US2927695A - Screen means for pour openings of paper beverage receptacles - Google Patents

Description

March 8, 1960 F. 1'. BARTOLOMEO 2,927,595

SCREEN MEANS FOR POUR OPENINGS 0F PAPER BEVERAGE RECEPTACLES 2 Sheets-Sheet r1 Filed Ovt. 25, 1957 FIGJ INVENTOR. Frank T. Bartolomeo F. T. BARToLoMEo 2,927,695 CREEN MEANS FOR POUR OPENINGS OF PAPER BEVERAGE RECEPTACLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 8, 1960 -5 med oom-23. 1957 v I/ 4 'I 4' .30a x4 INVENTOR.

filnited States arent v SCREEN MEANS Fon rotin oPnNnsGs or PAPER BEVERAGE nacnrrncrss Franlr T. Bartolomeo, Merrick, NYY.

Application October 23, 1957, Serial No. 691,865

11 Ciainis. (Cl. 210-464) These receptacles are of various'shapes'and agr-eat many have a flat top which is provided with a pour opening and such vpour opening is closed by vmeans of a paper plug or stopper which is also heavily waxed. Such waxed Stoppers or plugs are secured by a staple to the top of the carton `and are bent along a line adjacent to the 4staple to form a hinge connection so that the stopper can be withdrawn from the opening and folded or swung back to permit the contents of the receptacle to be dispensed.

` Alnfthe operation'of initially removingthe wax coated stopper or plug it frequently happens that particles of the *"wax'break off and fall into the liquid` in the receptacle and the action of re-closing the opening and again open-V ing it and repeating these'operations, results in the further loosening of wax particles which drop into the receptacle and additionally other matter which may have become attahed to the plug while it is lopenmay fall off into the receptacle when the plug or stopper is replaced.

In'addition to the fact that wax particles and other extraneous matter may fall into the receptacle in the Vmanner stated, if the stopper or plug is left open for any time, there is always the possibility of'ies or other insects or other undesirable material getting into Athe carton.

'ln the light of the foregoing,'it is a particular object of :the present invention to provide a means in association with the pour opening of such a receptacle which'will` prevent the passage of waxparticles or any iother particles or other matter from entering the receptacle and thus being dispensed with the liquid contents thereof.

lt also happens that in the use of cartons ofthe character stated, with the wax paper Stoppers hingedly attached to the top thereof, ,the repeated opening and closing of the carton results in the loosening of the stopper or plug so that after a short period of use the opening will not be tightly covered or closed and, therefore, particles of foreign matter which may fall on the top of thecarton may get into the same through the opening even thoughl the stopper is in closed position. Y

it lis accordingly a further object of the invention to provide 'a means whereby theconventional waxed paper 'stopper can be pressed down into relatively ytight engagementwith an underlying portion of the structure, such as 'a 'peripheral portion of the hereinbefore stated means,

whereby to compensate for any looseness whichmay de-V velop between the stopper and the edge of the opening and thereby prevent foreign matter from getting into the receptacle. y

e More specically itis an object ofthe present invention to provide in a carton or receptacle of the character above VV2,927,695 ir'iatented Mar. 8,

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` iixed in the pour opening and which, when in operative position therein, will receive a part ofthe conventional waxed paper stopper so that the latter willI function in its usual manner butwhen it is removed for dispensing the contents of the carton, the screen will then function to prevent passageof undesirable matter into the carton.

lt is a further object of the present invention to provide receptacles or cartons of the character stated wherein such screeningprneans or screening unit will constitute aV fixed part of the carton in association with the conventional waxed paper closure member or stopper when the carton and contents are purchased. v,

Itis a further object of the present invention to provide to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawingsy but may be .changed or modied so long as such changes or Ymodifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the Yinvention as expressed in the appended claims.`

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in perspective ofthe top portion of a conventional waxed paper carton, such as is used for merchandising milk and other beverages, and showing the application of the present invention in one embodiment to the receptacle top for coaction with the conventional waxed paper stopper;

'Fig 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

"stated, a screening means or unit which i's adapted to be Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken at right angles to vthe section for Fig. 2 and substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a View in top plan of a receptacle such as that shown in Fig. 1, but showing another embodiment of the invention wherein a single bar is employed across the conventional closure stopper for sealing the periphery or rim in closed position;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 6- 6 of Fig. 4; p

Fig. 7vis a view in side elevation of the strainer unit removed from the pour opening of the carton and show.- ing a different type Vof keeper means for the hold-down bar shown in Figs. 4 and 5;

