US3282476A - Combination captive closure and pouring tube - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 1, 1966 G. T. TRACY COMBINATION CAP'I'IVE CLOSURE AND POURING TUBE Filed Feb. 8, 1965 INVENTOR. GERALD 7.' TRACY United States Patent 3,282,476 COMBINATION CAPTIVE CLOSURE AND POURING TUBE Gerald T. Tracy, Clarendon Hills, Ill., assignor to National Can Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 8, 1%5, Ser. No. 431,785 6 Claims. (Cl. 222-484) The present invention relates to a can closure, and particularly to a combination cap and pouring tube assembly which is designed for use with an ordinary tin can. The invention also provides a combination cap and pouring tube assembly which additionally provides a reclosable cap, an air vent, and a tamper-proof feature to protect the integrity of the container and contents lbefore sale thereof.

There are presently on the market a large variety of products which have greatly diverse handling requirements, and which nonetheless have many handling and storage requirements in common. Thus, for example, the ordinary tin can, which is an extremely common commodity, has a great number of advantages, including those of being able to provide, at a very reasonable cost, an air-tight seal, light-tightness, excellent strength, relative chemical inertness, and ease of packing, storing, and handling. Accordingly, tin cans are greatly preferred for many products which must withstand relatively rugged handling and shipment over great distances or relatively long periods of storage.

There are likewise a number of products which, although ideally suited for storage, protection, and transport in tin cans, are not ideally suited to be dispensed therefrom in an ordinary manner, that is, by pouring the contents from a cut or fracture in the top end thereof.

For example, a product such as automotive or aircraft brake fluid, or like hydraulic fluid, is ideally stored and shipped in tin cans, but is not always most desirably dispensed therefrom, because, when use is made of such brake fluids and like hydraulic fluids, it is of extreme and often critical importance that such fluids or their ultimate containers, such as hydraulic cylinders, be kept clean and free of impurities and contamination during dispensing thereof.

In addition, brake fluid, such as that which is ordinarily sold in service stations and the like, is not usually required for use by the consumer in predictable or evenly measured quantities, inasmuch as it is normally added to a reserve or master cylinder upon demand, to replenish leakage or other loss, for example, and is not changed at regular intervals and supplied in specified and evenly measured quantities, as is motor oil, for example.

In addition, brake fluid is often supplied to reserve or master cylinders which are inaccessibly located, particularly on older model cars and on larger trucks, and other vehicles, such as aircraft, etc.

Furthermore, when a service station or line attendant desires to add brake fluid to a vehicle, it is desirable that the pouring container not contact the ordinarily dirty and contaminated outside surfaces surrounding the cylinder cap, with the likelihood of dislodging such undesirable matter into the brake system, entailing consequent risk of malfunction or ultimate failure of the hydraulic system.

It is also desirable that brake fluid and like hydraulic fluids be dispensed in a relatively small but smooth stream, so that the amount thereof may be relatively carefully regulated.

It is also desirable in dispensing fluids of this type that the dispenser thereof include a closure which will not be readily lost, and that the dispensing device be relatively simple and compact so as to avoid being unwieldy 2 and clumsy when sought to be manipulated in close quarters.

Accordingly, an ideal container for brake fluids and like hydraulic fluids is a container which has all the advantages of economy and simplicity of the tin can, but which further includes, consistently with such 'advantages, a captive closure which will not be lost, which affords a tight seal, and preferably a tamper-proof feature or initial seal, and which closure, in use, presents a low profile to facilitate storing and stacking of a plurality of containers having such closures. Additionally, the combination can and closure unit desirably provides a pouring tube or spout of at least moderate length, and of a general configuration such that the tube will reach locations which are relatively inaccessible to a cone top can, for example. Moreover, the combination can and closure is designed so as to be easily manipulated in confined quarters, to allow pouring of a smooth liquid stream therefrom, and to allow ready resealing between uses, but the cost of the entire combination can and closure unit ,is low enough to allow discarding after use. Such a closure may also readily be permanently inserted in a can end by the use of existing equipment.

