US3112857A

US3112857A - Device for detachably closing the open tops of plastic or like bags

Info

Publication number: US3112857A
Application number: US130504A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert E Kolb
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-08-10
Filing date: 1961-08-10
Publication date: 1963-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 1980-12-03

Description

' R. E. KOLB 1963 DEVICE FOR DETACHABLY CLOSING THE OPEN 3,112,857 TOPS OF PLA 0 OR LIKE BAGS Filed 10. 1961 INV EN TOR. zeaiflfi KOB BY W 1,3

WIT/955 6 1065!! 6, ray/J's- United States Patent 3,112,857 DEVICE FGR DETACHABLY CLOSING THE OPEN TQPS 0F 'PLASTTC 0R LIKE BAGS Robert E. Kolh, 365 Hazelwood St., St. Paul, Minn. Filed Aug. 10, 1961, Ser- No. 130,504 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-62) This invention relates to a means for sealing the open end of bags and like, and more particularly to a bag sealing thimble that may be detachably screwed onto or ofI of the open end portion of the bag.

Much merchandise is now sold in bags and especially plastic bags. In so many instances, such as packaged food, the consumer will only use at a given time a portion of the contents in the bag. This presents a problem of resealing the bag until again some of the contents are needed. Some purchasers attempt to use a rubber band, or a clothespin. Such methods of course are diffioult to apply, produce an untidy appearance and do not successfully hermetically seal the bag.

Therefore, the principal object of this invention is to provide a bag closing member that may be easily screwed onto or off of the open end portion of a bag.

A further object of this invention is to provide a one unit bag closing device that has no moving parts.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a bag closing device that will successfully close a bag without leakage.

Still further objects of my invention are to provide a device for detachably closing the open end of bags that is economical in manufacture, durable in use and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of my device.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an ordinary bag with its open end portion bent back upon itself preparatory to the threading of my device thereon.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the bag and is the next step which consists in compressing or twisting the bag top to be received by my device.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bag with my device screwed thereon, and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the device taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 2, and more fully illustrates its construction.

In these drawings I have used the numeral 10 to designate an ordinary bag such as a plastic bag. The open end portion of this bag is designated by the numeral 11.

My device is in the general shape of a hollow thimble and is generally designated by the numeral 13.

The outer surface of the thimble housing 13 has longitudinal fins 15 to facilitate its manual rotation when it is screwed onto or off of the bag. The numeral 16 designates a flared skirt portion on the lower end of the thimble to facilitate the guiding of the bag into the thimble portion. The inside wall of the thimble portion tapers 3,112,857 Patented Dec. 3, 1963 inwardly as it extends upwardly to the inside top of the thimble, as shown in FIG. 2.

Formed on this inside wall of the thimble portion is an embossed spiral thread 17. The numeral 19 designates a downwardly extending rounded portion on the inside bottom of the cavity of the thimble. This portion 19 is in the form of an inverted dome. The numeral 20 designates an air passageway in the top portion of the device having one end communicating with the inside of the thimble just below the inverted dome 19 and its other end communicating with the outside atmosphere.

To use my device it is merely necessary to bend the open top portion of the bag over, twist or fold it into a wadded condition, and then screw my device onto it as shown in FIG. 5. As the device is screwed downwardly in the bag, the upper open end portion will become more tightly and tightly compressed due to the progressive reduction in the diameter of the inside cylindrical wall of the thimble. Eventually the inverted dome portion 19 will engage and compress the extreme top of the bag. This action, besides the lateral compressing of the bag top portion, will hermetically seal the bag. The air passageway 26 permits the escape of air in the thimble as the bag top moves upwardly in the thimble. To remove my device, it is merely necessary to unscrew it from the bag by manually rotating it in the opposite direction. As the bag top moves from the device the air passageway 20 will permit air to pass into the inside top of the thimble. My device may be made of any suitable material such as plastic, metal, glass, clay, wood or like.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my device for detachably closing the open tops of plastic or like bags without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a device for closing the open end portion of a bag, a closure member having the shape of a thimble having an inside cylindrical wall decreasing in diameter as it extends toward the inside bottom of said thimble portion, said wall having a passageway formed in the bottom thereof for the passage therethroulgh only of air, and a spiral screw thread formed on said inside wall.

2. In a device for closing the open end portion of a bag, a closure member having a frustro-conioal shape with the small end closed and the large end open, said large end being flared, an inverted dome portion tor-med on the inside of said closed end, a spiral screw thread formed on the inside cylindrical wall of said closure member, and said dome portion having a passageway formed therein for the passage therethrough only of air.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,663,463 Benbury et a1. Dec. 22, 1953 2,749,384 Scott June 5, 1956 2,772,323 Smith Nov. 27, 1956 2,951,273 Brenker Sept. 6, .1960

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,158,237 France Jan. 20, 1958

Claims

2. IN A DEVICE FOR CLOSING THE OPEN END PORTION OF A BAG, A CLOSURE MEMBER HAVING A FRUSTRO-CONICAL SHAPE WITH THE SMALL END CLOSED AND THE LARGE END OPEN, SAID LARGE END BEING FLARED, AN INVERTED DOME PORTION FORMED ON THE INSIDE OF SAID CLOSED END, A SPIRAL SCREW THREAD FORMED ON THE INSIDE CYLINDRICAL WALL OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER, AND SAID DOME PORTION HAVING A PASSAGEWAY FORMED THEREIN FOR THE PASSAGE THERETHROUGH ONLY OF AIR.