US2125354A - Container - Google Patents

Description

1938. A. J. MElE 2,125,354

CONTAINER Filed June 15, 1955.

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ALBERT JOHN MEIER F wmliw A. J. M EIER CONTAINER 7 Filed June 15, 19255 I 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 INVENTOR ALBERT JOHN HEIE' R BY i ATTOQK EY 938. A. J. ME|EI 2,125,354

CONTAINER Filed June 15, 1955 s Sheet-Sheet s ALBERT JOHN MEI ER INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEY.

, 55 of said container.

Patented Aug. 2, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Albert John Meier, Glendale, Mo.

Application June 15,

2 Claims.

My invention relates to novel apparatus for and methods of operating a closure and more particularly relates to novel containers for coins, keys, jewelry, paper, badges, cosmetics, and the like.

Heretofore, attempts .have been made to develop a container having a simple automatic and effective closure. To this end, the usual snap fastener closures for bags and the like have been replaced by zippers and tension operating members. These, however, are still involved and ex,- pensive and in the case of the zippers, are not automatic.

Accordingly, an object of my invention is to provide a novel closure for-containers.

A further object of my inventionis to provide a container having a novel automatic closure.

A still furtherobject of my invention is to provide automatic deflecting means in a container for preventing accidental spilling of the contents.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide a container having freely mounted therein an automatic closure device.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a simple and durable container which can be constructed at low cost.

There are other objects of my invention, which together with the foregoing, will appear in the detailed description which is to follow in connection with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view'of one embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the container shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a planview of the opened container shown in Figure 1, showing the closure mechanism.

Figure 4 is a side view of the container opened as in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a cross sectionthrough 5-5 in Fig ure 1. v ,Figure 6 is a .top'plan view with a portion 0 the top cut away to show the internal construction of my container.

' Figure 7 is a detail of the closure mechanism. Figure 8 is a rear plan view of the top portion of my container;

Figure 9 is a side elevation of Figure 8. Figure 10 shows my container as in use. Figure 11 is a plan view of a container with a modified closure mechanism.

Figure 12 is a plan view of said container compressed to open position and showing interior.

Figure 13 is a side view of the spring mechanism 1935, Serial No. 26,763 A (Cl. 150-10) Figure 14 is a plan view of a springmechanism with spring ejecting means.

' Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of a container with said mechanism in place.

Referring now more specifically to Figures 1 and 2, my container comprises two similar portions of material 2 and 3, which are secured to each other as by sewing along the periphery 4. Any suitable material preferably one having flexibility, such as leather or fabric may be used.

The portion 2 may be pan-shaped as in Figure'2, or may, if preferred, be a contiuous piece of material.

Portion 3 which constitutes the closure is provided with a slit 1 which extends longitudinally and ending a sufiicient distance from the periphery to leave suificient leather to form a secure pocket.

Along the entire length of the two edges formed by the slit and on the under surface of portion 3, reinforcing. members 8- and 9, Figure 3, of any suitable material such as a leather strip are secured in any well known manner as by gluing.

After the container has been assembled to form the construction described above, two tension members such as the spring wires ii and i2, Figure 7, are inserted within the compartment formed by the two portions of material, 2 and 3.

Members I I and i2 are of like construction with one end thereof curved as at l3 to form a part of an arc and the opposite end indented to form a hook I, the under surface of which is shaped to conform, as will'appear hereinafter, with the inner surface of the arc l3.

Members ii and i2 are inverted with respect to each other as shown in Figure 7, so that the arced-end l3 of member Ii is adjacent to the hooked end of member i2 and the arc end i3 of member I! is adjacent to the hook end of member Ii, thus forming a ball and socket arrangement. These two members I I and i2, in this position, are inserted through the opening at I into the compartment of the container and assume the 2 position shown in Figure 6.

' The length of members If and i2 is slightly greater than the inside longitudinal distance between the secured ends of the parts 2 and 3 so that normally both members II and I! are partially compressed and under spring tension, when in position as shown in Figure 6. The spring members are thus locked in position although readily removable.

