US3831817A

US3831817A - Stackable liquid container with pour spout

Info

Publication number: US3831817A
Application number: US00332190A
Authority: US
Inventors: V Leccese
Original assignee: Standard Container Co
Current assignee: Standard Container Co; Bankers Trust Co
Priority date: 1973-02-13
Filing date: 1973-02-13
Publication date: 1974-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 1991-08-27

Abstract

A liquid container has formed in its bottom wall an annular recess having a radius from the axial centerline of the container equal to the radial distance from centerline of a pour spout mounted in the top wall of the container. A carrying handle is mounted on the top wall, having a height which, added to the depth of the recess, equals the height of the pouring spout above the top wall. When these containers are stacked, the upper can is supported by the handle of the bottom can and by the pouring spout of the bottom can extending into the recess in the bottom wall of the upper can and bearing against its floor.

Description

United States Patent [191 Leccese Aug. 27, 1974 Primary Examiner-Stanley l-l. Tollberg Assistant Examiner-John P. Shannon Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Brumbaugh, Graves, Donohue & Raymond [57] ABSTRACT A liquid container has formed in its bottom wall an annular recess having a radius from the axial centerline of the container equal to the radial distance from centerline of a pour spout mounted in the top wall of the container. A carrying handle: is mounted on the top wall, having a height which, added to the depth of the recess, equals the height of the pouring spout above the top wall. When these containers are stacked, the upper can is supported by the handle of the bottom can and by the pouring spout of the bottom can extending into the recess in the bottom wall of the upper can and bearing against its floor.

10 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures STACKABLE LIQUID CONTAINER WITH POUR SPOUT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to liquid containers and more particularly to stackable liquid containers having a protruding pour spout.

Containers for the storage and dispensing of liquids are preferably provided with a closed top to protect the liquid from evaporation and contamination. To facilitate dispensing of the liquid from the container, it is convenient to provide a scalable spout through which the liquid may be poured. It is desirable that this spout protrude above the top surface of the container a sufficient distance so that the liquid, when poured from the container, will clear the top peripheral edge of the container so as not to drip down its sides.

Containers, most notably, gasoline containers are known which include a threaded nipple mounted axially in and extending above and below the cap that seals the pouring spout of the container. A flexible pouring tube is provided which may be threaded onto the portion of the threaded nipple extending above the top of the cap. The liquid in the can may then be poured from the container through the flexible pouring tube. When not in use or when the container is being shipped or stored, the pouring tube is reversed and is threaded onto the portion of the threaded nipple which extends below the cap into the container.

Numerous other arrangements have been proposed but they all include a handle and pouring spout having a portion which protrudes above the top surface of the can. The pouring spout and the handle are necessary for the convenient use of the container but invariably contribute disadvantages, explained below, which this invention is designed to eliminate.

In retail stores, the storage and display of bulky items is a serious problem. The difficulty, applying especially to low cost bulky items such as gasoline containers, is essentially that the ratio of the percentage of the stores profits contributed by sales of these items, to the percentage of the stores available storage capacity taken by these items is comparatively low. As a consequence, most small retail stores order gasoline containers in small quantities, which leads to efflciency in the operations of the manufacturing of the container.

Another feature of gasoline containers which exacerbates the storage problem is the inability of these gasoline containers to be stacked in stable vertical stacks. It is thus necessary to display them on the floor or on shelves in single layers. This display technique is known to be less attractive than the more effective technique of massed display in which large numbers of items to be sold are assembled and stacked compactly in a large mass. Such an effective display technique is not possible for existing gasoline containers because no provision is made for stacking these containers.

The most popular design for gasoline containers over the one gallon capacity is the cylindrical form. This is the most efficient form to build liquid containers in terms of capacity per unit area of sheet metal and also provides the strongest and most easily manufactured form for large containers. It also facilitates the use of the dome top which is desirable because of its properties of shedding water. When a container having a dome top is left out in the rain, only a small amount of water will collect around the rim of the can where the dome top is crimped to the edge of the can. This largely eliminates the danger that the contents of the can will become contaminated with water when the can is opened, and eliminates the necessity of breaking ice off the top of the can in cold weather.

The dome top however, desirable as the above fea tures may be, makes more difficult the problems of stacking. It has been found that attempts to stack gasoline containers having dome tops, even by stacking vertically adjacent layers horizontally offset so that the rim of the containers rest on the rims of several vertically adjacent containers is unreliable because it requires extreme accurate placement of all levels of containers on display and any movement of any of the lower containers in the display will collapse the display.

