US2035404A - Bottle - Google Patents

Description

J. J. QvUlNN BO'TTLE v Filed April 9, 1934 INVENTOR Patented Mar. 24, 1936 UNITED kSTATES PATN T OFFICE t `1o claims.

'I'his invention relates to bottles of the sort provided with finger grooves to assist in holding the bottle for the prevention of its slipping when held in the hands, especially if the hands may be wet,

z5 .and has for its object to provide grooves of this type which are so placed as to make it unnecessary. for the moist fingers totouch the label. Another object is to provide a bottle having finger grooves which are comparatively inconspicuous when the bottle is viewed from the front, so as not to aiect the normal appearance of the bottle upon the purchaser. The ringer grooves are only noticeable when viewed in profile or from one side.

Manufacturers of old line bottle goods are well aware that the shape of their bottles constitutes an important element in the appearance of their goods and in their goodwill. So valuable is the appearance and shape of the bottles that it has been found even a slight change in the appearance of the goods as for example, a slight change in the appearance of the label, results in a substantial falling off in sales, because the buying publie has become accustomed to` a particular mental impression created by the appearance of what they have been in the habit of purchasing. This reluctancel of the public to take .up a slight change in appearance of something they have been accustomed to, is possibly due to a natural mental inertia of all peoples-and possibly also due to caution by the purchasers to avoid spurious imitations and counterfeits.

Many manufacturers of bottled goods such as are used by bartenders in mixing or dispensing drinks, and such as are used by barbers in applying hair tonics, have realized that the hands of the bartenders and barbers are often wet resulting in the bottle slipping. Yet these manufacturers have been reluctant to adopt for their bottles any of the existing types of nger grooves which would lessen the danger of the bottle slipping, because realizing that such eidsting types of finger grooves necessitate a substantial change in the appearance or shape -of their bottles, and these manufacturers fear the almost inevitable falling oif in sales from such a practice.

According to this invention these disadvantages have been eliminated and a bottle provided with finger grooves which are soy shaped and positioned as to enhance the safety in use of the bottle without affecting the general appearance of the bottle when viewed from the front.

Referring to the drawing: Fig. 1 illustrates a bottle having one embodiment of this invention. Fig. 2 is a rear View of bottle shown in Fig.. 1.

'5Q .Fig. 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

(Cl.A 215-1) vFigal illustrates the convenient manner of handling the bottle of the preceeding figures. Fig. 5 is a section ,onf the line 5-1-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 isa section on the Vline 6 6 of Fig. 5.

In 'the' embodiment shown in the drawing, theY 5 bottle. I'is 'of general cylindrical shape, having a reduced neck portion I I, surmounted by any convenient type of closure suchras a cork or a metal cap. On the front of the bottle just below the reduced neck portion is a thumb groove I2. Dia- 10 metrically opposite this groove and on the rear of the bottle are a plurality of nger grooves I3. Each of the grooves, I2 and I3, have their ends and edges so gradually rounded as to be relatively inconspicuous when viewed in profile or from the side as shown in Fig. 3. The rounded edges of the grooves are shown at I4 in Fig. 3 as forming on the adjacent outer surface of the bottle, the substantially sinusoidal contour illustrated.

When the nger grooves are positioned as illustrated the little finger, ring finger, and large finger, of onerv hand may engage the grooves I3, with the foreiinger engaging the reduced.l neck portion of the bottle so that this neck portion may-function as another groove for this finger. As illustrated lin Fig. 4, the thumb engages the groove I2. With bottles having no neck portion shaped to function as a linger groove, it will -be desirable to have four instead of three grooves I 3.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned the convenience and adaptability ofthe fingers to it the grooves for a substantial length, each groove being at least about 60 degrees in extent. The thumb groove I2 is of substantially the same length as l. the linger grooves, although it need not be so long.` Having the thumb groove I2 located above the label I5 venables the user to keep the label 'dry and unsoiled by his hands. A very important feature of this invention resides in the bottle having its sides, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, free of any finger grooves,` while at the same time these finger grooves are substantially inconspicuous from the front or rear because their edges are so gradually rounded. These last two advantages make it possible for the finger grooves to be present without detracting from the normal appearance from the front and nger grooves on the back, said grooves having gradually rounded edges so that they are inconspicuous from the front, the sides of the bottle being free of said grooves whereby the grooves are noticeable chiefly in prole and the general appearance of the bottle'from the front is the same as would be the appearance of the bottle Without such grooves.

2. A bottle of a size to be held by thumb on one side and the ngers on the opposite side of its body portion, having a plurality of grooves on one side of a size, shape and spacing to fit a substantial length of ngers received therein and a thumb groove opposite said plurality of finger grooves, the sides of the bottle between said opposite grooves being free of grooves.

