US3323684A - Filtration device for plastic canteen - Google Patents

Description

hm 1967 P. E. DURAND ETAL 3,31%,4

FILTRATION DEVICE FOR PLASTIC CANTEEN Filed Oct. 21, 1965 United States Patent 3,323,684 FILTRATION DEVIQE FOR PLASTIC CANTEEN Philip E. Durand, Hudson, and Jack F. Furrer, Wayland, Mass., assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filled Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. %,445 5 Claims. (Cl. 222--189) The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a screw-on cap for a fluid container having an externally threaded spout through which fluid is introduced into and removed from the container. More particularly, the invention relates to a screw-on cap for a water canteen such as is used by the Armed Forces.

In military operations it is customary for a soldiento carry a water canteen attached to his belt or other equipment to provide necessary water for drinking and, in certain cases, for reconstituting dehydrated foods. Such a canteen is described in military specification MILC- 43103A, Nov. 2, 1964, entitled, Canteen, Water, Plastic, With Screw Cap. Since the capacity of such a canteen is only about 1 quart, it is often necessary for the canteen to be refilled in the field from streams or ponds. However, this sometimes results in particles of solid matter, such as sand, twigs, and the like, entering the canteen with the water. Various expediencies have been tried for preventing the ingress of solid matter while permitting rapid filling of the canteen but have not been found sat1sfactory, primarily due to the fact that the filter means must be removable to permit chemicals in tablet form to be introduced into the canteen and are therefore quite susceptible to loss or damage. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved screw-on cap for a fluid container which has filter means embodied in the ca rnother object of the invention is to provide a screw-on cap for a water canteen capable of preventing gross solld particles suspended in ground water from enterlng the canteen along with the water when the canteen 1s being filled therewith.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved canteen for storing and transporting water from which gross particles of solid matter have been removed by means of a filtering device incorporated in the cap of the canteen.

These objects and advantages are obtained according to the invention by providing means for admitting filtered water in the side wall of the canteen cap such that when the cap is partially unscrewed, but still in position 011 the canteen spout, filtered water will be admitted to the canteen through the side wall of the cap.

Referring now to the drawing wherein for purposes of illustration one embodiment of the invention is shown and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a canteen having the improved screw-on cap of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a central vertical cross-section of the canteen taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1 showing the cap in the closed position on the spout.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view similar to FIGURE 2 with the lower portion of the canteen broken away showing the cap in a partially unscrewed position for the purpose of filling the canteen in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross-section of the cap taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, a canteen lti having an externally threaded spout 11 is provided with an internally threaded generally cylindrical screw-on cap 12 for cooperating with spout 1.1 to seal the free end 13 thereof. The cap is retained against loss by flexible cap retainer 14 extending between the cap and the base of the spout. The cap retainer 14 is attached to the cap 12 in such a manner as to permit the cap to be freely rotatable with respect to the retainer. The end 13 of spout 11 has a flat upper surface which lies substantially in a horizontal plane. Spout 11 is provided with external threads .15 making at least two complete turns around the exterior of the spout and formed so as to mate with internal threads 16 in screw-on cap 12.