There has, therefore, long been a need for a liquid container, in the art, having a pouring spout and a handle, that is stackable in stable vertically aligned stacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, this invention provides a liquid container having a top mounted handle and pouring spout which may be stacked in stable vertically aligned stacks.

The bottom wall of the container is provided with a recess vertically aligned with the pouring spout. The vertical dimension of the top of the pouring spout above the bottom wall of the container is equal to the height of the handle above the top wall plus the depth of the recess in the bottom of the container. This design provides a stable three point support for the containers in the stack in that the pouring spout of the lower container protrudes into and bears against the floor of the annular recess in the bottom wall of the vertical adjacent upper container, and the handle supports its bottom horizontally and parallel to the bottoms of the other containers in the stack.

IN THE DRAWINGS A more complete appreciation of the invention and its many attendant advantages will develop as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. I is an elevation, partly in section, of a container according to this invention, and a partial view of a similar container stacked with the first container; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the container shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A stackable gasoline can is shown having a cylindrical wall 10 to which is crimped a bottom 12 and a top 14. A pouring spout l6 and a vent 18 are hermetically connected to the top 14 of the can. The top 14 is slightly domed or bulged outwardly to form a convex surface which will prevent water from collecting around the pouring spout 16 or the vent 18. A handle 20 is connected to the axial center of the top 14 for carrying the container.

The pouring spout 16 includes a ferrule 22 outwardly flanged at its bottom edge 24. The ferrule 22 fits through an opening 26 in the top 14 of the container.

The interior diameter of the opening 26 is substantially the same as the exterior diameter of the ferrule 22. The ferrule 22 is inserted through the opening 26 from the underside and the edges of the opening are crimped to the ferrule flange 24. A sealing compound is applied to the surfaces of the ferrule flange 24 and the edges of the opening 26 before crimping to assure a fluid tight seal of the pouring spout 16 in the top 14.

The ferrule 22 is exteriorly threaded at its top end for receiving an interiorly threaded cap 28. A nipple 30, formed of an exteriorly threaded top portion 32 and an identical exteriorly threaded bottom portion 34, is secured in the top of the cap 28. The top and

bottom portions

32 and 34 of the nipple 30 are soldered in an axial hole in the cap 28. A small shoulder is formed in the top of the cap 28.around the edge of the axial hole, and the two

pieces

32 and 34 of the nipple 30 are flanged at their unthreaded end to mate with the shoulder in the cap 28. The two

pieces

32 and 34 of the nipple 30 are positioned with their flanges abutting in the shoulder of cap 28, and solder is flowed into the shoulder to secure the nipple 30 hermetically in the top 20.

A flexible pouring tube 36 is provided having at one end an exteriorly threaded connector 38 and at the other end an interiorly threaded connector 40. The threads on the connector 40 are dimensioned such as to mate with the threads on both top and bottom portions of the nipple 30. A cap 42 having a maximum diameter W is provided with interior threading to mate with the threaded connector 38 of the flexible pouring tube 36 and also with the exteriorly threaded end of the top portion 32 of the nipple 30. It is thus possible to store the flexible pouring tube 36 within the container by threading the threaded connector 40 onto the bottom portion 34 of the nipple 30, and threading the cap 42 onto the top portion 32 of the nipple 30. Alternatively, the container may be stored with the threaded connector 40 screwed to the upper end 32 of the nipple 30 and the cap 42 screwed to the threaded connector 38 of the flexible pouring tube 36.

The vent 18 includes a plastic plug 44 having a peripheral groove 46 and an axial bore 48 formed therein. A vent cap 50 is connected integrally with the vent plug by means of a flexible tether 52. A peripheral groove 54 is formed in the top of the vent plug 44 and receives an inwardly protruding lip 56 formed on the vent cap 50 to seal the axial bore 48 when liquids are not being dispensed from the can. A vent such as this is made by American Flange Company and sold under the trademark POLYVENT."

The handle 20 includes a thick wire link 60 fastened to the top 14 of the can by a metal plate 62 having a central channel 64 formed in its underside for accommodating a portion of the link 60 which rests under the plate 62. The plate 62 is fastened to the top of the can by projection welding or conventional fastening techniques.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the link 60 runs through a gripper 68 and then converges inwardly. Both ends 66 are bent inward and extend into the channel in the plate 62. The gripper 68 is generally in an hour glass form having a central portion which is smaller in exterior diameter than the exterior diameter T of the two extreme ends. This design provides a comfortable and secure grip for the hand and also provides two points of a three point support between stacked containers, as will be more clearly explained below. The radial distance of the two ends of the gripper 68 from the axial centerline of the container is less than the radial distance of the centerline of the pouring spout from the axial centerline of the container.

