US2685380A

US2685380A - Stopper

Info

Publication number: US2685380A
Application number: US184610A
Authority: US
Inventors: Moeller Axel
Original assignee: Moeller Manufacturing Co Inc
Current assignee: Moeller Manufacturing Co Inc
Priority date: 1950-09-13
Filing date: 1950-09-13
Publication date: 1954-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 1971-08-03

Description

A. MOELLER Aug. 3, 1954 sToPPER Filed sept. 15, 1950 INVENTOR 4AXEL MOELLER Patented Aug. 3, 1954 STOPPER Axel Moeller, Racine, Wis., assigner to yMoeller 'Mfg.'Co., Racine, Wis., a corporation of'Wisconsin Application September 13,1950, Serial No. 184,610

1 claim. l

This invention appertains to .bottle and jar *Stoppers or closures, and is an improvement over `A my prior Patents Nos. 2,347,835, dated May 2, f1944; 2,292,149, dated August 4, 1942, and "2,315,538, dated April 6, 1943.

`Oneof the primary objectsof my present invention is to provide an expansible stopper for large mouthed jars, such as so-called picnic jugs lor jars, for efficiently sealing such jars and jugs andat the same time permit the convenient in- 'sertion and withdrawal of the stopper in the jar i or jug mouth.

Another salient object of my invention is to :provide a novel elastic and resilient stopper body Fof an annular form with novel means for supz porting and compressing the body longitudinally Fto insurethe proper engagement thereof with the linterior of the neck of the jar or jug and particularly at the pouring lip Aportion thereof.

A further objectof my invention is to provide lmeans for forming the annular body, whereby .when the body is compressed longitudinally, it

.will initially expand radially in an outward direction at a point above the lower end thereof, whereby to insure the proper sealing engagement ofthe body with the'neck adjacent to the mouth thereof.

A further important object vof the invention is to provide novel top and bottom supporting and compressing'plates for the annular body, where- "by not only will the body be effectively supported,

but lwhereby the body will be properly guided into frits neck engaging position upon compression of :the body.

lAfurther objeot'of'my Vinvention is to provide aiiexible bottom wall integral with the resilient '.'body, the wall having a-centrally disposed open- 'ing for snugly receiving the stud or shank car- "ried' by the bottom supporting and compression plate, whereby vthe body will be accurately centered in the stopper relative to the compression plates and adjusting means and where- "by `aprotecting wall is formed for preventing the vploy upper and lower Figure 2 isa similar view, but showing the stopper in its expanded'position for sealing the Jug.

Figure' 3 isafragmentary top plan view of the stopper. l

Figure e is a horizontal sectional view through the'stopper taken on the lined- "4 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of 'thearrows Referring to the `drawing in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts Ythroughout the several views, the letter s' generally indicates the improved stopper, which is particularly useful for association with a large mouthed jug or jar J.

The jar Vor jug J forms no part ofthe present invention -and'can includean insulated wall 5 and a neck -6. -As illustrated, the neck -Bfcan be provided with-an inturned bead y'I-at its pouring lip, butV it is to be understood that the stopper S can be effectively used with jars or jugs having v-a straight neck in lieu of the-inturned bead.

'The ystopper S; includes the 'annular resilient and compressible body 8- preferably formed from rubber or the like andthe outervsurface ofthe Ibody can -be provided with thefannular ribsv 9 in accordance with my priorPatent No. 2,315,538.

lFormed integral'with the` lower end ofthe stopperbody isa iiexiblesealing and `centering wall Il'l4 and this vwall .mais providedwith anaxially disposed opening Il for a purpose which will later appear. If desired, .the wall I0 can be thickened for reinforcement, as the same approaches the Vopening II. It is to be also noted that the annular body Ill adjacent to its ylower end is gradually-thickened toward the VYbottom wall I0, as at I2, the purpose of the thickened portion I2 will also later appear.

In conjunction with the annular body B, Iem- -compression and supporting plates I3 and I4. The plates are `preferably but not necessarily formed Yfrom stainless steel,

' and these plates are of a 4special tor-In as will be described. Secured to the axial center of the lower plate III, is the threaded stem or shank I5, and the stem has threaded thereon the sleeve nut I6. The upper plate I3 is provided with an axially disposed opening which slidably receives the sleeve nut I6. The shank I5 can be rigidly connected to the lower plate I4, in any desired way, but as shown, in Figures 1 and 2, the shank is preferably flanged over the top and bottom faces of the plate I4, as at I'I, to form a rigid structure and to prevent the leakage of material between the shank I5 and the plate I4. The shank is also provided with an annular seat I8.

