GB2153331A

GB2153331A - Anti-refilling bottle fitment

Info

Publication number: GB2153331A
Application number: GB08501496A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles Burns Cruickshank
Original assignee: Daniel Montgomery and Son Ltd
Current assignee: Daniel Montgomery and Son Ltd
Priority date: 1984-01-24
Filing date: 1985-01-21
Publication date: 1985-08-21
Also published as: GB8501496D0; GB8401791D0

Abstract

An anti-refill and pouring device comprises an open-ended tubular body 1 containing a ball 6 held captive within the body between an annular valve seat 2 in the body with which the ball is engageable when the bottle is upright to prevent liquid being poured into the bottle and a guard plate (11, Fig. 1) which prevents the ball from leaving the body member when the bottle is inverted but still leaves a continuous passage through the body member. The lower part 1A of the body is a press fit in the bottle, an intermediate flange 5 engages the bottle end, and the upper end, which extends beyond the bottle, has an outwardly curved pouring lip. A metallic ring (not shown) grips the flange and the end of the bottle neck, so preventing withdrawal of the device. The guard plate is held by radial ribs within a tubular member 8 which is a press fit in the tubular body 1, the guard plate having a central spigot (13, Fig. 1) for holding the ball off the guard plate. An annular ridge 10 on the body member 1 prevents the tubular member 8 from being removed after being initially forced past the ridge. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Anti-refilling and pouring device for fitting to bottles This invention relates to anti-refill and pouring devices for fitting to bottles.

Anti-refilling and pouring devices for fitting to bottles are already well known. The device which is the subject of GB patent no.

1 296 637 has been found to be very effective in preventing tampering with the contents of a bottle or in refilling a bottle fitted with the device.

The device of GB 1 296 637 for fitting into the neck of a bottle incorporates a non-return ball valve having a ball cage formed with an annular valve seat surrounding an opening and a ball in the cage which sits in the valve seat to close the opening when the bottle is upright, a tubular cowl connected to the ball cage so that it projects outwards from the neck of the bottle and acts as a pouring spout for liquid passing through the ball cage and a guard plate located in the hollow interior of the cowl to prevent tamperating with the ball within the cage, said guard plate being positioned to leave space around the plate for passage of liquid to the spout when a bottle fitted with the device is inverted.

In the construction of GB patent no.

1 296 637 the cage is formed with an outwardly extending flange and the cowl is a separate component also with an outwardly extending flange into which the flange of the cage is a press fit.

In this known construction it has been found in practice that by applying a sideways directed force to the cowl the cowl can in fact be disengaged from the cage thus opening the cage with consequent loss of the security provided by the device.

It would be an improvement in the security of the device if an alternative construction could be provided in which it was not possible to open the cage and it is an object of the present invention to provide such an alternative construction.

The anti-refill and pouring device of the invention for fitting to the neck of a bottle incorporates an open ended tubular body which is a press fit in the bottle neck and presents an outwardly projecting annular flange engageable with the end of the bottle neck when the device is fitted to the bottle neck, said body being formed at one end with an internal valve seat coaxial with the body, and at the outer end with an annular lip outwardly turned to present a pouring spout, a guard plate held within the hollow interior of the tubular member in such a manner as to leave an open passage through the tubular member and a ball located within the body member and held captive between the guard plate and the valve seat with a limited movement to engage or leave the valve seat.

The guard plate may be attached to a tubular member which is a press fit in the tubular body and may be held within the tubular member by spaced radial ribs extending between the periphery of the guard plate and the inner wall of the tubular member.

The guard plate may be formed with a central spigot projecting towards the valve seat so that the ball is held off the guard plate when the device is inverted.

The inner bore of the body member may be constricted over the portion containing the ball so that the tubular member when pressed into the body member is arrested at the constriction whereby to ensure that the ball has freedom of movement.

The body member may be formed with an internally projecting annular ridge past which the tubular member must be forced when the tubular member is pressed into position in the body member so that the tubular member is prevented by the annular ridge from being readily withdrawn from the body member once it is in place in the body member.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the parts of the device separated from one another and Fig. 2 is a cross section showing the parts engaged with one another.

