US2839229A - Seamed metal container with plastic cover for the seam and plastic pouring spout - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1958 E. E. SCHESWOHL 2,839,229

SEAMED METAL CONTAINER WITH PLASTIC COVER FOR THE SEAM AND PLASTIC POURING SPOUT Filed June 14, 1955 I9 22 29 I7 I! U r l M 1: 20 I8 s i 23 I i E 23 I 114; 1 i FIO I INVENTOR EDWARD ESCHESWOHL ATTORNEYS United States Patent SEAMED METAL CONTAINER WITH PLASTIC COVER FOR THE SEAM AND PLASTIC POUR- ING SPOUT 1 Edward E. Scheswohl, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New York Application June 14, 1955, Serial No. 515,276

8 Claims. (Cl. 222-567) This invention relates to a low pressure metal container of one quart or less capacity with a reusable pouring spout that is an improvement over the types now available to the trade. The container of this invention is particularly useful for storing and dispensing liquid detergents and other liquids and dry powders.

The metal containers of one quart or less capacity with a pouring spout, now available to the trade for low pressure liquid and dry powder storing and dispensing,

consist of conventional side seam cans with tops and pouring spouts of either the type in which 1) a metal domed or cone top end of paint or lacquer coated and lithographed tin coated sheet steel with a clinched-on, drawn aluminum pouring spout in the center, which has an opening of approximately /2 inch diameter for filling and pouring through, projects approximately inch above the domed or cone end and is provided with a rolled or beaded thread to accommodate a plastic screw cap closure which may be used as a measuring cup, or (2) a domed or cone top end of drawn sheet aluminum with a pouring spout in the center projecting approximately inch above the domed or cone top with an opening approximately inch in diameter for filling and pouring through, the whole top end, including the spout, being in one piece and the projecting pouring spout being provided with a rolled or beaded thread to accommodate a plastic screw cap closure which may be used as a measuring cup.

The aluminum used for the top can end and/ or pouring spout may have a detrimental effect on the contents of the container, the cost and time required for tooling up for the all-aluminum end and pouring spout, or the all-aluminum clinched-on pouring spout is considered excessive, and the cost per can with the existing types of pouring spouts, mentioned above, is considered excessive relative to the cost of the product.

The pouring spout piece is made of polyethylene molded plastic or other suitable plastic, and the screw cap is made of polystyrene molded plastic or other suitable material, i. e., the pouring spout is made of molded plastic rather than of drawn aluminum or other sheet metals; the overall top is reusable, and a conventional can may be used without a special top. The pouring spout being of polyethylene, which is an inert material, will not have a detrimental effect on the contents of the container, while the cost of tooling up for producing a plastic pouring spout piece of this type will be considerably less than for tooling up for various types of sheet metal pouring spouts. Moreover, it is believed the cost per container of this type will, in many instances, be considerably less than one with a sheet metal pouring spout.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top view of the plastic cover or closure with an integral pouring spout;

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the closure and pouring spout upon a container such as a metal can; and

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 1 --sealing or rescaling position, as shown in Figure 3.

, 2,839,229 Patented June 17, 1958 The sealed can is sold with its contents and with or without the plastic closure 13 in detachably connected In any case, the end 11 is severed as at 14 by a usual can opener sothat the contents can be poured from the resultant opening 15 located eccentrically adjacent the periphery of the end 11.

To reseal the can so opened, the cover 13 is applied or again applied, as shown in Figure 3. This circular closure or cap of polyethylene or other suitable plastic is provided with a body portion 16 having a depending peripheral integral skirt 17 terminating in a rounded bead 18. Between said body 16 and said skirt interiorly of the closure is a circular groove 19, the inner wall 20 of which is straight, as shown at 21, and the outer, opposite wall 22 of which is also straight, but only for a portion of its length, this wall 22 terminating in or merging into the inner, rounded surface 23 of the bead 18. Thus, when the seam 12 is inserted or forced into the groove not only is a tight, resilient, frictional scaling fit provided between the recess or groove 19 of the cap 13 and the circular seam 12 of the closure, but the curved wall 23 of the bead forms a locking means for retaining this seal, i. e., the seam locked in the groove 19, whereby the closure 13 is held against turning and the closure must be pried oil to remove the same from the can, as by prying on the skirt 17 beneath the bead 18. This cover 13 may be thus used many times over to seal containers having an enlargement such as the seam 12 or other projection which can be fitted to and held sealed Within the groove 19 in accordance with this invention.

