US3281887A

US3281887A - Dispensing heads or applicators for bottles, tubes and like containers

Info

Publication number: US3281887A
Application number: US383744A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raffe Joseph Peter
Original assignee: Reckitt and Colman Overseas Ltd
Current assignee: Reckitt and Colman Overseas Ltd
Priority date: 1963-08-12
Filing date: 1964-07-20
Publication date: 1966-11-01
Anticipated expiration: 1983-11-01
Also published as: GB1087331A; BE651630A; NL6409274A; CH420509A; LU46747A1; AT254762B; ES303002A1; DE1432239A1

Description

Nov. 1, 1966 J. P. RAFFE 3,281,887

DISPENSING HEADS OR APPLICATORS FOR BOTTLES, TUBES AND LIKE CONTAINERS Filed July 20, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 In ven to r JOSEPH PETE? PAP/=5 A ttorn e yS Nov. 1, 1966 J. P. RAFFE 3,281,337 DISPENSING HEADS OR APPLICATORS FOR BOTTLES, TUBES AND LIKE CONTAINERS Filed July 20. 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 l n venlor JasEPw PErER PAFFE A ttorneyS J. P. RAFFE 3,281,887 R APPLIGATORS FOR BOTTLES, TUBES Nov. 1, 1966 DISPENSING HEADS 0 AND LIKE CONTAINERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 20, 1964 Inventor JSEP/l PETER PAFFE By Attorneys Nov. 1, 1966 J. P. RAFFE 3,281,887 DISPENSING HEADS OR APPLICATORS FOR BOTTLES, TUBES AND LIKE CONTAINERS Filed July 20, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor JasEPH PETER PAFFE AHorneyS Nov. 1, 1966 J. P. RAFFE 3,231,837

DISPENSING HEADS OR APPLICATORS FOR BOTTLES, TUBES AND LIKE CONTAINERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 20, 1964 Inventor JOSEPH PETER PH Byfifify/l fi m Attorneys United States Patent 3,231,837 DIPENSING HEADS 0R APPLICATORS FOR BOTTLE, TUBES AND LIKE CONTAINERS .loseph Peter Raffe, London, England, assignor to Reckitt and Colman (flverseas) Limited, Hull, East Yorkshire, England, a British company Filed July 20, 1964, Ser. No. 383,744 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Aug. 12, 1963, 31,753/63 8 Claims. (Cl. -569) This invention concerns improvements in or relating to dispensing devices or applicators for bottles, tubes and like containers which are intended to contain liquids or other readily flowable materials to be dispensed in controlled amounts.

It is a common practice to pack liquids such as shoe or furniture polishes, or cleaners, window cleaning preparations, certain embrocations and liquids for application to the human body as well as sauces and essences for human consumption in bottles, tubes or like containers, having dispensing devices or applicators on the outlet of the container. Many of these liquids are either volatile or tend to congeal if exposed to atmospheric air so that it is important to provide a substantially air tight closure for the container. Again it is desirable that a user can dispense only a controlled quantity of the liquid through the applicator. In many cases such as cleaners, polishes, and embrocations and similar liquids it is known to incorporate in the applicator fitted to the container a sponge like pad which absorbs liquid from the container and enables it to be app-lied as required.

There are a number of fundamental requirements for a satisfactory dispensing device or applicator, for containers for the above liquids. These are firstly that the applicator shall securely seal the contents before the container is sold. Secondly the applicator should be able following a simple action on the part of the user to permit a controlled flow of the contents out of the container. Thirdly the applicator must enable the container to be simply reclosed securely without risk of leakage or seepage of the contents when the container is inverted or accidentally squeezed. Finally the applicator should be such that it can be easily and cheaply mass produced for use with disposable containers.

Various proposals for applicators have been made which comply with some but not all these requirements. Thus applicators having an absorbent pad are mounted above a frangible or pierceable cover for the container and a drawing pin is provided to pierce the cover for the discharge of the contents. Again an applicator is known in which a valve member within the applicator is initially so disposed that it closes the exit passage for liquid, and a plunger pin carrying an absorbent pad is movable in such passage to displace the valve member to an open position for discharge of the liquid.