The present invention therefore provides a novel and simple combination captive closure and pouring spout unit especially adapted for use with a tin can containing brake fluid and likehydraulic fluids, and has a number of advantages, including those referred to above, and others which are inherent in the invention. These and other advantages of the present invention, including the aforesaid inherent advantages, will become more apparent when considered in conjunction with the description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as referred to in the specification and claims herein, and as shown in the drawings in which like numerals represent corresponding parts throughout and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the combination closure and spout unit of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the closure and spout unit of the present invention, taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 1 and showing a front view, of the combination closure of the present invention, in its closed position of use on top of a can;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 1, but showing a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view showing the upper portion of a can and the closure unit in one position of use.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is shown generally in FIG. 1 a combination captive closure and pouring spout unit 20, including four principal elements, namely a base element 22, a web element 24, a cap element 26, and a pouring tube 28. The unit 20 is designed to be inserted in a can end 30.

A beveled or tapered surface 29 is included on the lower end of the base element 22, to facilitate insertion of the base element 22 into the can end 30. Downward movement of the base element 22 into the can end 30 is limited by the lower stop element 32, Which comprises a ring or bead. Above this stop element 32 is a cap retainer groove 34 in the form of a ring. Defining the upper surface of this cut 34 are a lower outer sea-ling surface 36 and an upper sealing surface 38. These surfaces are adapted to receive complementary mating surfaces on the cap element 26, in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter.

A further cap seal feature is provided in this embodiment of the present invention in the form of an upper sealing groove 40, which includes an axially outer top surface 42. A removable initial or factory seal 44 in the form of an integral plastic cover is shown, as in FIG. 2,

to be provided in this embodiment of the combination unit 20. This seal 44 is adapted to be readily removed so as to provide access to the contents of the can, and, upon removal thereof, a smooth cylindrical central bore 46 is made accessible so that the pouring spout unit 28 may be received therein. The seal 44 may be much thinner than that shown in FIG. 2 for example, if desired. The central bore 46 may include a stop ring 48 or like member therein to prevent undue downward movement of the lower end 50 of the pouring spout 28.

In addition to the above elements, the base unit 22 also includes a vent hole 52 disposed near an edge portion thereof. This vent hole 52 communicates with the lower portion of the central bore 46, as shown in FIG. 2.

A second principal element of the combination unit 20 is the web element 24, which is disposed between, and serves to connect, the base element 22 and the cap element 26. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, this web element 24 is desirably relatively long, thin, and flexible, in order to allow the cap element 26 to stay clear of the Opening 46 in use, and to allow the end 50 of the spout 28 to be readily inserted in the opening 46 when desired.

The cap element 26 is designed to sealingly engage the base element at the top portions thereof, to provide a liquid and vapor seal, and at the lower portions thereof, to mechanically hold the sealing surface engaged with one another. Therefore, surfaces complementary to those provided on the base member 24 are provided in the cap unit 26, namely, a top seal 54; a cylindrical inner surface 56, terminating in a beveled edge 58; an. inner, lower projection 60, to fit in the sealing groove 40; an outer groove 62; an a downwardly projecting flange 64, terminating in an inwardly directed beveled edge 66. The lower beveled edge 66 provides, in use, a wedging action in the cap retainer groove 34, thus serving to urge the cap 26 tightly intoengagement with the base 22.

In addition, the cap element 26 includes a lifting tab 68, and a stiffening rib 70 therefor, to aid in removal of the cap 26. Additionally, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the cap 26 includes an offset web 72 which serves to locate the pouring spout 28 and fixedly attach it to the cap 26.

In the use of the combination captive closure and spout unit, the can or like container having the combination unit 20 placed in the can end 30 is packaged in the closed position, such as that shown in FIG. 3, wherein the cap unit 25 cover the base 22 and the pouring tube 30 lies in a fiat position close to the can end 30 with the tube 28 extending about equally to the front and rear. Thus, as sold, shipped, and stored, the closure unit has a low profile, but all the parts are fixedly attached to the can.

When it is desired to use the contents of the container, the cap 26 is opened, such as to a position such as that shown in FIG. 2, and the factory seal 44 is removed therefrom. If this seal is in the form of a very thin membrane, which it may be, depending on the type of product used, and need merely be pierced and not entirely removed. After the seal 44 is removed, the inner or lower end 50 of the pouring tube 28 is inserted into the central bore 46 and pushed downwardly until it contacts the stop ring 48. This position of use is illustrated in FIG. 5. Thereupon, the container is suited for use in pouring a small but steady stream of the contents thereof int-o desired location, which may, as stated above, be relatively cramp-ed or confined quarters. It will be noted that the air passage 52 is constructed and arranged so as not to be sealed off by the insertion of the tube 28 into the bore 46.

