GB1598741A - Tubular propellant charge packaging container - Google Patents

Description

(54) TUBULAR PROPELLANT CHARGE PACKAGING CONTAINER (71) We, SOCIETE DE PROSPECTION ET D'INVENTIONS TECHNIQUES SPIT, a French company, of Route de Lyon, 26500 Bourg-les Valence-France, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The invention relates to a tubular propellant charge packaging container which can be attached to a loading device of a fastener driving tool for constituting a gravityactuated loader.

In order to assume this double function of packaging and loading, such a tube must hold the charges when it is not mounted on the tool, and let them come out when it is effectively mounted on the tool.

Tubes assuming said functions are already known. Some of them have an open and plastically deformed end in order to hold their content, the deformation of said end being cancelled for providing passage to said content. Other, such as the one described in the French Patent 1433987, have an end which is provided with a substantially semicircular part, turned over towards the other end, for retaining the charges by their edge, and upon which may slide a slidable sleeve then preventing the charges from laterally emerging from said tubes.

The first of these case members are generally foreseen for penetrating as male parts into a reception recess of the loading device of a fastener driving tool, and this displays disadvantages. Following the successive uses of these case members, and therefore their successive shape modifications, it may in fact happen that the plastic deformation of their end gradually disappears and that the propellant charges are no longer sufficiently held for allowing their handling in all safety.

As regards the second of said case member, particularly complicated to manufacture as it is, the sliding of their sleeve which must not be too soft requires costly manufacturing tolerances.

Moreover, the American Patent 3610468 describes a sleeve member adaptable to a tablet container. This member is provided with slits forming resilient fingers therebetween which, when the sleeve member is inserted in the container, prevent movement of tablets.

When a closure cap is screwed onto the container, a downwardly projecting cylindrical wall forces the fingers of the sleeve member to move outwardly thus allowing, one tablet to pass therethrough when the container is turned upside down.

American Patent 3409172 also describes a device similar to the above mentioned one, a closure cap operating to move outwardly, or deform, resilient fingers formed between slits provided at the open end of a tubular tablet container, for allowing, one tablet to pass a series of radially extending projections provided on the resilient fingers of the tubular container when the container is turned upside down.

The containers described in these American Patents are thus provided with a member, or a portion thereof, adjacent their open end, which is provided with at least one slit to that said member, or portion, can be deformed for holding the tablets or allowing them to pass therethrough. Such devices can obviously not be used for the loading of a fastener driving tool.

The object of the present invention is therefore to overcome the various disadvantages of the known tubular propellant charge packaging containers for fastener driving tools, in taking into account the features of the above mentioned patents.

The invention provides a packaging container, in which may be packed a plurality of propellant charges, in the form of a tube at least partially closed at one end and having a wall portion adjacent its other end which is provided with one or more slits or cut outs defining wall parts which can be resiliently inwardly displaced and upon which wall parts a surrounding resilient member bears inwardly to cause inward deformation of said wall parts normally to restrict the other end of the tube. This other end can be opened by attaching the container to a loading device of a fastener driving tool in such a manner that the force of the resilient member is overcome.

In a preferred embodiment of the container cut outs are provided which define said wall parts between them.

The resilient member, when the tubular package of the invention is not on the fastener driving tool, causes a reduction of the crosssection of said wall portion of the container, said cross-section being reduced in comparison with that of the remaining part of the container in order to prevent the charges emerging from said other end.

In another embodiment of the package of the invention, slits are provided and form a foldable tongue which, when folded towards the inside of the container by said resilient member reduces the cross-section of the container at said wall portion.

The invention will now be more particularly described in connection with two illustrative embodiments of tubular propellant charge packaging container according to the invention, and with reference to the accompanying drawing thereof, in which: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-section view of a first embodiment of the tubular packaging container according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view along line II--II of Figure 1; Fig. 3 is a partly-sectional view of the container of Figure 1, its portion being deformed for holding the charges; Fig. 4 is a view of the container of Figure 3 mounted on a fastener driving tool; Fig. 5 is a partially cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the tubular packaging container according to the invention;; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line VI-VI of Figure 5; Fig. 7 is a plane view of the deformable portion of the container of Figure 5, and Fig. 8 is a partially cross-sectional view of the container of Figure 5, its wall portion being deformed for holding the charges.

