US2104413A - Closure for containers - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 4, 1938; B. F. cAHooN 2,104,413

CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS Filed March 5, 1934 2 SPeefcs-Shegt l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Jan. 4, 1938. B. F. CAHOON 2,104,413

CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS Filed March 5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR .auqw

B as I TTORNEYS Patented Jan. 4, 1938 UNlTED STATES 2,104,413, cnosmu: FOR communes Brent F. Cahoon, Kew Gardens, N. Y., assignor to Captive Closures, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 5, 1934, Serial No. 714,009

9 Claims. (Cl. 215-43) This invention relates to closures for containers. Closures for bottles, cans, collapsible tubes and the like that are held against complete removal are now known as captive closures. It is an object of the present invention toprovide an improved closure of the captive type. More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide a closure'of the captive type such that the locking means is inaccessible after the closure is'once assembled and such that the locking relation of the parts is efl'ected by the mere act of assembling the cap on the receptacle.

With these general objects and others in view, the invention consists in the features, combina tions, details of construction and arrangements of parts that will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and then more particularly pointed out.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of part of a container and its closure constructed in accordance with the invention, the cap being shown in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the cap in open position;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view with certain parts broken away and the cap not yet in place;

Fig. 4% is a perspective View, with certain parts broken away, of a modification;

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are similar to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 showing a further modification;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the parts removed; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional View (en- Iarged) of part of the container shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the invention in its entirety includes a cap capable of a guided axial movement on a container neck and a discharge port in the cap that is open in one axial position of the cap and closed in another.

While the guided axial movement may be attained in various ways, it may be conveniently accomplished by a threaded engagement between the cap and the container. To this end, in the exemplification illustrated in Figs. 1-3 the neck ZG-of a bottle 2!! is provided with an external thread 22. This thread is relatively short and is located on the lower part of the container neck. Telescoping the bottle neck is a cup-shaped cap 23 having an internal thread 24 meshing with thread 22 and conveniently formed of non-metallic molded material. The lower portion of the cap is fluted or knurled, as at 25, to facilitate turning the same. At the bottom is a rib l9 which. serves to strengthen the lower rim of the cap and so prevent breakage in removing the cap from the mold.

While the discharge port and the port closing means may vary in construction and arrangement, in the embodiment illustrated as an example in Figs. 1-3, at the center of the top of the cap is a conical discharge port or passage 26. Cooperating therewith is a conical valve element or plug 27 capacitated to seat within the discharge port and close the same. This plug is carried 10 by the container neck, either as an integral part thereof or as part of a separate attachment. The plug t? of the present embodiment is part of a separate attachment hereinafter described in more detail. When the cap is screwed down to closed position, plug 21 fits into port 28 and closes or seals the same (Fig. 1).. Upon upward movement of the cap, port 26 recedes from plug 21!, thereby opening the port for discharge of the container contents (Fig. 2). 0

The invention in its entirety includes a locking abutment carried by the receptacle neck and an upwardly facing stop shoulder on the inside of the cap and located below the locking abutment, the

locking abutment being flexible inwardly upon 03 the application of downward pressure but not upon the application of upward pressure.

While the locking abutment may vary in construction, it may conveniently, take the form of a downwardly and outwardly flaring flange-like 30 element anchored at its upper and inner edge and free at its outer edge. In carrying out the invention to what is now considered the best advantage, the flange-like element is a terminal flange of an attachment secured to the container neck. The attachznent may conveniently include a body portion and an inward V-shaped bend locked under a locking ring on the container, the lower leg of the V constituting the terminal locking flange referred to.

