US2661128A - Tamper and seal proof flexible pouring spout - Google Patents

Description

Dec. l, 1953 l. H. RIEKE TAMPER AND sEAL PEooE FLEXIBLE PGUEING sPouT Filed Feb. 18, 1949 Patented Dec. 1, 1953 TAMPER AND SEAL PROOF FLEXIBLE POURING SPOUT Irvin l-I. Rieke, Auburn, Ind., assigner to Rieke Metal Productsv Corporatiox'l,l Auburn', Ind., a

corporation Application February 18, 1949, Serial No. 77,255

1 claim. l

This invention relates to a sealing closure .tor containers.

This application is a continuation in part of the following copending applications, 'Serial No. 752,707, filed June 5, 1947, now Patent No. 2,561,596, and entitled Container Nestable Extensible and Contr-actible Pouring Spout and Serial No. 26,332 filed May 13, 1948, now Patent No. 2,565,699, and entitled Flexible Dispensing Spout. In common therewith, the present 'invention contemplates a container disposed telescopic pouring spout structure and with which is associated an initial seal, as well as a spout constraining member.

One chief object of this invention is to simplify the structures shown in said applicationsand to an irreducible minimum.

A second chief object of this invention is to provide a tamper indicating structure.

A vthird chief object of this inventionris to pro- Vide a threaded cap type closure for such spout which facilitates gripping for `spout extension from nested position.

The chief feature ofthe present invention resides in formation of a sealing structure `comprised of but four members to-wit, an anchor ring, a exible, accordion foldablek spout with initially integral seal, a detachable :cap 'closure' for the spout when desired, and a tain-per indicating seal member whendesired.

Other objects and features ofl the invention will be set forth `more fully liereinafter.v

The full nature of the invention will be under` stood from the accompanying drawings and .the following description and claims:

In the drawings, Fig. l is a top vplan view of .a

cover for a container to which the invention .has

Fig. 5 is a central sectional view, vsimilar to Fig. 2 of the spout extended and following tama per seal removal.

Fig. 6 is a central sectional View of the-"spout outlet portion with screwv cap removed Vand the:

integral seal or closure partially lsevered for ini-V tial dispensing.

VIn Figs. 1 to 5`, l0 indicatesthe top of a cover fora container, saidcoverhaving a bea-d engaging` groovecl portion l2' and adjacentthereto astiffening-corrugation -lfl Disposed in'porti'on i01- is a circular opening I3 defined by outwardly and laterally directed iiange' I4 forming groove l5. This liange is beaded` as at I6. While herein-the' aforesaid' is` shown as comprised in a container cover, it maybe provided in' the' container side' wall or, in the case of a drum or barrel, in the' end thereof.

VA generally U--sectioned ring for anchor purposes includes lan outer wall l'l, a spaced inner wall I6 and' a lbridging wall i9. The free end of wall AIl is turned inwardly as at 20 and when the .ring islmounted laterally engages in groove l5.

The inner wall |18 adjacent its junction with bridging wall wis indented to form groove seat 2l. TheV inner wall is of lessv depth .than the outer wall' and its free end is directed inwardly as at 2'2. The purpose of'seatl 2| and inturnedportion 22 will' beset forth more fully herein' after.

There is provided a exible, foldable container nestable'spout member. Herein sainev comprises essentially twotubular portions 23 and i24 .integral with .each other. and 5 is frusto-conical in character and its smal-lest cross-sectional .area is greater than the largest cross-sectional farea of portion :24.

Portion 2-'4- 'may bev slightly' frustolconicalf. see Fig, 2,:and its largest-endis disposed immediate'- ly contiguous to the smallest end of tube i231 The two are'unite'd` by ltlie'f:inwardly .flared por.`tion 25. The largest portion-.oftube 23"termi` nates in outwardly iia'red` portion 26. Integral therewithfis theA outwardlyl directed laterally disposed `'seeding gasket andf anchoring'v flangel :27.

The -foregoingis mount'eda's :follows: Thel :gasket 21 is seated .in ljt'lie .lil-'sectioned ring and 'both disposed vabove flange' 114-,y the gasket resting thereon. A vcrimping tooll is disposed over `all and uponactuation fdraws the vring downwardly until the gasket lunder face' iis1 entered bythe iiange bead It.' The inturnedendil) of the out' er wall H .is forced inwardly aslshown until it engages in'- groove l5.. 'This forms la .spout an closure' may lbe legended as'L shown in Figi 4'.

Adac'ent the spout discharge end and' herein' exteriorly thereof, is fa thread formation '3.0" inltegral withtube 24. A` cap, see Fig. '5, having'Portion 23, see 'Figsi 2Y cher-age that requires noseal'fo'r gasket', inv other words, the: lspout isl-'self-salingly Aanc-li'orelzl' 'in1 3 central portion 3| andskirt 32 is interiorly threaded as at 33 and is detachably mounted on the spout by the aforesaid threading. To facilitate cap application and removal, the skirt upon its exterior, may include the grippingportions 34, see Figs. 3 and 5.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, theaccordion foldable spout can be telescopically disposed within a container and extended therefrom respectively. In so doing each flared portion substantially reverses so that two spout portions, always connected together, can be disposed in nested or extended position as desired or required.

Reference will now be had to Figs. 1 and 2 wherein a tamper indicating seal is illust-rated.`

Herein such a seal comprises a sheet metal or other suitable material member havingcentral portion 35 with semi-severed Atear-out portion 36' Integral f therein extending toridge portion 31. therewith is thecorrugated stiifening portion 38, see Fig. 2, having outwardly and upwardly directededge portion 39 seated inring seat 2|.

