US2026946A - Container - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 7, 1936.

V. K. LE COMTE CONTAINER Filed April 17, 1933 INVENTOR Vz'cfar /f l e (1G/7127:

B [amg] ab ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. "7, .1936

This. invention -s PATENT cFF'lcE CONTAINER Victor K. Le Comte, Forest'lills, N. to Le Comte & Co., Inc., Brooklyn,

poration of New York Y., assignor N. Y., a cor- Application April 17, 1 933, Serial N0. 666,401

9 Claims.

relates to containers, such as cans constructed .of .tin or similar material, and has for its principal object to provide a container .adapted to be securelycovered or sealed.

A related object is to enable a container or can to be covered in such a manner that the coverA cannot be removed without considerable damage to the container orcover, or both.

Containers according to this invention are particularly suitable for enclosing or packing substances such as perishable foods which should not be permitted to be exposed at anytime between the packing and the ultimate use. f.

Some foods, of which oysters are a typical example, are required by law to be packed in such a manner that no opening of the container is possible without ready detection of the unauthorized exposure of the enclosed product. tainer, in accordance with this invention,

The conis well suited to meet this requirement. Since parts of the container are vopening ofV the same,

automatically damaged by any it is impossible to again close or seal up the container afterl it is once opened; hence no such surreptitious opening is practicable.

In a preferred embodiment,

the invention comprises a can member provided with a cover mem-1 ber adapted to be sprung into place at the top l of the can. For this purpose, -one of the members, preferably the can or container itself, is provided at its open end or edge witha resilient rim adapted to engage with a corresponding bead onl the edge of the other member.

The bead and the resilient rim, when in the normal condition, are of slightly different diameters, so that when the cover is applied to the container, the bead strains the resilient rim somewhat in moving past the rim to its proper closedposition. whereupon; the' rim reverts to its normal condition and bears against the bead'so that the cover cannot be readily removed.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the attached drawing of which:

Fig'.` 1 is a View,

to this invention;

partly in section, of a container with a cover Iin the clamped position, according and Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing in greater detail the portions of construction of the engaging the container and cover.

Referring to the drawing, the container structure is a can III comprising a cylindrical portion insert an instrument, such to those skilled in the art of can manufacture. The circular bottom portion I2 is joined to the lower edge of the cylindrical portionby turning up a circular seam III in a manner also well understood in the art. For the purpose of obtaining 5 increased' strength and rigidity near the open edge Iof the container, a strengthening bead I5 is formed on the cylindrical wall somewhat below the edge. 'I'he edge of the cylindrical wall at the open end ofthe container is curled over to form l0 a resilient curled rim I6 within the circular edge at the topofthe can.

The can cover I1 is formed-by turning up the outer portion, or perimeter, of a at circular piece of the material to form an outer circumference, l5 or edge I8, which will fit within the `top of the container. There is formed on the outer circumference I8 a bead I9 and a flange 20, the flange being y formed by curling over the edge of the metal, as shown. The flange is of greater diameter than 20 the bead; that is, about the diameter of the can. The diameter of the bead I9 is slightly greater than the normal inside diameter of the curled rim I6 within the top of the can, so that when the cover is forced into place, the bead presses against 25 the curled rim, thereby straining the latter to an increased diameter. This increased diameter of the rim may be due, in part, to a straining at the side seam 'I3. In the ultimate clamped position, thebead assumes a positionbeyond theA curled 30 rim, as shown in the drawing, so that the rim reverts to its normal diameter, the lower edge of the rim resting on the upper surface of the bead. This upper surface of the bead is in thev form of `a substantially horizontal engaging ledge, as 35 shown, upon which the lower engaging edge of the rim tightly rests. The cover is thus firmly clamped in position by means ofthe curled rim I6, the upper edge of which contacts the flange 20 'of the cover and the lower edge of which is in contact 40 with-bead I9. Since the flange 20 is formed' of a curled edge, it possesses natural resiliency, and the curled rim I6 is tightly and resiliently held between the flange and the bead of the cover.

In order to remove the cover, it is necessary to as a screwdriver, belange of the lcover and the upper edge of the curled rim, or otherwise permanently deform the component parts. The bead I 9 will then be forced past the rim I6, thus tearing out and injuring the rim, because of the width of the bead, or the cover will be so deformed that it cannot. again be clamped into place in the regular mantween the ner. An inspection of Fig. 2 clearly shows that such permanentdeformation of the parts must 55 necessarily occur because of the direction from which the engaging edge of the curled rim I6 contacts the engaging ledge of the bead l 9. There is quite a wide angle between the ledge of bead I9 and Itshe direction of engagement of the edge of rim It is not essential to the operation of this invention that the arrangement of the bead and rim be exactlyas that shown in the drawing. For example, the resilient rim might be in the form of a curl on the outside, instead of the inside, of

the open end of the can. Another arrangement might be that in which the resilient rim is formed on the cover and the bead upon the can. In this latter arrangement, it would be desirable to form the ilange also upon the can.

I claim:

l. In combination, a container having a substantially continuous resilient rim formed by an open curl within the top of said container, said curl providing an engaging edge, and a cover adapted to be clamped on the open end of said container, said cover being provided with an outy er circumferential bead having an engaging ledge,

said rim and said bead being located with respect'l tov each other so that in moving to the clamped position said bead moves past said rim and resiliently strains said rim in passing,'and when in the clamped position said rim reverts to its normal unstrained condition, the outer diameter of said ledge being sufllciently greater than the normal diameter of said engaging edge, and said ledge making such an angle with respect to said edge, as to prevent said bead from moving out of said clamped position without permanently deforming said bead or said rim.

