US2131774A - Container closure - Google Patents

Description

1938- o. l. WARING 2,131,774

CONTAINER CLOSURE Original Filed Nov. 27, 1936 ,4; ATTORNEY.

ENTOR Patented Oct. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES comma onosuar:

Olaf 1. Waring, Flushing, N. 2.. casino: to Ferdinand Gutmann.& 00., New York, N. Y.. a corporation of New York,

Application November 27, 1936,

Renewed December 28, 1 87 '11 Toning (c1. zit-:1)

The invention relates to container closures, and more particularly to a closure so constructed as to prevent the refilling or adulteration oi the" contents ofa container without detection.

It is not an uncommon practice for unscrupulous merchandisers to refill containers withinferior stock, or to remove a part of the contents of a container and dilute the original product." Sometimes counterfeit labels and closures are used in the packaging of inferior merchandise. Such practices, in addition to reducing the vol- I ume of business of a legitimate producer bythe palming ofi of inferior merchandise in containers bearing'its labels and closures, adversely affect the reputation of the merchandise with the public I because of suchinferiority. Losses to legitimate producers from the above sources maybe very great. Reduced sales and a reputation for a poor product are not the only sources of loss since advertising and sales cost, with a reduced demand, show further great losses when the demand thus created is supplied by inferior merchandise furnished by others. 1 v

With the above conditions in mind, a con-'- tainer closure is provided by the invention whichembodies therein a disc having impressed thereon a safety design attesting the genuineness of the contents of the container, which design may em body safeguards against counterfeiting commonly found in bank notes, stamps and negotiable instruments of various kinds, and in addition thereto may be so moistened as to-smudgethe design to determine the genuineness or legality. of the source of the merchandise and prevent reuse of the disc. Furthermore, the closure is-so constructed that it cannot be removed from the container without so mutilating this protecting disc as to clearlyindicate that the closure has been removed from the container.

The closure is of the re-seal type, and the sealing of the container is effected by means of a compressible friction liner or gasket acting directly against and frictionally engaging the top of the mouth of the container.

The fraud prevention feature resides in an identifying disc of rupturable material exposed through an opening in the top of the closure and positioned between this top and a non-resilient backing for the liner or gasket. A turning of the metal shell in relation to the liner or gasket and its backing and to said identifying rupturable disc, is relied upon to cause a'mutilation of said disc which in itself is not utilized to form r a liquid tight joint between the closure and the container. Consequently, the use of an adhesive upon or about the top oi the container mouth is unnecessary.

Prior to the present invention, the practice of interposing a disc or rupturable material between a sealing gasket in the shell and the neck of the bottle or other container has been extensively followed, this inner sealing disc having been cemented to the neck oi the container to preventaccess to the container without rupturing said disc. I

with the packaging of many beverages, such as ardent liquors, the presence of an adhesive about the pouring lip at the mouth of the container may be objectionable, so that in producing the container or the invention, a construction has been employed which does not require the use of any adhesive upon or about the top of the container neck, the eilectiveness of the seal being secured solely by' the engagement of the liner or gasket within the metal shell and the neck 20 of the bottle.

This liner or gasket is preferably of highly compressible friction material. and a backing plate is provided between it and the disc exposed through the open top of the container to permit the turning of the metal shell independently of the liner or gasket for the purpose of ensuring the rupturing of the disc before any turning movement is imparted to the liner or gasket.

The construction and arrangement of parts is such as to permitthe rotation of the closure in its entirety to efiect the sealing of the container by means of the liner or gasket before the means have been set to establish a relation of parts to cause a rupturing of the disc with a reverse rotation of the closure when removing it from a container.

