US3206085A

US3206085A - Combined container and closure

Info

Publication number: US3206085A
Application number: US350708A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mindaugas J Klygis
Original assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Current assignee: Continental Can Co Inc
Priority date: 1964-03-10
Filing date: 1964-03-10
Publication date: 1965-09-14
Anticipated expiration: 1982-09-14

Description

Sept. 14, 1965 M. J. KLYGls 3,206,085

COMBINED CONTAINER AND CLOSURE i Filed March l0, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TTORNEYS Sept. 14, 1965 M. J. KLYGIS 3,206,085

COMBINED CONTAINER AND CLOSURE Filed March lO, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 51 l2 50 58 56 El 6.4

A 60 I2 5g@ 57 I3 46 50 52 '55 55' F54 lwmzzz 35 L? ,4 26 43 d2 .l1/ `lk\\\\\\\\\\\\\\,\\ 28 INVENTOR NHNDIUGRS J. KLYGIS ATTORNEY5 3,206,085 COMBINED CONTAINER AND CLGSURE Mindaugas J. Klygis, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, NX., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 350,708 22 Claims. (Cl. 222-548) This invention relates to a novel container and dispensing closure combination in which single means .are provided for performing the combined functions of preventing the rotation of one of a pair of caps of the closure relative to the container and limiting the relative rotation of the other of the pair of caps relative to the first cap between a position in which dispensing openings of the caps are in registration and ,another position in which the dispensing openings are not in registration.

It is conventional to form dispensing closures which include a pair of caps telescoped relative to each other and to secure suc-h closures to the necks or finish of containers. One of the caps, generally and innermost cap, is secured to the neck of a container to prevent rotation of the inner cap with respect to the container. The second of the caps, generally an outermost cap, is telescoped externally of the innermost cap and the container neck, and is mounted for rotation relative to both the innermost cap and the neck of the container.

The inner cap or sifter .cap is secured to the neck of the container in .a variety of different ways, such as internal ribs in the container neck received in grooves in a peripheral skirt of the sitter cap. It is also conventional to frictionally l-ock the sifter cap to the neck of the container by a press-tit construction, or to threadably secure the sitter cap to the neck of the container. In dispensing closures of the type in which the sitter cap does not include a peripheral skirt, the sifter cap can be adhesively secured to the lip of a conventional container and it is common to provide such a lip with projections received in recesses of the sifter cap to prevent the rotation thereof relative to the neck of the container.

The outermost or snap cap of conventional dispensing closures generally include a peripheral skirt provided with a plurality of inwardly directed radially projections which cooperate with external radially outwardly directed projections on the finish or neck of conventional containers to limit the rotation of the snap cap between dispensing and non-dispensing positions of the closure. In all known conventional dispensing closures, these projections of the snap cap and container neck perform the sole function of limiting the rotation of the snap cap relative to the container neck and no cooperative relationship exists between the projections of either the snap .cap or the container neck and the above-mentioned conventional means which secure the sifter cap to the container. That is, the sole purpose -of the projections is to limit the rotation of conventional snap caps and the sole function of conventional vsitter cap interlocking means is to interlock or secure .conventional sifter caps to the necks of c-ontainers.

yIt is highly desirable, Ifrom both a practical and economical standpoint, to construct a dispensing closure and container which includes a single element for performing the combined functions of securing the sitter cap to the neck of the container and limiting the relative rotation of the snap cap and the container. This is particularly true when the dispensing closures and containers are constructed from plastic material by conventional molding processes, such as injection molding or blow molding. F or example, in the case of a blow mold container, it is extremely diicult and economically unfeasible to provide axial indentations or projections in the uppermost peripheral edge of the container neck which would co- United States Patent O operate with .axial projections or indentations respectively in a sifter cap to lock the sitter cap to the neck of the container.

