US1640192A - Bottle closure and method of making same - Google Patents

Description

1,640,192 1927' w. P. HENRY BOTTLE CLOSURE AND METHOD OF MAKING 5AME Filed Sept. 1, 1926 INVENTOR MQ/lq/w HENRY ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

UNITED STATES wnmmn rarmcx HENRY, or NEW Yoax, it. Y.

BOTTLE CLOSURE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

Application filed September 1, 1926. Serial No. 132,958.

This invention relates to stoppers for bot- 'tles, and particularly complete closures for sealing and protecting the mouth of bottles especially in, a class of which at present the,

milk and cream bottle top protection are of greatest importance. While applicable to other cases, the specific form or forms-of construction of the article shown or described hereinafter, involve the closing of such bottles his the protection of the lip of the bdttle or sanitary purposes as well as the various other advantages well recognized and desired to gain, and for the accomplishment of which devices in the past have not E been successful to the extent of providing practical devices'at low cost of production, nor devices that would accomplish the desired results for various reasons, as hereinafter described. 7 T

at While my invention may be practiced in various Ways, and the'production of the article is susceptible of modifications depending upon the facilities for manufacture and the particular designof closure desired,

2 the" following specification describes a particular embodiment with certain modifications, of an article particularly suitable for the combined operation of sealing and protecting the top of the milk, cream, or like,

3 bottle.

This particular embodiment involves marked economy in production compared to the products heretofore attempted-Q It rovidesan article which maybe applie by as machine, but also by hand, to close and protect milk bottle tops, and to effect this-clo-' sure with economy by hand as well as machine, and, when b hand it is done sanitarily. The meth s of forming the device to may be varied, and in this application a general method of production is described with the understanding that those skilled in the art of automatic machinery and the manipulation ofpa r, or other suitable materials, may provi e apparatus for quantity production with increased economy.

In particular, the article comprises a disc,

generally'as described in the Barnhart patent of September 17, 1889, to which I attach 5% a lip cover. in a manner and of a form to be held to the lip of the .bottle in a thoroughly practical and effective manner. The attachment of the lip cover in no way interferes with the effectiveness of the securing'of the disc or cap forming the content seal, but

augments the security of that seal and in addition provides a complete closure by the addition of a lip cover secured to the disc and snugly fitting over the lip of the bottle,

and it provides this with a cover portion I having an inexpansible maximum diameter or peripheral-border with the advantages as herein set forth. This border or skirt,

which fits the outside surface of the bead of the bottle, is substantially inextensible, so that the article as produced has an edge, and

preferably a thin edge, which clings snugly to the outside surface of the bead of the bottle, and no softening by weathering or the application of ice on milk bottles, or change in tern erature, can then affect the snug fit-n ting o the edge of the lip cover in the use of an article in this form. It will be understood that the original tensile stren h of paper in the finished calendered pro not is utilized to assure this advantageous fit and security in normal use. In the form of the radially inward curving portion of the cover, any excess of material is accommodated at a part of the closure structure where a surplus in the form of folds, pleats or crimping, has no objectionableefi'ect upon the advantages of the finished article. In addition, this cover roduction in combination with the cap, or isc closure, may be produced out of paper stock, as the preferred form of material, though other material may be employed, with the smallest possible waste or scrap. Thus, in the production of the cover portion, which is consolidated to make the complete unit article, the blank may be a straight strip of paper, which in the methodhereinafter described is formed into the finished article without any waste what soever,a marked distinction. from methods heretofore practiced involving the utilize tion of circular discs of paper, with substantial waste in production, simply folded over the top and sides of a bottle with additional wastof material in the folds. folds of such prior covers or hoods are furthermore a weakness at a point where weathering causes spreading that defects their pro er functioning.

Wh1le prefer to make my hood or cover 105 combined with the cap so that it will cover the lip portion of the bottle-solely to the extent which is actually desirable or necessary for sanitary purposes, it may extend-further down thebea'd, and with any change of no The a secure hold, that is it holds tight inthe bottle neck for all normal service, and by my securing ofthe advantageous form of cover or lip hood to the cap the entire ar'- ticle as a unit holds to the bottle and effects the protection as described, particularly on that part of the lip over which the milk flows when being pouredlout. With the short skirt of the hood the essential results. are obtained, but without the edge of the cover extending to a position where the prd'inary carrying of bottles would be liable to cause accidental dislodgment.

- cap.