When the dispensing operation is completed, the tube 28 is removed from the bore 46 and the cap 26 is replaced over the base 22. The beveled surfaces 58 help locate the cap in replacing it, and a plurality of sealing surfaces provide-d enable the cap to develop a tight me- Q. chanical sealing action which renders the cap relative impervious to liquid or vapor loss.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 4, wherein the pouring tube 28 is disposed perpendicularly to the strap 24.

In another embodiment of the invention, particularly one similar to that shown in FIG. 4, the attachment of the tube 28 to the closure unit may be by means of heat sealing it to the web 24 rather than fastening it to the cap 26 by means of the web 72 shown in FIG. 1. In this manner, the tube 28 may be kept captively attached to the tap as long as this is desired, but tube 28 may also be more readily removed if it is merely heat healed or otherwise removably attached in use to the web or strap 24.

The exact length of the tube 28 is not critical, although for liquid with relatively high surface tensions, a relatively longer length of tubing is desired to increase the effective height or head above the liquid body to facilitate smooth pouring from the container.

The length of the tube 28 is normally limited to the approximate diameter of the can end, but this is not a strict requirement of the invention.

The materials which are most advantageously used in construction of the combination unit of the present invention are plastics, such as for example a low density polyethylene, or an ethyl vinyl lacryla-te. If the tube 28 is made separately and designed to be removably attached to the unit, it may be made from nylon or other like plastic material differing firom the materials of the other :por tions of the unit. Although these materials are not critical, their use is preferred because 'of economy. The exact plastics to be used are indicated in some cases by the chemical inertness or resistance desired depending on the contents of the container.

It will thus be seen that the present invention, as described above and as shown in the drawings, provides a safe, economical, and desirable combination captive closure and pouring tube having desirable advantages and characteristics including those hereinabove pointed out and others which are inherent in the invention. Certain modifications and changes will be apparent to those skilled in the art and I contemplate that such may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A combination captive closure and pouring spout unit for a tin can, comprising, in combination,

(a) a base member, including an axially oriented relatively large liquid passage disposed centrally thereof, and a relatively smaller air vent passage therein, said base member further including can end-receiving means, and a plurality of upper sealing surfaces adapted to sealingly receive a cap member containing complementary sealing surfaces,

(b) a flexible strap member attached to said base member,

(c) a cap member attached to said strap member, said cap member including means for sealing said air passage and said liquid passage and having sealing surfaces complementary to said upper sealing surfaces on said base member, and, attached to said cap member,

(d) a liquid pouring tube member adapted to be removably received in said central opening in said base member.

2. A combination unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said pouring tube is attached to said strap member and disposed transversely thereof.

3. A combination unit as defined in claim 1 wherein said pouring tube is removably attached to said cap member.

4. A combination unit as defined in claim 1 which additionally includes a rupturable seal member disposed over the top of said relatively large liquid passage.

5. A combination unit as defined in claim 1 in which all of said members comprise a stiff but resilient thermoplastic material.

6. A combination can and captive closure and pouring spout unit comprising, in combination, a closure and pouring spout unit as defined in claim 1 and, fixedly attached thereto in liquid-tight relation, a tin can having at least one end unit permanently seamed thereto, said end unit containing said closure and pouring spout unit.

6 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,874,882 2/1959 Sethne et al. 222543 5 3,117,701 1/1964 Stull 222543 FOREIGN PATENTS 128,316 7/ 1948 Australia.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. CHARLES R. CARTER, Examiner.

K. N. LEIMER, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A COMBINATION CAPTIVE CLOSURE AND POURING SPOUT UNIT FOR A TIN CAN, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, (A) A BASE MEMBER, INCLUDING AN AXIALLY ORIENTED RELATIVELY LARGE LIQUID PASSAGE DISPOSED CENTRALLY THEREOF, AND A RELATIVELY SMALLER AIR VENT PASSAGE THEREIN, SAID BASE MEMBER FURTHER INCLUDING CAN END-RECEIVING MEANS, AND A PLURALITY OF UPPER SEALING SURFACES ADAPTED TO SEALINGLY RECEIVE A CAP MEMBER CONTAINING COMPLEMENTARY SEALING SURFACES, (B) A FLEXIBLE STRAP MEMBER ATTACHED TO SAID BASE MEMBER, (C) A CAP MEMBER ATTACHED TO SAID STRAP MEMBER, SAID CAP MEMBER INCLUDING MEANS FOR SEALING SAID AIR

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