Looking again at FIG. 1, the bottom 12 of the container is flat and crimped to the bottom edge of the side wall 10 to provide a lower annular rim 70 on which the container rests when placed on the floor. An annular recess 72 having a depth D is formed in the flat surface of the bottom 12 concentric with the axial centerline of the container. The annular recess 72 has an inner vertical wall 74, an outer vertical wall 76 and a floor 78 connecting the

walls

74 and 76. The radius of the outer wall 76 is greater than the radius of the inner wall 74 by an amount slightly more than the maximum diameter W of the cap 42. The median radius of the recess 72 is substantially equal to the radial distance of the centerline of the pouring spout 16 from the axial centerline of the container. In this way, when two containers are vertically aligned, the cap 42 on the pouring spout of the lower container will fit into the annular recess in the bottom wall of the upper container regardless of the angular orientation of one container with respect to the other.

To achieve a stable stack, it is necessary that each container be supported by its lower adjacent neighbor at at least three points. In the design of this invention the three points are provided by the contact of the top of the pouring spout against the floor 78 of the annular recess 72 in the above container and by the two ends of the gripper 68 against the flat bottom 12 of the next higher container. It is also necessary, in a stable stack, to support all the containers in the stack as nearly horizontal as possible, that is, with their bottoms parallel and horizontal. This is achieved by making the extreme diametrical thickness T of the gripper 68 at its ends, plus the depth D of the annular recess 72 substantially equal to the height of the cap 42 on the pouring spout 16 above the top wall of the container. To put it another way, assuming the can is resting on a horizontal surface, the height of the topmost surface of the gripper 68 is equal to the height of the top of the cap 42 on the pouring spout 16 less the depth D of the recess 72.

Because the bottom container in a stack of containers must support the stack above it, the domed top must be formed sufficiently strong to resist inwardly bowing under weight of the stack. If the top were to bow inwardly it would cause the stack to tip and possibly collapse and therefore the design must provide the strength to resist this bowing. This strength is provided by the semi-dome design or slight convexity of the top outward and this outward convexity of the top enables the lowermost can in the stack to resist the forces acting thereon as well as to shed water and keep the top dry as explained previously.

The annular recess 72 strengthens the bottom of the container to resist the weight exerted by other containers in the stack and eliminates troublesome defects which have been common in large capacity liquid containers. Under the weight of liquid in a large capacity container the bottom has heretofore bowed downwardly below the peripheral rim of the can, so that the can rests on its bottom rather than its rim. This causes the can to tip easily and also causes the bottom of the can to wear rapidly, especially when the can is stored on rough and abrasive surfaces such as concrete. The annular recess 72 also provides a convenient and comfortable handhold for use in pouring: one hand holds the handle and the other hand is wrapped around the rim with the fingers extending into the recess 72. This is especially useful when the container is almost empty and must be tipped nearly on its side, that is, with the axial centerline disposed horizontally.

Thus, there has been described a liquid container having a top pouring spout and handle which can be displayed and stored in vertical stacks. Vertical support for the containers in the stack is provided by interacting cooperation of the annular recess on the bottom and the spout and handle on the top of the next lower adjacent container on the stack. The design also provides a strengthened top for accommodating the increased forces acting on the containers in the display and also a strengthened bottom for resisting the weight of the other containers in the stack and also for supporting the weight of the liquid in a full container to prevent downward bowing and contact of the bottom of the container with the surface on which it is rested.

Obviously numerous modifications and variations of the above described preferred embodiment of the invention defined in the application claims are possible in view of the foregoing contained herein and the prior art. It is to be expressly understood that this invention may be practiced in other ways than as claimed in this application but still remaining within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A stackable liquid container, comprising:

a sidewall having an axial centerline and a top edge and a bottom edge;

a top wall having a peripheral edge crimped to the top edge of said sidewall and forming therewith a top peripheral rim;

a bottom wall having a peripheral edge crimped to the bottom edge of said sidewall and forming therewith a bottom peripheral rim;

a pouring spout mounted in said top wall extending vertically beyond said top peripheral rim and having a centerline spaced from said sidewall centerline a distance R, said pouring spout extending a distance H above said top wall;

a cap mountable on said pouring spout;

a hand grip connected to said top wall and having a thickness T;

means in said bottom wall defining a downwardly opening recess having a depth D =H Tand a horizontal area at least encompassing a horizontal area equal to the horizontal area of said cap and radially disposed in said bottom wall a distance R from said sidewall centerline such that, when two of said stackable liquid containers are vertically stacked with their axial centerlines aligned, said pouring spout will protrude into said recess and said cap will abut against the floor of said recess to provide one point of support for the vertically higher liquid container, and the bottom wall of the vertically higher container will rest against the hand grip of the vertically lower container providing two additional points of support for the vertically higher container.

