US2361449A - Article of manufacture - Google Patents

Description

Filed b. 24, 1940 numm- H rwf'mfrfrfffi w "NIMH Patented ct. 3l, QM

.ARTICLE or MANUrAcTUan Theodore Benzlnger, Butalo,.N. Y., assignorto E. l. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application February 24, '1940, Serial No. 320,617

5 Claims. (Cl. 21S-38) This invention relates to shrinkable, non-fibrous secondary closure devices,l especially regenerated cellulose and vlike bands adapted, upon shrinking. to tightly lt over and satisfactorily seal the primary closure to a bottle. More particularly it appertains to bands suited for easy removal (without the aid of any instrument)l from bottle tops and'their primary closures.

Shrinkable, non-fibrous secondary closures such as thimble-shaped caps and tube-shaped bands for bottles have been known and used for years.- The bands are cheaper to manufacture and allow all or a part of the top of the primary closure to be exposed. They provide an attractive decoration to the container, a deterrent against tampering with the contents thereof, and when suitablypigmented, an effective background for y printed matter (advertising, etc.)

To seal a bottlethe band in gel (hydrated) form, is placed over the bottle top (the primary closure being in place) and allowed to dry The Aprimary closure.

Due to their non-fibrous character, the dried pellicles are extremely tough (in somecases being almost of a horny nature). It is almost never possible to puncture them with a nager-nail, and due to the tight engagement between the pellicles and the bottles it is dicult to find a place where they can be grasped in order to pull them oi.

A still further dimcuity in shrunk cellulosic closure removal is found in the specic use oi' these bands in the distilled alcoholic liquor eld. In some cases the law requires, that part of the government stamp remain on the bottle until the contents are consumed. These stamps do not adhere well to the bottle in the first place,.and

which militate against the useful life of the band.

By dry splitting," as used in this art, is meant the splitting o-r tearing of the band during storage or handling. These bands when dried have internal strains and have a tearing grain running lengthwise. While it is difllcult to start a tear, once a tear is started it will proceed very easily (much as happens with a crack in a piece of glass). A nick or other sharp deviation from a straight line in the edge of 'a band is known to be a common cause of dry splitting.

This invention has for an object the provision of a non-fibrous, shrinkable, pellicular, secondary closure, capable oi lbeing tightly shrunk into contact witha bottle top and its primary closure, and capable of having its top portion readily and easily removed, after such shrinkage, without detriment to the portion remaining on the bottle neck. Another object was to provide a regenerated cellulose secondary closure band which could easily be removed after being shrunk into position by drying, .Another object was to provide a nonbroua shrinkable. pellicular cellulosic bottle closure capable of being shrunk into close contact with a bottle top Without splitting, and capable, in its dry, shrunk state, of being readily removed without the use of any implement. Another object was to provide a regenerated cellulosic band-capable of being shrunk over a bottle top and its yprimary closure to tightly seal the same, and capable of being torn by hand to permit separation of the bottle and primary closure (to permit access to the bottle contents) since the bottles are frequently handled with wet hands during and' after the original opening, it is of the bottle, and leaving enough oi the band inposition to retain the stamp in place.

Various solutions of the problem set out above have heretofore been lproposed, but up to the present time no scheme or arrangement has 'been developed which solved the problems satisfactorily from a cost standpoint.

Most of the heretofore proposed schemes for easy removal which involved 'special configurations for the band have been unsatisfactory since v they give rise to "dry splitting or other detecte without the aid ot any external device, and without disturbing a revenue stamp retaining portion. A still further obiect was to provide a cellulosicband closure capable of satisfactorily and emciently performing its intended function up to the moment of willful removal', and ca pable oi being easily torn away as a whole or in part, when desired. A general advance in the art, and other objects which will appear hereinafter, are also` contemplated.

It has now been found that if a line or series ol slots (rounded end oblong periorations) lying end-to-end be made around a gel band, that the objects oi the present invention are accomplished, and that the dimculties o the prior art and the previous proposals, are overcome'.

From 'the following ami-muon, in which is disclosed certain embodiments of the invention ,as well as details o what is believed to be the best mode for carrying out the invention, it will be apparent how the foregoing objects and relatedends are accomplished.

The written description is. ampliiled bythe accompanying drawing', in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a secondary' closure (in gel form) ofthe present invention. .In this view certain dimensions of the secondary closure are exaggerated to more clearly bring out its features;

Figure 2 is Aan elevation view of aV secondary closure of` the present invention (in gel condition) ready to be placed in position on a bottle top:

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a bottle top and its primary closure, having the gel secondary closure of Figure 2 in position thereon;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a bottle top and its primary closure sealed with a secondary closure of Figure 2. In this gure the secondary closure is shrunk into position over the bottle top and its primary closure. The primary closure is of the stopper type, and a revenue stamp is shown underneath the .secondary closure;

Figure 5 is an elevation view of the bottle top shown in Figure 4 after removalof the primary closure and the top part of the secondary closure and revenue stamp;

Figure 6 is an outline view showing the form taken by perforations of various shapes upon As a result the component parts of the secondary closure retain portions oi.' the revenue stamp both on the cap and on the bottle.