In both the above cases reclosing of the container is impossible since the pierced cover cannot be rescaled in the first case while the valve member cannot be returned to its closed position in the second case. Thus if either container, once opened, is overturned or squeezed liquid is liable to flow out into the cap which is usually provided.

There have also been various proposals embodying spring urged members which open in response to pressure exerted on the head of the applicator during use. Such proposals have several disadvantages. The use of separate springs involves additional expense and complication. In general only a thin pad of material can be used in the applicator head since pressure has to be transmitted through it to open the valve, and if a thick pad was used the application of pressure would tend to squeeze the contents out of the pad.

328L837 Patented Nov. 1, 1966 ice It is an object of this invention to provide an improved dispensing device for bottles, tubes and other containers Which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble and which complies with all the fundamental requirements set forth above while avoid-ing the disadvantages of the above mentioned prior proposals.

According to the invention there is provided a dispensing device for a container, comprising a dispensing head including a body portion having intermediate its ends an integral and flexible inwardly directed pleat or fold, a valve member, an apertured dispensing member at one end of said body and a cap engageable with the said dispensing member, said pleat or fold serving when the cap is moved towards the other end of said body to cause relative movement between the valve member and dispensing member to prevent flow therethrough, while movement of the cap in the opposite direction releases the dispensing member for movement in a flow permitting direction in response to the flexibility of the said pleat or fold.

Where a dispensing head according to the invention is to be used with a container which is itself flexible e.g. a bottle or tube of thermoplastic the said body portion may be made of a material which is merely flexible and has little or no resilience since a squeeze applied to the container after releasing the cap will serve to move the dispensing member in a flow permitting direction. Where however the head is to be used with a rigid, e.g. glass, container the body portion of the head will be made of a material which is both flexible and resilient, e.g. polyethylene, so that on release of the cap the resilience of the pleat or fold will cause the dispensing member and valve member to separate to permit flow through the apertured dispensing member.

The said dispensing head according to the invention may be attached to the discharge end of a container e.g. a bottle, tube or jar in any convenient manner. Thus it may engage either internally or externally of the neck of such container. If desired it may be made to make a tight fit with the neck, or it may make threaded engagement with the container.

Preferably means such for example as screw threads, lugs or projections, engageable vith corresponding threads, lugs or projections on the interior of the cap, are provided adjacent the said other end of the dispensing head to assist in the engagement of the cap with the said body portion.

Where the dispensing head is mounted over the neck of an associated container such means will preferably be formed on the exterior of the body portion and will be nearer said other end thereof than said pleat or fold. Where however the dispensing head is fitted within the neck of the container such means e.g. threads, lugs or projections will be provided on the exterior of the neck of the container.

According to another feature of the invention there is provided a container formed at least partly of a flexible material having a dispensing head as above set forth integral therewith.

Where the dispensing head is to be separately attached to the container the apertured dispensing member may if desired be made integrally With the body portion. Where however as is preferred the dispensing head is integral with the container the apertured dispensing member will be made separately from the body portion and can be attached thereto in any convenient manner. Thus the dispensing member can be engaged either internally or externally of the said one end of the body portion.

Various forms of apertured dispensing member may be provided depending on the intended use of the dispensing head. Thus the said member may have a single discharge aperture therethrough or several such apertures.

In one embodiment of the invention the dispensing member is of tapered elongate form and constitutes a discharge nozzle.

If desired, however, the dispensing member may have on its outer surface a seating for an absorbent pad, sponge or wad which upon receiving liquid through an aperture in the member serves to distribute the liquid over a surface to which it is to be applied. Where the apertured dispensing member is intended to receive a sponge or like absorbent pad it will preferably also have a flange or simi lar projection disposed outwardly of the seating which serves to make engagement with the cap thereby to avoid direct engegemant of the cap with the absorbent pad or sponge upon closing.

Where it is desired to close the dispensing head when it is not in use, e.g. where an absorbent pad or sponge is included in the head, the cap will cover the whole of the upper surface of the head. Where however the said apertured dispensing member merely has a sprinkler hole or holes therethrough, the cap may be of annular form so that the sprinkler holes are always exposed, opening or closing of the flow passage to the hole or holes being effected by moving the annular cap towards or away from the said other end of the body portion.

