US2992574A

US2992574A - Beverage container with integral crown cap remover

Info

Publication number: US2992574A
Application number: US800248A
Authority: US
Inventors: Martinmaas Werner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-03-18
Filing date: 1959-03-18
Publication date: 1961-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 1978-07-18
Also published as: LU38396A1

Description

July 18, 1961 w. MARTINMAAS 2,992,574

BEVERAGE CONTAINER WITH INTEGRAL CROWN CAP REMOVER Filed March 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet :1

W ww g July 18, 1961 w. MARTINMAAS 2, 2,574

BEVERAGE CONTAINER WITH INTEGRAL CROWN CAP REMOVER Filed March 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dtate This invention relates to a beverage container which has a specially constructed neck to receive a novel cam device for removing a crown cap from said container, and to a container which is provided with such a cam device.

Containers such as bottles and cans which are provided with a crown cap are a great source of annoyance on account of the frequency with which a person finds himself in possession of several containers of a beverage, but no opener for removing their crown caps. A person is particularly likely to find himself in this predicament while fishing, hunting or picnicking. The resulting efforts to remove the crown caps from the containers are likely to cause damage to other articles with which removal of the caps is attempted, or serious injury to the mouth or teeth if one is foolish enough to attempt to remove the caps in that manner.

In accordance with the present invention, the neck of a beverage container is provided with an external bulge the top surface of which afiords a substantially planar bearing surface which is spaced a sufiicient distance below the edge of a crown cap on the container to permit a camrning device to be rocked on said bearing surface in a plane which does not pass through the neck of the bottle, in order to cam the cap from. the bottle.

The particular advantage of the foregoing construction for the neck of a container is that it permits the crown cap to be removed by a cam device which is formed in the outer surface of another beverage container. Each container is provided both with a specially constructed neck and with an integral cam lug, so that any bottle may be used to open any other bottle.

Since relative sliding movement between two glass surfaces gradually causes roughening of both surfaces which is unsightly, and may be unsanitary, where the structures are incorporated in a re-usable bottle both the bearing surface on the bottle neck and the cam device on the bottle are protected against such damage. Such protection may take the form of a coating on the bottle surfaces which abut when one bottle is being used to open another, or it may take the form of an arcuate recess in the hearing surface and a complementary arcuate rib on the hearing face of the cam device, to prevent relative sliding movement between the lug and the bearing surface.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred and an alternative embodiment in the accompanying drawings as applied to a re-usable bottle, and in the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elovational view of a bottle constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially as illustarted along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the neck and crown cap of one bottle and of the base and bottle opening means of another bottle, with said means in cap removing position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially as illustrated along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially as illustrated along the line 55 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of an alternative form of the device on an enlarged scale which is a fragmentary, longitudinal central section of a bottle which is being opened, together with a fragmentary transverse section atent of a second bottle which is being used to remove the crown cap from the first bottle;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a bottle provided with the alternative improved neck and cam device construction; and

FIG. 8 is a section taken substantially as illustrated along the line 88 of FIG. 7, with a fragmentary broken line illustration of the other bottle in the position which it occupies when being used to remove a crown cap fiom the first bottle.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and refer ring first to the form of the device illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, inclusive, a bottle B1 has a neck 10 at the upper end of which is a bead 11 to receive a conventional crown cap 12. Below the head 11 is a bulge 13 which is seen to have a recess 14 formed in one side so that the recessed portion of the bulge provides a substantially planar bearing surface 15 which is spaced below head 11 and the lower edge 12a of crown cap 12. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, recess 15 also has a generally upright, arcuate inner face 16 which is outwardly inclined from bottom to top and is wholly inside the arc of the crimps 12b in crown cap 12. Intermediate the ends of bearing surface 15 is an upright interlocking rib 17 the outer surface of which conveniently has the surface conformity of bulge 13. Additionally, bearing surface 15 may be provided with a surface coating 15a to minimize damage to the bearing surface. It is also to be noted that bearing surface '15 inclines downwardly from its inner margin adjacent upright face 16 to its outer edge, for a purpose which will be described in detail hereafter.

Recess 14 in bulge 13 is adapted to receive a cam device which may be rocked upon bearing surface 15 to apply force to the lower edge 12a of crown cap 12 to open the crimps 12b and thus remove the cap from the bottle. Preferably bottle B1 is provided in its base portion 18 with a suitable cam device, indicated generally at 19, so that the cam device on one bottle may be used to remove the cap from another similar bottle.

Cam device 19 is formed in the outer surface of the base portion 18 of bottle B1, and is seen to include a recess 20 at the lower port-ion of which is a circumferentially extending cam lug 21 intermediate the ends of which is an interengaging notch 22 which is complementary to interengaging rib 17 of recess 14. Extending upwardly from cam lug 21 is an arcuate inner face 23 which is seen in FIG. 2 to be inclined outwardly from its bottom, adjacent lug 21, to its top.