The invention consists primarily in a container carried by the metal shell for rupturing the disc 35 closure embodying therein a metal shell having 40 a screw threaded skirt and an opening through the top thereof, a disc of rupturable material within said shell and exposed through said opening, a liner or gasket of compressible friction material within said shell, a plate having a recessed portion between said gasket and said disc, and a prong extending inwardly of the opening through the top of said shell and adapted, after the sealing of a container, to be forced downwardly to penetrate the portion of said disc across the recessed portion of said plate, whereby rotary movement of said shell to'remove said clo sure will cause the tearing of said disc to an extent to prevent its re-use; and in such other 55 it is obvious that the only novel of parts as are scribed, and more particularly the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a view of a fragmentary portion of the neck of a container with a portion of the closure broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of the rupturable disc after the removal of the closure from the container;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the grooved plate interposed between the top of the sealing gasket and the disc of rupturable material;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the closure prior to its application to a container; and

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the accompanying drawing, the invention is shown in connection with a container In of glass or other material having about the neck thereof exterior means such as screw threads ll permitting the application to the container of a closure by a turning movement thereof.

features of construction and combination hereinafter set forth and depointed out in The closure proper consists of a metal shell having a skirt I! provided with means such as screw threads l3 co-operating with the co-operating exterior attaching means upon the neck of the container. This metal shell has an opening ll through the top thereof affording an edge rim ii for compressing a liner or gasket into the desired sealing contact with the top of the neck of the container l0.

Within the metal shell is a sealing liner or gasket l6 adapted to engage the top of the neck of the container, as shown in Fig. 1, and to be so compressed by the rim l5 as to form an effective sealing joint about the top of the neck of the container. This gasket must possess two characteristics. It must be suillciently compressible to form a tight seal when applying the closure, and it must be such as to develop sufllcient friction while engaged with the neck of a container to permit a turning movement of the metal shell independently of the liner or gasket when removing the closure, until the compression on the gasket has been relieved. A soft vulcanized rubber liner or gasket has been found to give the desired mode of operation to the closure. and while a disc liner or gasket is shown in the drawings,

portion thereof effective in forming the seal is the edge portion. While soft vulcanized rubber is above referred to, it is obvious that cork, an admixture of cork or granular cork and rubber, or other materials possessing the above qualities may be used. Compressibility of the material and capability of developing friction while under compression are the main requisites of the material to be used in this liner or gasket.

Upon the top of the liner or gasket i6 is a plate l1 having a rim portion l8 and a groove it within this rim portion and below the opening H in the metal shell. Continuity of the depressed portion or groove IQ of the plate I1 is not essential, although it facilitates the assembly of the plate in the closure structure when producing same. The raised central portion of the plate I! is desirable but not essential, as will more fully appear hereinafter.

The edge nubs 20 are for the purpose of centering the plate IT in relation to the metal shell with the development of a minimum of friction between the edge of the plate and the skirt II, but any other means of affording friction reducing clearance about the edge of the plate, such as having an entire plate of slightly less diameter than the top of the shell, may be employed.

While the plate llmay be of metal, it is obvious that other materials may be used.

When the closure is applied to a container, there will not only be friction developed between the liner or gasket l8 and the top of the bottle, but between said liner or gasket and said plate l1.

Between the plate l1 and the top of the metal shell so as to be exposed through the opening it in the top of said shell, is a disc 2| of fibrous or other suitable rupturable material having impressed thereon a' safety design, indicated conventionally at 22, making the duplication or counterfeiting of such discs as difficult as possible.

In the use of the closure, the disc 2| must have little or no turning movement independently of the plate l1 and the liner or gasket l6, and while the pressure exerted by the edge rim l5 of the metal shell may cause said disc to cohere by friction to the plate ll sufficiently to prevent independent movement of the disc, it may be found desirable to bind said disc to said plate by some suitable adhesive or cement. i

The disc 2i is of a diameter to extend between the rim l8 of the plate l1 and the edge rim iii of the screw cap shell and across and covering the groove or grooves IS in said plate.

If desired, the safety design'22 impressed upon the disc 2| may contain water soluble coloring matter and a water insoluble pigment, so that the genuineness of this disc may be determined by wetting it to an extent to cause the water soluble coloring matter to form a smudge without destroying the design itself which consists largely of water insoluble pigment. The raised central portion of the plate l1 affords a backing for this portion of the disc to facilitate the test above referred to without accidental rupturing of the disc.