Fig. 8 isa top plan view of a receptacle showing a third embodiment of the invention; Y Y Fig. `9 is a sectional view taken substantiallyV on th line 9 9 of Fig. 8; l

Fig. Vl0 is a sectional view taken transversely through a fourth embodiment of the invention, which embodiment is designed for purchase independentlyof the-car-V ton to be applied to the carton by the purchaser.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 in Fig. l generally designates the upper portion of a waxed paper carton or receptacle of the type hereinbefore'referred to. y

The numeral 12 designates the side walls of the carton while the top Wallis `designated 14 and such 'walls arey interconnected or folded together as indicated at 16 in Fig. 3, and also in Figs.'5 and 6, and, as is well known, 'the material of .the carton, whichV is paper, is heavily coated with parat'm wax or other suitable wax material,

to make the wall material water proof. Such wax material also is designed to make the joints between the walls water tight.

While the wax coating which is applied to the carton walls is actually of substantial thickness, nevertheless for purposes of clarity such coating is not illustrated, but it will be understood that such wax coating material is a part of the carton wall construction.

The top wall 14 of the carton is here shown as being square, which is the usual form for such receptacles, and this top wall adjacent to one corner thereof is provided with an opening 18 for dispensing the receptacle contents.

The numeral 20 generally designates the conventional closure for such cartons, which closure is madeof the waxed material of which the carton walls are formed and the closure is pressed into the form of a cupped plug for frictional engagement in the opening, such plug, being in the form of a cup, having a bottom portion 21 of circular outline, defined by the surrounding upstanding wall 22 which joins an outwardly directed ange portion 23. This flange portion 23 is extended at one side of the member to provide a hinge ear 24 and this ear which lies upon the top wall 14 and is located on the side of the closure member remote from the corner in which the opening 18 is formed, is xed to the top wall by a staple 25.

The flange 23 on the side of the closure member opposite from the ear 24 is extended as indicated at 26 to cover the intumed top edge portion 16a of the container side wall.

When the closure member is xed or inserted into the opening 18 in the conventional carton and this extension or tongue portion 26 is disposed across the adjacent top corner of the carton, a narrow flange part of the tongue portion is turned down across the seam 16, as indicated at 27.

In carrying out the present invention in one embodiment thereof, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, there is provided a strainer unit which is generally designated 28, which is fixed over the opening 18 and is designed to form a permanent part of the carton structure. In other words, as previously stated, the strainer unit is intended to be a part of the carton structure as it is sold, closed and sealed, with the merchandise therein. The strainer unit 28 may be formed of any suitable material which will not be of a character to affect the liquid in the carton, as, for example, it may be formed of a suitable plastic, such as polyethylene or it may be formed of suitable metal or, as stated, of any other material which will serve the desired purpose.

The strainer unit 28 is formed as a cuplike body having a bottom portion 29 and an encircling upstanding side wall portion 30, and this portion 30 is intergal with an encircling outturned ange 31.

The side wall portion is formed to have a maximum diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the opening 18 of the carton and this major diameter of the wall is embodied in the rib part 30a which is located between the bottom 29 and the ange 31. Where the wall 30 of the strainer joins the flange 31 the outside diameter of the cuplike strainer body is approximately the same or it may be even very slightly greater than the diameter of the opening 18. Thus it will be seen that where the strainer is fashioned of a yieldable but relatively stiff plastic such as that referred to, the cuplike portion can be forced through the opening 18 as the material will yield sufliciently to permit this, and the material will then reform or reshape itself to its original dimensions so that the riblike portion 30a will project inwardly on the underside of the wall 14 and the edge of the opening will be fitted tightly around the wall 30, thereby forming a tight seal.

In addition to the foregoing, where the strainer unit is to be a permanent part of the carton as sold, the ange `31 may also be sealed to the wall 14, either with a suitable 4 bonding material or with the wax material with which the carton wall is coated.

Where the strainer unit "may be of a stiffer substance, such as thin metal, this also might be suitably thin and resilient to flex to the desired extent to permit the cuplike body portion of the strainer to be forced through the opening or the edge of the wall around the opening would yield slightly to permit such introduction of the body portion of the strainer since the material of the carton has some degree of exibility.

The bottom and side of the cuplike portion of the strainer is, of course, perforated as indicated at 32.

The strainer 28 has formed integral with the flange 31 at opposite sides of the latter, the outwardly extending tabs 33 and each of these has pivotally attached to it by means of a rivet 34, a fastener which is generally designated 35. This fastener has the round outer end 36 through which the rivet 34 passes and the finger grip 37, and between the linger grip 37 and the secured end portion 36 the body is angled as indicated at 38 and this angled portion is adapted when the nger grip is swung around to extend over the ange 23 of the closure member, to ride onto the edge of the flange 33 and press it down against the underlying flange portion 31 of the strainer unit as shown in Fig. 2.