To this end, as shown as an example in Figs. 1-3, at the mouth of the bottle 21 is what is known in the glass industry as a locking ring 28, that is, a ring-like projection forming a downwardly facing shoulder on its under side. Such a ring is commonly provided on bottles for securing crown corks and other caps. Telescoping the bottle mouth is the body portion 29 of an attachment preferably formed of metal. Below the body portion 29, which, in this instance, is a ring-like 54 part, is an inward bend 30 which takes under the shoulder of the locking ring 28. Extending inwardly from the 'top of body portion 28 is an inward clamping flange 3| which overlaps the lip of the bottle. In the present exempliflcation a seal- 55 ing gasket 32 is inserted between the clamping flange 3| and the bottle lip to prevent any leakage down inside the attachment. It will now be apparent that the flange 3| and the inward bend 30 clamp-the attachment to the locking ring of,

the bottle. In the present instance the bend 33 is formed by spinning in the metal of the attachment under the shoulder of the la cking ring.

From this inward bend; the wall of the attachment is bent outwardly and downwardly, thus forming a roughly V-shaped bend. The lower leg 33 of the V flares outwardly and downwardly and constitutes a locking abutment. This leg or flange 33, being free at its outer edge and 5 anchored'at its inner edge, is adapted to flex inthe mouth of the bottle. From this end wall rises the hollow plug or valve element 21. The end wall portion 35 is provided with a plurality of apertures 36 for thepassage of the container contents.

The stop shoulder may also vary in construction. In the exempliflcation illustrated in Figs. 1-3, the inner wall of cap 23 is formed with an internal bead or rib 31, providing an upwardly facing shoulder and located, after the cap is assembled in place, between the thread and the locking flange 33, i. e. below the latter. The inner diametenof this bead 31 is slightly less than the diameter of the bottom edge of flange 33 when the latter is in normal position. Above bead 31 the cap wall is formed with a recess 38 to accommodate the flange 33 during opening and closing movement of the cap.

In the initial assembly of the cap onto the bottle neck, the thread crests 34 and the bead or rib 31 ratchet over the edge of the flange 33 which yields or flexes inwardly upon the application of the pressure from above. Once the bead 31 has passed, the flange springs back approximately to its initial and normal position under the inherent resiliency of the metal. Thereafter,

it serves as a locking abutment, cooperating with 'more force that is applied in an attempt to move the cap upwardly, the more firmly is the cap locked against removal.

If desired, the flange 33 may be split, as at 4i (Fig. 3) to facilitate its flexibility.

The invention in its entirety includes means for providing a seal outside the apertures 38 to prevent leakage down through the thread. To this end, as here shown as an example. the inner wall of the cap is formed with a downwardly facing shoulder 33 located above ledge 3|. Onthe i the attachment, once it is spun in place, comprises a skirt having an inward bend and terminating in an outwardly flaring locking flange. The invention in its entirety includes an attachment comprising a locking flange that may be snapped into place without the necessity of a spinning operation. This may be accomplished, for example, by a skirt pre-formed to have the inward bend and the flaring flange.

Such an embodiment of the invention is illustrated, by way of example, in Fig. .4. The attachment is generally like the one already described. That is, it comprises a ring-like body portion 43 telescoping the bottle mouth. Above this portion 43 is an inward clamping flange 44- and a relatively flat portion 45, the latter having a plurality of openings 46 for the passage of the bottle contents. Rising from the flat portion 45 is a conical valve element or plug 41 like plug 21-. Below body portion 43 is an inwardly extending V-shaped bend like the ultimate spunin bend of Figs. 1-3 but in this instance the bend is preformed. Below this bend the attachment terminates in an outwardly and downward flaring locking flange 49 like flange 33.

To enable the attachment to be snapped onto the bottle, it is split, as at 50, at a number of points around its circumference, these splits extending from the bottom edge of the locking flange through the V-shaped bend and well up into the body portion 43.

