US1237876A - Sanitary sealed closure for containers. - Google Patents

Description

J. L. DINSMOOR.

SANITARY SEALED CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I6, 1913,

Patented Aug. 21, 1917 5 Mn mtoz g/omv L Dun/v00 county of- Kings, and

35 tle,

unap

'rrib. j

SANITARY SEALED CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, JoHNL. DINSMOOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Sanitry Sealed Closure for Containers, of which I the following is a specification.

V This invention is a sanitary closure for containers, such as fluid milk bottles or the like, andthe object in view is to seal the closure in such manner as to secure infallible detection should thebottle be unwarrantably opened, thus resulting, substantially, a

guarantee to the purchaser that the contents ofthe container arev when opened the same as 'hensaid container was'fill'ed at the dairy or other filling station.

' For the purpose of meetingsanitary and hygienic conditions, as well as complying withvthe legal requirements'jof some State governments, it is new. the practice to transport fluid milk, or other commodities, in origlnal packages; but so far as I am aware,

such' packages are not of such nature as to prevent tampering with the contents.

Furthermore, the ordinary fluid milk bot- Y He now in extensive usehis closed by afibrous cap or disk, positioned in the bottle mouth .below the top edge of the bottle,"thus affording a space or recess for the accumulation of free liquid upon the cap or disk, which space also permits the lodgment of foreign matter, besides exposing the edge of the botall of Which is objectionable for the reason that the cap and'bottle are liable to become dirty from handling or other causesand provide for the lodgment of diseas'e' germs.

The bottle closure of my inventionembodies a seal wh1ch.remams intact until the user removes theclosure, thus securing in effect a warranty as to the genuineness of the contents.

4:5 In one practical mbodimentof the invention, the closure is a fibrous disk, with which is combined a sealing member composed of a read ly breakable material of a suitable nature. This seallng member is attached to the closure. preferably centrally-thereof. by

hangs and covers the edge of the bottle with- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 21, 1917 Application filed October 16, 1913. Serial No. 795,408. i

- sealing member may contact with the bottle.

In all forms of the'invention, and particularly in theprimaryform, the seal is attached to or associated with, the closure directly, and such seal is independent of the container in so far as concerns the efficiency of the seal.

In the drawings, 7 v

Figure 1 is a plan view of one form'of sealed closure applied to a milk bottle, the sealing member beingpartly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section ofthe device shown .in Fig. 1. 3

In Figs. 1 and 2, the closure consists of a cap or disk. A and a sealing member-B. This cap or disk may be, and preferably is, composed of a single fiat piece of fibrous material, such as paper. Said cap'is provided, preferably ythough not w necessarily, with an eXtractorC, such as a tongue of metal or paper attached to the cap. and

adapted to'be grasped by the fingers for the any other material orcomposition of. mate-J rials suitable for the purpose, It is preferred to employ asthe sealingmember material of a different character from that of the cap or closure member A, saidsealing member being of a readily frangible naturei As shown, this member B is somewhat larger;

than the cap, it is provided with a curled edge Z), and the central part 1) thereof depressed or sunken with respect to said curled edge. The central part I) of said sealing member .is in contact, with the cap,

resting directly upon it and covering or mcasing extractor C. Said member B is attached to the cap, so as to, form an inseparable part thereof, the attachmentof theparts A B'being'secured by any means suitable for the purpose, such as by thepin or rivet (Z.

vWhen manufacturing the article, the, cap A and sealing member B are cut or stamped from suitable materials selected for the purpose, the part B being manipulated or treated at the same time to produce the curled edge, after which the two parts are assembled and united by the rivet or pin, it being evident that the foregoing operations are or may be carried on continuouslyfby appropriate automatic machinery with a view to the rapid and economical completed article.

. WVhen the closure is to be used, it is placed on the bottle D, see Fig. 2, so that the edge portion of cap A will spring into position within recess 6' and be seated upon shoulproduction of the der 6', the closure A having suiiicient frictional engagement with the bottle mouth to retain itself in position. The sealing mem ber B thusv covers the cap A and the extractor C, the curled edge of said sealing member extending overthe top edge of the bottle and down the outside thereof fora suitable distance. When made of relatively 'stifi material, the sealing member B does :not necessarily contact with the edge of the bottle,-but should thismember be composed of pliable material, then the curled edge 79 thereofmay rest upon the edgeof said bottle; in either event, the sealing member is'not dependent for itsefliciency upon and-the, recessed-part of the bottle, and

covers, also, the edge of the bottle, thereby preventing the lodgment of dirt and for- .eign substances upon the cap itself. and

upon the edge of the bottle, so that upon the removalof the closure there will be very little, if any possibility of the dirt passing inthe bottle and the edge of said bottle, at

the mouth thereof, Will be in a clean sanitary condition when the liquid content is poured out of the bottle.

Assuming that the bottle has been delivered to the consumer with theclosure and the seal intact, it is only necessary for the user to break the seal member to obtain access to extractor C, whereupon the cap and the seal may be pulled out of position,

thus removing the closure easily and quickly.

Referring to Fig. 2, it'is' apparent that the closure member A is composed of comparatively thick material, such as paper, whereas the seal member'Bconsists' of ma-. terial the thickness of which is much less than that of the material composing member A. Furthermore, the material of member B is of a different character from that of closure A, it being preferred to use-athin non-absorbent frangible material, such as celluloid Said sealing memberis. proedge.

' tents of the bottle.

