US2375632A - Container and closure with opening means therefor - Google Patents

Description

P'. V Dl COSMO May 8, 1945.

' CONTAINER AND CLOSURE WITH OPENING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Dec. 3, 1942 PASQUALE 1/. dz cos/)0 A TTOR/VE Y opened, by puncturing the fibrous edges from which Patented May 8, 1945 CONTAINER AND CLOSURE WITH OPENING I I MEANSTHEREFOR,

Pasquale V.

Di Cosmo, PhillipsburgQNnl, as-

signor to The Canister Company, Phillipsburg,

J., a corporation. of New Jersey Application December 3, 1942, Serial No. 467,804 Claims. (Cl. 229-41) This invention relates to containers and the like and particularly to constructions whereby containers may be effectively sealed but are ca pable of being readily opened and emptied.

Containers embodying the present invention maybe formed of any preferred material andshipping products may be used for storing and in any desired form, such as liquids, pastes or powders. However, for purposesof illustration the containers hereafter described in detail are formedof fibrous material and are designed for use with liquids, such as lubricatingroil.

Containers used heretofore forlubricating oil cansand have been top of the can and the metal inward adjacent This method of opening have generally .been tin turning a portion of the edge of the can.

containers is objectionable because the material turned inward obstructs the flow of liquid from the container so that complete emptying thereof is difiicult whereas the stream of liquid formed is frequently divided or irregularand cannot be easily directed. Moreover, metal containers are expensive and are not available .for many purposes at the present time. On the other hand containers formed, of fibrous materials, when I thick or heavy enough for. the storage and shipment of oil are difiicult to seal and when punctured or opened by tearing they present rough loose fibers and fragments are removed bythe oil and carried into the crank case of the engine where they clog pipe lines, pumps, filters andother mechanism.

.In accordance with the present invention a fibrous container is provided which possesses the requisite strength for use as a container for oils,

paints and othermaterials but the sealing of the container is established by the use of thin flexible means and an oil resistant sealing compound. Moreover, the container is formed With a portion capable of being displaced to provide a free unobstructed discharge opening adjacent the edge of the container while the surfaces contacted by the oil on discharge thereof are clean, smooth and freeof all loose fibers or portions which might contaminate the oil.

In general, containers embodying the present invention have .a closure memberwhich includes a relatively stiff, strong closure element formed of chip-board, kraft or other paper stock, and a thin flexible sealing element made of oil and liquid resistant parchment paper, Cellophane, metal foil or other, material which may be torn but does not present any free, loose fibers'capable of ready removal. The stiff portion of the closure'member is pre-cut by a sharp die or other toolalong spaced lines which extend inward from the edge of the disc so as to provide a displaceable portion with a smooth clean surface for contact with the material the container. Containers so formed are strong, and leak-proof as wellas being neat and attractive in appearance. Moreover, they are also tamper-proof in that they cannot be opened without being rendered unsuitable for reuse.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide novel and economical methods and means for sealing a container while providing for ready opening thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to providea novel type of container formed of fibrous material and having displaceable means movable to form a discharge opening havingsm'ooth, clean edges free of loose fibers or broken fragments which might contaminate the contents on discharge thereof fromthe container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container with displaceable means to form a discharge opening in the container and means for sealing the container serving to hold the displaceable means in place. i

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved tamper-proofand nonrefillable fibrous container.

These and other objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description thereof in Whichreference is made to the figures of the accompanying drawing. 1 In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a portion of a container and closure member embodying the present invention and arrangedin position for assembly.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing the closure member in position on the container.

3 Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the construction shown in Fig. 2 with theclosure member thereof.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the sealed container with the displaceable portion moved to'open the container.

In that form of the invention illustrated in the drawing thebody of the container is shownat 3.

and preferably is formed of spirally wound fibrous material such as chip-board, kraft paper or other fi rous stock having a liner 4 of oil resistant material such as are described in the patentto Kernahan No.- 2,202,558. The end closure member 6 of the container embodies a disc 8 formed of stiff material' being discharged from parchment paper on the inner face Container bodies of this general type such as chip-board and a liner or sealing element l located adjacent the lower or inner face thereof.

The disc 8 includes the displaceable portions l2 which are formed by cuts M which as shown extend radially inward from the edge It of the disc to points I8 spaced from the center of the disc. It is preferable to form a. score'line on the upper surface of the'disc and extending from the inner extremity N3 of one cut M to the inner extremity of the other so portion [2, the cuts l4 and desired a second score line 22 may be formed in the lower face of the disc to increase the flexibility of the disc at the score line withoutmaterially weakening the disc.

