Appliance for opening screw-top jars

An appliance for simplifying the task of unscrewing a tightly-screwed-on cap from a jar, wherein:

• the appliance comprises a body of sheet metal;
• the body of sheet metal is bent over to form a left flange along a left edge, and is bent over to form a right flange along a right edge, the body of sheet metal forming a predominantly flat panel between the bent-over flanges;
• the flanges are so arranged as to define therebetween a taper, which is suitable for receiving the screw-cap;
• the flat panel between the flanges is free of perforations, being perforations of a size that, if present, would effect the stiffness, in bending, of the panel;
• the right flange includes a riser, the riser being bent up from the plane of the panel, and includes a platform, the platform being bent inwards from the riser whereby (a thickness-edge of the metal) forming the right flange faces towards the left flange;
• (the said thickness-edge of the right flange) is formed with teeth, which are effective, when in forceful contact with the screw-cap, to substantially prevent sliding or slipping of the screw-cap along the right flange;
• the left flange is bent up from (a plane of the panel) and includes a folded portion so arranged as to increase the overall thickness of the left flange beyond the thickness of the sheet;
• in respect of the folded portion, the metal of the left flange is folded to form a riser depending from the flat panel, the riser being so folded with respect to the flat panel that, after folding the riser extends away from the flat panel;
• the metal of the left flange is folded to form a platform depending from the riser, the platform being so folded with respect to the riser that, after folding the platform extends inwards towards the right flange, and lies parallel to the flat panel;
• the metal of the left flange is folded to form a hemmed portion depending from the platform, the hemmed portion being so folded with respect to the platform that, after folding, the hemmed portion extends inwards and back towards the flat panel, whereby, after folding, the hemmed portion lies inside the riser and doubled under with respect to the riser;
• the left flange is arranged with a smooth surface, which is arranged for contact with the screw-cap, and along which, when in contact with the screw-cap, the screw cap can slide and slip;
• the thickness of the sheet metal is sufficient that the appliance is stiff and strong enough to react and contain, between the flanges, a gripping force of sufficient magnitude to hold the cap against the forceful turning of the jar, being a turning force of the maximum magnitude that can be exerted by a person holding and turning the jar.