US3734361A

US3734361A - Pouring spout lock

Info

Publication number: US3734361A
Application number: US00194117A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Brucker; R Brucker; M Klausmann
Original assignee: Seal Spout Corp
Current assignee: Seal Spout Corp
Priority date: 1971-11-01
Filing date: 1971-11-01
Publication date: 1973-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-22

Abstract

A pouring spout formed with a body and side walls is hinged at one end to one end of a discharge aperture in a package wall and swingable selectively in opposite directions to open and close the aperture, respectively, and a safety lock includes either stop lugs on the spout side walls which engage said package end wall and to limit the opening of the spout, or notches in the edges of said side walls, with which are coactive a locking element on the package actuatable to lock the spout or to release the spout respectively upon application and release of pressure on the side walls of the package, or upon limited sliding of the spout in a plane parallel to the plane of said end wall, or upon movement of the locking element relative to the spout.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Brucker et al.

[111 3,734,361 51 May 22, 1973 [54] POURING SPOUT LOCK 222/529, 530, 534, 535, 536, 547, 569, 153, 517; 229/17 SC,l7R,7R

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,699,280 1/1953 Saneholtz ..222/528 2,832,516 4/1958 Von Culin ..229/7 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 262,911 11/1963 Australia ..222/528 Primary Examiner-Samuel F. Coleman Assistant Examiner-H. Grant Skaggs, Jr. Attorney-Harry B. Rook [57] ABSTRACT A pouring spout formed with a body and side walls is hinged at one end to one end of a discharge aperture in a package wall and swingable selectively in opposite directions to open and close the aperture, respectively, and a safety lock includes either stop lugs on the spout side walls which engage said package end wall and to limit the opening of the spout, or notches in the edges of said side walls, with which are coactive a locking element on the package actuatable to lock the spout or to release the spout respectively upon application and release of pressure on the side walls of the package, or upon limited sliding of the spout in a plane parallel to the plane of said end wall, or upon movement of the locking element relative to the spout.

6 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures Patented May 22, 1973 3,734,361

S Sheets-Sheet 2 llll M IIIIII'IIIII";'IIIIIIIIIIII'III I IllIIIIIIIlIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIA v INVENTORS. Faber? J Bracken H; 7% J. Brucfrelj' M 1 f0 iii/(2a wfmann I ATTORNEY POURING SPOUT LOCK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates in general to a combination of a container or package and a pouring spout, wherein one wall of the package usually formed of cardboard, has a discharge aperture and a spout hingedly connected to said wall for swinging movement to close the aperture or to open the same so that the contents of the package for example comminuted material, may be poured from the package through said aperture and said spout.

2. The Prior Art In the prior art, one wall of the package has an approximately rectangular discharge aperture, and the spout usually formed of aluminum or fiberboard comprises a body connected to the package wall at one end of the aperture for swinging movement into and out of the aperture and provided with side walls or flanges having their outer faces frictionally engaging the side edges of the aperture to seal said edges in the closed position of the spout. Usually the outer ends of the side walls adjacent their juncture with the body, have lugs projecting outwardly in the planes of the corresponding side walls to engage the inside of said wall of the package for preventing excessive swinging movement of the spout outwardly of the aperture. While the spout is sometimes initially sealed in closed position by an overlying label which can be torn to open the spout, after the spout has been opened once, there is nothing to prevent or restrain subsequent opening either purposely or accidentally.

In some combinations, the spout is secured to the package wall with its side flanges extending through slits in the package wall and with prongs on the spout body penetrating and clinched upon the package wall so that to initially open the spout, one end thereof is forcibly pulled outwardly so as to tear the package wall between said flanges and thereafter permit the spout to swing outwardly on the portion of the wall between the flanges as a hinge.

However, after the initial opening of the spout, it may be easily swung into open and closed positions, even by a child.

It is possible therefore, that the contents of the prior art packages may be accidentally poured by an adult or playfully spilled by a child, resulting in costly waste of the material and possibly tempting a child to play with or to eat the material which in some cases is of such nature as to seriously injure the human body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A primary object of the invention is to provide a combination of a package and a pouring spout which overcomes the objections to and disadvantages of the prior combinations and which includes a novel, simple and reliable safety lock for the spout that can be easily and quickly operated selectively into spout-locking position with the spout closed and into spout-releasing position to permit movement of the spout into open or pouring position.