A metal screw cap primary bottle'closure 19. having thereover a shrunken band 1l, is shown in Figure 7. The row of perforations is shown at 14, Twisting the band apart at the line of perforations causes part of the band to remain onV trated at l1 in Figure 7.

drying. The gel shape isvshown at the left of the dotted lines, and the dry shape at the right;

Figure 7 is an elevation view of a bottle having a metal primary closure (screw cap) and a secondary closure. Invthis view the upper edge of the secondary closure is serrated to Aprovide tabs (for grasping with the fingers); and

Figure 8 is an elevation view of a bottle having a long skirted molded screw cap primary closure and a secondary closure of the type shown in Figure 1.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

tion changes shape upon drying, assuming the shape shown at l4d in Figure 6.

A bottle 31 bearing a revenue stamp 38 over its neck and primary closure (in this case a wood topped cork) 39 is shown in Figure 3. The line of perforations in the gel bandis positioned at the junction of the wood stopper 39 and the bottle top. The top I1 of the band may be flush with, or above or below, the, top of the primary closure after drying, as desired. As shown in Figure 4, it is flush. 'g In Figure '1 it is above, and in Figure 8, below. l

The intended manner of utilizing the present invention is to hold the bottle in one hand while twisting the bottle closure with the other hand, or vice versa. or both. As a result of such an action, the band is severed along the line of perforations.

A recent type of primary bottle closure designed for more convenient handling is illustrated at 89 in Figure 8. This primary closure, which for convenience may be called aA longskirted cap, is usually manufactured in molded plastic, and is threaded to be screwed on to the bottle top. A common length for such caps is I 11% inches. The embodiment illustrated had an outside bottomjdiameter of 1% inches. The dried band 8l may be severed along the line of perforations 84 by twisting the parts above and be- "low the line of perforations in opposite directions.

If a circular hole about '1% inch in diameter,

`1 such as that illustrated at 1.0 (Figure '1) is placed Example I `oi! a suitable size liquor bottle, closed with a molded screw cap and sealed with a revenue stamp. The band was positioned so that the line'of perforations was on the junction between the edge of the cap and the neck of the bottle.

The resulting package was set aside to dry, whereupon the band shrank and snugly itted the container. The perforations became elliptical or oval-shaped upon drying. Such an oval shape is illustrated in Figure 6. It was found that such a band endured handling and storage well, and even though the humidity at times became low, there was no dry splitting." It was found, also, that the seal could be broken by twisting the cap (the primary closure) in the usual manner with the hand while holding the bottle stationary. The upper portions of the band came away with the cap while the lower portion remained on the bottle, safeguarding the ends of the revenue stamp. The retained portion is illustrated in Figure 5. 'Ihe torn edge of the lower portion of the band being below the pouring edge of the bottle did not interfere with the removal of the contents thereof.

Example 1I A regenerated cellulose gel band having a iiat width of millimeters was perforated with a Vseries of perforations composed of rounded end Closures.

ample I, and gave the-same results upon drying. The dried band is illustrated in Figure 4.

Example III- made, the thickness of the band, vthe propane were 0.044 inch in width. An intervening space ofinch was allowed between the perforations. The band having this design of perforation` was applied to a bottle in the manner described in Example I, and gave similar results. l

Example IV A 4regenerated cellulose gel band having a ilat width of 54 millimeters was perforated with a n series of perforations of the type illustrated in Figure 1. The perforations were 1A, inch in length with an intervening space of if inch. The

perforations were 0.044 inchV in width atv the widest part. The band was slipped over a suitably sized liquor bottle closed with a long-skirted, molded screw cap and carrying a revenue stamp. The band shrank and dried snugly around the neck of-thefbottle and primaryclosure in the manner illustrated in Figure 8.

A long-skirted screw cap provides a better grip so that more force may be applied in breaking the band alongA the line of perforation. It follows that bands designed for this type of cap need not be perforated to the usual extent, and this in turn gives added insurance against dry splitting. In order that adequate resistance to the twisting force applied to the primary closure may be furnished, it is necessary that the lportion of the gel band below the line of perforation should be of sufcient area to well engage or satisfactorily grip the bottle neck.

Other designs for perforations in thewet, un'- shrunken eel band which have been found to be fairly satisfactory are illustrated in Figure 6.

' They comprise round holes joined by a slit, tear drop cut-outs joined by a slit and hour-glassshaped perforations lying lengthwise around the band. The individual gel perforations are shown at t-g, -g and t-y, respectively. The corresponding dry perforations are indicated at til-41,654 and {iB-d.

The invention is satisfactorily used with various kinds of primary bottle and like container Corks, wood-topped Stoppers, molded plastic screw caps and metallic screw caps are the type most commonly encountered. The sec ondary closures of the present invention operate very satisfactorily with each of these types.

The 'bands may be formed of materials other than regenerated cellulose, for example, cellulose esters and ethers. While the non-fibrous cellulosic pellicles are the most-common type, in some humidities to which the package will be exposed, the amount of leverage afforded by the particular primary closure, the size of the band with respect to the size of the bottle. etc.

