US3042272A

US3042272A - Container with dispensing opening and a spout reversibly connectable to said opening

Info

Publication number: US3042272A
Application number: US822477A
Authority: US
Inventors: John W Anderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-06-24
Filing date: 1959-06-24
Publication date: 1962-07-03
Anticipated expiration: 1979-07-03

Description

y 3, 1962 J. w. ANDERSON 3,042,272

I CONTAINER WITH DISPENSING OPENING AND A SPOUT REVERSIBLY CONNECTABLE T0 SAID OPENING Original Filed June 19, 1957 INVENTORf JOHN W ANDERSON ATTORNEY United States Patent CONTAINER WITH DISPENSING OPENING AND A SPOUT REVERSIBLY CONNECTABLE T0 SAID OPENING John W. Anderson, 578 Broadway, Gary, Ind.

Continuation of application Ser. No. 666,691, June 19,

1957. This application June 24, 1959, Ser. No. 822,477

3 Claims. (Cl. 222-539) This invention relates to dispensers, and more particularly relates to sealing and storing a reversible dispensing spout in and on a container.

This application is a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 666,691 filed June 19, 1957, and now abandoned.

One of the current trends in the design and construction of containers for storing and dispensing materials, such as powdered or granulated soaps and the like, is to use a spout in the container outlet which will direct the material in the appointed direction. In an effort to conserve space during storage of the container and still facilitate quick and easy conditioning of the container for dispensing use, many different retractable, collapsible and removable pouring spouts have been designed and patented. One such device is shown in my copending US. application, Serial No. 632,684, filed January 7, 1957, and now abandoned, wherein -a removable spout is positioned within the container during storage and shipment and is removed and reversed when ready for use. The present invention constitutes an important and significant development in the art of efficiently sealing a container and spout during storage and shipment, including the feature of using the sealing means to withdraw the spout from the container prior to attachment for dispensing purposes.

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved sealing device for a dispensing container that will prevent both the egress of materials from the container and the ingress of moisture into the container.

It is a further important object of this invention to provide an improved container having a sealing device applied by the manufacturer or packer for initially sealing the container and adapted to be torn from the container to remove the spout-from the stored condition.

It is another object of this invention to provide a reversible spout for a container that may be stored within the container in such a way that several containers can be easily stacked during storage and shipment.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a sealing device for a container that serves as a lifting tab-for the stored spout of the container.

And a still further object of this invention is to provide a sealing device for a container that can be applied and removed in an expeditious manner, is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and apply, and extremely efficient in operation, use and service.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds, and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing, but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications make no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a dispensing con- 3,042,272 Patented July 3, 1962 tainer with the sealing device, made according to my invention, in position for storage and shipment;

FIGURE 2 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 with the sealing device and spout disposed in the container;

FIGURE 3 is a partial perspective view of the top of the container of FIGURE 1 with the sealing device partially removed;

FIGURE 4 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a partial perspective view of FIGURE 1 with the sealing device removed and the spout partially removed from the container;

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a partial perspective view of my invention with the sealing device removed from the spout and the spout in position to be attached to the container.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which similar reference characters identify similar parts in the several views, the numeral 10 indicates a container having a top or end wall 12 formed of thin, relatively stiff sheet material, such as sheet metal, plastic or the like. The wall 12 has an upwardly projecting head 14 formed around the peripheral edge portion thereof which is adapted to be engaged with and to be secured to the upper edge of the container side wall 16. The height of the bead 14 provides a means for establishing a space between the plane of the top surface of the wall 12 and a plane lying tangent to the upper edge of the bead 14.

A spout 17 is adapted to be affixed to the'wall 12 and tor this purpose the wall 12 is formed with a recessed or depressed portion 18 which in the illustrated form is circular in shape and is located substantially centrally of said top wall 12. The recessed portion 13 has a circular aperture 20 passing through the central portion thereof which is adapted to permit the egress of powdered or granulated material such as a soap product from the inner confines of the container. Cut from this recessed portion 18 are a plurality of equally spaced radially directed notches 24 which extend from the aperture 20 to a region located generally at the base of the wall 26 forming the side of the recessed portion 18. Between each pair of notches 24 is a segment 28 of the recessed portion 18 which segment has a downwardly struck stop member 30 formed substantially midway between the adjoining notches 24.

Removable spout 17 is composed of a body portion 38 shaped like the frustrurn of a right circular cone and has a flange portion 40 extending radially outwardly from the large end portion of said body 38. The flange portion 40 has a plurality of equally spaced radially outwardly directed tongue-like elements 42 struck therefrom. Each tongue-like element 42 has its radial edge portion 44 offset downwardly from the normal plane of the flange portion such that the tongue-like elements 42 are formed to have an arc shape in cross section.

To assembly the spout 17 onto the container 10 in a position ready for use, the tongue-like elements 42 are aligned with and dropped through the notches 24 whereupon turning of the spout relative to the container in either a clockwise or counterclockwise manner will cam the elements 42 under the segments 28 of the recessed portion 18 until they engage the stops 30, whereby the spout will be assembled on the container.

The distance between the plane of the top surface of the wall 12 and the plane of the recessed portion 18 is substantially equal to the distance between the plane of the lower surface of the flanged skirt portion 40 and the plane passing through the extended edge portions 44 of the tongue-like elements 42 so that when the spout is placed in the inverted position with the flange 40 overlying the recessed portion 28, the edges 44 of the spout will lie substantially in the plane of the top surface of the top 12.