With this snap-on type of attachment, in carrying out the invention to what is now considered the best advantage, the lip of the bottle, that is, the upper surface of the locking ring, is rounded or sloped downwardly. The bottle shown in Figs. 1-3 has a more or less flat lip but this is by way of illustration only and with the type of attachment there shown the precise form of bottle lip is largely immaterial. But with the snapon type of attachment a rounded or sloping lip is advisable for reasons that will appear hereinafter. For this purpose, the locking ring of the Glass Containers Association standard No. 225 has been found suitable. Such a locking ring is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 9, it being understood that neither view is drawn to the exact scale of the G. C. A. dimensions. As shown more clearly in Fig. 9, the lip 52 of the bottle, that is, the upper surface of the locking ring, is curved or sloped outwardly and downwardly and below this lip is a locking shoulder 53.

The cap shown in Fig. 4 is the same cap as the one illustrated and described in connection with Figs. 1 and 3. The embodiment shown in Fig. 4 has sealing gaskets corresponding to those above described.

With the snap-on type of attachment the assembly operation requires no spinning step and it is possible to assemble the parts with only a single assembly operation on the bottle. This is considered advantageous in that as the container is normally filled before assembly of the closure, the fewer and simpler the assembly operations, the better.

In assembling the closure, the attachment is flrst inserted in the cap, the locking-flange yielding to pass the rib 31. Once assembled. the friciii tlon of the parts, particularly the fit o! the plug 41 in the discharge port 28 of the cap, is sufilcient to hold the attachment in place in the cap under normal handling. Then the assembled closure unit is assembled on the bottle. As the unit is applied to the bottle mouth, the pressure of the V-shapedbend against the lip of the bottle causes the split skirt of the attachment to tend to straighten out, recess 38 in the cap accommodating this displacement of the flange 49. That is,

the V of the bend widens out until the bend can slide down and over the curved or sloped bottle lip to pass the edge thereof. After so passing, the inherent resiliency of the metal causes the skirt to return to normal position, whereby the V-shaped bend snaps in under the shoulder 53 of the locking ring, thus securing the attachment to the bottle.

While the above described method of assembly is considered advantageous for various reasons, it m'ay be desirable in some cases to assemble theattachment and cap separately. In that case the attachment, without the cap, is applied to the bottle mouth and snapped into place, the action being the same as just described. Thereafter the cap is assembled in the manner described in connection with Figs. 1-3.

.Once the parts are assembled, the operation is the same as that described in'connection with Figs. 1-3.

in the case of certain containers, such as glass bottles, for example, it is impossible, or at least impractical, to have the plug formed asan integral part of the container mouth. As this involves a separate attachment for the plug, it is found convenient, at least for certain purposes,

' to form the locking flange as a part of the same attachment. In the two exempliflcations above described, therefore. the plug and the locking flange are shown as integral parts of a single attachment. In some instances, however, it may be desirable to provide a separate attachment for the locking flange. For example, a separate attachment for the locking flange may be provided in the case of collapsible tubes, the plug being conveniently formed as an integral part of the tube neck. Figs. 8 illustrate such an embodiment of the invention.

As there shown as an example, a collapsible tube M has an externally threaded neck 62. The mouth of the tube is partially closed by an end wall iii provided with a plurality of ports 64 for the passage of the tube contents. Rising centrally from the end wall 63 and integral therewith is a stem 65 terminating in a conical valve plug 66. On the tube neck is a cup-shaped cap 6? internally threaded to match the tube thread. In the top of the cap is a conicaldischarge port or passage 68 adapted to be closed by plug 66.

The locking element for this type of container may conveniently be a flange like the flange already described and formed as a separate attachment. While this attachment may have various forms and be secured in place in various ways, it may advantageously be of the snap-on type already described. To this end, as here shown as an example, the tube neck, above the thread and below the upper end, is provided with an external bead 69 which will be here termed a locking ring as it is analogous, for this purpose, to the locking ring at the mouth of a bottle. The

locking ring here shown asan example has a profile generally like the locking ring of the bottle shown in. Figs. 4 and 9.

The attachment of the present exemplification.

comprises a ring-like portion 1 l and an inwardly extending clamping flange 12 adapted to flt over the locking ring 69. Below ring-like portion ll is an inward V-shaped bend I3 and an outwardly and downwardly extending locking flange 14.

