US2641375A - Closure for bottles and like containers - Google Patents

Description

June 9, 1953 J. N. STEUART 2,541,375

CLOSURE FOR BOTTLES AND LIKE CONTAINERS Filed July 7, 1949 FIN-II \llllililllll Inventor a By alvr Attorney;

Patented June 9, 1953 CLOSURE FOR BOTTLES AND LIKE a 'oon'mmnns" James Noel Steuart, Stirling, Scotland, assignor to Kork-N-Seal Limited, London,

British company England, a.

Application July 7, 1949, Serial No. 103,438 I In Great Britain July 8, 19 1 8 1 Claim.

This invention relates to closures for bottles and other like containers "of the kind comprising a flange topped cork adapted to be fitted into the mouth of the container, the flange being in the form of a peripherally serrated or like metal cap secured to the cork.

In the construction of closures of this kind it has been the practice to attach a wooden peg to the cork by means of an adhesive, the peg fitting within an axial bore in the upper end of the cork and having a head of greater diameter than the cork about which the metal cap is pressed or crimped. It has been found, however, that the peg is liable to shrinkage and further that the bond between the peg and the cork is liable to give way, with the result that rotational movement applied to the cap does not always effect corresponding rotational movement of the cork which is necessary for extraction of the closure from the container. It is an object of the present invention to avoid this drawback.

According to the invention the metal cap is attached to the cork by a ring or like annular member which is secured around the cork and is connected with the cap in such manner as to prevent relative rotation of the ring and cap. This interconnection of the ring and cap may conveniently be effected by providing n the outer periphery of the ring or like annular member serrations, grooves, splines or the like which correspond to and engage with the serrated or like peripheral portion of the cap, the inner end of the cap being inturned about the ring or the like to hold said two parts against relative axial displacement. Other serrations, grooves, splines or the like may be provided on the inner periphery of the ring or the like to hold the latter securely against rotational movement relatively to the cork.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, two embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows an elevational view of a closure according to the invention;

Figure 2 shows an axial section through the closure of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an axial section through part of the closure shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is an axial section of an element of the closure shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 5 is a transverse section through the element shown in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is an axial section through part of the closure of Figures 1 and 2 showing a modification of the disclosure of Figure 3.

- Referring to Figures 1 to 5, in which like numerals indicate like elements, a closure I is shown as consisting of a cork 2 and a metal cap 3. In order 'to assemble these two latter elements in non-rotational and firm relationship a ring 4 is located around the cork and is non-rotatably engaged with the inner peripheral surface of the cap in a manner now to be described. The ring 4 (see particularly Figures 3 to 5) is of thin sheet or strip metal and is stamped or pressed so as to have a trough or U-shaped cross-section forming inner and outer spaced concentric annular portions 5 and E5 joined at one end by the fiat transverse and integral intermediate portion 1. The inner portion 5 of the ring 4 is formed, on its radially inner face 8, with axially extending serrations or splines 9 which, on the ring being pressed over the end of the cork 2, bed into the cork on being clinched thereinto and secure the ring against relative rotational movement thereon. The outer annular portion 6 is also formed on its radially outer face Iii with axially extending serrations or splines II with which are engaged corresponding serrations or splines (not shown) formed on the inner face l2 of the peripheral portion I3 of the cap 3. This cap 3 is closed at its outer end I4 so as to abut on the outer end 15 of the cork 2 and, after being fitted over the ring 4 with the serrations or splines respectively meshing or interlocking, the inner end It of the peripheral portion I3 is bent inwardly and crimped around the fiat intermediate portion 1 of the ring so as to hold the cap against movement axially of the said ring. As shown in the drawing, the ring 4 is preferably located around the cork in such a manner as to leave a small annular portion 11 of the top of the cork projecting beyond the ring so that, when the closed end of the cap abuts on the top surface of the cork, the portion ll expands over the inner annular ring portion 5 and thereby assists in securing the ring on the cork. If desired the inner surface of the closed end of the metal cap and the top surface of the cork may be adhesively joined so as to still further decrease the possibility of axial or rotational movement of the cap relatively to the cork.

In the embodiment of the invention above described, the ring is shown as being located on the cork with its open annular end, i. e. the open end of the U, directed toward the top of the cork; however, as shown in Figure 6, the ring may, if desired, be located on the cork with the bottom of the U, i. e. the intermediate portion 1, directed toward the top of the cork 2.

It will be clear that the ring and the co-oper- 2,641,376 .j ,v I

ating peripheral portion of the metal cap may be of any other convenient cross-sectional shape than that above described.

The bottle or like closures constructed in accordance with this invention provide a very satisfactory arrangement both as regards simplicity and cost of manufacture and to the resistance against turning movement relatively to the cork.

I claim:

A closure comprising in combination a cork and a metal top having a cap portion and an annular ring portion surrounding the cork at a region below the top of the cork so as to leave the upper portion of the cork above the ring free for expansion, said ring portion being of U-shaped radial cross-section, and'having inner and outer annular walls, through which the cork projects, both of said walls being formed with axially extending spline-like undulations, the inner wall being clinched into and around the body 20 of the cork so that the whole of its annular free edge is pressed into the cork below the upper portion of the cork, and said cap portion comprising a top and a skirt depending therefrom, the skirt being provided with indentations co-operating with the indentations on the outer wall of'the ring portion and thelower portion of the skirt being tightly inturned about the lower portion of the said annular ring portion with the inner portion of the top of the cap pressing downwardly on the top end of the cork and causing the upper portion of the cork above the ring to bulge radially outwardly beyond the inner annular wall of the ring and more effectively secure the ring on the cork.

' JAMES NOEL STEUART.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Merolle July 15, 1941 Number

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