US2298293A - Container - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 13, 1942. M, mTHERs LL 2,298,293

CONTAINER Filed Dec. 10, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l fzgf I? if INVENTOR.

wazwfi z BY 154M ATTORNEYS J. M. HOTHERSALL Oct. 13, 1942.

' CONTAINER Filed Dec. 10, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 7 W BY .0, A v

fi'm'n'fvs Patented Oct. 13, 1942 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE CONTAINER John M. Hothersall, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a sheet metal container or can having a compound gasket lined removable cover which is adapted to hold a vacuum within the sealed container and which is secured in closed and sealed position on the container by interrupted screw threads, the invention having particular reference to a construction of cover which also includes elements for readily breaking the vacuum within the container when it is initially opened by unscrewing of the cover.

The present invention constitutes certain modifications and improvements in the respec-- tive containers disclosed in my United States Letters Patent Numbers 2,180,357 and 2,241,381, the latter issued on a prior filed application copending herewith.

Covers having a sealing gasket of compound lining material when applied to cans which have been vacuumized and which are secured in place by interlocking screw threads, are often very difficult to open because external atmospheric pressure opposed to the internal vacuum, aided by the adhering effect of the compound holds the cover so tightly on the can that considerable force is required to pry the cover loose and both cover and can are often distorted and damaged which impairs the usefulness of the parts for reclosure purposes.

The instant invention contemplates overcoming this difficulty by providing a duplex cover, an outer screw-threaded element of which when rotated reversely, as when removing it from the can, will pry open an edge of an inner sealing member of the cover at a locality and time in advance of engagement of other prying and lifting elements with the inner sealing member and thereby break the vacuum so that the two-part cover as an entirety may be readily removed.

An object of the invention is the provision of a can adapted to be vacuumized and having an improved compound lined cover which may be secured to the can by cooperating interrupted screw threads and locking elements by means of which the cover may be screwed down into tight hermetically sealed position on the cam and locked against accidental loosening and dislodgment but yet may be easily operated when desired. to break the vacuum within the can by simple rotation as by unscrewing the cover so that it may be readily lifted off and used again as a reclosure.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a can and cover wherein the cover is hermetically clamp the other onto the can and to have rotative movement relative thereto for prying loose an edge of the clamped member at one locality only, thereby breaking the vacuum within the can so that the entire cover may be more easily removed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a novel can end closure construction the movable part of which has two setsof prying and lifting elements cooperatively arranged on opposite sides, with a lifting element of one disposed above a horizontal plane passed through the other, each set of elements simultaneously prying and lifting a sealing member or disk from the can at one section thereof and holding it after breaking the vacuum to facilitate continued turning action for removing the cover.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view inside elevation of an assembled can and cover embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary View in vertical section of the assembled can and cover taken substantially along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Fig. 1, showing the cover in closed position; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the cover in a partially raised position prior to removing the sealing disk from the can.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawings disclose a can comprising a cylindrical sheet metal body I I which is strengthened adjacent its upper end by an annular bead l2 struck outwardly from the body side wall. The upper end wall of the body terminates above the bead in an inwardly bent edge curl I3 which provides a smooth top edge and cover seating ledge on the body.

After filling, the can is adapted to be closed by a removable duplex sheet metal cover which permits closing and sealing under vacuum and upon being opened the cover may be used as a reclosure. This cover includes a substantially flat flexible sealing disk 22 and a separate annular clamping ring 23 for holding the disk in position'upon the container.

The cover sealing disk 22 is formed with a fiat made in two pieces, one of which is adapted to Ci u ar panel 24 which at its outer edge me into an annular inverted U-shaped flange 25. This flange provides a channel 26 into which a lining compound or other appropriate gasket 21 is carried. The peripheral edge of the flange is or may be flared out slightly as at 28. When the sealing disk is on the can, its panel 24 is disposed in the mouth of the can and the flange 25 rests on top of and partially surrounds the body curl l3 which thus forms a seat, the gasket 21 being interposed between the flange 25 and the curl l3 as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The gasket effects a hermetic seal between the can and the sealing disk.

