US2110097A - Container - Google Patents

Description

March l, 1938.

H. si-:BELL 2,110,097

CONTAINER Filed Oct. 21, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l Yigg.

Inve nToT 4I 6 23 38 Harry Sebell bymjwm yMmh 1, 1938.

H. sl-:BELL 2,110,097

CONTAINER Filed Oct. 2l, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 22 A I lys.

lPatented Mar; 1,1938

UNITI-:D STATE- Thisinvention relates to cans of that type in which the top end of the can is formed with a member I4; filling opening through 'which the can is filled and which is subsequently sealed by means of a 5 sealingclos'ure.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a can Aof this type with a -novel sealing closure which is formed with a tear strip portion so that by tearing the tear strip portion loose from the cember 3, 1935. sealing closure a pouring opening will be formed I have herein illustrated my invention therethrough.

A further object of the invention is to provide I the sealing closure of a can of this type with a tear strip portion which whenY torn loose from the can remains permanently connected to the l sealing closure, and whichwhen open provides a spout member or lip over which the contents of the.. can flow when being discharged through the pouring opening. Other objects of the invention are to improve generally cans of this type in the particulars more fully hereinafter set In order to give an understanding of the invention, I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now-be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings;

bodying my invention;

2.110.097 CONTAINER Harry Schell, Boston, Mass., assignor of one-A half to Arthur IL Parker, Concord, Mass.

Application October 21, 1936, Serial No. 106,755

6 Claims. (Cl. 22h-11)' invention.

sv IPATENT ol-FICE Fig. 15 shows a perspective view of the cover Fig. 16 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Fig. 'I but showing a different form of the In some respects my improved container is an improvement on or modification of the construction illustrated in my Patent No. 2,023,151, De-

as it; 10 might be applied to a container inthe form of` a tin can, and I indicates the can body and 2 the topend of the can. The can end 2 may be secured to the body in any suitable way as by lmeans of the double lock seam 3. The can end 2 is formed with a filling opening 4 through which the can is lled. The can end 2 is shown as having an upstanding flange or curb 5 surrounding the lling opening 4 to which a sealing closure .5 is crimped after the can has been filled.. In cans of this type the sealing closure is frequently formed at its periphery with the U- 14 is as ection on the line |4-I4, Fig. 11; the tear vstrip. portion is tonguepart of the present invention.

According to the present improvements the sealing closure 6 is formed with a tear, strip portion designed tov be torn loose from said closure thereby to form a pouring opening therethrough. 'I'he tear strip portion is so made that when it is torn loose toform the; pouring opening" it remains permanently connected to the closure, andl when in open-position it forms a lip cr spout extending from the pouring opening and over which'the contents of the can flow when being discharged from the can. This tear strip portion y of the closure is indicated at II in Figs. 4 to 9 land at 4I in Figs. 10 to 14, and it is formed by providing the closure 6 with a line of weakness along which the tear strip can be readily torn from the body of the closure. This line of weaks'haped portion 1 which embraces the flange 5, the inner leg 8 of the U-shaped portion resting against the inside of the flange 5 and the outer leg 9 encircling the outer face of said ilange 5. An hermetic or tight seal is usually formed by crimping the flange or skirt 9 to the curb 5, and, Fig. l is apartial sectional view of a can emif desired, suitable packing material .I0 may be I y deposited in the U portion 1 of the sealing closure 30 Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view showing the before itis applied to the upstanding curb 5. can before the sealing closure is applied to the lling opening;

Fig. 3 shows the can opened for the discharge of part of or all of its contents;

, It is also'morc or less common to form the sealing opening 4 near one edge of the can as illustrated in the drawings.

/ 'Ihe construction thus far described is such as Fig. 4 is a. plan view o' the sealing closure ilmay be found in Cans 0f this type and fOrmS n0 lustrating one type of line of weakness;

Fig. 5 is a plan lview of A theY sealingclosure after the cover member has been applied=thereto and said closure is ready to be used in sealing the filling opening of the can I;

Fig. 6 is a section-on the line Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 1 1, Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8, Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the manner of making the line of weakness illustrated in Figs. 4 to 8;

Fig. 10 is a plan view o f a vsealing closure-having a diflerentform of-linefof weakness; Y

Fig.A` 11 is a plan view of the sealing closure s hown in Fig. 10` with the cover member attached; Fig. 12 is a section on the line I2-I2, Fig. 10; `1"18- 13"iS 8 560154011 0n .the line -li, Fig'- 11; `liess preferably has a gemeral U shape so that shaped.

