US2092964A - Closure device for collapsible tubes and other containers - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 14, 1937. E. B. FERNBERG 2,092,964

CLQSURE DEVICE FOR CQLLAPSIBLE TUBES AND OTHER CONIAINEES Filed Oct. 24, 1936 17.1 7 I12 y 22 zz a9 17 r a7 4& 2a

J1 J6 J2 1/ J6 IN VEN TOR ER1CB1RQERERNBERQ w ATTORNE Patented Sept- 1937 I 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE DEVICE FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES AND OTHER CONTAINERS Eric Birger Fernberg, Pinner, England Application October 24, 1936, Serial No. 107,307 In Great Britain May 22,1936

3 Claims. (01. 221-60) This invention relates to a closure device, stopher may comprise the formation of similarly per or cap, for containers and is adapted particuformed but slotted lugs on the container, pins or larly to containers of the kind known as 001- rivets passing through the free ends of the springs lapsible tubes employed for tooth paste, shaving into the said slots and being retained therein by 5 cream and other creams, but is also applicable forcing or squeezing the metal of the container 5- to bottles, tins and so forth. The object of the over the slots to grip firmly said pins or rivets.

invention is to provide such a closure member or In cases where the closure device or stopper stopper which is cheap, secure and readily deis to be used with collapsible tubes of standard tachable. type i. e. those which have screw threaded noz- According to the present invention. a closure zles for a screw-on cap, the closure device of this 10 member, for containers of the kind described cominvention may be modified to suit the different prises a closure member proper, stopper or cap construction. secured to, or co-operating with, a spring member For example, a tube may be closed by the usual arranged to hold the closure member firmly in screw cap when it is manufactured or sold origplace when in closed position and to be actuated inally, and when the tube is ready for retail sale, 15 to permit the ready removal of, or itself to remove the original screw cap may be discarded and a. and replace the closure member, stopper or cap. screwed member formed as a unit with the spring The spring member is preferably attached perand closure cap proper may be fitted in place manently to the closure member and is so formed of the discarded cap. The spring member for as to hold it under pressure when in closed posiholding the closure device in position in a similar 20 tion. manner to that described above may be attached In cases where the collapsible tube is manuto the screwed member by insertion of the legs factured particularly to be fitted with the stopper thereof in holes formed in enlarged portions at or closure device of this invention, the spring the base of the screwed member, the ends of the member may be of fiat spring steel or of wire legs being turned over to hold the spring and to 25 coiled into a coiled spring along portions of its serve as an axis for rotation of the spring and length, and bowed to embrace the container neck closure device or cap. or nozzle, being preferably pivoted at its ends to Another method of securing the legs of the the container and in closed position looping spring may be to pass them into grooves cut in 0 around the container neck or nozzle. If the the enlarged base of the screw cap and to anchor spring member is in the form of a wire as dethem therein pivotally by pins passing through scribed above, it may be attached firmly to the the cap at right angles to the legs of the spring. l

container and forced against the tension of its In a further modification, adaptable for use coiled spring portions to remove the closure with a tube having a screwed or plain nozzle'or member from its closed position. neck, a cylindrical sleeve is forced over the neck 35 The spring member is formed in a bow so to fit it snugly andtightly, the sleeve being formed that pressure on its limbs lifts the closure memwith a flared bottom bearing against the shaped ber proper from its closed position whereupon it upper portion of the tube and serving as a stop may be moved, by swinging the spring member for the spring when it is pushed downwards.

40 about its pivots to one side or the other of the Tongues are punched out of the sleeve, diamet- 40 container to expose the outlet or nozzle so that rically opposite each other, and turned over to the contents may be extracted. serve as pivots for the legs of the spring, which If desired, the closure member may be in the carries the closure device or cap as described form of a screw cap pivotally mounted on the above. The spring in this case, which is prefspring member which then serves as a retainer erably of fiat strips, will be formed with an aper- 45 for the cap. The stopper or cap may be provided ture through which the turned down tongues with a known type of cork or like washer. pass, to permit of free rotation of the spring and The method of mounting the spring member on cap. the container may comprise the formation of lugs The sleeve may, if desired, be staked to the neck on the container during its production, said lugs of the tube. 50 being recessed to receive inturned ends of the The invention is illustrated by way of example,

spring member, the tension of the spring member in the accompanying drawing, of which Figures being such that said inturned ends tend con- 1 to 6 are cross-sections through the neck porstantly to be urged into said recesses. tion of a collapsible tube (shown broken away) Another method of mounting the spring memof several modifications and Figure 7 is a per- 55 spective view of the sleeve shown in Figures 5 and 6.

