Can opener

A can opener comprising:

• a housing having a handle;
• a cutting wheel having a cutting edge for severing a can wall, said cutting wheel defining a cutting wheel axis;
• a traction wheel having a gripping surface to engage a can, said traction wheel defining a traction wheel axis;
• means rotatably mounting said traction wheel and said cutting wheel in said housing such that their axes are substantially perpendicular and said wheels are positioned adjacent and spaced apart from each other to define a gap adapted to accept a can to be opened, one of said wheels being movable toward the other to engage and lock said can between said cutting wheel and said traction wheel such that said cutting wheel acts to sever said can wall and said traction wheel acts to move said can past said cutting wheel;
• a fixed thrust surface associated with said housing, a spaced, adjacent movable thrust surface associated with said movable wheel, separating means introducible between said thrust surfaces mounted to a lever pivotally attached to said housing the movable between a default position in which said lever is biased away from said housing and a second position in which said lever is depressed between said thrust surfaces to introduce said separating means between said thrust surfaces such that said movable thrust surface is moved away from said fixed thrust surface to displace said movable wheel with respect to said other wheel;
• and
• means associated with one of said wheels to effect rotation thereof.