As will be readily apparent, when the carton is to be opened, the fasteners are swung so as to disengage the angled portions 38 from the closure ange 23, whereupon the closure may be swung to open position in the customary manner, that is, by grasping the tongue portion 26 and pulling it up so as to extract the part 21 from the interior of the strainer unit. It will thus be seen that any wax or other material which may be broken loose in the opening of the carton will be prevented from entering the carton as it will be caught in the strainer unit if it should fall through the pour opening. Likewise if the carton is allowed to remain open, the strainer unit will prevent flies or other bodies from entering the carton.

Upon the closing of the carton by reinserting the closure body 21 into the strainer unit, the fasteners 33 may be swung back to the positions where the finger grip portions are extended inwardly one toward the other, and thus they will press the flange 23 firmly down to make a tight joint between the latter and the ange 31 of the strainer unit.

Figs. 4 and 5 and 6 illustrate another construction of the invention. In these gures the carton structure and the carton closure member are the same as in Figs. 1 to 3 and accordingly the same reference characters are applied to identify the different parts.

The strainer unit in this second embodiment is generally designated 39 and is of approximately the same construction as the unit 28 in that it embodies a cup-like portion having the bottom 40, the side flange 41 and the encircling outwardly extending top flange 42. This top flange has the opposite outwardly extending tabs 43 and 44.

The bottom and side walls and 41 are perforated as indicated at 45.

The difference between the rst and second embodiments resides in the means employed for pressing the flange portion 23 of the closure member 20 into position when the closure member is returned to its pour opening covering position. This securing or fastening means com prises a bar 46 having the end portion 47 pivotally secured by the rivet 48 to the tab 43. 'I'his bar is of a length to extend entirely across the width of the closure member 20 and over and beyond the opposite tab 44 and this opposite tab 44 carries an upstanding keeper member 49 which extends across the width of the tab 44 and has formed therein a blind keeper slot 50 of approximately U-shape which opens at one end through a side of the keeper member at 51, as shown in Fig. 6.

The fastener bar is adapted to be swung on its pivot 48 into position to extend across the top of the closure 20 as shown in Fig. 5, where it will bear against the top of the flange 23 of the keeper and when the free end of the bar is slipped into the keeper slot 50 and moved therealong to the inner and lower end of the slot, as it is shown in Fig. 6, the bar 46 will be pressed firmly down against the ange 23 of the closure and thus press the flange in turn iirrnly against the ilange portion 42 of the strainer unit. In thisy manner even though the closure member may have been opened and closed several times, the bar will be eective to maintain a tight closing engagement of the ilange of the closure with the flange of the strainer.

Fig. 7 illustrated a slightly modiiied form of the keeper member and keeper slot which may be used for securing the fastener bar 46 in place. In this modified construction the keeper member which is designated 52 stands up from and is carried by the tab 53 of a flange 54 forming a part of a strainer unit generally designated 55, and has a straight inclined slot 56 which opens at one end through the side of the keeper as at 57 while at its inner and lower end the slot joins an upwardly offsetportion or recess 58. In this construction it willbe apparent that when the free end of the bar 46 is entered into the slot through the open end S7 and forced down to the lower end of the slot, the bar will be put under some little tension as it will be pressed down tight against the top of the ilange 54, and when the end of the bar reaches the offset recess S it will spring upwardly and engage in the offset and thus be held against accidental displacement.

Except for the slight difference in the construction of l the bar keeper unit, this strainer unit is of the same forni' signed to be incorporated in the carton as a permanent A part thereof, as stated.

Another embodiment or form of the invention is shown in Figs. 8 and 9which is of a character to be sold sepa- Y rately from the carton to be placed in position in the pour opening of the carton after the latter has been opened and to cooperate with the regular attached and conventional waxed paper closure member.

in these two Figs. S and 9 the carton structure'and the conventional closure are of the same form as hereinbefore described and accordingly the same reference characters may and will be employed for identifying such parts.

The embodiment of the invention adapted to be placed in the carton pour opening by the user comprises a strainer unit which is generally designated S9 anda co-y operating cap portion which is generally designated 60. The strainer unit 59, like the precedingl units, embodies a cuplike portion having a perforated bottom 61 and a perforated side wall `62, the perforations being designated 63. l

The numeral 64 designates a flange which denes the top of the wall 62 and this flange carries a single laterally extending tab 65 which in turn supports two opstanding hinge knuckles 66.

