US1811904A - Captive cap - Google Patents

Description

A. WEIDMANN 1,811,904

A CAPTIVE CAP Filed Feb. 20, 1929 fz? --P L if? 7 64,- +6

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'ATTORNEY Patented June 30, 193i ALBERT WEIDMAN'N, or BUFFALO, NEW Yonx' OArrIvE CAP Application led February 20, 1929. Serial No. 341,318.

The invention relates to closure devices for containers generally, and more particularly to that construction of a closure cap device especially adapted for use with collapsible 6 tubes and usually termed a captive cap.

It is well'known that the screw closure caps Ordinarily provided fOr use with collapsible tubes are unsatisfactory in that they are easily dropped and lost or mislaid, and

also' because they cannot be quickly removed from Or replaced in closing relation to the mouth of the tube.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a closure device which will be free from the objectionable features referred to, being held at all times to the tube itself, or rather the neck portion thereof, and which can be quickly 1 manipulated by the fingers of the same hand in which the tube is held. y

To this end, the invention comprises `a .closure cap member or device for a collapsible tube having a. hinged relation tothe mouth portion of said tube, an important feature of the invention being the provision Of a combined hinging and latching or lockin element for the cap member, the same bemg carried and wholly sup-ported on the neck portion of the tube and having outward extensions arran ed for convenient engagement therewith y the fingers Of vthe user. This is accomplished by mounting a spring element, which is in the nature of a circular outwardly expanding spring wire, in a circumferential recess formed by turning downwardly and under the flange of a sleeve fitted over the neck Of the tube, said wire extending through a hinge lug of a cap member to form the pivot pin therefor and the said cap member having a catch for locking engagement with said wire and to be disengaged therefrom by a suitable manipulation Of Outwardly extending separated ends Or actuat.

ing fingers of the spring element.

The nature of the invention, however, will --bes't be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: l

Fig. 1 is a view in fro-nt elevation of a portion Of a collapsible tube equipped with the novel closure device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken On the line 3 3, Fig. 1 of the drawings; and Fig. 4: is a similar view showing the cap element released from locking engagement with the sleeve element of the closure device.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 2 of the drawings; and Fig. 6 isnan enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 6 6, Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Fig. 7 is a cap member.

Referring to the drawings for a more de tailed description of the invention, 1() designates a container which may, for example,

detail view in elevation of the be a collapsible tube such as is used to hold tqoth paste, shaving cream or other materia s. end with a shoulder portion 11 and a cylindrical neck portion 12 provided with a suitableopening 13 therethrough, which opening, however, may be of any desired formation in cross-section.

Over the outer end of said neck there is designed to be mounted for rigid attachment thereto, as through a friction fit, a sleeve 15 having the circular flange 16 and seated preferably on a shoulder 17 of the said neck, although it is to be understood that various means of securing the sleeve to the neck may v be adopted.

The iiange 16, moreover, is turned downwardly and over at its edge to afford a circular circumferential recess 18 in which there is seated an outwardly expanding circular spring wire 19 having, however, a flattened ortion 2O for the purpose hereinafter set The container 10 is provided at its l Orth. The particular manner shown of rei taining this wire to its sleeve may, of course, be altered to meet manufacturing requirements, and I therefore do not wish to be restricted to the specific arrangement set forth, as itis necessary merely that the said wire be v properly positioned with respect to its sleeve and held thereto. The free ends Of said wire 19, moreover, are separated and project radially outwardly therefrom as through a cutaway section-21 and form Enger pieces 22 which may be utilized for manipulating the locking member of the cap element in releasing the latter. The edges of the said cutaway section 21, furthermore, afford shoulders serving to limit the extent of separation of the fingers and tension the spring.

Further cutaway sections 23 and24 are provided in the recess portion of the flange and are located diametrically opposite each other exposing the corresponding wire portions 20 and 25. 4About the exposed portion 20 is turned over a hinge lug 26 of the cap element 27 designed to close over the outlet 13, said cap element 'to this end containing preferably a cork liner or washer 28 designed, when the cap the outer end of the neck. This hinge lu may conveniently be provided integrally with the cap member 27, as shown by the dotted line position' thereof, Fig. 7 of the drawings, and then turned upwardly and about the said wire portion 20 to effect the .hinge connection.

