US2721003A - Dispensing bottle cap device - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 18, 1955 M. B. LINTON DISPENSING BOTTLE CAP DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 195] I N VEN TOR Maw W5 Lnvra BY 6LW ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1955 M. B. LINTON DISPENSING BOTTLE CAP DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 195] INVENTOR Z/Nm/v ME/ewm/B ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1955 LINTQN 2,721,003

DISPENSING BOTTLE CAP DEVICE Filed June 28, 195] 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I N VEN TOR MEEMWfi 1 //v TON BYJWZM/ ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 2,721,003 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 DISPENSING BOTTLE CAP DEVICE Merwyn B. Linton, Austin, Tex. Application June 28, 1951, Serial No. 234,073 10 Claims. (Cl. 222-83) This invention relates to dispenser type bottle caps for charged liquid bottles, such as soda water bottles.

The problem with such dispensing cap devices is to provide a tight seal against the mouth of the bottle. Furthermore, the device should be easily and quickly applicable to and removable from the mouth of a bottle Without the use of special skill or special tools and should be easily manipulatable to discharge the bottled liquid.

Accordingly, it is the main object of the present invention to provide a dispensing bottle cap device which overcomes the above difficulties.

Another object is to provide such a device which may be discharged merely by pressing and distorting the dispenser spout, as against the side of a glass.

Another object is to provide a dispenser cap device which may be easily attached to a charged Water bottle without the necessity of removing the usual crown cap, yet which, when attached forms a tight seal between the dispenser cap and the crown seal cap so that the crown seal can be pierced Without losing any of the charge.

These objects and other more detailed objects hereafter appearing are attained by the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal center section through a form of the novel dispenser cap device applied to a bottle.

Fig. 2 is an elevation, taken from the left hand side of Fig. 1 and showing the dispenser cap removed from the bottle.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, axial section through a modified form of dispenser spout.

Fig. 4 is a side view of a modified form of the dispenser cap device.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the form in Fig. 4 removed from the bottle and showing the left side thereof with the clamping mechanism released.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an inside view or" the upper part of the clamping lever.

Fig. 8 is a side view and vertical, center section showing a third form of the invention.

Fig. 9 shows the center parts of the structure in Fig. 8, but with the dispenser tube forced through the crown cap on the bottle.

Fig. 10 is a section through the clamping sleeve or ring removed.

Fig. 11 is a top view of the dispenser tube guide and chamber member disassembled.

Fig. 12 is an elevation of one elements disassembled.

The cap device of Fig. 1 is shown applied to a bottle neck 15 having a bead 16 around the open mouth thereof. The sealing portion of the device consists of a cup-like member of thin material, including a crown element 17 with an underlying gasket 18 for resting on the mouth of the bottle. The flange portion of the member consists of an annular series of resilient fingers 19 projecting laterally from the periphery of disk part 17 and havof the bottle clamping edge, as at 47 to permit this ing terminal enlargements 20. The disk element has an integral, tubular part 21 projecting from the center thereof oppositely to spring fingers 19, this tubular member having a head or flange 22 around the upper edge thereof.

A dispenser tube 24 extends through and is firmly secured to a tubular element 21 and, at its lower end, is inturned as at 25, to form a seat for a poppet valve 26. The valve has an actuator stem 27 projecting therefrom upwardly through tube 24 with an oifset finger 28 at its upper extremity. A bell crank actuator lever has its short arm 29 pivotally connected, as at 30, to the dispenser tube and pinned, as at 31, to the upper end of valve stem 27, 28. The long arm 32 of this bell crank extends upwardly through spout extension 33 and has an angularly offset terminal extension 34 with a finger 35 to be hooked over the edge of a glass to operate or open the valve 26. A cover plate 36 is secured to the under part of lever extension 34 to exclude dirt and other foreign matter from the spout when the valve is closed. A coiled spring 37 within tube 24 rests at its lower end against tube lip 25 and at its upper end is connected to valve stem 27 at 38 by passing the end of the spring through the hole in the valve stem.

In nesting relationship with sealing portion 17, 19 is a co-axial clamping cup having a base or disk 39 and a sleeve or flange portion 40 which closely fits about, but is slidable along spring fingers 19. A pair of helical depressions 41 in the inner surface of flange 40 are disposed to register with similarly shaped ribs 42 on spring fingers 19 to form thread sections which cooperate, upon relative rotation of nested members, 17, 19 and 39, 40 to cause the clamping cup to move axially along spring fingers 19 and, ultimately, to firmly press the bulbous extremities 20 of these fingers against the bottle neck beneath bead 16 for drawing gasket 18 firmly against the bottle mouth and holding the assembly.

