US2058206A - Separable closure cap and locking member therefor - Google Patents

Description

oct. 2o, 1936. H K BASKIN 2,058,206

SEPARBLE CLOSURE CAP AND LOCKING MEMBER THEREFOR Filed June 20', 1936 INVENTOR. /E 55e 7 QS/L//A/ Patented Oct. 20, 1936 *UNITED STATES PATENT oFFl-CE SEPARABLE CLOSURE CAP AND LOCKING MEMBER THEREFOR Herbert K.Baskin, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application June 20, 1936, Serial No. 86,259

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in receptacle closures and has particular reference to a closure cap and locking member therefor adapted for use on bottles, jars and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved closure cap and locking member of simple, practical and economical construction in which the locking member will securely hold the closure cap in its operative position and permit of the easy removal thereof from a receptacle by coaction of the cap and member when the latter is manipulated.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates preferred embodiments of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective View of a receptacle such as a bottle or jar showing one form of the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section illustrating, in full lines, the operative position of the cap and locking member, the dotted line position showing the manner of releasing the cap from its position on the receptacle.

'Figure 3 is a fragmentary View, partially in elevation and partially in section, showing a slightly modied form of the invention, the dotted lines indicating the releasing position, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of another form of locking member used in conjunction with the closure cap.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the numeral 5 indicates a receptacle of any type to which the closure cap and locking member, generally indicated by the numerals 6 and 'I respectively, may be applied.

As shown in Figures l and 2, the closure cap 6, which may be made of any suitable material such as metal or the like, is of circular formation to fit the open end of the receptacle 5, and the top of said cap comprises an annular, flat, marginal portion 8 which is disposed directly above the rim of the receptacle 5 when the closure cap is in position. A washer or gasket 9 forming a seal may be disposed between the receptacle and said portion 8, if desired. The remainder of the top of the cap within the marginal portion 8 is formed into a curved depression II! for a purpose which will appear in the course of the description. The cap further has a depending flange or rim I I which encircles and engages the outer periphery of the receptacle 5 when the cap is in position and the free lower edge of said flange terminates adjacent an annular shoulder I2 formed on the receptacle 5.

The locking member 1, which is utilized to retain the closure cap in its operative position, is preferably formed from an elongated strip of flexible material, preferably having a certain amount of resiliency, such as metal or the like. The intermediate portion of the locking member extends diametrically across the top of the'cap 6 when the member is in position and in' so doing the ends of said intermediate portion rest upon the marginal portion 8 of thecap, while the remainder of said intermediate portion extends above the depression Il! inthe cap in normal spaced relation thereto. At each end of the member 'I the same is bent laterally to form a retaining element I3 which is engageable with the rim II of the cap and which terminates in one or more inturned claws I4 adapted to engage beneath the annular shoulder I2 of the receptacle i and-thereby lock the closure cap thereto. Means are provided for retaining the vlocking member I against lateral shifting with respect to the closure cap such as might occur if the member 'I were accidentally struck sidewise. Such means preferably takes the form of a pair of outstrucklugs I5 disposed on the rim II and spaced apart sufficiently to receive therebetween the depend-A ing retaining elements I3 of the locking member, and thus provide stops against which the edges of said retaining element will Contact to prevent the lateral shifting referred to. To remove the cover from the receptacle, it is only necessary to exert a pressure upon the central point ofthe member 'I to flex the same downwardly and into the depression ID. When such action occurs, the inner edge of the marginal portion 8 of the cover acts as a fulcrum at the two diametrically opposite points which are engaged by the ends of the iiat portion of said member 'l and as the flexing of the latter takes place the retaining elements I3 are rocked and swung outwardly to the dottedline position shown in Figure 2 whereupon the claws I4 will disengage from beneath the shoulder I2 and thus permit the closure cap to be lifted from the receptacle. Said cap may be replaced in its closing position by a reversal of the operation just described.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 3, the cap 6 and locking element 1 are of substantially the same construction as the embodiment first described and differ therefrom only in the formation of the cap rim and retaining elements y an annular bead II formed by two angularly disposed surfaces of said rim. Likewise, each retaining element I8 of the locking member 'I is bent adjacent its lower edge to form an annular groove I9 adapted to receive the bead I'I when the elements are in operative position. The free extremity of the retaining element I8 contiguous to the groove I9 is bent inwardly to provide the claw 20 which engages beneath the shoulder I2 of the receptacle to lock the cover in position. When the portion of the member 1 above the depression IIJ in the cover is exed into said depression, the action is the same as that previously described and the retaining elements I8 are swung outwardly to disengage the claws 2l) from the shoulder I2 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. However, due to the bead II on the cover the claw 28 of each retaining member I8 will not be swung outwardly sufcient to clear the rim of the cover with the result that said claw will still remain in contact with the bead I'I and the locking member will not become completely detached from the cover, thus avoiding separation and possible loss of either the cover or locking member should it be desired to later use the same in re-closing the receptacle.

Another form of locking member 2l is illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawing in which said member is again made of a exible material, the member in this instance being bifurcated at its ends as indicated at 22 so as to form two diverging arms 23 each terminating in a laterally extending retaining element 24 similar to the elements I3 and I8, the extremity of each element being inturned to form a claw 25 engaging underneath the shoulder I2 of the receptacle. When the member 2| is in position the divergence of the arms 23 disposes the elements 24 in spaced relation to each other and on opposite sides of the diametric center of the closure cap. By this arrangement, the possibility of any lateral shifting of the locking member relative to the closure cap is reduced and the necessity of employing any retaining means such as lugs I5 may be avoided. 'I'he cover 6 of the present modification may be detached from the receptacle in the same manner as deportion disposed over said depression and other portions resting upon said marginal portion of the cap, and retaining elements at the ends of said locking member engageable with the receptacle to hold said cap in closed position, said intermediate portion of the locking member capable of being I'lexed into said depression and the inner edge of said marginal portion providing a fulcrum for said member when so exed whereby said retaining elements are released from engagement with said receptacle.

2. In combination, a closure cap for a receptacle, said cap having a iiat annular marginal portion and a central depression in its top, an elongated exible locking member extending diametrically across said top with its intermediate portion disposed over said depression and other portions resting upon said marginal portion of the cap, retaining elements at the ends of said locking member engageable with the receptacle to hold said cap in closed position, said intermediate portion of the locking member capable of being flexed into said depression and the inner edge of said marginal portion providing a fulcrum for said member when so flexed whereby said retaining elements are released from engagement with said receptacle, and stop lugs on said cap disposed on opposite sides of and engageable with said locking member to prevent lateral shifting thereof relative to said cap when the member is in locking position.

3. In combination, a. closure cap for receptacles, said cap having a top provided with a central depression and further having a depending annular flange provided with a bead extending thereabout, and a llexible locking member for said cap extending thereacross with the intermediate portion of said member disposed above said depression and capable of being ilexed into the same when releasing said cap, said locking member having gripping portions at its ends engageable with said flange with the extremities of said gripping portions engaging said receptacle to retain said cover in position thereon and being released from said receptacle when the locking member is flexed into said depression, said gripping portions having grooves to receive said bead when the locking member is in operative position and said bead being engaged by said locking extremities of the gripping portions, when the locking member is flexed, to retain said member on said cover when the latter is removed from the receptacle.

HERBERT K. BASKIN.

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