US1056766A - Sap-bucket cover. - Google Patents

Description

G. W. ALDERMAN. SAP BUCKET GOVER- APPLIOATION PILED'FEB.13, 1912.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

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CGLUMIIA PLANouRAPN CO..WA8llINuToN. D. c.

GORIDON WILLIAM ALDERMAN, OF WINDSOR, OHIO.

SAP-BUCKET COVER.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

Application filed February 13, 1912. Serial No. 677,337.

To alt whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Common W. ALBER- MAN, of Windsor, in the county of Ashtabula, and in the State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sap-Bucket Covers, and do hereby declare that the following' is a full, clear,

and exact description thereof.

Sap buckets are hung from the tree by' the sap spout, and the pivotal connection with the tree thus afiorded is utilized for the emptying of the sap into the collecting bucket by catching the sap bucket at the bottom and swinging it upon its pivotal connection with the spout, one hand being utilized to swing the bucket, and the other to hold the collecting bucket. The important requirements in a practical and eflicient cover, are, first, that it will exclude from the sap rain water, (which, if it gets into the sap requires prolonged boiling for the evaporation of the water, and, therefore, increases the cost), and also prevent the entrance of leaves and other debris or dirt that discolor the sap by darkening it and thus impairs its selling qualities, for clean maple syrup is known to look like, or substantially like, white clover honey, which appearance is thus made the test of high grade maple syrup; and second, ease of ma nipulation to uncover the sap bucket when it is to be emptied, and no interference with the operation of emptying it in the manner which has above been pointed out.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a perspective view of a sap bucket shown in position for use with a cover embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the cover; Fig. 3 is a vertical sect-ion of the bucket and cover, the full lines showing the cover in bucket closing position and the dotted lines showing its position at the instant of swinging the bucket to empty its contents.

The sap bucket 10, shown in the drawings, is of the usual galvanized iron construction, having a wired rim 11 at the top, and just below the top is a hole to fit over the usual sap spout 12, by which means the bucket is supported and which constitutes the pivotal connection, heretofore described, by which the bucket may be turned for emptying the sap into the collecting bucket. The cover 13 is preferably made of sheet metal, and where the buckets are made of galvanized iron it will be made of galvanized iron (but, of course, I do not limit myself to any particular material for the bucket) and it is of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the bucket so as to completely cover the exposed top thereof and project slightly beyond the rim. To the underside of the cover is attached a C-shaped spring Wire 130 which is something more than a half circle in extent and of such size that it snugly fits the exterior of the bucket just below the top, the free ends of the spring spreading sufficiently when by a sliding movement the cover is passed to a position to close the top of the bucket, or to uncover the same.

In applying the cover, as soon as the free ends of the spring pass beyond the greatest diameter of the bucket, the cover becomes self-locating by the action of the spring, so that its proper bucket closing position. is certain to be always fixed. The spring connection thus afforded for the cover is sufii cient to securely hold the cover even when strong winds are blowing, and as the cover fits close against the top edge of the bucket, it is'impossible for rain water and other objectionable objects or things, such as dry leaves, insects, etc. to get into the bucket. The clamping ring may be attached to the cover in a simple and efficient manner by forming the cover at portions of its rim with a down turned flange, which flange let is folded about the contiguous portion of the spring.

On the underside of the cover at a point midway, or substantially midway between the free ends of the spring, I place a hook 15 consisting of a piece of heavy sheet metal that is riveted to the cover, and at the diametrically opposite point of the cover there is an upturned flange 16 that forms a handle by which the cover, when in position on the bucket, may be slid ofi from the same until the hook 15 on the underside catches over the rim of the bucket and forms a pivotal con nection by which the cover may be swung downward to a vertical position to bring the hand at thebottom of the bucket so that with the thumb resting upon the handle 16 the fingers can pass beneath the bottom of the bucket. and thus a firm grip obtained on the bucket to tilt or swing it for the purpose of emptying the sap into the collecting bucket. Should it be desired to bring the hand to any position other than in front, it may be readily done during the lowering of the cover so that the one continuous motion is necessary. It will be seen that the cover may be moved to uncover the bucket by the use of one hand (and it can be as readily returned to bucket closing position by one hand) and that it not only does not interfere with the tilting of the bucket to empty it, but it facilitates that operation since it provides the means for a firm grip upon the bucket which is required for safe and expeditions pouring of its contents. No modification of form or structure of the bucket of any kind is necessary for the utilization of my cover. The cover may be perfectly flat, or if made of sheet metal it may be stiffened, if found desirable, by the well known expedient of corrugating it, the corrugations, of course, being circular.

Having thus described my invention what I claim isl. A sap bucket cover having on opposite sides a bucket-rim-engaging projection, and a handle, respectively, the handle being situ ated at the rim of the cover said rim-engag ing projection being on the underside of the cover and within the bucket, and constitut-' ing a pivotal connection of the cover with the bucket when in engagement with the bucket rim.

2. A sap bucket cover having on opposite sides a bucket-rim-engaging projection, and a handle, respectively, the handle being situated at the rim of the cover said rim-engag-' ing projection being on the underside of the cover and within the bucket, and constituting a pivotal connection of the cover with the bucket when in engagement with the bucket rim, and a spring clamp on the underside of the cover to engage the exterior of the bucket.

3. A sap bucket cover having on opposite sides a bucket-rim--engaging projection, and a handle, respectively, the handle being situated at the rim of the cover said rim-engaging projection being on the underside of the cover and within the bucket, and constituting a pivotal connection of the cover with the bucket when in engagement with the bucket rim, and a spring clamp on the underside of the cover to engage the exterior of the bucket and attached thereto by a down wardly projecting flange on the cover.

l. A sap bucket cover having on its underside a spring, bucket-engaging clamp having separated free ends a distance apart less than the diameter of the bucket, a bucket rim-engaging projection on the under side of the cover midway betwen said free ends and constituting a pivotal connection between the cover and the bucket when said projection engages the bucket rim, and a handle on the upper side of the cover at the edge thereof diametrically opposite the location of said rim-engaging projection.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

CORIDON WILLIAM ALDERMAN.

\Vit-nesses V. L. FoR'rNEY, NELLIE ALDERMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent

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