US2820576A

US2820576A - Flow-controller

Info

Publication number: US2820576A
Application number: US341206A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jay G Livingstone
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-03-09
Filing date: 1953-03-09
Publication date: 1958-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 1975-01-21

Description

Jan,- '21, 1958 .1. a. LIVINGSTONE 2,320,576

FLOW-CONTROLLER Filed March 9, 1953 FIG.| 3 I INVENTOR.V JAY s. L'IVINGSTONE BY g 6.4%

ATTORNEY United. States Patent Q FLOW-CONTROLLER .lay G. Livingstone, Akron, Ohio Application March 9, 1953, Serial No. 341,206

6 Claims. (Cl. 222110) This invention relates to the combination of a stopper or flow-controller with a bottle or other container, and more particularly with a pouring attachment for a bottle or other container.

Whether used with a pouring attachment or directly on a bottle or other container, the flow-controller is movable in the passageway thereof through which liquid is poured. The flow-controller is used to vary the size of an air inlet through which air is taken into the container via said passageway to replace liquid removed from the container. Between the flow-controller and the wall of the passageway is a small channel through which liquid is delivered dropwise when the air inlet is almost closed. The dropwise fiow of liquid may be varied by varying the size of the air inlet. On removal of the flow-controller from the passageway liquid may be delivered through the passageway in a stream of substantial proportions.

The pouring attachment or container is of the type provided with a run-back channel around the passageway. This collects any liquid which drips from the pouring lip at the upper end of the passageway and returns it to the passageway through an opening, which is preferably located at the rear of the passageway opposite the pouring lip.

The flow-controller of this invention is advantageously separable from the pouring attachment or container with which it is used. It will be supplied for use under only special circumstances, as for the dropwise pouring of acids in a chemical laboratory, etc. Without the flowcontroller the pouring attachment or container may be used for pouring medicines, sirups, etc. The removable flow-controller will be used only for reducing the amount of liquid and air which can pass through the passageway so that the liquid is delivered dropwise. One or more lugs may be provided in the throat of the adapter to limit the distance the flow-controller may be pushed into it.

The invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which the flowcontroller is described for use with a pouring attachment.

Fig. 1 is an exploded view in perspective showing the flow-controller removed from the pouring attachment and above it;

Fig. 2 is a section through the pouring attachment with the flow-controller in it, and includes the upper portion of a bottle or other container to which the pouring attachment is affixed and a cap over the attachment but disconnected from the bottle;

Fig. 3 is a section through the line 33 of Fig. 2 omitting the cap;

Fig. 4 is a similar section through an alternative construction;

Fig. 5 is a section through a modified adapter which is provided with lugs which limit the distance a flowcontroller can be pushed down into the adapter;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and

Pig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

The passageway through the pouring attachment is defined by the circular wall 1 in the back of which is the opening 2. The channel 3 surrounds this wall 1. It is high at the front under the pouring lip 5 (Fig. 2) and low at the back where it empties into the passageway "ice through the opening 2 between the back edges of the cylindrical wall 1. Below this opening is the baflle 7 which prevents liquid from splashing or running out of the opening when the bottle 8 is tipped to the pouring position.

The hood 9 of the pouring attachment is provided on its inner surface with a bead 10 engaged in a groove 11 in the neck 32 of the bottle near its top 13. The annular flexible tongue 14 on the underside of the pouring attachment makes a liquid tight seal with the top 13 of the bottle.