The line of weakness may be formed in any appropriate Way. In Figs. 4 to 9 it is formed by cutting through the closure along the line I2 and i thenapplying a thin film of sold'er.22 along the line of the cut, preferably on the inside of the closure, to close the slit I2. The solder 22 hermetically seals the slit in the closure, but it has separation of the. tear st rp from the closure along the-line of weakness will provide a tongue-shaped portion which remainspermanently attached to the closure butwhich can be swung into open or closed position, the material o'f the closure bend'l l ing along the line I3 to permit such opening and closing movement. Thermaterial along the line I3 thus acts as a hinge for the tear strip portion. The line of weakness bounding the tongue'- shaped tear strip may assume various shapes and contours. In Figs.. 4 and 5 it is shownwasbeing circular, except at the ends, a shape which will produce a broad tongue-shaped tear strip. In Figs. 10 and 11 the line of weakness has a shape to ,forma tongue-shaped tear strip which is narrowest at its tip and which has a progressively- .increasing width toward the base.

In 'order to provide for applying the necessary 4force to the tear'strip to tear it loose from the closure along the line of weakness, I pro# pose to secure to the tear strip a cover member constructed so that it can be readily acted on by a suitable implement toapply the' requisite force to the tear strip.

In Figs. 5 to 8 thecover member is indicated at I4 and-it is soldered or otherwise permanently secured to the tongue-shaped tear strip', as shown at 24. For this purpose the cover niember is shown as provided with an opening 3D through which the solder 24 may be applied.

This cover member is also formedwith a 10op portion 25 adapted to receive one end of a screw-driver or any other suitable implement 26,

' as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, and by which the necessary lifting or v prying force can be applied to the cover member and thereby to the tear strip to tear it looose from the closure. This loop.25 canbe conveniently formed `by slitting the c`over member along the lines 35 and then strikingv up the slit portion from the. body of the cover member to provide the loop.

In Figs. l1 to 14-the cover member is indicated at 21 and it is spot Welded or riveted to the tear strip, as shown at 28. In this embodiment of the invention the edge 2'9 of the tear strip provides a lip under which the end of a suitable implement may be placed, so that by pryingwith the implement over the edge' 1 of theclosure the 'tear strip may be torn l'oose from the closure.v

A. diiferent embodiment of the invention is shown in lFig. 16 wherein the cover member is indicated at 39 and it is secured tothe tear strip portion 4I by means of a rivet 38.

a head 43. This head forms the means by which the prying force can. be applied to the-`cover and thence yto the tear strip portion 4|rto tear This rivet has integral therewith the extension 42 provided with.

the latter loose from the closure 6. The extension 42 also provides a knob by which the 1 cover member and its connected tear strip may be manipulated for opening and closing the pouring opening. A,

In the construction shown in Fig. 16 the single element, i. e., the rivet 38 with its headed extension 42 provides both the means for securing the cover member 39 to the tear strip and also the means by which the prying force is applied' to the cover member.

The cover member is preferably somewhat larger than the tear strip portion I I and as hereinshown one edge I6 oi' the cover member is in substantial alinement with the line I3 along which the closure -member ben'ds when Vit is y opened and closed, and the opposite edge I1 extends somewhat beyond the end of the tear strip. The dimensions of the cover member I4 in a direction transverse to the tear strip II may be conveniently such that the ends I8 of the cover `member fit against the inner legs 8 of.

.the..U portion I of the sealing closure.

Where the lling 'opening 4 is adjacent one edge of the can end 2 as herein shown, the sealing closure will preferably be so positioned on. the can end that the tongue-shaped tear strip i'sdi- -rected toward the center and the hinge portion I3 for the tear strip is nearestto the side of the can.

The ca n may be opened by inserting a suitable instrument, such as a screw-driver 26, through the loop 25 of the cover member, as shown in Fig. l, and then applying a prying vfoi-ceto the implement in the direction of the arrow a in Fig. l, or by placing the end of the implement underneath the edge or lip 29 in Fig. 13 and exerting a prying force on the implement using the edge I of the closure as a fulcrum, or by applying suitable prying or lifting force to the knob portion 42 in Fig. 16. In all cases this pryingaction will tear -the tear strip loose from the closure along the line of weakness, thereby forming a pouring opening I9. When the tear strip II and the cover member are swung outwardly into their open position shown in Fig. 3, said tear "strip and cover form a lip` or spout projecting from the pouring opening I9 andf-over which the contents ofthe can loW when being discharged.

The sealing closure preferably has a concavoconvex shape With the convex face on the exterior and the cover member may be conveniently given a similar shape. With this construction,

when the tear strip and cover member are in open position, the face thereof over which the contents of the can flow has a concave or scoop or spout shape which prevents the stream flowing from'the pouring opening from spreading and serves to guide it in its flow. A

The pouring opening is preferably situated close enough to the side wall of the can so that when-the tear strip and cover member are in their open position they will direct the stream issuing from the pouring opening over theredge '28' f the can, 4'as shown in-Fig. 3, thereby preventing any of the contents of the can from flowing onto and soiling the end'of the can.

