US2960256A - Container attachment - Google Patents

Description

Nov, 15, 1960 H. J. FEIBELMAN CONTAINER ATTACHMENT Filed March 50, 1959 INVENTOR. Z2725 Jjziefmaz 2x11 aw United States Patent CONTAINER ATTACHMENT Hans J. Feibelman, Providence, R.I., assignor to Coro, Inc. of Rhode Island, Providence, R.I., a corporation of Rhode Island Filed Mar. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 802,882

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-85) The present invention relates generally to containers, and more particularly to a novel means for associating an article of jewelry with said container during the shipment and sale thereof.

It has been found desirable to provide novel and improved means for enabling an article of jewelry, such as a bracelet or the like, to be physically associated with any sort of a'container whereby said article of jewelry will, in effect, function as a premium item to promote more extensive sales of the container product. For example, in the promotion and sale of a product such as liquid soap, a highly competitive commodity, it has been found that sales can be increased by providing the consumer with a premium item as a gift for each can or container of liquid soap purchased. The basic purpose of this invention is to provide simple and effective means for physically associating the premium item with a container in such a way that the item will be attractively displayed but neverthe less wherein the item may be easily removed from the container for subsequent use.

It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide a simple and effective clamping bracket whereby an article of costume jewelry, such as a ring-like bracelet, may be assembled to a container, preferably of the cylindrical variety, so that the article of jewelry is attractively displayed.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a clamping bracket which will insure that the jewelry article will not inadvertently become detached from its associated container, but which, nevertheless, is assembled in such a way that the jewelry article may be readily and easily removed for subsequent use.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an attachment of the character described which may be readily used with conventional containers and cans and which does not necessitate any particular container structure or configuration.

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a clamping bracket of the character described which may be easily blanked from sheet stock, thereby lending itself to simple and inexpensive manufacture.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated by me for carrying out my invention:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a container embodying my inventive attachment;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof with a portion shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the clamping element per se;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4- of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the ring-like jewelry article which forms a part of my invention;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, showing the upper portion of the container with its cap removed;

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of the cap per se.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a container generally designated at 10 having a bracelet 12 attached thereto by means of a clamping bracket 14.

The container 10 comprises a body portion 16, preferably of cylindrical configuration, having a conventional bottom 18 attached thereto at its lower end and having a reduced neck 20 at its upper extremity. As will be seen most clearly in Fig. 6, body portion 16 and reduced neck 20 cooperate to define a peripheral shoulder 22, the marginal diameter of which is slightly greater than the inner diameter of bracelet 12.

The bracelet 12 is preferably of plastic construction and therefore may be gaily colored so as to assume an attractive and provocative appearance. As illustrated, the bracelet 12 may be nothing more than a molded ringlike element, and since its inner diameter is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of shoulder 22, it follows that the bracelet will be incapable of passing down over body portion 16, but rather it will be maintained on the peripheral edge of shoulder 22 as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 6.

The bracelet 12 is positively maintained in its position on shoulder 22 by means of clamping bracket 14. As will be seen most clearly in Fig. 3, bracket 14 is actually a spider having a central hub 24 and a plurality of integral radial fingers 26 extending outwardly therefrom, each of said fingers terminating at its outer extremity in a gently curved depending portion 28. As will be obvious, bracket 14 may be blanked from sheet stock and may be constructed of any resilient metallic material. Inherently, the fingers 26 will possess a considerable degree of resilience, the importance of which will hereinafter become apparent.

The central hub 24 of bracket 14 is provided with an aperture 30 of sufi'lcient size so as to snugly receive the container neck 20. Likewise, it Will be understood that the fingers 26, and more particularly their depending extensions 28, are of a size so as to frictionally grip the bracelet 12, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus, the bracelet 12 may be resiliently forced into engagement with the fingers 26 whereupon bracket 14- and bracelet 12 may be handled as a unit. In assembly, it is simply necessary to slip the bracket 14-, and more particularly its central hub 24, over the container neck 20, after which the container cap 32 is threadedly engaged to the neck 20, it being noted that said neck is externally threaded as at 34 while the cap 32 is internally threaded as at 36. As the cap 32 is screwed downwardly, its lower peripheral edge 38 will engage hub 24 forcing the bracket downwardly, whereupon fingers 26 flex upwardly to insure that the bracelet 12 is rigidly, although resiliently, maintained in its assembled position. Conversely, when it is. desired to remove the bracelet 12, it is simply necessary to unscrew the cap 32 whereupon bracket 14 and bracelet 12 may be lifted upwardly for disassembly from can 10 and then the bracelet 12 may be easily detached from gripping fingers 28 since the assembly between these parts is nothing more than a slight frictional engagement.

Although it is preferred to assemble bracket 14 and bracelet 12 into frictional engagement prior to assembly with can 10 in order to expedite and facilitate this latter assembly operation, it will nevertheless be understood that such pro-assembly is not an actual necessity. In other words, if desired, the bracelet 12 may simply be placed in position on the peripheral edge of shoulder 22 and then the bracket 14 may he slid over the container neck 20 so that, when cap 32 is threaded downwardly, it will force the fingers 26 and their depending extensions 3 28 into frictional gripping engagement with the bracelet 12.

Although in the instant embodiment the can 10 is illustrated as housing a liquid soap or the like 40, it will be understood that the material contained within can 10 actually forms no part of the instant invention. Likewise, the can 10 could assume numerous different configurations, it only being important that the bracelet 12 be incapable of passing down over the sides of the can. As will be obvious, bracket 14 will insure that the bracelet is always properly centered with respect to the can configuration, no matter what shape the latter may assume,

Thus, it will be seen that there has been provided in accordance with my invention a very simple and yet efifective means for assembling an article of jewelry, such as a bracelet or the like, with a container whereby the jewelry article is prominently displayed, securely mounted in position, and yet easily removable for subsequent use.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except in so far as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A container having a body portion, a reduced neck at one extremity of said body portion and defining there with a peripheral shoulder, a'ring-like element surrounding said neck and positioned on said shoulder, a spider having a central hub and a plurality of radially extending fingers, said hub having an opening therein through which said container neck snugly extends, said fingers overlying and resiliently forcing said ring-like element against said peripheral shoulder, and a detachable cap in engagement with said container neck and forcing said spider into gripping relation with respect to said ring-like element.

2. The container of claim 1 further characterized in that said container body portion is cylindrical and slightly larger than the inside diameter of said ring-like element, and wherein said spider fingers have curved depending portions at their outer extremities frictionally engaging the outer edge of said ring-like element, whereby said spider and ring-like element may be frictionally and releasably assembled to each other for handling as a unit during assembly to the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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