US1983101A

US1983101A - Oil bottle spout

Info

Publication number: US1983101A
Application number: US666416A
Authority: US
Inventors: George K Seribner
Original assignee: Boonton Molding Co Inc
Current assignee: Boonton Molding Co Inc
Priority date: 1933-04-17
Filing date: 1933-04-17
Publication date: 1934-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 1951-12-04

Description

cs. K. SCRIBNER 1,983,101

1 j OIL BOTTLE SPOUT Filed April 17, 1933 INVENTOR George K. Scribner ATTORN EYS Patented Dec. 4, 1934 PATENT OFFICE 1.923.101 omnorm srou'r George K. Scribner, Boonton, N. J., assignor to 'Boonton Molding Company, Boonton, N. J., a

corporation of New Jersey Application April 17, 193:, Serial No. 666,416

Claims. (01.221-28) This invention relates to spouts for guiding a liquid froma container, and more particularly to oil bottle spouts of thetype used at automobile fllling stations. v 5 The object of the present invention is to generally improve oil bottle spouts with a view to. enhancing their appearance, increasing theirstrength, reducing the cost of production, and forming the same as an integral unit in a single 10 operation by molding the finished spout out of moldable material, preferably synthetic resin, in addition, to other important but more specific objects hereinafter detailed.

One primary object of the present invention l5 resides in the provision of an improved form of air vent for the spout, characterized by being dust-proof, invisible to the eye so as not to mar the appearance of the spout, circuitous in path so as to obstruct dirt particles which may be sucked in as the oil is poured through the spout and further arranged to prevent the escape of oil through the vent.

Another object of the present invention is to make the oil bottle spout wholly dust-proof, and

I includes the provision, in addition to the improved air vent heretofore mentioned, of a dust cap which is readily applied to or removed from the open tip of the spout and yet which is held by snap engagement means to prevent accidental falling 011 or removal of the cap. Still another object of the present invention concerns the gasket sealing means between the oil bottle and the spout, and more particularly residesin the provision of a gasket retaining ledge or ridge for holding the gasket in place in the spout despite frequent removal and re-application of the spout to the bottle. Still another object of the inventionis to provide the exterior of the base portion of the spout with generous knurling 40 or spaced ridges to facilitate screwing of the spout on the bottle and to prevent slipping of the-spout in the hand despite the slippery oily nature of the product being handled.

- -I'o the accomplishment'of the foregoing'and *siich-other objects as will hereinafter appear, my

. invention consits in the oil bottle spout elements Hand their relation one to the other, as herein- 1 I after are more particularly described in the: 1 r b speciflcation and sought to be defined in the .55 .the same applied to a relatively small oil bottle;

Oil bottle spouts are commonly employed at automobile filling stations, the spouts being applied to bottles of oil, a row or series of which are displayed on racks or shelves, where they are immediately available for pouring into the crank case of an automobile engine. -The spouts 5 are commonly made up out of a number of separate pieces of sheet metal, soldered or otherwise joined together. In accordance with my invention, a complete oil bottle spout is formed as a unit by direct molding, the spout preferably being molded out of a synthetic resinous material such as the condensation products of phenol or urea. This material when molded sets or polymerizes from a potentially reactive fusible condition to a hard and permanently set and infusible condition, resulting in an oil bottle spout which, is smoothly and attractively finished; which may be given a novel appearance by reason of the freedom in design made possible by the molding process; which is exceedingly strong and durable; which is wholly resistant to attack by oil, gasoline, automobile fumes, storage battery acid, anti-freeze mixtures, and the like; which may be attractively colored, so that the display of a rackful of oil bottles will in itself be an effective advertisement, which idea may be furthered by the selection of a color typical of the trade-mark of the company marketing the oil in question; which is not subject to bending or deformation, as in the case of a sheet metal spout; which, even if subjected to severe handling such as might cause a slight chipping of a part of the spout, does not noticeably mar the appearance of the same because the color runs throughout the material and is not merely a surface paint; and which, withal, may be produced at a low cost under production conditions, for the spout is practically a. finished article when removed from the mold.