To facilitate turning of the clamping cup 39, 40, a pair of finger wings 43 project from the top thereof.

In operation of this form of the invention, the novel dispenser cap device is applied to the open top of the bottle with the clamping cup member retracted, as in Fig. 2. The clamping cup member is then pushed downwardly by hand to cause interengagement of thread elements 41 and 42, whereupon the cup is rotated with the assistance of wings 43 to cause the gasket to be firmly and sealingly pressed against the mouth of the bottle.

The bottle is then turned upside down, bathing the inner end of the tube and valve 26 in the liquid. To dispense the liquid, it is merely necessary for the operator to hook finger 35 over the edge of the glass which is to receive the soda and press lever to the dotted line position of Fig. 1, whereupon the gas pressure on top of the liquid forces it out in an effervescent stream, into the glass.

The form in Fig. 3 is similar to that in Fig. 1, except for the valve actuating mechanism. In this form, the offset, upper extremity 28a of valve actuating stem 27a is secured to the separately-formed, upper portion 45 of the dispenser spout, at 31a. This portion of the spout is pivoted to tube 240, as at 46, so that tilting of spout portion 45 counterclockwise with respect to lower tube portion 24a thereof (to the dotted line position) will impel valve stem 27a downwardly opening the dispenser valve. Dispenser tube 24a is cut away, along its upper action. A flexible jacket 48 tightly receives the uper portion of tube 24a and the entire spout portion 45 so as to effectively seal the joint between the dispenser spout portions while permitting relative flexing thereof to actuate the valve. A manipu lating oflset 49 at the upper end of the spout is provided for application of dispensing pressure to the spout 'is used and a modified form of clamping means is utilized. Also, dispenser tube 24b has an apertured downward extension 51 forming a guide for valve 26 (Fig. 1). In this form, the valve seat and seat for spring 37 are formed by a constriction 52 in dispenser tube. V V

A pair of ribs 53 project upwardly from clamping cup 39, 40 and have slots 54 receiving eccentric pintles' 55 projecting outwardly from the arms 56 of the clamping lever 57. Arms 56 also have opposing, inward pintles 58 which journal in apertured bearing bosses 59, formed on a sleeve6l which is rigid with dispenser tube 24b above clamping cup 39, 40. Swinging of lever 57 clockwise, to the position of Fig. 5, retracts the clamping cup to permit outward, radial flexing of fingers 19 to clear the bottle mouth for application of the device thereto. Swinging of the clamping arm counterclockwise to the position of Fig. 4, urges the clamping cup downwardly to compress clamping fingers 19 against the bottle, as in-the first form.

Inthe form of Figs. 8-12, is shown a dispenser cap device which can be applied to the top of a soda water bottle without removing the usual crown cap therefrom. This device consists of a series of three telescopingly arranged, threadedly attached co-axial tubes or sleeve members 61, 62, and 63. Central cap sleeve 61 has an internal annular flange 64 provided on its under surface with an annular gasket 65 which rests against the top of the usual crown cap 66 on bottle 67. The bottle has the usual ridge 67a beneath bead 67b thereon. On the lower portion of sleeve 61 is threaded clamping sleeve member 62 to the lower portion of which are pivotally secured an annular series of gripping dogs 68. These dogs have lateral nubbins 69 (Fig. 12), which are received in a series of annularly arranged, slightly spaced apart, apertured bosses 70 (see right edge of Fig. formed along the lower, inner edge of sleeve member 62. Dogs .68 are normally urged outwardly to permit receipt over the mouth of the bottle by means of a resilient ring 71 lodged in aligned recesses in'the inner surfaces of the dogs.

7 The upper portion of sleeve 61 is internally threaded and receives sleeve or tubular guide and chamber structure 63. This guide and chamber structure has an upper,

inward flange 72 which closely but slidably receives a sleeve 73 which is free to rotate about upper dispenser tube portion 74 having a bottom flange 75 received beneath flange 72 in the retracted position shown in Fig. 8.

The lower portion 76 of the dispenser tube is threadedly secured at its upper end to tube portion 74, as at 77, and is sharpened at its lower extremity, as at 78, to form a cutting edge to penetrate the bottle crown cap. Tube portion 76 is constricted near its lower extremity, as at 79, to form a valve and spring seat, as at 52, in Fig. 4.

The portion of the tube beneath the spring seat is apertured as at 80, whereby this portion forms a guide for the valve.