Another object is to provide such a combination of package and pouring spout locks wherein the lock includes parts on the package such as the edge of the pouring aperture or a locking element movably mounted on the package, coactive with other parts on the spout, such as said stop lugs on the spout flanges or notches in the edges of said flanges, so that the lock can be actuated into both spout-releasing position and spout-locking position by relative movement of the parts on the package and the parts on the spout.

The invention also contemplates a package and pouring spout combination as described wherein the parts on the package and the parts on the spout are moved into locking position and into unlocking or spoutreleasing position upon movement of certain of the package walls relative to each other and to the parts of the lock on the spout; and an embodiment of the invention particularly provides for automatically moving and holding of the. lock in looking position by the normal tension or pressure in package walls and for moving of the lock parts into releasing position upon application of pressure externally to one or more the package walls.

Another embodiment of the invention provides a locking element swingably mounted on the package exteriorly thereof and formed to coact with notches in the edges of the spout flanges to lock and release the spout upon movement of said locking element in opposite directions respectively when the spout is in closed position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS ence should be had to the following description in conjunction with the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination of a package and a pouring spout having a spout lock embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view on the plane of the line 22 of FIG. 1 showing the normal locking position of the lock in solid lines and the releasing or unlocking position in broken lines;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 33 of FIG. 2 showing the spout in open position in broken lines;

FIG. 3A is a fragmentary elevation of a wall of the package and the spout thereon, showing a portion of the spout broken away.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modification of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the plane of the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing a modification of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the plane of the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing another modification of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a vertical sectional view on the plane of the line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating still another modified form of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the plane of the line llIl of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary front elevational view of another combination of a package and a pouring spout and lock embodying the invention;

FIG. 13 is a vertical sectional view on the plane of the line 1313 of FIG. 12, the spout being shown in normal locked position by broken lines and unlocked or released position by solid lines;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary top plan view of a package having a spout lock comprising another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 1515 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged vertical sectional view approximately on the plane of the line l6-l6 of FIG. 18 showing the spout closed and the lock in locking positron;

FIG. 17 is a similar view showing the lock in spoutunlocking or releasing position and illustrating the spout in open or pouring position, and

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary perspective view of a combination of a package and a pouring spout lock embodying a modified form of the invention.

BRIEFDESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS While the invention contemplates a spout hingedly or pivotally connected to the wall of the container or package in any suitable way for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention, a spout of the general character shown in US. Pat. No. 2,011,434 is utilized.

Specifically describing the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3A, the reference character A designates a container or package comprising a body portion having side walls 2, a top wall 3, end walls 4 and a bottom wall (not shown). The container may be formed of any suitable material such as cardboard, fiber board or the like. One wall of the container, preferably one end wall 4, is provided with a substantially rectangular discharge aperture 5 and correspondingly shaped tab 6 integrally connected to said wall at one end of said aperture for hinging movement into and out of the aperture and for a purpose to be described.

Cooperating with the container is a pouring spout 7 adapted to close the aperture 5 and secured to said tab for movement to opening and closing positions. The spout 7 is preferably formed of thin sheet metal and has a flat body portion 8 and side walls or flanges 9 at the side edges of the body portion. The spout body is of the same width of the aperture 5 so as to frictionally engage the outer faces of the side walls 9 with the side edges of said aperture 5, and the body portion 8 is longer than said tab 6 to provide an extension 11 projecting beyond the free end of said tab 6 for a purpose to be explained. One end of the body portion is approximately coincident with the axis of swinging movement of the tab 6. The side walls 9 along the edges of the body portion are approximately equal in length to the aperture 5 and have edges formed with shoulder portions 9a and 15d to engage the upper or outer end walls of the aperture 5 when the spout is in closed position and in open position, respectively. Portions of said edges 10 between the portions9a and 15d are shaped to clear the said end wall of the aperture during movement of the spout.

For attaching the spout to the tab, a plurality of prongs 12 are shown on the body portion 8, at least one prong preferably being disposed adjacent the hinged end of the tab 6. Any desired number of prongs may be utilized, depending upon the size of the spout.

In applying the spout 7, side walls 9 of the spout are slipped through the slots between the sides of the aperture and the edges of the tab 6, and the spout is then placed over the tab with the body portion 8 overlying the outer face thereof and the side walls 9 engaging the side edges of the aperture 5. The body portion 8 is then secured to said tab 6 by forcing the prongs 12 through the tab and clinching them, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, to positively connect the tab and body portion together and prevent relative movement or displacement thereof. When the tab 6 and spout 7 are swung inwardly until said body portion 8 lies flat against the wall 4, the aperture 5 is closed, the side walls or flanges 9 seal the side edges thereof by friction, and the extension 11 engages said wall to seal the corresponding end of said aperture and also serves as a stop limiting further movement of said spout in a closing direction.