The closure ..3 has an eccentri-cally disposed, upstanding, cylindrical, integral, hollow pouring spout or neck 24 adapted to register with the eccentrically-arranged opening 15 in the end 11 to allow free pouring of the contents. This neck has an external cap-receiving finish here for purposes of illustration having the form of a continuous, spiral thread 25 to receive the plastic internally threaded closure or cap 26. The cap 26 may have diametrically intersecting grooves 27 to receive a tool for assisting in turning the cap on the neck 24. By reason of the tight connection between the cover 13 and the can 10, this cap 25 can be tightly secured and thereafter removed Without causing relative rotation of the cover 13 and can it or disturbing the sealing connection between the cover 13 and the seam 12.

The cover 13, it will be noted in Figure 1, has upstanding, chordal, integral reinforcing ribs extending from the pouring spout to the periphery of the cover, as shown at 23.

Referring to Figure 3, it will be noted that the depending severed metal 14 forms a handle directing the contents through the opening 15 in communication with the enlarged portion 29 at the lower end of the pouring opening in the neck 24.

The container 10 and cover 13 may be of any desired size or shape, the preferred construction including a metal end 11, a plastic cover 13 and a plastic cap 25. The cap-receiving finish may take various forms to receive any type of cap, such as :1 lug cap, a crown, or a pressed-on cap.

It is advantageous to use polyethylene for the cover 13 because of its relative inertness and to provide a plastic pouring spout which is sealed to the metal end against leakage and in a manner to aiford resistance to turning when the screw cap'26 is put on or taken off. The opening 15 in the can end can be made by a usual beer can opener or .by cutting out the entire top or end with a.

conventional rotary-type can opener. j

The plastic cover pouring spout will be merchandised as a separate item and reused by the consumer as stated above, thus reducing container cost to a minimum.

Referring to Figure 3, the flat undersurface of the cover.13,engages the fiat, opposed, upper surface of the end to further assure the maintenance ofa seal as shown at 30, regardless of the size of the opening 15 cut in the end 11.

I claim;

l. A container having a body and a metal end secured thereto by an upstanding seam, said metal end having a substantially flat upper surface provided with an opening therein, and a cover of plastic material having a groove for .frictionally form-fittingly, resiliently receiving said seam to form a sealing fit therewith, said cover having an upstanding pouring spout communicating with an opening in said end, said cover having a portion presenting a substantially fiat surface for engaging the flat surface of the upper end of said metal end in substantially surrounding relation to said opening to provide a seal therefor.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein said pouring spout is eccentrically located in said cover.

3. A container according to claim 2 wherein the cover is provided with a skirt defining a wall of said groove for receiving said seam.

, 4. A container according to claim 3 wherein said groove is provided with locking means on said skirt wall for retaining said seam in said groove, said locking means V p 4 comprising a bead having an inner rounded surface extending inwardly from the lower end of said skirt.

5. A container according to claim 2 wherein the cover is provided with upstanding, chordal, reinforcing ribs extending from the wall of said spout.

6. A' plastic cover for containers which have an en-' larged, circular projection at one end, said cover having a circular groove with an inner vertical wall and an outer vertical wall to resiliently, frictionally receive said projection in sealing relation, the inner vertical wall of the groove being shorter than the outer vertical wall and the latter havinglocking means adapted to lock said projection in said groove, said cover having an upstanding hollow pouring spout, the'lower' surface of said cover extending from said inner vertical wall of the groove to the pouring spout in substantially a single flat plane.

7. A cover according to claim 6 wherein said pouring spout is substantially vertical and, eccentrically-arranged.

8. A coveraccording to claim 7' wherein the cover is provided with a depending, peripheral skirt forming the, longer wall of said groove and carrying said locking means, said locking means comprises a bead having an inner rounded surface extending inwardly from said peripheral skirt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 310,051 Harket et al. -2 Dec. 30, 1884 2,008,564 Schumacher July 16, 1935 2,573,378 Zurlinden Oct. 30, 1951 2,612,765 Goreye Oct. 7, 1952. 2,722,347 Henke Nov. 1, 1955 i FOREIGN PATENTS 1,032,327 France Mar. 25, 1953

Images