US617967A - Stopple for vessels - Google Patents

Description

Patented lan. I77 |899.

w. H. MACINTOSH.

STOPPLE FOR VESSELS.

(Application led Oct. 31, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. MACINTOSH, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO CHARLES A. LEE, OF CANASTOTA, NEW YORK. A

sToPPLt' FoR vissers.

SPECIFICATION forming partei' Letters Patent No. 617,967, dated January 17, 1899. Application llled'ntoher 81, 18,98. BorialNo. 695.082. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern'.-

Be, it known that I, WILLIAM R. MACIN- TOSH, acitizen of theUnited States, residing at Buialo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new 4and useful Improvements in- Stopples for Vessels, of which I do hereby declare the followingto be a. full, clear, and exact specification, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which the invention appertains te make and use the My invention pertains to closures, covers,

vor stopples for jars, bottles, and other vessels, and more particularly to that class of re` movable closures designed for temporary use.

In the use of many receptacles, notably in the case of milk-jars or vessels of like character, itis desirable that the stoppl'e, cover, or sealing device be not only readily removable, but that it be also of such character that it may be discarded and thrown away after being once used without material loss.`

' Before describingin detail the peculiarities of the present invention it is proper to point out the objects specially sought to be 1 attained aud the occasion therefor.

For many years the desirability of some simple, cheap, and ecient closure for vessels, and particularly for milk jars or bottles,

has been appreciated. With various fluids.

and especially in the case of milk and cream it has been deemed of great importance to provide a seal or closure which should offer a minimum of danger or liability to become foul or capable of contaminating the contents of the vessel or 'affecting the taste or odor thereof. Various devices have been tried fromtmeto time and for the most part discarded for one reason or another. .-At the present time the most popular and, yas is bel lieved, the most satisfactory sealing device. or closure in-.use consists simply of a disk sel is from any cause irregular or of less than Apry the disk from the mouth of the vessel. fIn doing this a quick movement is imparted .to the disk as it passes the bearing-points or l,the restricted portion of the mouth or orilice in which it is held, and any liquid adhering toits under face lisl thrown violently therefrom, often resulting iu injury'to or disigggure-n ment of the clothing of the person opening the jar or of a carpet, hangings, or other ttings in thevicinity of thev bottle or. vessel. ,In prying the disk orl closure from the vessely the top or mouth of the ,jaris used as a fulcrum and is in 'consequence frequently chipped or disligured, so as to be incapable of being properly sealed, or, as often occurs, it becomes dangerous to handle. It frequently happens that only a portion'of the'contents of a vessel are required to be removed at one time. ,In such cases if the closure be punc tured its further usefulness is destroyed or in great measure impaired, since it no longer excludes the atmosphere, nor will it prevent entrance of insects, dirt, .&c. As 'vessels' ot4 this character are commonly -used "in and about kitchens, pantries, and the like, it fre-v quently happens that the cover, disk,` or closure is carelessly laid upon a table, refrigerator, or other surface not wholly free from dirt or impure matters, and as aconsequence `if the closure be reapplied to the vessel' the contents vthereof are 'liable' to be broughtinto contact with impuritieso'rto absorb odors or llavors which will impair their quality,

The purposes of my invention therefore are to facilitate the application and theremoval of the. closure,- to venable an opening thereof ',tobe made without displacing the closure as a whole; to avoid the necessity or the liability. ofpuucturing, mutilating, or

-marring the, closure when either opening or removing the same, to render unnecessary v the use of any tool or implement for opening or for removing the closure, and thereby to avoid injury to the vessel, and by the im'- proved construction and mode of use to improve greatly the sanitary conditions attend- 'ant thereon.

Figure l is a perspective View of my improved closure, seal, or stopple provided with a projecting tab, lug, or handle by which to open or remove the same; Fig. 2, a similar view of a disk without such tab or handle; Fig. 3, a side elevation of a bottle or jar, partly in section, showing the improved closure, seal, or stopple in position and indicating bydotted lines the mode of` opening the same; Fig. 4, a perspective' view showing the manner of using the closure when only a portion of the contentsof the vessel is to be withdrawn; Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive, plan views illustrating various of the many dilerent forms or con tigurations that may be given the stopple,l seal, or closure; Fig. 10, a plan view illustrating a modification of the construction shown in the other figures; Fig. ll, an edge elevation of a closure, seal, or stopple having a single score, groove, or weakening-line in its upper face; Fig. 12, a similar view showing a single score, groove, or weakening-line in the lower face; Fig. 13, a like'view show; ing a single score, groove, or line of weakening in both the upper and the lower faces; Fig. 14, an edge View showing a plurality of weakening-lines, scores, or grooves in the faces of a closure, seal, or stopple.

