US1710984A

US1710984A - Closure for tumblers, jars, and other containers

Info

Publication number: US1710984A
Application number: US624879A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ingram Harry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1923-03-14
Filing date: 1923-03-14
Publication date: 1929-04-30
Anticipated expiration: 1946-04-30
Also published as: GB220223A; FR674243A

Description

April 30, 1929. INGRAM I I 1,710,984

CLOSURE FOR TUMBLERS, JARS, AND OTHER CONTAINERS Original Filed March 14, 1923 1,, .IIIIIIII'lI/IIII III Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES HARRY INGRAM, or BROOKLYN, n'nwjr'onx.

son TUMBLEll-S, uns, Ann oman communes.

Application filed March 14, 1928, Serial This invention relates to the sealing of receptacles such.astiunblers, jars and the liketion intact and easily lifted oil, as heretofore con strncted presented various disadvantages, for exan'iple, some cannot be used with a plain walled tumbler or the like but rely on the presence of a rib or grooveon or in the tumbler mouth to effect the seal with the gasket, while others which are intended for use with plain-walled tumblers, have the sealing; pressure between the gasket and the said walls applied by tensioning a flanged strip around the gasketand securing together the ends of said strip while it is under tension, said strip forming the section Which discarded after opening the closure.

The present invention consists in the lower section oi the cap having its side wall convere'ing downwardly with respectto the 0ppoaing wall of the receptacleand forming in conjunction with said wall and the side wall of the upper section of the cap, a wedge shaped recess torthe gasket which latter has its initial shape different from that of the recess and is deformed to tightly engage the walls thereof by forcing the cap home on the receptacle.

The invention. provides a simple, safe, and reliable seal of the kind to which the invention relates, and the method of applying the seal merely consists in forcing the cap and msliet down onto the receptacle. The second section of the cap may be an integral ring or band, which is the Simplest and strongest construction. but where a strip with ends joined by some term of mechanical lock is employed, it will be notcdjthat the said ends can be joined at the time of assembling the cap and while the strip is not under the tension incidental to in airing the seal.

Both of the closure sections may be made of tender materiahas very thin SllBQtflltlll'llIllllIl,

and the lower edge of the lower section may.

he integrally formed with extending tabs or fingenholds which maybe iused to-tear said section upwardlyto relea'isethe same froi'nzt-he upper section of the closure andeirom the tumbler when an" oeeasipn arises for unsealing or openingthetnmbler. J

PATENT ni ce I The v on Will be fully iunderttiodu from the detailed description hereinafter presented, refenencebeing had 'atothe :aeco'm panying drawings, inwhich; y

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly, broken aiway,'of a tumbler sealed with Jthe closure of my invention, theclosure being shown in central vertical section Fig. 2 is a sideelevation, partly away, of thesame V Fig. 3 1s an enlarged vertical sectionof one broken away portion'of the closure and is presented to clearly illustrate the preferred term of gasket employed and the preferred manner of plncingthe same in-theclosure or cap preparatory to-the application of theclosure or cap and gasket upon a receptacle;

Fig. dis a corres'pondin viewsho'Wingffor clearness of illustration, t 1e twoportionso the closure or cap asfseparated from each other and thegasket in the*deforlned condition in which it will'appear'after the cap, has been applied upon the tumbler or the like and as the SfiIllB-lSBhOWIl on a smaller scale.

in Fig. 1,; i

Fi 5 is a side elevation of thetwo sect-ions, plus a gasket, ofa modified constructional? closure embodying features otmy invention,

the upper and lower :eections beingkshown juxtaposed ready for'assembly;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section through one side portion of a tumblerand closure, the latter being in sealing positionand-einbodymg a further modification ntiliz 111g features ot my invention, and i Fig. 7 is a side elevatiomipartly broken away and partly in-section, of thestumbler andc'losureillustrated in Fig.6. 7 In the'drawings, referring to Figs. Ito-4 inclusive, 10 designates actumbler of the usual kindxemployed for containingfiiood products, 11 thecontents thereof, and 12 the closure or cap for said tumbler.

