US2556439A

US2556439A - Clip container for milk bottles

Info

Publication number: US2556439A
Application number: US54491A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pearson Phillip
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-10-14
Filing date: 1948-10-14
Publication date: 1951-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 1968-06-12

Description

June 12, 1951 P. PEARSON 2,556,439

CLIP CONTAINER FOR MILK BOTTLES Filed Oct. 14, 194B P. Pearsory a Patented June 1 2, 195i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLIP CONTAINER FOR MILK BOTTLES Phillip Pearson, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Application October 14, 1948, Serial No. 54,491

Under the present method of milk distribution, the housewife places one or more empty milk bottles at the door for the attention of the milkman Usually, She writes a note explaining whether she wishes milk, cream etc. and if she requests tickets, money is also included with the note. It is obviousl impractical to place the note and money inside the bottle as it would be extremely difficult for the milkman to get it out and, as the interior of the bottle might be wet, more difficult would be experienced. The result is that the housewife usually places the note and the money under the bottle on the doorstep where the bottle may 'be accidently knocked over with the result that the wind blows the note and the money away and it is lost. The weather might change to rain and it would soak the note and the money and the note would accordingly be hard to read. Further, the money and note is usually visibl under the bottle and offers a temptation for children or others to steal same. This loose method often results in argument between the housewife and the milkman, usually caused by one or the other of the above disadvantages. I

I The present invention contemplates an improvement over the above method and the principal object thereof is to provide a container for holding the note and the money and which can be secured to the bottle so that neither the note or the money can 'be blown away by the wind, exposed to the public, or get Wet during a rain storm.

A further object of the invention is to attach the container to the bottle so that the milkman can pick it up and with a simple movement of his fingers slip the note and the mone into the palm of his hand without waste of time.

A further object of the invention is to construct the device so that the milkman can slip the container off the empty bottle and onto the filled bottle being left and place the note and the change back in the container and all this accomplished in the same amount of time as by the old method.

A further object of the invention is to construct the device from a double stamping of sheet metal so that the cost will be negligible and the article placed on the market at a ver reasonable price or given away by the milk companies.

A still further object of the invention is to construct the device with a resiliently closable door to keep out the elements.

With the above important objects in view, which will become more apparent as the descrip- 1 Claim. (01. 215-401) tion proceeds, the invention consists essentially in the formation and design of the device hereinafter more particularly described in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an empty milk bottle with the container attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a fiat layout of the box material ready for forming into the container.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the door.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The upper part of an empty milk bottle is shown in Figure 1 and indicated b the numeral I. This milk bottle has an inwardly and upwardly tapering neck 2 which terminates in an en-- larged head 3 which is suitably formed with an inner shoulder 4 for the reception of 'a cardboard cap which seals off the contained milk. The invention now to be described, is attachable to the outer portion of the neck 2, just below the enlarged head 3.

In the present instance, the box portion of the invention is formed from a flat piece of thin spring steel which is punched out in the shape shown in Figure 2. This punching presents a vertical center portion 5 having an upper pair of outwardly projecting wings 6 and l and a pair of lower narrower wings 8 and 9,

In forming this box, the upper projecting portion It! is formed into a downward roll as indicated by the dotted outline H in Figure 1. The central portion is then bent on the dotted line l2 so that the portion l3 forms the back of the box and the portion It, enclosed by the dotted lines; forms the bottom of the container. The two wings 8 and 9 have their sides l5 and I6 bent upwardly on the vertical dotted lines I! and are then bent bodil on the dotted lines I8 to form the sides of the box. It will be noted that the ends of the wings 8 and 9 are cut at a slant. Finally, the lower portion i8 is bent upward on the dotted line 20 to lay against the sides l5. Accordingly, a rectangular box is formed having a sloping open upper end. The upper parts of the sides I6 are then spot welded to the back portion 5 and the upper part of the portion I9 is spot welded to the sides 15, as shown at 20, to secure the shape. The

wings

6 and 1 are then bent backward in an ogee curve, as shown at 2| in Figure 1, to present a pair of clips which will spring over the neck 2 of the bottle and support the box therefrom.