The strainer unit is adapted to be pressed into the pour opening after the conventional closure member 20 has been pulled out and swung back, and the wall 62 is shaped Ila() as in the preceding structures so that it will be tightly frictionally held in the carton pour opening.

The cap 60 also comprises or embodies a cuplik'e plug portion 67 which is of an overall diameter to it snugly within the cuplike conventional closure k2li and this cap 6i? carries the single hinge knuckle 68 on its edge which is adapted to be positioned between the knuckles 66 and the knuckles 66 and 68 are pivotally coupled together by a pivot pin 69 so that the cap 60 can be swung to applied or unapplied `position as required, after the strainer unit has been fixed in the pour opening and after the conventional closure member has been inserted into the open top of the strainer unit in the manner illustrated in Fig. 9.

From the foregoing it will be seen that in the form tion which is similar in construction to that shown inr Figs. 8 and 9 but is designed to completely replace the conventional closure member 20 which is, as previously stated, fixed .by the staple 25 to the top wall or" the carton. f p

In this replaceable closure-strainer, 4the formation of the two parts, namely, the strainer unit portion, which is generally designated 70, and the cap port-ion which is generally designated 71, is substantially the same as the strainer unit 59 and the cap 60 in that the flange porti-on 72 of the strainer unit carries the tab 73 to which is hingedly attached by means of a pin 74, a part of the cap 71 with the exception that the cap and strainer are of a size to it snugly together whereas in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 8 and 9 they are dimen-y sioned to allow for the introduction of the conventional closure member between them.

What is claimed is;V v l i. in combination, a waxed paper receptaclehaving a top wall with a pour opening therein and having its edge lying in the plane ofvsaid wall, a closure member for said opening having a-hinge connection with said top Vwall on one side of the opening, the closure member being formed ,for extension into the opening, and a flanged strainerv itted in and friction-ally engaging the edge of the opening and formed to receivel the closure member, the ilange of the strainer lying upon the receptacle top wall between the latter and portions of' said closure.

2. The invention according to'claim l, with means for pressing the said. portions of said lclosure member into sealing engagement with the flange of the strainer.

3. The invention according to claim 2, wherein the' last means is in the form of a latching element movable rrelative to the closure member to press thereon.

4. In combination, a receptacle adapted to contain potable fluids and having a wall provided with a pour opening, a closure body hingedly attached to said wall and adapted for closing said pour opening, a strainer unit having a foraminous portion formed for engagement in the pour opening beneath said closure body-and adapted to be covered by the 'closure body, and a securing element attached to the strainer unit and movable into operative engagement with the closure body when the latter is in pour opening Vclosing position to secure the closure. body in suchclosing position.

5; The invention according to claim 4, wherein said securing element is of a form to be grasped bythe lingers and is movable across the closurelbody about a pivot element to which it is attached and which is carried by i the strainer unit. i

6.The invention according to'claim 4, wherein? the closure body has a portion in the form of a cup adapted .f to enter the pour opening and the said portion of the f f' strainer unit is also in the form of a cup and vsized to Y enter the pour opening and is adapted to have the said portion of the Vclosure bodyr frictionally secured therein.

,17. The invention-according to claim 4, Awherein the said securing element is in the form of an elongate mehrV ber and said strainer unit has a laterally extending tab carrying a pivot pin to which said elongate member vis, connected at one end to swing across and into securing engagement with the closure body.

8. The invention according to claim 7, wherein said elongate member is of a length to extend across the entire width of the closure body, and means. carried by the strainer unit on the side oppositefrom rsaid tab Vand' 7 pivot pin for securing the other end of said elongate member in said securing engagement with the closure body.

9. The invention according to claim 8, wherein the last stated means comprises a slotted keeper member secured to and upstanding from the strainer unit on the side of the latter opposite from said pivot pin and adapted to receive in the slot thereof the other end of the said elongate member.

I10. As an article of manufacture, a body of cup form having a foraminous bottom and side wall and having a surrounding imperforate flange dening the top of the side wall and a cap body hingedly attached to the ange and adapted to close the top of said body, said first body being adapted for insertion into a pour opening in a wall of a receptacle and having the said foraminous side wall bulging outwardly between the foraminous bottom wall and the ange to provide an encircling rib adapted to function as a means for locking the first body in the pour opening `of the receptacle into which it is inserted by projecting under the receptacle wall adjacent to the said pour opening thereof.

11. The invention according to claim 10, wherein the said cap body is also of cup form and adapted to be frictionally secured in the cup-like foraminous body and the cap body having a bottom wall bearing upon the bottom of the cup-like foraminous body when secured in the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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