50 andin some instances covers may While the unit, cap and cover, as a complete article of manufacture serves admira- 1y to meet the conditions of transportation, and the handling'necessary for their attachment to bottles, it will be noted that the union'of the cover with the top surface of the cap must have the formation which makes ossible the proper application of the amely, if app ied. byhand, a plug must reach close to the rim of the cap, an therefore, the hood relations to the ca vmust provide for this,--in order to uniform y and efl'ectively seat the cap in order that the necessar holding position of the cap in the bottle 0 the neck is assured without injury to the cover. Likewise, the same condition must be met for machine capping, and in the detailed description herein the importance of thesefeatures will be noted. While the complete unit is not alone the preferred form and embodies many advantages, it will be seen that the formation of a cover or se of the. character and by the method erein described is in. itself novel, .made with central discsforthe pur ose of their fittin for temporary use or ot erwise without t e locking ca as it rovides the inextensible and snug tting e ge for protection. I will now describe a particular form of embodiment of the invention suitable forpresent' day purposes, understanding that machinery of various designs may be made for the most economical large production in view of the very large quantity of devices of this character necessary to supply daily' requirements.

@ne particularembodiment of my invention with a method of forming the article is illustrated in the accompanying draw ing, in which:

articular, it will be noted when Fig. I is a top view of the finished cap and cover unit;

Fig. II is a cross section of a cap and cover, shown attached to the top of a milk bottle, also in section;

III is a cross section fragmentary view,flon an enlarged scale, of a cap and cover at its junction with a bottle neck and cap seat I Fi 1& is a cross section, on the axis of forming dies for finishing the cap and cover u Fig. V shows in cross section ,modified formingfand finishing dies;

Fig. I is a perspective view of a blank showing a first step in producing the cover;

and

. Fig. VII is a perspective view showing a progressive formation in vproducing the cover. 4

The finished cap and cover A has the outside or skirt edge a continuous smooth inexpansible border B, which is curved inward at C conforming to .thebead 1 on the bottle, and turned at D to form a portion entering the interior of the bottle neck, with horizontal inwardly projecting portion E, which is folded or pressed to engage the flat top sur face of the disc or stopper member F, known as acap. Over the edges E, or folds as the case magbe, a preferably opaque wafer G covers t e top surface of the cap F as well 'as the inner edge E which is secured around and near the periphery of the cap F. This wafer G is preferably the exact diameter of the reentrant or inner wall D of the cover but may extend upwardly along the coverportion, in which case it makes. the article more waterproof; This wafer G .is particularly adapted to carry the printing that is usual on the caps of milk bottles, to provide the necessary or desired designations, and when so used permits the printing in the most economical way instead 'of the necessity of rinting on the finished article, which ishedis not flat. Printing may however be embodied as desired on other ortions of the finished article. The wafer is for finish and surface protection but noiilfor holding strength on the inner neck wa While there are difierent ways in which this cap and cover, and particularly the cover portion, may be formed, the method preferably consists in winding a ribbon of paper A into a circle so thatoneedge is the exact diameter of and therefore the length that will go around the bottle head at the outer surface where the edge of the finished cover is intended to fit tight'wh'en applied.

On the other edge of thisribbon of paper there may be slashes or notches a, a, to remove a surplus of that edge of the ribbon which afterwards is pressed into the hat radially, inward projecting portion E, so

to form the pleated portion A The quality of paper desired for these articles is readily folded in this manner and by suitable er1mping machine. or otherwise, the uniformity of product is provided The blank thus formed. as in Fig. VII. is placed between (lies 2 and 3 to form the skirt, and 2' then forms the reentrant wall D and edge E, all of the exact ultimate con figuration desired, and with the required heat and moisture is pressed into the permanent' cover form, ready for attachment to the cap portion F. The cover then placed on the disc with one of the contacting surfaces suitably gnmmed, and the finished cap and cover will be produced as shown by the dies in Fig. IV. \Vhen a top wafer is desired, the wafer may be inserted at the Game time. thus completely stamping or pressing out the finished article. Preferably the finish forming of the cover portion is simultaneous with its attachment to the cap.

As shown in Fig. V, the die 2 may form only a portion of the curvature of the finished coverskirt, while a side die 4 is initially applied to the blank A to hold the lower edge and at the same time form a small portion of the margin. and in this manner it permits crowding of the paper into a small rib ll, if desired, so as to have a circumferential strengthening of the skirt of the cover to aid in maintaining its formation. In the die shown in Fig. V there may also be a central plug 5, which in one position forms the cover, but which can recede and permit a cap disc to he slid into the die so that a second press operation attaches the disc to the formed cover.

It will thus be noted that the formation of I the complete article as a cap and cover unit for milk bottles and the like comprises essentially the use of a ribbon of paper with a lap-joint, or two or more plies of thinner paper may be wound into the initial cylindrical formation, but in any case having the maximum diameter desired in the finished article; and the cupping of the cover into the desired shape results in the surplus paper forming folds, pleats or slashed projections on the radially inner portions of the cover, where they are unobjectionable. In the main, it provides an inexpansible outer rim to the skirt of the cover, which therefore assures the edge of the cover clinging to the glass at the outside of the bead and formingv a perfect joint, for the required protection of the lip, both sanitary and otherwise. fit of the cap and cover to the top of the bottle and supplies the necessary overlap- This assures the uniformity of ping portion of the cover onto the top side of the cap disc in order to secure the two together and forms an hermetically sealed top with a recess in the cover just as sharp as required close to the periphery of the disc or cap in order to accommodate the form of tool necessary to press the sealing disc or cap rim securely into its proper place on the shoulder in the neck of the bottle without breaking or distorting the cover.