Like the attachment described in connection with operating with the flange 14 to prevent removal of the cap and above this rib is a recess 16 like recess 38. The cap carries a sealing gasket 11 like gasket 40. In the closed position of the cap. gasket 1-! forms a seal by being compressed against flange E2 of the attachment.

As in the first instance described, during initial assembly of the cap the head 16 ratchets over locking flange H which yields and then springs back to place. The operation'of the parts is the same as in the case of the embodiment of Figs. 1-3.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the stem 55 is cut away, as at '18, to reduce the bulk thereof and effect an economy in metal. It is noted that the space between the stem and the outer periphery of the receptacle neck is unobstructed, thus making it possible for a cutter to be applied to the stem.

In the exemplifications here shown and described, the several attachments are annular. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to annular locking flanges or anchoring portions. The desired result may be obtained by one or more segmental flanges and anchoring portions.

The invention has been described in connection with bottles and collapsible tubes but it is to be understood that those terms are used in an illustrative and not a limiting sense. It will be apparent, moreover, that the invention, in one form or another, is applicable to various kinds and types of containers.

With the constructions above described, the

act of the initial assembly of the cap on the container. Thelocking means, moreover, is inaccessible, once the parts are assembled, whereby it cannot be tampered with except by a destruction of the cap itself.

What is claimed is: i

1. In combination with'a container having a neck, a cup-shaped cap telescoping said neck and axially movable thereon, said cap having a discharge port, an apertured end wall between said discharge port and the interior of the container, a locking ring on said neck, a permanent attachment on the container neck comprising a portion secured to. said locking ring and an outwardly and downwardly extending locking flange, an upwardly facing stop shoulder on the interior of said cap and located below said flange for engagement therewith upon a given upward movement of the cap to limit such movement, said flange being yieldable upon the application of pressure from above, thereby to permit the having a centrally located discharge port, a per-' manent attachment on the container neck comprising a portion secured to said locking ring, a central plug-like v'alve element for closing said port in one position of the cap, and a downwardly and outwardly extending locking flange, said attachment having a plurality of apertures around the base oi. said valve element for the passage oi. the container contents, an upwardly racing stop shoulder om the interior of said cap and located below said flange for engaging the latter upon a given upwardvmovement of the cap to limit such movement, said flange being flexible inwardly upon the application of pressure from above, thereby to permit the cap to be initially assembled on the container neck.

3. In combination with a container having a neck, a locking ring below the mouth of said neck, a cup-shaped cap telescoping said neck and having an axial movement thereon, said cap having a centrally located discharge port, said neck having an integral and aperturedend wall, a plug-like valve element rising from and integral with said end wall for closing said port in one position of the cap, a permanent attachment on said container neck comprising a portion secured to said locking ring and a downwardly and outwardly extending locking flange, and an upwardly facing stop shoulder on the interior oi said cap and located below said flange for engaging the rim of the latter upon a given upward movement of the cap to limit such movement, said flange being flexible inwardly upon the application of pressure from above, thereby to permit the cap to be initially assembled on the container neck.

4. In combination with a container having a neck, a cup-shaped cap telescoping said neck and axially movable thereon, said cap having a discharge port, a locking ring, having a downwardly facing shoulder, on said container neck,

a permanent attachment comprising a clamping flange for taking over the upper edge of said locking ring, a pre-formed bend for taking under said shoulder, and an outwardly and downward- 1y extending locking flange formed of flexible and resilient material, said attachment being split to permit the same to be distorted in passingv over said locking ring, whereby the attachment may be assembled on the container neck with a snap-on action, an upwardly facing stop shoulder on the interior of said cap for engagement with said locking flange upon a given upward movement 01' the cap to limit such movement, 4

said locking flange being yieldable upon pressure from above. thereby to permit the cap to be initially assembled with respect to the attachment, and a valve element associated with the neck for closing said discharge port in one position of the cap.