It is essential, in a closure embodying the invention, that means he provided whereby when a closure is removed from a container, the material of the disc 2| shall be so torn or mutilated as to assure detection in the event that a closure has been removed from a container. This mutilation of the disc also prevents a re-use of the closure. This characteristic of the closure is an important factor of safety in the merchandising of the materials packaged by means of the container and the closure of the invention. It does not afford any safeguard so far as the dispensing of liquor from an opened container is concerned.

To ensure the above mode of operation, I provide the edge rim l5 of the metal shell with one or more inwardly and upwardly directed pointed cutting prongs 23. These prongs have a downwardly directed point, and before the application of the closure to a container, are positioned in their entirety upwardly beyond the plane of the top of the metal shell so as not to engage and mutilate the disc 2! when applying the closure to a container by a turning movement. Preferably, the prongs 23 are arcuate in form, as shown more particularly in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing, so as to have a downwardly directed point positioned above the groove I9 in the plate II. By thus positioning the prongs, they may, by the application of pressure downwardly thereof by a plunger of a capping machine or in any other desired manner, he made to pierce the material of the disc 2i after the gasket l6 has been compressed to its maximum extent in forming the seal.

The operation of a closure embodying the invention is substantially as follows:-

When assembling the closure, the security disc 2|, the top plate I1 and the sealing liner or gasket l6 are assembled in a metal shell in the relation shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. If desired, the disc 2| may be gluedor cemented to the disc I! before or during the assembling'of the parts in the manner above described. When the parts of the closure have been thus assembled, the prong or prongs 23 will be positioned as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing.

The closure may be applied to a container by means of an ordinary screw cappingmacliine in a the usual manner, thus engaging the gasket It with the top of the neck of a bottle and compressing the edge portion thereof between the bottle and the edge l8 of the plate H by means of the edge I of the metal shell.

When the closure has been firmly secured to the container, pressure is applied to the tops of the prongs 23, thus forcing them downwardly until they pierce the material of the disc 2|,

When opening the container it is merely necessary for the user to impart a reverse turning movement to the closure. During the first portion of this movement, the metal shell will turn independently of the packing liner or gasket |6, the plate I! and the rupturable disc 2|, and the prong or prongs 23 will move along the groove l9 and tear the material of the disc 2| in the manner indicated at 24 in Fig. 3.

The shell of the closure being of thin metal, the tears 24 will be jagged and irregular. The tearing of the disc 2| will continue so long as the fraction between the disc Hi, the top of the bottie and the plate I1 is sufilciently great to resist turning movement of these parts.

If it be attempted to raise the prongs 23 before removing a closure from a container, these prongs will be so distorted or broken as to prevent their being again forced downwardly to pierce the disc 2|. Furthermore, it would be extremely difficult to accurately position the prongs in relation to previously formed openings in the disc 2| so as to avoid slight apparent mutilation of said disc, even if it were possible to again bend the prongs in a manner vto make a clean, sharp opening through the material of the disc. Furthermore, the material of the disc would ordinarily be mutilated when attempting to raise the prongs.

In actual experience it has been found that with a fairly heavy paper, the mutilations of the disc by each prong 23 will continue for a dis tance slightly less than 90 of movement of the metal shell, but with thinner, more'readily rupturable material and with a lower pitch of the co-operating securing means H and i3, the entire central portion of the disc 2| may be cut from the disc.

It is obvious that with the parts shown in Fig. 1 there are no projecting parts of the top of the metal shell which would injure the hands of the person removing the closure.

The mutilation of the disc will inform any purchaser that the closure has been removed from the container, so that it is impossible to refill, dilute or adulterate the contents of a container without destroying the salability thereof.

The use of the safety design 22 prevents the use in the closure of discs'from unauthorized sources. By impressing a smudgable design 22 upon the disc 2|, the purchaser of the merchandise in containers may, by wetting the portion of the disc exposed through the opening M, de-

termine the genuineness of the merchandise; Such smudg'ing will not impair the salability of the container, but will assure a purchaser that the contents of a container have not been tam-.

pered with.