Preferably the said valve member is of the kind having a tapered sealing portion, which is engageable in sealing fashion in the or each discharge aperture in the said dispensing member.

The shape of said valve member will, of course, depend upon the size and number of the apertures in the dispensing member or on the shape and size of the flow passage leading to such aperture or apertures. In some arrangements the said pleat or fold may carry the valve member of the dispensing head. However so as to ensure that the valve member is held stationary during movement of the dispensing member and pleat or fold in operation it is preferred to mount the valve member on a part, e.g. an inwardly projecting shoulder, of the head nearer to the said other end thereof than is said pleat or fold. Such an effect may, alternatively, be achieved by arranging for a part of or associated with the valve member to engage with a part of the interior of a container when the head is placed on the latter; for example, where the container is not very deep, the valve member could have an extension adapted to engage the base of the container upon application of the head thereto so as to hold the valve member against movement towards such base.

In general said valve member will comprise a sealing portion and a mounting portion which will permit a flow of liquid from a container past the valve when the device is in use.

The said valve member may be a separate member mountable within the head or where a separate dispensing member is provided may be formed integrally with a part of said body portion which will not, in operation, move when said pleat is opened or closed. Where a separate valve member is provided and is to be carried on the opposite side of said pleat from the apertured dispensing member, the valve member is preferably formed of resilient material so as to enable it to be deformed for insertion into the body past the pleat or fold, whereafter it will resume its original shape to make engagement with the body portion on said opposite side of the pleat.

In order that the invention may be well understood, certain embodiments thereof will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows in half section a first embodiment of a container and integral dispensing device according to the invention with the valve open but without its cap;

FIGURE 2 shows a view in section of half of the dispensing device of FIGURE 1 but with the cap in position and the valve closed;

FIGURE 3 shows a cross section on line III-III of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the valve member of the dispensing head;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the valve member of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 shows the valve member of FIGURES 4 and 5 in its compressed condition ready for insertion in the dispensing head;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of an alternative form of valve member showing, in dashed lines, the position it assumes during insertion into the head;

FIGURE 8 is an underneath plan view of such valve member;

FIGURE 9 shows, in vertical medial cross-section, the top of a container having an integral dispensing device in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, the device being in its closed condition;

FIGURE 10 is a side elevation of a container having a nozzle and an integral dispensing device in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 11 is a crossasection on the line XIXI of FIGURE 10; and

FIGURE 12 is a vertical medial cross-section of the top of a container carrying a separate dispensing device according to a fourth embodiment of the invention; the dispensing devices being in their open condition in the embodiments of FIGURES 10 to 12.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 6 of the drawings, 1 indicate a blown thermoplastic bottle intended to carry a liquid shoe cleaning preparation and incorporating an integral dispensing head 2.

At one end 4 the body portion of the head 2 has an apertured dispensing member 5 engaged thereon in a liquid tight manner. This member 5 has a seating 6 on its upper surface in which an absorbent pad 7 is mounted. Seating 6 is inset from the edge of member 5 to leave a shoulder 8 against which a shoulder 9 on the interior or a cap 3 (FIG. 2) engages as will be explained hereinafter.

Dispensing member 5 has an aperture 10 extending centrally therethrough. The underside of the walls of aperture 10 are tapered at 11 to mate with the tapered end 12 of a valve member 13.

An annular shoulder 23 is formed on the underside of member 5 and serves to prevent any displacement of valve member 13 during use of the container.

The other end 15 of the body portion of the dispensing head has an external multi-start screw thread 16 engageable wit-h an internal thread 17 on cap 3; in this embodiment a four-start thread is provided.

The valve member 13 (see FIGS. 4 to 6) has a crosspiece 14 past the sides of which liquid may How to the end 4 of the body. Two oppositely facing legs 19 and 2 0 depend from the cross-piece 14, each leg being formed with an arcuate rebate 21. The space between the

legs

19 and 20 extends up beneath the tapered end 12 of the valve member, to form a V-shaped groove 22 extending somewhat into the underside of the cross-piece 14.

Between the

ends

4 and 15 of the body portion an integral resilient inwardly directed bellows fold or pleat 18 is formed. This fold or pleat 18 extends inwardly towards the valve member 13 in the space between the cross-piece 14 and the

legs

19 and 20 depending therefrom, the cross-piece 14 being supported just clear of the pleat when the valve is open.

