US857698A - Receptacle-closure. - Google Patents

Description

No. 857,698. PATENTED JUNE 25, 190" A. L. WEISSENTHANNER.

REGEPTAGLE CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1905.

WITNESSES:

. Y INVENTOR ALFRED L. WEISSENTHANNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RECEPTACLE CLOSURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 190 7.

Application filed November 15,1905. Serial No. 287,461.

To all whom, it may concern.-v

Be it known that I, ALFRED L. WEISSEN- THANNER, a citizen of the Republic of France, and a resident bf New York city, State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Receptacle-Closures, of which the following is a specification.

In that type of sealing cap comprising a pendent flange adapted to be bent into locklng engagement with the shoulder on the head of a bottle or jar some kind of packing or cushioning medium has been universally employed. This medium in the form of a flat disk of elastic material is laced within .the cap and by pressure applied to the top of the cap, while the bottle is firmly supported, is compressed and made to conform to the lip of the bottle or jar. The flange of the cap isthen bent, by means of a suitable machine, into locking engagement with the shoulder on the bottle or jar for the purpose of holding the disk under compression to maintain an effective seal. Cork by reason of its lightness and elasticity is peculiarly adapted to'this purpose andhas been extensively used. The cork-wood from which the disks are cut is not of uniform structure throughout its mass even with the highest grades, in consequence of which many disks after being out are found to be worthless and incapable of use by reason of the presence of numerous cells which would prevent effective sealing. These im erfect disks must necessarily be' discarded: entailing thereby in the aggregate an enormous loss to the bottler or the manufacturer of the sealing caps. Notwithstandin this condition however the use of cork for iis purpose still persists, although many substitutes have been suggested therefor, notably rubber or compositions thereof.

It is one of the essential objects of the present invention to devise a closure wherey cork'of any uality, provided it possesses the necessary-e asticity, and of any condition of cellular structure may be employed.

My invention in its broadest aspect consists of a sealing disk of elastic material capable of being compressed to the requisite degree to make an eflective seal, and a facing of flexible and preferably inelastic material which has the capability of being bent to conform to the rim of the bottle or jar and of such nature as to be in itself substantially impervious to fluids or made so by a suitable coating. As the elastic medium I prefer cork on account of its cheapness and adaptability to the intended purpose and its effectiveness in making a tight seal. .As the facing medium I have used what is known as fiber, a well known insulating material, and also pasteboard. i

The invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying which I Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a cap having the sealing disk in position before being applied to'the bottle or jar; Fig. 2 is a viewpartly in section of the neck of a bottle showing the cap after the sealing eration; Fig. 3 is a perspectivevviewo the facing or lining disk; and Fig. 4 is a plan view'of a defective cork disk for the purpose of illustrating its cellular structure.

Similar reference numeralsindicate similar parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates the neck of a bottle which has formed thereon a shoulder 2 at or "near the head, the term -bottle being-here used in its broadest significance to designate a receptacle designedto contain liquids, preserves, meats, etc.; 3 designates a cap of sheet metal which may be of any of the usual forms known to the trade. As here shown it comprises a flat crown or top portion ashaving an integral dependin circumferential flange 1?, 0c

the latter being a apted to be bent into ing engagement with the shoulder2. It is to be understood that I have selected this type of cap simply for the purpose of illustration, the invention being adapted to caps having either plain, corrugated or spit flanges, and to caps havin the flange separate from the crown, all 0 which types are well known.

The sealing disk, which constitutes the es sential feature of m invention, comprises a disk 6 of any suitable elastic materiaL-preferably cork, 'of a diameter substantiall equal to thediameter of a section throug the fl'angefi so that it will,rest snugly Within the cap. In practicesuch disks for use in connectionwith caps for bottles containing beer or carbonated beverages are cutabout one inch in diameter and about one-tenth of awing in' for that purpose;

an inch in thickness, the diameter and thickness varying in accordance with the particular size of the bottle or jar with which the cap is to be used. Against the elastic disk 6 is placed a disk 7 of flexible and referably inelastic, material having the capability of being bent at the time of compression of the disk 6 to conform to the rim of the bottle. As an example of a material suitable for the purpose I have used fiber, Which as above stated is a.

