US1851065A

US1851065A - Collapsible tube closure

Info

Publication number: US1851065A
Application number: US558477A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter A Roselle
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-08-21
Filing date: 1931-08-21
Publication date: 1932-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 1949-03-29

Description

March 29, 1932. w ROSELLE 1,851,065

Q COLLAPSIBLE TUBE CLOSURE Filed Aug. 21, 1931 Walter ARoselle Patented Mar. 29,1932

WALTER A. OI I'JIEW YORK, N, Y.

conmrsmm ma cnosm Application flied August 21, 1931. Serial no. 558,477.

The usual type of tube containing commodities such as tooth aste creams, paints, etc. is provided with a detachable screw top. While this has the advantage of cheapness and afiords a tight seal under ordinary cir cumstances, there is theeat disadvanta e that the cap being detac able is frequent y lost or misplaced. Efl'orts have been made to. rovide various forms of valves and caps whlch were not detachable but so far as I am aware these devices all have the disadvantage of being expensive, cumbersome or difficult to operate. p

'I have sou ht, therefore, to provide a con struction which is not only cheap to manufacture but compact and convement to use. I have especially sought to provide a construction in which the valve may be operated bybfingers of the same hand which holds the tu e. so A special object has been to provide a'construction from whichthe contents can be squeezed in exactly the same way as from thecommon type of tube employing the screw top.

To accomplish these desired results I have provided a very simple form of flexible the discharge orifice. This valye is housed within a cap-like structure through the sides 'of which the operating finger, pieces for the slide valve protrude.

5 In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated three modifications indicating the character of my invention.

Fig. 1 is an end view and partial trans} verse section showing one form of flexible 4o slide valve strip in the open position, the discharge orifice being circular.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the end of the tube showmg the closure device in section in the closed position.' Fig. 3 is a similar side view and partial slide valve mounted on the neck of the tube. in such a way that it can be easily operated. 30 by the tips of the fingers to open or close' section taken at right angles to the position of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an end view and partial section showing a modification with a rectangular orifice in the open position.

Fig. 5 is a side view and artial section of the construction shown in i g. 4.

Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of the flexible slide valveshown in the open and closed positions, respectively.

Fig. 8 is a erspective view of a flexible slide valve strip with two forms oiorifices. Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a modified form of detachable neck constituting the support for a flexible slide valve.

The tube 10 may be of any suitable material or construction and is provided with a neck 11 which may be integral therewith or detachable therefrom and provided with an outlet passage 12 of any suitable cross section.

The slide valve 13 is formed of a strip of flexible material such as sheet metal, celluloid or other tenacious substance which is flexible and preferablyof very slight, if any, resiliency.

This strip is sgrovided with an orifice 14 of any suitable ape or area depending upon the cross section which it is desired the extruded contents of the tube shall have. This stripsnugly fits the opposite sides of the neck and for this purpose the neck may be provided with-grooves such as 15, in which the ends of the strip slide. The outer end 16 of the neck is rounded ofi so that the valve strip 30 will slide smoothly over it.

The opposite ends of the slide valve strip are provided with projections such as 17 and 18 constituting finger pieces for operating the valve.

Shoulders

19, 19 maybe provided to 5 act as stops to limit the movement of the finger pieces and the slide valve.

The slide valve is encased or held in place by a housing 20 which has an orifice 21 in line with the passage 12 in the neck of the tube.

This housing may be secured in lace in any suitable manner, as for instance y means of the spun over or crimped lower edge 22. This housing has slots 23 in the opposite sides for the

finger pieces

17 and 18. he housing should fit rather snugly so as to hold the shde valve in both the open and closed positions; in other words, to prevent it from accidentally shifting its position.

Obviously the orifice 21 may be sealed if desired when the tube is shipped so as to give additional security against evaporation. The valve itself, however, provides all the security necessary for normal use.