A fixed tongue 13 is provided at the free end of the aperture 5, formed by an extension of said wall 4,-the free end of which is adapted to be frictionally engaged by the free end of the tab 6 in closing position of the spout 7 to hold the latter in said position and to also form an additional seal at the free end of said aperture. As shown in FIG. 3A, the tongue 13 extends between the side walls 9 of the spout 7 and the side edges of the tongue engage said walls to hold them apart and in frictional engagement with the side edges of the aperature When it is desired to open the aperture to pour the contents of the container through the spout 7, the latter is moved to open position by grasping the extension 1 l and swinging the tab 6 and spout outwardly. To limit such outward movement, stop lugs 14 are provided on the side members 9 for engagement with the inner face of the wall 4 as shown by broken lines in FIG. 3.

The invention contemplates a safety lock that will normally hold the spout in closed position and can be unlocked or released only by special manipulation of certain parts to permit the spout to be swung into open position, thereby preventing or restraining opening of the spout by a person, especially a child, who does not know how to get the spout open. The invention is especially directed toward preventing a child from swinging the spout into open position and thereby reducing or eliminating the possibility of the child becoming injured by eating or playing with the contents of the package.

The safety lock shown in FIGS. 1-3 inclusive comprises a locking element B which preferably is in the form of a strip of material having some inherent resiliency and flexibility. The strip of material may be cardboard of a width sufficient to resist longitudinal bending and of a length sufficient to span the distance between the side walls of the package and provide attaching tabs 15 projecting angularly from and in hinging relation to the intermediate portion of the strip to be secured preferably adhesively to the inner surfaces of the opposite side walls 2 of the package respectively as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings. Preferably the strip is transversely slightly scored at the center of its length as indicated at 16 to facilitate flexing thereof.

In accordance with the invention, the strip coacts with the lugs 14 on the side walls of the spout, and to this end the strip is secured in the package so that normally the strip overlies and abuts the top edges of the lugs 14 when the spout is closed, as best shown by solid lines inFIGS. 2 and 3; and the tabs are secured to the package walls in such a way that normally the strip is held under slight tension by the tendency of the resilient package walls to spring apart and the strip is flexed or bent in the direction to cause the strip to be moved out of engagement with the stop lugs 14 to release the spout upon application of pressure externally to the areas of the package side walls in the vicinity of the tabs 15 as shown by broken lines in FIG. 2, and upon release of such pressure the tension from the package walls will pull the strip into its practically straight condition shown by solid lines in FIG. 2, but permit the strip to yield and allow the stop lugs to snap under the strip into locked position when the spout is closed. Conveniently, the shoulders 15d are disposed at the inner ends of the top surfaces of the lugs to serve as abutments for the locking element when the tension on the package side walls tends to straighten the main portion of the locking element, thereby insuring that the locking element will always be returned to its normal position in looking relation to the lugs 14 when the spout is closed and also insuring against the locking element being flexed or bent in the other direction toward the spout in the end wall 4 of the package.

A modification of the invention as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 wherein the construction and operation of the locking element C are generally the same as the element B but element C has its tabs 15a secured to the side walls 2 of the package in such a way that the locking element normally engages the top surface of only one lug 14 when the spout is closed so as to hold the spout in closed position, as shown by solid lines in FIG. 4, and the strip forming the element C is bendable upon exertion of inward pressure on the package side walls so as to move out of engagement of the stop lug as shown by broken lines.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show another form of the invention wherein the locking element D comprises an angular piece of suitable material such as stiff cardboard having at one end a tab 17 by which the element is attached to one side wall of the package with the main portion of the element projecting perpendicularly from said side wall and its lower edge in overlying abutting relation to the top surface of one stop lug 4 of the spout 7 to lock the spout in closed position as shown by solid lines in FIG. 6. To release the spout from the locking element and permit opening of the spout, the package is manually twisted to move the end wall 4 of the package and the spout therein into oblique relation to the package side walls to cause the stop lug of the spout to swing outwardly from beneath the locking element as shown by broken lines.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 the locking element E is in general similar to the locking element B with its tabs 15b secured to the package side walls with the intermediate portion of the locking element normally overlying and abutting the stop lugs 14 of the spout when the spout is in closed position as shown by solid lines, but the lower edge of the locking element between the tabs and central line of the flexing 18 has notches 19 which are moved into vertical alignment with the respective stop lugs 14 when inward pressure is exerted on the side walls of the package to flex the locking element into spout-releasing position, as shown by broken lines in FIG. 11, whereby upon opening movement of the spout, the lugs 14 may swing upwardly and toward the end wall 4 of the package through the respective notches 19. This construction makes more certain that the spout will be released upon flexing of the locking element, the notches 19 providing free clearance for the stop lugs 14 as the spout swings toward open position, and that the spout can be released with a minimum of flexing movement of the locking element.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate another embodiment of the invention wherein the locking element F has an arcuate intermediate portion between its end tabs that are secured to the package side walls, the lower edge of arcuate portion normally abuttingly overlying the stop lugs 14 of the spout when the spout is in closed position so as to lock the spout in that position, as shown by solid lines. The spout can be released by exerting in ward on the side walls of the package in the vicinity of the tabs, which pressure causes the intermediate portion of the locking element to be sprung arcuately inward out of engagement with the stop lugs as shown by broken lines in FIG. 8. It appears that this form of the locking element is especially adaptable to embodiment in a resiliently flexible plastic strip, although cardboard is entirely suitable for use in the locking element.