In conventional dispensing closures of the type which include a sifter cap having a peripheral skirt which interlocks with 'a plurality of internal ribs in .the neck of a container it is diflicult, if not impossible, .to form such ribs on the interior of a container neck by a blow molding process. As a result, conventional dispensing closures of the type heretofore described were :generally provided with intricately molded sifter caps which cooperated with the exterior iinish of blow molded containers and the rotation of the snap cap and sifter cap was usually limited by providing projections on the exterior of the sifter cap and the interior of the rotatable snap cap. Thus, with relatively few exceptions such sitter caps and snap caps as well `as the blown containers with which these caps are associated, were of intricate configurations and relatively expensive to manufacture.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a novel container and dispensing closure combination which eliminates the above and many other disadvantages inherent in prior art structures Iby the provision of novel means for performing the combined functions of both securing a sifter cap to .the neck of a container, and limiting the relative rotation of a snap cap with respect to both the sitter cap and the neck of the container.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing closure and container of the type immediately .above described which is particularly adapted to be constructed from plastic material without the necessity of intricate dispensing closure or container configurations, and equally applicable to both conventional blow molding and injection molding processes.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing closure and container in which the dispensing closure includes first and second relatively rotatable dispensing caps carried by the container, each of the caps including end walls having dispensing openings and peripheral skirts, the container having a body termina-ting in a neck, the skirts being telescoped relative to the neck, and at least a single projection on the neck of the container, the projection having a iirst portion which interlockingly engages a relief portion of one of the caps to secure the cap to the neck of the container and a second portion of each of the projections being positioned for abutment by projections of the other of the caps thereby performing the combined functions of preventing the rotation of the first cap relative to the container and limiting the relative rotation of the second cap with respect to both the first cap and the container.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing closure and container constructed in the manner just described in which each of the projections includes a narrow portion and a relatively wider portion with the narrow portion of each projection being positioned more closely adjacent to an opening defined by an uppermost peripheral edge of the container neck than the distance between the relatively wider portion and the peripheral edge o-f the container neck.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel dispensing closure and container of the type immediately above-described in which the plurality of projections are each of a generally inverted T-shaped configuration in elevation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel container of the type described in which the relatively wider portions of the projections project radially outwardly beyond the narrower portions of each of the projections and cooperate with radially inwardly directed projections on the skirt of an outermost one of the caps of the dispensing closure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel container particularly adapted for use with a dispensing closure composed of a sifter cap and a snap cap, the container including a body terminating in a neck, a plurality of 'external projections on theneck, each of the projections having a narrow portion and a relatively wider portion to define a generally inverted T-shaped configuration in elevation with the narrow portion being adapted to se-` cure the sifter cap to the container neck and the wider portion being adaptedto limit the relative rotation between the snap cap and the container neck.

With the above, and other objects in View that will hereinafter appear the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings:

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of a novel container and dispensing closure combination constructed in accordance with this invention, and illustrates the relationship of a pair of caps forming the closure prior to being assembled and secured to a neck of the container. j

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary top perspective View of the container and dispensing closure combination shown in FIGURE 1, and illustrates the assembled dispensing closure secured to the neck of the container.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3 3 of FIGURE 2, and more clearly illustrates the assembled condition of the caps and the securement thereof to the neck of the container.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary exploded sectional View taken through the longitudinal axis of the closure and container, and more clearly illustrates the relationship of the caps prior to being secured to the neck of the containers.

' FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 5 5 of FIGURE 3, and shows means interlocking one of the caps to the neck of the container.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 6 6 of FIGURE 3, and illustrates the means of FIGURE 5 performing the additional function of limiting the rotation of an outermost one of the caps with respect to the container.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially along line 6 6 of FIGURE 3 after the outermost cap has been rotated relative to the container and illustrates a second position of the means limiting the rotation of the outer cap.

A novel dispensing closure and container combination constructed in accordance with this invention is shown in the drawings and is generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The dispensing closure and container combination 10 comprises a dispensing closure 11, including an outermost snap cap 12 and an innermost sifter cap 13, and a container 14. The

caps

12 and 13 and the container 14 are preferably constructed from plastic material, such as linear polyethylene or similar thermoplastic material. The snap cap 12 and the sifter cap 13 are each preferably constructed by a conventional injection molding process, and the container 14 is preferably blow molded in a conventional manner.

The container 14 comprises a container body 15 which is substantially rectangular in transverse section. The container body 15 is joined by an integral shoulder 16 to an upstanding neck or finish 17. The neck 17 terminates in an uppermost edge 18 (FIGURE l) defining an opening (unnumbered) of the container 14.

