US2415906A

US2415906A - Head construction for collapsible tubes

Info

Publication number: US2415906A
Application number: US482105A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard E Paige
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1943-04-07
Filing date: 1943-04-07
Publication date: 1947-02-18
Anticipated expiration: 1964-02-18

Description

HEAD CONSTRUCTION FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed April 7, 1943 32:91.1. J ZzGZ.

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ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 18, 1947 ITED STATES Mm OFFICE HEAD CONSTRUCTION FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Claims. i

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible tubes and more particularly it pertains to a novel construction of head and body connection for articles of this type.

It has been proposed to form the body of collapsible tubes from paper, regenerated cellulose materials and similar materials which in themselves are possessed of practically no rigidity.

Since the head of the completed tube is formed of metals, plastics, and similar materials possessed of a high degree of rigidity, a satisfactory construction for effectively securing the head within one end of the tube body has presented a serious problem which to my knowledge has not previously been satisfactorily solved.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a novel construction of joint between the head and the body of a collapsible tube which construction is particularly adaptable to collapsible tubes wherein the body is formed of paper, regenerated cellulose and similar materials having a negligible degree of rigidity.

Such tubes of the type mentioned with which I am familiar fail, at the joint between the tube body and the head under pressure built up within the tube resulting from the action of collapsing the tube, to discharge the contents thereof.

A feature of the invention resides in a novel construction whereby a secure bond between the tube body and the head may be obtained.

Another feature of the invention resides in a novel construction whereby the tube body is reinforced at its joint of connection with the head.

Still another feature of the invention resides in a novel construction whereby the internal pressures, particularly those pressures exerted in a direction radially of the axis of the tube, are reduced to a minimum at that point where the tube body and head join with each other.

Still another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a smooth inner surface in the direction of flow of the contents of the tube in its discharge from the tube.

Still another feature of the invention resides in a tube of smooth contour having no projection or overhang of the shoulder. This is important to the use of present day automatic filling equipment.

In the accompanying drawing, there is illustrated a tube constructed in accordance with the present invention, the drawing also illustrating one method by which such a tube has been successfully produced upon a commercial scale.

In the drawing,

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate schematically, the

2 first and second steps of the method employed in the production of a tube constructed according to the present invention,

Figures 3 and 4 are similar views, illustrating respectively the third and fourth steps of the method, and;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a tube constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Figure 5, the body of the tube is designated I0, the head thereof being designated l2.

The body Ill, as heretofore stated, is formed in any desired manner of such material as is possessed of little or no rigidity such as paper, regenerated cellulose and similar materials and hence is yieldable in practically all directions.

The head 12 may be formed from any suitable material having a high degree of rigidity, plastics being one example of a material which has been successfully employed.

The head has a relatively thin walled main body portion I 4 and is so shaped as to provide an inner cavity I5, the walls of which converge into a discharge passage I6, leading through a neck I I which may be externally threaded to receive a closure cap, not shown.

Extending from the main body portion I2 of the head there is an annular flange I8 which defines the larger open end of the cavity I5.

This flange I8 has an inner diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the larger open end of the cavity I5. Its outer diameter is, however, less than the diameter of the main body portion I2 of the cap and as clearly illustrated in the drawing, also less than the inner diameter of the tube body.

The aforedescribed construction provides an annular shoulder I9 which extends around the exterior of the main body portion of the cap and also an annular intervening space between the outer face of the flange I8 and-the inner face of the Wall of the tube body when the flange I8 is inserted into an end of the body in the attachment of the head thereto.

The free edge of the flange I8 is beveled to provide an outwardly disposed angular face 20 which extends throughout the length of the free ed e of the flange 18.

By this construction, it will be apparent that the space between the outer face of the flange I8 and the inner face of the wall of the tube body I0 increases in its lateral dimension adpurpose of which construction will be hereinafter particularly pointed out.