In the drawings 1 denotes a body member formed at one end with a valve seat 2 and the other end being outwardly turned at 3 to present a pouring spout. The portion 4 of the body member 1 is formed of a diameter to be a press fit in the neck of a bottle, an outwardly projecting flange 5 being located intermediate the ends of the body member 1 on the side of the portion 4 nearer the lip 3 forming the pouring spout. 6 denotes a ball located within a reduced diameter portion 1A of the body member 1 adjacent the valve seat 2 said reduced diameter portion 1A being formed with inwardly projecting ribs 7 to guide the ball 6. 8 denotes a tubular member formed to be a press fit within the body member 1 which presents a tapered portion 9 leading to the reduced diameter portion 1A of the body member 1 and which acts as a stop for the tubular member 8 preventing it from being pressed beyond a predetermined position in the body member 1. 10 denotes an inwardly projecting annular ridge formed in the body member 1 and serving to prevent withdrawal of the tubular member 8 once it has been forced beyond the ridge 1 0. The tubular member 8 incorporates a guard plate 11 which serves to trap the ball 6 within the portion 1 A of the body member 1, the guard plate 11 being connected to the annular portion of the tubular member 8 by means of ribs 1 2 passage from the ball cage being possible around the guard plate 11 and through the sleeve 8 into the pouring lip 3. 1 3 denotes a spigot projecting from the plate 11 towards the ball valve seat 2 and arranged to hold the ball 6 off the guard plate 11 when a bottle fitted with the device is inverted whereby to provide a clear passage past the ball 6 through the tubular member 8.

In practice, the device is fitted to a bottle neck by forcing the portion 4 of the body member into the bottle neck, the flange 5 extending across the outer end of the bottle neck and usually being anchored in a well known manner by a metallic ring which is fitted over the rim of the flange and over the end of the bottle neck and is deformed to grip the bottle neck thus preventing withdrawal of the device.Since the body member 1 is all in one piece no amount of sideward pressure against the portion 4 of the body 1 can provide access or freedom to the ball within the portion 1A and the tubular portion 8 cannot be withdrawn because the guard plate 11 prevents insertion of any instrument which could be hooked around the tubular portion 8 to pull it out, the ridge 10 providing additional security in that direction and preventing the tubular portion 8 from being withdrawn past the ridge 1 0. The device provides complete freedom to pour liquid from the bottle since the ball in coming against the guard plate 11 when the bottle is inverted cannot block the aperture in the tubular member 8.

Free passage past the ball by liquid in the bottle is also assisted where a spigot 1 3 is fitted, the ball being then held well clear of the aperture in the tubular member 8. The spigot 1 3 may be dimensioned to project from the guard plate 11 to a greater extent than that shown if desired.

Claims

1. An anti-refill and pouring device for fitting to the neck of a bottle which incorporates an open ended tubular body which is a press fit in the bottle neck and presents an outwardly projecting annular flange engageable with the end of the bottle neck when the device is fitted to the bottle neck, said body being formed at one end with an internal valve seat coaxial with the body, and at the other end with an annular lip outwardly turned to present a pouring spout, a guard plate held within the hollow interior of the tubular member in such a manner as to leave an open passage through the tubular member and a ball located within the body member and held captive between the guard plate and the valve seat with a limited movement to engage or leave the valve seat.

2. The device claimed in claim 1 in which the guard plate is attached to a tubular member which is a press fit in the tubular body.

3. The device claimed in claim 2 in which the guard plate is held within the tubular member by spaced radial ribs extending between the periphery of the guard plate and the inner wall of the tubular member.

4. The device claimed in claim 1 in which the guard plate is formed with a central spigot projecting towards the valve seat so that the ball is held off the guard plate when the device is inverted.

5. The device claimed in claim 2 in which the inner bore of the body member is constricted over the portion containing the ball so that the annular member when pressed into the body member is arrested at the constriction whereby to ensure that the ball has freedom of movement.

6. The device claimed in claim 2 in which the body member is formed with an internally projecting annular ridge past which the tubu lar member must be forced when the tubular member is pressed into position in the body member.