The cap 35 is lifted in Fig. 2 so as to permit a clearer showing of the flow-controller and adapter. The threads 16 on the inner surface of the cap are designed to be threaded on the threads 17 on the neck of the bottle. The groove 18 on its inner-surface forms a tight seal with the upper edge 19 of the adapter. It is noted that the outer diameter of the top 13 of the bottle and the hood 9 of the adapter are smaller than the diameter of the threads i7 as well as the root diameter of the threads.

in assembling this cap and adapter on a bottle freshly filled with liquid the flow-controller is put in the adapter, the adapter is inverted and put in the cap in an inverted position. Then the cap is turned over onto the top of the bottle and screwed down tight. This causes the bead it to seat in the groove 11 in the bottle. Thereafter the cap can be unscrewed and replaced repeatedly while the adapter remains attached to the bottle. Adapters and flow-controllers to be used on glass bottles may be made of polyethylene, and the cap may be of rigid plastic. However, the bottle may be of flexible plastic, the runback channel may be a part of the bottle, and the flowcontroller may be of plastic, porcelain or the like.

Flow-controller 20 is provided with a knob 21 at the top which facilitates movement of the flow-controller within the passageway of the pouring attachment, and its removal therefrom. In using the flow-controller the channel 22 is located at the front of the bottle below the lip 5.

The passageway 25 through the adapter is substantially circular in cross section. The wall 1 around it is substantially vertical, although if made of plastic it may taper slightly outwardly at the top to facilitate removal of the core in molding. Thus the flow-controller 20 can easily be removed from the passageway by simply pulling it upwardly. It may be pressed into the passageway to any desired distance above the battle 7, or at least to substantially the bottom of the oening 2. Ordinarily the flow-controller will be of such a diameter that it fits too snugly in the passageway below the bottom of the opening 2 to permit its being pressed easily into the passageway below this opening. At any position in which it partially closes this opening and provides only a small air inlet 26 below it, the flow-controller fits so tightly in the passageway that its position will not be altered Without manual movement thereof.

To provide dropwise delivery of liquid through the channel 22 the flow-controller is pressed into the passageway sufiiciently to almost completely seal off the entrance of air through the air inlet 26. If the inlet 26 is entirely closed, there will be no flow of liquid through channel 22. The rate of delivery of liquid dropwise through the channel will depend upon the extent to which the opening 26 is restricted by the flow-controller. If the flow-controller is down in the passageway so that it permits only a very small amount of air to enter the passageway, the liquid in the bottle will be delivered slowly in drops. If the opening is somewhat larger the drops will be delivered more rapidly. If the flow-controller is entirely removed a large volume of liquid will flow out through the passageway and air will enter the assume bottle above the liquid. If the'liquid backs up against the underside of the'baflle 7 the air will bubble under this baffle and for that reason the baffle is advantageously made with a snbstantiallyst'raight front edge which will be substantially horizontal when the bottle is tipped for pouring. a

In using the flow-controller shown in Figs. l-.-3 the channel 22 must be placed forward. It need not be exactly in the center of the front of the bottle but should be near enough the front so that the liquid flowing dropwise through it will flow rather directly to the lip 5. The device will be inoperative if the flow-controller is turned so that the channel 22 coincides with the opening 2. The device is operative when the channel is at intermediate points, but will perform most efficiently if the flowcontroller is placed with the channel 22 at or near the centerline of the lip 5.

When the. bottle is'tipped for pouring, with the flowcontroller at the position indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, the liquid flows. only dropwise. from the channel 22 and its rate is; controlled by adjusting the height of the flow-controller' in the passageway and thus modifying the height of the air inlet 26.

The design of Figs. 1-3 is: adapted particularly for those instances where the pouring attachment ordinarily will. be used without the flow-controller, and the dropwise delivery of liquid with the flow-controller will be rare.

If the flow-controller is to be used frequently it will be easier to locate the channel in the wall of the passageway rather than in the flow-controller. This is shown in section in Fig. 4. The pouring attachment and flowcontroller here shown are in all respects identical with the pouring attachment and flow-controller of Figs. 13 except. that the channel 23 is located in the inner surface of the wall 1 Qty the passageway rather than in the flowcontroller. It. is located at the front of the pouring attachment. under the lip 5. Locating the channel in the wall of the pouring outlet is a convenience because the flowcontroller then. is uniform on all sides and it is immaterial which portion of the flow-controller is placed forward and which is at the rear. The channel 23 is readily molded in the surface of the wall 1. To provide uniformity to the thickness of the wall, the outside of this channel is in the flow-controller care must be taken to see thatv the channel is forward when liquid is. to be poured dropwise.