As will now be clear, the are at i3 is shaped to conform with the are formed by the securing edge of the two pieces of material and the surface I of hook I4 forms a substantially snug fit along the inner surface of arc I3, the portion 2 stretching itself panlike around the spring as shown in Figure 2. 4

Spring members Ii and I2 thus normally tend to stretch portions 2 and 3 longitudinally, thereby automatically holding the slot I securely closed, as shown in Figure 1. I The rear piece 2 may be perforated as at I6 and I1 through which a link shaped member I8 made of are; desired material such.as leather is threaded and joined as by a knot shown at Devices such as keys, 2|, may depend from link I8 as shown in Figure 10.

The operation of thecontainer should now be obvious. Normally, when it is desired to wi draw an article from the container, the container is gripped atpoints adjacent the ends of springs I I and I2 as shown in Figures 3 and 4 and compressed against the action of the springs. Slit II opens and as the pressure in the springs continues, the opening passes from an elliptical stage to one in which the opening is substantially a circle as shown in Figure 3, thus providing an opening for inserting or withdrawing articles such as key H. In this position, members 8 and 9 form a reinforcing perimeter to open the slit and keep it substantially circular. To close the container, the link I8 is grasped by the fingers of the user at I9 and pulled until devices such as key 2| are entirely within the enclosing chamber. when now the ends of the container are released, spring members II and !2 will automatically move the ends of the container to their maximum longitudinal position, thus automatically and securely closing the slot I.

As will now be obvious in operating my container, it is not necessary to provide complicated securing means for thetspring members It and I2. In fact, members II and I2 can be mounted in place quickly and simply. As shown, the ends of these members form a ball and socket joint, or, .if preferred, a pin joint may be provided. As the container is opened and ciosed, there is substantially no sliding friction between members II and I2 and the leather, substantially all of the friction occurring between the members Hand I2.

An automatic method for ejecting me keys from within the container can be accomplished by extending the free end I5 of the spring II shown in Figures 14 and 15 inwardly td a point midwaythe length of the spring as at I5". By twisting this spring at I 5", a tension can be created in this extension transverse to that in the main body of the spring. By perforating this extension for inserting a key ring, means will be provided forejecting the key ring and keys from the center of the container when the container is open. In closing, the container is compressed ts "hitherto explained, the spring extension depressed with the forefinger, and the container allowed to close on the extension keys and ke ring.

- In Figure 8 a rear view of the front portion 3 is shown. Attached longitudinally thereto a reenforcing strip 20 is'placed, which may be sewed or glued' thereon. Thereafter, a longitudinal slit 22 divides the reinforcing strip into two sections 23 and 24.

In Figure 9 the reinforcing strip 20 is shown attached to the front portion 3. The two extreme ends of the reinforcing strip 20 are bevelied so that the front and rear portions 3 and 2 may be sewed together around the periphery without producing obstructions at each end.

The reinforcing strip 20 performs a triple function. It acts to keep the slit I closed when the pressure has been released at its ends. It serves to produce a uniformly round opening when the ends are' compressed. When the container is closed, the thickness of the reinforcing strip being adjacent the slit 3 serves to deflect the contents away from the opening.

As a key container, the contents can be withdrawn by compressing the two extreme ends with one hand, inverting the same thereby causing the keys to be expelled. In ciosing, knot I9 is pulled away from the container, causing the keys to be withdrawn therein. as previously explained.

In Figure 11 a circular container is shown with the front 3 longitudinally slit as at I, and-' eontaining a single closure spring 25 with inturned ends 26 to avoid sticking into the leather of the container, and providing a minimum of friction. The spring 25 is inserted into the slot and parallel to it, with the inturned ends towards the opening so that under flexture, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 13, the center of the springwill move away from the slit I. This is a simplification of the closure mechanism and lowers the manufacturing cost of the container.

It is obvious that new uses may cause slight changes in my invention. Accordingly, I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction as shown, but claim broadly the right to use all equivalent instrumenta'iities coming within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a casing, a closure for said casing, a pair of fiat wire springs comprising in duplicate spring members, each having a rounded end to form a hook on its outside surface and a curved end to form a socket on its inside surface, said members in juxtaposition to permit the socket of one to engage the hook of the other for providing a substantially frictionless bearing to enable relative movement of said tensioned members.

2. A container comprising a casing having a front and back wall, a closure for said front wail,

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