In carrying my invention into practice I shall preferably employ a relatively thin flexible plate-like body, which may be made of any suitable material, wood-pulp, strawboardfor the like being, however, preferred. This may be of any outline or contour and will advisably be soaked in, impregnated, or coated with paraffin to render it non-absorb ent and to protect it against the action of substances which may be contained in the vessels to which the closures are applied. i The essential characteristics of such a closure are that it shall be comparatively thin, that it be that with a properly-formed mouth or orifice invention.

'to receive it, it may be applied regardless of its position-that is, without turning it to coincide with some special point or points of the mouth. Except for this other forms will answer quite as well, and in some respects perhaps better.

The mode or manner of .securingl the Vclosures in the vessels may vary, though I contemplate ordinarily introducing them by moderate pressure into the mouths of vessels havinga slight groove or depression to receive the periphery or edge of the disk.

Referring againr to the drawings, A indicates a closu re, seal, or stopple embodying my This stopple is represented in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4 as of circular form or as in the shape of a thin flat disk. Across either face or both faces, as may be found expedient in any given case, I form one or more scores, grooves, indentations, or weakening lines a., thus dividing the closure into two parts, l) and c. The weakening, scoring, or indenting will preferably, though not necessarily, be to one side of the center in the case of a circular disk, seal, or closure, and with other forms it should be in such position as to leave the major portion of the closure' on one side and the minor portion on the other side of such line in order that the greatest diameter of the closure may be availed of to give proper bearing and holding efect in the mouth or oritice of the vessel to be sealed. This will be better understood upon referring to Fig. 4, where the seal or closure is represented as open ed to permit withdrawal of the contents of the vessel by lifting or drawing away from its seat the part c of the seal or closure. By reason of the weakening-line, score, or indentation the section c swings, bends, or turns relatively to the portion b', which, having a firm peripheral bearing in the orifice of the vessel, maintains its position therein and affords suicient resistance or holding force to permit the section c to be lifted without danger of remov'ng the seal or closure from the orice. c thus constitutes a valve, lid, or cover capable of heilig moved from and returned to the plane of the portion b, as indicated bythe full and dotted lines in Fig. 3. The number, character, and arrangement of the scores, iuden-tations, grooves, or weakening-lines may vary-that is to say, there may be merely an indentation effected by a V-edge blade or plate, or there may be an incision produced by a sharp knife or cutter drawn across or impressed intothe material of the closure, or

-there may be a series of short incisions, in-

dentations, or the like arranged in line with each other.

Ordinarily it is deemed advisable to make two scores or weakening-lines of one or another form, one in the upper and the other in the lower face of the seal, closure, or stopple, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and to arrange these slightly out of line, but parallel with each other. This, however, is a matter of option and will be determined in great measure by the character of the' material of which the seal, stopple, or closure is formed. With wood-pulp board of good quality it is deemed preferable to provide a score or weakening-line in each face, as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3; but it is feasible to make and use the device with a single score, groove,or weakening-line in the upper face and none in the lower, as in Fig. 11, with but one in the lower and none in the upper face, as in Fig. 12, with one in each face, as in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 13,01l with a plurality in both faces,as in Fig. 14.

Among various forms that may be given the seal, closure, or stopple those illustrated in Figs. 5 to 9, inclusive, are perhaps the The/ section IOS IIO

' or stopple as having a middle retaining'por- "tion. b and two valve-like or movable mem@ bers c, formed or produced by scoriug,ir1 denting, or weakening the closure on opposite sides of itsi. center. This construction,

v though not deemed desirable ordinarily, will be found to facilitate the introduction of the seal, stopple, or closure in the mouths or orilices of vessels which are slightly smaller lthan the regular size or which are at any point irregular in form, the score or weaken- .'ing-line in such cases permitting the main body to be pressed down to its seat in advance' of the smaller sections c, which may .subsequently be pressed home.

To enable the cover, seal, or closure to be opened or removed from the,vessel.at will, I provide the smaller section or sections cwith a tab, ear, or handle d, as shown in the various figures', with the exception of Fig. v2.

'When the closure, seal,.or stopple isintroduced into the mouth of a bottle or other ve.

sel, the tab or handle d, coming into contact with the wall of the oriceor mouth, is curled ,or bent upward or backward, and its outer face isl brought to the' same arc asV the remaining portion of the peripheral edge of'the of the closure.

closure, so that a tight joint and eiiicient seal.

are effected at all points in the circumference If desiredLthe tab or handle may be scored to 'mark or to determine the point at which it shall bend; but in practice it is found preferable to leave it unscored and depend upon the gradual and easy turny ing backward thereof by reason of its contact with the smooth. surface of the wall against 4which itis pressed, this action having little or no tendency to break or rupture the material of the tab..

I The form which the disk, seal, closure, or stopple assumes whenin position in an orifice of proper relative size is'indicated in Fig'.` 3, the tab or handle dbeing of such length as to protrude somewhat above the top of the bottle, where it may be readily grasped ,between c the thumb and linger preparatory to liftingV vor turning back the lid or valve section c'.