Referring to the drawing, the oil bottle spout is generally in the form of an inverted funnel and comprises an upwardly tapering body portion 12 formed integrally with an outwardly flared base portion 14. The base portion 14 is internally threaded at 16 to receive the threaded neck 18 of a jar or bottle 20. The exterior of the base portion 14 is knurled or provided with a series of generously sized and spaced ridges 22 which afford an excellent grip when the spout is screwed onto the oil bottle, despite the prob- 10 able presence of a slight film of oil on the spout or on the hand of the filling station attendant. The tip of the spout is preferably cut on a bias to form a pouring lip 24, thus facilitating pouring and observation of the oil being emptied into the crank case. The conventionally open tip of the spout is preferably topped or closed by a dust cap 26, to guard against the settling of dust or dirt onto the surface of the oil in the bottle while the filled bottle is on display.

The spout is further provided with an air vent formed in the base portion 14 and best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. This air vent is formed by a groove or channel which extends horizontally outwardly at 28 and then downwardly at 30 to the bottom edge of the spout. The groove 30 is deeper than the thread 16, as will be evident from an inspection of the drawing, and communication is thereby established between the interior and the exterior of the bottle. It is important to note that this air vent is downwardly directed at its outlet, thus preventing the settling of dust or dirt through the vent opening. The vent has the further advantage of being not only inconspicuous but practically invisible, so that it does not mar the appearance of the spout. A further advantage of circuitousness will be described later.

It will be noted that the air vent is located on the side of the spout opposite the pouring edge 24, that is, opposite the highest side of the biased tip of the spout. To indicate the location of the air vent, without reliance upon observation of the tip of the spout, the base portion 14 carries a marker, here shown as an extra-large ridge 32 on the outer surface of the base, this ridge 32 being clearly discriminated from the ordinary knurling 22 around the base of the spout. At the-same time, the marker ridge 32 thickens and strengthens the spout around the

vent channels

28 and 30.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, oil running back into the bottle from the spout is prevented from escaping through the air vent, and this is of importance after emptying the oil bottle because a film of oil on the interior of the spout invariably drips back into the bottle. It is also of importance because at many filling stations the attendant prefers to fill the bottle through the tip of the spout instead of removing the spout from the bottle, in which case a large quantity of oil fiows downwardly past the air vent. For this purpose the present spout is provided with a drip lip 34, depending from the inner surface of the tapered or body portion 12, and extending to a point well below the inner terminal of the air vent. By this simple construction, oil flowing down the spout toward the bottle is guided safely past the vent and is thereby prevented from escaping to the exterior of the oil bottle.

The interior of the base portion 14 is preferably provided with a flat abutment surface 36 located directly above the top edge of the neck 18 of the bottle, this surface being adapted to take the closing pressure when the spout is screwed onto the bottle. In accordance with the present invention, the junction of the spout and oil bottle is preferably sealed by a gasket 38 which is disposed directly between the annular surface 36 of the spout and the neck of the bottle. Inasmuch as this gasket is apt to be dislodged and lost in the course of many removals of the spout from the oil bottle, I preerably provide the inner surface of the base portion of the spout with a gasket retaining ledge or ridge 40 in addition to the regular threads 16. This gasket retaining ledge may extend partially or wholly around the spout and may be continuous or discontinuous, but in any case serves to retain the gasket in place when the spout is removed from the bottle. It will be understood that the outwardly directed channel 28 is cut into the abutment surface 36 of the spout, thereby providing a channel passing above the gasket 38, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, the outer surface 35 of the depending lip 34 is disposed inwardly somewhat of the inner edge of the gasket, so that the complete vent channel is relatively circuitous and includes an upwardly directed portion between the lip 34 and the gasket, in addition to the outwardly directed portion 28 and the downwardly directed portion 38. This obstructs dust or dirt particles sucked into the vent when the bottle is emptied.

It has already been mentioned that, to complete the dust-proof nature of the present spout, the open tip thereof is preferably provided with a dust cap 26. This cap is generally thimbleshaped and may be and preferably is molded out of the same material as the oil bottle spout itself. To prevent accidental loss or falling off of the cap from the spout, and at the same time to permit the cap to be readily applied to or removed from the spout, the spout and cap are preferably provided with snap engagement means permitting the cap to be sprung and held in position on the spout. In the present case the spout is provided with an annular ridge or ledge 42 while the cap is provided with a pair of circumfcrentially directed ridges or beads 44 the diametrical spacing across which is less than the diameter of the ridge 42. The difference is made such that the cap is readily snapped or sprung over the ridge 42, placing the

parts

42 and 44 in the holding relation clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. To 10- cate the cap on the spout, the cap is preferably provided with an additional pair of circumferentially directed ledges 46 located higher than the ledges 44 with an axial spacing therebetween sufilcient to receive the bead 42. With this arrangement the cap when sprung in position is held against downward movement by the ledges '46 and is held against upward movement by the ledges 44. A slight pull on the cap, however, readily dislodges it from the tip of the spout and permits the oil to be poured into the crank case.