The closure or rap is formed in two thin sheet metal upperahd

lower parts

13, 14, the 7 part 13 i being of caip likecformation anticomprising atop 15 Of-disk outline, a vertical Shirt 16 depending Ifrom @the edges of said top 15 and a horizontal flange 17 extending outwardly from the lower. edge of: saidskir't 16, and the lower-part" or section: :14 cumprie lll) ing a dowmvardly and inwardly converging annular band 18 having at its lower edge a depending vertical skirt portion 19 and at its upper edge a flange 20 which is spun upon and engages the lower surface, outer vertical edge and upper surface of the flange 17 formed on the upper section 13 of the cap or closure. The lower section 1.4.- also preferably has formed integrally with its lower edge a suitable number of tear-otf tabs 21, which may be utilized for unsealing the cap or closure when it is desired to remove the same from the tumbler. The upper and

lower sections

13, 14 of the closure will preferably be formed of yielding tender material, as thin flexible sheet aluminum, which may be torn through, to the lower section 14, with the use of the tabs 21. An upward pull on the tabs 21 will tear through the lower section 14: of the closure, and. that will suliiciently relieve the pressure of the lower portion of the enclosed gasket 22 against the tumbler, to permit the upper section 13 of the closure, with the gasket, to be lifted from the tumbler.

The gasket 22 in the preferred form employed by me is a vertical band of yielding and preferably rubber-like material normally having a flat outer wall 23, a flat wall 24 at its upper inner portion and a downwardly and outwardly beveled inner lower wall 25, and at its upper edge the gasket is adapted to engage the lower surface of the lower outer portion of the top of the upper closure-section 13. \Vhen the gasket is first applied to the closure it will take the angular position in which said gasket is shown in Fig. 3, and at this time the beveled portion 2 1 of the gasket will stand in the path of the upper outer edge of the tumbler or other receptacle 10; and

. when the cap or closure containing the gasket pressed downwardly upon the tumbler or other receptacle 10, said gasket will be deformed outwardly and pressed into the an nular recess formed by the downwardly and inwardly converging band 18 and the vertical skirt 16 of the upper closure-section 13, then taking the form and position represented in Figs. 1 and 1- and, with scaling effect, engagin aid band 18, said skirt 1G and the lower surface of the outer edge portion of the disk 15, the inner wall of the gasket then being substantially Hat and sealing against the side of the receptacle and the outer initially straight wall 23 of the gasket taking the outline of the

parts

18 and 16 of the closure, as shown. in Figs. 1 and 4-.

In utilizing my invention as disclosed in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, I form the upper and lower closure or

cap sections

13, 14 in separate parts and spin the upper edge portion of the lower section under and over the flange 17 of the upper section 13, thereby producing the grooved section or flange 20 which closely holds and binds against the said flange 17.

The upper and lower sections 13,14: are thus connected together and may be handled as a unit. Thereafter the gasket is inserted within the outer annular portions of the cap or closure, as shown in Fig. 3, and the closure may be applied to the tumbler 10. Preferably I loosely place the closure, containing the gasket, over the tumbler and introduce the tumbler into the vacuum chamber of a vacuum sealing apparatus of any suitable construction; thereafter the air will be exhausted from said tumbler and said chamber and then the cap will be pressed firmly down upon the tumbler or to the position shown in Fig. 1, and thereupon atmospheric air will be admitted to said chamber to complete the sealing, the result being that the cap and gasket will be transformed from the condition in which they are represented in Fig. 3 to that illustrated in Fig. 1, from which it will be understooll that the top of the cap or closure section 13 has beendished downwardly, by atmospheric pressure, within the upper portion of the tumbler and that thereby the outer edge portions of the cap or closure section 13 are drawn tightly against the gasket and against the lip of the receptacle. The application of the closure to the tumbler in the manner just described results in the gasket being deformed by the pressure against; it of the sides of the tumbler and the band 18 and skirt 16 of the closure into the outline represented in Fig. 4, and also in Fig. 1 in which it may be seen that the gasket throughout an extended sealing zone engages the upper side portions of the tumbler.

The hermetic sealing of the receptacle 1() with the use of my invention may be performed in various ways and in many well known forms of apparatus commonly designated as acuuni sealing machines and also as jar sealing apparatus.