To seal the spout and the container for shipment purposes, a flexible sealing tab 46 is attached to the top surface of the top 12 within the confines of the bead 14. The specific sealing tab 46 contemplated by this invention is to be substantially circular in shape and of a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the top 12, although it is considered to be within the scope of this invention to have any size or shape sealing tab that is capable of accomplishing the function of sealing the container and assisting in the removal of the spout from stored position. The sealing tab 46 may have any type of adhesive carried by the contacting surface thereof such that engagement of the sealing tab 46 with the top of the container will securely fasten the tab 46 to the container. It is preferred that the adhesive on the tab 46 be of the permanently adhesive pressure type such as is generally used on so called masking tape, whereupon no heat, chemicals, moisture or excessive pressure is required to attach the tab to the container and no residue of the adhesive will remain on the top 12 after the sealing tab 46 has been removed.

With the body portion 38 of the spout 17 inverted into the container through the opening 20 and with the flange positioned on the recessed portion 18, a sealing tab 46 can be spread over the top 12 of the container to seal the spout 17 inside the container, as best shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. The adhesive on the tab 38 will grip the top 12 to hold the tab on the container and will likewise grip the underside of the tongue-like elements 42 to, among other things, hold the spout 17 in stored position in the container. 7 The tab 46 also serves as a very effective seal for not only preventing loss of the contents of the container but also in preventing moisture from entering or leaving the container so that the contents will not become soggy in one instance and dried out in the other instance. The containers can be stacked one on top of the other without any interference from the dispensing spout and without any leaking or spilling of the contents of the container. Appropriate advertising material, as well as instructions for removing the spout and operating the dispensing container, can be printed upon the exposed surface of the tab 46 in an obvious manner.

To place the dispensing container in operating condition, it is necessary to lift the tab 46 with one hand along one edge portion, such as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, whereupon further lifting eflort relative to the container will lift the tab 46 from the top 12 of the container and remove the spout 17 from its stored position, such as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. Grasping the body 38 of the spout 17 with the other hand and pulling relative to the tab 46 will remove the spout 17 therefrom, whereupon it will be an easy step to assemble the spout on the container as shown in FIGURE 7 and as covered by my copending application Serial No. 632,684, filed January 7, 1957, and now abandoned. The tab 46 can then be discarded.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation, as well as the advantages of the present invention, will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. It will be apparent that the invention may be conveniently and economically manufactured and assembled, and is highly efllcient in use.

I claim:

1. A dispensing container for powder, granular material and the like, said container having at least one generally flat wall of sheet material, said wall being formed with a shallow depression having a flat bottom, said bottom being provided with a circular aperture, the edge portion defining said aperture being provided with a plurality of radially extending notches providing arcuate segmental ledges therebetween for supporting the base of a spout,

the central portion of each of said ledges being struck downwardly to provide stops, a spout having a flange at the base end thereof, and a plurality of lugs struck from said flange in spaced relation matching the notches in said bottom, the end portions of said lugs being bent to lie in a plane beyond and parallel to that defined by said flange and spaced from said flange a distance equal to the thickness of said wall, the discharge end of said spout extending through said aperture into the contents of the container with its flange resting upon said segmental ledges, and a tab of flexible material having on one face a pressure- Sensitive, permanently adhesive coating, said tab overlying said depression and part of said wall and being stuck to said wall and said lugs of said spout, and being peelable from said parts for removal and reversal of said spout. with its lugs engageable under the end portions of said ledges for retaining the flange of the spout against said ledges.

2. A dispensing container having at least one flat wall portion, said flat Wall portion being formed with a depressed portion having a flat bottom defining a recess, said fiat bottom being formed with an aperture, the edge of said aperture being formed with spaced notches defining a plurality of fastener portions, a spout formed with a flange at its base and having tongue elements spaced axially from and substantially parallel with the flange defining a space therebetween, said spout extending through said aperture into said container with its flange resting upon said fastener portions whereupon said tongue elements lie substantially flush with the one flat Wall portion, and a sealing tab of flexible material coated on one side with a pressure-sensitive adhesive stuck to the tongue elements and stuck to the Wall surrounding the depression and sealing the recess whereby removal of the sealing tab from the wall withdraws the spout, said spout being reversible wherein said tongues are insertable through the notches for cooperatively engaging the fastener portions of said bottom for securing the spout to said flat bottom wall with its discharge end projecting from the container for discharge of material from said container through said spout.

3. A dispensing container having at least one flat wall portion, said flat wall portion being formed with a depressed portion forming a recess having a flat bottom, said flat bottom being formed With an aperture, said aperture having an edge portion formed with spaced notches defining a plurality of fastener portions, a spout having a base formed with a flange, said base having tongue means axially spaced from and substantially parallel with the flange defining a space therebetween, said spout removably disposed through the aperture and extending inwardly into the container with the flange resting on the fastener portions, a tab element having an adhesive surface sealed to the wall surrounding the depressed portion and sealing the recess and having a portion sealed to the basewhereby removal of the tab from the wall Withdraws the spout, said spout being reversible wherein the notches carried by the edge portion permit entry of the tongues and are arranged to permit turning of the spout with relation to the container to effect relative interlocking therebetween with the spout outwardly extending.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 383,840 Vogel May 29, 1888 898,821 Beatty Sept. 15, 1908 970,318 French Sept. 13, 1910 1,073,391 Booth Sept. 16, 1913 1,600,350 Mensik Sept. 21, 1928 1,859,008 Stamer May 17, 1932 2,065,603 Miller Dec. 29, 1936 2,545,178 Vaughn Mar. 13, 1951 2,776,787 Nicol Ian. 8, 1957 2,894,666 Campbell July 14, 1959