If the contents of the can are of such a nature :that only a portion thereof is to be discharged at any one time, then When the desired quantity has been poured out of the.can,.the tear strip and cover member may swung back 4into closed positioniri which position the tear strip fills the pouring opening and the cover member I4 overlies the joint at the edge of the tear strip. The can may bevreadily opened again in order to discharge more of its contents by simply swinging the tear strip and cover member back into the open position.

The can can thus be repeatedly opened for the discharge oi a portion of its .contents and then closed again, and while, after the iirst opening the can will not be hermetically sealed when it is closed, yet the cover member aiords a sufiicient protection for the pouring opening to-prevent any dirt or foreign substance from gaining access to the can.

It is expected that the can I will be made, in the rst instance, with the can end provided 1 with the iilling opening as shown in Fig. 2, and that the sealing closure 6 with its line of weakness and with the cover member attached thereto will be made as a separate complete unit. After a 4can has been iilled then a sealing closure em- 0 bodying the invention is applied to the lling opening to seal the can. The presence of the cover member and line of Weakness does not interfere at all with the crimping of the flange 9 of the sealing closure to the curb of the filling 25 vopening by the crimping machines now in common use.

When the can gets into the hands of the ultimate consumer, however, he has a can which he can readily open as above described and which is 36 provided with a cover for the. pouring opening.

While I have illustrated some embodiments of the invention, I do not wish to be limited to the constructionai features shown.

I claim:

35 1. A container having in its end a lling opening, a sealing closure for sealing the opening, said closure being provided with a U-shaped line of weakness dening a tongue-shaped tear strip having its tip directed away from the edge of the 40 container end and which, when'torn from the closure, leaves a pouring opening therethrough, a cover member permanently secured to the tear strip and by which it may be torn loose from the closure, the base of said tongue-shaped tear strip being permanently secured to the closure, wherecover member may be turned back into a position with the tip of the tear strip directed outwardly from the center of the container end and into a.

"o position in which said tear strip and cover form a discharge spout for the pouring opening. 2. A container having a lling opening, surrounded by an upstanding curb, a sealing closure 55 for sealing said opening and provided with a U- shaped rim portion embracing the curb, the body of the closure being provided with a U-shaped line of weakness defining a tongue-shaped tear strip which is permanently secured to the closure but which is adapted to be torn loose therefrom along the line of weakness thereby to leave a pouring opening, a cover member secured to the tear strip andby which the latter may be torn loose from theA closure by an implement which by when the tear strip is torn from the closure is fulcrumed on the marginal portion of the closure, said tear 'strip and cover adapted when turned into open positionto form a discharge spout for the pouring opening. y f

3. A container having a filling opening in one end thereof, a sealing closure for sealing said opening, said closure being formed with a U- shaped line of weakness defining a tongue-shaped tear 'strip permanently secured to the closure and which, when torn from the closure, leaves a pouring opening therethrough, a cover member overlying the tear strip and secured thereto and provided with a knob member by means of which a prying force may-be applied to the cover member and thence to the tear strip to tear the latter loose from the closure thereby to form a pouring opening.

4. A container having a filling opening, a sealing closure for sealing said opening, said closure being provided with a U-shaped line of Weakness dening a tongue-shaped tear strip which is permanently secured to the closure and which, when torn loose from the closure, leaves a pouring opening, and a cover member secured to the tear strip and overlying the latter, said cover member having a loop portion to receive an implement by which the tear strip can be torn from the closure.

5. A container having in one end wall thereof a U- shaped line of weakness deiining a tongueshaped tear strip which, when torn from the wall,

leaves a pouring opening therethrough, said tear i strip having its tip directed inwardly away from the peripheral portion of the container end, a cover member permanently secured to the tear strip and by which it may be torn loose from said wall,4 said tear strip being permanently secured to the wall and adapted, when torn therefrom, to be turned back toward the peripheral' portion of the can end and into a position in which it and the cover member form a discharge spout for the pouring opening, said cover member being of sufficient size to project over the edge of the container 4when it is in its discharge-spout position.

6. A container having a U-shaped line of weakness in one end wall thereof defining a tongueshaped tear strip which, when torn from the wall, leaves a pouring opening therethrough, said tear strip lhaving its tip directed inwardly away from the peripheral portion of the can end, a. cover member having a concave inner face, which cover member is permanently secured to the tear strip and by which it may be torn loose from said wall, said cover member being of a size to overlie the line of weakness and said tear strip being permanently secured to the wall and adapted, when torn therefrom, to be turned back toward the peripheral portion of the can end and

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