In securing the head in one of the ends of the tube body, the flange l8 of the head is inserted into the body in spaced relation to the inner surface thereof and the two elements are secured together by a bonding adhesive of a highly volatile nature and which is characterized by a pronounced ability to shrink during the setting period, and which is preferably transparent when set. One example of an adhesive having the aforementioned characteristics is similar to the commercial product marketed as Duco household cemen A sufiicient quantity of bonding adhesive is employed to envelope the end of the tube body forming a relatively thin band '26 on the outer face thereof adjacent the head member, enclose the end edge of the tube body to secure the band to the shoulder I9 by adhesion as indicated by the web 21, fill the space between the tube body and the outer face of the flange l8 of the head member to provide a ring 28 to connect the flange and tube body together by adhesion, and to forman annular ring or shoulder 29 upon the interior of the tube body, which shoulder has an angular inner face 30 which merges with the inner edge of the bevel 20 of the flange 18 as at 3|, and which forms a continuation of said flange.

By reference to Figure 5 of the drawing, it will be apparent that the construction illustrated and described provides an inner surface of tube and head in which there are no obstructions or hinderances to the flow of contents of the cap at the joint between the body and the head. Instead, this flow of material is facilitated and internal pressures exerted in a direction radial of the axis of the tube body are reduced to a minimum by the angular face 30 of the annular shoulder 29.

Having described the construction, I will now described one method by which this construction has been successfully produced on a commercial scale.

In Figure 1 of the drawing, the reference numeral 40 designates a suitable receptacle which contains a suitable bonding adhesive 4! of the type aforementioned which is maintained at a constant level which has been predetermined to insure the proper amount of adhesive adhering to the end of the tube body, when it is withdrawn.

As illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing, the end of the tube body I. is submerged in the adhesive to a point where it engages the bottom of the receptacle.

The tube body is next withdrawn from the adhesive with the proper amount of adhesive enveloping the end thereof as indicated at 42 in Figure 8.

The bonding adhesive being of a highly volatile type, as heretofore mentioned, a'thin film or skin immediately forms upon the outer portion thereof. This thin film or skin serves to retain the body of adhesive in approximately the shape or form in which it is illustrated in Figure 3 until the end of the tube body is positioned upon the head.

The head is held in a suitable support, not herein illustrated, inthe position in which it is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 and th end of the tube body is forced over the flange I8 thereof to a point where the defining edge of the tube body closely approaches but does not contact the shouliii) 4 der IQ of the head. This position of the parts is illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawing.

Upon movement of the tube body to its final position upon the head, as just described, the bonding adhesive takes the forms in which it is illustrated in Figure 4. The aforementioned skin preventing the adhesive from running down the shoulder l9.

With the parts in this last mentioned relation, th bonding adhesive is permitted to set, to form the completed bond between the tube body and the head.

During the setting period, the bonding adhesive due to its pronounced ability to shrink, assumes the form in which it is illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawing.

'The relatively thick bead-like portion 50 in Figure 4, shrinks to form the annular flange 29 having the angular face 36, while the relative thick outer film iii of Figure 4 takes the form of the relatively thin skin portion 26 of Figure 5.

It has been found in actual practice that the portion 5| of the bonding adhesive shrinks during the setting period, sufliciently to form in efiect, a contracted band which firmly grips the tube body to the flange of the head.

From the foregoing description and accompanying drawing, it will be understood I have turned a bonding adhesive which might be one of any which has an afiinity for the materials from which the tube body and head are constructed, from an adhesive, which is usually a microscopically thin film, into a ring structure '29 having definite thickness, and which ring is substantially triangular shape in cross section. The ring 29 joins the inside of the tube body to the beveled flange of the head 12 and forms a funnel-shaped structure which guides the contents of the tube into the head l2 during a dispensing operation, instead of giving the contents a chance to wedge between the inside wall of the tube body and the outside wall of the flange i8.

