US1997203A - Closure structure for containers - Google Patents

Description

April 9,v 1935. 1W. SHI-:RA l l1,997,203

CLOSUE STRUCTURE FOR CONTAINERS FiledNOV. 16, 1932 (l l/ J6 J5 J6 26 7315.232

Jg Z 2.2

"lll/1111111111 g 12 10 mi. l l, J6 J6 76g 26 J3 J5 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 I UNITED sTATEsf PATENT, OFFICE c' CLOSUREv STRUCTURE FOR CONTAINERS John W. Shera, Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Flange & Manufacturing Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 16, 1932, Serial No. 642,828 e 1 claims. (c1. zzo-a9) My invention relates to closure structure for tainer having a wall I with an opening therein openings in the walls of containers and has to do dened by an upstanding annular flange I I. The more particularly with means for preventing unwall I0 at the base of the flange I I is so shaped as detectable tampering with the closure structure. to provide a pocket I2 of irregular outline shape 5 One of the objects of my invention is to proadapted to receive a similarly shaped flange I3? vide a simple and inexpensive closure structure of an internally threaded bushing 13, the body including a cap device which is adapted to be of which fits rather snugly within the flange I I. readily and quickly secured to the closure struc- This bushing I3 is secured to the ange Il by lture merely by axial movement thereof, but which forming its outer end over and upon the outer cannot beremoved from the closure structure end of the flange to provide a beaded rim I4 prolo without fracturing the same in such a manner as viding, in part, a seat IIIa which will be referred to readily indicate tampering and, in fact, comto further hereinafter. A gasket I5 is inserted f pletely destroying its further usefulness. between the wall I0 and the bushing flangeA |32" Another object is to provide closure structure so that, when the bushing is mounted as above of a character including a main closure plug stated. it is secured in seal-tight fashion to the having accessible lug members to facilitate insercontainer wall against both rotational and axial tion and removal of the plug, and a seal cap' displacement movements. The opening formed by adapted to iit over and conceal such plug and to the bushing I3 is closed, preferably, by a metallic be interlocked with the lugs thereof in such a plug I6, the threaded body of which engages manner that the cap will freely rotate upon the threads of the bushing I3. This plug is provided closure structure but cannot be removed axially with an enlarged head 161, the lower peripheral therefrom without fracture and detection. edge of which is adapted to engage the bead seat A more specific object is to provide a cap of I4a and thereby predetermine the depth which the foregoing character which is provided with the plugmay be screwed into the bushing. The

` a body adapted to t over and conceal the main plug, beneath its head |68, is provided with a 25 from without separation of the body and memas shown in Fig. 2. 'I'he plug I6 is, preferably,

closure, the body being provided with aY closuregroove IBb inwhich is supported a gasket I1 interlock member connected thereto by a weakwhich cooperates with the bead seat surface |42 ened portion whereby, once the cap has been to provide a leak-proof joint between the plug applied to the closure, it cannotbe removed thereand bushing when the plug is screwed inwardly ber at the weakened portion with consequent inof cup-shape having an exterior central opening dication of tampering should the cap detachment I6c into which projects diametrically opposed lbe accomplished by an unauthorized person. wedge-shaped lugs I8 formed integral with the v Other objects and advantages will become applug side wall. These lugs are adapted to be enparent as this description progresses and by refer- 'gaged by any suitable instrument (for example, 35

'. ence to the drawing wherein: a monkey wrench, or the like) for screwing of Figure 1 is a top plan view of one form of the plug into or removing it from the bushing. closure structure embodying my invention, cer- It will be readily appreciated that, unless tain of the parts being cut away to more clearly guarded against, the plug I5 may be readily re- 40. illustrate the same; moved by an unauthorized person using any suit- 40 Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken substantially able object to engage the plug lugs I8. The conon line 2-2 of Fig. l, the seal cap being shown tainer may be used for transportation and storin full lines in its finally-applied position and in age-of various oils, gasoline, alcohol and theA like, dotted lines in its position ready for interlock wherefore, it becomes quite desirable, for reasons with the closure structure; well known, that the closure structure be sealed 45 Fig. 3 is a. View similar to Fig. 2 except illusin such a way as to prevent undetectable access trating the position of the parts with the closure to container contents. To that end, and to discap body broken away from its interlock member courage tampering with the closure, my invention as would be the case in detachment of the applied contemplates the provision of a seal cap adapted cap from the closure structure; and v to be secured to and conceal the plug IB, the same 50 Fig. 4 is a separated bottom planl view of the being interlocked with the plug in such a way cap Structure ShGWn 111v Fig. 1. that it cannot be removed without ready detec- My invention has'utility in connection'with tion. various forms of containers and I have chosen Specifically, I provide a. cap having an inverted to illustrate its 'application to a lmetallic concup-shaped body with a head portion I9 and a 55 skirt 20 adapted to lit freely over the top of the plugV |6`With its skirt extending down considerably below the bead 14. The cap is adapted to be interlocked with the plug lugs 18 as follows:

'I'he central portion of the cap head I9 is provided with, preferably, (but not necessarily) three circumferentially aligned slits 2| which are separated by narrow and, preferably, scored wall portions 22 providing in the center of the cap head an attachment disk-like section 23 joined to the cap head in a weakened fashion. To the cap disk 23 I attach an inverted cup-shaped member 24 by spot-welding or other suitable means, as at 25. This member 24, like the cap body, is formed, preferably, of sheet metal and the bottom of its 'skirt portion 24a is rolled outwardly and upwardly in U-like fashion providing a somewhat flexible resilient annular attachment flange 26 having an enlarged diameter greater than the distance between the inwardly extending plug lug ledges 21 at the top of the lugs. The lugs I8 beneath theirledges are spaced apart a distance substantially the sameas the diameter of the attachment ange -26 of member 24 'so that when the cap is applied it will readily rotate upon the plug.

