US1490149A - Bottle opener - Google Patents

Description

H. L. VAUGHAN BOTTLE OPENER Filed Dec. l. 1921 I z Y L. VAUGHN, 0F CHICAGG, KLIL'EIG, ASSIGNOE T0 VAUGHAN NOVELTY y hdilddd C0., @0F CHICAGO, ILLNIS, A CORPOTQION 0F ILLINOIS.

BTTLE OPEN To 'all lwhom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HARRY L. VAUGHAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle Open-- ers, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in bottle openers, and more particularly to devices for removing the so-called crown-cap type of closure ,from bottles.

The object of the invention'is to provide a simple and inexpensive utensil of the character described whereby the removal of the caps may be accomplished with ease, certainty and little effort on the part of the user.

ylhe preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichgig. 1 is a perspective view of the opener, an

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the opener as applied to a bottle cap immediately before pressure is applied thereto.

The opener is preferabl classed as a sheet metal article formed suI tantially complete in a single stamp-ing operation.

ln general, the opener consists of a straight lever-like bar having at one end a hooked cap-engaging portion A and a handle portion B. ln the formation of the opener a strip of metal is utilized, the same being first stamped out in the lform of a blank of proper conformation and then bent into ultimate form by means of suitable dies, such conformation being chieHy characterized by flanges C, C extending around the edgesl of a body portion D, and serving chiedy to reinforce the device against bending when pressure is applied to the handle in the operation of removing the cap.

The cap-engaging portion A of the opener consists of an end portion bent obliquely to the remaining portion, and provided with marginal fianges a tapering slightly toward the extremity of said cap-engaging portion, which terminates in a lipv E struck inwardly and substantially at right angles to the oblique portion in a direction generally parallel to the handle portion B. The edge of the lip is preferably concave, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, thereby enabling the same to fit closely against the rounded surface of the bottle neck immediately beneath the crimpedsedge of the bottle cap F shown in Fig. 2 as fitted upon the neck of the bottle G. ln order to reinforce the capengaging -portion A and prevent the same from bemg bent or otherwise distorted in use, there are provided ribs b extending longitudinally of the oblique portion, these ribs being stamped in the metal during the orming operation.

'.llhe portions of the flanges C, C extending longitudinali of the opener and immediately adjacent t e cap-engaging portion A, are extended transversely and curved convexly to provide a pair of curvilinear bearing edges H, H adapted to engage the top surface of the bottle cap F during the operation of removing the cap, as will hereinafter be pointed out. Located intermediate the longitudinal flanges C, C, and projecting from the body portion D adjacent the cap-engaging portion A is a metaLstud l having a sharpened' extremity extending slightly beyond the edges of the curved bearing edges H, H. Furthermore, the stud l is located just forward of the bearing edges H and the lip E so that on applying the opener to a bottle cap, said stud strikes substantially the center of its top surface, as clearly shown in F ig. 2.

ln applying the opener to the cap F to be removed, the cap-engaging portion is first hooked over the cap so that the lip E engages beneath the crimped edge of the said cap and the point of the stud I bears downwardly against the top surface of the cap. By applying a downward pressure on the handle B it is obvious that the point of the stud l is driven into the cap, and the bearing edges H, H are brought into contact with the to of the bottle cap on the op site side of t e stu-d l, thus forming a lcrum intermediate the points of application of the downward pressure and the upward force acting on the edge of the cap through the lip E. The continued pressure upon the handle B results in a rollmg contact of the bearing edges H upon the cap, the point at which the lever action is fulcrumed shifting outwardly toward the handle as the same. is advanced downwardly.

In describing the action of the implement in removing a bottle cap, the various ste s are described as taking place successive y, although in actual operation it is manifest that the removal of the cap is accomplished in such a short s ce of time that the action is substantially mstantaneous. However, it

is to be pointed out that the fulcruin of the, lever action is shifting, due to the rolling contact of the bearing edges H, H with the top of the cap. It is to'be further pointed out that the main function of the pointed stud I is to partially pierce the cap, thereb preventing the opener from slipping from tlie cap after it has beenv applied and pressure exerted on the handle.

It is to be noted that the operation of removing a cap vby the use of an opener herein described is accomplished by a downward pressure on the handle rather than an upward pull, tending to lift the edge 0f the cap, as is characteristic of the more common forms of openers. The advantage of the present arrangement resides in the fact that, by virtue of the shifting fulcrum, a greater initial leverage is applied to distort the cap suiiicientl to overcome its grip upon the mouth o the bottle. As continued pressure is applied and the cap gradually loses its resistance 4to removal, and the leverage is automatically decreased by the shifting of the fulcrum toward the handle, with the result that the cap is not removed suddenly. but gives away gradually with little or no abrupt movement at the completion of the operationJ Having fully set forth the construction of the device and the advantages thereof, I claim as my invention:

l. A bottle opener comprising a lever provided at one end with a cap-engaging portion adapted to extend over and beneath the edges of a cap and a convex bearing surface formed adjacent the cap-engaging end thereof, and adapted for rolling coni tact therewith.

2. A bottle opener comprising a lever provided at one end with a lip adapted to be engaged beneath the edge of a cap, convex transverse bearing edges spaced inwardly from said lip, and a stud mounted intermediate said lip and said bearing edges and having a pointed end projecting beyond said bearing edges.

3. A bottle opener comprising a lever having a cap-engaging port-ion at one end, and a marginal liange having extended convex portions spaced mwardly from said cap-engaging portion and a sharpened .stud fixed to said lever beneath said convex portions and said cap-engaging portion, the sharpened end thereof projecting beyond the edges of said convex portions.

4. A bottle opener comprising a lever, provided at one end with a cap-engaging portion havin a. lip extending downwardly around sai cap and engaging beneath the edge thereof, transversely spaced convex bearing edges disposed inwardly from said cap-engaging portion and adapted for rolling contact with the top of said cap, and a pointed stud fixed between said conve-X hearing edges and said cap-engaging ortion, the pointed end of said stud pro]ect ing beyond said edges and adapted to pierce the cap in the act of pressing the bearing edges into contact therewith.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my'name this 21st day of November, A.

HARRY L. VAUGHAN.

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