US2296848A - Container - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 29, 1942. I w. A. GUEFFRIOY' 2,295,848

l CONTAINER Filed Dec. 16, 1939 INVENTOR Patented Sept. 29, 1942 comme Walter A.' Gueffroy, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to American Can Company, New a corporation ofNew Jersey York, N. Y.,

Application December 16,1939, serial No. 869,668

' 1 claim. (ci. 2426-1) 'I'he present invention relates to containers or cans and has particular reference to a permanently deformable section f-or indicating spoilage of the contents in the can.

perishable products such as, for example, frozen foods when packed in cans are subject to spoilage and fermentation when not constantly maintained under proper refrigeration. Ferpressure in the can and may sometimes burst the can if not detected soon enough.

The present invention-contemplates providing a permanently deformable section in the can which may be inflated by the internal gases of fermentation to visibly indicate the condition of the product and which will readily show that of the can in Fig. 1, the View showing the deformable section in an inflated condition; and

mentation of the product creates considerable such inflation has taken place even though the section has been punctured and the gases 'have escaped. p A

An object, therefore, of the invention is the provision of a sheet metal can having a deformable section wherein excessive vpressure created within the can will permanently expand the deformable section beyond repair and thereby visibly indicate the condition of the contents of the can even though the expanded section has been punctured with the consequent escape' of the pressure.

Another object is the provision in such a can of a deformable section wherein a thin v panel side Wall section permanently deformable metallic disc is secured over avent hole in a wall of the can so that internal pressures will expand and permanently f stretch the disc out `of shape so that it will visibly-indicate the pressure condition in the can and so that it cannot be pressed down again even if it'has been purposelypunctured to relieve the pressure, without visibly showing vthat such afraudulent act has been practiced.

' Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof. Referring to the drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a filled can embodying the instant invention, the upper portion vof the can being broken away land shown in` section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the upper end of the can shown in Fig. 1, the view'showing in detail the construction of the deformable section of the can;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view'of the upper portion fOOdS.

vention the drawing illustrates a sheet metall container which is adapted to contain perishable drical body II having top and bottom closure members I2, I3 respectively secured thereto in suitable seams I4 suchas the conventional double 'seam shown in the drawing.

The top closure member I2 is formed with -a preferably circular shaped sunken panel I6. (Fig. 2) having a iiatbottom wall section I1 which is pierced with asingle vent hole I8. The bottom wall section I1 merges into a' surrounding I9 which extends up into These panel side walls IB are slightly curved to form an annular recess 2|. The panel I6 contains a thin circular metallic disc 22 which constitutes the deformable section of the can. This disc is preferably made of aluminum or may be made of any other metal which readily bends or stretches. The disc lies flat against the panel bottom wall section I1 on the the top closure wall.

outside of the can and. over the vent. hole I8.

preferably The outer edges of the disc are T 23. These hemmed as indicated by the numeral hemmed edges fit tightly within the annular recess 2I in the panel side walls I9 and are secured in place with solder 24 or other suitable cementing material. This disc thus hermetically seals permit this inflation and is thereby permanently deformed beyond repair. In this inated condition the disc visibly indicates the pressure condition within the can and the can thereupon should be rejected.

If the inflated disc is fradulently punctured to permit escape of the gases therefrom, the disc will l nevertheless remain iny its distorted condition. Even when pressed down flat against the can top, the once ydistorted disc will unduly wrinkle and clearly show .that such fraudulent action has been lview similar to Fig. 3 and showing I Such al can preferably includes a cylinsubjected to an internal pressure condition.-

If sufficient pressure is created within the can before being noticed the deformable disc 22 may rupture or blow out as shown in Fig. 4. Such excessive pressure may even break the solder hold on the hemmed edgelof the discand cause a rupture along this edge. In any case the excess pressure will break through the metallic d isc and thereby permanently destroy it as well 'as visibly indicate that such a pressure condition once existed in the can.

It is thought that thevinvention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement o the parte withl out departing from the spirit and scope oi' .the invention or sacriiicing all oiits material arivantages, the form hereinbeore described seing merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

A container having a deformable section for indicating spoilage oi the contents, Winch com practiced and that the can at one time had been prises a body member, a closure member secured to an end of said body member, said closure member having a substantially central sunken panel section dened by a peripheral side wall terminating at its lower portion in an annular recess, the bottom dened by said wall being substantially flat, said panel section also having a centrally disposed vent hole therein, and a normally flat thin sheet metal deformable element disposed over said vent hole on the outside of said container in close engagement with said sunken panel section, the outer periphery of said deformable element having a hemmed portion of double thickness engaging said annular recess and tightly soldered to the peripheral wall of said sunken panel section, the central portion of said deformable element being adapted to be pressed outwardly by pressure vapors emitted from the container contents through said vent hole as a resuit of spoilage and permanently deformed from its normal iiat state to visibly indicate such spoilage condition.

WALTER, A. GUEFFROY.,

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