The sealing disk flange 25 during sealing of the can is drawn down tightly against the can seat or curl |3 by the annular clamping ring 23. This ring fits over the top of the flange 25 and is formed with a depending side wall or skirt section 3|. this skirt section is outside of but closely adjacent the side wall of the can above the body bead l2. At its lower edge th rin skirt merges into an outwardly curled smooth sdge 32. At its upper end the skirt wall merges into an inwardly curved flange 33 which surrounds the annular flange 25 of thesealing disk.

Adjacent the base of the curved wall section 33, i. e., where it merges into the side wall section 3| of the clamping ring, there are disposed prying elements 34 and lifting elements 35 (Fig. 1). There is preferably a prying element arranged adiacent each lifting element and one of each of the elements is diametrically opposed to the other.

The prying element 34 consists of a triangular shaped blade or knif section cut from the side wall of the clamping ring andinclined toward theadjacent lifting element 35. The sharp corner of this triangular shaped blade is inclined inwardly from the skirt wall and extends into the lining compound or gasket 21 when the blade is lifted in opening the container. The outwardly flanged edge 28 of the sealing disk 22 guides the sharp edge of the blade beneath the disk and as the blade 34 is thicker than the space occupied by the gasket, it acts as 'a wedge for simultaneously prying and cutting into the com pound when the cover is unscrewed (Fig. 2)

One of the prying elements 34 is preferably higher on the clamping ring skirt 3| than the r other with the result that it first comes into engagement with the flared edge of the sealing disk .22. It therefore raises the disk at a point ahead of the other. This advanced prying action on one side breaks the vacuum within the sealed container. Thus as one section of the disk is lifted and held upwardly it facilitates the removal of the duplex cover by the further turning of the clamping ring.

The spaced relation of each prying blad 34 relative to'each lifting element 35 (Figs. 1 and 3) is such as to insure that a lifting action follows a prying action when unscrewing the cover. The

When the cover is applied to the can.

it is pried loose by the uppermost prying blade 34 which has moved just ahead. The lifting lug 35 on the opposite side of the can indicated at B, will engage under the flared edge 28 upon further turning of the clamping ring 3|. The lifting lugs thus assist in completely removing the sealing disk 22 from the can.

Screw thread sections formed in the body wall above the bead l2 and in th clamping ring wall sect-ion 3| cooperate to provide for securing the duplex cover to the can. They also assist in removing it therefrom by backing up the prying and lifting action of the elements 34 and 35 against the sealing disk 22.

A plurality of spaced inclined interrupted threads 36 are disposed in overlapping relation above the bead and are struck outwardly from the body side wall II when the threads are formed. In the clamping rin wall section 3| a plurality of spaced individually inclined interrupted threads 31 are formed by being struck inwardly from the ring side wall. This general form of interrupted thread construction is often used in sheet metal cans for securing can and cover together.

During the application of the duplex cover of th present invention the sealing disk 22 turns with the ring 23 until stopped by engagement of its gasket 21 with the body curl l3. Thereafter erted thereon and opposed'to the low pressure or lifting elements 35 are preferably produced by slitting the skirt wall and pressing the Wall inwardly directly beneath the slit. This forms a shoulder or lug on the inner side of the clamp-' ing ring. The upper edge of each lug being bent inwardly from the ring wall 3| thus extends under the flared edge 28 of the sealing flange 25.

vacuumized condition within the container. There is also considerable clinging or adhesion of the gasket compound on the body curl l3. Continued rotation of the ring in reverse direction first brings the uppermost prying blade 34 between the flared edge 28 of the sealing disk ametrically opposed location of the lifting elements 35 on the friction ring further serves to maintain the sealing disk 22 against displacemnt from and-in desirable loosely assembled relation with the clamping ring element 23, when the duplex or two-part cover is removed from the container.