The collapsible tube is designated throughout all the figures by the numeral l I.

In Figure 1 the collapsible tube H is formed with a plain neck portion l2, the nozzle l3 being closed by a cap l4 carrying a cork or like washer I5. The cap I4 isriveted at IE to the bowed spring H, in the form of fiat strip spring steel, the ends of which pass into arcuate slots l8 cut into the enlarged portion IQ of the tube, and are retained in said slots by means of pins 20, driven through the portion I9, or passing through holes formed therein, at right angles to the slots 18.

According to Figure 2, the cap 2| is riveted at 22 to the wire spring 23, formed along each leg 24, with coils 25 providing the required resiliency, the ends of the spring 23 being turned inwardly at 26 to engage and pivot in the enlarged portion 21 of the neck 12.

In Figure 3 is shown a modification, in which the tube is arranged to be sold with the normal screw-cap (notshown) the neck portion 3| of the tube ll being screwed as at 32. The normal screw cap is replaced by the screw cap 33 of this invention, it includes an enlarged portion 34 arranged to seat on the upper end of the tube I l, a neck portion 35, screwed internally as at 36. The cap 31, riveted to the bowed spring 38, seats on the upper surface of the auxiliary cap 33 to close the nozzle 39 in alignment with the nozzle 40 ofthe tube. The ends of the bowed spring 38 pass through slots 4! in the enlarged portion 34 of the auxiliary cap, and are formed with out-turned feet 42, engaging in the cutaway portions 43 of the cap, to permit a swinging movement of the spring and cap to disclose the nozzle 39.

Figure 4 is a modification of Figure 3 showing another method of attaching the bowed spring 38.to the enlarged portion 34 of the auxiliary cap 33. The cap is formed with two raised portions 44, slotted at 45 for the reception of the ends of the spring 38 and formed with holes for the reception of pins 46 passing through the ends of the spring at right angles to the slots 45 to retain said spring.

In Figure 5 is shown a tube ll having a plain neck 5|, over which is fitted tightly a sleeve 52 (shown also in Figure '7). Diametrically opposed lugs 53 are punched out from the sleeve to serve as p'ivots and retaining means for the ends of the bowed spring 54 carrying the cap 55 as in previous figures. The bottom of the sleeve 52 is flared, as at 56 to seat on the upper sloped surface of the tube ll. Likewise in Figure 6, which shows a similar arrangement to that of Figure 5, but in this case the tube H is provided with the normal type of screwed neck 51.

It should be understood that, although the foregoing description deals particularly with collapsible tubes, such for example as tooth-paste and shaving cream tubes, the invention is not limited thereto.

By means of the foregoing it will be clear that a simple and cheap closure member, stopper or cap, is provided for containers of the callapsible tube type and the like, whilst the invention is also applicable to containers generally. The 010- sure member is removed and replaced with great ease without the possibility of losing the stopper or cap and when in closed position the tube or the like is sealed securely whilst the arrangement described does not increase the costs of manufacture.

I claim:

1. A closure device for containers of the kind described comprising a member adapted to be screwed to the neck portion of the container and formed with a flared base to bear against the container, lugs on said member, a cap and retaining means to which the cap is secured, said retaining means being anchored pivotally to the lugs on said member.

2. A closure device for collapsible tubes formed with shoulder and neck, portions comprising a member adapted to be screwed to said neck portion and having an undercut flared base adapted to abut against the. shoulder of the tube, and a cap riveted to retaining means such as a bowed spring, the ends of said bowed spring passing through arcuate slots former in the flared base and provided with outwardly directed feet engaging in the undercut recess of said base.

3. A closure device for callapsible tubes formed with shoulder and neck portions comprising a member adapted tobe screwed to the neck portion and having a flared base adapted to abut against the shoulder of the tube, said base being formed with diametrically opposed upstanding lugs, a cap and retaining means therefor in the form of a bowed spring to which said cap is riveted, the ends of said bowed spring being securedpivotally to the lugs of the flared base.

ERIC BIRGER FERNBERG.

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