.material and the form of member Bare contributing factors to the destructibility of the seal member, the solepurpose of which is to infallibly indicate to the consumer that an attempt was made to tamper with the original contents of the bottle, which result has heretofore not been attained by prior constructions which have come to my knowl- As shown, theseal member embodies a circular central portion and a rim portion deflected from the plane of'the central portion, said rim portion being curved in cross section and extending upwardly from the plane of said central circular portion. 'Said seal member, composed of thin frangible material and having the particular form given thereto as shown and described, produces a line of weakness in the material composing said seal member, which line'of weakness is at the junction of'the central circular portion with the curled or rolled rim portion. i

It is apparent that the article, when ap-- plied to a bottle, is retained securely in position by the engagement of the 'comparatively stiff closure member A with the shouldered'part of the bottle mouth, said member A although composed of I'l&tj"8lV stiif material being still sufliciently yieldable to spring into position for holding itself within the bottle. The seal member at this time is not attached to the bottle, nor is it required that there shall be such engagement between the bottle and the seal mem ber as will tend to preclude dislodgment or displacement of said seal: member, for the reason that the closure member acts as the means for positioning and retaining the seal member in operative relation to the bottle.

At the same time, the seal member performs the important function of precluding dislodgment or removal of the closure member without first destroying, or at least mutilating, the seal member to such an extent as to afford an infallible means of detecting the surreptitious attempt to extract the con- The seal member covers the closure member and embraces or fits around the mouth portion of the bottle so that the closure member cannot under any circumstances be.dislodged or pulled out without first breaking through or mutilating the seal member. Ordinarily, the person attempting to open the bottle, grasps the curled rim of the seal member and pulls it away from the bottle. Owing to the frangible nature of the material composing this seal member, and the line of weakness at the junction between the curled rim and the v central part of the seal member, any pullv or stress exerted on the member B- at onceresults in the material tearing or breaking along the line of weakness With the seal destroyed, the material composing said seal can be lifted or pried up so as to obtain access to the closure A, and thereupon the closure can be removed in the usual Way or bythe aid ot the extractor C.

In my device'the seal number is composed of material the character or'nature of which differs from that of the closure member; e, 9. whereas the closure member is composed of stifi paper, the seal member consists of thin 'yi'eldable material non-V absorbent in character, suclr ascelluloid.

Y This non-absorbent material prevents ice or water, lodging in the pocket or cavity at the to afford a sanitary protection thereto, and

when the cover is removed the seal member throws off the water or ice so as to'prevent the latter from flowing into the contents of the .bottle', the edge or mouth portion of which isin a clean sanitary "condition, 1,. e. free, from dirt and germs;

' Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim asnew, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is i 1. A closure for bottles and other con tainers embodying. a relatively stiff closure inember and a sealing member composed of readily frangible pliable material which is attached substantially centrally to said closure member, said sealing member being pro vided with a curled edge extending outwardly from the plane of the closure member and occup ing a spaced relation to the edge thereof, tiiere being an appreciable line of weakness at the junction of said edge with the central portion, and said curled edge of the sealing member being unattached to the closure member and being adapted for frictional engagement with the exterior portion of a container and said sealing member operating to preclude access to the closure member without first mutilating or disrupting said sealing member. Y

A closure for bottles andother containers embodying a relatively stiff closure member and a readily-frangible sealing member attached substantially centrally to the closure member and having its edge portion disconnected therefrom with an appreciable line of weakness at the junction of said edge portion with the central portion, the free unconfined edge portion of said sealing mem ber occupying such relation to the edge portion of the closure member that said free edge of the sealing member is adapted to embrace, and to have frictional contact with,

Furthermore,

the exterior surface of the container, whereby access to the closure memberis precluded without first mutilating or disrupting said sealing member.

3. A closure for of relatively stiff" material tand a s ealing member. attached substantially centrallyto the closure member and composed of readily vfrangible material, said sealing member having a free edge portion extended beyond the corresponding edge portion of the closure member with .an appreciable line of weak- .ness at the junction of said edge portion with the central portion, .said sealing member being positioned to substantially incase the closure member, said extended edge porbottles and other containers embodying a closure member composed tion of the frangible sealing member extending outwardly beyond the closure member so asto embrace the container exteriorly thereof and to contact therewith for preeluding access to, or the removal of, the 1-- closure member without first disrupting or mutilating said sealing member.

4. A closure embodying a closure-member and a readily frangibleseaI member at'-' tached substantially centrally thereto,. s aid seal member having a free edge portion de; fiected away from the plane ofthe closure) member with an appreciable line of weak:

nessat the junction of said edge portion with the central portion, and said deflected edge portion being free from attachment to a container whereby displacement of the closure member relative .to a container cannot be effected without disrupting the sealing member.

5. A bottle closure embodyinga closure member and a seal membercooperating directly with the closure member and having a deflected rim portion which is free from direct attachmentto the bottle with an appreciable line of weakness at the unction of said rim portion with the central portion,

said sealing member being composed of readily frangible material which normally is so related to the closure member as to preclude displacement thereof from the bottle without first disrupting or mutilating the seal.

6. A closure for bottles and pther containers comprising a relatively thick closure member and a seal member composed of non-absorbent frangible material the thickness' of which is appreciably less than that of the closure member, said seal member being attached to the closure member and having a curled rim portion free from attachment to the closure member with an appreciable line of weakness at the junction of'said rim portion with the central portion.

7. A closure for bottles and other containers embodying a relatively stilt closure member and a non-absorbent seal member composed of readily frangible material attached name to this specification in the presence centrilly to' said closure meinber, said ssal of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

mem er comprising a centra portion an a curled rim portion with an appreciable line J D INSMOOR' 5- of Weakness at the juncture of-the central -Witnesses: portion with the rim portion. i I. BERNHARD,

In testimony whereof I have signed my M. C. RODRIGUEZ.

Images