Also, the external band or ring 26 which encircles the outer wall of the tube body has a definite thickness and serves two purposes; first, it forms a seamless substantially invisible band of set bonding adhesive to prevent the body of the tube from unwinding (when made of wound sheets), or from spreading under pressure from the contents of the tube. Second, the band or ring 2'6, by reason of its engagement with the shoulder if) of the head (2, provides a bond between the tube body and the plastic head 12. Thus it will be understood that the tube body and plastic head are joined together inside and outside which prevents pressure of the contents of the tube body from forcing the head outward of the tube body. The band or ring 26 has a predetermined thickness, greater than what may betermed a film of adhesive.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a collapsible tube, a tube body, a rigid head member having an annular flange extending into one end of the tube body, an annular exterior shoulder provided on said head membar at the base of said flange and extending beyond the circumferential plane of the side wall 7 of the tube body, an outwardly facing bevel surface provided on the free edge of said flange, an annular plastic ring isposed between the bevel surface of the flange and the inner side wall of the tube body and connected thereto by adhesion, an outer plastic binding band surrounding the tube body adjacent said head member, and a plastic web connecting the exterior of the side wall and adjacent end edge of the tube body to said shoulder by adhesion thereto, said plastic web being integral with said plastic binding band.

2. In a collapsible tube, a tube body, a rigid head member having an annular flange extending into one end of said tube body, an annular exterior shoulder provided on said head member at the base of said flange and extending beyond the circumferential plane of said tube body, an outer seamless plastic binding band surrounding the tube body adjacent said head member and adhesively securely to the exterior of the side wall of the tube body, and a plastic web connecting the adjacent end edge of the tube body to said shoulder and being integral with said plastic binding band.

3. In a collapsible tube, a tube body, a rigid head member having an annular flange extending into said tube body, an annular exterior shoulder provided at the outer end of said flange and extending beyond the exterior circumferential plane of the side wall of said tube body, an outwardly facing bevel provided on the free inner end of said flange, an inner ring of plastic interposed between said flange and the inner wall of the tube body and extending inwardly beyond the bevelled end of the flange and secured to adjacent surfaces by adhesion thereto, an annular plastic band extending about the exterior of the tube body adjacent the head member, and a connecting plastic web interposed between the shoulder and the adjacent end edge of the tube body and secured thereto by adhesion, said plastic web being integral with the inner ring and said band.

4. In a collapsible tube, a tube body, a rigid head member having an exteriorly reduced annular flange forming a positioning stop shoulder at the outer end thereof, said flange telescopically fitting into one end of the tube body, an exteriorly bevelled surface provided at the free inner end of the flange and cooperating with the adjacent inner wall of the tube body to provide an annular cement-receiving trough, a liquid cement plastic filling the trough, said liquid cement plastic containing a highly volatile solvent forming, when set, a bonding ring within the trough which joins the bevelled surface of the flange with the inner wall of the tube body, a flat seamless band formed of the same liquid cement plastic extending about the exterior of the tube body and a plastic web integral with the band and interposed between the stop shoulder and the adjacent end of the tube body for joining the same with the positioning stop shoulder, whereby the finished collapsible tube is substantially smooth throughout its outer surface when the plastic cement has set.

5. In a collapsible tube, a tube body, a rigid head member having an exteriorly reduced annular flange fitting into one end of the tube body, an annular exterior shoulder provided at the outer end of said flange, an annular bevelled surface provided on the exterior of the free edge of the flange and cooperating with the inner wall of the tube body to provide an annular receptacle, a transparent cellulose normally liquid cement filling the receptacle, said cellulose liquid cement having a strong affinity for the tube body and head member and, when set, forming a hard solid ring joining the flange to the inner wall of the tube body, a flat transparent seamless band encircling the exterior of the tube body adjacent the head member, said flat transparent band being formed of the same cellulose liquid cement, and a plastic connecting web interposed between the shoulder and adjacent end edge of the tube body and being integral with said band whereby the tube body and head member are joined together both interiorly and exteriorly.

RICHARD E. PAIGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 493,616 lark Mar. 14, 1893 1,536,443 Lermer May 5, 1925 2,274,258 Roselle Feb. 24, 1942 560,984 Funk May 26, 1896 2,138,699 Hinze Nov. 29, 1938 1,980,566 Wright Nov. 13, 1934 2,303,322 Bigger Dec. 1, 1942- 1,590,783 Tesse June 29, 1926 2,207,294 Hubner July 9, 1940