5. In combination with a container having a neck, a cup-shaped cap telescoping said neck and axially movable thereon, said cap having a och-,- trally located discharge port, a locking ring, having a downwardly facing shoulder, on said container neck, a permanent attachment comprising a clamping flangeior taking over the upper edge of said locking ring, a V-shaped bead taking under said shoulder, the lower leg of the V terminating in an outwardly and downwardly extending locking flange formed of flexible and resilient material, a vertical portion rising irom the inner edge of said clamping flange, the attachment being oflset inwardly from said vertical portion to provide a relatively flat annular portion, said last named portion being apertured for the passage of the container contents, and a hollow plug valve rising from said apertured portion for closing said discharge port in one position of the cap, and an upwardly facing stop shoulder on the interior of the cap and located below said locking flange for engagement therewith upon a given upward movement of the cap to limit such movement.

6. In combination with a container having a neck, a cup-shaped cap telescoping said neck and axially movable thereon, said cap having a centrally located discharge port and a downwardly facing inner shoulder, a locking ring on the container neck and having a downwardly facing shoulder, a permanent attachment comprising a clamping flange for taking over the upper edge of said locking ring, a V-shaped bend taking under the locking ring shoulder, the lower leg of the V terminating in an outwardly and downwardly extending locking flange formed of flexibe and resilient material, a vertical portion rising from the inner edge of said clamping flange, the attachment being offset inwardly from said vertical portion to provide a relatively flat annular portion, said last named portion being apertured for the passage of the container contents, and a hollow plug valve rising from said apertured portion for closing said discharge port in one position of the cap, an upwardly facing stop shoulder on the interior of the cap and located below said .locking flange for en- 'gagement therewith upon a given upward movement of the cap to limit such movement, a gasket interposed'between the container lip and the clamping flange, and a gasket secured to the first mentioned cap shoulder and engaging the clamping flange when the cap is closed.

7. In combination with a container having a neck, a locking ring adjacent the container mouth, acup-shaped cap telescoping said neck and axially movable thereon, said cap having a discharge passage, a permanent attachment on the container neck comprising a flange-like portion overlapping the top of said locking ring, a V- shaped bend taking under the shoulder of said locking ring, whereby the attachment is clamped on the container neck, and an outwardly and downwardly extending locking flange, an upwardly facing stop shoulder on the interior of the cap and located below said locking flange for engagement therewith upon upward movement of the cap to limit such movement, said locking flange being yieldable upon the application of pressure from above, thereby to permit the cap to be initially assembled with respect to the attachment, and a plug-like valve element associated with the container for closing said disthe container neck comprising a flange-like portion overlapping the top of said locking ring, a V-shaped bend takingunder the shoulder of said locking ring, whereby the attachment is clamped on the container neck, and an outwardly and downwardly extending locking flange, an upwardly facing stop shoulder on the interior of the cap and located below said locking flange for engagement therewith upon upward movement of the cap to limit such movement, said locking flange being yieldable upon the application of pressure from above, thereby to permit the cap to be initially assembled with respect to the attachment, a plug-like valve element associated with the container for closing said discharge passage in one position of the cap, and a sealing discharge passage, a permanent attachment on the container neck comprising a flange-like portion overlapping the top of said locking ring, a V-shaped bend taking under the shoulder of said locking ring, whereby the attachment is clamped on the container neck, and an outwardly and downwardly extending locking flange, an upwardly facing stop shoulder on the interior of the cap and located below said locking flange for engagement therewith upon upward movement of the cap to limit such movement, said locking flange being yieldable upon the application of pressure from above, thereby to permit the cap to be initially assembled with respect to the attachment, a plug-like valve element associated with the container for closing said discharge passage in one position of the cap, a shoulder on the cap overlying said flange-like portion of the attachment, and a sealing gasket between such shoulder and such flange-like portion.

BRENT F. CAHOON.

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