US2577001A

US2577001A - Bail and can

Info

Publication number: US2577001A
Application number: US97150A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick L Cole
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-06-04
Filing date: 1949-06-04
Publication date: 1951-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 1968-12-04

Description

Dec. 4, 1951 F: COLE 2,577,001

BAIL AND CAN Filed June 4, 1949 26 L54 Z4 Z5 35 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES RQTENT ()FFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a bail fora can or bucket and to a can or bucket provided with such bail.

A purpose of the invention is to stabilize a ball when attached to a can such as a paint can so that it will not swing down but will remain erect unless deliberately detached.

A further purpose is to permit ready insertion and removal of a detachable bail, while assuring firm connection of the bail to the can.

A further purpose is to provide offsets on the bail which engage the outside of the top of the can as well as hooks on the ball which engage the under side of the top of the can.

A further purpose is to extend hook bodies and hook ends through diametrically placed recesses in the top of the can.

A further purpose is tov locate the bail receiving recesses at diametrically spaced points in the bottom of the annular recess in the top of a paint can or the like.

Further p' rposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

In the drawings I have chosen to illustrate a few only of the numerous embodiments in which my invention may appear, choosing the forms shown from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a paint can and bail, the bail being ready for insertion into the can.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a can, suitably a paint can ready to receive a bail with a dot-. and-dash showing Q-f the ball, the bail being broken away.

Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 1 showing the bail fully inserted and standing upright.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary radial section through one of the bail receiving recesses of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary circumferential section through one of the bail receiving recesses of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a view corresponding to Figure 5, showing the position assumed by the hook and when a full can is lifted.

Figures 7 and 8 are fragmentary radial sections through the bail receiving opening showing variations in the can and bail.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referrin to the drawings:

fiic lty has. been enc un ered i din cans and the like, especially paint cans. When reference is made herein to a can, it is intended to include any similar construction such as a bucket, drum or pan, which may similarly be connected with a bail.

Paint cans are in some cases equipped with external bells which receive handles. These are expensive to apply and generally inconvenient when the cans are packed in cartons. It is therefore desirable to avoid the use of bells as far as possible.

By the present invention a can such as a paint can is readily provided with a bail which may be shipped with a can or which may be employed as an attachment to be used on any can.

In order to equip the can with a bail, it must be provided with suitably diametrically spaced bail receiving openings in the top of the can. These openings can very desirably be applied at the bottom of the annular recess commonly used in the top of paint cans, in which case the openings perform the additional function of draining the recess to return any paint collecting in the recess to the can. t

The bail in accordance with the present invention does not readily detach from the can unless a deliberate eifort is made to detach it, and when connected with the can will readily remain upright when not in use.

In the drawings I show a can suitably a typical paint can provided with a bottom 2|, a circumferential side wall 22, an outer top rim 23 and an annuar top wall 24 inwardly terminating in a center opening 25 which is covered bya lid. In the particular construction shown, between the rim 23 and the opening 25 the top wall contains an annular recess 26 in Which the flanged lid of the paint can normally engages in closing the can.

At the bottom of the recess 26, suitably at diametrically spaced points, bail receiving openings 21 extend downwardly through the top of the can. It will be evident that whether the bail is inserted in these openings or not, they will permit drainage of paint collecting in the recess 25 back into. the can and thus will perform a useful function. When the can is closed by the lid these recesses of course are sealed.

The bail, suitably of steel or other structural metal alloy wire, comprises a loop 28 suitably having an eye at in the center to maintain the bail centralized when hanging on a nail. The ends 3! of the loop are substantially parallel and connect to offsets 32 extending transversely of the ends 3| and preferably lying in the plane of the loop. The offsets aid in retaining the posi- 3 tion of the bail when it is in the can as later explained.

Beyond the offsets the unitary wire of the bail forms hook bodies 33 which as shown are desirably extending in the plane of the loop and parallel to the loop ends 3i but displaced inwardly from the loop ends due to the offsets in the preferred form. The hook bodies 33 connect with hook ends 3d which in active position of the bail are reversely bent as best seen in Figure with respect to the hook bodies and extending transversely to the plane of the loop in the same direction.