While the device herein described, and the method of production in general, utilizes the tensile strength of paper as produced in the sheet, the inextensible edge of the hood or cover portion may be realized by the formation of the article from paper more in pulp form, or paper stock especially treated, as by heating and moisture, so that the cover portion may be provided by deformation of the paper structure. The apparatus or equipment therefore of necessity involves far greater initial expense, and the ultimate product will not have the predetermined tensile strength involved in the regular paper sheet production which has been finished and is necessarily seasoned, so

that a definite assurance of rigidity of the outer lower edge of the skirt can be depended upon with its, substantially inextensible periphery and without folds, fluting, or other configuration which. has heretofore been involved. in any attempts at making an article in this class.

\Vhen desired the inextensible edge of the sheet or fringe may be turned, rolled or given any desired strengthening formation without interfering with the close fit against the outer lip surface of the-bottle, but I prefer that the thin edge terminate the bottom of the skirt adjacent to the usual flash on the standard milk bottle, so that the. handling of-the bottles will not tend to dislodge the lip cover. If a strengtheningrib be put on the cover, it is preferable that; the same be further npnearer the top of the bead where it will not be liable to finger engagement when handling the bottles in the ordinary process of delivery, but .may also serve the purpose of means for readily disloging the edge of the cover for the ultimate opening of the bottle when in the hands of the'consumer.

While variations in design, dimensions,'as well as the method of production are within the purview 90f my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bottle closure unit Comprising a holding cap and a lip cover hermetically sealedon the.top surface thereof close to its edge, said cover portion being formed of paper having its outer edge the exact diameter of'the intended bead surface contact with the initial tension in the paper and remainder of the cover portion bent and folded inwardly to conform to the desired cover shape with radially inward extending margin pressed to a form for union with the cap top surface.

, 2. In a "bottle closure a bottle lip protector adapted to. be held to the bottle top by a sealing cap, formed from a stripof paper 1 ofan' initial diameter corresponding to the intended edge contact of the protector with the bottle bead and having opposite edge of said strip and the body portion folded rad'ally inward to conform to the desired head covering shapewith a; reentrant portion to extend into the bottleneck wall and an inner edge with the surplus of material pressed fiat and united to the top surface of the sealing cap. 3. A method of making a unit bottle closure in which a strip of paper is formed into circular or cylindrical shape of a diameter equal to the desired maximum rim of the lip protecting portion of the closure;

'and with the major portion thereupon folded inwardly and pressed to conform to the-desired lip protector contour and then attaching the inner constricted edge of-said of the initial tensile strength of the paper,

thereu on folding or crowding the ribbon away, rom one edge inwardly to form converging sides and thereupon pressing the inwardly. folded portion of the ribbon into a contiguous curved 'lip portion and a flat I Y inwardly projecting rim. y a 5; A method of producing a bottle closure having asealing cap and a cover in which one ormore plies of paper are united to a v circular formation with a maximum diameter of paper'm its initial state of tension.

equal to the desired maximum diameter of the cover port-ion of: the closure, including a August, 1926.

weakening of the other edge of the circular .ly' disposed paper unit, and pressing the weakened portion and the body of the paperinto converging formation with a final COlIlpressin of the paper into the finished article o a bottle-lip rotecting cup portion with a contiguous radially inward extending flat rim and securing said flat rim to the top surface of the sealing cap. a 1

6. A method of making a bottle closure having a sealing and holding cap, in which a lip protecting cover is made of paper with its maximum diameter of rim equal in length to the outer diameter of the bottle head in the initial length and tensile strength of finished paper and with the adjacent pa erstock folded inward to the desired con ormation'terminating in an inner border sealed to the top oft-he holding cap and having acircular stiffening bead formed on theskirt of the protector parallel with but separated from the inextensible ed e. I y f. A lip-protecting cover for a bottle clo sure consisting of a short cylindrical formation of paper in' one or more plies havingone edge of an initial circumference correspondingto the final maximum circumferenee of the cover edge and with the" other edge fluted to contract the same and thereafter pressed into the desired form of finished article.

8. A lip-protecting cover for a bottle clo-.

sure comprising a ribbon of paper formed cylindrically of one or more plies, one edgethereof made inextensible of the size of the proposed finshed protecting outer edge and having its outer-edge slashed or notched'to eliminate a surplus of material in the formation of the protector and having the edge of material and the body of the ribbonformation pressed inwardlyto form a contiguous inwardly curved lipcover merging into a flat inner serrated rim and a holding cap attached to the under side of said inner rim immediately adjacent its periphery.

In witness whereof, I have signed my name to this application this 30th day of WILLIAM PATRICK HENRY.

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