior to said cutter piercing said cover or moving to said overlapping position.

Claim 9

The can opener of claim 6 wherein said cutting mechanism is readily detachable from said support means, said cutter being mounted on said lever for movement radially of said fixed axis to releasably latch said mechanism with respect to said support means.

Claim 10

The can opener of claim 7 wherein said spring means biases said cutter into latching engagement with bearing means extending from said support means, manually operable means on said lever for displacing said cutter radially of said fixed axis against the biasing force of said spring means to unlatch said cutter from said bearing means permitting said mechanism to be detached from said support means by moving it axially with respect to said bearing means.

Claim 11

The can opener of claim 7 wherein said cutter comprises a plate supported on said lever for rotatable and slidable movement in a plane perpendicular to said fixed axis, said bearing means being a boss projecting from said support means through an opening in said cutter, said boss having an annular groove within which said cutter is received to latch said mechanism against detachment from said support means.

Claim 12

The can opener of claim 6 wherein said cutting mechanism comprises a pair of spaced plate members clamped together in abutting relation with a space formed therebetween to support said cutter for slidable movement, said bearing means comprising a boss extending through said lever and said cutter, said lever and cutter pivoting on said boss and said cutter being movable radially of said boss to detachably retain said mechanism with respect to said support means.

Claim 13

A motor operated can opener of the type having a power operated can rotating wheel for turning a can the top of which is engaged by a fixed cutter to sever the top from the can, the improvement comprising a vertical frame plate supporting a can cutting mechanism and a can rotating wheel in vertically spaced relation, said wheel being mounted on the end of a first shaft journaled on said frame plate, a second shaft positioned above said first shaft and secured rigidly to said plate, said second shaft supporting said cutting mechanism including a cutter which overlaps with said wheel to grip the side wall of a can therebetween, said first and second shafts being parallel and on A fixed axial spacing, said frame plate being flexible between said first and second shafts to vary the spacing of said cutter and said wheel only through the flexure of said plate between said first and second shafts to accommodate cans of various dimensions therebetween.

Claim 14

A motor operated can opener of the type having a power operated can rotating wheel for turning a can the top of which is engaged by a fixed cutter to sever the top from the can, the improvement comprising a vertical frame plate supporting a can cutting mechanism and a can rotating wheel in vertically spaced relation, said wheel being mounted on the end of a first shaft journaled on said frame plate, a second shaft positioned above said first shaft and secured rigidly to said plate, said second shaft supporting said cutting mechanism including a cutter which overlaps with said wheel to grip the side wall of a can therebetween, said first and second shafts being parallel and on A fixed axial spacing, said frame plate being flexible between said first and second shafts to vary the spacing of said cutter and said wheel only through the flexure of said plate between said first and second shafts to accommodate cans of various dimensions therebetween.

Claim 15

The can opener of claim 11 wherein said frame plate is formed of a flexible metallic sheet, plastic portions molded integrally to said metallic sheet to form can guides and supports for said first shaft and for a motor mounted to said plate in driving connection with said first shaft.

Claim 16

The can opener of claim 11 including a motor supported on said frame plate, reduction gearing drivingly interconnecting said motor and said first shaft, a rigid bracket extending between said motor and said first shaft to prevent variation in the spacing between said first shaft and said motor.

Claim 17

The can opener of claim 11 wherein said reduction gearing includes a double reduction having an intermediate shaft between said first shaft and the output shaft of said motor, said intermediate shaft being supported on said motor field and journaling a gear and pinion which drivingly interconnect said output shaft and said first shaft, said bracket extending between said intermediate shaft and said first shaft.

Claim 18

The can opener of claim 11 wherein said can cutting mechanism includes a lever journaled on said second shaft separately from said cutter whereby the force exerted outwardly on said cutter by said can is transmitted directly from said cutter to said second shaft and not transmitted through said lever.