US509223A - Flexible sealing-joint for fruit-jars - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) G. B. HOWELL.

FLEXIBLE SEALING JOINT FOR FRUIT JARS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.eEoRGE B. HOWELL,'- OF. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLEXIBLE SEALING-JOINT FOR FRUIT-JARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,223,dated November"21, 1893.

Application filed March 8, 1893. Serial No. 465,076. (No model.) I:

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. HOWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing atPhilade1phia,in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Flexi-' ble Sealing-Joints for Fruit-Jars, Bottle'Stoppers, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to joints for connecting the caps of fruit jars, bottle stoppers and other tubular structures.

One object is to provide a joint which shall i be tight,but not rigid, so that when applied to glass, earthenware, or other breakable structures, the connections may yield sufficiently to prevent breakage and at the same time secure a perfectly air and water tight joint.

Another object is'to dispense with the use of fastening devices for securing the parts which form the joint, so asto prevent disconnection thereof in use, and to provide a self-securing or self-locking joint.

The invention will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and then pointed out in the claims at the end of this description.

Referring to thedrawings by letters of reference, Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional elevation of a fruit jar top with attached sealing ring and detached cap. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the cap and ring in position upon the top of the jar or bottle neck and forming a sealed joint. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation illustrating a modification of the improvement showing the same adapted for connectin g tubular sections of piping. Figs. tand 5 are side oredge views of the elastic packing ring detached, showing the same expanded in Fig. 4, and contracted in Fig. 5, as it appears under compression when affixed to the tubular bottle neck or similar connection; and Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of a further modification.

Similar letters of reference are used to denote similar parts in each of the several views.

A, may denote a fruit jar top or the neck of a bottle or other tubular fixture having a terminal exterior circumferential flange a.

B, denotes an elastic packing ring of soft pliable resilient material such as rubber, c'ork or the like, and which isadapted to fit over the mouth of the jar or the end of the, tubular connection so as to protect the latter from contact with the metal cap or coupling piece, when the latter is pressed down over the same as shown in Fig. 2.

The ring 0, preferably consists of molded rubber and is formed with an interior circular projection or flange b, and a depending outwardly beveled main portion 1), for engagement with the circular depending flange c, of the cap or coupling piece so that when the latter is placed over the ring and top of the bottle neck and pressed downward thereon the enlargedportionbflof the ring will be pressed inwardly andexpanded against the sides of the tubular fixture or bottle neck, as indicated in Fig. 2, thereby compressing the ring about the circumferential flange a, so as to firmly connect the parts and form a sealed joint. By thus expanding the ring against the exterior of the tubular. fixture so as to overlie and embrace the flange o, the parts are firmly secured in position without other fastening means, the ring thusfulfilling the double purpose of sealingthe joint or mouth of the bottle neck and also holding the parts in the desired position, without the necessity of using other fastening devices such as are ordinarily employed in devices of this character. v

In Fig. 3 is shown a cap or coupling piece 0, which is formed with a screw-threaded cylindrical projection orflange c, for attachment to a corresponding tubular connection, when the joint is to be applied in connecting piping or other tubular structures. In this instance the part A, may represent a hollow projection or socket forming a part of an earthen or metallic fixture to which a pipe is to be attached by the nipple or coupling piece 0. The connection in this instance is precisely the same as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, except that instead of a closed cap or cover 0, the part 0' is provided with a central circular opening and a surrounding screw-threaded flange or projection for the attachment of an adjacent tubular section.

I desire it to be understood that although my invention is designed particularly for effecting a yielding or flexible connection between tubular fixtures of glass or earthenware and a metallic cap or coupling section so as to provide a tight but yielding joint which will prevent breakage which frequentl y results in practice by the use of a rigid oint, yet I do not desire to be limited in the application of the invention to earthen or glass fixtures as it is obvious that the improvement may be applied to effect a connect on in which all the parts are composed ent1re1y of metal, save the interposed elastic packing ring.

In Fig. 6, which illustrates in full and dotted llnes respectively, the closed cap or cover and open coupling piece with screw-threaded pro ection, the depending peripheral flange is provided with an interior annular shoulder or projection 0 which, when the parts are connected, will pass underneath the inclined or beveled edge I), of the ring as shown, and form a lock joint, by which the parts are permanently connected. 'This feature is particularly desirable in connecting fixed sectlons of piping or other tubular structures wherein a detachable joint is not desired- I To avoid confusion in the use of terms and alternative expressions in the appended claims it may be stated that the term cap as employed in the claims with reference to the tubular fixture to which it is adapted to be applied, is intended to designate either the closed fruit jar cover or the coupling piece with circular opening and screw threaded proectlon, while the term fixture may apply to either the fruit jar, bottle mouth, fruit can or other tubular partto which the cap or coupling piece is to be attached, the function of these parts being the same when applied to either use.

In sealing fruit jars or cans it may be desirable to dispense with the lock-joint connection shown in Fig. 6, and to provide an ordinary stopper fastener as an additional security when the device is used without said locking shoulder.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A closure for fruit jars &c., comprising an expansible ring arranged over the mouth of the jar and provided with an enlarged depending outwardly beveled or inclined portion overhanging an exterior annular lip or flange on the jar mouth and a cap or cover fitting over said ring and compressing said enlarged portion about said annular lip so as to seal the joint and secure the several parts together without other fastening means, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the tubular fixture having the exterior annular flange or lip, the angular elastic ring fitting thereon and having the portion thereof overhanging said lip enlarged and beveled or inclined outwardly from the fixture, and the detachable cap fitting over said ring and compressing the expanded portion thereof about said annular lip so as to seal the joint between the parts and securely connect the same without other fastening means, substantially as described.

3. In a closure for fruit jars, &c., the combination with the jar having the annular exteriorlip or flange encircling the mouth thereof, of the angular elastic ring formed with an enlarged expansible depending rim overhanging and embracing said lip and a cap adapted to fit over said ring and compress the rim thereof against the neck of the jar so as to firmly connect the parts and seal the .joint between the same, substantially as described.

4. In a closure for fruit jars, &c., the combination with the tubular fixture having the exterior annular lip encircling the mouth thereof, of the angular elastic ring having an enlarged depending expansible rim fitting over and embracing said lip and the detachable cap fitting over and embracing said ring and adapted to compress and lock the same to said lip, substantially as described.

5. In combination with the tubular fixture having the exterior annular lip or terminal flange, the elastic ring having the right a11- gled outwardly beveled and enlarged compressible portion overhanging and embracing said lip, and the cap having the interior annular shoulder adapted to abut against the depending edge of said rim and lock the parts together, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEO. B. HOWELL.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. RIORDAN, S. G. HOPKINS.

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