US3147875A

US3147875A - Crown cap

Info

Publication number: US3147875A
Application number: US189576A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sr Richard E Rutledge
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-04-23
Filing date: 1962-04-23
Publication date: 1964-09-08
Anticipated expiration: 1981-09-08

Description

P 1 R. E. RUTLEDGE, SR 3,147,375

CROWN CAP Filed April 23, 1962 INVENTOR. Ric/lard 1F. Raf/edge Sn BY United States Patent 3,147,875 I CROWN CAP Richard E. Rutledge, Sr., 519 E. 77th St, Kansas City, Mo. Filed Apr. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 189,576 2 Claims. (Cl. 215-39) This invention relates to an improved crown cap for closing and sealing beverage bottles or the like.

Conventional crown caps, generally denoted in the trade as crowns, are normally stamped from an initially flat, circular disc of bendable, metallic material to form a top or lid portion and an annular, continuous skirt. The cap is then crimped at the skirt to form a series of indentations and alternate elongated ribs. When such caps are placed on the bottle, the lowermost ends of the ribs project laterally from and overhang the side of the bottle neck. Such outwardly projecting, lowermost ends present sharp barbs or points at the lower edge of the skirt which are injurious to the hands and fingers of those handling the bottles. Thus, customers and users, as well as those persons whose business it is to fill vending machines, serve soft drinks, or transfer the bottles from cartons to refrigerators or the like, subject themselves to cuts and scratches on the hand and fingers when the bottles are grasped adjacent their caps.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a crown cap which eliminates such sharp cutting points so that .the problem of irritation and injury to the hands and fingers of personnel handling the bottles will be entirely solved.

Therefore, in the present invention, there is provided a crown cap, including a top and a continuous, fluted skirt integral with the top, but having a number of circumferentially spaced ribs that do not span the distance between the top and the lower periphery of the skirt, a portion of the skirt at the lower end of each rib being removed to eliminate the overhang of the ribs adjacent the lower peripheral edge of the skirt, whereby the ribs are free of sharp prongs or barbs to thereby avoid injury and irritation.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a blank that may be quickly, easily and inexpensively stamped and crimped to form the novel cap above described.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view showing a crown cap made pursuant to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the cap shown mounted on a bottle;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the cap is made; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cap as it appears prior to mounting on the bottle.

The cap of the present invention includes a circular top or lid portion and an annular skirt integral with the lid portion and extending laterally or downwardly therefrom. The skirt is fluted to form a number of circumferentially spaced ribs and indentations alternating with the ribs. The skint is notched at each rib to eliminate all sharp barbs therefrom and to form a pair of edges extending outwardly and upwardly toward the lid portion from the lower peripheral edge of the skirt. By eliminating the overhang of the outermost ends of the ribs, irritation to the hands and fingers of personnel handling bottles provided with the crown caps of the present invention is completely obviated.

The cap is broadly denoted by the numeral and includes a circular top or lid portion 12, and a continuous 3,147,875 Patented Sept. 8, 1964 annular skirt 14 integral with lid portion 12 and normally extending downwardly therefrom.

Cap 10 is initially stamped from a flat disc 16 as shown in FIG- 4, disc 16 being of a bendable material and preferably of a commercially available, relatively inexpensive metal. When disc 16 is provided with a series of equally spaced, substantially V-shaped notches 18 at its circular periphery 19, each notch 18 is defined by a pair of identical edges 20 which merge at point 22 and diverge as periphery 19 is approached. The series of circumferentially spaced points 22 lie on a common, circular line concentric with and spaced inwardly of periphery 19. Pcripheral edge 19 is, therefore, divided into equally spaced, identical, arcuate segments 21.

Disc 16 is bent about a circular line 23 concentric with and spaced inwardly of the circular, continuous line passing through point 22 so as to form or set ofi" lid portion 12 and skirt 14. The bending of disc 16 is preferably accomplished by the use of a stamping process employing male and female die members. After, or as lid portion 12 and skirt 14 are formed, skirt 14 is crimped or fluted to form a series of indentations 24 which provide bottleengaging projections 26 on the inner surface of skirt 14. The portion of skirt 14 between each pair of indentations 24 presents an elongated rib 28 spanning much of the distance between periphery 19'and the line of bend 23. Each rib 28 is provided with a generally convex, outermost surface as is clear in FIG. 1, and is formed by the crimping process so that a notch 18 is located at the lowermost end thereof as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. The point 22 of each notch 18 is disposed substantially midway between the sides of the corresponding rib 28 so that edges 20 defining the notch 18, are substantially symmetrical with the rib 28.

