US2503944A - Sealing capsule - Google Patents

Description

J. FRAscARl' SEALING CAPSULE A ril 11, 1950 Filed Aug. 22, 1946 FIG.

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. INVENTOR. JOSEPH FRAS'C'AR/ Patented Apr. 11, 1950 UNITED srerss SEALING CAPSULE Joseph 'Frascari, Saint-Tropez, France ApplicationAugust .22, 1946,"Serial' No. 6925300 .In" France February 18, 1946 3 Claims.

It is Wellknown that, if it is desired to operate withoutproviding excessive heatingof the juices and without adding chemical elements adapted to inhibit fermentation, the "preserving of fruit juices must be done in'such-a manner that the bottles andcontainers' be sealed without-any air being entrapped therein. Difficulties are thus met with, both inthe effecting of such sealing without any..air.remaining.in the bottle and in preventing the entry of air as a result of the :cooling' ofthe -j-uices which have been bottled at a more or less high temperature.

In all conventional: sealing methods used there is either a danger of the bottle breaking when the seal is placed thereon and the liquidiscom- .pressed in thebottle, or a further danger of l breaking in the event of iermentationoccuring accidentally with a resultinggenerationof .car- I bon dioxide developing a build-up of pressure.

The device which forms the object of the invention avoids all the above drawbacks. The applicant has, consequently, had the idea of forming an aperture withinra sealingcapsule of conventional shape, into which is. insertedaresilient washer, made of rubber for instance, which thus finds itself clamped upon sealing between the capsule and the bottle. Such resilient washer, by projecting through the above mentioned aperture, makes it possible to compensate for any variations in volume and pressure which may occur within the bottle, while at the same time ensuring a perfect seal. Such arrangement compensates the incompressibility of the liquid upon sealing and also the pressure which may build up as a result of gases evolved by fermentation; in the latter case the sealing device, as described, works as a safety capsule capable of yielding, should the pressure rise to an excessive degree.

As, moreover, the heated liquid introduced into the bottle, flush with the mouth thereof, cools down after the positioning of the capsule, according to the invention, said liquid contracts and under the resilient washer is thus produced the necessary vacuum required for avoiding a possibility of fermentation and for thereby ensuring satisfactory preservation of the product.

By way of a purely illustrative example and with intention of limiting the scope of the invention there is shown, in the accompanying 2 drawing, a form of embodimentofthe cupsule, according to this invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 isasectionalyiew-of 'the capsule provided with: the resilient washer;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view-showing the manner in which the capsule operates when the bottle is being sealed, or in the' case of fermentation occurring in the bottle;

Fig. 3 is a section through the'capsule showing how the same appears after the liquid contained within the bottl-e"-hasc0o1ed, when -normallymo fermentation occurs therein.

Fig. 4 is a section of a modification of the device, shortly after-sealing.

Fig. 5 is a sectioncf the same'modi-fication after the rubber washer has been set orimmobilized.

Referring to'Fig. 1,'it will-be seen'that the sealing device, according to the invention, comprises a capsule'l whichmay, for instance, be of the type conventionallyemployed for sealing a bottle of mineral water, for-example, formed with an aperture *2 and-against the bottom or inner faceof which is disposed a rubber washer 3. The capsule is mounted in the following way: the bottled :being filled-flush with heatedfruit juice- (at a temperature between-'60 and "C.

for example) (-Fig. 2), the-capsule is placed in such a manner that the rubber washer will be clamped between the capsule-and the neckof the bottle; since-the'liquid not capable of'being compressed, the result of the above operationis to produce a swelling of the resilient washer resulting in the protruding through aperture 2. Following the cooling down of the liquid, the

rubber washer is sucked down within the bottle I and assumes the dished shape visible in Figure 3.

In this way, all volume variations which may have occurred will have been absorbed or taken up by the rubber washer, and the sealing operation will have been effected in an air-tight manner and without the entrapping of air. In case, however, that fermentation should accidentally occur, in spite of the above precautions, the pressure within the bottle might increase to a very large extent. According to the device of the invention such increase of pressure is obtained by a bulging of the rubber Washer, which assumes the shape shown in Fig. 2 and which may ultimately burst, thereby protecting the bottle. The device makes it possible, moreover, to determine whether preserved liquid is in satisfactory condition or has fermented, by examination of the capsule.

A modification of the device may be conceived, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, wherein the rubber washer comprises an integral projection 5 extending through the aperture 2, which in the present instance, is limited by two or more marginal tongues or lugs 6 formed in the capsule. In this form of the device, after the liquid within the bottle has contracted (Fig. 4), the projection or part 5 is pulled outwardly to restore it to its uppermost position and is thereafter clamped into place by bending down the lugs 6 (Fig. 5); the degree of vacuum present in the neck of the bottle is thus increased, and moreover contributes to prevent fermentation and promotes proper preservation of certain products.

The above described device offers a number of advantages and makes it possible to preserve, without any preliminary treatment at an excessive temperature which is liable to destroy vitamins of a large number of products. Tests have been carried out successfully with fruit juices,

milk, vegetables, and the like. The bottle sealing means, as described above, could have its use extended to any type of container, such as preserve cans, for example, or jars containing any type of products.

It will, of course, be understood that the form of embodiment described has been given in a purely illustrative and non-limitative sense and that other embodiments thereof could be contrived without departing from the spirit of the invention nor exceeding the scope thereof, as set out in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a container for preserved goods adapted to be filled with a product in heated condition to be preserved therein, sealing means comprising in combination a relatively rigid cover member, peripherally sealingly engaging said container, said cover member being formed with an aperture and with adjustably settable lug members at the margin of said aperture, a relatively yie1dable member in clamped relationship between said cover member and said container, operative to conform to pressure and volume variations which may occur in the contents of said container, a projection formed integral with said member and extending through said aperture outwardly of said container, said relatively yieldable member being adapted to be partly sucked inward of said container upon cooling of said heated product therein, whereupon said projection may be pulled outwardly of said container and retained in position by suitably bending said lug members into engagement with said projection.

2. A sealing device for a container, comprising a resilient member adapted to be placed upon an opening of said container, a projection integral with said member extending centrally thereof in an upward direction, a relatively rigid annular member surrounding said projection and adapted to clamp the edge of said resilient member onto the container, and adjustable lug means on said annular member, said lug means being adapted to engage the surface of said projection whereby said resilient member may be fixed in its relative position to said annular member.

3. A method of preserving an organic product in a container having a top horizontal opening which may be sealed by means of a flexible closure member, comprising the steps of heating said product to an elevated temperature, filling said container with the heated product until the same is substantially flush with the said opening, placing said member fiat over said opening in sealing engagement with said container whereby said member will bulge outwardly as a result of fluid pressure developing between said member and the surface of said product, permitting said product to cool whereby part of said member will be sucked inwardly into said opening, pulling the sucked-in part of said member out of said opening, and fixing said part in pulled-out position whereby the negative pressure obtaining within said container will be increased.

FRASCARI, JOSEPH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Gillette, White House Cook Book, page 472. copyright 1929. The Saalfield Publishing C0,, Akron,0hio,

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