well known insulating material, "and which in itself is substantially impervious to fluids, of a dense texture, very tough and innocuous, characteristics which adapt it to the present purpose. The disks 7 are cut from sheets the same diameter as the cork disk 6 and about one-fiftieth of an inch in thickness, although they may be of greater thickness if desired. I have also used pasteboard but when that or a similar material is used it must be treated to render it practically tasteless and odorless to prevent any contamination of the contents of the bottle or jar. .For that purpose I coat one face of the pasteboard disk with any suitable innocuous substance, linseed oil having in practice been found suitable The pasteboard disk may be prepared in any suitable manner for this coating, the oil when hardened presenting a practically smooth continuous surface 8 closing the pores of the pasteboard and ren dering it impervious to water, gases or other fluids which-may be in the containing bottle or ar.

he fiber disks' may be used in their natural state, that is as found upon themarket and without any special preparation, as by reason of its very dense texture it is for all practical purposes as a sealin medium impervious to water or other fluids. Said disks, however, may have a coatingof linseed oil the same as pasteboard disks if deemed necessary or desirable.

When a bottle is to be sealed the-elastic section or disk 6 is placed within the cap and the inelastic section or disk 7 superposed thereon as indicated in Fig. 1. By means of any well known machine vertical ressure is applied to the top of the cap by w 'ch the disk 6, which is normally flat, is compressed about its edge and made to conform to the lip of the bottle. The disk 7 being inelastic and incompressible, but flexible, w1ll be bent into like conformity with the rim of the bottle While this pressure is being maintained a flange bending tool is brought into operation to bend the flange 5 of the ca 3 into locking enga ement with the shoul er 2, as indicated in ig. 2. After the completion of the sealing o eration the sealing disk will be maintaine under compression and capable of resistin anyinternal pressure.

In Fig. 4' have shown on a slightly enlarg'ed scale the cellular structure of a cork disk selected from among those out for commercial use. This disk, it will be noted, is pitted with-cells 9 which extend through from face to face particularly over the surface that is compressed in the sealing operation. Such disk is absolutely valueless when used alone as a sealing medium, and is typical of disks by which effective sealing cannot be effected and which must therefore be rejected, the aggregate loss therefrom representing a very large money value, not only for material but labor in preparing and cutting. The disk 7 while it may be advantageously employed with perfect cork disks is more particularly intended for use by me with corks, which by reason of imperfections above noted, have heretofore been discarded, or in other words with cork disks which are incapable of being used alone. .The disk 7 may if desired be cemented to the face of the cork disk but that'is not necessary for its successful use. When laid upon the face of an imperfectdisk, such as illustrated in Fig. 4, the cells 9 are closed, in-as-much as the impervious disk 7 prevents the escape of gases or liquids contained in the bottlellor jar and the seal will be maintained in as reliable and eflective condition as with a perfectpork disk.

One of the essential advantages of fiber and pasteboard as materials for the disks 7 is that they possess the necessary density and rigidity to withstand any internal pressure which would tend to break or bend them at the points where they cover the cells 9 of an imperfect cork disk 6. The utility of the present sealing disk has been fully demonstrated in practice, enabling the practical utilization of cork disks of the character illustrated in Fig. 4which, as above stated, have heretofore been rejected.

My invention in its broader aspect is not limited to the precise forms of construction and disposition of the parts shown herein as changes in structure and disposition other than those herein suggested may be made without departing from the main purpose of my invention or without sacrificing its chief advanta es.

What claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A sealing disk for thepurpose described comprising a section of an elastic material, and a superposed section of a stiff, flexible, inelastic, nonmetallic material, made impervious to'fluids.

, 2. A sealing disk for the purpose described comprising a section of an elastic material and a superposed section of a flexible but inelastic material, the latter having a coating of dried linseed oil.

3. A sealing disk for the purpose described comprising a section of an elastic material amass a and a superposed section of pasteboard, the my name in the presence of two subscribing latter having a coating of dried linseed oil. witnesses. comprising a section of cork, and a superi ALFRED WEISsENTH-ANNER' 5 posed section of pasteboard, the latter having Witnesses:

CHARLES S. JONES,

a coating of dried linseed oil.

E. ROBINSON.

4. A sealing disk for the purpose described l In witness whereof I have hereunto signed i

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