US2338051A - Sheet metal tamperproof container - Google Patents

Description

Patented Dec. 28, 1943 SHEET METAL TAMPERPROOF CONTAINER Frank J. OBrien, Pelham, N. Y., assigner to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 21, 1940, Serial No. 341,751

4 Claims.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in containers for food products, and more particularly to a container which is rendered tamper-proof by means of a frangible sealing disk which has to be destroyed and ruptured in order to gain access to the contents of the container.

An object of the invention is to provide a container of the above type wherein a frangible sealing disk is permanently .attached to a carrier ring adapted to be inserted in the neck of the container as a unit, and then seamed to the neck of the container, so that the carrier ring is permanently connected to said neck.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container having a carrier ring of the `above type wherein the connection between the carrier ring and the neck is such as to permit a cover to be frictionally attached thereto for protecting said sealing disk.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a View partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation through the upper portion of a container embodying the improvements;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the carrier ring with the frangible sealing disk .attached thereto as a unit;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the carrier ring inserted in the neck portion -of a container preparatory to the seaming of the two together;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing a slightly modified form of carrier ring and attaching means for joining to the neck of the container, and

Fig. 5 is a view showing the carrier ring as illustrated in Figure 4 attached to the neck portion of the container and a friction plug inserted for protecting the frangible sealing disk.

The container to which the invention is applied comprises a body portion having a bottom end seamed thereto, and also having a top end seamed to the body portion. The top end has an opening for filling the container and for dispensing the contents thereof. The top end is bent upwardly at the opening therethrough to form a neck portion. As a means for closing the neck portion of the container, a carrier ring is provided, which carrier ring ts snugly within the neck portion. This carrier ring has a beaded portion adjacent the lower end thereof formingr a seat for a frangible sealing disk. The frangible sealing disk is placed against the lower face of the seat, and the lower edge portion of the carriery ring is folded down on to the frangible sealing disk for clamping the same firmly against the seat. Thus it is that the carrier ring and frangible sealing disk are attached together as a unit. While the carrier ring may be `attached to the neck portion formed in the end and then the end attached to the container body, it is preferred to .attach the end to the container body and then fill the container through the op'en neck, after which the carrier ring is inserted in said neck portion and is permanently joinedthereto by rolling the upper portion of the neck and the upper portion of the carrier ring into a seam;

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the improved container includes a body portion l to which the lower end is secured by double-searning in the usual way. Attached to the upper end of the body portion is a container end 2 which is secured to the body portion by a double seam 3. This container end 2 has an opening Il which may be placed centrally of the end or disposed eccentric thereto, as shown in the drawing.l Surrounding this opening 4 is an upstanding neck portion 5 which, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, is beaded inwardly adjacent the base of the neck, and this inwardly beaded portion is attened so as to provide a seat as indicated at 6 in thedrawing. The container is preferably lled through this neck portion, after which it is cl-oseduby a closure unit which includes a carrier ring having a frangible sealing disk attached thereto. l This carrier ring` and attached sealing disk is shown in Figure 2. The carrier ring is indicatedat 1.

The carrier ring is beaded inwardly adjacent its lower end asA indicated at 8. This bead' is flattened `and thus a seat 9 is formed for the frangible sealing disk I0. After rthe rangible sealing disk i0 is placed against the seat, the lower edge portion H of the carrier ring is attened down against said frangible sealing disk, thus clamping the sealing disk against the seat. Any suitable sealing material may be used for forming an hermetic seal between the frangible sealingidisk and the carrier ring, if desired.

The carrier ring and sealing disk unit thus formed is placed in the container neck, as shown in Figure 3, after the container is lled. The carrier ring is dimensioned so that it snugly er1- gages the inner wall of the neck portion 5. The two upstanding walls, one the neck portion ofthe container and the otherl the carrier ring, are preferably rolled inwardly as indicated at i2, in order to seam together, and thus permanently attach'the carrier ring and the neck of theconvtainer. Here again, a suitable sealing composition may be used between the neck portion and the carrier ring for making an hermetically sealed joint. This permanently closes the container so that access to the container can'be easily had by rupturing the sealing disk lli. If, however, the sealing disk I0 is ruptured so that the contents of theA container is made available, this is made apparent, and therefore, thcontainer is referred to as a tamper-proof container.

In order to protect the sealing disk during shipment, and prevent dust and dirt from collecting thereon, a cover is provided. The cover as shown in Figure l, has a depending skirt I4 rolled into a bead at its lower end for stiffening the same. This skirt is so dimensioned that it makes tight frictional engagement with the outer wall of the neck portion. When it is desired to remove said cover, any available implement may be placed over the double seam and underneath the bead at the lower end of the cover skirt for prying off said cover.