A sealing membrane 82 of general cylindrical or bellows form, when extended, is secured at its Iower edge, as at 83, between the lower extremity of guide and chamber structure 63 and flange 64 on the central sleeve portion. The upper edge of this membrane is clamped and sealed between flange 75 on upper tube portion 74 and a key or collar 84 on tube portion 76. This cylindrical membrane efiectively forms a sealed chamber. around tube 76.

V A pair of diametrically opposite slots 86 in the inner edge of flange 72 at the top of guide and chamber sleeve 63, are positioned to receive a pair of diametral projections 87 onsleeve 73 when the dispenser tube is pressed downwardly, to bring these projections below flange 72.

the lower portion of the Slight rotation of sleeve 73 then causes projections 87 to lock beneath flange 72 maintaining the tube in its dispensing position, as described hereafter. In this position, a pair of nubbins 88 on a collar 89 on dispenser sleeve portion 73 are received within peripheral corner slots 90 in flange 72 so as to limit rotation of the sleeve 73. In the retracted position of the dispenser tube, as in Fig. 8, projections 87 may be rotated out of registry with slots 86 so as to function as a safety mechanism to hold the pointed tube well within the guide structure and in position for application to a capped bottle.

In operation, the device, with gripping dogs 68 retracted, as in Figs. 9 and 10, is applied over the capped top of the bottle. Lower sleeve 62 is then screwed up onto central sleeve 61 which brings the lower edge of sleeve 61 against the upper, outer edges of dogs 68 so as to press these dogs inwardly against the bottle neck beneath ridge 67a thereon. The locking dogs, of course, may be latched beneath the edges of the cap itself. Gasket is, accordingly, drawn firmly and sealingly against the upper surface of the crown cap. With projections 87 in registry with recesses 86, the dispenser tube is then pressed downwardly by the operator, causing the sharpened lower extremity thereof to pierce the crown cap. In the fully depressed position of the dispenser tube, sleeve 73 is rotated to bringprojections 87 into locking engagement with flange 72. In this position (Fig. 9), sealing membrane 82 is compressed between flange 75 on the dispenser tube and internal flange 64 on central sleeve 61 and this causes the membrane to swell radially inwardly and completely fill the chamber about the dispenser tube. As the membrane forms a sealed chamber it is unimportant whether or not the pierced crown cap makes sealing engagement with the dispenser tube, since liquid or gas cannot rise past the" compressed sealing membrane 82'or gasket 65. As in the previous form, the bottle is inverted and the extreme outer portion of the dispenser spout pressed sidewardly to open the dispenser valve for the ejection of charged liquid by the pressure of gases thereabove.

In each of the forms, the novel dispenser device can be easily and firmly applied to the top of the bottle and when so applied will not leak and will provide for ready dispensing of the contained liquid. The form in Figs. 8-12, of course, insures retention of the full gas supply in the liquid as it is unnecessary to remove the crown cap, leaving the liquid momentarily open, before application of the dispenser device. The various bottle clamping elements included in the flange portion of the device may be interchanged, namely, the partial thread sections of Figs. 1 and 2, the eccentric lever or cam of Figs. 4-8, and the threads of also interchangeable.

The invention may be modified in various respects as will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of all modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

I claim:

1. A dispenser cap device for bottles comprising a gasketed sealing portion for resting on the end of a bottle about the opening therein, structure projecting laterally from the periphery of said portion including first and second annular, coaxial parts, annularly arranged members on one of said parts shiftable radially inwardly to engage the bottle neck, and interlocking elements on said parts, said parts being relatively movable in an axial direction to cause said members, selectively, to firmly grip the bottle neck beneath the lip thereon andto clear said lip, and one of said parts beingrotatable relative to the other to and from a position in which said elements interlock in a manner to secure the cap device in position on a the bottle, a flexible spout attached to the aunuIar structure and sealed with respect thereto so as to form a discharge outlet therefor, a valve in said spout, and means Figs. 9-l2. The spout details are operated by flexing said spout for opening and closing said valve.

2. A dispenser cap device for bottles comprising a gasketed portion for resting against the mouth of a bottle, annular structure projecting laterally from the periphery of said portion and radially contractable and expansible, said annular structure including a plurality of swingable members united at their free ends for simultaneous movement and a sleeve received about said annular structure and shiftable axially relative to said structure to selectively cause said structure to contract and grip a bottle neck beneath the bead thereon and to expand to clear said bead, a flexible spout attached to the annular structure and sealed with respect thereto so as to form a discharge outlet therefor, a valve in said spout, and means operated by flexing said spout for opening and closing said valve.