As seen in FIG. 3, which shows the cam device 19 of one bottle in cap removing position in recess 14 of another bottle, the lower face 21a of cam lug 21 seats upon bearing surface 15 in bulge 13, and interlocking notch 22 is engaged with interengaging rib 17 to prevent the cam lug from slipping laterally on the bearing surface. In this position it is seen that inclined inner face 23 of recess 20 affords a clearance for the crimps 12b of cap 12, and cap engaging top face 24 of cam lug 21 is immediately beneath the lower edge 12a of crown cap 12. The inclined disposition of bearing surface 15 permits cap engaging top face 24 to engage behind the margins of crimps 12b and remove the cap from the bottle by rocking action of cam lug 21 on bearing surface 15 which spreads the crimps to minimize damage to head 11. Thus, it is seen that bottom surface 21a of cam lug 21 provides a bearing face which is complementary to bearing surface 15, while upper face 24 of cam lug 21 provides a cap engaging face in spaced relationship to said bearing face.

Although recess 20 of cam device 19 is shown in the drawings as occupying only a relatively small portion of the circumference of the bottle, it is obvious that the recess could extend around the entire circumference of the base portion 18, in which event there could be a continuous series of cam lugs 21, and a plurality of spaced interengaging notches 22awhichxwould form a scalloped decorative border around-the'base of the bottle.

Referring now to the alternative form of the device,

illustrated. in FIGS. .6 to 8, it will be seen that the neck structure is only slightly modified from that in the preferred form. A bottle B2 has a neck 110 at the upper end of which is a bead 11 1 to receive a conventional crown cap "12. Below bead 111 is a bulge 113 which has a recess 114 formed in one side so that the recessed portion of bulge 113 provides a substantially planar bearing surface 115 which is spaced below bead 11 1 and the lower edge 12a of crown cap 12. Recess 14 also has a generally upright, arcuate inner face 116 which is seen in FIG. 6 to be outwardly inclined from bottom to top, and said arcuate face is wholly inside the arc of the crimps 12b in crown cap 12. As best seen in FIG. 7, bearing surface 115 has an arcuate interengaging notch 117 and either additionally or alternatively may be provided with a surface coating 115a to minimize damage to the bearing surface. It is also to be noted that bearing surface 115 inclines downwardly from its inner margin adjacent upright face 116 to its outer edge, for a purpose which will be described in detail hereafter.

Formed on the outer surface of the bottle, preferably on the neck immediately below bulge 113, is an integral cam lug, indicated generally at 120. Cam lug 120 has a bearing face 121 which is adapted to seat upon bearing surface 115 of recess 114, a cap engaging face 122 which is parallel to hearing face 121, arcuate ends 123 which are segments of circles, and a concave outer face 124 the radius of curvature of which is at least as great as that of the arcuate upright face 116 of recess 114. Formed on bearing face 121 is an arcuate interengaging rib 125 which is complementary to arcuate interengaging notch 1117 of bearing surface 115; and the width of lug 126) between bearing face 121 and cap engaging face 122 is such. that the lug may be inserted in recess 114 between said bearing face and the lower edge 12a of crown cap 12, with rib 122 positioned in complementary notch 117.

When lug 120 is inserted in recess 114 as above described, cap 12 is removed from bottle B3 by relative rocking movement between the two bottles B2 and B3 in a plane which does not intersect the neck 1 of B2. The inclined disposition of bearing surface 115 permits cap engaging face 122 of cam lug 120 to engage inside the crimps 12b of cap 12, so that it spreads the crimps, and cams the cap over bead 111 without placing any breaking strain on the bead.

The interengagement between rib 122 and notch 117 prevents relative sliding movement between the two bottles which could cause damage to bearing surface 115 or hearing face 121 of lug 121). Preferably, lug 1219 is also provided with a protective coating 1211a which likewise serves to prevent surface damage to the lug, either on hearing face 121 or on cap engaging face 122. As previously pointed out with respect to bearing surface 115- and notch 117, rib 122 on cam lug 120 may be omitted, so that only the protective coating 120a is available to prevent damage to the lug surface.

As illustrated in the drawings, lug 121) has its bearing face 121 and cap engaging face 122 parallel to the center line of a bottle, so that when a bottle B3 is used to remove the cap from a bottle E2 the two bottles are at right angles to each other. It is obvious that lug 120 could equally well be arranged crosswise of the axis of the bottle, in which event the cap removing operation would be performed with the axes of the two bottles parallel.

The relationship of concave outer face 124 of lug 120 to arcuate upright surface 116 of recess 114- is best seen in FIG. 8, from which it is clear that recess 114 could perfectly well be formed with a flat upright surface 116, in which case the wall of neck would be flattened on the inside to avoid a weak spot in the bottle neck. In this event, outer face 124 of cam lug could also be flat rather than concave. Concavity of surface 24 of the cam lug should be suflicient that cap engaging face 22 bears upon a substantial portion of the edge 12a of crown cap 12 when the camming action is applied to it.

Cam lug 120' is illustrated on the bottle neck, although it could be positioned any place on the bottle. However, it must be in such a location that it does not interfere with the handling of the bottle in ordinary bottle. handling or bottle capping equipment.

