US2412794A - Package and closure - Google Patents

Description

Dem 17, 1946. P, )H 2,412,794

PACKAGE AND CLOSURE Filed July 24, 1941 Patented Dec. 17, 1946 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE AND CLOSURE William P. White, Glencoe, Ill., assignor to White Cap Company, Chicago, 111., a

Delaware corporation oi Application July 24, 1941, Serial No. 403,844

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of such a package which may be supplied to the packer at very low cost because of the facts that the glass receptacle may be made quite thin and the closure is of a simple con-. struction which permits its being manufactured at very low cost.

Another object is the provision of such a package wherein the receptacle and closure are so for'med'and related that the closure may beapplied and sealed on the receptacle very quickly and with reliable certainty incident to highspeed commercial packing procedure.

Another object is the provision of such a package in which the closure will remain securely in place when sealed on the receptacle and form a buifer or fender for protection of the glass receptacle against lateral impacts, yet which may be removed quickly and easily by the housewife,

when desired, without involving any puncturing or mutilation of the closure itself and without subjecting the fragile thin glass container to dangerous stresses or pressures.

Another object is the provision of a package of 3 Claims. ((1215-40) claims short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of the upper portion of a package embodying my invention, showing the upper portion of th receptacle in elevation and the closure in section and in process of being applied to the receptacle; the parts are shown on an enlarged scale and parts are broken out of both the receptacle and the closure in order to reduce the lateral extent of the figure, consequently, the width of the figure as here illustrated is in a veryconsiderably reduced proportion relative to the thickness and height of the parts;

Fig. 2 is a similar illustration showing the relationship of the upper end portion of the receptacle and the closure when the latter has the sort specified above and in which the form and proportions of the closure and the receptacle are such that the closure will receive the mouth of the receptacle very freely, so that it may drop onto it quite quickly and readily into the position for sealing, and yet wherein the extent of eccentricity of the closure on the receptacle is limited 7 in such fashion as to prevent a disproportionate or excessive overhang or lateral projection of the closure at one side of the receptacle as compared with the extent of overhang or lateral projection at the diametrically opposite side.'

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out or indicated hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the invention or its employmentshown in Fig. I,

larged over that of the preceding figures; and

Fig. 5 is a detail illustrating the relationship of the closure to the receptacle in the course of the application of the closure by a procedure now quite generally used, the illustration showing a portion of the closure and upper portion of the a receptacle in vertical section.

For the preservative packaging offood prodnets in glass, the useof thin glass receptacles is desirable from the standpoint of customer appeal and saving in shipping, weight and packaging bulk. Because of their greater frangibility,

however, thin glass receptacles require that the packaging and sealing operations be performed .with increased accuracy and with light pressures and, moreover, increase the difiiculty of obtaining airtight seals. The improvements constitute ing the present invention have been found eifective to eliminate many of the serio' s difficulties and disadvantages which heretofore have attended the use of thin glass receptacles in commercial packing of commodities in vacuo. The

The package constituting the present inven- V nated generally by the reference numeral l0, and a closure, which is designated generally by the reference numeral H. The receptacle may be in the form of a jar, tumbler or the like and 7 tion comprises a glass receptacle, which is desigannular extent lies as nearly as possible in a common plane approximately perpendicular to the axis of the receptacle. This crown is located an appreciable distance inwardly from the perimeter or outermost lateral surface of the bead The closure ii comprises a shell which is formed from sheet material such as tin plate of suitable strength and stiffness, and it is shaped with a top portion l5 which is of somewhat greater diameter .than the receptacle bead i2,