The cuts l4 are formed in the disc by means of a die or a sharp instrument which serves to form a clean, smooth out edge 24 having no free fibers or broken parts which might become disengaged or removed by the oil or other materialthat the displaceable" portion is defined by the marginal edge 16 of the the score line 20. If Y as it flows in contact therewith. The score line 20 does not extend through the disc but serves only to define a hinge or line of bending so that the portion l2 may be forced inward to the positionjshown in Fig. 4 to open the container withoutbreaking the disc along the score line or causing it to rupture or expose any rough fibrous surface.

The disc 8 is preferably secured to the sealing element In so that both may be applied to the container body as a, unit and in asingle opera-,-

tion. For this purpose the disc 8 is cut from a. fiat sheet of chipboard and the cuts 14 are. formed therein by means of a die or other tool while the sealing element I0 is similarly cut from aflat sheet of parchment paper and has a larger diameter than the disc 8. These parts are then assembled and secured together by means such as the glue 26. The glue preferably does not extend to the cuts 14, and therefore it does not prevent ready displacement of the portion l2 or cause. the material at the edges of the cuts to be broken,

away when the container is opened.

The disc 8 and sealing element when so assembled form the closuremember 6 which is shown in Fig. l in position'to beapplied to the container body 2. In applying theclosure member a sealing composition such as glue 28 is apcess glue beyond that required for effectively sealing the space between the sealing element andthe liner 4 of the body is forced inward so as to tautagainst the lower face of the disc and serves to support the discrigidly in place. The displaceable portion I2 of the disc is thereby supported, from below by the sealing element and the free edge N5 of portion I2 is further supported by the gasket of glue or sealing compound beneath the sealing element. In completing the sealing of the container the rim 28 is turned inward over the outer marginal portion. of the disc 8 to form the retaining bead movement of the disc or displaceableportion I2 is prevented.

In this way the, disc 8 is firmly clamped be-' tween the sealing element and bead 44 so that the closure member is rendered strong enough to withstand any ordinary impacts or forces to which the container may be subjected during shipping,- handling or. storage thereof.

All of the operations required for applying the closure member may be performed simultaneously by means of a die which pushesthe disc 8 into the end of the body at the same time that it turns the marginal edges of the sealing elementdownward about the outer surfaces 34 of the body.

During the final stage of movement of the die to-' ward the container body the portion thereof which turns the sealing element down about the rim 30 forces the rim inward to form the retaining bead44. By using'a heated die the fiuxing of the sealing compound and the molding of the rim into the head 44 are facilitated.

After the container has been sealed as described a label or wrapper 46 is applied about the body of the container with the edges of the label plied to the rim 30 of the body and extends over the inner and outer surfaces 32 and 34 respectively of the body adjacent the rim. The disc and sealing element are then moved axially toward the container body to a point slightly inward from the rim 30 as shown in Fig. 2. At the same timev the vportion 36 of thesealing element near theedge 16 of the disc 8 is turned upward and formed to the shape of they glue bearing inner surface 32 of the container body while the outer marginal portions 38 of the sealing element are turned downward about the outer gluebearing surface 34 of the container body. As the disc 8 is forced into the end of the container the portions 36 and 38 of the sealing element are caused to wipe over the glue 28 so that the glue is spread over the sealing element and is folded into wrinkles or crevices in the formed portions 36 and-38 to completely seal the joint between the sealing element and the container body. Moreover, since the diameter of the stiff disc ,8' is substantially equal to the internal diameter of the body, the sealing element is squeezed or forced against the inner surface 32 during this operation. As a result of this squeezing any e'xcontainer is filled from the; opposite end and extending over the edges 38 of thesealing ele-" ment so that a neat attractive finished container is obtained. However. when, as is preferred, the

thereafter sealed by the method and construction described in the application for patent of Di Cosmo Serial No. 467,805 filed December 3, 1942,

I the wrapper 46 is notapplied until after such operations have been performed.