These cooperating prying and lifting actions xerted or directed against diametrically opposed portions of the sealing disk flange flared edge 28, first to pry the sealing disk loose and then to lift it from its seat, is of such a nature as not to damage the gasket or distort the can and cover parts. The duplex cover after its initial opening may then be usedas a suitable reclosure.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts with out departing from the spirit-and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A container for easy opening, comprising a container body formed with a top ledge defining an opening, a sheet metal duplex cover for closing and sealing said opening, said cover including a sealing disk having a peripheral flange adapted to seat on the body ledge and a clamping ring having an annular mounting on the flange of the disk for relative rotative movement therebetween, sealing material on said disk flange for engaging said ledge, cooperating screw threads formed respectively in said body and clamping ring for positively moving th clamping ring and said disk relative to said body, a prying device formed on and projecting inwardly from said clamping ring for engagement, beneath the disk flange to initially open the container by a prying action against said disk to overcome the tendency of said sealing material to hold against said ledge, and means on said clamping ring spaced from said prying device for engaging beneath said disk flange for lifting the latter from its ledge seat after the performance of said prying action.

2. An easy opening container adapted to be vacuumized, comprising a container body formed with a top ledge defining an opening, a duplex cover for closing and sealing said opening, said cover including an inner flexible sealing disk having a peripheral flange adapted to seat on the body ledge, said cover further including an outer clamping ring having an annular flange for seating on the flange of said disk for rotative movement relative thereto, sealing material on said disk flange for engaging said ledge, cooperating screw threads formed in said body and in said clamping ring for attaching and removing said duplex cover, a plurality of spaced lifting lugs formed in said clamping rin and extending beneath said disk flange, and prying instrumentalities formed in the clamping ring adjacent said lugs and adapted for engagement beneath the disk flange to cut into the said sealing material and to pry outwardly on the disk at localized points to break the vacuum within the sealed container when it is initially opened by unscrewing of the cover, said lugs engaging the sealing disk and lifting it so that further unscrewing of the clamping ring is facilitated to more easily remove the duplex cover from the container body.

3. An easy opening sheet metal container adapted to be vacuumized, comprising a contain. or body formed with a top ledge defining an opening, a two-piece unitary cover for closing and sealing said opening, said cover including an inner sealing disk having a peripheral flange defining a channel adapted to seat on the body ledge, said cover further including an outer clamping ring having an annular mountin on the flange of said disk for relative rotation therebetween, a sealing gasket disposed in the said flange channel for engaging the ledge in a sealing joint, cooperating screw threads formed respectively in said body and clamping ring for positively moving said clamping ring up and down during relative turning of the can and said cover, an integral triangularly shaped blade struck from said clamping ring having a sharp edge directed upwardly and inwardly toward the disk flange, and a lug disposed adjacent said blade for retaining the sealing disk loosely within its clamping ring, said blade being adapted to separate the sealing gasket from the body ledge and to pry outwardly on the sealing disk at one point to break the vacuum when said clamping ring is turned to move outwardly on said threads, said lug thereafter engaging and lifting the sealing disk from its sealing position on the container body.

4. An easy opening sheet metal container adapted to be vacuumized, comprising a container body formed with a top ledge defining an opening, a duplex cover for closing and sealing said opening, said cover including an inner sealing disc having a peripheral flange adapted to seat on the body ledge, said cover further including an outer clamping ring having a depending skirt and an annular mounting on the flange of the disc for relative rotation therebetween, sealing material on said flange for engaging said ledge, cooperating screw threads formed respectively in said body and clamp-ing ring for positively moving the latter inwardly and outwardly relative to the container, a plurality of prying blades on said clamping ring and extending inwardly from said skirt, and a plurality of inwardly extending lugs on said clamping ring interposed between said blades, a said lug being located adjacent a said blade with one of said lugs disposed higher on the ring skirt than another of said lugs, said blades and lugs cooperatively breaking the vacuum and lifting said disc from the container ledge and holding it in raised position when said cover is rotated in a reverse direction, a said lug following in the path of movement of its adjacent blade to release and elevate said cover from its closing and sealing position on the container body.

JOHN M. HO'I'HERSALL.

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