The neck 17 of the container 14 includes an inner circumferential surface 20 and an outer circumferential surface 21. A plurality of identical means or projections 22 are equally spaced about the exterior of the neck 17 and each projection 22 is directed radially outwardly beyond the exterior circumferential surface 21 of the neck 17, as

is best illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 4 of the drawings. Because the container, as well as the neck 17 thereof, is preferably conventionally blow molded, each of the projections 22 is formed from the material of the neck 17 which is forced radially outwardly in a known manner to dene an identical internal recess 23 (FIGURES 3 and 4) in each of the projections 22. Each recess 23 is of a generally inverted T-shaped configuration in elevation, and includes an axially extending narrow recess portion 24 and a relatively radially deeper and circumferentially wider recess portion 25, as is best shown in FIGURES l, 3, 4, and 6 of the drawings. The narrowrecess portion 24 of each of the recesses 23 terminates short of the uppermost edge 18 of the neck 17 (FIGURES 3 and 4).

Each of the projections 22 similarly includes an axially extending narrow portion 26 and a relatively circumferentially wider portion 27 (FIGURE 5 The

portions

26 and 27 thus form projections 22 which are generally inverted T-shaped in elevation, as is best illustrated in FIG- URES 1 and 5 of the drawings. The relatively Wider portion 27 of each of the projections 22 projects radially outwardly beyond the narrower portions 26 of the projec-A tions 22 (FIGURE 4). Each of the projections 22 further includes oppositely directed abutment surfaces or faces 28 and 30.

A circumferential bead 31 surrounds the exterior of the neck 17, and the wider portion 27 of each of the projections 22 blends into the bead 31 to define a generally smooth unbroken circumferential surface 32 (FIGURE 5). A radially inwardly and downwardly directed annular surface 33of the bead 31 opposes the shoulder 16 of the container body 15 and defines therewith an outwardly opening circumferential groove 34 (FIGURES 3 and 4).

The sifter cap 13 of the dispensing closure 11 comprises an end wall 35 having a plurality of identically circumferentially spaced dispensing openings 36.- There are eight such dispensing openings 36 in the end wall 35 of the sifter cap 13 and each dispensing opening 36 is spaced an identical distance from the axis of the sifter cap 13. More or less than the number of dispensing openings 36 can, of course, be provided in the sifter cap 13 in accordance with this invention.

The end wall 35 of the sifter cap 13 is reinforced at a central portion thereof by a depending annular reinforcing rib 37. A depending peripheral skirt 38 (FIGURES 1 and4) forms an integral portion of the end wall 35 adjacent to but slightly inwardly of a peripheral edge 40 of the end wall 35. The peripheral skirt 38 of the sifter cap 13 is interrupted along the circumference thereof by a plurality of identical, equally spaced, generally inverted V-shaped relieved areas or slots 41. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, there are eight such slots 41 and adjacent ones of the slots 41 setoff identical V-shaped webs or skirt portions 42 having oppositely directed guiding edges 43 and 44 (FIGURES 4 and 5) terminating at an apex 45. Each of the inverted V-shaped slots 41 terminates adjacent the end wall 35 of the sifter cap 13 ina relatively narrow and axially short slotted portion 46, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 5 of the drawings. The width of the slotted portion 46 of each of the slots 41 is slightly greater than the width of the narrow portion 26 of each of the projections 22 of the container 14. This permits selected ones of the narrow por# tions26 of the projections 22 to be received in selected ones of the slot portions 46 as is best illustrated in FIG- URE 5 to secure the sifter cap 13 to the neck 17 of the container 14 and prevent relative rotation therebetween in a manner to be described more fully hereafter.

The snap cap 12 of the dispensing closure 11 includes an end wall 50 having a plurality of equally spaced dispensing openings 51. There are eight such dispensing openings 51-in the end wall 50 and each dispensing opening 51 is spaced from the axis of the snap cap'12 a distance identical to the spacing of the dispensing openings 36 from the axis of the sifter cap 13. The end wall 5t) is integrally joined to a depending peripheral skirt 52 having an exteriorly ribbed gripping portion 49 (FIG- URE 2) and an interior surface or wall 53. The skirt 52 terminates in an inwardly directed circumferential locking rib 54 (FIGURE 4) which is adapted to be received in the groove 34 of the container body 15 to secure the dispensing closure 11 to the neck 17 of the container 14 in a conventional manner.