To extrude some of the contents of the tube it is simply necessary to pick up the tube in the usual manner and pull down on the finger piece 17 so as to draw the strip across the end of the neck and open the valve and at the same time squeeze the tube. The contents will thus be discharged inexact-1y the same manor as in the ordinary type of collapsible tu To close the valve it is simply necessary to pull down on the finger piece 18 which draws the strip around the end of the neck and close the discharge orifice.

In the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the neck 11a is substantially rectangular in cross section and the discharge orifices 12a, 14a and 21a are also rectangular so as to produce a. ribbon-like strip of the extruded product.

The flexible slide valve strip 13a is provided with suitable finger pieces 17a and 18a and the housing 200 provides a snug enclosure for the slide valve. This housing can'be crimped at 22a to the tube in any suitable manner.

The edges of the valve strip are guided between adjacent surfaces of the neck 11a and the housing 20a so that the valve can be operated by a single finger piece by merely pulling on the finger piece to move the valve in one direction and pushing on the finger piece to move the valve in the. other direction.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a flexible slide valve strip 136 which may be provided with a plurality of orifices such as 14a of rectangular form and circular orifice 14. By such a construction it is optional with the user to produce a cylindrical discharge or a ribbon-like discharge from the tube by simply bringing the proper orifice over the end of the neck.

The flexible slide valve strip being very thin serves to produce a sharp cut oil so as to avoid clogging up the cap. The outer end of the housing 20 is also preferably quite thin so as to leave a minimum recess outside the slide valve for the collection of paste, etc. In the normal use of the device all the paste in the

orifices

21 and 14 will, of course, beremoved.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a modified neck 11?) for a tube which is adapted to be screwed on to the end of an ordinary collapsible tube which is provided with a threaded neck. It

will be understood that thisneck 11b 1. A tube closure comprisin a neck having a rounded end with a disc arge passage therein, valve strip guides adjacent said end on opposite sides of'said discharge passage, e

a flexible valve strip extendin around end of said neck between sai guides and adapted to close the discharge passagein the neck, slidable over said rounded end and having a finger piece on at least one end of said valve strip, a housing embracin the neck and valve strip and having a disc arge orifice in line with the discharge passage m the neck and having a guide passage for said finger piece and means for securing said housing.

2. A tube closure comprisin a neck having a rounded end with a disc arge passage therein, valve strip guides adjacent said end on opppsite sides of said discharge passagle, a flexl le valve strip extending around e end of said neck between said guides and adapted to close the outer end ofthe discharge passage in the neck, slidable over said rounded end from one side to the other and having a finger piece on at least one end of said valve strip, a housing,embracing the neck and valve strip and having a discharge orifice in line with the dischar passa e m the neck and having a passage or said 51 er piece, said valve strip being supported etween said guides on the inner side by said neck and on the outer side by said housing and means for securing said housing in p ace.

3. A tube closure comprising a neck having a rounded end with a discharge passage therein, valve strip guides adjacent said end. on opposite sides of said discharge passa e, a flexible valve strip extending around t e end of said neck between said guides and having parallel side edges and adapted to close the outer end of the discharge passage in the neck, slidable over said rounded end and having a finger piece on at least one end of said valve strip,.a housing embracing the neck and valve strip having a discharge orifice in line with the discharge passage in the neck and having a passage for said finger piece, the edges of said valve strip be ng supported between said'guides at its inner surface by said neck and at its outer surface by said housing.

4. A closure for collapsible tubes comprising a neck having an outlet passage for a plastic com osition with rounded bearing surfaces lea ing to said passage from opposite edges and supporting surfaces along the side edges between said bearing surfaces and a bearing surface along at least one side of the neck leading to the end surfaces, a flexible valve strip supported upon and slidable along said surfaces, a housing enclosing said neck and valve strip and havin an outlet registering with the outer end 0 the outlet passage in said neck and having a slot along at least one side and .a fin er iece on the valve slide accessible throu -sa1d slot.

. WALTER ROSELLE.