US3155261A

US3155261A - Closure cap and method of making same

Info

Publication number: US3155261A
Application number: US315805A
Authority: US
Inventors: Daniel D Acton; Alexander W Hart
Original assignee: Anchor Hocking Glass Corp
Current assignee: Anchor Hocking Glass Corp
Priority date: 1963-10-14
Filing date: 1963-10-14
Publication date: 1964-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 1981-11-03
Also published as: DE1452548A1; LU47130A1; GB1064208A; NL6411726A; BE654260A

Description

1964 b". D. AcTdN ETAL 3,155,261

CLOSURE CAP AND ME2'Il-IOD OF MAKING SAME Filed 001;. 14, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet I Nov. 3, 1964 p.1 ACTON ET 3,155,261

CLOSURE CAP AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Oct. 14, 1963 2 $h66t$-$h96t 2 Wmmm rray/v67 United States Patent 3,155,261 CLGSURE CAP AND METHGDQF MATGNG SAME Daniel D. Acton and Alexander W. Hart, Lancaster, Ghio,

assignors to Anchor Hashing Glass Corporation, Lancaster, (lhio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 14, 1%3, Ser. No. 315,805 7 Claims. (Cl. 215-38) The present invention relates to the sealing art and more particularly to ,an improved closure cap and an improved method of making a closure cap.

Closure caps are usually formed by stamping a cupshaped shell out of a sheet of metal and thereafter passing the shell through a series of shaping tools to form the finished closure cap. In order to form all the structural features of a finished closure cap it has been found that a large amount of metal is used.

The present invention has for one of its objects the provision of an improved method of making a closure cap in which the amount of material used to form the closure cap is reduced substantially.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved closure cap.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved press-on closure cap.

Another object .of the present invention is the provision of an improved non-circular closure cap.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view partly in section showing a closure cap made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a blank from which the closure cap is formed;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the blank of FIG. 2 formed intoa cup-shaped shell;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the step of coaxing the skirt of the cup-shaped shell inwardly;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a further step in the formation of the closure cap;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the finished closure cap taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 1 and showing the position of the closure cap when applied to a container;

MG. 10 is a perspective view of a non-circular closure cap which may be made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a blank from which the closure cap is made;

FIG. 13 is aperspective View showing a shell made from the blank of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of the shellshown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along line 1515 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view show ng the initial step of coaxing the edge of the skirt portion inwardly;

3,155,261 Patented Nov. 3, 19 64 FIG. 17 is a sectional view showing another step in the formation of the closure cap;

FIG. 18 is a'bottom plan view of the completed closure;

FIG. 19 is a sectional view taken along line =19l9 of FIG. 18; and

FIG. 20 is a sectional view taken along line 2ll20 of FIG. 18.

For simplicity the invention will be described in connection with a so-called press-on type closure cap, Le. a closure cap that is applied to a container by pressing down on it Without applying a torque. However, it will be understood that the present invention may also be used in connection with other types of caps, such as twistcaps, etc.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to the emhodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, the closure cap 1 of the present invention comprises a cover portion 2 and a skirt portion 3. A depressed annular head 4 is provided in the cover portion to form a gasket receiving channel 5 between the bead 4 and the skirt portion 3. The gasket-receiving channel 5 is adapted to receive a sealing gasket 6 therein which, in the embodiment shown in the drawing, is a so-called flowed-in type of gasket, i.e., a gasket which is formed by flowing a material in a plastic state into the channel 5 and which then sets to form the finished gasket 6. However, it will be understood that other types of sealing elements, such as cut gaskets or pulp type sealing liners, may also be used, if desired and it will be further understood that the present invention may also be used in connection with a closure cap which does not have a gasket-receiving channel.

The skirt portion 3 has its lower edge rolled inwardly to form a bead 7. The head 7'is provided with a plurality of spaced holding lugs 8 which extend inwardly and upwardly from the head '7. Each lug 8 has an upwardly extending inner wall 9 spaced from the skirt portion'3 and an upper curved holding portion 10 extending inwardly toward the inner surface of the skirt portion 3 and downwardly toward the lower edge of the head.