As hereinbefore indicated, the invention also contemplates combinations wherein other elements than the stop lugs 14 are utilized in the safety lock; and FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate one embodiment of this concept. Here the spout 20 is in general similar to the spout 7 and is secured to a tab 21 generally similar to the tab 6, but in this form of the invention, the end wall 4 of the package has parallel slits 22 extending for a short distance below the junctures of the side flanges of the spout with the body of the spout as best shown in FIG. 12, and the package end wall 4 is scored as indicated at 23. The spout has notches 24 at the junctures of the side flanges 25 and the body of the spout which, when the spout is initially secured to the package and closed, receive the upper edge 26 of the pouring aperture 27 to lock the spout in closed position as shown by broken lines in FIG. 13. When it is desired to open the spout, the extension 11a of the spout body is gripped by the finger and the spout is simultaneously pushed downwardly and swung outwardly into open or pouring position, the portion of the package wall 4 below the spout resiliently flexing along the line of scoring 23. After the initial opening thereof, the spout is permitted to swing upwardly and inwardly under the influence of the resiliency of the portion of the package end wall between the slits 22, and also the spout is preferably lightly pressed by the finger of the operator into the pouring opening as to ensure re-engagement of the notches 24 with the edge 26 of the pouring opening.

FIGS. 19 and 20 show another form of the invention generally similar to that shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, but here the spout 27 is secured to a tab 28 similar to the tab 6 and the spout has notches 29 in the side flanges at the juncture of the side flanges 30 with the body 31 of the spout to receive the upper edge portion 32 of the pouring opening 33 in the package end wall 4 for locking the spout in closed position as shown by solid lines. The package end wall has short slits 34 extending below the lower edge of the pouring aperture in line with the spout flanges. To open the spout, it is pressed downwardly, the slits 34 providing a clearance for the spout flanges, so as to disengage the notches 29 from the edge of the pouring aperture, and simultaneously the spout is swung outwardly toward open position and causes the portion of the end wall of the package and the spout flanges to flex inwardly of the package. When the spout is released after the pouring operation, the spout under the resiliency of the portion of the package wall between the slits, will swing back to its normal position and simultaneously move the notches 29 into engagement with the upper edge of the pouring opening as shown in FIG. 20.

In FIGS. 14 and 15, the invention is shown as embodied in a combination which includes the locking element secured to the package exteriorly of the package. The spout 35 is secured to a hinge tab 36 similar to the tab 6 in the end wall of the package. At the junctures of the side flanges 37 and the body of the spout are notches 38 in the flanges with which coact a locking element 39 which is shown as comprising a sheet metal plate secured to the top wall of the package as by prongs 40 and having a downturned lug 41 penetrating the package top wall for each side flange of the spout. The lugs 41 are normally resiliently held in the notches 38 when the spout is closed, by the inherent resiliency of the top wall of the package as shown in FIG. so as to lock the spout in closed position. In order to open the spout, the fingernail of the person manipulating the package, or a thin inplement, is inserted beneath the edge of the plate 39 between the lugs 41 as shown by dotted lines in FIG. 15, and a lifting action is exerted on the plate which pulls the lugs out of the notches, whereupon the spout can be swung into open position in the same manner hereinbefore described. To close the spout, slight pressure is exerted on the spout body to cause the side flanges to momentarily displace and snap past the lugs 41, whereupon the lugs 41 become seated in the notches 38 under the yielding pressure exerted by the top wall of the package.