Screw-on cap 12 is preferably made of a resilient plastic material and is provided with a raised sealing ring 17 formed on the interior surface 18 of the top 19 of the screw-on cap as a raised circular portion of the interior surface 18 which contacts the end 13 of the spout 11 when cap 12 is screwed tightly onto spout .11 to form a liquid-tight seal around the periphery of the end 13 of spout 11. The cap has a suflicient number of turns of internal threads 16 to permit unscrewing cap 12 at least one full turn from its tightly closed and sealed condition without becoming disengaged from external threads 15 of spout 11. The cap 12 is also provided with a peripheral recess 20 formed in the sidewall 21 thereof, spaced from the open end 22 thereof, and opening to the outside of the screw-on cap. This peripheral recess lies in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of cap v12 and has a series of arcuately spaced openings 23 passing through sidewall 21 from the interior surface 24 thereof to the bottom 25 of peripheral recess 20. Peripheral recess 20 and openings 23 are spaced in the sidewall 21 so that when the cap is unscrewed one full turn from a closed position, the interior ends of the openings will be above the end 13 of spout 11. Openings 23 are preferably arcuately spaced around the periphery of the screw-on cap. A screen 26 of suitable mesh size, preferably having inch hole openings, constructed of metal wire or plastic filaments or other material capable of screening or filtering out gross solid particles suspended in a liquid, is fixed within peripheral recess 20 so as to cover the outer end of each of the openings 23 and to filter any liquid passing through the openings. The cap 12 is also provided with a plurality of raised ribs 27 running longitudinally along the exterior of sidewall 21 between open end 22 and peripheral recess 20 to provide means for gripping the cap 12 tightly when closing or opening the canteen by rotating the screw-on cap with one hand while holding the body portion of the canteen 10 with the other hand.

The invention is used in the following manner, beginning with the canteen at least partially empty and closed: The cap 12 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction one full turn so that sealing ring 17 is disengaged from the end 13 of spout 11 and substantially all of the open portions of the interior ends of openings 23 are above the end 13 of spout 11. The canteen is then held submerged in a body of ground water, such as a river, lake, or pond, with the body portion down and spout 11 and cap 12 up and in a position so that water flows through screen 26 and one or more of openings 23 into spout 11 and thus into the canteen while air flows out of the canteen through spout 11 and at least one of the openings 23 until most of the air has been displaced from the canteen 'by filtered water. The canteen is then removed from the body of water and the screw-on cap is rotated in a clockwise direction until sealing ring 17 forms a liquid-tight seal with the end 13 of spout 11.

The cap 12 can be easily completely removed from the spout for drinking or dispensing purposes or for the purpose of adding chemical tablets to render the filtered water potable without any need to be concerned over removal of a filtration device.

The filling procedure can, of course, be repeated as often as required by a soldier or other person requiring filtered water and the filtration means may be readily back-flushed for cleaning purposes by either loosening the cap as in the filling procedure and tipping the canteen to allow water to flow out through the filtration means or by uncovering the cap completely and pouring water into the interior of the inverted cap.

It can be seen that the present invention provides an inexpensive, simple and effective means for filtering ground water with which a canteen is being refilled by immersion without adding any loose parts or increasing weight or bulk and without sacrificing any other desirable characteristics of the canteen.

While the cap in the embodiment described above is provided with a series of arcuately spaced openings with a filtration means positioned thereover, it will be apparent that a number of variations of this arrangement are possible within the scope of the invention. It is possible, for

example, to provide for molding the filtration means v integrally with the plastic cap and of the same plastic material. Also, many different opening arrangements will be effective so long as they allow filtered water to enter the canteen while permitting air to escape therefrom when the canteen is held in a body of water in the proper posi tion with the cap unscrewed.

It will be understood that other various changes in the details, materials, steps and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A screw-on cap for a fluid container having an externally threaded spout thereon comprising a cap body having an internally threaded generally cylindrical opening therein and means located at the inner end of said opening capable of forming a fluid-tight seal with the end of said spout when said cap is tightly screwed on said spout, said body being provided with a plurality of spaced openings therethrough extending from the exterior thereof through the sides of said cylindrical opening near the inner end of said cylindrical opening, said spaced openings having a substantial portion thereof located outwardly of said seal-forming means, each of said spaced openings being smaller in size than the opening in said spout whereby fluid may pass through said spaced openings into said container when said cap is partially unscrewed on said spout and particles of solid matter in said fluid, which are larger than said spaced openings through said cap, will be prevented from entering said container.