In general,l for a gel regenerated cellulose band in the neighborhood of 0.017 of an inch in thickness, a perforation of 'A inch to 5/; inch in long dimension, with an intervening space of 11s inch to 1A; inch, is preferred. vSuch a band has a thickness of approximately 0.004 to 0.005 inch in the dry state. Perforations of the rounded end oblong style 1/8 by inch with corresponding spacing, have been used.

It has been convenient to describe the inven-I tion in terms of secondary closures for bottles containing distilled liquor, but it is to be understood that the invention is equally applicable to many other types of packages presenting the same or related problems.

Although the bands may be manufactured by various procedures. they are usually made by c'utting short sections from continuous lengths of regenerated cellulose tubes. The manufacture of such tubes is described in detail in U. S. A.

Patent No. 2,141,776 (Vautier and Fays). The cutting of such tubes into bands is described in,

U. S. A. Patent No. 1,647,489.

The most convenientway of perorating the bands is to punch through two thicknesses of the same while it is in flat or collapsed condition. l

The bands may be suitably decorated by pigmentation and printing.v Typical procedures are described in U. S. A. Patents Nos. 2,141,744 (Evans) and 1,997,769 (Fletcher).

The primary purpose of this invention was to design a secondary closure band which could be opened by twisting, and the specific description 0 was made on 'that basis, but it should be noted that 'the line of perforations in a dried band of this'invention will also serve as a tear line. A row of circular holes will not serve as a tear line. With the bands oi this invention a tear can be made from one edge to the line of perforations and continued circumferentially around that line. For example, one can take hold of one of the serration tabs at the top of the band of Figure 7, and by pulling it, easily start a'tear that can be continued down to the line l0, and if the tear is then directed around the neck `of the bottle, it will continue along the aforementioned line 'H4 (or any other tear'line present in the band), with the result that access to the contents of i the bottle is easily gained andthe" lower` porinstances pellicular bands formed of non-cellulosic materials such as gelatin, casein and the like, may be used. Lowly etheried (up to one mol of substitution per glucose unit of the cellulose), alkyl and hydroxy alkyl celluloses such as low substituted ethyl (and methyl) cellulose and low substituted glycol cellulose, are quite satisfactory. The same is true of cellulose acetate.

For convenience the invention has been described in terms of bands and perforations of particular sizes. Deviation from these sizes is tion of the government stamp is still firmly secured to the bottle by means of that portion of the band below the line of tear. Similarly, by breaking out a tab from the hole l0, as previously described, a tear may be madeup to the line of perforations.

With the present invention the band may be ruptured near the junction of the bottle and its primary closure by means of a twist, as in the usual act of unscrewing the primary closure.

permissible, depending upon such. variables as the particular substance of which the band is Asa result, access to the contents of the bottle is simple and easy. Perforations of the design and dimensions described above are resistant to dry splitting during storage and handling. A

portion of the band remains in place to provide a safeguard in retaining a portion of the revenue stamp as long as desired. Animportant advantageof the present invention lies in the fact that the perforation of the gel band adds only perforations ofthe secondary closure being of pleasing and regulardesign and neatly arranged around the band. add to the attractiveness thereof.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood thatthis invention is not limited to the specic embodiments thereof exi cept as deiined in the appended claims.

1. In combination, a. container having an open top with a closure therefor, and an' open tube of regenerated cellulose disposed on the container, said tube` overlying the adjoining portions of the container and its closure, and having a ring of oblong perforations lying end-toend thereabout.

2. The combination comprising a bottle, a primary closure therefor, and a secondary closure comprising a dry tough regenerated cellulose pellicular sleeve occupying a position about adjacent portions of the bottle and its primary closure,A thesleeve being maintained in position by being 4tightly stretched in the manner resulting from being dried in said position, and a line of oval perforationsextending end-to-end around the said sleeve near the junction of the bottle and primary closure. 3. The combination comprising a bottle, a primary closure therefor and a secondary closure comprising a tough regenerated cellulose pellicular sleeve occupying a position about adjacent portions of the bottle and its primary closure, the sleeve Vbeing maintained in position by` being tightly stretched in the manner resulting* from being dried in said position, and' having a ring `oi elongated perforations lying end-to-end about the'sleeve at the junction of the bottle neck and primary closure. f

4. A shrinkable secondary closure consisting of a band of gel regenerated cellulose having a circumferential line of perorations, said perforations being oblong in shape but having rounded endsand being positioned end-tO-end in the line around the band, said perforations being 1% inch in length, 0.044 of an inch wide, and spaced if of an inch from each other.

5 The combination comprising a bottle, a primary closure therefor, and a secondary closure comprising a dry, tough regenerated cellulose pellicular sleeve occupying a position about adjacent vportions 'of the bottle and its primary closure, the sleeve being maintained in position by being tightly stretched in the manner resulting from being dried in said position, and a line of oval perforations extending end-toend around the said sleeve near the junction of the bottle and primary closure, the said perforationsv being of the shape resulting from drying a gel sleeve having rounded end oblong cutouts.

.THEODORE BENZINGER.

Images