US2363693A - Container and closure structure - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 28, 1944; w. H. ROBIINSON 2,363,693

CDNTAINER AND CLOSURE STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 8, 1941 INVENTOR Williamfi Robinson Patented Nov. 28, 1 944 7 UNITE T Q I 7 i reverses,

3 William H. Robin s-on, Limestonewl Va'qassignor' i to Wheeling Steel Corporation; Wheeling; W; Im m-corporation otnelaeware i J Application arin s,isiijseriamo. 377,9 sclaims. (01222040) Thisinventiontrelates-to containers andclosure '1 structures therefor. 1 Itjwrelatesmore; particularly to "storage and shipping containers and especially such containers made. out; of sheet metal. In

cientlytightsealu a l a I have devised: aacontainer and: closurestruc- .ture which isnthe simplest. and cheapest ofi any I have i seen,; yet which provides; foradequate seals I preferably do away entirely withv any inwardly projectings neck so. that when the; container is; being filled it, may befille dmrightup tothe rimof the tfillingiopeningmithoutdanger of viewrthrough thee'stnuctune shown in Figure 1;

t h s tal containers of the type in, question 5 spattering due; m air ,venting. This makes. it there is provided an opening through which the possibleto save substantially on. the: amount of container is adapted-to be: filled and a closurenetal' going into the container, as the height. of for. such opening. spoutis customarily apthe. container? may bereduced by anamount ap tpliedto-the container at the openingtto-guidethe pro'ximating th'e'height oft theinwardly project:

7 contents ofthecontainer when being-jpoured out. 10 mg. neck which has heretoiore. customarily been The business of supplying-v containers of the employed. In my copending. application Serial type in question; ishighly competitivefland a No.377,9166;fi1edofeyenidateherewith lhavedmcommercially: successful container must be of closed. and claimed-a container and closurelstrucsufliciently simple; construction. that it can be tureaccomplishingresults similar to those acmade at; low enough costto meet stiff prioe; complished by the present inventionand while competition. Also the-container mHStybe-StIuC- the structureoL-my said; copending rapplication turally strong and t particular-ly the closureefor -h'as advantages-in certain usesithestructure hereithe'iopening t ich the containeris filled indisclosed and claimed is-of even simpler and and ,emptied must effectiveiyseal such opening ycheaper design and has otheradvantageswhich under all conditions towhich thezcontainer may 2 will, Joe-hereinafter pointedout. reasonablylbe subjected inuseez Heretofore 'it has I provide for sealing the container, opening been the aim of manufacturersto; compromise against the. 'materia1 of the container about the between low cost and 'tightsealing; withuthemesult 1 opening and It preierably maintain the closure that structures of morecomplexity than desired [in 7 place by means engaging the materialof the have beenemployedin anattemptttoinsurer a containerattheopeningfl internally of theucontight seal, yet aptight rsealthasnot alwaysgbeen tainer. L prefer tojdeform the-.m aterial of the thus obtained; in practice; Also diificulty has container-- atrthe; edge Qfihfik opening toforrna been experienced; dueatoy-the-projection-inwardly V reinforcementiand-ztosealvagainst such reinforce- .ofthecontainerofIa neck surroundingtheopen- ,ment; Preierably the material of the container ing andfwhich has in; many cases been considered atthe opening; is provided with one or more slots necessary from-thestructura1standpointito inin-wthe; nature; of bayonet: slots through, which sure'satisfactory sealinglu 'I'hisyinwardly'proiectlugs or rams; on the closure mayypass so that ing neck-is highly disadvantageouswhentherconupon turning of the closure theyfimay engage betainer is. beingsfilledowithi liquid, for wheni the ,neath: parts: ofthe reinforced portionsurroundlevel of liquid infith'e; container rises .abover the: 5 ingsthe opening; The;reinforcedoportionsis pref- -lower extremity of 1 the; neck" air is imprisoned 'erably provided intermediateijthe slots with inbetween thesurface: of; the;liquidwandtthei conolined cam;sunfacesiwithwwhichthe lugs on the tainer top whichventsroutz through the filling 'tclosure; cooperates 1A spoutxmay be provided opening in irregular gushes, resulting inispatten which man berheld or; clinched to the container I ing of the liquid over the outside of thevclom- .-40 bythematerialzof;the-containerattheopeningi tainer and on anything else which mayvbe lad- O.t-her; details;uobjects: and advantages of; the jacen t the container. Also' the; inwardly proinvention will becomeiwanparent as the follow: .lecting neck has" materially interf r d-W h ing'descriptionsofs arpresent-preferred:embodiment smooth. pouringout Ofhthfifi contentsaof thee-coir thereofi proceedsi t a a tainer; interrupting theaflow and making: difiii- 145* Imt he accompanying-drawing;Lhave shown a cultaor. impossible thercontrolledopouring outxof pl-BS8111? preferred embodiment of: thBriHVGDtiQH,

