US2575083A

US2575083A - Dispensing container with puncturing means for sealed cans

Info

Publication number: US2575083A
Application number: US778903A
Authority: US
Inventors: Earl A Abraham
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1947-10-09
Filing date: 1947-10-09
Publication date: 1951-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 1968-11-13

Description

1951 E. A. ABRAHAM DISPENSING CONTAINER WITH PUNCTURING MEANS FOR SEALED CANS Filed on. 9, 1947 INVENTOIR. iqr/ flirazdm, BY M I w 77 Patented Nov. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING CONTAINER WITH PUNCTUR- ING MEANS FOR SEALED CANS Earl A.- Abraham, Detroit, Mich. Application ctober9, 1947,:Serial 110,778,903

rclaims. (o1. 222 ss.5)

. This invention relates to an attractive container for hermetically sealed cans, which acts as .an opener, dispenser, and seal .for a can disposed therein.

It is an object of this invention to provide a container of the aforementioned type which is especially attractive in appearance so that it may be placed on a dining table so as to alleviate the objection to the use of an unsightly can .on a dining table.

A further object-of this invention is to provide a container of the aforementioned type employing relatively simple and inexpensive means for sealing and dispensing the contents of the can,

A still further object .of this invention .is to provide, in a container of the aforementioned type, means for piercing and puncturing .a can when the latter is disposed within the container. A still furtherobject of this invention is to provide a container of the aforementioned type in which the means forpuncturing the can and the dispensing and sealing means co-operate so as to detachably secure each other to the top cover of the container so that they may be removed from said cover and washed, thereby providing an especially sanitary device.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a container and dispensing device of .the aforementioned type which is relatively simple inconstruction and more efiicient in operation than any heretofore known in the art.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the container and dispensing device of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view of the container and dispensing device embracing a-can, prior to the puncturing of the latter; v

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional .view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2 taken along the line 4-4 thereof; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2 taken .along the line 5-5 thereof. v Referring now to the drawing, it will be seen, that a container is generally indicated at '1 and includes a cover portion 9 and a base portion l I. The container I may be made of any suitable material, such as plastic or metal, and isjattractively designed and shaped so that it may be placed on a dining table without the usual objection to placing a canon a dining table.

The lower end of the cover portion 9 is internally threaded at l3, and the upper end of the base portion II is exteriorly threaded at l5 so as to provide a detachable and adjustable connection between the container portions. A hermetically sealed can l6, for fluids or the like, is adapted to be disposed in the container 1. This is accomplished by disconnecting the container cover and base portions 9 and l l and placing the can in the base portion II. The cover portion 9 is then threaded onto the base portion so as to enclose the can I6.

The top wall I! of the container cover 9 is arcuate in cross section and is formed with a central, transversely extending, downwardly projecting rib or boss 19. v The top wall H, on each side of the rib I9, is formed with a pair of transversely extending, spacedslots 21. The rib I9 is provided with a pair of transversely spaced, vertical apertures 23.

Detachably mounted in the top wall ll of the container is a piercing and dispensing unit generally indicated at 25. The unit 25 includes an elongated platelike portion 21 which is slightly wider than the container rib l9 and is adapted to abut and lie flat against the underside of the rib [9. A pair of depending, hollow, pouring and piercing elements 29 are secured in the platelike portion 21 adjacent each end thereof so as to register with the container top wall openings 23 when the platelike portion 21 abuts the underside of the rib 19. A pair of spaced, transversely extending walls 3| extend upwardly from the plate like portion 21, intermediate the longitudinal ends thereof, so as to project upwardly through the slots 2! in the top wall of the container when the'platelike portion abuts the rib l9. The walls 3| and slots 2| are, of course, of substantially the same length. Theupper edge of each of the walls 3| is'formed with an inturned flange 33, which, when the plate '21 abuts the underside of therib I9, is spaced above, and in an overlapping rela'-' tionship to, the upper surface of the rib l9. The unit '25 may be made of any suitable material, but preferably is made of noncorrosive metal.

A slide valve, in the form of a thin, flexible, elongated plate 35, is disposed between the upper surface of the rib I9 and the inturned flanges 33 of the unit 25 for opening and closing the upper end of the container openings 23. The slide valve 35 is arcuate in cross section and is curved so that when it is disposed between the upper surface of the container-rib l9 and the underside-of the flanges 33, it will be compressed against the upper surface of the rib l9 so as to be in sliding and ing unit co-operate to detachably secure each other to the cover 9. When the slide valve 35 is moved out of engagement with the flanges 33,

the unit 25 will fall away from the container cover 9 so that the valve 35 and the unit 25 may be washed and kept in a sanitary condition.

The slide valve 35 is of a shorter length than V the diameter of the container top wall I! and is provided, adjacent each end thereof, with a vent opening 39. A raised serrated portion M is provided in the center of the slide valve 35 so that it may be engaged by the finger of a user to slide the valve 35 from one position to another. The vent openings 39 are so correlated with the length of the slide valve 35 and the container openings 23 that, when the slide valve is moved so as to uncover one of the container openings 23, the vent opening 39 adjacent the opposite end of the slide valve will register with the other container opening 23 and thus vent the same so that the contents of the can l6 may be more easily poured from the container. When the slide valve 35 is moved to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, it will effectively seal both of the container openings 23 so that no leakage will occur and so that no dirt or other impurities will enter the can l5.

