US2558723A - Container - Google Patents

Description

July 3, 1951 W. H. AYRES CONTAINER Filed July 8, 1946 V4 INVENTOR.

BY van Z a y 4rrae/vc'ys filling and prior Patented July 3, 1951 STATES PATEN CONTAINER Application July 8, 1946, Serial No. 681,790

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to containers or cans adapted to be vacuumized or gassed after to being sealed with a cover and has particular reference to a can having a venting channel while the cover is fully seated but in an unsealed condi'ion permitting gases to pass into or from the can during a gassing or vacuumizing operation.

In vacuumizing filled cans prior to closing and sealing it customary to apply the cover to the can loosely so that the cover will retain the contents in the can while the air is wi' hdrawn throu en the small space between the cover flange and the can flange. Sometimes the cover is inadvertently pressed home tightl on its seat in the can or is tight on one side and loose on the other. Under such conditions either no vacuum at all is drawn on the can interior or. as when the cover is loose on one side, the vacuum is drawn Wholly throurh this side with the result that vacuumization is not properly distributed. This improper distribution of the vacuum pull on the can sometimes results in some of the contents of the can being drawn up into the space between the can and cover flanges, especially when the conents are of a pulverized or powdery nature, such as coffee, and the products. This causes difficulty in or prevents proper sealing of the cover onto the can.

Several patents have been issued on devices for overcoming this difficulty by the use of grooves or notches in the can or cover flanges but it appears that none of these patents provide for fully seating the cover on the can so that it will retain its place during handling prior to and following the vacuuinizing operation.

The instant invention contemplates providing full and proper seating while at the same time providing a venting feature. the can or the cover being formed with a continuous venting channel that extends across the can or cover flange and continues on down into the adjacent side wall of the can or cover and terminates in a fashion that permits of the free passage of gases into or out of the can interior while the cover is fully seated on the can but in an unsealed condition.

It has been found that when such a continuous vent passage is formed in the can, it stiffens the adjacent mouth of the can and provides a con- ;trol on the line of bend connecting the body flange to the can body. This reenforcement of the can adjacent its mouth insures a desired predetermined line of bend for the flange and further insures the proper width of the flange 'so that the length of the seam hook can be readily maintained when the flange is being incorporated in the double seam which seals the cover onto the can.

An object of the inveniion is the provision of a can having a venting channel formed of a con- 2 struction which permits of vacuuinizing the can interior while the cover is fully seated on the can but in an unsealed condition and which prevents the contents of the from being drawn by the vacuum up into the seam, especially when the contents of the can are of a pulverized or powdery nature.

Another object is the provision of such a can wherein a plurality of the venting :lannels are distributed around the mouth of the can so as to equalize the vacuum pull on the interior of the can, these venting channels being set off in one embodiment by projections formed in the can flange and the adjacent bod portion of the can and terminating inside the can well below the cover when the latter is fully seated on the can thus insuring a continuous passageway from the interior of the can to its exterior so that gases bypass freely into or out of the can.

Another object is the provision of such a can wherein the venting projections stiffen the body of the can adjacent its mouth and thus facilitate the forming of a flange thereon having a predetermined line of bend connecting the flange with the body.

Another object is the provision of such a can wherein the veniing project-ions facilitate the formation of flanges of uniform width so that the hook length of the flange when incorporated in a double seam, may be uniformly maintained.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is bet'ier understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an uncovered can body embodying the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan detail of the flange of the can, with parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the flange portion of the can shown in Fig, 2, with parts broken away;

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged sectional details of a portion of the can as viewed substan'ially along the planes indicated b the respective lines 6-4, 55 in Fig. 1, the views showinga portion of a cover loosely but fully s ated in place on the can before sealing;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 5 showing the cover sealed in place on the can; and

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing;-

further embodimer rt pf the invention.

Sealing of the cover onto the can body preferably is effected by an interfolding of flange parts on the can body and on the cover. Such interfolding produces a tight joint of the well known double seam variety.

For this purpose the can body II (Figs. 1 an 4) adjacent its mouth, indicated by the numeral I4, is formed with an outwardly and upwardly inclined projecting flange I5 disposed at an obtuse angle to said body and connected with the can body by a curved wall section I6.

The cover I2 preferably is of a countersunk panel type and is formed with the usual bottom panel wall section 2 I adapted to fit within the can body II when the cover is in sealing position. This bottom wall section 2| merges into a surrounding upright annular friction wall section 22 which at its top edge merges into an outwardly projecting annular flange 23. The flange terminates preferably in an edge curl 24. A sealing gasket 25 is carried on the inner surface of the flange 23, this constituting a usual feature for a conventional lined flanged can cover.

When the cover I2 is in sealing position on the can body II, the upright friction wall section 22 f the cover engages snugly against the inner surface of the body adjacent the curved wall section It of the body. The cover flange 23 overlies the flange I of the body with the cover flange gasket 25 contacting and resting on the outer edge of the body flange. In this position the cover is fully seated on the body.

Provision is made to facilitate vacuumizing or gassing of the contents of the can while the cover I2 is in its fully seated position on the can body I I but the cover is in an unsealed condition. For this purpose the can body adjacent its mouth I4, in one embodiment of the invention, is formed with a plurality of shallow venting projections or corrugations 26 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5) which set off shallow venting ghayels gl.

These venting projections and channels are arranged in spaced relation around the periphery of the can body so that the can will be vented from all sides in a minimum time interval without disturbing the product in the can.