Before the various parts are bent in the shape mentioned, the temper will be taken out of the spring steel so that it will not break in the forming operation. After the box has been assembled as described, the device can be heated and tempered so that the

clips

6 and 1 will spring freely over the bottle neck and have sufficient resiliency to retain and support the box on the bottle.

The door, shown in Figure 3, is formed from a flat piece of metal. It presents a rectangularshaped portion 22 having angular-shaped sides 23 bent downward. The upper center portion is provided with an extending lip 24, which forms a finger piece, While on either side of the lip, extending tongues 25 are rolled downward. The door is placed over the upper end of the box with the rolled portion 25 straddling the rolled portion ll of the box. A spring steel pin 26 is passed through all the rolled portions to form a hinge between the door and the box. One end of the pin is bent back on itself and passes over the top of the wing I, so that it cannot turn in a clockwise direction at the hinge, and then passes under the lip 24 of the door to form a spring for holding the door shut. The door can be opened by finger pressure down on the extending lip 24, against the resilient pressure of the extending end of the pin 26. When the pressure is relieved the tensioned pin 25 returns the door to the sloping position shown in Figure 1.

When in use, the housewife will spring the door open by pressing the curved upper end of the extending lip 25 and deposit her note with the instructions and the money in the box. She will then clip the box to the milk bottle and place it in a position for the attention of the milkman. The device is so designed that the milkman can grasp the neck of the bottle and with one of his fingers press the portion 24 to open the door and let the note and the money slide into the palm of his hand and so leave his other hand free to hold his milk basket. The empty bottle can then be placed in his basket and, after reading the instructions, he will remove the clip container from the empty bottle and insert it on the filled one. While holding it in his hand he can flip the door open with his finger, return the note and the change and then leave the bottle for the housewife.

From the above it will be seen that I have provided a simple little container for milk bottles which can be cheaply produced in quantity and at a very low price, that is quickly clipped onto the neck of the bottle, will retain notes and money clear of all dangers of the elements and out of sight, and which could be quickly transferred from one bottle to another. The container, being on the neck of the bottle, will be clear of the ground so will not leak moisture therein while 4 the sloping door will always shed water if it rains, and even if it is knocked over, the contents will not be lost. Under such an arrangement there will be no arguments arising between the milkman and his customers over money or instructions.

While I have shown and described the box and clips as made from one piece of spring steel, it will be understood that the box could be made separate from ordinary sheet metal and the clips could be made from a piece of spring steel and secured to the back thereof. This construction would require more work to manufacture but would present a saving in spring steel should such be too expensive.

What I claim as my invention is:

An attachable container for a milk bottle, comprising: a single piece of spring material forked to present a pair of oppositely projecting wings on each side of a central portion; said central portion bent to form the back, bottom and front of a box; two of said oppositely projecting wings bent to form the sides 'of said box; the other of said oppositel projecting wings bent away from said box to form spaced inwardly curved clips for resilient reception over the neck of said bottle and to support said box on the side thereof; a door hinged over the open upper end of said box and provided with a lip projecting over said hinge; the pin of said hinge projecting therefrom on one side thereof, bent back on itself to pass over one of said clips and sprung under said lip for resilient door closure pressure thereagainst.

PHILLIP PEARSON.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 401,760 Sch-er Apr. 23, 1889 899,217 Hetherington Sept. 22, 1908 1,034,424 Clark Aug. 6, 1912 1,039,833 Snyder Oct. 1, 1912 1,101,351 Suit June 23, 1914 1,294,057 Davis Feb. 11, 1919 1,342,657 Wolferman June 8, 1920 1,434,483 Ecker Feb. 19, 1 924 1 ,783,027 Savino Nov. 25, 1930 2,314,607 Clark Mar. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 427,333 Great Britain Sept. 5, 1934