-At its diametrically opposite portion, cap 27 is provided with a catch or hook member 29 which is designed to register with the cutaway section 24 when the cap is lowered to lts locking position and in this position it will also engage with the corresponding wire portion 25 which, being urged outwardly under its natural resiliency, will lock in the catch member and hold thereby the cap in the closed position. However, when it is desired to lift the cap to deliver the contents of the container through-the opening 13, the spring 19 is contracted by pressing together the fingers 22 of said spring which, normally, are maintained separated though restricted in their outward travel by the shoulders of the `flange formed at the cutaway section 2l thereof. This draws inwardly the portion 25 from thefcatch 29, as indicated in Fig. 4; of the drawings, so that the cap is released from its locking engagement and may be swung back about the hinging portion 20 of wire to free the outlet 13. l

It will be noted, also, that the wire portion 20 is moved thereb slightly inwardly due to the contraction o the spring, and this exerts a lifting action on the forward portion of the cap tending to assist in the opening of the same.

v By the foregoingiarrangement, a very simple and inexpensive captive cap device is provided which may readily be attached to collapsible tubes of the well-known type without requiring alteration in the latter. This cap serves, moreover, normally to retain the tube sealed and is conveniently and readily opened for discharge of the contents therefrom.

is fully closed, to contact with g therefrom when the separated 1. In a closure device for containers having an outlet neck, a cap for closing said outlet neck and a single length of wire mounted about the neck and supported thereon for movement solely in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the neck, said wire pivotally supporting the cap and being adapted for locking engagement therewith and having open ends whereby the cap may be released.

2. In a closure device for containers havin an outlet neck, a cap for closing said outlet neck and a single length of resilient wire mounted about the neck and supported thereon for movement solely in a. plane perpendicular to the axis of the neck, said wire having separated outwardly projecting ends and pivotally connecting said cap to the neck and being adapted for lockin engagement by a catch of the cap and to e disengaged ends are pressed together. y

3. A closure device for containers having an outlet neck, comprising a sleeve adapted to fit over said neck and affording a recess, an outwardly expanding single length of spring wire retained therein and having its opposite ends forming actuatin fingers separated and projecting outwar y from said sleeve, and a cap member for closinor the outlet neck, hinged to said wire and aving a catch to snap over a further portion of the wire for locking engagement therewith and to be disengaged therefrom when said separated lingers are pressed together.

4. A closure device for containers havin an putlet neck, comprising a sleeve adapted to ferential recess, a circular outwar y expanding single `length of spring wire retained in 'said recess and having its opposite ends forming actuating fingers separated and projecting outwardly from said sleeve, and a cap member for closing the outlet neck, hinged to said wire and having a catch to snap over a further portion of the wire for locking engagement therewith and to be disengaged therefrom when said separated lingers are pressed together.

5. A closure device for containers having an outlet neck, comprising a sleeve adapted to fit over said neck and affording a circumferential recess, a cap member for closin the outlet neck having a hinge lug and a categ diametrically opposite each other, and a single length of spring-wire retained in said recess, having its' opposite ends forming actuating fingers and having a portion also extending through the hinge lug of thecap to form the pivot pin therefor and a portion to cooperate with the said catch of the cap for locking engagement therewith and to be disengaged therefrom when the said separated ngers are pressed together.v

6. A closure device forcontainers havin an outlet neck, comprising a sleeve adapte t over said neck and affording acircumto t over said neck and affording a circumferential recess, a cap member for closing the outlet neck having a hinge lug and a catch diametrically opposite each other, and a spring wire retained in said recess, having its opposite ends forming 'actuatingngers and having also a flattened portion extending through the hinge lu of the cap to form the pivot pin therefor an a portion to cooperate with the said catch of the ca for lockincgl engagement-therewith and to be disengage therefrom when the said separated ngers are pressed together.

' 7. A closure device for containers having an outlet neck, comprising a sleeve adapte to fit over said neck, said sleeve having a circular. ange turned downwardly and inwardly at its edge to afford a circumferential ,recess, a circular outwardly expanding spring wire retained in said recess and having its opposite ends forming actuatin ngers separated and projecting outwar y from said sleeve, and a cap member hinged by said wire to the sleeve and havingha catch adapted for' wardly from said sleeve through a cutaway section of the turned-over flange which section limits also the extent of separation of said ngers and tensions the spring, the said turned-over flange being further out away at diametrically opposite sections, and a cap member for closing the outlet neck and having a rearwardly and 'downwardly directed hinge lug registering with one of said diametrically dis osed sections and turned over the correspon 'ng spring portion exposed to hinge the cap to the sleeve, said cap being provided' also with a catch to register with the other of the said ydiametrically disposed sections and to snap over the corresponding spring portion exposed for lockingengagement therewith and to be disengaged therefrom when the said separated ngers are pressed together.

In testimony whereof I aiiix m signature.

ALBERT WEIlgMANN.

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