US1964206A - Container and closure therefor and method of making the same - Google Patents

Description

F. O'L. KILLORIN 1,964,206

THOD OF MAKING THE SAME June 26, 1934.

CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR AND M Filed Feb. 12. 1932 vINVENTOR (of/aw; Y B

ZATTORNEYS Patented June 26,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAlVIE Francis OL. Killorin, Waterbury, Conn., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application February 12, 1932, Serial No. 592,452 7 Claims. (Cl. 29-1482) joint.

piece cap.

Such constructions, however, have not proved altogether satisfactory because the two parts sometimes work loose, thus destroying or impairing the utility of the cap.

It is an object of the present invention to pro vide a container having a one-piece metal cap that may be firmly locked in place and that presentsv a smooth, unbroken exterior surface and makes a neatjoint with the container body.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a container and cap of the characteristics referred to, such that the cap may be removed and replaced with a slight twisting motion.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a method of producing caps.

With these general objects and others not specifically mentioned in View, the invention consists in the features, combinations, details of construction and arrangements of parts which will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawing and then more particularly pointed out.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View, with parts broken away and removed, of a container, including its closure, constructed in accordance with the invention.

the closure.

Referring to the drawing, the container here illustrated as an example comprises a body portion 11 in the form of a glass jar and a one-piece closure or cap 12 formed of sheet metal.

The jar has a neck 13 of reduced diameter forming a shoulder 14.

This neck is provided with a plurality of equally spaced cam elements 15 in the nature of an interrupted thread. The cap portion of the container has a smooth, slightly rounded top and a depending skirt portion 16. This latter is designed to take over the neck of the jar and is of a diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of shoulder 14.

The outer face of cap skirt 16 presents a smooth, unbroken surface and the cap has an uninterrupted bottom edge.

The interior of the cap skirt 16 is provided 'with a plurality of equally-spaced lugs or projections 17 for engaging the cam elements on the neck of 1 the jar. In the embodiment here illustrated as an example, these lugs are in the form of curled up strips skived or sheared from the metal of the cap skirt and integral therewith.

These lugs may be formed by suitable shearing and forming tools that shear a strip or tongue from the interior of the cap skirt working from the edge toward the top of the cap. During the shearing operation, the tongue may be simultaneously curled over into the form of a bead, as appears in Fig. 3.

These lugs 17 are equally spaced around the cap skirt and are equal in number to the number of cam elements 15 with which they are to cooperate. The several lugs lie in substantially the same plane, i. e., are at substantially equal distances from the bottom edge or rim of the cap. The width of the sheared and curled tongues, i. e., the length of the resulting lugs, is suchas to provide lugs that have the proper strength and make proper engagement with the cam elements.

In some containers, the neck is longer than in others. But in all cases it is desirable, from a merchandising point of View, that the bottom edge of the cap skirt shall be in close proximity to the shoulder on the container body. In carrying out the invention in its entirety, the position of the lugs 17 with respect to the bottom edge of the cap skirt is determined by the arrangement and dimensions of the neck of the container body. This may be accomplished, for example, by first forming a cap blank having a skirt longer than the skirt ultimately desired; shearing and curling the lugs from the edge of that skirt; and finally cutting off the skirt to leave a final skirt of the desired length.

The particular container here illustrated as an example is of the short-necked type and calls for a cap having its lugs closely adjacent the edge of the cap. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the method of producing such a cap. Fig. 3 shows a cap blank having a skirt longer than the skirt ultimately desired. From this skirt the lugs 17 are sheared and curled. Then the skirt of the blank is out off to a point adjacent the lugs. Fig. 4 shows the completed cap, the broken lines indicating the metal of the skirt that has been removed.

With the method described, enough metal for the lugs is available and at the same time the cap has the shallow characteristic demanded by the container neck.

It will be understood that the cap illustrated in Fig. 3 might have its skirt cut away by a less amount than here indicated, or not cut away at all, depending on the neck dimensions'of the particular container in question.

