US2844277A - Single ring element container closure - Google Patents

Description

G. E. WAGNER SINGLE RING ELEMENT CONTAINER CLOSURE July 22, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 4, 1956 ATlORNEY Jply 22, 1958 I G. E. WAGNER SINGLE RING ELEMENT CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed Sept. 4, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill/l FIG.@

INVENTOR. GEORGE- E. WAGNEIL ATTORNEY 2,844,277 SINGLE RING ELEMENT CONTAINER CLOSURE George E. Wagner, Chicago, 111. assignor to The Sherwin- EVfilllams Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of lo v Application September 4,1956, Serial No. 607,645

' 3 Claims. 01. 220*55 This invention relates to an improvement in container closures, wherein .the container is adapted to a use requiring repeated, openings and closings as the contents of the container are consumed.

More particularly, this invention relates to dual element container closures comprising an-inner containerstoppering disk element about the periphery of which depend a plurality of flexiblefingers adapted to engage a peripheral groove of-a correlated container mouth and a ring element adapted to circumscribe and compress said fingers into'a locked position in and about the peripheral groovebelow the container mouth. Dual element containerclosures of .theclass to which this improvement relates are described generally in U. S. Patent 2,045,480, of July 23,1936.

In order to best understand the present invention and its improvement over the prior art, I refer first to the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view,-in section, of a prior art container, in conjunctionwith innerdisk stoppering element b and the improved outer ring element a of this invention.

Figure 2 is a with the closurein place.

Figure 3 is'an enlarged, fragmentary; sectional view along the line 3'3' of Figure 2.

Theabove figures detail a preferred form of the invention. A useful modification is illustrated in the following figures, in;which:

Figure 4 is a fragmentary exploded view, in section, of a prior art container showing inner disk stoppering element e and a further modification of the improved outer ring element d-of this invention.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top .view of the container with the closurein place; a

Figure 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view along the line 6'-6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the figures generally, it will be observed that the container 1 andthe disk stoppering elements b and c afford-no distinction over the prior art. The improvement to whichthis invention is directed lies entirely in the outer ring elementsa and d of the dual element container closures illustrated.

Referring specifically to the preferred form of the invention as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3; container 1 terminates at its top in chime 2 made up of a plurality of thicknesses ofmaterial to provide a ring of considerable strength- One of the metal layers of the chime forms an inwardly and upwardly'drawn skirt 3 of generally funnel-shape which is again inwardly drawn to form a flat annular ledge or stop 4. Stop 4 terminates in peripheral groove5 which is slowly increased in diameter to form the mouth 6 of container 1 which mouth is finally defined by bead 7. Bead 7 may be formed either inwardly or outwardly.

The inner disk elements b and e of the Figures 1 and 4 comprise a disk of domed center section 9 extending outwardly to form a relatively fiat annulus 10 adapted to fragmentary top view of the container United States Patent fit over bead 7 of container reverse'side thereof a soft gasketing material 15 which 1 and containing on the provides a seal between the metal surfaces when the closure is in place. Depending from the outer periphery of flat annulus 10 are a plurality of yieldable fingers 16 whose tips terminate in rolls 17 adapted to engage peripheral groove 5 of container 1 mouth section 0 or f when inner disk b or e is brought home over the container mouth.

The improvement to which this invention is directed is in the ring element a and d which are adapted to circumscribe yieldable fingers 16 and to compress rolled tips 17 thereof into locking engagement in and about peripheral groove 5 of the correlative container top section c or f.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a ring element adapted to divide the downward stress placed upon containers of the class described so that a part of the pressure is initially absorbed by the inwardly drawn skirt 3 and the principal part of any excess of 1 pressure is absorbed by chime 20f the container and its body Wall. v

In the preferred form of the. invention, secondary forces applied to the chime of the container tend to expand and increase the circumference of the chime. In the second modification, secondary forces are applied directly downward on the chime of the container.

As the modifications of the ring element of a dual closure herein described'require less metal in their con i struction, they-are-somewhat more economical than the Dual Ring Closure of James W. Dimmock described in U.- S. Serial No. 607,644 application filed of even date and co-pending herewith, whose objectives are similar.

Referring now to the ring element a as illustrated particularly in Figure 3, the improved single ring a is ob- ".served to originatein annular lip 20 of less diameter than the inner container-stopperingdisk element b. Lip 20 is adapted to .overlapthe outer periphery of disk 12 defined by fingers 16. Ayertical annular wall 21 extends downwardly from lip 20 to a point 22 approxilmately midway between-lip, 20 and flat stop 4 of the correlated. container 1 which distance is sufficient to engage and compress depending fingers 16 at a-joint 25 of disk b. Thereafter alternate sections 26 of said wall. are extended outwardlyf and downwardly to form a p flanged skirt 27 terminating in annular rolled bead 30.

In position on the correlated'container 1,'said head 30 is concentric with and spaced apart from the container chime a suflicient distance (about 2" is sufficient) to allow insertion of a prying tool. In the modification of the invention shown in Figure 3, terminal bead 30 is concentric with and of slightly smaller diameter than the correlated container. chime 2. Alternating with the flanged skirt sections 26 of ring a are a plurality of indented L-shaped sections 32 wherein vertical wall 33 of said L-section is a continuation of vertical annular I wall 21 of ring a and the horizontal base 34 of said L-section is adapted to rest upon annular stop or ledge 4 of container 1 below peripheral groove 5 of container mouth 0.

When the container closure is in closed position as shown in Figure 3 and loadingis applied downwardly upon lip 20 of ring a, initial deflection or displacement occurs in skirt section 3 of correlated container 1. There? after additional downward pressure forces terminal bead 30 outwardly against the interior periphery of container chime 2. border for further movement to occur, chime 2 must be expanded in diameter, or bending must occur in skirt 27 immediately adjacent bead 30 in which sections 26 and 32 terminate at their outer periphery.