When it is desired to open the container a blunt instrument is pressed against the displace-- able portion. I2 of the disc to push it inward. When. pressed hard enough the sealing. element 8 is ruptured, the supporting sealing gasket of glue 4 0 is broken and the portion i2 is turned inward about the score lines 20 and 22 to the position shown in Fig. 4 forming a discharge opening 48. Moreover, it is foundv in practice that, the portion of the liner 4 of the container body adjacent the portion 12 of the closure disc -8 is so bonded to the adjacent portion of the a diaphragm that when the portion I! of the disc is forced inward and the diaphragm ruptured in opening the container, a portion of the liner 4 is torn downward and strippedf'rom the fibrous body of the container. In this wayQthe body is 44 so that outward any loose detachable fibers. be discharged through the discharge opening exposed to the contents of the container as they arejpoured therefrom and the container body is softened and permeated by liquid so that it becomes weakened and contaminated, andthe container may not again be reused. The sealing element, being formed of parchment paper or other material which does 'not'yield free fibers or loose bits of material, does not contaminate the oil whereas the smooth out surfaces 24 on the inner edge of the opening 48 and on the outer edge of the displaceable member are also free of The oil can then without danger of contamination and without obstruction so thatthe container may be completely emptied. Furthermore sealing element II! is destroyed in opening the container and displacement of the portion I2 produces such distortion. of the fibrous disc that it cannot be restored to permit reuse of the containeror substitution of its contents. The container is therefore tamper-proof,

I claim;

l. A container having a body of circular cross section provided with means closing the end thereof comprising, a rupturable sealing element extending across the end of the body and secured thereto, and a disc tioned wholly within'the body and having spaced cuts extending inward from the periphery thereof to provide a displaceable portion having a free edge located adjacent the inner surface of the container body, said disc overlyingthe sealin'g' element and being held in place with its edges adjacent the container body so that the free edge of thedisplaceable portion of the disc between said cuts is capable of being moved inward to rupture the sealing element and form a discharg opening in thedisc.

2. A container for liquids having a body of circularcross section formed of fibrous material and lined with sheet material with means closing the end of the body comprising, a liquidresistant parchment sheet which extends across the end of the body and has its marginal portions secured to the linerof the body while the center thereof is located inward from the extremity of .the container body, a closure element formed of a disc of stifi fibrous material positioned wholly within the body and having spaced sharply defined cuts extending inward from the periphery thereof to provide a displaceable portion having a free edge adjacent the liner of the container body, said disc engaging and being supported by the central portion of the sealing element, the extremity of the container body being turned inward over the edge of the disc to hold itin place whereby the free edge of the displaceable portion of the disc between said cuts may be forced inward to rupture the sealing element and form an unobstructed discharge opening from which.the contents of the container may be poured.

3. A container having a body of circular cross section with means closing the end thereof comprising, a rupturable sealing element extending across the end of the body and secured thereto,

and a disc of stiif fibrous material positioned wholly within the body and with spaced sharply defined cuts extendinginward from the periphery of th disc to provide a displaceable'portion having a free edge located adjacent the inner surface of the container body and having their inner extremities joined by a score line, said disc being positioned to engage the sealing element and supported at its edges adjacent the container body whereby the free edge of the displaceable portion of the disc between the cuts may be p forced inward about said core line as a pivot to rupture the sealing element and form an .unobstructed discharge opening in the end of the container.

4. A container having a body of circular cross section with means closing the end thereof comprising, a rupturable sealing element extending formed of stiff material posi across the end of the body and secured thereto,

and a. disc of stiiT fibrous material positioned wholly within the body and with spaced sharply defined cuts xtending inward from the periphery of the disc to provide a displaceable portion having a. free edge located adjacenttheinner surface of the container portion and having their inner extremities joined by a score line, said disc being positioned to engage the sealing element and supported at its edges adjacent the container body, the rim of the container body being turned inward over theedges of the disc to hold it in place, whereby the free edge of the displaceable portion of the disc between the cuts may be forced inward about said score line as a pivot to rupture the sealing element and form an unobstructed discharge opening in the end of the container.

5. A container having abody formed of fibrous material and lined with sheet material with means closing the end of the body comprising, a

sheet which extends across the end of the body and has its marginal portions secured to the liner of the body while the center thereof is located inward from the extremity of the container body, a, closure element formed of a disc of material positioned wholly within the body and having outs extending inward from.the' edges thereof to provide a displaceable portion having a free edge adjacent the liner of the container body, said disc engaging and being supported by the central portion of the sealing element, the end i of the container body being turned inward over the edge of the disc to hold it in place whereby the free edge of the displaceable portion of the disc between said cuts may be forced inward to rupture the sealing element and form an unobstructed discharge. opening from which the contents of the container maybe poured.

PASQUALE V. DI COSMO.

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