The inturnedportion 22 of the ring together with the groove seat portion serves to trap the tamper indicating seal member in the ring. Since it is corrugated the free end oredge 39 tends to expand or extend, thus locking this seal member to said ring. The only way this seal member can be removed after once being seated in the ring is to tear outportion 36 and continue the tear to theedge 39. This relieves the inherent bias in the member to expand and permits finger compression of the separated portions towards each other, which facilitates lifting out of the tamper seal indicator. As long as this readily rupturable seal is intact, the container is secured against surreptitious abstraction of content.

In actual practice the clamp ring and tamper seal are assembled together. The cap is applied to the spout and same telescoped to the nested position. Theseal flange 21 thereof is then applied to flange I4 and the ring assembly applied and crimped in place, or theseal flange 21 can be seated in the ring and the unit applied to ange I4 and crimped in place.

The spout and the cap, as well as the tamper seal if desired, may be made of semi-resilient material such as rubber, synthetic rubber or exible plastic. A polyethylene plastic has suitable manipulating properties and appears impervious or resistant to attack by most liquids commercially utilized in large amounts.

It will be observed, see Fig. 2, that the tamper seal is normally slightly constrained in an outward direction, thus increasing its seat locking association, by the tendency of the spout to project outwardly the cap to a slight degree.

It will be further observed that the entire unit when mounted is disposed below the top level of portion I2 so that unit inclusion does not interfere with container stacking. Likewise after opening, effected by tearing out the seal removing the cap and cutting out the plug, the spout may be projected or nested at will, with or Without the cap. In thelatter event thread 30 provides a finger grip for pull-out purposes.

Note also that notwithstanding cap inclusion, the folded spout still provides a channel for nger accommodation togrip the spout end or the cap thereon for pull-out purposes. n

In the art wherein covers are provided it heretofore has been the practise to fill a container at the package plant and then apply the cover structure to that container, said cover structure including the several fixtures was replaced and then secured with a seal usualacter.

ly comprised of wire and lead or a cap seal.

In the so-called barrel industry wherein drums have the ends permanently seamed to the barrel side, it heretofore has been the practise to rel filled through the opening exposed by closure removal, which again is a slow and tedious process.

Following the filling the closure is reapplied and then the various seals or caps, etc., are applied to or over -the closure. The present invention permits the container and barrel manufacturer to form in the barrel drum, or the cover as herein illustrated, an opening such as indicated at I3, dened by the S-sectioned iiange contiguous thereto. This permits the barrel manufacturer to eliminate one operation. This also permits the container manufacturer to rigidly associate the container with its cover structure, therefore insuring perfect seal association.

In either instance there is left the anged opening I3 which is considerably more than twice the area of the discharge area of the present spout discharge end. Consequently, with the same filling nozzle the material can be rapidly supplied because the air readily vents from the closed container, or larger sizes of lling nozzles may be utilized to expedite lling.

When the drum, can or container is filled, the mounting ring with or without its constraining (tear-out) member and the spout (in collapsed position), with or without the threaded cap, is applied to the S-section fiange and with the major portion of these applied parts extending into the opening I3 as shown in Fig. 2, the dispensing spout structure and the ring, together with the other parts mentioned, are rigidly clamped to and upon that flange in a rigid leakproof condition and by the packaging personnel utilizing a simple' crimping or clamping tool.

The present invention, therefore, permits the packager to package more rapidly than has heretofore been possible, in most cases, and to eliminate the conventional unthreading and rethreading of the closure and eliminates all other sealing and securing, operations conventional to the industry at the present time and only requires single simultaneous sealing and anchoring crimping action for mounting the spout closure in nested relation inthe flanged opening for finally sealing the container ready for shipmentpurposes. n Y

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same'is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in char- The several modifications described hereinlas well as others which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all are considered Ato be within the broad scope of the,in.

5 vention, reference being had to the appended claim.

The invention claimed is:

A sealing closure for a container having an opening therein dened by an upstanding exteriorly grooved flange, including a flexible selfrestoring and resilient tubular pouring spout having an enlarged anchoring end comprising an outwardly-extending gasket portion seatable over said flange, a locking ring U-shaped in cross seo tion having outer and inner walls carrying a bridging Wall therebetween, the lower edge of said outer wall being inwardly turned into clamping engagement with the groove of said flange, said bridging and inner walls engaging and oompressing said gasket portions into sealing engagement with said iiange, said spout being invertable about its gasket portion to nest within itself inside the container and extend outwardly therefrom into pouring position, a metal tamper-proof seal mounted to extend over said spout when nested inside the container having an annular cupped portion formed adjacent its periphery terminating in an upwardly extending peripheral edge adapted to engage and Wedge against the inner wall of said locking ring, and a closure for said spout adapted to bear against the underside of said metal tamper-proof seal urging it upwardly into its said Wedging engagement with said locking ring.

IRV'IN H. RIEKE.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,112,298 Lachman Sept. 29, 1914 1,190,612 Weil July 11, 1916 1,536,781 Case et al June 1, 1926 1,593,016 Campbell July 20, 1926 1,685,147 Case Sept. 25, 1928 1,714,874 Hothersall May 28, 1929 1,864,310 Chaplin Feb. 23, 1932 1,891,826 McGinnis Dec. 20, 1932 1,982,144 Shera Nov. 27, 1934 1,997,203 Shera Apr. 9, 1935 2,120,906 Moore June 14, 1938 2,158,837 Schukraft May 16, 1939 2,161,873 La Grua June 13, 1939 2,171,302 Conner Aug. 29, 1939 2,300,414 Grant Nov. 3, 1942 2,561,596 Rieke July 24, 1951

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