The prongs 23 must be of a length and ;so formed as to avoid binding engagement thereof with the grooves IQ of the plate |'I, since a free movement of the metal shell in relation to said plate is essential to a successful operation of the closure.

It has been demonstrated that with a closure constructed and operating as above described, the disc 2| will invariably be mutilated with the removal of the closure from a container.

A closure embodying the-invention may be produced by machine equipment now commonly usedin the production of re-seal caps of the geni V eral type, to which the invention relates, at but slightly increased cost over the ordinary closure of the type.

In the accompanying drawing, the various parts are shown upon an enlarged scale.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the particular form and dimensions of the parts entering into the container, nor to the particular material specified, there being a wide range of materials which will ensure the desired retardation of the movement of the packing liner or gasket, the top plate l1 and the disc 2| in relation to the metal shell when removing the closure from the container.

The free turning of the shell during the application of the, closure to a container after the development of sealing pressure is immaterial to the invention, since such turning movement will occur prior to the piercing of the disc 2| by the prong or prongs 23.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is:'-

1. A container closure embodying therein a metal shell having a screw threaded skirt and an opening through the top thereof, a disc of rupturable material within said shell and exposed through said opening, a liner or gasket of compressible friction material within said shell, a plate having a recessed portion between said gasket and said disc, and a prong extending inwardly of the opening through the top of said shell and adapted, after the sealing of a container, to be forced, downwardly to penetrate the portion of said disc across the recessed portion of said plate, whereby rotary movement of said shell to remove said closure will cause the tearing of said disc to an extent to prevent its re-use.

2. A container closure embodying therein a metal shell having a screw threaded skirt and an opening through the top thereof, a disc of rupturable material within said shell and having impressed thereon a safety design exposed through said opening to prevent counterfeiting of said disc, a liner or gasket of compressible friction material within said shell, a plate having a recessed portion between said gasket and said disc, and a prong extending inwardly and upwardly of the opening through the top of said shell and adapted, after the sealing of a container, to be forced downwardly to penetrate the portion of said disc across the recessed portion of said plate, whereby rotary movement of said shell to remove said closure will cause the tearing of said disc to an extent to prevent its reuse.

3. A container closure embodying therein a metal shell having a screw threaded skirt and an opening through the top thereof, a disc of rupturable material within said shell and having impressed thereon in an ink containing water soluble coloring jmatter, a safety design exposed through said opening to prevent counterfeiting of said disc, a liner or gasket of compressible friction material within said shell, 9. plate having a recessed portion between said gasket and said disc, and a prong extending inwardly and upwardly of the opening through the top of said shell and adapted, after the sealing of a container, to be forced downwardly to penetrate the portion of said disc across the recessed portion of said plate, whereby rotary movement of said shell to remove said closure will cause the tearing of said disc to an extent to prevent its re-use.

4. A container closure embodying therein a metal shell having a screw threaded skirt and an opening through the top thereof, a disc of rupturable material within said shell and exposed through said opening, a liner or gasket of compressiblefriction material within said shell, a metal plate having a recessed portion between said gasket and said disc and a raised central portion forming a backing for said disc, and a prong extending inwardly and upwardly of the opening through the top of said shell and adapted, after the sealing of a. container, to be forced downwardly to penetrate the portion of said disc across the recessed portion of said plate, whereby rotary movement of said shell to remove said closure will cause the tearing of said disc to an extent to prevent its re-use.

5. A container closure embodying therein a metal shell having a screw threaded skirt and an opening through the top thereof, a disc of rupturable material within said shell and having impressed thereon a safety design exposed through said opening to prevent counterfeiting of said disc, a liner or gasket of compressible friction material within said shell, a metal plate having a recessed portion between said gasket and said disc and a raised central portion forming a backing for said disc, and a prong extending inwardly and upwardly of the opening through the top of said shell and adapted, after the sealing of a container, to be forced downwardly to penetrate the portion of said disc across the recessed portion of said plate, whereby rotary movement of said shell to remove said closure will cause the tearing of said disc to an extent to prevent its re-use.