2. A screw-on cap for a fluid container having an externally threaded spout thereon comprising a hollow generally cylindrical body open at one end and internally threaded to screw on said spout, the inside of the closed end of said body having means capable of engaging the end of said spout to form a fluid-tight seal therewith, said body being provided with a plurality of openings through the side walls thereof, said openings being arcuately spaced around the periphery of said body, the inner ends of said openings being located adjacent to said seal-forming means and having a substantial portion thereof lying outwardly of said seal-forming means, said openings being provided with filtration means whereby filtered fluid may pass through at least one of said openings into said con tainer when said cap is partially unscrewed to unseal said spout while remaining threadedly engaged on said spout.

3. A screw-on cap for a fluid container according to claim 2 in which said plurality of openings are in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical body.

4. A screw-0n cap for a fluid container having an externally threaded spout thereon comprising a hollow generally cylindrical body open at one end and internally threaded to screw on said spout, the. inside of the closed end of said body having means capable of engaging the end of said spout to form a fluid-tight seal therewith, said body being provided with a peripheral recess in the outside surface thereof and spaced from the open end thereof, said body being provided with a plurality of openings through the side walls thereof arcuately spaced around the periphery of said body and opening through said peripheral recess, said peripheral recess and said plurality of openings being in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical body, the inner ends of said openings being located adjacent to said seal-forming means and having a substantial portion thereof lying outwardly of said sealforming means, said body having a fine mesh screen fixed in said peripheral recess over the outer ends of said openings whereby filtered fluid may pass through at least one of said openings into said container when said cap is un screwed about one turn to unseal said spout while remaining threadedly engaged on said spout.

5. In a canteen for storing and transporting water having a hollow body portion and an externally threaded spout of reduced diameter joined to said body portion through which water is introduced into and removed from said canteen, the combination therewith of a closure for said spout of said canteen comprising an internally threaded plastic cap engageable on said externally threaded spout, the interior surface of the top of said cap being capable of engaging the top of said spout to close and seal said canteen, said cap having at least two arcuately spaced holes passing through the sidewalls thereof adjacent said interior surface of the top of said cap and a wire screen fixed over the outer ends of said holes whereby upon predetermined rotation of said cap from its closed and sealed position a direct fluid passage into and out of said canteen is formed by said holes and the opening between said interior surface of the top of said cap and said top of said spout.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 928,943 7/1909 Cox 210-474 X 1,125,322 1/1915 Hollingshead 222565 X 2,618,800 11/1952 Raab 222-553 X 2,738,105 3/1956 Wolfer et al. 222189 3,199,751 8/1965 Jovanovich 222-543 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A SCREW-ON CAP FOR A FLUID CONTAINER HAVING AN EXTERNALLY THREADED SPOUT THEREON COMPRISING A CAP BODY HAVING AN INTERNALLY THREADED GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL OPENING THEREIN AND MEANS LOCATED AT THE INNER END OF SAID OPENING CAPABLE OF FORMING A FLUID-TIGHT SEAL WITH THE END OF SAID SPOUT WHEN SAID CAP IS TIGHTLY SCREWED ON SAID SPOUT, SAID BODY BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SPACED OPENINGS THERETHROUGH EXTENDING FROM THE EXTERIOR THEREOF THROUGH THE SIDES OF SAID CYLINDRICAL OPENING NEAR THE INNER END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL OPENING, SAID SPACED OPENINGS HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION THEREOF LOCATED OUTWARDLY OF SAID SEAL-FORMING MEANS, EACH OF SAID SPACED OPENINGS BEING SMALLER IN SIZE THAN THE OPENING IN SAID SPOUT WHEREBY FLUID MAY PASS THROUGH SAID SPACED OPENINGS INTO SAID CONTAINER WHEN SAID CAP IS PARTIALLY UNSCREWED ON SAID SPOUT AND PARTICLES OF SOLID MATTER IN SAID FLUID, WHICH ARE LARGER THAN SAID SPACED OPENINGS THROUGH SAID CAP, WILL BE PREVENTED FROM ENTERING SAID CONTAINER.

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