Below the pleat or fold 18 the body portion of the dispensing head has an inwardly directed annular shoulder 26 which engages in the rebates 21 of the

legs

19 and 20 of the valve member 13 and thus holds the valve member against movement when the pleat or fold is caused to close.

The tapered end 12, crossapiece 14 and

legs

19 and 20 of the valve member are formed integrally from a resilient material such as polyethylene or polypropylene and it will be understood that the provision of the groove 22 under the cross-piece 14 enables the whole member to be distorted into the position which is shown in FIG. 6 so that, to insert the valve member in the dispensing head, it may be pressed into the same from the top whereupon engagement of the

legs

19 and 24 with the pleat causes them to be urged inwardly to such distorted condition in which they can pass by the pleat, whereafter the legs spring apart again for the rebates 21 thereof to engage with the shoulder 26 as shown in FIG. 1. Return of the valve member to its undistorted shape is assisted when the cross-piece 14 pressed down on to the top of the pleat 18 upon insertion so that the cross-piece is flattened out and the

legs

19 and 20 swing outwardly.

When the cap 3 is placed upon the dispensing head 2 (see FIG. 2) it will be seen that shoulder 9 abuts on shoulder 8 of the apertured dispensing member 5 and

threads

16 and 17 interengage. Upon tightening the carp onto the head by means of the threads, member 5 is moved towards end of the body portion and the angle embraced by the pleat or fold 18 is reduced thus causing tapered end 12 of valve member 13 to close aperture 10. In this position flow through the aperture 10 is completely prevented even though the bottle may be inverted.

Downward displacement of the valve member 13 upon such closing is, of course, prevented by the engagement of its

legs

19 and 20 with the shoulder 26 of the dispensing head.

When the liquid is again to be used the cap is removed and the resilience of the pleat or fold 18 causes dispensing member 5 to move upwardly away from valve member 13 so as to permit flow past the valve member 13 to the pad 7.

In an alternative arrangement the valve member 13 could be of hollow thin-walled construction and in this case need not be slotted at its base as the flexibility of its wall would then be suflicient to permit folding of the cross-piece 14.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show an alternative form of valve member, comprising a circular plate 27 formed with four symmetrically arranged apertures 28 to permit the flow of liquid to the end 4 of the body. Two oppositely facing pairs of

legs

29 and 30 depend from the plate 27 and, as may be seen from FIG. 8, are offset from one another. Each leg is of substantially triangular shape and is formed with an arcuate rebate 31 at its outwardly facing apex. On its underside, between the pairs of the legs, the plate 27 is formed with a transverse groove 24, while the valve member is slotted at 25 adjacent its connection to the plate 27. It will be seen that the valve member of FIGS. 7 and 8 is deformable, as shown in dot-and-dash lines in FIG. 7, to enable it to be passed by the pleat 18 of the dispensing head.

IG. 9 illustrates a second dispensing device according to the invention, in which the body portion of the dispensing head 2 is of virtually the same form as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 6, and is again integral with a bottle 1. Those parts which are of the same form as the corresponding parts in FIGS. 1 to 6 will not, therefore, be described again.

In the embodiment a lambs-wool bob or pad 32 is carried on a ring 33 formed at one end of a supporting wire member 34 embedded at its other end in the tapered part 12 of the valve member 13. A dispensing member 35 fits on the upper end 4 of the body portion of the dispensing head as in FIGS. 1 to 6, but is in this case formed with an upstanding annular bush 36 surrounding and supporting the wire member 34 and also defining a discharge aperture 37 of the dispensing member.

The cap 38 of this embodiment screw-threadedly engages the lower end 15 of the body portion of the dispensing head as in the previous embodiment, but is in this case of domed shape and is formed with an internal shoulder 39 for engagement with the perimeter of the dispensing member when the device is closed as illustrated.

The valve member 13 used in the embodiment illus- 6 tr-ated in FIG. 9 may, of course, be replaced if desired by one of the kind shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate a third embodiment of the invention, in the form of a container having a nozzle through which, by virtue of the invention, liquid may be supplied at a rate variable between a steady stream and a drop at a time.