A liner 30 within lid portion 12 is usually formed from a yieldable sealing material, such as cork, plastic or the like.

Cap 10 is adapted to be disposed, when in use, over the open top of a beverage bottle 32 as is clear in FIGS. 2 and 3. During capping, projections 26 on skirt 14 are brought into gripping relationship to the underside of annular head 34 surrounding the open top of bottle 32 and integral with the neck 36. Since there are a number of circumferentially spaced projections 26 on skirt 14, cap 10 is securely mounted on bottle 32 and liner 30 is compressed between bead 34 and the inner surface of lid portion 12 to effectively seal the open top of bottle 32.

Edges 20 defining notches 18, are directed upwardly and slightly outwardly when crown cap 10 is disposed in closing relationship to the open top of bottle 32. It is therefore clear that the overhang of conventional crown caps is eliminated as a result of the presence of notches 18 so that personnel handling bottles 32 are not subjected to cuts and scratches to their hands and fingers by sharp, laterally projecting barbs such as are found on all conventional crown caps.

By virtue of the construction mentioned above, the blank 16 may be constructed in a manner so that the sharp, laterally projecting barbs found on conventional crown caps, are eliminated prior to or at the time of the stamping and crimping operation required for forming the lid portion 12 and skirt 14 of crown cap 10.

Cap 10 is removed from a bottle just as easily as a conventional crown cap by the use of ordinary bottleopener devices. In addition, cap 10 is no more expensive to manufacture and requires no more material than a conventional crown cap. Moreover, the seal effected by cap 10 is as good as that effected by the conventional cap.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A blank for producing a beverage bottle crown cap of the type having a lid portion and an annular, fluted edges joined at the inner extremities thereof and skirt integral with the lid portion and projecting laterally diverging as said periphery is approached, said disc therefrom, said blank comprising: adapted to be bent along a continuous, circular line a circular, irnperforate disc of bendable material and concentric with and spaced inwardly of the continuhaving a number of spaced notches therein at the ous, circular line on which the junctions of said edges periphery thereof, said disc adapted to be bent along a continuous, circular line concentric with and spaced inwardly from the periphery thereof to form said skirt and said lid portion, said skirt adapted to be bent along circumferentially spaced lines to form a pair of indentations therein on opposed sides of each notch of said disc, each indentation presenting a bottle-gripping projection on said skirt.

are disposed to form said skirt and said lid portion, said skirt adapted to be bent along circumferentially spaced, substantially radial lines to form a pair of indentations therein on opposed sides of each notch of said disc, each indentation presenting a bottlegripping projection on said skirt.

References Cited in the file of this patent 2. A blank for producing a beverage bottle crown cap of the type having a lid portion and an annular, fluted 15 UNITED STATES PATENTS skirt integral with the lid portion and projecting laterally 2,069,410 Hochstildter 1937 therefrom, said blank comprising: 2,706,572 T0909 P 1955 a circular, imperforate disc of bendable material and having a number of circumferentially spaced, sub- FOREIGN PATENTS stantially V-shaped notches therein at the periphery 20 23,896 Norway Oct. 20, 1913 thereof, each of said notches presenting a pair of 1,203,304 France July 27, 1959

Claims

1. A BLANK FOR PRODUCING A BEVERAGE BOTTLE CROWN CAP OF THE TYPE HAVING A LID PORTION AND AN ANNULAR, FLUTED SKIRT INTEGRAL WITH THE LID PORTION AND PROJECTING LATERALLY THEREFROM, SAID BLANK COMPRISING: A CIRCULAR, IMPERFORATE DISC OF BENDABLE MATERIAL AND HAVING A NUMBER OF SPACED NOTCHES THEREIN AT THE PERIPHERY THEREOF, SAID DISC ADAPTED TO BE BENT ALONG A CONTINUOUS, CIRCULAR LINE CONCENTRIC WITH AND SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE PERIPHERY THEREOF TO FORM SAID SKIRT AND SAID LID PORTION, SAID SKIRT ADAPTED TO BE BENT ALONG CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED LINES TO FORM A PAIR OF INDENTATIONS THEREIN ON OPPOSED SIDES OF EACH NOTCH OF SAID DISC, EACH INDENTIFICATION PRESENTING A BOTTLE-GRIPPING PROJECTION ON SAID SKIRT.