US2171015A - Bottle cap or the like - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 29, 1939. Q Q WEBB 2,171g015 BOTTLE CAP QRT'HE; LIKE Filed Jan. 29', 193s Patented Aug. I

UNITED STATES PATENT oF'FlcE BOTTlE CAP 03 THE LIKE .Charles C. Webb, Wheeling, W. Va., assignor to Wheeling Stamping Company, Wheeling, W. Va., a corporation of West Virginia Application January 29, 1936, Serial No. 61,342

2 claims. (Cl. 21543) This invention relates to a cap for use on botgeneral use of plastic caps for this particular purtles and like containers and is particularly applipose is encountered in the cost of molding these cable to a cap made from a plastic substance, such caps with an internal thread as compared with as Bakelite" or other synthetic resin. the lesser cost of manufacturing a sheet metal 5- Many types of containers, particularly bottles, cap. 5 are provided with a seal which forms the primary According to the present invention, a closure is closure for the receptacle during the period of provided which is adapted for use on standard storage and transit until the receptacle-reaches threaded bottlesand similar containers without the ultimate consumer and is opened by him. any alteration or change in the bottle or the' Over this primary seal, there is a cap often thread of the bottle or which may be used on con- 10 referred to as a dust cap, which is intended for e s having Specially formed heeks- At the use on the receptacle after the primary seal has same time, the wall thickness of the cap s su h been removed. A typical example of such a cont t t o ot present a ul apn a an at the tainer is a catsup bottle wherein a, cup-like cap is top of the bottle and the amount of material is provided for closing the end of the bottle after the q ir f r its manufacture is such that it can be permanent seal has been once removed. As here-' manufactured as p y cheaper than iithe- .tofore cohstructed, these caps have been formed graphed sheet metal n. r v the present of sheet metal attractively enameled. The neck invention provides a p "wh h d not require of the bottle is threaded and the sheet metal cap he u e O nternal threads but which, neverthehas a thread rolled into it which fltsthe thread on less, is constructed to p ra e with the threads 20 the bottle. The thread is of a coarse pitch so 011 h neck of a o l The design a that a single turn of the cap sufiices to screw it on stllletion 0f the p, morebver. s u h t at. under tightly. normal conditions of use, the splitting of the cap Various attempts have been made to provide when it issorewed n w not rv plastic caps to replace the sheet metal caps now According to the P e ti the plastic 25 commonly used. Plastic caps are desirable bep is ed in the o f a D having a reiscause of the more attractive appearance which v y thin wall but av a diameter slightly they present; because they are not attacked'by greater than the maximum outside diameter of the contents of the bottle so that they do not n p r n of the n k f the bo tle e v p y g become corroded or discolored and because of the the cap. Formed on the nte Of this e p there 30 7 ready manner in which embossed decorations, are one or several ut preferably two small D trade-marks, etc. can be provided in the plastic :i tio these project p ef r bly being material. Heretofore, however, there have been metrice-ilyfipposite c Othery D J'eCt a several difliculties encountered in the provision of enough wa d y w d the Center Of the l to as a plastic cap in the nature or adust cap to take a e thetnr d o ot r abutment on the neck 7 as the place oi the sheet metal caps now commonly 0f the bottle When the p is pp e o t e bottleprovided. A major difliculty has been that, if the As h n is t h e proj ns will en a e walls of the cap are made thin enough so as not to the thread the bottle if e bottle has a make the top of the bottle look bulky and are prothreaded neck d cause the p to e screwed 40 vided with an interior thread to engage the threaddown as the D is h the p is 40 on the neck of the bottle, the cap will very easily s down as tightly as it will g0. y further split when it is screwed down tightly. Users freturning of the p Will cause these projections to quently try t screw th cap on tightly and t ride up over the thread. Since the cap has rela- Bakelite? or other plastic material splits readily tively thin Wells and since it has diameter under the expansive force exerted under these slightly greaterthen the Outside diameter of the 45 conditions. Moreover, a cap which is made heavy thread, it s free at this time to assume eenough to resist splitting contains so much Bake- What elliptical form; the two button-like P -l lite" or other plastic material that it cannot be tions being on the major a s f the l ips while sold in competition with the very thin sheet metal he P t ons of th p at 0 y from the caps now generallyused. It has been proposed to tons are drawn against the sides of the threads, 50 use some other type of connection than a thread the two points diametrically opposite each other between the cap, and the bottle, but this 'n'ecessiand 90 from the projections being at the minor tates a change in the bottle molds and the users or axis of the ellipse. As a matter of fact, the cap bottles are unwilling to assume the expense of may be forced vertically down without turning.

5g; making the change. A further objection to the If the bottle has an annular ridge or enlargement,

thereover.