In the ring modification shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 the elements thereof are essentially the same as have been.

. Patented-July 22,1958- described in the first modification. The essential differences reside in a lesser angle between vertical annular wall 21 of ring d and skirt 27 and a slightly larger diameter of terminal annular bead 30 of ring d. Terminal head 30 of ring d is adapted'in dimension to be both concentric with, and of the same diameter as, chime 2 of correlative container 1.

In this modification, upon application of downward pressure upon bead 20, initial deflection as before, occurs in skirt section 3 of mouth f. Thereafter downward pressure is transferred from terminal bead 30 directly to the top of chime 2 of container 1.

In either case, the single ring herein described has considerable advantage over the prior art single ring as described in U. S. 2,045,480;

One advantage resides in its greater adaptability to automatic capping procedures, as described in U. S. 2,7 34,- 673, wherein the extra diameter of the base flange of rings a and d terminating in annular bead 30 overcomes mechanical handling problems, and a second advantage resides in the extra strength afiorded the package against permanent deformation of mouth sections and f upon stacking of cartons of containers, one upon another, as in palleting of material for storage and shipment.

Minor modifications may be made in shape and general design to accommodate the herein described ring to manufacture from a variety of materials, other than sheet metal, without departing from the spirit of the invention as herein described and claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a container and dual closure combination comprising a generally cylindrical container having a mouth interiorly of and conjoined with said container wall forming an upper chime, said mouth extending inwardly and upwardly from said chime in a generally frustro-conical form terminating in an annular bead defining the lip of said container mouth, spaced below said lip an inwardly disposed annular groove defining a horizontal stop in said conical wall; and said dual closure comprising an inner container-stoppering disk element about the periphery of which depend a plurality of flexible fingers, the tips of which are adapted to be distended outwardly over the top portion of said conical mouth to engage said annular groove, and a ring element adapted to circumscribe and compress said fingers into locked position in and about said container groove; the improvement in the ring element which comprises a single ring element originating in an annular head of less diameter than and extending inwardly over the top of the inner disk element, depending from the outer periphery of said annular bead a vertical annular wall extending downwardly a distance sulficient to encompass and compress against the depending fingers of said disk and'thereafter expanding outwardly and downwardly to form a flanged skirt terminating in an annular bead concentric with said container chime, said bead adapted in dimension to contact with said chime when said container mouth is under compression, and spaced about the periphery of said skirt a plurality of indented L-shaped sections, the vertical wall of said L being a continuation of the vertical depending annular wall of said ring and the horizontal base of said L adapted to rest upon the lower horizontal terminus of said stop and peripheral groove in said container mouth.

2. In a container and dual closure combination comprising a generally cylindrical container having .a mouth interiorly of and conjoined with said container wall forming an upper chime, said mouth extending inwardly and upwardly from said chime to form a tapered throat terminating in an annular bead defining the lip of said con- 4 tainer mouth, spaced below said lip an inwardly disposed annular groove defining a horizontal stop in said tapered throat, and said dual closure comprising an inner container-stoppering disk element about the periphery of which depend a plurality of flexible fingers, the tips of which are adapted to be distended outwardly over the top portion of said tapered throat to engage said annular groove, and a ring element adapted to circumscribe and compress said fingers into locked position in and about said container groove; the improvement in the ring element which comprises a single ring element originating in an annular head of less diameter than and extending inwardly over the inner disk element; depending from the outer periphery of said annular bead a vertical annular wall extending downwardly a distance suflicient to encompass and compress against the depending fingers of said disk and thereafter expanding outwardly and downwardly to form a flanged skirt, said skirt in turn terminating in an annular bead of slightly smaller diameter than the correlated container chime, said head adapted to rest upwardly apart from but concentric with said upper container chime; and equidistantly spaced about the periphery of said skirt a plurality of indented L-shaped sections, the vertical wall of each of said Ls being a continuation of the vertical annular wall of said ring and the horizontal base of said L adapted to rest upon the lower horizontal terminus of said stop of said container and below the peripheral groove in said container mouth.

3. In a container and dual closure combination comprising a generally cylindrical container having a generally conical mouth interiorly ofand conjoined with said container wall forming an upper chime, said mouth extending inwardly and upwardly from said chime to form a tapered throat terminating in an annular bead defining the mouth of said container top, spaced below said opening an inwardly disposed annular groove defining a horizontal stop in said tapered throat, and said dual closure comprising an inner container-stoppering disk, element about the periphery ofwhich depend a plurality of flexible fingers, the tips of which are adapted to be distended outwardly over the top portion of said tapered throat to engage said annular groove, and a ring element adapted to circumscribe and compress said fingers into locked position in and about said container groove; the improvement in the ring element which comprises a single ring element originating in an annular head of less diameter than the inner disk element and extending downwardly a distance suflicient to encompass and compress against the depending fingers of said disk and thereafter expanding downwardly and outwardly to form a flanged skirt, said skirt in turn terminating in an annular bead concentric with, of substantially the same diameter as, but spaced above, said container chime and adapted to contact with said chime under compressive loads on said container mouth; and equidistantly spaced about the periphery of said skirt a plurality of indented L-shaped sections, the vertical wall of said L being a continuation of the vertical depending annular wall of said ring and the horizontal base of said L adapted to rest upon the lower horizontal terminus of said stop below the peripheral groove in the container mouth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,386,742 Taliaferro Augv 9, 1921 2,748,976 Magnesen June 5, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 817,255 Germany Oct. 15, 1951

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