In operation the bail is brought into contact with the can with the loop lying practically in the plane of the top of the can as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the hook ends are inserted through the bail receiving openings 27 at the bottom of the annular recess 26 in the top of the can until the hook bodies 33 engage the walls of the openings 2! at the bend between the hook ends and hook bodies. The bail is then rocked upwardly to the position of Figure 3, pivoting about the points at which the bail passes through the bail receiving openings 21' and attaining a position as seen in Figures 3, 4 and 5 in which the hook bodies 33 pass through the bail receiving openings and the hook ends contact the under side of the top of the can at 35. In this position the oiTsets 32 contact the rim of the can and prevent the hook bodies from descending farther into the hook receiving openings.

Thus in the upright position of the bail the bail is prevented from moving upward by the hook ends and is prevented from moving downward by the offsets engaging the outside of the top of. the can. The bail cannot rock counterclockwise in the position of Figure 3 due to the fact that it is held from rocking by the engagement between the hook ends and the under side of the top of the can. In normal action, the bail will not rock clockwise in the position of Figure 3 unless it is deliberately swung in this direction because of the frictional engagement between the walls of the openings 21 and the wire of the hook bodies, which will not permit clockwise rocking unless the friction is overcome by exerting some pull on the bail. A slight s ring of the wire tends to increase the frictional engagement with the openings and hold the bail upright until it is deliberatelv removed.

When a full paint can is lifted, there is a tendency to straighten out the reverse bend of the hook ends and create engagement at 35' fully across the hook ends on the under side of the top of the can due to the weight.

The invention is of course not limited to paint cans nor to cans, but can be applied to any similar structure having top bail receiving openings.

In Figure 7 I illustrate a can 20' having an external flange 36 which has bail receiving openings 2'! at diametrically spaced points. In this form the hook ends and. hook bodies except for dimensions may be similar to those of Figures 1 to 6 but the ofisets 32 instead of extending inward from the ends of the loop extend outward as shown and engage on the rim 23.

Figure 8 shows a still diiferent can 2i] employing a construction of bail substantially identical with that of the form of Figures 1 to 6, but omitting the annular recess commonly used in paint cans, and locating the openings 21 at diametrically spaced points in the top,- f, the can. V y

It will be evident that the invention may equally well be applied to other types of cans having still different top formations, or to shoulders which are created in the sides of cans adjacent the top.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A can having spaced openings for a bail in the top thereof at generally diametrically opposite positions, and a wire bail comprising a loop, ofisets from the ends of the loop in the plane of the loop engaging the top of the can on opposite sides, hook bodies extending from the offsets generally parallel to the ends of the loop through the openings and hook ends on the hook bodies engaging the can beneath the openings and each extending in the same direction, and the wire terminating at the ends of the transversely ex tending hook ends, whereby the bail can be inserted in the can by canting.

2. A can having diametrically opposite bail receiving openings in the top and a wire bail, comprising a loop, offsets extending from the ends of the loop toward one another generally in the plane of the loop, ho x bodies extending from the offsets through the openings and hook ends extending transversely of the plane of the loop from the hook bodies and each end in the same direction and engaging the under side of the top of the can, the offsets engaging the outside of the top can and stabilizing the position of the bail, and the wire terminating at the ends of the transversely extending hook ends, whereby the bail can be inserted in the can by canting.

3. A can for paint or the like, having an annular recess in the top and having diametrically spaced bail receiving openings through the bottom of the recess, and a bail comprising a loop, offsets extending transversely from the ends of the loop in the plane of the loop and engaging the outside of the top of the can, hook bodies extending from the offsets into the recess at diametrically spaced points and through the bail receiving openings and hook ends extending from the hook bodies transversely to the plane of the loopeach in the same direction as the other and engaging the under side of the top of the can.

FREDERICK L. COLE.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 426,981 Asselin a Apr. 29, 1890 1,180,354 White Apr. 25, 1916 1,616,288 Taliaferro Feb. 1, 1927 2,195,070 Backert Mar. 25, 19% 2,397,880 Newman Apr. 2, 1916 FOREIGN PATENTS lflumber Country Date 4,568 Great Britain Feb. 24, 1904