A plurality of radially inwardly directed identical projections 55 form an integral portion of the skirt 52 and project beyond the internal surface 53 thereof, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. There are eight such projects or lugs 55 and on each projection is included oppositely directed abutment surfaces or faces 56 and 57 between which lies a keyway 58. A top wall or surface 60 of each of the projections 55 slopes gradually radially inwardly and downwardly and is spaced from the end wall 50 of the snap cap 12 (FIGURES 3 and 4). The distance between the bottom surface (unnumbered) of the end wall 50 and the bottom surface (unnumbered) of each of the projections 55 is substantially equal to or slightly less than the distance between the edge 18 of the neck 17 and the upper surface (unnumbered) of the external bead 31 of th neck 17. The projections 55 are also annularly offset from adjacent ones of the dispensing opening 51 in the end wall 50 of the snap cap 12.

The dispensing closure 11 is assembled by telescoping the snap cap 12 and the sifter cap 13 relative to each other. During this telescoping of the

caps

12 and 13 the end wall 35 of the sifter cap 13 bends slightly into a very shallow downwardly facing concave configuration as the peripheral edge portion 40 of the end wall 35 bears against the radially innermost surfaces (unnumbered) of the projections 55. After the edge 40 of the end wall 35 passes these faces, the end wall 35 rebounds to the normal configuration thereof and the edge 40 is held movably captive between the lowermost surface (unnumbered) of the snap cap end wall 50 and the surfaces 6i) of each of the projections 55, as is best illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. There is thus established a limited amount of axial play between the

end Walls

35 and 50 of the

respective caps

13 and 12 prior to joining these caps to the container 14.

After the snap cap 12 and the sifter cap 13 have been assembled in the manner just described, the dispensing closure 11 is telescoped upon the neck 17 of the container 14. If the narrow portions 26 of each of the projections 22 on the neck 17 are not in exact axial alignment with an associated slotted portion 46 of the sifter cap skirt 3S, the narrow portions 26 will contact either of the

edges

43 and 44. After such contact is established, the narrow portions 26 bear against the

edges

43 or 44 as the snap cap 12 is urged downwardly and the camming action between these

edges

43 or 44 and the narrow portions 26 of the projections 22 causes the sifter cap 13 to rotate either in a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction until each of the four narrow portions 26 is received in an associated one of the eight slotted portions 46 of the slots 41. The snap cap 12 is continually forced downwardly until the locking rib 54 snaps into the groove 34 of the container neck 17 (FIGURE 3) at which point the dispensing closure 11 is fully seated upon and secured to the neck 17 of the container 14. In this position of the dispensing closure 11, the relatively wider portions 27 of each of the projections 28 of the container neck 17 are positioned in an associated one of the eight keyways 53 between the projections 55 of the snap cap skirt 52. Because of the relative dimensioning between the bottom surface of the snap cap end wall 5t) and the bottom of each of the projections 55, and the distance between the edge 18 of the container neck 17 and the bottom of the neck bead 31, the abutment surfaces 56 and 57 of the projections 55 are in position to abut or contact the respective abutment surfaces 30 and 28 of selected ones of 4the projections 22 on the container neck 17 to limit the rotation of the snap cap 12 with respect to the sifter cap 13 and the container 15 between a dispensing position of the dispensing closure 11 (FIGURE 6) in which the dispensing

openings

36 and 51 are in axial alignment and a non-dispensing position (FIGURE 7) in which the dispensing

openings

36 and 51 are out of alignment or registration. In either the dispensing position of the dispensing closure 11 (FIGURE 6), the non-dispensing position (FIGURE 7) or a position between the dispensing and non-dispensing position shown in these iigures, the wider portions 27 of the projections 22 project radially outwardly through an associated slot 41 between adjacent skirt portions 42 of the sifter cap skirt 38 (FIG- URES 6 and 7). The skirt 38 of the sifter cap 13 is positioned between the external surface 21 of the container neck 17 and the radially inner-most surface (unnumbered) of each of the projections 55 of the snap cap 12. Thus, the snap cap 12 is free to rotate in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise direction with respect to the sifter cap 13 and the container 15 without interference. The sifter cap 13 cannot, of course, rotate during the rotation of vthe snap cap 12 because of the interlocking engagement between the narrow portions 26 of the projections 22 and the slotted portions 46 in the sifter cap skirt 38, as is clearly illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 5 of the drawings.