Figures -7 show a modification in which lugs 30 are provided in the throat of the adapter which limit the distance the flow-controller can be pushed down in it, and provide a minimum opening 26 for the dropwise delivery of liquid. If the lugs are not all at the same level but on a slant, and the bottom of the flow-controller slants at the same angle, the size. of the opening can be altered by turning the flow-controller in the adapter. By combining such an arrangement with markings on the flowcontroller and adapter to show how the flow-controller should'be positioned to form larger and smaller openings, respectively, further control of the dropwise delivery of liquids. from the bottle is provided.

The pouring, attachment may be aflixedto the container in any desirable manner and the showing in Fig. 2 is merely illustrative. The tongue 1.4 may be omitted. The channel. 3 need not, extend entirely around the wall I, but ordinarily this is desirable. The cylindrical wall 1 need not be open from the top down, as illustrated, but the wall may be continuous around the top and may be provided with an opening only at the location of the low point of the channel so that liquid in the channel will'drain therethrough into the passageway and thence the container but may be applied with a friction fit or in any other desirable manner. 7 The pouring attachment and flow-controller are preferably made of polyethylene, but other plastics, etc. maybe used. p

Thus various modifications in the specific embodiment of the invention are possible and applicant .does not intend that he be bound by the details of the constructions shown in the drawings.

What I claim is: p

1. In the top of a container, a passageway which opens at thebottom into the interior of the container and at the top is open to the outer atmosphere and is adapted for the pouring of liquid from the container therethrough, an opening through the wall of the passageway, and a flowcontroller movable in. the passageway to a position in which it substantially closes the opening, there being a small channel between thefiow-controller and the wall of the passageway located away from the opening and extending throughout the entire effective height of the flowcontroller, and no other opening between the flow-conf troller and the wall of the passageway, whereby when the flow-controller is in said position liquid maybe poured dropwise from the container through the channel between the flow-controller and the wall of the passageway, the flow-controller being movable from said position to a position in which it does not substantially completely close the opening. I

2. Inthe top of the container of claim 1 in which means is provided in the passageway below the flow-controller which limits the downward movement of the flow-controller therein to provide a minimum opening in the, wall opposite the pouring lip.

3-. A pouring attachment for a container with a pouring lip at the top of the front of a wall providing a substantially cylindrical passageway for pouring liquid therethrough, means for attaching the attachment to a container, an opening through said wall opposite the pouring lip, a channel outside the passageway which drains into said opening fromaposition under the pouring lip, and a fiow controller movable in the passageway which in' one positionsubstantially closes the opening, there being a small channelbetween the flow-controller and wall of the passageway below the pouring lip and extending throughout the entire effective height of the flow-controller, and no other opening between the flow-controller and the wall of the passageway when the flow-controller is in said position, whereby liquid is deliverable dropwise from the container through the channel between the flow-controller and the wall of the passageway.

4. The pouring attachment of claim 3 in which the channel between the flow-controller and the wall of the passageway is located entirely in the flow-controller and the flow-controller is removable from the top of the pouring attachment.

5?. The pouring attachment of claim 3 in which the channel between theflow-controller and the wall of the passageway is located entirely in the wall and the flowcontroller is removable from the top of the pouring attachment.

6; The pouring attachment of claim- 3 in which lugs are provided in the cylindrical passageway below the flowcontroller which serve as stops and limit the downward movement of the fiow-controller therein. I

7 References Cited in the file of this patent.

V UNITED STATES PATENTS 185,433 Davis Dec. 19, 1876 4.8.7,,817 Baldwin Dec. 13, 1892 2,167,476 Diefenbach July 25, 1939 2,601,039 Livingstone June 17, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS v 6,401 Great Britain Mar. 11, 1897