US2193227A - Closure for containers - Google Patents

Description

March 12, 19411 N. E. H. DELETZKE CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 13. 1937 w ww Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Cherry-Burrell Corpo a corporation ration, Wilmington, DeL,

Application September 13, 1937, Serial No. 163,541

, 8 Claims.

This invention relates to container closures. It is especially applicable to containers such as milk bottles, and -is accordingly so described herein; however, it is not. limited to containers for any particular purpose.

In closure caps of thin, pliable material, such as metal foil, which are molded with a depending crimped flange about the mouth of the container, the preferred sealing contact is formed at the line of engagement between the crimped detents in the flange and the complementary engaging shoulder in the outer wall of the container neck. Likewise, the points of interruption of the lines of engagement along the shoulder are the Week- II est points of sealing contact, and are objectionable in that they permit leakage.

Discontinuous or interrupted cap engaging provisions are commonly employed to obliterate the engaging detents in the depending cap skirt or go flange, by means .of a relative rotation of the c'ap upon the container, after which rotation the cap may be lifted from the container mouth. The ends of the discontinuous cap engaging provisions serve as fulcra to obliterate the retaining 5 detents when the cap is rotated relative to the container mouth. This invention has for its chief object the production of a bottle and pliable closure cap therefor of novel construction, which will protect the mouth and pouring lip of the bottle against contamination, but which is easily applied and removed, in which the applied cap is tamper-proof and isin uninterrupted sealing contact about the outer periphery of the mouth of the bottle, but which may be loosened for removal by a partial turn of the cap relative to the bottle, without deforming the cap so as to prevent its subsequent reuse for temporarib sealing the bottle. Another object is to provide a wash ring or grip ring in the form of a second and enlarged bead about the neck of the bottle which also protects the cap and cap. holding parts from injury, as well as affords means for holding or handling the bottle. A further object is to provide a closure for bottles which can be partially preformed and molded in position about the container top by any of the usual methods of molding closure caps over bottle mouths, i. e., by the application of so lateral pressure to the cap and container for crimping portions of the dependingcap flange into position about the cap engaging means in the outer periphery of the bottle neck.

a Though a milk bottle and closuretherefor 55 have been selected as the preferred embodiment of my invention, yet it may also be employed as a closure for other containers such as beer and beverage bottles, jars and containers.

The foregoing objects I prefer to accomplish as illustrated in the preferred embodiment of my 6 invention, in a milk bottle closure. The invention will be best understood from the following description, which when read in connection with the following drawing in which:

Figure l is an elevation of a partially prem formed cap of the type contemplated by this invention; Figure 2 is an elevation, partially in section, of the upper portion of a milk bottle showing one construction according to this invention; Figure 3 is a similar view of the bottle 35 with the cap applied to it; Figure 4 is also a similar view of the bottle with the cap partially removed from it; and Figure 5 is a portion of a vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3. 20

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, and particularly to Figure 2 in which i designates a bottle neck provided with a pouring lip or head 2 about its mouth, and an annular wash ring or guard ring it immediately below the W than is the lower wall 8 of the wavy groove, in 35' an adjacent crest of the groove.

Referring to Figure 1, the closure cap there illustrated consists of a lid portion 9 and a depending flange Ill. 'The closure cap is applied to the bottle in such a manner that the mouth of the bottle 'is covered by. the lid portion 9 and the greater portion of the bead 2 is covered by the depending cap flange it, as shown by Figure 3.

In each instance the closure cap overlaps all 48 portions of the annular wavy groove 3, and is embossed thereinto during the cap applying action, thus forming a complementary rib I! in the depending cap flange. Thelower edge of the cap flange ll covers a portion of the bead 2 50 beneath the lower wall 8 of a groove trough 6. This provision is an added advantage in that the portion of the cap embossed into the groove 3 provides a form of reinforcement in the depending cap flange and constitutes the cap reintermediate the upper and lower margins of the flange, we also provide two annular bands in the depending cap flange, which are not disturbed by the cap removing action and thus provide for satisfactory temporary sealing on subsequent re-use of the cap.

A satisfactory closure cap,-to be used with a bottle as above described, may be formed of thin, pliable, shape retaining material such as metal foil, etc., and in its preferred adaptation, has a depending flange it oi slightly larger internal diameter than the external diameter of the bead 2 of the bottle mouth.

The walls '5 and 8 of the groove 2 constitute compound, deflecting surfaces when the cap is rotated relative to the bottle. This is due to the combined radial and axial inclination of all portions of the wails'of the groove. However, these same walls I and 8 which constitute the cap removing means, also constitute the cap engaging means, as well as the uninterrupted sealing means. The wavy inclined surfaces i and 8 of the groove 2, upon rotation of the cap relative to the bottle, will have an axial and radial wedging effect simultaneously upon all portions of the complementary rib i2 embossed into the depending skirt of the cap. Such combined wedging' the bottle neck. To apply the cap to the bottle,

it is necessary after placing the cap over the bottle mouth, to apply lateral inwardly directed pressure to the depending skirt. This is commonly done by means of pneumatic dies which will cause the skirt to conform to the outer surface of the bottle neck, as well as emboss a rib l2 into the depending flange of the cap, complementary to the groove 2 in the bottle neck. This complementary rib l2 will shoulderingly engage the walls I and 8'of the groove 2, thus forming the sealing contact, as well as the retaining crimpings which hold the cap in position on the bottle neck.