In operation, the container cover portion 9 is placed over the upper portion of the can I6. Manual downward pressure is then exerted on the cover so as to cause the piercing elements 29 to pierce the top of the can. The container base portion II is then placed over the other end of the can and threaded into the cover portion 9 so as to completely enclose the can. The slide valve 35 can then be moved to uncover one of the container openings 23 and its complementary piercing element 29, so as to permit the contents of the can IE to be poured therefrom. In order to close the openings 23 the slide valve 35 is moved back by merely applying finger pressure on the raised serrated portion 4| and sliding the valve along the upper surface of the container rib I9 until both openings 23 are covered.

It will, of course, be appreciated that any size container may be employed in accordance with the size of the can which it is to receive, and any suitably designed or shaped container may be employed, which will be attractive in appearance and permit the container to be placed on a dining table so as to alleviate the unsightly appearance which is usually objected to when an exposed can is placed on the table.

I claim:

1. A container including a substantially closed upper wall having a pair of spaced openings therein, slide valve means engaging the upper surface of said container wall for selectively opening and closing said wall openings, means detachably connected to said container wall for engaging said slide valve means and releasably retaining the latter in sliding and sealing engagement with the upper surface of said container wall, and a piercing element connected to said slide valve engaging.

2. A container including a substantially closed upper wall having an opening therein,a pair of interconnected hollow piercing elements disposed below said container wall, one of said piercing elements being in registration with said wall opening, and means including valve means for selectively opening and closing said wall opening detachably connected to said container wall for supporting both of said piercing elements in said registered position and permitting said piercing elements to be detached as a unit from said cover for cleaning purposes.

3. A container including a substantially closed upper wall having a pair of spaced openings therein, slide valve means engaging the upper surface of said container wall for selectively opening and closing said wall openings, a pair of hollow piercing elements disposed below said container upper g wall and in registration with said wall openings,

and means fixedly connected to said piercing element and detachably connected to said container wall for engaging said slide valve means and releasably retaining the latter in sliding and sealing engagement with the upper surface of said container wall, whereby said piercing elements and said valve means may be removed from said container.

4. A container and dispensing device comprising a container including an upper wall having a pair of spaced openings therein, slide valve means including a flexible plate engaging the upper surface of said container wall and having a pair of spaced vent openings therein, said flexible plate being shorter in length than the lateral extent of the upper wall of said container and having the vent openings therein arranged so that when one endof said flexible plate uncovers one of said container openings the vent opening adjacent the other end of said flexible plate will register with and vent the other of said container openings, and means detachably connected to said container for retaining said flexible plate in sliding andsealing engagement with the upper surface of said container wall.

5. A container'and dispensing device comprisinga container including an upper wall having a pair of spaced openings therein, hollow piercing elements disposed within said container in alignment with said wall openings, a transverse- 1y extending flexible plate engaging the upper surface of said container wall and having a pair of transversely spaced vent openings therein adapted to register with said container wall openings, said plate vent openings being so arranged that when said plate is moved so that one end thereof uncovers one of said container openings the vent opening adjacent the opposite end of said plate will register with the other of said container openings and vent the same, and a member detachably connected to said container upper wall for supporting said hollow piercing elements and for releasably retaining said flexible plate in sliding and sealing engagement with the upper surface of said container wall.

6. A container and dispensing device comprising a container including detachably connected cover and base portions, said container cover portion including a substantially closed upper wall having a pair of spaced openings therein, hollow piercing elements disposed within said container and adapted to be supported by the up per wall thereof, slide valve means engaging the upper surface of said cover wall and including a flexible plate adapted to open and close said container openings, and a member detachably connected to said cover which supports said hol-. low piercing, elementand releasably retains said flexible plate in sliding and sealing engagement with the upper surface of said container wall.

7. A container and dispensing device including a container composed of upper cover and lower base portions having a threaded connection therebetween, said cover portion including an upper wall having a transversely extending downwardly projecting rib thereon, said cover wall having spaced transversely extending slots therein adjacent the opposite side faces of said rib, said rib having a pair of transversely spaced apertures therein, a piercing and pouring unit detachably connected to the upper wall of said cover and including a platelike portion abutting the underside of said cover rib,hollow piercing elements fixedly connected to and depending from said plate portion and registering with said cover openings, spaced transversely extending Walls projecting upwardly from said platelike portion through said container Wall slots, said walls having'inturned flanges disposed above the upper surfaceof said cover rib when said plate portion abuts the underside of said rib, a slide valve including'a flexible plate of curved cross section disposed between the upper surface of said rib and the underside of said inturned wall flanges so as to slidably and sealingly engage said container upper wall and open and close said wall openings, said slide valve having a pair of transversely spaced vent openings therein adapted to register singly with one of said container wall openings, said slide valve being of a length so that when one end of said slide valve uncovers one end of said container wall openings the valve vent opening adjacent the opposite end thereof will register with the other of said container wall openings and vent the same.

EARL A. ABRAHAM.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,113,270 Werner Oct. 13, 1914 1,980,433 Punte Nov. 13, 1934 2,160,976 Mirati June 6, 1939