The flexible tear-oif tabs 21 initially extend parallel with the side of the ring from which the lower section 11 of the closure is formed, but in rolling or otherwise manipulating the ring into the form presented by the lower closure section 14-, I turn the tear-ofl tabs 21 lllHVZlltlly so that in the finished article said tabs will lie close against said section 1-1. as shown in the drawings, and when it is desired to make use of one of the tear-oil tabs 21, said tab is turned outwardly from the section 14,- and then pulled upwardly so as to effect the tearing of the metal through said section. W'hen the section 14- has been torn through vertically it may be removed from the upper SECLTOH 13, leaving the latter section free for removal from the tumbler 10. The section 13 is not injured by the tearing of the lower section 1st, and hence said section 1.3 may be used as temporary cover for the tumbler until the contents thereof have been consumed.

' The construction shown in Fig. 5 mm ltit) tit) bodies a modification of the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4t inclusive andcomprises an upper closure sectionBO, a lower closure section 31, and a gasket 32. The closure seetion .30 corresponds exactly with theclosure section 13 of Fig. 3 and both 0t said sections are vertically slit, as at 33, at a number of points through their skirt portions 16 and ill respectively for the purpose of making it asier to remove said sections from the tumbler after the lower sections have been detached from the upper sections 13, The section is of cap formation and has along the lower edge of its skirt an outwardly extending flange corresponding with the flange 17' of Figs. 3 and 4. The lower section 31 instead of beingin one COI1 tinuous integral piece, as is the section 14 of Figs. 3 and l, is of: the same shape as said section 14, but is in the form of astrip having an interlock 36 of any of the several lunrwn kinds for "fiitltfllt'illgtlie two ends of the strip t other, with the grooved flange 37 ot the on 31 engrag zed with the flange 2-15 of the section 30. The lower section 31 has downwardly converging sides 38 andhelow them a downwardly extending narrow skirt portion these two features co responding with the

portions

18, 19 oi the lower section 11 shown in Figs. 3 and 4. hen the

closure sections

30, 31 have gasket 32 introduced thereto, the closure may be applied to the tumbler in exactly the same manner that the closure in Fig. 8 is applied to the tumbler. Thereafter when it is desired to remove the closure from the tumbler, the interlock 86 will he released and the clo' sure section 31 removed from the closure section 30, and thereupon the closure section 30 may be lifted from oil the tumbler. The slots or slits 33 in the closure section 30' do not extend to the top 01''. said section, but do extend through the lower edge thereof, and said slots or slitstl-fi being: at the outer side of the l'tlSliCt 32 become sealed by said gasket.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I show a further modification of certain parts oi. my invention and in this modified construction 41-.0 denotes the upper closure section and 41 the lower closure section. the section a0 being in the shape of a disk-top and a depending: skirt portion corresponding substantially with the shirt 113 oi the closure section 13, but not having at its lower edge a flange, being: left plain. The lower section ll has a vertical outwardly oil'- set side a i'lownwardly and inwardly annular converging: section l-l, a lower vertical tlance to extending downwardly therefrom and tear-oil tabs 16. In the construction shown in Fig. 6 instead of Hanging the upper edge of the lower section of the closure upon the lower edge of the upper section. as in Fig. 3. I flange the upper edge of the lower section 4L1, as at l7, over upon the upper outer edges of the upper section l0, as shown in Fig. (5.

been assembled and the 3, and thereafterapply the. closure to the tumbler, Inunberei'l inFif *6, in the tine manner that the closureof -Figs. 1711M clu -sire is applied to the-tumbler 1t).

closure of First and 7 may here loved *1 cm the tulnhler with the use hit the) it abs it said tabs being first turned.outwardly from the; c'lt-isure section '41 and 'then 'iul led upwardly to effect the tearing 'th'rougl'iiof said section 41st) that it'n a-y be readil re" moved from the upper ion- 40. he; tachinent "ot' the section 4:1 from the l lea vcs the latter tree-to be liftedioll from the ti-ni'ibler, this remova'rhot the uppersec tron ltl trom the tumbler being facilitated by the slots 48 cut section-40.

