US2820575A - Tube curler - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 21, 1958 w; c. F. DIETZ- 7 2,820, 75

TUBE CURLER Filed Sept. 24, 1953 IN V EN TOR.

W/LL/AM CE D/ETZ BY United States atcnt;

TUBE CURLER William C. F. Dietz, Cincinnati, Ohio Application September 24, 1953, Serial No. 382,128

2 Claims. (Cl. 222-99) This invention relates to collapsible tube curlers, and more particularly, to collapsible tube curlers which may beill attached to and detached from collapsible tubes at w An object of this invention is to provide a low cost collapsible tube curler of simple, sturdy construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a collapsible tube curler of the above character which may be placed with a collapsible tube in a paperboard box such as is used in packaging and marketing of tooth paste, shaving cream, and the like without enlargement of the box or damage to the tube.

Another object of this invention is to provide a collapsible tube curler which is fabricated from a rectangular blank of thin sheet metal and in which a finger tab is provided at one end of a hollow, tubular member having a longitudinal slot extending from the open end of the tubular member toward the tab.

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible tube curler of the above character which may be operatively engaged with and disengaged from a collapsible tube at any time without uncurling the tube so that one curler may be used alternately with a plurality of tubes in various stages of collapse and curling.

Other objects and features of this invention will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains, from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan view of a sheet metal blank from which a curler embodying this invention may be fabricated;

Fig. 2 shows the blank of Fig. l bent to form a tubular member having a longitudinal slot;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the tubular member of Fig. 2 with a portion adjacent one end thereof flattened to substantially coincide with an axial plane of the tubular member;

Fig. 4 shows the tubular member of Fig. 3 with a flattened portion thereof folded in half along a line perpendicular to the axis of the hollow member;

Fig. 5 is a view of the device shown in Fig. 4 rotated 90 from the position shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 shows a tube curler such as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, in operative engagement with a collapsible tube; and

Figs. 8 and 9 are end views of the tube and curler shown in Fig. 7.

Collapsible tubes are widely used as containers for paste-like, semi-liquid materials. Cosmetics, lubricants, pigments, laundry starch, abrasive compounds, and the like, are a few of the many commodities so packaged. To economically discharge the contents from such collapsible containers, it is best to progressively collapse them from the closed end thereof toward the discharge orifice. To accomplish this, I provide a curler by means of which the tube is progressively flattened, and about wlrlllicg the flattened portion of the tube is progressively r0 e In the drawing, a preferred form of curler 1 embodying my invention, is illustrated and comprises a one-piece tubular member 5 having a strong, integral tab 2 at one end, the other end thereof being open. A longitudinal slot 3 extends from the open end 4 to the tab 2.

To make a curler as illustrated in the drawing, I cut a blank 15 substantially rectangular in shape, as shown in Fig. 1. Blank 15 may be made of thin sheet metal and I prefer to round the two corners 16 at one end, as illustrated. The blank 15 may be cut from sheet stock or it may be cut from coiled strip stock. I bend blank 15 to form the thin-walled, hollow tube member 5' having a longitudinal slot 3' disposed between edges 19. When blank 15 is bent to form slotted tube member 5', the rounded corners 16 are adjacent each other and slot 3 is thus wider adjacent end 4 of tube 5'. As shown in Fig. 3, l flatten a portion 21 of tubular member 5' adjacent the end 22 thereof. As illustrated in Fig. 3, I prefer that the flattened portion 21 substantially coincides with an axial plane substantially perpendicular to an axial plane passing through slot 3. As illustrated in Fig. 3, I prefer that the edges 19 be in substantial abutment in the flattened portion 21. Flattened portion 21 is then folded along the center line 23 which extends transversely of the axis of the tubular member. The folded portion 21 is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 and designated as a tab 2, the exterior faces of which are unbroken. It may be noted that a smooth, uninterrupted outer face may be obtained on tab 2 by folding flattened portion 21 so that the major face thereof in which edges 19 meet, is disposed within the tab 2.

The device 1 shown in Figs. 4 and 5 when viewed from end 4 thereof appears as illustrated in Fig. 6.

Fig. 7 shows a device 1 as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 in co-operative relation with a portion of a collapsible tube 25 for progressively exhausting and curling of tube 25.

Figs. 8 and 9 are end views of the tube and curler illustrated in Fig. 7. As illustrated most clearly in Fig. 8, the crimped end 26 of the collapsible tube 25 is received within the interior of hollow, tubular portion 5 with the uncrimped portion of the tube 25 immediately adjacent the crimped portion 26, extending outwardly through slot 3. As curler 1 is rotated (in a clockwise direction as illustrated in Fig. 9 for example), tube 25 is collapsed progressively. The collapsed portion thereof is curled about the hollow tubular portion of curler 1. The hollow tubular portion 5 of the curler 1 may be slipped into engagement with the crimped end 26 of an uncurled, collapsible tube, or it may be engaged with the crimped end portion 26 of a. partially curled collapsible tube without uncurling the curled portion of the tube. By reason of the fact that such tubes have a small amount of resilience, they do not bind upon the exterior surface of the cylindrical portion of the curler. The widened or flared portion of the slot 3 adjacent end 4 of the curler facilitates insertion of the curler into operative engagement with a collapsible tube which is uncurled or which has been partially exhausted and curled about a curler which has previously been disengaged therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the disclosed ernbodiment without departing from either the spirit or the scope of the invention.

Therefore, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A device for curling a collapsible tube which comprises a thin-walled hollow tubular member formed from a rectangular sheet metal blank, there being a longitudinal slot therein between the spaced adjacent edges of said formed blank, a portion ofsaid tubular member adjacent one end thereof being flattened, said flattened portion being folded uponitself along a line transversely of the axis of said tubular member to "form a finger grip "with the slot defining edges inside the folded portion, said finger grip portion supporting the slot defining edges against longitudinal displacement relative to-each other, said tubular member being adapted to receive the end seal portion of a-collapsible tube with an adjacent portion projecting outwardly through said longitudinal slot whereby'said tubular member may be rotated to efiect progressive collapsing-of said tube for emptying same While simultaneously curling the emptied portion thereof about said'tubular member. I

2. A collapsible tube curler comprising a thin-Walled hollow tubular'member having spaced-edges bounding a longitudinal slot, a portion of said tubular memberadja- 'cent one endthereof beingcolla'psed into flattened condition with the walls thereof in substantialcoincidence with a dia'metral planeand joined together by longitudinal'fold portions, the collapsed andfla'ttened portion being joined to the t'ubular portion thereof by-an integral-hollow tapering portion, said flattened portion being folded upon 2 2,077,715 Rubens A r..20, 1g37 0 2,633,270 Young Mar.f31,'1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 468,554 Italy Jan. 26, 1952 itself along a line transversely of the axis of said tubular member to form a finger grip tab 'with the slot-bounding edges inside the tab for supporting the slot defining edges against longitudinal shifting relative to each other and the tubular member against distortion, the slot in said tubular portion extending from the open end ofsaid References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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