Figures 1 to 4 show a tubular packaging container 1 having its rear end 2 partially closed by being deformed, for instance by heat, to present a closing surface providing an opening 3 having a diameter inferior to that of propellant charges to be packed.

Adjacent its other end 4, which is open and through which the charges are inserted and expelled, tube 1 has a wall portion 5 which is resiliently deformable. In this respect, cut outs 6, for instance substantially in the shape of a laterally rounded lozenge elongated in the longitudinal direction of container 1, have been formed in said wall portion 5 in such manner as to create wall parts 8 which can be inwardly deformed to cause reduction of its passage cross-section to a smaller dimension inferior to the charges' larger diameter in order to hold the latter, as may be seen in Figure 3. To this effect, a resilient member in the form of a ring 7 surrounds portion 5 and bears on parts 8 of its wall which are situated between the openings 6.

In the conformation which is shown in Figure 3, parts 8 of the wall portion 5 are brought near to each other in order to provide a passage cross-section which is reduced in relation to that of the remaining part of package 1, and prevent the passage of the propellent charges 9.

The deformation of wall portion 5 in Figure 3 may be cancelled, as will be seen in Figure 4 which shows container 1 in the position as loader on a loading device 10 of fastener driving tool (not shown).

The loading device 10 comprises a support 11, formed with two arms 12 and 13, the arm 12 being continued in its upper part by a sleeve 16 and a member 14 for transfering the charges into the tool combustion chamber, member 14 being preferably pivotally mounted about a pin which is integral with support 11, in a plane perpendicular to the barrel of the tool, and a closure plate 15 for member 14, also pivotally mounted between member 14 and arm 13 of support 11.

Sleeve 16 comprises an insert 17, one end 21 of which is projecting towards the outside of sleeve 16, and bores 18, 19, 20 of same diameters and substantially equal to the outside diameter of charges 9, are formed respectively in insert 17, sleeve 16 and transfer member 14, in such manner that the charges 9 may pass by gravity from the tubular container 1 into the transfer member 14.

In Figure 4, the tubular container 1 is mounted on the loading device 10, the end 21 of insert 17, which has an outside diameter substantially equal to the inside diameter of container 1, being introduced in portion 5 of element 1, the latter playing role of a female part in the assembly which is thus realized.

When the end 21 of insert 17 is being introduced into wall portion 5, said end moves outwardly, against the action of the resilient ring 7, the wall parts 8 of portion 5 for cancelling the initial deformation of the latter and restore the tubular shape with a passage cross-section adapted for releasing the charge 9, the tubular container 1, which is in abutment against the forward face 22 of sleeve 16, being maintained upon insert 17 by the constriction provided by ring 7. The charges 9 may then enter the transfer member 14 of the device 10 of the fastener driving tool, from container 1 through gravity.

The end 21 of insert 17 may be provided with outside and inside bevels for respectively facilitating the introducing of said insert into container 1 of the invention and that of the charge 9 in said insert.

The container 1 for the charges 9 provides therefore a holding function for said charges when it is not mounted on the loading device 10, and a release function when it is mounted on said device.

Moreover, when the tubular container 1 is disengaged from device 10 by orientating its open end 4 upwards for allowing the descent in reverse direction inside said element of the remaining charges 9, parts 8 of the wall portion 5 which are no longer held by end 21 of insert 17, resiliently resume their initial position under the action of ring 7, and deform portion 5 to its deformed shape which assumes the holding of charges 9 within package 1.

It will be noted that it is after an operation similar to that of assembling package 1 with insert 17, that said package is initially filled with charges 9.

Figures 5 to 7 show another embodiment 101 of the tubular packaging container of the invention.

In the vicinity of its open end 104, tubes 101 comprises a wall portion 105 which is resiliently deformable. Openings or slits 106 have been cut out in the wall portion 105 for providing tongue 124, for instance rectangular, which are intended to be folded under the action of a resilient member in the form of a ring 107 in order to protrude inside said portion, and consequently, as in the previous embodiment, to limit the passage crosssection. In this case, the charges 109 can be held inside container 101 through t'he cooperation of ends 125 of tongue 124 with edges 126 of the charges 109, against which they come in abutment.

