US3473684A - Sealed package and method of producing same - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 21, 1969 w. L. WAGNER 3,473,684

SEALED PACKAGE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Filed Oct. 5. 1968 INVENTOR. WAREem LWAQMER AITOR new 3,473,684 SEALED PACKAGE AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Warren 1.. Wagner, Temperance, Mich., assignor to Owens-Illinois, Inc., a corporation of Ohio Filed Oct. 3, 1968, Ser. No. 764,793 Int. Cl. B65d 41/04, 53/00; B21d 51/50 US. Cl. 21540 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sealed package in which the neck of a glass bottle has upper and lower axially spaced-apart annular cap supporting bands or surfaces, the lower band being of greater diameter than the upper, and there being screw-threads on the neck between the bands with their crest at about a tapered imaginary line connecting the two bands and a sheet metal or aluminum closure cap including a frustoconical unthreaded skirt telescoped over the neck, the skirt being firmly supported on the bands while being deformed to produce threads tailored to and holdingly engaging the screw-threads on the neck.

An important object of my invention is the provision of a sealed package, a glass container, for example, to the finish or neck of which a deformable skirted sheet metal closure cap is tailored in such fashion as will produce a wrinkle-free skirt portion.

Heretofore, as disclosed in Stover Patent No. 2,891,366, for example, tailoring of a sort, has been practiced, such involving loosely placing a plain metal closure cap over a straight-sided externally screw-threaded container neck and then reforming the skirt into holding engagement with the threads on the container. This specific procedure, however, unavoidably creates a multiplicity of axial wrinkles or minute folds in the skirt which materially detract from the appearance of the cap as a whole.

I have discovered that if firmly supported by the container finish, both above and below the area to be threaded (whether continuous or multiple screw-threads are involved) during tailoring r shaping of the skirt to the finish, the applied closure cap not only is securely yet removably aflixed to the container, but additionally the skirt is wrinkle-free. Accordingly, an important object of my invention is the provision of a sealed package and method of producing same wherein the container finish has external screw-threads and annular cap supporting bands or surfaces above and below the threaded area, such bands contacting the plain frusto-conical skirt of a sheet metal closure cap at the time of initial placement of the cap over the finish, thereby to support the cap shell during reforming of the skirt by a fluid force or its equivalent.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of my invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the invention, the closure being supported in two axially spaced-apart annular zones preparatory to tailoring the skirt to the screw-threads on the container finish;

FIG. 3 is a view like FIG. 2, but with the skirt reshaped to engage the container threads;

FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 2, but with only a side-seal gasket or ring and a somewhat modified finish; and

FIG. 5 is a view like FIG. 2, but utilizing a plastisol seal which extends the full height of the cap skirt and over the container neck rim.

hired States Patent 0 3,473,684 Patented Oct. 21, 1969 Essentially, the present invention provides effective tailoring of pliable or deformable sheet metal closure caps to glass container finishes or necks. In conventional practice, both the container finish and closure cap are screw-threaded prior to assembling same and, because of dimensional allowance and tolerance required in volume production methods, the parts at times do not perform satisfactorily. Even currently practiced efforts to tailor closures to containers is unsatisfactory because of improperly designed container finishes and closure caps and the total absence of any suitable support for the closure by the finish during skirt reshaping.

In accordance with my invention, as illustrated herein, the container C includes a mouth-defining neck 10' or finish which terminates in a transversely rounded rim 11 merging with the upper margin of a downwardly flared or sloping side-sealing surface 12 which encircles the neck 10. At the lower margin of this sealing surface 12 is an annular band or cap-supporting surface 13 and spaced axially downwardly therefrom is a second annular supporting surface 14, the latter being of somewhat greater diameter than the surface 13. Between these two bands or supporting surfaces 13 and 14 is a multiple screw-thread 15 which, near the second or lower band 14 is relatively deep, such however decreasing gradually in depth upwardly toward the uppermost band 13. Thus, in an ideal container, the rest of the screw-thread 15 will just about touch an imaginary flared line connecting the two bands or surfaces 13 and 14. These two surfaces provide immediate firm support in two spacedapart annular zones of a pliable or deformable aluminum or sheet metal closure cap 15a.

This closure cap 15a comprises a circular panel 16 and a downwardly flared attaching skirt 17 which may have at its lower margin the usual wire edge 18 or curl. The skirt is unthreaded, as manufactured. The flare, or taper, of the skirt 17 corresponds closely to the taper of the imaginary line referred to above, so that upon placement of the cap over the container neck and the application of suitable pressure to the cap, the skirt 17 will, in two axially spaced-apart zones, firmly contact the bands 13 and 14 and support the cap circumferentially.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, a sealing ring 19 or gasket may be a rubber, plastisol or some similar material, lying against the side sealing surface 12 and/or if desired, extending over the rim 11 of the neck, in part to protect the cap liner (a lacquer coating) against possible chipping or flaking. With the closure cap positioned as in FIG. 2, apparatus similar generally to that in the Stover patent, reshapes the skirt 17 between said hands into firm holding engagement with the screw-threads on the neck or finish. Thus sealing of the package is completed. Without the flared skirt and the bands to support the plain cap shell during actual tailoring of the skirt to the finish, objectionable skirt wrinkling would be present.

In FIG. 4, a sealing ring 20 may be rubber or other like material and lies against an annular concave sidesealing surface 21.

In FIG. 5, the structure differs from FIGS. 2 and 3 only in extending a sealing ring 22 or gasket the entire height of the skirt 17 so as to prevent insect infestation. Here too the plastisol may provide side and/or top seal.

Further modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a container comprising a mouth-defining neck portion having a circular rim end and provided exteriorly near said rim end with two axially spacedapart annular cap skirt supporting surfaces, that surface nearer the rim being of lesser diameter than the other said surface and there being screw-threads on the neck between said annular surfaces projecting radially outward to about a plane represented by an imaginary line connecting the two surfaces, a deformable cup-like sheet metal closure cap including a generally frusto-conical attaching skirt telescoped over said neck and firmly contacting the annular surfaces, the skirt being deformed in an area between said annular surfaces to create protuberances holdingly engaging said screw-threads.

2. In a combination as defined in claim 1, the neck portion having an external annular side-sealing surface at said rim end and sealing means lying against said sidesealing surface.

3. In a combination as defined in claim 2, the sealing means extending radially inward over the rim end of the neck portion.

4. In a combination as defined in claim 2, the sealing means being of such axial extent as to also contact both said annular supporting surfaces.

5. The method which consists in telescoping a gasketed deformable skirted sheet metal closure cap of frustoconical form and devoid of screw-threads over a mouthdefining neck of a container, firmly supporting the cap by contacting the skirt in two axially spaced-apart annular areas with correspondingly spaced-apart annular surfaces on the neck, there being screw-threads on the container neck between said annular surfaces, and finally reshaping the skirt between said areas into holding engagement with the screw-threads.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1967 Andersen et al. 2l542 XR 2/1967 Osborne et al. 215-40 XR US. Cl. X.R. l13121; 21543

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