Here again, the body portion of the dispensing head is integral with a container 40 and is of the same form as in FIGS. 1 to 6 and FIG. 9, and so will not be described in detail.

In this case, however, the dispensing member takes the form of a tapered tube 41 forming a nozzle and provided with a skirt portion 42 fitting over the upper end 4 of the dispensing head. The valve member is provided with a shaft 43 extending coaxially within the nozzle 41 and having a tapered end part 44 adapted to fit in the discharge aperture defined by the hollow conical end part 45 of the nozzle when the device is closed. As before, closure is achieved by movement of the dispensing member relatively to the valve member, in this case by tightening an annular cap 46 on the body portion of the dispensing head, the top of the cap having an inwardly projecting shoulder 47 engageable with the perimeter of the dispensing member 41. It will be understood that in this embodiment adjustment of the annular cap 46 enables the size of discharge aperture to be varied; thus the rate of liquid discharge may be adjusted as desired.

This arrangement has the advantage that it is not necessary completely to separate the cap from the dispensing device to permit the flow of liquid, so that any danger of the cap becoming mislaid is obviated. We may provide additional stop means which positively prevent complete removal of the cap while still, of course, permitting a full range of variation of the Fate of liquid flow. A further advantage of this embodiment over other nozzled containers lies in the fact that the nozzle is closed off at its extreme tip so that the whole of the contents are completely cut off from the atmosphere when the device is closed.

This embodiment of the invention also has the advantage that due to the absence of cracks and crevices, threads and the like, which can come into contact with the contents, the container can be completely cleaned by simply wiping it over with a cloth. This, of course makes is eminently suitable for use with food products and pharmaceuticals, i.e. mustard, sauces, salad dressings and the like, or drip feeders for eye drops or other medicaments.

The dispensing device illustrated in FIG. 12 differs from those previously described in that it is not integral with a container but is of such a form that it may be separately applied to containers C of many known kinds which have not been especially adapted to receive it.

Thus in this case, the body portion 48 of the dispensing head is formed integrally with the apertured dispensn-g member, which again comprises a nozzle 49. The body portion is again formed with a pleat 18 and an inwardly extending shoulder 26, the latter supporting a valve mem her which is basically similar to that of FIGS. 10 and 11 with the exception that the crosspiece 14 thereof is omitted, the reason for this being that the valve member will in this case be inserted in the body portion of the dispensing head from its lower end before the device is engaged on a container with the result that the presence of a cross-piece is no longer necessary to prevent the valve member being pushed into the container, as was so in the previous embodiments.

The valve member has a shaft 50 extending coaxially within the nozzle 4? and formed with a tapered end part 51 adapted to fit, when the device is closed, in the discharge aperture 52 defined by the conical open end of the nozzle-shaped dispensing member 49.

The lower end of the body portion 48 of the dispensing head has an annular skirt 53 adapted to fit in the mouth of a container C, the external screw-thread 54 of which will cooperate with an internal thread 55 of an annular cap 56 of the dispensing device. The cap 56 is formed with an internal shoulder 57 engagable with the perimeter of the lower part of the dispensing member 49 so that, as before, tightening of the cap causes movement of the dispensing member relative to the valve member to close the discharge aperture 52.

It will be clear that, in addition to its further advantag-eous features, the dispensing device of FIG. 12 has nearly the same advantages, when applied to a container, as has that of FIGS. and 11. It may also, being detachable, be formed for fitting to each of a commercial range of containers having bodies of different shapes and sizes.

It will be seen that the invention provides a range of very simple dispensing devices which securely close their associated container, which can be opened and reclosed by a very simple operation, and which can be cheaply and easily mass produced.

It will also be understood that only one preferred embodiment by way of example of an integral container and dispenser head according to the invention has been described above and that variations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A dispensing device for a container, comprising: a tubular body portion; an apertured dispensing member at one end of said body portion and defining a valve seat; a valve member in said body portion and cooperable with said valve seat to control flow through said dispensing member; said tubular body portion having a permanent bellows fold therein between its ends providing for movement of said apertured dispensing member relative to said valve member; a cap threadedly mounted on said body portion at a part thereof separated from said dispensing member by said bellows fold and having interior shoulder means thereon abutting a shoulder on said dispensing member spaced from said valve seat; whereby said cap may be threadedly moved on said dispensing device relative to said valve member to compress said bellows fold and move said dispensing member toward said valve member to a closed position or in a direction to release said dispensing member for movement to an open position.