The closure cap 1 is adapted to be snapped on to a container 20. In the embodiment shown in the drawings the container 22'} has an upper rim 21 which cooperates with the sealing gasket 6 of the closure cap 1 to form an hermetic seal. The container 29 is also provided with an outwardly extending holding head 22 adapted to cooperate with the curved holding portion 19 of the holding lugs 8 of the closure cap 1 to hold the closure cap 1 in place.

In operation, the closure cap 1 is pressed down over the container 2% until the holding portion ltlsnaps under the holding head 22 and the sealing gasket 6 presses on the rim 2i. While for convenience, the present invention is being described with particular reference to a container with a holding head 22 as shown in the drawing, it will be understood that the structure of the container may be changed, if desired.

The closure cap 1 is formed from a blank 12 which is shown in FIG. 2. The blank 12 has a polygonal shape having a plurality of side edges 13 connecting apexes 14 together. In the embodiment of the invention shown in drawings the blank 12 is hexagonal, however, it will be understood that other configurations may be used.

The blank 12 is preferably stamped from a sheet of metal (not shown), however, it will be understood that the blank 12 may be formed in any desired manner.

The blank 12 is first formed into a cup-shaped shell 15 (FIGS. 3 .and 4) with cover portion 2, depressed bead 4 and skirt portion 3. It will be noted that when the blank 12 is drawn to form the shell 15 the edges 13 assume a curved configuration and the apexes 14 extend 3 below the edges 13 to give the skirt generally undulating appearance.

The apexes M- are next coaxed inwardly as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The whole skirt 3 is then curled inwardly and upwardly at a point above the edges 13, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, to form the lugs 8. With this curling operation the edges 13 are rolled inwardly to form the bead '7 and the apexes 14 are moved to the position as shown in FIG. 9, to form the upper portion ll of the lug 9.

It will thus be seen that by using the apexes 14 of the blank 12 to form the lugs 8, the closure cap is formed with a minimum of material and with fewer steps than heretofore possible.

It will also be seen that by using a hexagonal blank 12 a closure cap with six holding lugs 8 is formed, since each apex 1d becomes a lu Thus, if a closure cap with a different number of lugs is desired, a blank of different geometrical configuration may be used. Hence, a triangular blank would be used to form a three lug cap, a rectangular blank would be used to form a four lug cap, etc.

Furthermore, the flattened-out length of each lug is greater than the flattened-out length of the skirt and the head.

It will also be seen what while the construction of the lugs 8 is shown in the drawing as particularly adapted for a press-on cap, the present invention can also be used to make closure caps with other types or" lugs.

FIGS. to show another embodiment of the present invention in which a non-circular cap 3t) is formed. The cap 3i is shown as having a rectangular configuration and is provided with a cover portion 3 having shoulders Ell adapted to form a gasket-receiving channel 51 and a skirt portion 32 depending from the cover portion 31. Since closure cap 34] is rectangular the cover portion 31 is rectangular and the skirt portion 32 is formed in

sections

33 and 34 at right angles to each other and jo ned to each other at corners 35.

The lower edge of the skirt portion 32 is rolled inward 1y to form a head 36. Holding lugs 37 and extend inwardly from the bead 36 in spaced relation to each other, The lugs 37 are integral with and extend from skirt section 33 and lugs 38 are integral with and extend from skirt section 34 The

lugs

37 and 33 are similar in construction to the lugs 8 shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 9.

Lugs

37 and 38 have a wall portion 39 and 49 respectively, extending upwardly and spacedfrom the skirt sections of the shell 15 a 33 and 34, respectively, and upper curved portion ll and 42 extending inwardly toward

skirt portions

33 and 34, respectively.

The cap is formed from an oval blank 44 shown in FIG. 12. The oval blank 44 has arcs 45 in the direction of its major axis and arcs 46 in the direction of its minor axis. The blank is drawn along chords 47 and i8, opposite arcs i5 and 4e, respectively, into a rectangularly shaped shell d9, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14.

The shell 49 is formed with cover portion 31, gasketreceiving channel 51 and

skirt sections

33 and 34. It will be noted that the arcs and 4-6 of the blank 44 become the, lower edges of the

skirt sections

33 and 34, respectively, when the shell 59 is formed.