t the: contents inasmooth; compact: stream; "At- .im which i t I tempts to do. away with the inwardlyprojecting Ii -Figure nlzisia fra entary, top plan hviewofv a neck have met with difiicultyi from thee stand- 7 storage and: shipping containen; with: thedust .point'of obtaining adequate strength andsazsufiii- $5 0 cap for the spout removed and with'the closure "plugtspartht cutaway g, t a a Figure 23 is; a central; vertical cross-sectional and; takenon, the-lineIIe-II oft that figure but strengths and: an eminently satisfactory and tight L with cthe dust. cap: ionthe; spout applied; h and a t i in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an inverted plan view of the closure plug.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is shown a sheet metal container designated generally by reference numeral 2. The portion of the container shown is the top thereof adjacent the rim. The container as a whole may be of standard construction compris ing, for example,' a cylindrical body having a permanently attached bottom and a top which for purposes of the present invention may also be considered as permanently attached. In a preferred form the top may comprise what is generally known in the art as a lug cover or it may be permanently seamed to the body. Whatever the precise container structure; the con-z tainer is adapted and intended to be filled.

through the pouring opening.

The top of the container rises to a maximum height indicated by reference numeral 3 and has adjacent the rim at one point a depressed portion 4, as well known in the art. -At such depressed portion 4 the container is provided with a filling and pouringopening designated by reference numeral 5. The material of the container is outwardly and reversely turned about the opening 5 as shown at '6 and has formed therein an upwardly projecting gasket engaging bead Ga. A sheet metal spout I is provided,

which spout has an opening designated by reference numeral 8 concentric with the opening5.

The metal of the spout at 9 about the spout I3 of the cap is snapped over the rearward edge I4 of the spout.

The reinforced edge of the material of the container surrounding the opening 5 is formed to provide'three equidistant slots I5 as shown These slots as shown are in the nature of bayonet slots, their' inwardly facing edges being of materially greater diameter than the-inwardly facing edge portions I6 of the material of the container intermediate the slots. Inwardly of the container the material opposite the edgeportions I6 is formed into cam portions I! having inclined inwardly facing cam surfaces I8. 7 i

The opening 5 is adapted to be closed and "sealed by a closure I9, which, as shown, is preferably in thenature of a hollow sheet metal- 'plug with a gri'p' portion 20 disposed centrally thereof and welded thereto.

The closure or plug I9 has a body portion 2| adapted to project slightly inwardly of the container through the opening 5 and an annular outwardly extending flange portion 22 adapted to overlie the reinforced portion of the container surrounding the opening 5 as shown. A gasket 23 .is interposed between the reinforced portion of the containersurrounding the opening and the under surface of the flange 22. The body portion 2I of the plug I9 is provided with three equally spaced outwardly pressed inclined projections or lugs 24. r

To seal the container the plug I9 has its body portion 2| extended inwardlythrough the opening 5, this being accomplished by positioning each of the lugs 24 in alignment axially of the opening with one of the slots I5 and moving or dropping the plug into place toward the interior of the container. The gasket 23 is normally carried bythe plug and when the plug has reached sealing position the gasket lies upon the portion Ii of the material of the container. The plug is then turned in the clockwise direction viewing Figure 1 so that the respective lugs 24 wedgingly engage beneath the respective inclined surfaces I8.to maintain theplug tightly in place. The seal is effected at the gasket 23, the tightness of the seal being determined by the twisting force applied to the plug in turning it as above described.