With this arrangement, after having applied the plugl to thev closure structure, the seal cap is applied thereto by first positioning the same as indicated in-dotted lines in Fig. 2. The lugs I8 are of triangular shape in horizontal section and if the cap is tipped at an angle to the dotted line position of Fig.2, the sides of the lugs will tend to guide the cap and its member 24 into the position indicated; The upper surfaces of the lug ledges 21 are slightly rounded at 21a as is true of the U-shaped attachment flange 26 of the member 24. Therefore, with the parts in position indicated in dotted lines in Fig'. 2, by applying axial pressure to the cap to force the same toward and down upon the plug I6, the attachment flange of the member 24 is guided and sprung inwardly past and behind the plug ledges 21 by the latter. When the cap is moved fully upon the plug, the attachment flange 26 is disposed with its free edge behind the plug ledges 21 preventing normal removal of the cap from the plug. This arrangement, however, permits of free rotation of the cap upon the plug so that the cap may not be grasped in any way and vrotated to affect the position of the plug.

'Io remove the cap from the plug any suitable instrument may be inserted under the edge of the cap skirt, forcing the same upwardly. Upon application of sufficient pressure, vthe cap body will separate from the attachment member 24 Y at the weakened disk portion 23 as best indicated in Fig.'3. Obviously, the cap cannot be detached in any other manner. In so detaching the cap, it is fractured in such a way that its further usefulness is destroyed; and this detachment is instantly detectable.

It is believed that the objects and advantages of my invention above rst stated will be obvious from the foregoing. This cap structure may be made cheaply and is of a type which may be applied easily and quickly. In certain instances the closure may be closely surrounded by spout structure and, -in `that case, my cap device` may be readily applied to the closure since it requires only axial movement toward and upon the plug in accomplishing its detachment. It will be understood that, while I have shown only one form of structure embodying my invention, changes and details and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined by the claims which follow.

I claim:

1'. In closure structure of the class described,

the combination of means forming an opening in the wall of the container, means for closing and sealing said opening, and means renderingA 2. In closure structure of 'the class described.

the combination of means forming an opening in the wall of the container, a plug member having a wrench socket and adapted for closing said opening, and means rendering said plug inaccessible for removal of the latter including a cap member adapted to nt freely over and conceal saidv plug, and another member non-rotatably joined to said vcap member within the latter by a weakened joint and adapted for undetachable and freely rotatable engagement with the inner wall of the socket of said plug by movement of said cap member toward said 4plug and said other member within said socket, whereby said two members are free to turn as a unit relative to Ttrainer, a,\closure member having an accessible socket with opposed, spaced ledges therein, and means for rendering saidclosure member inaccessible which comprises a cap device adapted to t over and conceal said closure member, and an annular element attached to said cap device by a weakened joint and having a compressible outwardly extending circumferential flange of greater diameter than the distance between said ledges and of lesser diameter than the width of said socket whereby upon movement of said cap device upon and over said closure member said element is forced past and snapped behind said ledges where said element is rotatably confined to prevent removal of said cap device except upon fracture of the joint between it and said annular element.

4. Closure structure comprising, in combination with means forming an opening in a wall of the container, a plug member for closing said opening and having an accessible axial opening or socket therein, diametrically-opposed lugs in said opening facilitating insertion and removal of said plug member', inwardly extending projections at the outer parts of said lugs, a cap member tting freely over said plug member, and an attachment member secured to said cap member by a weakened joint, said attachment member being of inverted cup shape with its bottom edge rolled outwardly and upwardly to provide a yielding flange of greater diameter than the distance between said lug projections but of. lesser diameter than the distance between the remainder of said lugs, whereby said cap member is secured to said closure member by movement of the former towall of the container, a closure plug for said opening and having an exteriorly-accessible opening therein, and means for rendering said plug normally inaccessible which includes a pair of cupshaped members nested in inverted relation with one secured centrally to the other by a weakened joint, one of said members being adapted to t freely over said plug and conceal the latter and the other member being non-detachably and rotatably engageable in said plug opening whereby said -plug is rendered accessible only by detachably separating said members at said weakened joint.

6. A seal cap for structure of the class described which comprises a pair of inverted cup-shaped members joined together in nested relation concentrically at their top portions by a weakened joint, the inner, of said members having the free edge of its skirt rolled outwardly and upwardly to a diameter substantially greater than its skirt diameter.

7. A seal cap for structure of the class described which comprises a cap member having a weakened disk-like section in its central top portion defined by spaced, circumferentially aligned slits, and another and smaller cup-shaped member having its top portion centrally connected to said disk-like section, said cup-shaped member having an edge formed for normally non-detachable interlock engagement with the object the cap device is adapted to cover.

JOI-IN W. SHERA.

Images