Th edges 45 are then coaxed inwardly, as shown in FIG. 16, and the skirt sections 33 and 3d are then curled inwardly and upwardly, as shown in FIG. 17, to form the

lugs

37 and 38, respectively.

A liner 55 may then be inserted into the closure cap or, if desired, a gasket (not shown) may be inserted in a gasket-receiving channel 51.

It will be understood that although closure cap 34 is illustrated in the drawings as having the lugs with a particular configuration, theconfimration of the lugs may be changed without departing from the scope of the invention.

The present invention may also be used to make an oval shaped closure cap from a polygonal blank.

As an example, a blank may be used which diilers from the equilateral hexagonal blank shown in the drawings in that two of its opposite sides are elongated. The extent of elongation of the size of the blank will be determined by the desired shape of the finished oval closure cap. The finished oval cap is then formed in a manner similar to that used in connection with the formation of a round cap, as described above.

it will also be noted that although for convenience, the drawings illustrate the invention by showing a rectangular closure cap 3% formed from an oval blank 44, it is within the purview of the present invention to form other non-circular closure caps from generally circular blanks. Thus a square cap may be formed from a circular blank or polygonal cap may be formed from a circular blank by merely drawing the blank along different chords with the segment of the blank between the chord and the are which it faces being used to form the lug construction.

Here again the flattenedout length of each lug is greater than the flattened-out length of the bead and the skirt.

Hence, it will be seen that the present invention provides an improved method of making a closure cap either circular or non-circular and an improved closure cap made thereby in which no excess material is used.

It will further be seen that the present invention enables a much deeper cap to be formed and gives a choice for location of the lugs because of the absence of material at the edges of the skirt. Furthermore, the absence of such material also increases the flexibility of the skirt portion.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, it is claimed:

1. A closure cap comprising a cover portion and a skirt portion, the edge of the skirt portion being rolled inwardly to form a bead, elongated lugs extending inwardly from said skirt portion and integral with said bead, the lower edge of the bead and of said lugs being on substantially the same plane, the flattened-out length of each lug being greater than the flattened-out length of said skirt portion.

2. A closure cap comprising a cover portion and a skirt portion, lugs extending inwardly from said skirt portion, said lugs comprising an upwardly extending Wall elongated in a substantially vertical direction and spaced inwardly from said skirt portion and a holding portion above said wall, the flattened-out length of each lug being greater than the flattened-out length of the skirt portion.

3. A closure cap comprising a cover portion and a skirt portion, the edge of the skirt portion being rolled into a bead, sealing means in said closure cap, elongated lugs extending inwardly from said skirt and integral with said bead the flattened-out length of each lug being greater than the flattened-out length of the skirt.

4. A non-circular closure cap comprising a cover portion and a skirt portion, the edge of the skirt portion being rolled into a bead, sealing means in said closure cap, elongated lugs extending inwardly from said skirt and integral with said bead, the flattened-out length of each lug being greater than the flattened-out length of the skirt.

5. The method of forming a closure cap which comprises the steps of making a blank having a plurality of apexes and side edges connecting said apexes, drawing areas of said blank adjacent said edges and apexes to form a cup-shaped shell with a skirt having short and long sections, coaxing the edges of said long sections of said skirt inwardly, and thereafter turning said short and LJ long sections inwardly simultaneously to form a bead and holding lugs integral with said head.

6. The method of forming a closure cap which coinprises the steps of making a blank having a plurality of arcs at its edge, drawing said blank along chords facing said arcs to form a shell with a skirt portion having long and short sections, turning said long section of the skirt portion inwardly to form holding lugs and turning the short sections inwardly to form a bead.

7. A closure cap comprising a cover portion and a 19 skirt portion, the edge of the skirt portion being rolled inwardly to form a bead, elongated lugs extending inwardly from said skirt portion and integral with said bead and overlying a substantial portion of the inner surface of 5 the skirt, a liner within said cap and having its edges intermediate said cover portion and said lugs, the lower edge of the bead and of said lugs being on substantially the same plane, and the flattened out length of each lug being greater than the flattened out length of said skirt portion.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,597,010 Lyon May 20, 1952 3,001,495 Lyon Sept. 26, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 460,398 Germany May 10, 1928