The outer edge portion of the plug'flange 22 is somewhat raised as shown at 25 to allow an annular sealing member to be positioned thereunder whereby to provide for sealing the plug in place so that it cannot be removed without rupturing a sealing member, thus leaving a visible indication that the container has been opened. Various forms of seals may beemployedfthat shown in my copending application Serial No. 377,967, filed of even date herewith, being at present preferred. I

The structure above described is exceptionally strong and durable. While'the spot I may be omitted it is desirably employed, first, because it enhances the utility of the container and, second, because it further strengthens and stiilens the material of the container about the opening. There is no neck of the'container extending inwardly from the opening and the container may be filled clear up to the level of the opening 5. The. small amount of-the contents which maybe displaced when the plug is inserted will cause no difficulty. Doing away with the inwardly projecting neck also provides for more easily controlled pouring. The contents of the container flow out in a smooth unimpeded stream.

cost of the container will be appreciated. Thus' I combine into one a very simple and cheap container which has exceptionally strong structural characteristics and which obviates disadvantages heretofore inherent in similar structures by reason of an inwardly extending neck at the opening interfering with complete filling of the container and with proper pouring out of the contents thereof. I am enabled to materially reduce the overall height of my container, which means a very important saving in material when it is borne in mind that these cntainers are made by quantity production methods.

While .I have shown and described a present preferredembodiment of the invention his to be distinctly understood that the invention is not through which it is adapted to be filled, the material of the top surrounding said opening having its under surfaceextending generally laterally away from said opening and said material being reversely turned to provide a reinforced portion completely about. said opening and a closure for said opening having opposed holding and sealing portions cooperating respectively with opposed faces of said reinforced portion to hold. the closure in place and'seal said opening, the holding portion being. inclined to the plane of the sealing portion, said reinforced portion having thereinslot means receiving the holdingportion said opening, the material of the container being bent to interlock with the spout and thus hold it against removal from the container, and a closure for said opening having means directly engaging said bent portion beneath the same to hold the closure in place.

3. A container having an opening, the material of the container at the opening being turned outwardly and reversely to form a reinforced portion, said reinforced portion having a plurality of slots formed therein at the edge of said open and a closure forsaid opening having lugs adapted to pass through said slots and upon turning of the closure to bear upon the inside of said reinforced portion to hold the closure in place. r

4. A container having an opening, the material of the container at the opening being reversely turned to form a reinforced portion, said reinforced portion being slotted at the edge of said opening, and a closure for said opening having means adapted to pass through a slot in said reinforced portion and upon turning of the closure to bear upon saidreinforced portion to hold the closure in place and a sealing. portion adapted to cooperate with said reinforced portion to seal said opening.

5. A container having an opening, "a spout at said opening, the material of the container at the opening being bent to hold the spout in place and being slotted and being formed to provide an inclined cam surface at a point offset from a slot, and a closure for said opening having means adapted to pass through said slot and upon turning of the closure to bear upon said inclined cam surface to hold the closure in place and a sealing portion to seal said opening.

the material thereof, such material extending to the edge of the opening and then being turned outwardly axially of the openingand then outwardly generally radially of the opening and terminating-generally radially outwardly of the opening, the outwardly turned, portion providing a surface facing generally axially outwardly of the opening, said surface being interrupted at intervals peripherally of the opening to receive closure holding means.

7. A container having an opening in its top throughwhich it is adapted to be filled, the material of the top surrounding said opening having its under surface extending generally laterally away from said opening and said material being reversely turned to provide a portion of multiple thickness completely about said opening and a closure for said openin having a holding portion engaging said portion of multiple thickness inwardly of the container when the closure is in place to positively lockthe closure'in place, said portion of multiple thickness having therein slot means receiving the holding portion of the 010-.

sure when the closure is applied to the container.

8. A container having an opening with the material of the container being bent to form a multi-thickness portion at the edge of the opening completely surrounding the opening and WILLIAM H. ROBINSON.

6. A container having an opening defined by

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