Positioning of container 101 on the loading device of a fastener driving tool, as well as its use as loader, are identical to those of the embodiment previously described.

Finally the cut-outs in the said wall portion of the package container according to the invention are not limited to the form of rounded elongated lozenges, and other shapes may also be provided.

Regarding the foldable tongue, they may also assume other shapes and be for instance semi-circular, without departing from the scope of the invention.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS 1. A packaging container, in which may be packed a plurality of propellant charges, in the form of a tube at least partially closed at one end and having a wall portion adjacent its other end which is provided with one or more slits or cut-outs defining wall parts which can be resiliently inwardly displaced and upon which wall parts a surrounding resilient member bears inwardly to cause inward deformation of said wall parts normally to restrict the other end of the tube.

2. A container according to Claim 1, wherein the resilient member is in the form of an elastic ring.

3. A container according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein cut-outs are provided, substantially in the form of a laterally-rounded lozenge elongated in the longitudinal direction of the package.

4. A container according to Claim 1, wherein the or each slit or cut-out forms an opening provided with one of said wall parts in the form of a foldable tongue.

5. A packaging container for a plurality of propellant charges, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A packaging container for a plurality of propellant charges, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A package comprising a packaging container as claimed in any preceeding claim in combination with a plurality of propellant charges held within the tube.

8. A package as claimed in Claim 7, in combination with a fastener driving tool, the said wall portion of the tube having been inserted over a complementary tubular part of a loading device of the tool, the tubular part urging said wall parts outwardly against the force of the resilient member to allow said charges to pass into the tool under the influence of gravity. - -

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (8)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. open end 4 upwards for allowing the descent in reverse direction inside said element of the remaining charges 9, parts 8 of the wall portion 5 which are no longer held by end 21 of insert 17, resiliently resume their initial position under the action of ring 7, and deform portion 5 to its deformed shape which assumes the holding of charges 9 within package 1. It will be noted that it is after an operation similar to that of assembling package 1 with insert 17, that said package is initially filled with charges 9. Figures 5 to 7 show another embodiment 101 of the tubular packaging container of the invention. In the vicinity of its open end 104, tubes 101 comprises a wall portion 105 which is resiliently deformable. Openings or slits 106 have been cut out in the wall portion 105 for providing tongue 124, for instance rectangular, which are intended to be folded under the action of a resilient member in the form of a ring 107 in order to protrude inside said portion, and consequently, as in the previous embodiment, to limit the passage crosssection. In this case, the charges 109 can be held inside container 101 through t'he cooperation of ends 125 of tongue 124 with edges 126 of the charges 109, against which they come in abutment. Positioning of container 101 on the loading device of a fastener driving tool, as well as its use as loader, are identical to those of the embodiment previously described. Finally the cut-outs in the said wall portion of the package container according to the invention are not limited to the form of rounded elongated lozenges, and other shapes may also be provided. Regarding the foldable tongue, they may also assume other shapes and be for instance semi-circular, without departing from the scope of the invention. WHAT WE CLAIM IS

1. A packaging container, in which may be packed a plurality of propellant charges, in the form of a tube at least partially closed at one end and having a wall portion adjacent its other end which is provided with one or more slits or cut-outs defining wall parts which can be resiliently inwardly displaced and upon which wall parts a surrounding resilient member bears inwardly to cause inward deformation of said wall parts normally to restrict the other end of the tube.

2. A container according to Claim 1, wherein the resilient member is in the form of an elastic ring.

3. A container according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein cut-outs are provided, substantially in the form of a laterally-rounded lozenge elongated in the longitudinal direction of the package.

4. A container according to Claim 1, wherein the or each slit or cut-out forms an opening provided with one of said wall parts in the form of a foldable tongue.

5. A packaging container for a plurality of propellant charges, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A packaging container for a plurality of propellant charges, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

7. A package comprising a packaging container as claimed in any preceeding claim in combination with a plurality of propellant charges held within the tube.

8. A package as claimed in Claim 7, in combination with a fastener driving tool, the said wall portion of the tube having been inserted over a complementary tubular part of a loading device of the tool, the tubular part urging said wall parts outwardly against the force of the resilient member to allow said charges to pass into the tool under the influence of gravity. - -