The invention in its entirety includes a compressible sealing gasket in the cap. As here shown as an example, on the inner side of the top of the closure is a compressible gasket in the form of a disk 18 of cardboard or thick paper. This disk may be secured in place in any suitable manner, as by friction or adhesion. In any event, it is kept from falling out by the projections 17.

In applying the closure to the container body, the closure is placed over the container with the lugs 17 passing between the respective cam elements. Then the cap and container are given relative rotation whereby the lugs ride down the cam elements and the closure is cammed down until the gasket 18 makes sealing contact with the lip of the container neck. It will be apparent that there is no definite and positive stop to the rotation of the cap. A suitable seal is effected and the closure locked by what may be termed an average gasket compression, a greater turning force giving greater compression.

By regulating the thickness or characteristics of the gasket and the relative position of the lugs 1'7, the ultimate sealing position may be so controlled that the bottom edge of the closure is in close proximity to but not in actual contact with the shoulder on the container body.

With the construction described, an effective closing and sealing is obtained by a slight rotation or twist of the closure, avoiding the excessive rotation that is necessary with a screwthread type of closure. Moreover, the cap has a smooth, unbroken outer surface, and an uninterrupted bottom edge that makes a close and neat joint with the container shoulder, thus meeting the requirements of the packaging trade.

What is claimed is:

l. The herein described method of forming a cap for a container, which comprises forming a cap blank having a skirt longer than the desired skirt, shearing a plurality of tongues from the metal of the inside wall of said skirt starting from the edge thereof, curling over said tongues to form lugs for engaging cam elements on the container neck, and cutting away the skirt of the blank below said lugs to leave a cap skirt of the desired length.

2. The herein described method of forming a cap for a container which comprises forming a cap blank having a skirt longer than the desired sln'rt, shearing a plurality of tongues from the metal of the inside wall of said skirt starting from the edge thereof, curling over said tongues to form lugs for engaging cam elements on the container neck, and cutting away the skirt of the blank to a point adjacent said lugs.

3. The herein described method of forming a cap for a container which comprises forming a cap blank having a skirt, shearing a plurality of tongues of substantially equal length from the metal of the inside wall of the skirt starting from the. edge thereof, and curling over said tongues to form bead-like lugs for engaging cam elements on a container neck.

4. A container comprising a body portion and a onepiece metal cap portion, the body portion having a neck and a plurality of cam elements on said neck, the cap having a skirt for taking over the body neck, the skirt portion having a smooth, unbroken outer surface and a plurality of spaced lugs on the interior wall of the cap skirt for engaging with the cam elements, said lugs being positioned at substantially equal distances from the bottom edge of the cap and formed from tongues the roots of which are cut from and intergral with the inner wall of the cap skirt.

5. A cap for a container comprising a one-piece metal shell having a top and a depending skirt, the skirt having a smooth, unbroken outer surface, and a plurality of locking projections on the interior of said skirt, said projections being formed from tongues the roots of which are cut from and integral with the inner wall of the cap skirt, and said projections being positioned at substantially equal distances from the bottom edge of the cap.

6. The herein described method of forming a cap for a container, which comprises forming a cap blank having a skirt longer than the desired skirt, shearing a plurality of tongues from the metal of the inside wall of said skirt starting from the edge thereof, forming said tongues into locking lugs for engagement with cooperating locking elements on the container neck, and cutting away the skirt of the blank below said lugs to leave a cap skirt of the desired length.

7. The herein described method of forming a cap for a container, which comprises forming a cap blank having a skirt longer than the desired skirt, shearing metal from the inside wall of said skirt starting from the edge thereof while leaving said sheared metal integrally rooted to said inside wall, forming said sheared metal into a locking element for engagement with a cooperating element on the container neck, and cutting away the skirt of the blank below said locking element to leave a cap skirt of the desired length.

FRANCIS OL. KILLORIN.

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