and a skirt which depends from the periphery of the top l5 and is shaped adjacent the top with an outwardly projecting circumferential beading i8, and below said beading with an approximately cylindrical portion ll. The deflection of the skirt material from the bead l8 to the depending sklr-tportion i1 is quite abrupt, the bend at A being substantially sharper than, or on a shorter radius than, the concave curvature of the bead 18, as illustrated by way of example in Fig. 4. The cylindrical portion I1 is of somewhat smaller external diameter than the beading l6, and its internal diameter exceeds the outer diameter of the receptacle mouth bead i2 sufiiciently to permit the latter to enter freely and readily within the shell skirt when the closure and receptacle mouth are in approximately coaxial or concentric relationship. A gasket H of fiat ring form is adherently secured to the top H5 in approximately concentric relationship with the skirt. This gasket is formed of a sealing material which is fairly firm but plastic at ordinary room temperature and which may be rendered slightly tacky by heating. A suitable material is a rubber composition which has been cured in such fashion as to give it the desired plasticity and firmness. The thickness of the gasket approximates the height of the beading i8, and its external diameter is preferably approximately the same as the internal diameter of the cylindrical skirt portion i1, while its width considerably exceeds the radial thickness of the vessel wall inclusive of the bead l2. This gasket preferably is pre-formed and inserted into theshell through the skirt portion I1 and secured in place .by pressing it against the top l5 while heat is applied to the latter in amount sufficient to render the contacting portion of the gasket slightly tacky and cause it to adhere to the under surface of the top. In this fashion the gasket may be intimately and firmly connected to the shell. The depth of the shell skirt is such that the cylindrical portion i 1 will be opposite the widest diameter of the bead i2 and will extend somewhat below said bead when the under surface of the gasket I8 is resting on the crown [4. This relationship of the parts is illustrated in Fig. 2, and it will be seen that when so-associated the receptacle bead I2 is adapted for cooperation with the skirt portion I! to insure that the line of contact between the crown i4 .and the gasket I8 is located a substantial distance inwardly from the periphery of the gasket at all points in th circumferential direction. In Fig. 2 the parts are shown in the relationship wherein the skirt portion I1 is in contact with the bead I! at one side of the package. This represents the position of maximum eccentricity of the closure relative to the receptacle, and it will be observed that in that relationship the skirt portion II below the point of contact with the bead is held spaced an appreciable distance outwardly from the receptacle wall, whereas at the opposite side of the package the margin of the skirt is, perforce, spaced from the receptacle wall by a slightly greater distance as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. Moreover, the shell skirt is sufllciently shallow to permit .the closure to be swung freely upwardly to a'position where the skirt is higher than the mouth rim at the skirt portion ll. Due to the fact that the crown is spaced a substantial distance inwardly from the outer margin of the gasket when the closure is resting loosely on the receptacle, the downward movement of the shell in the sealing operation causes displacement, of the plastic gasket material in the outward radial direction from the entering crown of the receptacle as well as in the inward radial direction, and the continuing cooperation of the bead l2 with the skirt I'I during downward movement of the'closure T prevents its creeping laterally on'the receptacle to a position where the outer margin of the gasket would reach the crown. It is to be observed also that the beading l6 accommodates outward displacement of the plastic gasket material incident to the intrusion of the mouth rim. As a consequence of these several factors, a broad sealing area or area of contact between the mouth rim and the gasket material is obtained clear around the mouth of the receptacle, and the intrusion of the mouth rim into the asket may be accomplished with comparatively light pressure. This latter effect, as well as the fact that the entry of the crown into the gasket is at a substantial distance from the periphery of the latter, are of particular importance when thin glass receptacles are used.

The application and the sealing of the closure upon the receptacle are preceded by the exhaus- .tion or evacuation of air from within the closure and the head space of the receptacle, so that after the closure has been pressed to sealed position as explained above, the pressure within the sealed package will be below that of the atmosphere and the latter will hold the closure in place. The closure may be removed by prying it upwardly Y in the customary manner by means of a bottle opener of the conventional hook type.

As-pointed out above, the cooperation of the head I! with the skirt portion I'I limits the extent to which the closure may be displaced eccentrically relative to the receptacle, and also holds the lower margin of the skirt spaced away from the periphery of the vessel at all points, The limiting of the eccentricity of the closure contributes to the appearance of the package. The spacing of the lower margin oi. the closure from the wall of the receptacle has several advantages. When so spaced, the lower portion of the closure skirt constitutes a buffer which will yield under lateral impacts without transmitting their force to the glass receptacle locally. The projecting margin of the skirt affords secure engagement for the opener at any point around the package, and hence reduces the likelihood of the glass receptacle being broken by the slipping off of the opener. One of the most important advantages lies in the fact that the construction avoids the application of cramping or constrictive crushing stresses to the thin glass receptacle by the prying leverage of the opener in the closure removing operation. Particularly in the case of packages which, after sealing, have been subjected to cockcircumstances, the bond may be so strong that the lower portion of the closure skirt will be drawn quite considerably out of its circular form closure even though they are considerably out of.

alignment. Fig. 1 serves to show how the bead I2 will serve to guide the closure onto the mouth of the receptacle, even though the margin of the skirt may not be clear of the head I! at all points. This is of distinct advantage in facilitating the application of the closures while the receptacles are in progressive movement. Fig. 5 serves to illustrate the cooperation ofthe parts incident to the application of the closure in an apparatus of the sort illustrated in 'my U. S. Patent No. 1,920,539. The closures are fed in a series down an inclined chute marked C while the receptacles are moved progressively in a series in such fashion that the successive receptacles meet the successive closures at the lower end by the prying force of the opener, before the bond is broken. In the use of closure caps of prior con- 12 on the receptacle and the skirt portion ll of the closure shell are such that the skirt I! is spaced a substantial distance away from the wall of the receptacle when the closure is in sealed position on the receptacle, even though the closure is at a position of maximum eccentricity relative to the receptacle illustrated in Fig. 3. Thus there is provided between the skirt portion I1 and the wall of the receptacle a clearance which, at its minimum, is as wide as the bead I2 is thick radially, which clearance allows for maximum inward deflection of the skirt margin under the opening pressure. Furthermore, the bead l2 itof the chute and withdraw them therefrom incident to the further progressive movement of the receptacles. In such an operation it is necessary to have a suitable engagement of the closure by the upper portion of the receptacle to insure that matelyhorizontal position over the receptacle.

