US2839234A - Container with pouring spout and opening - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1958 J. G. O'NEIL 2,839,234

CONTAINER WITH POURING SPOUT AND OPENING Filed Nov. 50, 1951 INV EN TOR.

JbH/v 6% OWE/L Ila Unite States Patent CONTAINER WITH POURING SPDUT AND OPENING John G. ONeil, Minneapolis, Minn assignor to Weinon Corporation, St. iaui, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Application November 30, 1951, Serial No. 259,185

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-7) This invention relates to a container having a cover, said container and cover. being constructed so that an openingor pouring. spout can beformed at one side of said cover and container through which the contents of said container may be poured. It is now common to transport milk and other liquids in containers made of flexible material, such as heavy paper or light cardboard. It is desirable to have the containerso constructed that the-milk or other contents can be poured'therefrom-with little eifo'rt.

It is an object of this inventiontoprovide a-container having a cover thereon, said container and cover being made of flexible sheet material which may be heavy paper or light cardboard, said cover having a flange extending about said container adjacent the top thereof and secured to said container, a portion of said cover forming a tab, said cover being so constructed that said tab may be lifted and said container and cover compressed to form an opening or pouring spout at said tab.

It is another object of this invention to provide a container made of flexible sheet material, the same having a cover with a depending flange extending around the top of said container and secured thereto by an adhesive, a portion of said flange forming a tab and said cover having creases or lines formed therein having their ends spaced along said tab and their other ends converging toward the opposite side of said cover whereby said tab can be lifted from said container and said container and cover compressed in a direction transversely of said creases or lines so that said cover folds upwardly along said creases or lines and a pouring spout and opening is formed at said tab.

It is more specifically an object of this invention to provide a container of flexible sheet material and preferably of cylindrical form having a cover of flexible material with a depending flange extending about said container at the top thereof and secured to said container preferably by an adhesive, a portion of said flange forming a tab, said cover having three lines or creases formed therein, the ends of two of which are disposed adjacent the ends of said tab, and have their other ends at a point substantially diametrically opposite the center of said tab, and another one of said creases or lines extending from adjacent the center of said tab to said point whereby said tab can be lifted and said container and cover can be compressed in a direction transversely of said creases or lines so that said cover will fold upwardly about said creases into inverted V-like form and a pouring opening and spout will be formed at said tab.

It is still further an object of this invention to provide a novel method of forming such a container as set forth in the preceding objects.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

r 2,839,234 Patented June 17, 1958 Fig; 1 is a perspective view of the container and cover;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the container'and cover;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, as indicated by the arrows, and turned through degrees; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the top portion of the container and cover showing how the pouring opening and spout are formed.

Referring to the drawings, a container 10 is shown, and while this might take various forms, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, it is shown as cylindri cal. Said container has a closed bottom and is provided with a cover 11 at its top having a flange which has a portion 11a extending around the inside of container. 10 and being reversely bent around the upper end portion of said container so that it forms the portion 11b which extends about the outer side of container 10 and depends about said container. Said cover 11' has a flat central portion 11c within the flange 11a. While said flange might be variously formed, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, it is shown ashaving amultiplicity of portions 11d having semicircular lower ends. The said flange on cover 11 is tightly secured to the container, preferably by an adhesive. While the container and cover could be made of any flexible sheet material, in practice the same has been madefrom strong heavy paper or light cardboard, and the cover and container are coated with a waterproof coating on both sides.

in accordance with the present invention, the flange portion lib is formed with an elongated portion 11e which forms a tab of considerable circumferential extent. The central portion lie of the cover is formed with a plurality of creases, lines or indentations 11 While the number of the portions 11 might be varied, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated they are shown as three in number. The ends of the outer or remote portions 11 are disposed adjacent the ends of tab 116 and the other ends thereof are disposed at a point located adjacent flange portion 11a substantially diametrically opposite the circumferential center of tab 112. The other portion 11 is disposed substantially midway between said two portions and it thus extends from substantially the circumferential center of tab 114; across the top of the cover to the ends of the other portions 11). The inside of the cover 11 and particularly the inner sides of the flange thereof is highly calendered to provide a smooth firm surface.

When it is desired to dispense the contents of the container, such as milk or other liquid, the operator will lift the tab He by inserting his fingernail or an suitable implement thereunder. The inner side of the tab being highly calendered, the same lifts away from the container with a clean smooth surface. After the tab He is so lifted, the operator then squeezes or compresses the container and cover in a direction transversely of the creases 11 The central portion lie of the cover then folds about the creases 11 The top portion of the cover so folded extends along the central crease 117 and the folded portion of the cover then extends downwardly in inclined form to the outer creases 11 so that the folded portion of the cover would be triangular in cross section or somewhat pyramidal, as shown in Fig. 4. The tab 11e folds with the folded portion of the cover and the container folds outwardly at the portion which was secured to the tab so that a spout 163a is formed, the sides of which converge into a curve, as seen in Fig. 4. A very convenicnt spout and pouring opening is thus formed and the container can now be tilted and the contents discharged through the spout 10a. When the desired amount of the contents has been discharged, the pressure on the in the refrigerator.

From the above description it will be seen that I have produced a very simple and yet a very eflicient structure for quickly and easily forming a pouring spout and opening through which the contents of the container can be dispensed. The structure is easily formed and the operation thereof is simple and can be quite rapidly performed. The device has been amply demonstrated in actual practice, found to be very' successful and efiicient and the same is being commercially made.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the device and in the steps and sequence of.

stepsof the method without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in a method and device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, such as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cylindrical container made of strong heavy paper or light cardboard having a cap thereon of flexible material with a depending flange extending about the top portion vof said container, said flange having a portion thereof forming a tab of appreciable circumferentialextent, the top of said cover having creases formed therein,

two of which extend from approximately the ends of said tab and converge to a point diametrically opposite the center of said tab and the other of which extends from substantially the center of said tab and across said cover whereby said tab can be lifted and said container and said top compressed transversely of said creases without creasing the cylindrical wall of said container to form a semi-cylindrical spout atsaid tab, said cover folding upwardly along said creases.

2. A cylindrical container made of flexible sheet material having a cap thereon of flexible material with a de pending flange extending about the top portion of said container, said flange having a portion thereof forming a circumferentially extending tab, said cover having aplurality of creases formed therein having their ends alined with the ends of said tab and converging to a point at the opposite side ofsaid cover, the wall of said cover having an uninterrupted surface at its upper portion whereby said tab can be liftedfand said cover and container compressed transversely of saidcreases to form a semi-cylin-' drical spout adjacent said tab, said cover folding upwardly along said creases.

v Reterences Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,323,505 Wilcox July'6, 1943 2,330,840 ONeil Oct. 5, 1943 2,470,984 Homing May 24, 1949

Images