Some of the advantages of the present construction, resulting from the molding of the spout, will already be apparent. Considerable latitude in design is afforded, because the inner surface need not follow or conform to the outer surface, as is the case with a sheet metal spout. This makes readily possible the addition of the drip lip, the formation of the vent channel, the addition of the knurling, the provision of a flat abutment surface for the gasket within a conical outer wall, and the integral formation of the threads. Latitude in design made possible by molding also permits the spout to be given novel shapes, here exemplified by the stepping of the tapered portion of the spout, as shown at 50. While the outer surface is ridged or stepped as desired, the inner surface may be left smooth to permit free fiow of oil through the spout. In the present case the inner surface has also been slightly stepped, but it is evident that this inner surface may be made perfectly smooth and truly frustro-conical, if desired, and that even ner by stripping the spout directly from the interlocking' grooves in the mold while the spout is still hot and sufficiently elastic or yieldable to accommodate the necessary temporary distortion. This preferred stripping process is set forth in greater detail, in my copending application Serial No. 449,852, filed May 5, 1930, entitled Molding of plastic articles. When forming the gasket retaining ledge 40' by the stripping process, it is convenient to simultaneously form the threads 16, for threads, like other interlocking parts, may also be stripped from a molding pin. With this purpose in view the threads are preferably blunt and rounded, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, which is anyway desirable because such a thread mates well with the threads on a glass jar or bottle, which are themselves of a relatively blunt and rounded character.

It is believed that the improved oil bottle spout of my invention, as well as the method of constructing and using the same, and the many advantages thereof will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. The spout is dust-proof, being provided with a dust cap and a' dust-proof vent, and thus preventing contamination of the oil when displayed in the open. The dust cap and spout are mated by convenient snap engagement means, while the vent is not only indirect and invisible but is sufficiently circuitous to prevent the sucking of dirt into the bottle during the pouring operation. Escape of oil through the vent upon back flow is effectually prevented, thus avoiding messing of the outside of the bottle with oil and permitting filling of the bottle through the spout. The spout is convenient to handle and apply to the oil bottle because of the large knurling, because of the gasket and means to permanently retain the same in place, and because of the marker showing the best position for holding the oil bottle during the pouring operation. The spout is strong, resistant to corrosion, attractive in shape, and may be colored to further enhance its appearance as well as to form an attractive display at the filling station.

It will be apparent that while I have shown and described my invention in preferred form, many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A unitary spout generally in the form of an inverted funnel and comprising an upwardly tapering body portion and an outwardly flared base portion, said base portion being internally threaded, and including an outwardly and then downwardly extending channel or groove deeper than the threads, and acting as an air vent.

2. A unitary molded spout generally in the form of an inverted funnel and comprising an upwardly tapering body portion formed integrally with an outwardly flared base portion, said base portion being internally threaded to receive the threaded neck of a Jar or bottle,

and further including an outwardly and then downwardly extending channel or groove deeper than the threads and forming'an air vent, said spout having a lip depending from the interior of the body portion to a point below the inner terminal. of the venting channel.

3. An oil bottle spout for use at automobile filling stations,v comprising a unitary molded spout generally in the form of an inverted funnel and comprising an upwardly tapering body portion formed integrally with an outwardly flared base portion, said base portion being internally threaded to receive the threaded neck of a jar or bottle, and externally knurled to facilitate tightening the spout on the bottle, said base portion further including an outwardly and then downwardly extending channel or groove deeper than the threads and forming an air vent communicating circuitously with the interior of the spout, said spout having a lip depending from the interior of the body portion to a point below the inner terminal of the venting channel.

4. A unitary molded spout generally in the form of an inverted funnel and comprising an upwardly tapering body portion formed integrally with an outwardly flared base portion, said base portion being internally threaded to receive the threaded neck of a jar or bottle, and further including a peripherally directed gasket retaining shoulder or ridge extending at least partially around the base of the spout and serving to hold a gasket in place, said base portion further including an outwardly and then downwardly extending channel or groove deeper than the threads and forming an air vent communicating with the interior of the spout.