2. A dispensing device for a container, comprising: a tubular body portion; an apertured dispensing member at one end of said body portion and defining a valve seat; a valve member in said body portion and cooperable with said valve seat to control fiow through said dispensing member; said tubular body portion having a flexible bellows fold therein between its ends providing for movement of said apertured dispensing member relative to said valve member; a cap mounted on said body portion at a part thereof separated from said dispensing member by said bellows fold and having means thereon abutting said dispensing member; and means for moving said cap axially of said body portion whereby said cap may be manipulated to move said dispensing member relative to said valve member to a closed position or to release said dispensing member for movement to an open position, said dispensing member having on its outer surface a seating for an absorbent pad which upon receiving liquid through an aperture in the member serves to distribute the liquid over a surface to which it is to be applied.

3. A dispensing device according to claim 2, wherein the said dispensing member has a shoulder disposed outwardly of the pad which serves to make engagement with the cap thereby to avoid direct engagement of the cap with the absorbent pad.

4. A dispensing device for a container, comprising: a tubular body portion; an apertured dispensing member at one end of said body portion and defining a valve seat; a valve member in said body portion. and cooperable with said valve seat to control flow through said dispensing member; said tubular body portion having a flexible bellows fold therein between its ends providing for movement of said apertured dispensing member relative to said valve member; a cap mounted on said body portion at a part thereof separated from said dispensing member by said bellows fold and having means thereon abutting said dispensing member; and means for moving said cap axially of said body portion whereby said cap may be manipulated to move said dispensing member relative to said valve member to a closed position or to release said dispensing member for movement to an open position, an absorbent device carried on a rod carried by the said valve member and passing through an aperture in the dispensing member, such device being arranged to receive liquid through said aperture and serving to distribute the liquid over a surface to which it is to be applied.

5. A dispensing device for a container, comprising: a tubular body portion; an apertured dispensing member at one end of said body portion and defining a valve seat; a valve member in said body portion and cooperable with said valve seat to control flow through said dispensing member; said tubular body portion having a flexible bellows fold therein between its ends providing for movement of said apertured dispensing member relative to said valve member; a cap mounted on said body portion at a part thereof separated from said dispensing member by said bellows fold and having means thereon abutting said dispensing member; and means for moving said cap axially of said body portion whereby said cap may be manipulated to move said dispensing member relative to said valve member to a closed position or to release said dispensing member for movement to an open position, said dispensing member being of tapered elongate form constituting a discharge nozzle.

6. A dispensing device for a container, comprising: a tubular body portion; an apertured dispensing member at one end of said body portion and defining a valve seat; a valve member in said body portion and cooperable with said valve seat to control flow through said dispensing member; said tubular body portion having a fiexible bellows fold therein between its ends providing for movement of said apertured dispensing member relative to said valve member; a cap mounted on said body portion at a part thereof separated from said dispensing member by said bellows fold and having means thereon abutting said dispensing member; and means for moving said cap axially of said body portion whereby said cap may be manipulated to move said dispensing member relative to said valve member to a closed position or to release said dispensing member for movement to an open position, wherein the said valve member is fixedly mounted in said body portion on a part thereof separated from said dispensing member by said bellows fold.

7. A dispensing device according to claim 6, wherein the said valve member is mounted on an inwardly projecting shoulder in said body portion.

8. A dispensing device according to claim 6 wherein the said valve member is removable from said body and having a mounting portion formed of resilient material so as to enable it to be deformed for insertion into or removed from the body past said bellows fold, whereafter it will resume its original shape to make supporting engagement with the body portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,858,558 11/1958 Sudbeaz 15572 X 3,090,987 5/1963 Ruekberg 15572 3,106,742 10/1963 Schultz et al. 15565 3,128,016 4/1964 Ferri 222-212 3,193,154 7/1965 Bross 222-213 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

S. E. BECK, Assistant Examiner.