In the "several shown, the closureisintwoparts containing an annular chamber around its inner edges in theskirt portion" of said for "the gasketfifl and within which the gasketis deformed and firmly pressed-against the side of the tumbler by the more applica' tion of the elosure'to, position thereon, and

in the forms of theinve'ntion shown in'F-igs.

1 to 4 ancl'Figs-t and; 7*, the lower closure section may be torn t-hrough witlrtheuse of the tear-oil tabs connected therewith, so as to become detached from thefupper closure section and leave the latter free for ready removal from the tumbler; 1 The construction shown in Fig. 5 does not require. tear-oft tabs on the lower section, because said 1 section "is in the form of a strip whose endsmay be sop arated to permit of the detachment of the lower section 31 from the flange 35 of the upper section 30.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the upper section 40 may be of paper, odorless transparent pyroxylin 0r other's'uitable material. I r

Some of the features of my invention may be modified. For illustration, the tear-off tabs n'ojectino from the lower edge of the lower section of the closure may project from the upper edge of said section and he folded either downwardly against said lower section or upwardly against the upper section of the closure, this being a mere reversal as to the disposition of the tear-01f tabs and within the spirit and scope of'iny invention.

The flange, head or rib 17 also serves to stifien or add strength to the skirt, which as before described is of relatively thin and flexible metal, so thatadditional strength is given to its entire circumference at and near fOIll'lS of my invention lift that point, with the result that when the cap is pressed on the container so as to force the elastic gasket against the wall thereof in offecting the seal, the gasket being compressed more tightly is deformed and made to st tectively fill or conform to irregularities in the wall of the container, whether formed therein or thereon by accident of manufacture or by design, and thus produce a more effective seal than otherwise obtainable, while at the same time not detracting from the advantages which result from having the skirt of relatively thin metal or other suitable relatively thin flexible material.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In combination with a receptacle, a closure therefor including a cap portion, and sealing means for maintaining the cap portion tightly in place prior to the period of use of the receptacle contents, said sealing means having a downwardly converging skirt portion forming with the opposing wall of the receptacle a wedge shaped recess, a gasket within said recess, said gasket having its initial shape different from that of the recess and deformed to tightly engage the walls thereof by forcing the closure home on the receptacle, and a tear-oft tab integral with said downwardly converging skirt portion and adapted to be pulled upwardly to tear said skirt port-ion and thus relieve the gasket ot'clamping pressure, the cap portion and sealing skirt being separable one from the other when the sealing portion is released,

the cap portion then being serviceable as a service cover.

2. In combination with a receptacle having plain side walls, a closure therefor comprising a capof larger area than the top of the receptacle, a skirt depending from said cap and terminating in a flange, an inwardly and downwardly extending tapered portion secured to the flange, said tapered portion forming with the skirt a wedge-shaped recess, a gasket disposed within the recess and having its initial shape ditlerent from that of the recess whereby to form an airtight seal against the side walls of the receptacle, and a tear-oli' tab integral with the downwardly extending tapered portion, the tab being revcrsely bent to lie closely against the outer surface of the tapered portion, and pro tected by the flange from accidental displacement, said tab faciiitating removal of the tapered portion and gasket, and leaving the cap intact for use as a service cover.

8. A cylindrical jar closure comprising a cap, a skirt depending from the cap and terminating in an annular flange, a seamless downwardly converging portion attached to the flange and forming with the skirt a wedge-shaped recess for the reception of a gasket, and a tear oil tab integral with the converging portion, the tearing action of said tab being limited by the flange, thereby permitting removal of the closure from the jar and leaving a service cover.

4t. A receptacle closure including a cap portion having a depending skirt of relatively thin flexible material formed with an annnlarly disposed outwardly projected rib or flange to impart a degree of stillness to the skirt greater than otherwise existing to deform an elastic gasket interposed between the skirt and wall of the container on depression of the cap to normal sealing position and cause the gasket to conform to irregularities in the wall of the container to produce an effective seal between the gasket and the wall of the container until the seal is broken.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 5th day of March, A. D. 192

HARRY INGRAM.