3. A dispenser bottle cap device comprising crown and gripping flange portions, a dispensing spout comprising an inner portion sealingly secured to said crown portion and an outer portion flexible relative to said inner portion, a valve seat in said inner portion, a spring seated valve for said seat, said valve having a valve stem, and an actuator for said Valve, including an elongated member positioned within the outer flexible portion of said spout and pivoted to the inner portion of said spout, a link connecting said elongated member to said valve stem, said link operating to unseat said valve when the flexible portion of said spout is shifted.

4. A dispenser cap as described in claim 3 including a flexible sealing jacket for the joint between said spout and crown.

5. A dispenser cap as described in claim 3 further including a flexible, sealing jacket enclosing the exposed parts of said spout including the joint between said inner and outer portions thereof.

6. A dispenser cap device for bottles comprising a rigid sleeve with an annular, internal flange having a gasketed under surface, a second outer sleeve closely fitting and longitudinally slidable on the first sleeve, bottle clamping elements swingably mounted on the inner marginal edge of said second sleeve and normally projecting into the path of movement of the first sleeve and engageable therewith, upon relative axial movement of said sleeves, to cause said element to clamp the bottle neck to draw said gasketed flange tightly against a crown cap on the bottle, annular guide structure secured to said first sleeve member and projecting oppositely from said second sleeve member, a dispenser tube slidably received in said guide structure and having a sharp extremity for piercing the crown cap, an annular shoulder on said tube spaced longitudinally outwardly of said gasketed flange, and a sealing membrane secured to and extending between said shoulder and said gasketed flange, said shoulder overlying said flange so as to compress said membrane against said flange when said tube has been forced through the crown cap.

7. A dispenser device as described in claim 6 in which said sealing membrane is clamped, at its outer edge, between said gasketed flange and said annular guide structure.

8. A dispenser device as described in claim 6 further including cooperating parts on said tube and said guide structure for interlocking when said tube has pierced the crown cap to maintain said tube in its sealed, dispensing position.

9. A dispenser cap device for bottles comprising an annular member for resting on the crown cap of a bottle, bottle clamping structure projecting laterally from the periphery of said member for holding said member firmly against the crown cap, said clamping structure including a plurality of swingable members connected for simultaneous movement, tubular guide structure projecting from said member oppositely of said clamping structure, said guide structure having an internal annular shoulder spaced axially from said annular member, a dispenser tube closely fitting and slidable through said shoulder, said tube having a sharp extremity for piercing the bottle crown cap, an annular shoulder on said tube between said first annular shoulder and said annular member, and a sealing membrane secured to and extending between said second annular shoulder and said annular member, said shoulders cooperating to limit outward movement of said tube, said device including a projection on said tube outwardly of said guide structure in the retracted position of said tube, there being an axial slot in the inner surface of said guide structure and extending through said first annular shoulder for receiving said projection when said tube is forced through the bottle crown cap, said projection being rotatable relative to said guide so as to underlie said first shoulder and lock said tube in its dispensing position.

10. A dispenser cap device for bottles comprising an annular member for resting on the crown cap of a bottle, bottle clamping structure projecting laterally from the periphery of said member for holding said member firmly against the crown cap, said clamping structure including a plurality of swingable members connected for simultaneous movement, tubular guide structure projecting from said member oppositely of said clamping structure, said guide structure having an internal annular shoulder spaced axially from said annular member, a dispenser tube closely fitting and slidable through said shoulder, said tube having a sharp extremity for piercing the bottle crown cap, an annular shoulder on said tube between said first annular shoulder and said annular member, and a sealing membrane secured to and extending between said second annular shoulder and said annular member, said shoulders cooperating to limit outward movement of said tube, said projection also being rotatable when said tube is retracted to cooperate with the end of said guide structure in locking said tube in said retracted position with the sharp tube end shielded within said guide structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 999,602 Slee Aug. 1, 1911 1,069,153 Lovell Aug. 5, 1913 1,324,206 Nickell Dec. 9, 1919 1,585,695 Schroeder May 25, 1926 1,925,466 Simpson Sept. 5, 1933 2,073,292 Waite et a1 Mar. 9, 1937 2,401,391 Vale et a1. June 4, 1946 2,487,434 Geiss et a1. Nov. 8, 1949 2,565,050 Smith Aug. 21, 1951 2,582,026 Friedman Jan. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,944 Great Britain Dec. 13, 1882 187,748 Germany July 2, 1907 32,198 France May 3, 1927 837,952 France Apr. 22, 1938 250,050 Switzerland May 18, 1948

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