The projections 22 thus cooperate with both the sifter cap 13 and the snap cap 12 to perform the combined functions of interlocking or securing the sifter cap 13 to the neck 17 of the container 14 while simultaneously limiting the rotation of the snap cap 12 relative to the sifter cap 13 and the container 14. The rst of these functions, again, is performed by the interlocking between the slotted portions 46 of the sifter skirt 38 and the narrow portions 26 of the projections 22 while the latter function is performed by the wider portions 27 of the projections 22 positioned in alignment for abutment with the projections 55 of the snap cap 12 upon the rotation thereof.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the desired end. However, attention is directed to the fact that variations may be made in the example dispensing closure and container without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A combined dispensing closure and container, said closure comprising first and second relatively rotatable dispensing caps carried by said container, and means on the container for directly contacting means on each of the first and second caps for performing the combined functions of preventing the rotation of one of the caps relative to the container and limiting the relative rotation of the first and second caps.

2. A combined dispensing closure and container, said closure comprising first and second relatively rotatable dispensing caps carried by said container, each of said caps including an end wall terminating in a peripheral skirt, dispensing openings in said end walls, said container having a body terminating in a neck, said skirts being telescoped relative to said neck, and means on the container for directly contacting means on each of the first and second caps for performing the combined functions of preventing the rotation of one of the caps relative to the container, and limiting the relative rotation of the first and second caps between a position in which said openings are in registration and another position in which said openings are not in registration.

3. A combined dispensing closure and container, said closure comprising first and second relatively rotatable dispensing caps carried by said container, each of said caps including an end wall terminating in a peripheral skirt, dispensing openings in said end walls, said container having a body terminating in a neck, said skirts being telescoped relative to said neck, and each of said skirts including means directly contacting means on the container neck for performing the combined functions of preventing the rotation of one of the caps relative to the container, and limiting the relative rotation of the rst and second caps between a position in which said openings are in registration and another position in which said openings are not in registration.

4. A combined dispensing closure and container, said closure comprising rst and second relatively rotatable dispensing caps carried by said container, each of said caps including an end wall terminating in a peripheral skirt, dispensing openings in said end walls, said container having a body terminating in a neck, said skirts being telescoped externally of said neck, and a plurality of means carried by said skirts and said container, and the means carried by each of the skirts directly contacting the means carried by the container for performing the combined functions of preventing the rotation of one of the caps relative to the container, and limiting the relative rotation of the lirst and second caps between a position in which said openings are in registration and another position in which said openings are not in registration.

5. A combined dispensing closure and container, said closure comprising iirst and second relatively rotatable dispensing caps carried by said container, each of said caps including an end wall terminating in a peripheral skirt, dispensing openings in said end walls, said container having a body terminating in a neck, said skirts being telescoped relative to said neck, and means for performing the combined functions of preventing the rotation of one of the caps relative to the container, and limiting the relative rotation of the rst and second caps between a position in which said openings are in registration and another position in which said openings are not in registration, said means including at least a single projection on said neck, said projection having a narrow portion and a relatively wider portion, one of said caps having a relieved portion interlockingly engaged with the narrow portion of the projection land the other of said caps having a projection alignable for rotary abutment with the wider portion of the projection.

6. The combined dispensing closure and container as delined in claim wherein the relieved portion is a notch in the skirt of one of said caps.

7. The combined dispensing closure and container as defined in claim 5 wherein the projection is a generally inverted T-shape.

8. The combined dispensing closure and container as defined in claim 5 wherein the relieved portion is a notch in the skirt of one of said caps, the projection being generally inverted T-shape.

9. A combined dispensing closure and container, said closure comprising inner and outer relatively rotatable dispensing caps, each of said caps including an end wall terminating in a depending peripheral skirt, dispensing openings in said end walls, a plurality of notches in the skirt of the inner cap, a plurality of keys in the interior of the outer cap skirt, said container having a body terminating in a neck, a plurality of projections on the eX- terior of the neck, each ofl said projections having a narrow portion and a relatively wider portion arranged in a generally inverted T-shaped conguration, the narrow portions being each received in an associated notch of the inner cap whereby the inner cap is locked relative to the container neck, and the wider portions being positioned for abutment between adjacent keys of the outer cap whereby the outer cap is rotatable relative tothe inner caps between a rst position of registration between said openings and a second position of non-registration of said openings.