5. A unitary molded spout generally in the form of an inverted funnel and comprising an upwardly tapering body portion formed integrally with an outwardly flared base portion, said base portion being internally threaded to receive the threaded neck of a jar or bottle, and further including a peripherally directed gasket retaining shoulder or ridge extending at least partially around the base of the spout and serving to hold a gasket in place, and an air vent passing above the gasket, said spout having a lip depending from the interior of the body portion to a point below the inner terminal of the air vent.

6. An oil bottle spout for use at automobile filling stations, comprising a unitary molded spout generally in the form of an inverted funnel and comprising an upwardly tapering body portion formed integrally with an outwardly flared base portion, said base portion being internally threaded to receive the threaded neck of a jar or bottle, and further including a peripherally directed gasket retaining shoulder or ridge extending at least partially around the base of the spout and serving to hold a gasket in place for sealing the engagement between the neck of the jar and the. base of the spout, said base portion further including an outwardly and then downwardly extending channel or groove deeper than the threads and forming an air vent communicating circuitously with the interior of the spout, said spout having a lip depending from the interior of the body portion to a point below the inner terminal of the venting channel.

7. A unitary molded spout generally in the form of an inverted funnel and comprising an upwardly tapering body portion formed integrally with an outwardly flared base portion,

said base portion being internally threaded to receive the threaded neck of a jar or bottle, said base portion further including an outwardly and then downwardly extending channel or groove deeper than the threads and forming an air vent communicating with the interior of the spout, and a dust cap for closing the tip of said spout, the exterior of the body portion of the spout including a peripherally extending ridge or shoulder, and the interior oi the cap including a peripherally directed ridge or shoulder mating with the ridge on the spout, whereby the cap may be sprung and held in position on the spout, making the same entirely dust-proof.

8. An oil bottle spout for use at automobile filling stations, comprising a unitary molded spout generally in the form of an inverted tunnel and comprising an upwardly tapering body portion formed integrally with an outwardly flared base portion, said base portion being internally threaded to receive the threaded neck of a jar or bottle and externally knurled to facilitate tightening the spout on the bottle, said base portion further including an outwardly and then downwardly extending channel or groove deeper than the threads and forming an air vent communicating circuitously with the interior of the spout, said spout having a lip depending from the interior of the body portion to a point below the inner terminal of the venting channel, and a dust cap for closing the tip of said spout, the exterior of the body portion of the spout and the interior of the cap having mating snap engagement means, whereby the cap may be sprung and held in position on the spout, making the same entirely dust-proof.

9. A unitary molded spout generally in the form of an inverted funnel and comprising an upwardly tapering body portion formed integrally with an outwardly flared base portion, said base portion being internally threaded to receive the threaded neck of a jar or bottle, and

further including a peripherally directed gasket retaining shoulder or ridge extending at least partially around the base of the spout and serving to hold a gasket in place, said base portion further including a channel extending outwardly above the gasket and then downwardly with a depth greater than the threads and forming an air vent communicating circuitously with the interior of the spout, said spout having a lip depending from the interior of the body portion to a point below the inner terminal of the venting channel, and a dust cap for closing the tip 0! said spout.

10. Arr oil bottle spout tor use at automobile filling stations, comprising a unitary molded spout generally in the form of an inverted funnel and comprising an upwardly tapering body portion formed integrally with an outwardly flared base portion, said base portion being internally threaded to receive the threaded neck of a jar or bottle, and further including a peripherally directed gasket retaining shoulder or ridge extending at least partially around the base of the spout and serving to hold a gasket in place for sealing the engagement between the neck of the jar and the base of the spout, said base portion further including an outwardly and then downwardly extending channel or groove deeper than the threads and forming an air vent communicating circuitously with the interior of the spout, said spout having a lip depending from the interior of the body portion to a point below the inner terminal of the venting channel, and a dust cap for closing the tip of said spout, the exterior of the body portion of the spout including a peripherally extending ridge, and the interior of the cap including a peripherally directed ridge mating with the ridge on the spout, whereby the cap may be sprung and held in position on the spout.

GEORGE K. SCRIBNER.