2. In combination, a container member and a cover member adapted to clamp on said container member, one of said' members being provided with a bead having a substantially horizontal ledge and the other of said members being provided with a substantially continuous resilient rim formed by an open curl providing an engaging edge, the provision and arrangement being such that when said cover member is moved toward the clamped position, lsaid bead engages and resiliently strains said rim, and when actually in the clamped position said bead assumes a position beyond said rim whereupon said rim reverts to its normal unstrained condition, said ledge being of such width and said engaging edge contacting said horizontal ledge from such an angle as to retain securely said cover in the clamped position, and prevent said cover from being removed without permanent deformation of a member.

3.. In combination, a cylindrical container member and a circular cover member adapted to clamp on the open end of said container member, one of said members having a substantially continuous circumferential resilient rim having an engaging edge and the other member having a circumferential bead formed by an open curl providing-an engaging edge, the provision and arrangement being such that when said cover member is moved toward the clamped position, said bead passes and resiliently vstrains said rim in passing, and when actually in the clamped position said bead is located beyond said rim, whereupon said rim returns to its4 normal unstrained condition, said ledge being of such width and said edge contacting said ledge from such an angle that said edge rests positively upon said ledge in such a manner that said cover member cannot be withdrawn from the clamped position without permanently defrming at least one of said members, thereby securely retaining said cover in said clamped position.

4. In combination, a cylindrical container hav- 5 ing a substantially continuous circumferential resilient rim formed by an open curl providing an engaging edge at its open end, and a cover adapted to be clamped to said. open end, said cover having a circumferential bead provided with an engaging ledge, the normal diameters of said bead and said rim being somewhat different and suchthat said rim obstructs the passage of said bead, whereby when said cover is being moved toward the clamped position, said bead moves past said rim and resiliently strains said rim in passing, said bead when in the clamped position being located behind said rim and being securely held beyond said rim which then reverts to the normal unstrained condition, said ledge being of such width and said edge contacting said ledge from such an angle that said edge rests positively upon said ledge in such a manner that said cover cannot be withdrawn from the clamped position without permanently deforming said rim, thereby securely retaining the cover in the clamped position.

5. In combination, a cylindrical container having a circumferential resilient rim formed by an open `curl providing an engaging edge, within the open end thereof, and a cover adapted to be clamped upon said open end, said cover having an outer circumferential bead and a circumferential resilient ilange above said bead, the diameter of said bead being somewhat greater than the normal diameter of said rim, whereby when said cover is being moved toward the clamped position, said bead moves past said rim, and resiliently strains said rim to the diameter of said bead, but upon reaching the clamped position, said bead assumes a position beyond said rim, said rim then returning to its normal unstrained condition, said ange then engaging with the open end of said container and said edge engaging with said bead at a wide angle, whereby said cover is securely clamped by the resilient engagement of said rim between said bead and said resilient ange.

6. In combination, a cylindrical container having the open end thereof curled over within the top of said container to form a resilient rim having an engaging edge, and a cover adapted to be clamped upon said open end, said cover having formed thereon a protruding circumferential bead and a protruding resilient ange of greater diameter than said bead. the diameter of said bead being slightly greater than the normal inside diameter of said rim, whereby when said cover is being moved toward the clamped position, said bead moves past said rim and resiliently increases the diameter of said rim to that of said bead, but upon reaching the clamped position, said bead assumes a position beyond said rim such that saltil rim reverts to its normal unstrained condition and said ange resiliently engages with the open end of. said container, whereby said cover is securely clamped by the engagement of the engaging edge of said rim with said bead and of said resilient flange with said o pen end. n 7. In combination, a container member and a cover member adapted to clamp on the open end of said container member, one of said members being provided with a angevand with a bead having a substantially horizontal ledge and the other of said members being provided with a 's substantially continuous resilient rim formed by an open curl providing an engaging edge, theprovision and arrangement being such that when said cover; member is moved toward the clamped position, said bead engages and resilientlystrains 'said rim, and when finally ln the yclamped position said bead-.assumes a position beyond said rim and said flange presses against a corresponding surface of said rim, whereupon said rim reverts to its normal unstrained condition in such a manner that said engaging edge rests tightly on said ledge, thereby securely retaining said' cover in the clamped position by reason of the tight engagementof said rim between said bead and said flange, the width of said ledge being sufflcient, and the angle which said engaging edge makes with said horizontal ledge being sumcient, to prevent said cover memberi from being removd from the clamped position without permanent 'deformation of a member. v

8. In combination, a cylindrical container and y af cover therefor, said container having a substantially continuous resilient rim near its openv edge and said cover havingv a circular bead for engaging Ysaid rim and also a resilient flange formed by a' circumferential curl for engaging said edge, said 4riru and said bead being located with respect to` each other so that'I when said cover moves toward the clamped position said bead -moves past said rim andl resiliently strains said rim in passing, and when .in the clamped position, said bead is beyond said rim and in engagement therewith `and said flange is in resilient engagement with said edge, whereby said rim re- 3 verts to its normal unstrained condition said cover is securelyclamped by the'engagement of said bead with said rim and of said resilient flange" with said edge. said bead having al ledge of such width, and the edge or said rim contacting said 5 protruding from the outer circumference thereof, 15

said bead having an engaging ledge, the normal outside diameter of said bead being greater than the normal inside diameter of said rim, whereby when said cover is lbeing moved toward the clamped position said bead moves past said rim 20l and resiliently strains said rim in passingjsaid bead when inthe, clamped position being located beyond` said rim which then reverts to the normal unstrained condition, in such a manner that said engaging edgev positively engages said en-'25 gaging ledge, the outer diameter oi' said ledge lbeing sumciently greater than the normal di-fr ameter. of said engaging edge, and said ledge making such an'angle with respect to said edge, that said cover cannot be removed without perma- 30 nently deforming said rim, thereby securely re-2 taining said cover in the. clamped position.

Images