A more positive lock is shown in FIGS. 16, 17 and 18 where the spout 42 is secured to a tab 43 in the end wall of the package in the same manner as the spout 7, and at the juncture of the side flanges 44 and the body of the spout are notches 45 in the flanges with which coact a locking element generally designated G. The locking element comprises a flat plate portion 46 which is secured to a long narrow extension 47 of the package end wall 4 which has a hinged connection to the end wall so that it may selectively lie in superposed relation to the top wall as shown in FIGS. 16 and 18 or be swung upwardly away from the top wall as shown in FIG. 17. Adjacent the junction of the extension 47 with the end wall 4, the plate portion 46 has lugs 48 each to coact with the notch 45 in one of the spout flanges 44 to lock the spout in closed position when the locking element G is disposed in overlying superposed relation to the package top wall as shown in FIG. 16. As best shown in FIG. 17, the lugs 48 penetrate and extend through the extension 47, and the package top wall is cut away at 49 to provide a clearance for swinging movement of the lugs 48 as best shown in FIG. 17. To hold the locking element against the pivotal action above described, the free end of the extension 47 is removably inserted through a slot 50 in the package top wall, and if desired to provide a more positive lock, the end of the strip may have a head portion 51 providing shoulders 52 to separably interlock with the package top wall at the ends of the slot 50 as best shown in FIG. 18. in the operation of this form of the safety lock, the spout is locked in closed position when the locking element G lies in superposed overlying relation to the package top wall with the lugs 48 engaged with the notches 45 as shown in FIG. 16; and to open the spout the extension 47 of the locking element is pulled out of the slot 50 and the element is swung upwardly to move the lugs 48 out of the notches 45, whereupon the spout may be swung into open position in the usual way, as shown in FIG. 17.

I claim:

I. The combination with a container having top, bottom, side and end walls and a discharge aperture in one wall, of a pouring spout having a body portion hingedly connected at one end to said end wall at one end of said aperture for swinging movement to close and open said aperture, said spout having side walls projecting from said body portion and resiliently frictionally engaging the side edges of the aperture, and a safety lock for said spout comprising parts on said package coactive with parts on said spout and operable into both spoutreleasing position and spout-locking position by relative movement of the parts on the package and the parts on the spout, said parts on the spout comprising stop lugs on said side walls of the spout which also are engageable with the inner side of said package wall to limit opening movement of the spout, said parts on the package comprising a flexible locking element having its ends secured to opposite resilient portions of the package walls flanking said one wall of the package, respectively, with its intermediate portion normally in overlying abutting relation to at least one of said lugs when the spout is closed to hold the spout in closed position and flexible out of engagement with said lugs upon application of pressure exteriorly to said opposite portions of said side walls of the package.

2. The combination with a container having top, bottom, side and end walls and a discharge aperture in one wall, of a pouring spout having a body portion hingedly connected at one end to said end wall at one end of said aperture for swinging movement to close and open said aperture, said spout having side walls projecting from said body portion and resiliently frictionally engaging the side edges of the aperture, and a safety lock for said spout comprising parts on said package coactive with parts on said spout and operable into both spoutreleasing position and spout-locking position by relative movement of the parts on the package and the parts on the spout, said parts on the spout comprising notches in the edges of the side walls of the spout and the parts on the package comprising a locking element on a portion of a package wall normally engaged in said notches when the spout is closed, said parts on the package including a plate secured on the top wall of the package and having flanges penetrating said top wall and normally engaging said notches when the spout is closed, said flanges being disengageable from said notches upon application of an upward pull on said plate against the resiliency of said package top wall.

3. The combination with a container having top, bottom, side and end walls and a discharge aperture in one wall, of a pouring spout having a body portion hingedly connected at one end to said end wall at one end of said aperture for swinging movement to close and open said aperture, said spout having side walls projecting from said body portion and resiliently frictionally engaging the side edges of the aperture, and a safety lock for said spout comprising parts on said package coactive with parts on said spout and operable into both spoutreleasing position and spout-locking position by relative movement of the parts on the package and the parts on the spout, said parts on the spout comprising notches in the edges of the side walls of the spout and the parts on the package comprising a locking element on a portion of a package wall normally engaged in said notches when the spout is closed, said parts on the package including a plate hingedly connected to the package at the juncture of said end wall and said top wall of the package and having a flange engageable with and disengageable from said notches upon pivotal movement of said plate in opposite directions, respectively.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said locking element comprises a strip having tabs at its ends in hinging relation to the intermediate portion and secured to the inner surfaces of said opposite resilient portions of the package walls with the lower edge of the strip normally in abutting overlying relation to both said lugs and movable out of engagement with said lugs by flexing of the strip upon said application of pressure exteriorly to said opposite portions of the package walls, said flexible strip being pulled into its normal position under the tension applied to the strip by said opposite resilient wall portions when said exterior pressure is relieved from said wall portions.

5. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said locking element comprises a strip having tabs at its ends in hinging relation to the intermediate portion and secured to the inner surfaces of said opposite resilient portions of the package walls with the lower edge of the strip normally in abutting overlying relation to both said lugs, said strip having notches in its lower edge equidistantly spaced from the center of the length of said strip, and the strip being adapted to flex transversely along its center line upon application of pressure exteriorly to said opposite portions of the package walls to move said notches each into register with one of said lugs, providing clearances for the lugs from said strip to permit swinging of the spout into open position.

6. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said parts on the package comprise a locking element formed of strip material having one end secured to one side wall of the package and its main portion projecting angularly from said wall and its lower edge normally in abutting overlying relation to at least one lug when the spout is closed, said lug being displacable from beneath said locking element upon application of pressure to the package side walls in the direction to swing said spout and its said lug laterally and thereby move its said lug out of engagement with said locking element to unlock the spout for movement thereof into open posi-

Claims

1. The combination with a container having top, bottom, side and end walls and a discharge aperture in one wall, of a pouring spout having a body portion hingedly connected at one end to said end wall at one end of said aperture for swinging movement to close and open said aperture, said spout having side walls projecting from said body portion and resiliently frictionally engaging the side edges of the aperture, and a safety lock for said spout comprising parts on said package coactive with parts on said spout and operable into both spout-releasing position and spout-locking position by relative movement of the parts on the package and the parts on the spout, said parts on the spout comprising stop lugs on said side walls of the spout which also are engageable with the inner side of said package wall to limit opening movement of the spout, said parts on the package comprising a flexible locking element having its ends secured to opposite resilient portions of the package walls flanking said one wall of the package, respectively, with its intermediate portion normally in overlying abutting relation to at least one of said lugs when the spout is closed to hold the spout in closed position and flexible out of engagement with said lugs upon application of pressure exteriorly to said opposite portions of said side walls of the package.

2. The combination with a container having top, bottom, side and end walls and a discharge aperture in one wall, of a pouring spout having a body portion hingedly connected at one end to said end wall at one end of said aperture for swinging movement to close and open said aperture, said spout having side walls projecting from said body portion and resiliently frictionally engaging the side edges of the aperture, and a safety lock for said spout comprising parts on said package coactive with parts on said spout and operable into both spout-releasing position and spout-locking position by relative movement of the parts on the package and the parts on the spout, said parts on the spout comprising notches in the edges of the side walls of the spout and the parts on the package comprising a locking element on a portion of a package wall normally engaged in said notches when the spout is closed, said parts on the package including a plate secured on the top wall of the package and having flanges penetrating said top wall and normally engaging said notches when the spout is closed, said flanges being disengageable from said notches upon application of an upward pull on said plate against the resiliency of said package top wall.

3. The combination with a container having top, bottom, side and end walls and a discharge aperture in one wall, of a pouring spout having a body portion hingedly connected at one end to said end wall at one end of said aperture for swinging movement to close and open said aperture, said spout having side walls projecting from said body portion and resiliently frictionally engaging the side edges of the aperture, and a safety lock for said spout comprising parts on said package coactive with parts on said spout and operable into both spout-releasing position and spout-locking position by relative movement of the parts on the package and the parts on the spout, said parts on the spout comprising notches in the edges of the side walls of the spout and the parts on the package comprising a locking element on a portion of a package wall normally engaged in said notches when the spout is closed, said parts on the package including a plate hingedly connected to the package at the juncture of said end wall and said top wall of the package and having a flange engageable with and disengageable from said notches upon pivotal movement of said plate in opposite directions, respectively.

6. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said parts on the package comprise a locking element formed of strip material having one end secured to one side wall of the package and its main portion projecting angularly from said wall and its lower edge normally in abutting overlying relation to at least one lug when the spout is closed, said lug being displacable from beneath said locking element upon application of pressure to the package side walls in the direction to swing said spout and its said lug laterally and thereby move its said lug out of engagement with said locking element to unlock the spout for movement thereof into open position.