The invention may be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1 shows a portion of a standard container in elevation, the cap embodying the present invention being shown applied thereto, the cap being in section;

Figure 2 represents a transverse section on the plane of line IIII Qf Figure 1, the view being on a larger scale than Figure 1 and showing the contour of the cap during the normal engagement of the projections with the thread of the bottle;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the cap distorted to the elliptical form which it assumes at the moment when the projections are riding over the tops of the threads; and,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing a modification wherein there is a single internal projection.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 2 designates a receptacle, such, for instance, as a catsup bottle, having an enlargement or abutment such as a thread or the neck 3 thereof, the abutment or thread on the neck being designated l. While I have specifically illustrated a bottle having a thread, it will be understood that this is for purposes of illustration and that instead of a thread, the bottle might have an annular enlargement or bead in lieu of a thread. Threaded bottles being now generally used, the invention will be specifically described in connection with such I bottles. Below the threaded portion of the neck and a side portion 5b. The cap 8 is formed of neck of the bottle.

molded material of a frangible. nature, such as "Bakelite, hard rubber, or similar composition material. The walls thereof are relatively thin, being sufliciently thin to'have a slight degree of flexibility under the conditions hereinafter described. It will be seen from Figure 1 that the thickness of the-walls is such that the outside diameter of the cap is a little larger than the outside diameter of the bead 5, so that the cap does not present a bulky or unwieldy appearance at the top of the receptacle.

The inside diameter of the capis, as shown in Figure 2, slightly larger than the outside diameter of the thread or other abutment 4 on the As shown in Figure 2, the inner surface of the walls 61) of the cap are provided with inwardly projecting buttons or lugs I and 8. These buttons or lugs being diametrically opposite and being located a predetermined distance above the lowermost edge of the cap, project inwardly toward the center of the cap far enough so as to cooperate with the thread 4, but they preferably do not extend into the full depth of the thread.

It-will be readily seen that when the cap is applied to the neck of the bottle, it will drop down until the buttons or lugs engage the thread. Then, the cap may be turned and, when it is turned, it will screw down just as though it had internal threads. If, however, the turning of the cap is forced after the top portion 6a. engages the end of the bottle or after the lower edge of the capengages the head so that the cap cannot screw down further, the buttons 'I and 8 willmerely' tend to ride up on the threads intern 1 projection ll.

projection ii is forced over the thread, t e cap rather than a thread the projections will snap' the thread 4. the cap would, undr these conditions, split. However, by reason of the cap having an internal diameter slightly greater than the maximum exterior diameter of the thread, this splitting does not occur. This may be readily understood by reference to Figure 3 where skirt are forced outwardly by the projections riding up on the thread or other enlargement on the bottle neck, the intervening-portions of the cap are drawn inwardly, the points b having the greatest radial movement inward. The cap thus assumes an elliptical form with a line through aa as the major axis of the ellipse and with a line through bb being the shorter or minor axis of the ellipse. As soon as theprojections ride over the highest part of the thread, the inherent resilience of the cap causes it immediately to re-assume a circular form.

By reason of this construction, I am enabled to provide a plastic cap wherein thin walls are used and wherein thin walls are a desirable attribute. The cost of manufacturing the caps is extremely low because of the relatively small amount of material required and because of the fact that the molds do not have to be provided with internal threads. The plastic caps can,

therefore, be snapped from the forming molds instead of being unscrewed, as is the case with Bakelite caps having thicker walls and having internal threads. As a matter of fact, the cap provided by the present invention does not have to be screwed onto the bottle. It can be merely placed on the top of the bottle and then pressed. As it is pressed, the buttons or projections 'l and 8 will snap over the threads just as they do when the cap is forced after it has been screwed down. It is by reason of this arrangement that the cap may be used where the bottle has an enlargement or head rather than a thread. While I have shown the cap as having a perfectly plain ylindrical contour, it is obvious that it may be or trade designations as the particular user may desire. j

While two internal projections l and 8 are preferable for most cases, there may be on some caps, particularly those of exceptionally large diameter, more than two internal projections. Moreover, instead of there being a plurality of internal projections, there. may be but a single internal pro jection. This is illustrated in Figure 4 where the cap de ignated as i0 is providedwith a single In this case, whe the not only takes the form of an ellipse, as described molded with various devices for ornamentationv in connection with Figure 3, but it is also drawn thread in orderto allow the cap to assume this slightly eliptical form.

The cap as provided by the present invention presents several advantages over a thread cap. In the firstplace, being free of internal. threads,

there are no surfaces which can not be easilycleaned. If the cap is used on a bottle containing liquor, or other-fluid where the cap may be used as a measure or cup, the absence of threads to catch and retain the liquid is animportant advantage. This is also true where the cap is used on a bottle containing. salt, as for instance, a

.jbath salt, and the cap used as a measure. The

threads now generally provided catch and hold the contents poured into the cap.

While I have illustrated and described. certain particular embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments and may be-variously modified and that it is applicable to containers of a char-v acter and shape diflerent from the particular form illustrated.

l claim:

l. The combination with a receptacle having a threaded end portion, of a frangible plastic cap engaged oversaid threaded end, said cap having an internal diameter greater than the maximum exterior diameter of the threaded portion of the receptacle and having a plurality of inwardly extending button-like projections on the inner wall thereof cooperating with the thread of the receptacle, the, length or the projections and the in- 0 ternal diameter 02 the cap being so related as to 3 enable the projections to be forced over top of the thread by allowing portions oi the side walls of the cap intermediate the projections to yield radially inwardly suiflciently to allow said-projections to snap over the threads without rupturing the cap, two of said projections being at di- 4 'with the thread, the internal diameter of the cap and the thickness of the walls thereof being such as to permit theprojection to move rally outward and snap over the thread to prevent the cap from splitting whenit is screwed down tightly on the thread.

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