In Fig. 5 it'is seen how the bead l2 overhangs the lower portion of the skirt at the point of contact and thereby efiects a very secure engageself interposes a limiting effect upon the inward deflection of the skirt, as when the skirt comes affording space for lateral displacement of the gasket material as above mentioned, affords an A important fender or protection for the glass vessel against impacts such as might result from lateral impingement of one package against another or the falling over of a package on a conveyor or the like. Moreover, the beading It has a definite s-tiflening and shape-maintaining effect upon both the top portion l5 and the skirt portion l1, as it resists the bending of the top portion l5'out of its normal plane and also resists the flexing of the skirt portion l1 out of its normal circular contour by prying pressure such as is customarily applied to those parts byan opener in the operation of lifting the closure from the receptacle to break the hermetic seal.

The construction affords additional advantages in the operation of applying the closure to the ment which will insure that the closure is positively withdrawn from the chute, even though the point of engagement between the bead and the closure skirt is adjacent the lower margin of the latter so that the gasket I8 is spaced a substantial1 distance above the mouth rim of the receptac e.

Accordingly, it is to be observed that by virtue of the cooperative character and arrangement of the parts, my improved package greatly facilitates the packing and sealing operations, ailords important safeguards against injury, increases the security and reliability of the airtight seal, facilitates its opening, and safeguards the frangible receptacle against breakage incident to the application of upward prying pressure to the closure skirt for the purpose of removing the closure.

What I claim is: u 1. In a vacuum seal package comprising a frangible receptacle having an annular wall portion with an annular mouth rim having a peripheral bead encompassing it and projecting outwardly from the mouth rim and wall portion, a closure adapted for retention on the receptacle by atmospheric pressure alone, said closure comprising a shell having a top portion for covering the receptacle mouth and an annula skirt depending from said top portion, a, gasket of plastic sealing material secured to the underside of the top portion and adapted to form a seal upon the annular mouth rim of the receptacle, the upper portion of said skirt being formed as a circumferential beading extending outwardly beyond the 1 portion of the skirt therebelow, the portion of the skirt which is below said beading being deflected abruptly therefrom and being of approximately cylindrical form and of circumferential size and depth to swing freely clear of the mouth rim on one side of the receptacle while the gasket is in contact with the mouth rim on the opposite side,

the depth of the skirt beading and thickness of the gasket being such that when the gasket is receptacle. For example, if the closure is applied resting on the mouth rim of the receptacle in position for sealing thereon, the head or the latter will be within said lower portion oi! the skirt in position to space the skirt entirely away from the annular wall portion of the receptacle below the bead when the closure is moved downwardly to sealed position on thereceptacle.

2, In a vacuumseal package which includes a frangible receptacle having an annular mouth rim and an annular wall portion therebelow'and an annular peripheral bead projecting outwardly ening beading extending outwardly beyond the portion of the skirt therebelow, the portion of the skirt below the beading being of circumferential size and depth to admit entry of the mouth rim freely into'contact with the gasket when the closure top is in canted relationship to the receptacle, said lower portion of the skirt depending approximately perpendicularly from the plane of the top portion for cooperation with the peripheryof the receptacle bead to insure a predetermined minimum radial clearance between the skirt and the wall of-the receptacle below the bead when the closure is moved downwardly to sealed position on the mouth rim.

3. A vacuum seal package comprising a receptacle having an annular wall portion with an annular mouth rim and an annular peripheral bead encompassing the mouth rim and projecting outwardly from said wall portion, and a closure adapted for retention on the receptacle by atmospheric pressure alone, said closure compris ing a shell having a top portion for covering the receptacle mouth and a depending annular skirt, a gasket 01 plastic sealing material secured to the underside of the top portion and disposed to form an air-tight seal upon the annular mouth rim, the upper portion of the skirt being formed as an outwardly projecting annular heading and the lower portion of the skirt being of approximately cylindrical form and being or circumferential size and depth to be swung freely into and out of encompassing relationship with the bead on one side of the receptacle while the gasket is in contact with th mouth rim at the diamet 'rically opposite location, the thickness of the gasket being such that when it is resting on the mouth rim of the receptacle preliminary to sealing, ,the peripheral bead of the latte will be within said lower portion or the skirt, said peripheral bead being of sufllcient width in the radial direction tokeep the skirt entirely spaced away from all portions or the receptacle wall below the perimeter of said bead when theclosure is in sea]- ing engagement with the receptacle.

WILLIAM P. WHITE.

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