6. A container closure embodying therein a metal shell having a screw threaded skirt and an opening through the top thereof, a disc of rupturable material within said shell and having impressed thereon in an ink containing water soluble coloring matter, a safety design exposed through said opening to prevent counterfeiting of said disc, a liner or gasket of compressible friction material within said shell, a metal plate having a recessed portion between said gasket and said disc and a raised central portion forming a backing for said disc, and a prong extending inwardly and upwardly of the opening through the top of said shell and adapted, after the sealing of a container, to be forced downwardly to penetrate the portion of said disc across the recessed portion of said plate, whereby rotary movement ofsaid shell to remove said closure will cause the tearing of said disc to an extent to prevent its re-use.

7. A container closure embodying therein a metal shell having a screw threaded skirt and an opening through the top thereof, a. disc of rupturable material within said shell and exposed through said opening, a liner or gasket of compressible friction material within said shell, a plate having a recessed portion between said gasket and said disc, and an arcuate prong extending inwardly and upwardly of the opening through the top of said shell and having a downwardly projected point, said prong being adapted, after the sealing of a container, to be forced downwardly to penetrate the portion of said disc across the recessed portion of said plate, whereby rotary movement of said shell to remove said closure will cause the tearing of said disc to an extent to prevent its re-use.

8. A container closure embodying therein a metal shell having a screw threaded skirt and an opening through the top thereof, a disc of rupturable material within said shell and exposed through said opening, a liner or gasket of compressible friction material within said shell, a plate having a recessed portion between said gasket and said disc, and a plurality of arcuate prongs at spaced intervals about the opening in the top of said shell, each prong extending inwardly and upwardly of the opening through the top of said shell and having a downwardly projected point, said prongs being adapted, after the sealing of a container, to be forced downwardly to penetrate the portion of said disc across the recessed portion of said plate, whereby rotary movement of said shell to remove said closure will cause the tearing of said disc to an extent to prevent its re-use.

9. A container closure embodying therein a metal shell having a screw threaded skirt and an opening through the top thereof, a disc of rupturable material within the said shell and exposed through said opening, a soft vulcanized rubber liner or gasket within said shell, a plate having a recessed portion between said gasket and said disc, and 9. prong extending inwardly and upwardly of the opening through the top of said shell and adapted, after the sealing of a container, to be forced downwardly to penetrate the portion of said disc across the recessed portion of said plate, whereby rotary movement of said shell to remove said closure will cause the tearing of said disc to an extent to prevent its re-use.

10. A container closure embodying therein a metal shell having a screw threaded skirt and an opening through the top thereof, a disc of rupturable material within said shell and exposed through said opening, a liner or gasket of compressible friction material within said shell, a plate having a recessed portion between said gasket and said disc and secured thereto by means of an adhesive, and a prong extending inwardly and upwardly of the opening through the top of said shell and adapted, after the sealing of a container, to be forced downwardly to penetrate the portion of said disc across the recessed portion of said plate, whereby rotary movement of said shell to remove said closure will cause the tearing of said disc to an extent to prevent its re-use.

11. A container closure embodying therein a shell having a skirt provided with atttaching means permitting attachment of said shell to the neck of a container by turning movement of the shell, and an opening through the top thereof, a disc of rupturable material within said shell and exposed through said opening, a liner or gasket of compressible friction material within said shell, grooved means surmounting said liner or gasket and engaging said disc, and a prong formed integrally with the material of said shell and extending inwardlyand upwardly of the opening through the top or said shell and adapted, after the sealing of a. container, to be forced downwardly to penetrate the portion of said disc across the grooved portion of said grooved means, whereby rotary movement of said shell to remove said closure will cause the tearing of said disc to an extent to prevent its re-use.

OLAF I. WARING.

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