The foregoing detailed description is given for-clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limita-v tions should be understood therefrom, as some modificatioos will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a beverage container having a body and a neck which terminates in a bead to receive a crown cap, in combination: an external bulge below said bead, said bulge having a generally planar, upwardly facing bearing surface spaced below said bead; and an integral, ex-

ternal cam lug on said container, said cam lug having.

a bearing face complementary to the bearing surface of another identical container, and having a cap engaging face in spaced relationship to said bearing face, whereby said lug may be rocked on the bearing surface of said other container to cam a crown cap from said other container.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the cam lug is interengaging rib and notch means to prevent relative sliding movement between the containers.

5. The device of claim 1 in which the bearing face of the cam lug and the cap engaging face of said lug are connected by short faces which are segments of a circle,-

and the lug is adapted to rock on the bearing surface in a plane which does not intersect the neck of the other container.

6. In a beverage container having a body and a neck which terminates in a bead to receive a crown cap, in combination: an external bulge below said bead, said bulge having a generally planar, upwardly facing bearing surface spaced below said head; and an integral, external cam lug on said container, said cam lug having a bearing face complementary to the bearing surface of another identical container, and having a cap engaging face in spaced relationship to said bearing face, the angular disposition of the bearing surface and of the cap engaging face being such that with the bearing face on the bearing surface of said other container a portion of the cap engaging face is at an acute angle to the top of the other container and inside the maximum circumference of the bead, whereby said lug may be rocked on the bearing surface of said other container to cam a crown cap from said other container by outward and upward pressure on the lower margin of the cap.

7. In a beverage container having a body and a neck which terminates in a head to receive a crown cap, in combination: an external bulge below said bead, said bulge having a generally planar, upwardly facing bearing surface spaced below said bead; and an integral, external cam lug on said container, said lug having a bearing-face complementary to the bearing surface of another identical container, a cap engaging face in spaced relationship to said bearing face, and arcuate ends joining said faces,

whereby said lug may be rocked on the bearing surface of said other container in a plane which does not intersect the neck of the other container, to cam a crown cap from said other container, said bearing surface and said cam lug being provided with means to minimize damage to the container resulting from relative movement between the bearing surface and the cam lug.

8. The device of claim 7 in which the means to minimize damage comprises a surface coating on the bearing surface and a surface coating on the bearing face of the cam lug so that relative sliding movement between the surface and the lug can damage neither.

9. The device of claim 7 in which the means to minimize damage comprises an arcuate notch in the bearing surface and a complementary arcuate rib on the bearing face of the lug, so that when said lug is rocked on the bearing surface of another identical bottle the rib engages the groove to prevent relative sliding movement between said lug and said bearing surface.

10. In a beverage container having a body and a neck which terminates in a bead to receive a crown cap, in combination: an external bulge below said bead, said bulge having a generally planar, upwardly facing bearing surface spaced below said head, and the surface of the container neck between said bearing surface and the bead being an arc of a circle; and an integral, external cam lug on said container, said lug having a bearing face complementary to the bearing surface of another identical container, a cap engaging face spaced from said bearing face, and a concave outer face the radius of curvature of which is no less than that of the surface of the container neck between the bearing surface and the bead, whereby said lug may be rocked on the bearing surface of said other container to cam a crown cap from said other bottle.

11. In a beverage container, means for removing a crown cap from the neck of a crown capped beverage container which has an external bulge providing a generally planar, upwardly facing bearing surface spaced below the edge of the crown cap, said means comprising: an integral external cam lug on said beverage container, said cam lug having a bearing face adapted to bear on the bearing surface of the crown capped container, and a crown cap engaging face in spaced relationship to said bearing face, and said lug being dimensioned to fit in the space between said surface and said crown cap, whereby said lug may be rocked on said bearing surface to cam the crown cap from said container.

12. In a re-usable beverage bottle, means for removing a crown cap from the neck of a crown capped beverage container which has an external bulge providing a generally planar, upwardly facing bearing surface spaced below the edge of the crown cap, said means comprising: an inwardly inclined surface in the bottom portion of the side wall of the bottle, said surface defining the inner face of a recess; and an outwardly projecting cam lug in the lower portion of said recess, said lug having a lower bearing face adapted to bear on the bearing surface of the container, and an upper cap engaging face in spaced relationship to said lower face and said lug being dimensioned to fit in the space between said surface and said crown cap, whereby said lug may be rocked on said bearing surface to cam said crown cap from said container.

13. In a beverage container, means for removing a crown cap from the neck of a crown capped beverage container which has an external bulge providing a generally planar, upwardly facing bearing surface spaced below the edge of the crown cap, said means comprising: an integral external cam lug on said beverage container, said cam lug having a bearing face adapted to bear on the bearing surface of the crown capped container, a crown cap engaging face substantially parallel to said bearing face, and arcuate ends joining said faces, and said lug being dimensioned to fit in the space between said surface and said crown cap, whereby said lug may be rocked on said surface in a plane which does not intersect the neck of said crown capped container to cam the crown cap from said container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,814,638 Schofield July 14, 1931 2,322,843 Deane June 29, 1943 2,340,353 Weaver Feb. 1, 1944 2,547,059 Taylor et a1. Apr. 3, 1951 2,745,301 Greenwald May 15, 1956