US2781931A - Bottle closures - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 19, 1957 H. CARLSON 2,781,931

BOTTLE cLosuREs Filed 0G12. l0, 1955 lbf/filmar @#75011 United Stars-S 2,781,931 BOTTLE cLosUREs Hjalmar Carlson, San Francisco, Calif. l Application October 10, 1955, Serial No. 539,428 3 claims. (cl. 21S-9s) The present invention relates to improvements in bottle closures intended-principally for use in connection with bottles having an annular bead at -the upper ends of the necks andhaving an annular' groove immediately underneath the bead.

Bottles of Ithis type are in common use in connection with the sale of soft drinks, beer and the like, and are 4furnished with caps having a crimped edge clamped upon the bead. These caps are removed with `the aid of conventional bottle,V openers having one end bearing on the top ofl thecapuand having a spur engaging underneath the crimped edge for lifting the said edge in a prying operation.

In this operation, the crimped edge is bent out of shape and the cap is of no further use for closing the bottle.

In the present invention it is proposed to provide a bot-tile closure which carries its own means for opening and closing the same and which is not bent out of shape in the opening operation, so that it may be used many times over, with the same bottle or with numerous bottles of the same shape.

It is further proposed to provide, in connection with a bottle closure of the character described, a bottle opener of conventional type, so that the closure may be readily used for the removal of the original cap, this feature involving an extended handle which at the same time facilitates the application and the removal of the closure itself.

It is still further proposed to provide a bottle closure of the character described, the main constituent of which can be conveniently stamped out of -a single sheet of metal,

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be disclosed as the specification continues, and the new and useful features of my bottle closure will be fully dened in the claims attached hereto.

The preferred forms of my invention are illustrated 1n the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a vertical section through my closure as applied to a cap, in relaxed condition;

Figure 2, a similar section, with lthe closure clamped upon the bottle neck;

Figure 3, a plan view of a yclamping ring used 1n connection with my closure;

Figure 4, a .plan view of a blank used for making the closure;

Figure 5, a side view of a modified form of closure as applied to the bottle neck, previous to the clamping operation;

Figure 6, a similar view showing the closure clamped upon the bottle; and

Figure 7, a blank for the ring used in the modified form of the invention.

While I have shown only the preferred forms of my invention, I wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the bottle neck and having a pair of opposing ianges` or skirts 7 tting over .the side of the bead to adesired ICC of the claims attached hereto, without depanting from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and particularly t the form shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the bottle neck 1 is shown as having an annular bead 2 along the upper edge thereof, with a groove 3 below the bead. YThe bead is substantially semi-circular in cross-section and the groove comes to a relatively sharp bottom edge, as shown at 4. Y f

My closure 5 comprises a at disc 6 fitting over the top depth, preferablyvslightly below the bulge of the bead.

Between the opposing skirts, the cap is formed with two opposing wings V8 formed integral with the disc and' separated from the skirts by cuts 9, the wings being bendable at their base 10 into substantially rectangular posi-v tion with respect to the disc so as to depend from the edge of the latter. f

Each of the wings has a pair of side flaps 11 bendable inwardly from the blank illustrated in Figure 4, reach ap coming to an inwardly presented point 12.

The various parts described are dimensionedso'that when the closure is formedfpout of the blank shown in Figure 4 and placed over the bottle bead, the aprons 7 engage over the side of the bead andthe wings 8 extend downwardly past the groove, with the points 12 of the wings engaging in the groove and bearing upon the relatively sharp bottom of the groove, as shown in Figure l. A thin sealing disc 13 is provided under the disc 6 in the conventional manner.

In order to eiect a tight seal, I use the ring 14, shown in detail in Figure 3. This ring is shaped to slip over the disc for engagement over the lower portions of the wings below the groove.

The ring 14 is split, as at 15, and has two inwardly projecting prongs 16 anchored to one of the wings, at 16'. The ring may be normally positioned in the inclined position shown in Figure 1, and its free portion may then be depressed to engage over the other wing, below the groove and to come to rest between two small knobs 17 projecting from the wings.

When the ring 14 is thus applied, it pulls the free lower ends of the wings toward one another, thus tightening the grip of the points 12 on the bottom 4 of the groove. At the same time, the lower ends of the wings, using the points 12 as a fulcrum, swing downward and exert downward pull on ythe disc 6, thereby tightening the same and the interposed sealing disc upon the top of the bead to effect a leakproof closure for the bottle.

In the use of my invention, the operator merely presses the closure, with the ring in inclined position, as in Figure l, upon the bead of the bottle, thus engaging the points 12 of the wings in the bottom of the groove 3, and then pushes the free side of the ring 14 downward until its engages between the knobs 17.

The downward push causes the free ends of the wings 8 to swing toward one another for interlocking the same. At the same time -the free ends ofthe wings swing down-- ward on the points 12 which serve as fulcra for the swinging movement and exert downward pull on the disc for tightening its engagement upon the top of the bead.

The form shown in Figures 5 to 7, inclusive, is constructed on the same principle, and the structure of the cap is the same as in the preceding gures.

The ring 14' diiers insofar as 'the free side of the ring is formed with a relatively long handle 18 which extends downwardly along the length ofthe bottle through a considerable distance when clamped into position, and occu` pies the slanting position shown in Figure 5 before the clamping operation.

Patented F eb. Y l 9, 1 95,7

The long handle 18 facilitates the application and the release of the clamping ring, since it gives a better hand hold than the ring by itself.

The bottom end of the handle is lturned inward,:toward the bottle neck, as `at 19, and a short distance above the bottom end I provide an inwardly projecting spur 20, the latter being arranged with respect to the bottom end to form a conventional bottle opener. Thus my closure may a'lso serve as a bottle opener to remove the original cap from the bottle.

I claim:

. l. A closure for a bottle neck having an annular bead, with an annular groove underneath the bead, the closure comprising a disc adapted for overlying the top of the b ottle neck and having a pair of depending wings with inwardly turned side iianges cut to present points engaging in the bottom of the groove when the disc is placed on the top, the wings having extensions projecting downward below the points, and means for pulling the downward extensions toward one another to cause the extensions to swing downward on the points for exerting downward pull on the disc.

2. A closure for a bottle neck having an annular bead, with an annular groove underneath the bead, the closure comprising a disc adapted for overlying the :top of the bottle neck and having a pair of depending wings with in- Wardly turned side flanges cut to present points engaging in the bottom of the groove when the disc is placed on :the top, the wings having extensions projecting downward below the points, and means for pulling the downward Yextensions toward one another to cause the extensions to swing downward on the points for exerting downward pull on the disc, the disc having depending aprons between -the wings to engage over the sides of the bead when the disc is lowered upon the bead.

3. A closure for a bottle neck having an annular bead, with 4an annular groove underneath the bead, the closure comprising a disc adapted for overlying the top of the bottle neck and having a pair of depending wings with inwardly turned side anges cut to present points engaging in the bottom of the groove when the disc is placed on the top, the wings having extensions projecting downward below Ithe points, and a ring pivoted in the anges of one of the wings below its point and swingable over the disc and the other wing into substantially horizontal position to urge both wings toward one another below their points and lto exert downward pull on the disc through both wings.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany Feb. 18, 1952

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