To remove the cap, the preferred method is to grip the bottle in one hand and pressing the palm of the other hand against the lid of the cap, turn the cap relative to the bottle. Such relative rotation will break the sealing contact, as well as 'make the cap removable by the wedgingaction of -convenient means for gripping the bottle when handling the samefas well as when it is being washed. The wash ring I also protects the lower flange ll of the ,cap and the pouring lip of the bottle in that it. is so constructed as to act as a sort of bumper.

My invention, therefore, provides a closure for aroma? taining crimpings and sealing contacts. By the' .embossing of a rib into the depending cap flange containers which can be easily and quickly removed and which when applied to the container, is retained in position against accidental removal, and which forms an uninterrupted, continuous, sealing contact, as well as protects the mouth of the container against contamination. ,As pointed out, the unique way of expanding the crimpings in the depending flange of the cap skirt, as well as the forming of a sealing contact,-will permit of the easy removal of the cap from the container when the cap is rotated relative to the container mouth, as well as its subsequent re-use.

Although I have shown and described the certain specific embodiments of my invention, I am fully aware of the many possible modifications thereof. My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted, except insofar as necessitated by the prior art and the spirit of the applied claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of a container having formed externally in the neck thereof adjacent its orifice, a continuous, uninterrupted groove of wavy contour relative to the mouth of the container, and a closure cap of pliable material over the container mouth having a depending flange provided with a rib formed in the capping operation complementary to the groove of wavy contour, said groove being so constructed and arranged whereby, upon the rotation of the closure cap relative to the mouth of the container, said rib in said depending flange will be moved out of engagement with said groove.

2. The combination of a bottle whose neck is provided with an uninterrupted, external, annular, wavy groove, and a sealing hood of pliable material applied to the mouth of the bottle and having a continuous depending skirt molded in position on the mouth of the bottle to overlap and engage said groove by a complementary rib so formed in the skirt, said wavy groove being of such amplitude and frequency and being so constructed and arranged that the upper edge of! some portions of the groove is farther removed axially from the bottle mouth than the lower edge.

of some oth r portions of the groove.

3. A bott e, the neck of which is recessed externally to form an uninterrupted, annular groove, both walls ofwhich are ununiformly inclined relative to the mouth of said bottle, and to the axis of the bottle and in which the upper edge of some portions of the groove will be farther removed axially from the bottle mouth than the lower edge of some other portions of the groove.

4. A bottle, the neck of which is recessed externally adjacent its orifice'to form an annular, uninterrupted groove of undulating configuration in the surface of the bottle neck in which the continuous upper edge of the groove constitutes the sealing edge and in which some portions of the said upper edge of the groove. will be farther removed axially .from the bottle mouth than the lower edge of some other portions of the groove, and a closure cap of pliable material applied to the'mouth of the bottle having portions of the skirt embossed into the said groove.

5. A bottle provided with a neck having a continuous, wavy recess adjacent its mouth in the outer periphery thereof forming a continuous sealing edge and cap engaging shoulder, and a skirted capappliedtothe container mouth and formed thereon, said cap having a rib complementary to the cap engaging-groove embossed into its depending skirt, said rib engaging the walls of the recess in the bottle neck and forming a ill sealing contact therewith, said wavy recess being of such amplitude and frequency that, upon rotation of the cap relative to the container mouth, said rib in said cap skirt will be disembossed by contact with the walls of said recess, 4

6. A bottle of the class described, the neck of which is provided adjacent its mouth with an annular, uninterrupted, wavy recess, the walls of which assume an inclined position radially and axially of the container, and a closure cap with depending skirt applied to the container mouth having a, portion of the depending skirt, intermediate the upper and lower margins thereof, pressed inwardly into shouldering engagement with the walls of the wavy recess, said wavy recess being of such amplitude and frequency and so constructed and arranged that, upon rotating the closure cap relative tothe container mouth, said inwardly pressed portion of said depending skirt will be pressed outwardly to enable the ready removal of the cap from the said bottle mouth.

7. A tamper-proof bottle finish and closure comprising a bottle neck having an annular, uninterrupted, peripheral bead adjoining its mouth, an annular, uninterrupted ledge beneath said head, an annular groove of undulated configuration throughout its entire length separating said head and said ledge, said bead and said ledge having complemental surfaces, and an external skirted closure, said closure having a deformably skirted portion disposed under said bead and extending into said groove, said groove being of such amplitude and frequency and so constructed and arranged that, upon the rotation of said closure relative to the mouth of said bottle, the portion of the skirt of said closure disposed under said ledge will be ironed out by the wedging action of the ledge and the bottom wall of said groove.

8. The combination of a container having a fiat, annular, uninterrupted bead about its neck immediately adjacent the mouth of said container, a continuous, uninterrupted groove of wavy contour relative to the mouth of the container recessed into the flat surface of said bead, and a closure cap of pliable material over the container mouth having a depending flange provided with a rib formed in the capping operation complemental to the said groove, said cap flange extending downwardly over said bead beyond said groove, said groove being of such amplitude and frequency and being so constructed and arranged that, upon the rotation of the closure cap relative to the container mouth,,said rib in said depending flange will be expanded outwardly to enable the ready removal of the closure cap from the mouth of the container.

NORMAN E. 'H. DELETZKE.

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