10. A combined dispensing closure and container, said closure comprising rst and second relatively rotatable dispensing caps carried by said container, each of ysaid caps including an end wall terminating in a peripheral skirt, dispensing openings in said end walls, the container including a body terminating in a neck, said skirts being telescoped relative to said neck, at least one projection having a narrow portion and a relatively wider portion forming a part of the container, means on one of the first and second caps cooperating with one of said portions of the projection for preventing the rotation of said one cap relative to the container and means on the other of the irst `and second caps cooperating with the other portion of said projection for limiting the relative rotation of the other of the caps between a position in which said openings are in registration and another position in which said openings are not in registration.

11. The combined dispensing closure and container as deined in claim 1t) wherein said first and second caps are respective inner and outer relatively telescoped and said one cap and lirst cap are one in the same.

12. A container comprising a body terminating in a neck, and single means on said body for performing the combined functions of preventing the rotation of a first dispensing cap associated with the container and limiting the relative rotation between the rst cap and a second cap similarly associated with the container.

13. The container as defined in claim 12 wherein said means comprises a projection and said projection includes a narrow portion and a relatively wider portion.

14. The container as dened in claim 12 wherein said narrow portion is more closely adjacent an opening dened by the neck of the container body than said wider portion.

15. The container as dened in claim 12 wherein said projection is of a generally inverted T-shaped configuration.

16. The container as defined in claim 13 wherein the projection is on the neck of the container and one of said portions projects radially beyond the other of the portions.

17. The container as defined in claim 13 wherein said neck is provided with an external circumferential locking bead and said wider portion merges into said bead.

18. The container as defined in claim 16 wherein said narrow portion is more closely adjacent an opening delined by the neck of the container body than said wider portion.

19. A combined container and sifter cap, said container comprising a body terminating in an upwardly directed neck, a plurality of projections on the exterior of the neck, each of said projections including a narrow axially extending portion and a relatively wider circumferentially extending portion, said axial portion being located more closely adjacent an opening dened by said neck than said wider portion, a sifter cap having an end wall and a depending peripheral skirt, a dispensing opening in the end wall, the skirt being circumferentially interrupted by a plurality of notches, each notch having a narrow portion into which is received an associated narrow portion of the projections and a relatively wider notched portion at least as wide as the wider portions of the projections into which is received an associated wider portion of the projections.

20. A combined dispensing closure and container, said closure comprising first and second relatively rotatable dispensing caps carried by said container, and single means of the container for performing the combined functions of contacting means on a lirst of said caps for preventing the rotation of said rst cap relative to the container and limiting contacting means on the second of the caps for the relative rotation of the rst and second caps.

21. The combined dispensing closure and container as delined in claim 20 wherein the means of the irst cap is a relieved portion receiving said single means, and at least a portion of said single means projects beyond said relieved portion in alignment for contact with the means on the second cap.

22. A combined dispensing closure and container, said closure comprising inner and outer relatively rotatable dispensing caps, each of said caps including at least a single dispensing opening, a container, said container including a neck having interlocking means and spaced abutment means, means on said inner cap directly interlockingly engaging the interlocking means on said neck for preventing the rotation of the inner cap relative to the container neck, and means on the outer cap positioned between said spaced abutment means on said neck adapted for rotational abutment therewith for limiting the relative rotation of the iirst and second caps between a position in which the openings are in registration and another position which the openings are not in registration.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,049,795 8/ 36 Barnby 222--548 2,138,992 12/38 Baker 222-548 3,125,260 3/ 64 Dreps 222-548 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS I. DEMBO, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 3,206,085 September lll, 1965 Mindaugas J. Klygis It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column l, line 2l, for "and" read van line 42, for "include" read includes line 43, for "radially" read radial column 3,

lines

35 and 36, for "containers" read -i container column 6, line Z2, for "l5" read 14 column 8,

lines

30 and 34, for the claim reference numeral "l2", each occurrence, read 13 Signed and Sealed this 14th day of June 1966.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

Claims

1. A COMBINED DISPENSING CLOSURE AND CONTAINER, SAID CLOSURE COMPRISING FIRST AND SECON D RELATIVELY ROTATABLE DISPENSING CAPS CARRIED BY SAID CONTAINER, AND MEANS ON THE CONTAINER FOR DIRECTLY CONTACTING MEANS ON EACH OF THE FIRST AND SECOND CAPS FOR PERFORMING THE COMBINED FUNCTIONS OF PREVENTING THE ROTATON OF ONE OF THE CAPS RELATIVE TO THE CONTAINER AND LIMITING THE RELATIVE ROTATION O THE FIRST AND SECOND CAPS.