3. A bottle of a size to be held by thumb on one side and the ngers on the opposite side of its body portion, having a plurality of grooves on one side of a size, shape and spacing to fit a substantial length of ngers received therein and a thumb groove opposite said plurality of nger grooves, the sides of the bottle between said opposite grooves being free of grooves, the length o1 the nger grooves extending through at least about a sixth of the transverse distance around the bottle, and of gradually decreasing depth at the ends of said 'grooves and on the sides of the grooves.

4. A bottle of a size to be held by thumb on one side and the fingers on the opposite side of its body portion, having a plurality of grooves on one side of a size, shape and spacing to t a substantial length of fingers received therein and at least a thumb groove opposite said plurality of finger grooves, the sides of the bottle between said opposite groove being free of grooves, the length of the nger grooves extending through at least about a sixth of the transverse distance around the bottle, and of gradually decreasing depth at the ends of said grooves, the edges of all of said grooves being so gradually rounded and the depth of all of said grooves being so slight as to be comparatively inconspicuous except When the grooves are viewed in prole.

5. A bottle of a size to be held by thumb on one side and the ngers on the opposte side of its body portion, having a plurality of grooves on one side of a size, shape and spacing to iit a substantial length of fingers received therein and at least a thumb groove opposite said plurality of nger grooves, the sides of the bottle between said opposite grooves being free of grooves, the length of the finger grooves extending through at least about a sixth of the transverse distance around the bottle, and of gradually decreasing depth at the ends of said grooves, the edges of all of said grooves being so gradually rounded and the depth of all of said grooves being so slight as to be comparatively inconspicuous except when the grooves are viewed in profile, a section centrally through said inger grooves being substantially sinusoidal on the outer surface.

6. A bottle of a si to be held by thumb on one side and the ngers on the opposite side of its body portion, having a plurality of grooves on one side of a size, shape and spacing to iit a substantial length of fingers received therein and 5 a thumb groove opposite said plurality of finger grooves, the sides of the bottle between said opposite grooves being free of grooves, the length of the finger grooves extending through at least about a sixth of the bottle periphery, and of grad- 10 ually decreasing depth at the ends of said grooves, the edges of all of said grooves being so gradually rounded and the depth of all of said grooves being so slight as to be comparatively inconspicuous except when the grooves are viewed in l5 proile, a section centrally through said finger grooves being substantially sinusoidal on the outer surface, the bottle being cylindrical and having a reduced neck portion, the finger grooves being three in number and located close enough 20 to the neck portion that one finger may engage the reduced neck portion while the thumb and other fingers of the same hand are received within said grooves.

'7. A bottle of a size to be held by thumb on 25 ne side and the fingers on the opposite side of its body portion, having a plurality of grooves on one side of a size, shape and spacing to fit a substantial length of fingers received therein and at least a thumb groove opposite said plurality 30 of linger grooves, the sides of the bottle between said opposite grooves being free of grooves, all edges of all grooves being so gradually rounded as to make said grooves relatively inconspicuous except when viewed in proiile. :35

8. A bottle of a size to be held by the fingers; having at least three grooves of a size, shape and spacing to fit a substantial length of the ngers when open and grasping said bottle, a reduced neck portion, the topmost groove being below the 40 conjunction of said neck and body portions by an amount substantially equal to the spacing between said grooves, to facilitate one finger tting about the neck, a groove on the opposite side of the body portion from the finger grooves and: 45 at about the height of the upper nger groove whereby on entry of the thumb into its groove the ingers naturally tend to enter the finger grooves on the opposite side, and whereby a label may be located below the thumb groove and out 5.0 of contact with the thumb, fingers or hand while holding the bottle.

9. A bottle of a size to be held by the fingers, having a body portion of rounded cross-section to conform to the fingers when bent, at least/'155 three grooves of a size, shape and spacing to iit a substantial length of the iingers when open and grasping said bottle, a reduced neck portion, the topmost groove being below the conjunction of said neck and body portions by an amount sub-f stantially equal to the spacing between said grooves, to facilitate one finger iitting about the neck; a groove on the opposite side of the body portion from the iinger grooves and at about the height of the upper nger groove whereby on en-f'* try or the thumb into its groove the ngers naturally tend to enter the iinger grooves on the opposite side, and whereby a label may be located below the thumb groove and out of contact with, the thumb, iingers or hand while holding the bottle, the sides of the bottle between the thumb and nger grooves and on each side of the label being free of any grooves whereby the aforesaid grooves do not substantially change the front ap-I- pearance of the bottle from what it would 'be Without said grooves.

10. A bottle having nger grooves on at least one face, said grooves having gradually rounded edges so that they are inconspicuous from the front or back, the sides of the bottle being free of said grooves whereby they grooves are noticeable chiey in prole and the general appearance of the bottle from the front or back is the same as would be the appearance of the bottle without such grooves.

JOHN J. QUINN.

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