When moved about the-weakeningline a as a center, hinge, or joint, the lid-section c takes the position indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, -permittin g the contents of the vessel to be poured therefrom, as indicated in the lattertigure. Should it be desired to again seal the vessel, it is only necessary to press back the valve or lid section c to its seat in the neck or mouth of the vessel, when the contents will be as perfectly protected from the atmospherey and from the entrance of insects, dust, or

.foreign matters as they were originally.

Itis particularly to be noted that under this construction and mode of use the seal or closure remains or may remain in position until the contents of the vessel are completely withdrawn, whether this be done at one operation or at die'rent times. It will further be seen that when desired the cover or closure may be completely removed byapplying.

further force, either as an npwardlpull upon the tab or by inserting 'the finger or some convenient implement beneath the portion b 'of the cover or closure after the' lid-section c is-raised. to give convenient access to the under side.v Being thus capable of retention in position until the vessel is completely emptied the seal, cover, or closure is freed from liability of coming into contact with dirt or 4filth or with any foreign-substance which might impart a taste or odor to the contents of the vessel. The introduction of impurities 'or deleterious matters through the use of an unclean implement, s uch as is occasionally employed to puncture or to pry out the seal orv closure, is likewise avoided, and the atmosphere, insects, dust, and the vlikeare excluded until the closure is finally' removed and thrown away, whichiof course isnot the case where the seal, closure, or stopple is either punctured or mutilated through the use of an extracting implement.

As above indicated, the form or character ofthe vessel is immaterial. The precise mode of applying or of securing the closure or stopple in position may vary, and the material or f composition of which the seal, closure, or stopple'is formed is a matter of elect-ion, lde- -pending in greater or less degree on the nature of the vessel and its contents. The terms seal, closure, or stopple are meant to comprehend any and all thinand plate-like closures of flexible materialy embodyin g the peculiarities set forth in the speci-l cation; and the terms score, groove, indentation, and weakening-line are all employed to indicate any formation or treatment of the seal, stopple, or closure whereby it is weakened and an initial line of bending, folding, or swinging of one part relatively to the other is produced. The term orifice is used in a comprehensive sense to mean an opening, mouth, aperture, neck, or entrance in any vessel to be closed by a seal, stopple, or closure of the general character herein set forth- While it is preferred for reasons above set forth to locate' the score, crease, or weakening-line to one side of the middle ofthe seal,

IIO

' the stopple.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a seal, stopple or. closure for vessels, consist-ing of a thin flexible plate of suitable `material of a form to fit the Orifice to be sealed or closed, and havin g a weakening-line therein to facilitate and to locate` the bending, folding, or` movement of one portion relatively to the other,"the movable portion contacting with the wall -of the orifice.

may be turned up 3. A removable, flexible, plate-like stopple for vessels adapted to -be inserted into and held in ,the `orifice thereof, and scored so that 'a portion thereof may be forced up and down to Open and close said Orifice without displacing the'stopple, one 'section of the stopple be` i ing provided with a tab or handle by which to moveit." y

4. A removable, flexible, plate-like stopple for vessels, adapted to be inserted into and held in the Orifice thereof, and having its outer face scored, so/that a portion of the stopple and downto open' and close said Orifice without displacing the stopple.

5. A removable, flexible, platelike stopple Vfor vessels, adapted to be inserted into and held in the orifice thereof, and havin g one face scored to enable one portion to be turned up and down relatively to the other.

6. A removable, flexible, plate-like stopple 'for vessels adapted to be inserted into and held in the orifice thereof, and having both its faces scored, so that one portion may be turned up and down relatively to the other to open and close said orifice without displacing' the stopple;

able, flexible, plate-like stopple inserted and held in the orifice thereof, and scored or weakened to permit one portion to be raised from its seat While the other portion remains in position.

8. In combination with a vessel, va removable, flexible, plate-likev stop le inserted and held in the orifice thereof, an ened to permit one' section to be withdrawn from its seat in said orifice. without disturbing the other section, the movable section being provided with a' tab or handle by which to withdraw lt. Y

9. A removable, flexible, plate-like stopple for vessels adapted to be inserted into and held in the orilice thereof, and scored or weakened so as to part the same into two unequal portions, the larger of which serves to hold or retain the stopple, while the smaller section may be moved to open and close the vessel, a movable section contacting with the wall of lthe orifice. 1

10. In combination with a vessel, a removable, iiexible,p1atelike stopple, inserted and held in the orifice thereof and scored-or weakened stone side of its center to produce a retaining-section b and alid or cover section c, substantially as described and shown.

1l.. The herein-described stopple, seal, or closure for vessels, comprising a middle section b and two outer sections c provided with tabs or ears d, and having weakening-lines or WM. R. MACINTOSH.

Witnesses CHAs. A. LEE,

CHARLES K. ROBINSON.

7. In combination with a vessel, a removscored o'r weak;

i scores along their lines of connection with the

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