2. The stackable liquid container defined in claim 1, wherein said hand grip comprises an hourglass-shaped member tapering from the thickness T at its two ends to a center thickness less than T.

3. The stackable liquid container defined in claim 2, further comprising a stout wire link for connecting said hand grip to said top wall, having a first portion passing axially through said hand grip, a second portion swivelingly connected to said top wall, and a third portion connecting said first named two portions.

4. The stackable liquid container defined in claim 1, wherein said top wall is formed with a slight convexity sufficient to raise the center of the top wall above said top peripheral rim.

5. The stackable liquid container defined in claim 3, wherein said second portion of said link is connected to said top wall intersecting said axial centerline of said container and said third portion of said link is shorter than the radius of said recess.

6. A stackable liquid container, comprising:

a cylindrical side wall crimped to a top wall and a bottom wall and forming therewith a top and bottom rim;

means in said bottom wall defining an outwardly opening annular recess concentric with said side wall;

a pouring spout mounted in said top wall vertically above said recess;

a hand grip connected to said top wall and having a maximum vertical thickness T;

wherein the depth of said recess plus the vertical thickness of said handgrip substantially equals the height of said pouring spout above said top wall;

whereby said container may be stacked in an axially aligned stack with another such container, with the pouring spout of the lower container extending into and bearing against the floor of the recess in the bottom wall of the upper container, and the handle bearing against the bottom wall of the upper container.

7. The stackable liquid container defined in claim 6, wherein said hand grip comprises an hourglass-shaped member tapering from the thickness T at its two ends to a center thickness less than T.

8. The stackable liquid container defined in claim 7, further comprising a stout wire link for connecting said hand grip to said top wall, having a first portion passing axially through said hand grip, a second portion swivelingly connected to said top wall, and a third portion connecting said first named two portions.

9. The stackable liquid container defined in claim 6, wherein said top wall is formed with a slight convexity sufficient to raise the center of the top wall above said top peripheral rim.

10. The stackable liquid container defined in claim 8, wherein said second portion of said link is connected to said top wall intersecting said axial centerline of said container and said third portion of said link is shorter than the radius of said recess.

Claims

1. A stackable liquid container, comprising: a sidewall having an axial centerline and a top edge and a bottom edge; a top wall having a peripheral edge crimped to the top edge of said sidewall and forming therewith a top peripheral rim; a bottom wall having a peripheral edge crimped to the bottom edge of said sidewall and forming therewith a bottom peripheral rim; a pouring spout mounted in said top wall extending vertically beyond said top peripheral rim and having a centerline spaced from said sidewall centerline a distance R, said pouring spout extending a distance H above said top wall; a cap mountable on said pouring spout; a hand grip connected to said top wall and having a thickness T; means in said bottom wall defining a downwardly opening recess having a depth D H - T and a horizontal area at least encompassing a horizontal area equal to the horizontal area of said cap and radially disposed in said bottom wall a distance R from said sidewall centerline such that, when two of said stackable liquid containers are vertically stacked with their axial centerlines aligned, said pouring spout will protrude into said recess and said cap will abut against the floor of said recess to provide one point of support for the vertically higher liquid container, and the bottom wall of the vertically higher container will rest against the hand grip of the vertically lower container providing two additional points of support for the vertically higher container.

6. A stackable liquid container, comprising: a cylindrical side wall crimped to a top wall and a bottom wall and forming therewith a top and bottom rim; means in said bottom wall defining an outwardly opening annular recess concentric with said side wall; a pouring spout mounted in said top wall vertically above said recess; a hand grip connected to said top wall and having a maximum vertical thickness T; wherein the depth of said recess plus the vertical thickness of said handgrip substantially equals the height of said pouring spout above said top wall; whereby said container may be stacked in an axially aligned stack with another such container, with the pouring spout of the lower container extending into and bearing against the floor of the recess in the bottom wall of the upper container, and the handle bearing against the bottom wall of the upper container.