These venting pr oject ions 26 extend radially across the full width of drainage I5 of the can body ma horizontal position, substantially at an angle of 90 degrees to the axis of the body. Inwardly adjacent the curved Wall section I6 each projection is formed with a sharp line of bend 29. Below this bend 29 the projection continues down vertically along the body, terminating just below and in spaced relation to the bottom panel wall section 2I of the cover I2 as a recess 32, as best shown in Fig. 5.

This construction of venting projection provides a continuous venting channel in the body flange and in the body itself so that free passage of gases into and from the interior of the can may be had even when the cover is fully seated on the can body. The drawings necessarily exaggerate the depth of these channels. In some instances they may be very shallow such as a few thousandths of an inch in depth, in which case they serve as a screen preventing powdery materials, such as coffee or the like, from being drawn up into the flange parts of the body and the cover where it would interfere with proper forming of the double seam.

Such a continuous venting channel is of great advantage in can gassing operations. In such operations, the interior of the can is first vacuumized, usually while the can is in a chamber.

The vacuum on the chamber is then cut off and the gas is introduced into the chamber and passes into the can interior. Often the incoming gas exerts a pressure against the cover on the vacuumized can and this presses the cover down into a fully seated position on the can. Ordinarily with the conventional can and cover this would cut off communication with the interior of the can. In the present improved construction the continuous unobstructed venting channels 21 of the instant invention prevent this con dition. Instead communication with the can interior is maintained even when the cover is fully seated.

The venting projections 26 also stiffen or reenforce the can body II adjacent its mouth M and preserve the contour of the can body. This facilitates centering and proper positioning of the cover onto the can.

An important factor in maintaining an open channel is the sharp line of bend 29 in each of the venting projections 26. This line of bend provides a control on the width of the body flange I5 and thus insures proper length of the body hook when the flange is incorporated in a double seam. The formation of the seam is performed in the usual manner after the can interior has been vacuumized and/or gassed, and in the seaming Operation the cover flange 23 is interfolded with the body flange I5 in a double seam 35 (Fig. 6). This hermetically seals the cover in place on the can. Such a seaming operation in the present invention entirely obliterates the venting p oj e ctions sfiown'irTFig. 'GT

In other words in forming the double seam 35, the body flange I5 always bends along the sharp line of bend 29 of the respective Venting projections 26. The entire line of bend for the entire flange thus is uniform and a body flange of predetermined width is insured. This results in the formation of body hooks of uniform length Within the double seam. This control of the hook length also insures uniform heights of the can bodies.

Figure '7 illustrates a slightly diiferent embodi:

ment of the invention. In this variation a pit rality of continuous venting projections 38 are formed in the cover ifitead df ffi'tlieiaifbody. The venting projections 38 extend radially across the flange 23 and down along and inside of the friction wall section 22 of the cover and terminate in the bottom panel wall 2I. These projections set off continuous venting channels 39 which at one end communimitlf tli e iiitefib'fof the can body adjacent the bottom panel wall section 2| of the cover. At its opposite end each channel 39 extends beyond the outer edge of the body flange I5 and communicates with the exterior of the can body. In operation these venting channels in the cover function in the same manner as those in the can body when used for vacuumizing and/or gassing filled cans.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages. the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a container adapted to be vacuumized prior to scaling, the combination of a container nd e sh body provided with a double seaming flange, and a container cover having an upright wall section merged into a double seaming flange terminating in a curled edge said flange interlocking with the flange of said container body in a sealed joint, said cover having continuous venting projections formed in its upright wall section and extending into its flange and terminating inside of said curled edge for venting of the interior of the container when said cover is in fully seated unsealed position on the body, said venting projections setting off continuous venting channels between the interior and the exterior of the container for venting the container prior to and during sealing.

2. In a container adapted to be vacuumized or gassed prior to scaling, the combination of a body member having an upright body wall and a double seaming flange extending outwardly from said body wall and connected thereto by a curved wall section, a cover having an upright countersink wall and a double seaming flange extending outwardly from said countersink wall, said countersink wall entering into said body member and contacting said upright body wall below said curved wall section when said cover member is fully seated on said body member, and a pluralit of shallow, substantially right-angled, peripherally spaced venting projections formed in said body member, each projection extending from the edge of and across said body flange and around said curve wall section and into and vertically along said upright body wall to a point substantially below said cover countersink wall, and Setting off a continuous, substantially right-angled, shallow venting channel between the exterior and interior of the container.

3. In a container adapted to be vacuumized or gassed prior to sealing, the combination of a body member having an upright body wall and a double seaming flange extending outwardly from said body wall and connected thereto by a curved wall section, a cover having an upright countersink wall and a double seaming flange extending outwardly from said countersink wall, said countersink wall entering into said body member and contacting said upright body wall below said curved wall section when said cover member is fully seated on said body member, and a plurality of shallow, substantially right-angled, peripherally spaced venting projections formed in said body member, each projection extending from the edge of and across said body flange and around said curved wall section and into and vertically along said upright body wall to a point below said cover countersink wall, and setting off a continuous, substantially right-angled, shallow venting channel between the exterior and interior of the container, each of said projections having a sharp line of bend formed in said curved wall section, said lines of bend determining the width of 'said body flange and the length of the resulting body hook for securing the cover onto the body in a double seam.

WILLIAM H. AYRES.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain 1897

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