In Figures 4 and 5, a slightly modified form of neck and carrier ring construction is shown. In this form of the invention, the neck 5 of the container is formed integral with the container end 2 and is of substantially uniform diameter from the lower portion thereof to the upper end where said neck portion is turned outward to form a flange It. The carrier ring 'I is provided with a bead 8 forming a seat 9 for the frangible sealing disk It, and the lower edge portion il of the carrier ring is folded back on to the frangible sealing disk for clamping the same tightly against the seat 9 in the same manner as shown in Figure 2. A sealing composition may be used for making an hermetic joint between the frangible sealing disk and the carrier ring 'i'. The carrier ring at its upper end is turned outwardly into a flange I6 which at i'ts outer end is curled downwardly as indicated at Il. A suitable sealing composition is placed in the channel formed by this flange it with the downwardly curled edge I1.

The container is filled through the neck opening, and then the carrier ring, which again is a unit of itself, is placed in the neck portion and is so dimensioned that the outer face of the carrier ring makes tight contact with the inner face of the neck portion. A seaming chuck can be inserted in the neck portion and seaming rolls applied for rolling the flanges i5 and I6 into a double seam as indicated at I8 in Figure 5 of the drawing. This will permanently attach the carrier ring to the container and hermetically seal the same. In order to protect the frangible sealing disk I8, a friction plug I9 is provided which is dimensioned so as to nt within the carrier ring and make frictional contact therewith at 29. Said friction plug has an outwardly projecting flange 2| which overlies the double seam i8, and the outer edge portion of this flange 2l is rolled downwardh7 into a curl. This will facilitate the prying out of the friction plug by inserting a tool between the double seam it and the downwardly curled edge portion of the friction plug.

While the frangible sealing disk is shown as attached to the carrier ring by forming a bead in the carrier ring and collapsing the same to provide a seat, and then by folding the metal down to clamp the metal seal against the lower face of the seat, it will be understood that other ways of attaching the frangible seal to the carrier ring may be provided without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. rThe essential feature of the invention resides in the providing of a carrier ring to which a sealing disk is attached as a unit, and then the joining of the carrier ring to the neck portion on the container end by a seaming operation, so that the carrier ring is permanently connected to the container end. This makes a very tightly sealed container so that access to the contents of the container can only be had by rupturing the frangible seal. This insures that the contents of the container cannot be tampered with without leaving ample proof that the container has been opened.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A container comprising a body portion, an end searned thereto, said end having an upstanding neck surrounding a iilling and dispensing opening, a carrier ring adapted to be inserted in said neck and make Contact therewith, said carrier ring at the lower portion thereof having an inwardly projecting bead forming a seat, a frangibie sealing disk engaging the under face of said seat, the lower portion of said carrier ring below said seat being folded back upon the frangible sealing disk for tightly clamping the same against said seat, said neck having an inwardly projecting portion forming a seat for the carrier ring, said neck and carrier ring at the upper portions thereof being rolled inwardly into a seam for permanently securing the ring to the neck, and an outside slip friction cover for closing the neck and protecting said frangible sealing disk.

2. A container comprising a body portion, an end seamed thereto, said end having an upstanding neck surrounding a filling and dispensing opening, a carrier ring adapted to be inserted in said neck and make contact therewith, said carrier ring at the lower portion thereof having an inwardly projecting lbead forming a seat, a frangible sealing disk engaging the under face of said seat, the lower portion of said carrier ring below said seat being folded back upon the frangible sealing disk for tightly clamping the Same against said seat, said neck having an outwardly projecting flange at the upper end thereof, said carrier ring having an outwardly projecting flange at the upper end thereof, said flanges being rolled into a seam for permanently securing the ring to the neck, and a friction plug adapted to engage within said carrier ring for protecting the frangible sealing disk.

3. A container comprising a body portion, an end seamed thereto, said end having an upstanding neck surrounding a lling and dispensing opening, a carrier ring adapted to be inserted in said neck and make contact therewith, said carrier ing at the lower portion thereof having a frangible sealing disk permanently secured thereto, said neck having an inwardly projecting portion forming a seat for the carrier ring, said neck *i and carrier ring at the upper portions thereof being rolled inwardly into a seam for permanently securing the ring to the neck and an outside slip friction cover for closing the neck and protecting said frangible sealing disk.

4i. A container comprising a body portion, an end seamed thereto, said end having an upstanding neck portion surrounding a filling and dispensing opening, a carrier ring adapted to be inserted in said neck and make contact therewith, said carrier ring at the lower portion thereof having a frangible sealing disk permanently secured thereto, said neck portion being dimensioned so as to project above the seam joining the end to the body portion and having the upper portion thereof joined to the upper portion of the carrier ring by rolling the parts into a seam, and a friction cover for closing the neck and protecting the frangible sealing disk.

FRANK J. OBRIEN.

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