Connected -to the upper end of the sleeve nut I6, by means of a pivot pin I9, is the operating cam 29 and the cam is adapted to engage the upper face of the top plate I3. If desired, a. wear washer 2| can be placed between the cam 20 and the plate I3 and the plate I3 can be centrally depressed as at 22, to receive the washer. An annular upstruck bead 22 surrounds the depressed portion 22 and forms a stop for the downward movement of the cam 20 and determines the setting of the locked position of the cam.

As in my previous patents, the cam 20 can be initially used for turning the sleeve nut l to bring the plates I3 and I4 toward and away from one another for adjusting the body 8 to an approximate desired diameter and after such initial adjustment, the cam 20 can be swung to its lowered position, as shown in Figure 2, for longitudinally compressing the body 8 to expand the same into the desired sealing Contact with the interior wall of the neck 6.

'Now referring to the top plate I3. the same is provided with an annular channel 23. adjacent to but spaced from. its periphery, which forms a seat for the upper end of the annular body 3. Particular attention is called to the fact that the upper wall 24 of the channel inclines upwardly and outwardly toward the periphery of the plate I3 and the purpose of this will also later appear. The channel 23 is above the plane of the main portion of the plate, and hence the upper edge of the body 8 is above the plane of the major portion of the plate.

The lower plate I4 is provided with an upwardly pressed annular channel 25 and the edge of this channel inclines downwardly and outwardly to provide an inclined supporting lip 28, on which a portion of the lower edge of the body V8 rests when the body is compressed.

In operation of the stopper, the cam lever 20 is swung to a vertical position, as shown in Figure 1, after which the stopper is bodily inserted within the neck 6 of the jar or jug J. By turning the cam lever 20, as heretofore stated, the body 8 can be initially compressed and after which the cam lever can be swung down to the operative position as shown in Figure 2, and the body 8 will then be compressed to its greatest extent and into intimate contact with the neck 16. It is "o highly desirable that in the longitudinal compression of the body 8, that the body intimately.

contact the neck and seal the same at the upper end thereof. As the body 8 is thickened at its lower end, as initially above this thickened portion, and due to the inclined wall 24 of plate I3 and the inclined lip 2B of plate I4, the body will tilt to a limited extent on the plates so as yto permit the proper outward iiexing of the body 8. This forms an exceptionally eincient structure and the desired seal is obtained.

at I2, the body will tend to bow The opening II in the flexible wall l0 snugly receives the seat I8 of the shank I5 and this opening I I can be of a slightly less diameter than the seat, if desired, so that a sealing engagement will be had between the wall of the opening I I and the seat I8. This ei-ectively prevents the entrance of foreign matter into the interior of the body 8 through the bottom of the stopper. The wall I0 and the opening II is highly desirable, in that the same provide an accurate centering means for .the body 8, the shank I5 and the plate I 4. Obviously, the nut sleeve I 6 correctly centers the top plate I 3.

Changes in details may be mad-e without departing from the spirit or the scope of this invention, but what is claimed as new is:

A stopper comprising an annular compressible body, a bottom supporting and compressing plate, a top compression plate, adjusting means con-- necting the plates including an axially disposed shank on said bottom plate having an annular seat adjacent Ito said plate, said bottom plate having an upstruck annular bead terminating in an outwardly and downwardly inclined lip receiving the lower edge of the body and said upper plate having an annular channel receiving the upper end of the body, said channel being provided with an outwardly and upwardly inclined top wall for engaging the extreme upper edge of the body, said lip and said inclined wall forming guides for the outward flexing of the body upon the adjustment of the plates toward one another, and said body being interiorly thickened toward its lower end directly above the bead and its lip, said thickened portion terminating short of the central horizontal axis of the body, and a flexible bottom wall on said body having an axial opening snugly engaging said seat, whereby, upon the adjustment of the plates toward one another, the body will bow initially above said thickened portion and will tilt to a limited extent on the inclined lip and top wall of the respective plates.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS v Number