US2102749A - Dispensing cap - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 21, 193?. SALVESEN mmwm DISPENSING CAP Filed March 8, 1937 Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing caps especially adapted for containers for mucilage and the like of that type employing a spreader with means for automatically feeding mucilage to the spreader when the container is in an inverted position andwhen the spreader is placed in contact with the surface to be treated.

The object of my invention is to provide a dispensing cap of simple, durable and inexpensive construction with improved means for feeding the fluid from within the container to the spreader, without the use of valves or springs, andso constructed that the device will always be maintained in workable condition.

A further object of my invention is to provide in a dispensing cap of the type above described, improved means for controlling the flow of the fluid from the container on which the cap is mounted.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the upper end of a container with my improved cap applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of another form of cap showing the container in an inverted position, and the manner in which the spreader is applied to a surface being treated to cause the fluid to be released from the container.

. Figure 3 is a sectional view of a modified form of my device.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of .another modified form.

Figure 5 is a sectional viewof a modified form of my device.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6'6 of Figure 4.

Figure? is a top view'of my improved cap showing the manner in which the spreader may be bent laterally to collapse the same and to provide an outlet opening for the fluid within the container.

In the drawing the reference numeral In indicates the upper end of a container, such as a mucilage bottle, having a neck portion H, the outer surface of which is provided with threads l2. Supported on the upper end of the neck ll is a disk-like web l3 having a central opening l4 and openings l5 to permit fluid from within the container It] to flow into the chamber l6 of the cap 11, said cap being preferably in the shape of a truncated cone having its truncated end provided with an opening l8 and its base provided With an annular and threaded flange IQ for receiving the neck portion l I. The base of the cap I! has a shoulder 20 to rest on a washer or packing strip 2| which in turn is supported on the upper surface of the web I 3.

The openings I 4 and I8 are preferably of the same diameter and are adapted to support a spreader device 22, which is preferably in the form of a rubber tube having its upper end closed .andflattened, the lower end being open and terminating within the interior of the container 0. The lower end of the member 22is preferably provided with annular flanges 23 for anchoring the lower end of the member 22 firmly in the web I3.

I have found that a short piece of rubber tubing of a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the openings l4 and I5 serves the purpose very well, with the upper end collapsed and sealed to form a wedge shaped member, as illustrated, the tube fitting the hose so as to form an air-tight joint. It will readily be seen that if the upper endof the member 22 is bent laterally, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 1, the tube will' be bent-over the truncated end of the cone I! as a fulcrum, and if sufficient pressure is applied, will 'collapse'so that an opening'24 will be formed between {the collapsed side of the tube and one edge of the opening It, as illustrated in Fig. 7.

By this arrangement it will be seen that if the container I0 is inverted and the member 22 placed against the surface to be treated with mucila'ge, or similar substance, and lateral and downward pressure is applied, then the member 22' will become partially collapsed and an opening 25 formed, as illustrated in Figure 2, permitting a portion of'the'mucilage to flow through the opening 25'to'the surface 26 in front of the spreader 22. As the member 22 is collapsed while in an inverted position, a portion of the air within said tube will be forced upwardly into the container, thereby permitting air to replace the liquid flow from the container. Of course, some air will enter the opening .25 as the container is moved to its uprightjposition, which air will then. enter the tube 22' when the said container is in its upright position, at which time the fluid level is below the lower end of the tube.

In Figure 2 the cap" I! is secured to the container'2'l by placing the free edge of the flange 28 in a groove 29formed in the neck of the container.

In Figure 3 the cap 30 is similar to the cap l1,

with the exception that the truncated portion is inclined relative to the base of the cap, thus providing a somewhat elliptical opening for receiving the round tubular spreader member. By this arrangement, if the spreader is bent towards the lower end of the truncated surface, as illustrated in solid lines in Figure 3, then a comparatively larger opening 3| will be formed than would otherwise be formed if said truncated portion Was parallel with its base.

In Figure 4 the cap 32 is similar to the cap IT, with the exception that a different means is provided for securing the cap to the upper end of the container 33, said means comprising a threaded ring 34 having a flange S5 at its upper end designed to rest on the shoulder 36 formed on the lower end of the cap portion 32. The web 31 has an eccentrically arranged opening 38 for receiving the lower end of the spreader member 39, so that the said spreader member is inclined relative to the truncated end of the cap 32, as clearly illustrated. This accomplishes about the same result as would be accomplished in the arrangement illustrated in Figure 3. However, the web 3'? may be rotated beneath the cap when assembling, so that the spreader 39 may be supported at various inclinations to give the desired results.

In the previous constructions the web serves the purpose of supporting the inner end of the spreader.

In Figure 5 I have illustrated a cap in which the web element is eliminated, in which case an opening 40 is provided in the upper end of the cap 4! and an opening A2 in the side of said cap, the spreader element being fed through both of said openings and having its lower end closed at 43. The tubular member, or spreader, 44 is provided with an opening 45 communicating with the interior of the cap so as to permit the spreader to collapse readily by allowing the air to be forced therefrom and alsov to regain its original position when pressure applied to the spreader for collapsing the same has been released, allowine air to again enter the tube.

Thus it will be seen I have provided a simple, durable and inexpensive dispensing cap for mucilage bottles and similar containers, provided with means for automatically feeding a fluid to the spreader as pressure is applied thereto while the container is in an inverted position, and a device which will not become clogged or inoperative on account of mucilage and other adhesive substances delivered by the dispenser collecting and filling the delivery opening, as is the case with a number of dispensers which have heretofore been placed in public use. The cap I6 is made of metal, while the spreader is preferably made of rubber. Dried mucilage does not adhere to a metal surface very tenaciously and will be broken loose at the time the tubular member is collapsed, and on account of the tremendous relative movement between the surface of the tube and the film collected thereon, will cause the mucilage to loosen from the tube. In other words, the collapsing of the tube causes the tube to be expanded at certain portions and contracted at other portions, to such an extent that any surface tension between the adhesive and the tube will be broken so that the collected adhesive will be scaled off. In actual use of the device I have found no difficulty, whatsoever, in clogging. The device is always in readiness for operation Without any preliminary cleaning.

In the drawing I have illustrated only a few of the numerous modifications to which my device is adapted. It will readily be seen that the general principle is the same in all of the modifications and that various modifications may be constructed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a closure cap including an end portion having an opening, a flexible and collapsible tube mounted in said opening for closing the same, one end of said tube being closed and projecting outwardly and beyond said cap, the other end projecting inwardly thereof, and means fixing the inner end of said tube against movement whereby that portion of the tube supported within said opening will be collapsed when bending strain is applied to the outer end of said tube to form an opening through which fluid within said container may be fed to the outer surface of the outer end of. said tube when the container is in an inverted position.

2. In a device of the class described, a closure cap including an end portion having an opening, and a flange portion for receiving the neck portion of a container, a flexible and collapsible tube mounted in said opening to snugly fit the same, said tube having one end closed, flattened and projecting outwardly from said cap and its other end open and projecting inwardly of said cap, and means fixing the inner end of said tube against movement, whereby that portion of the tube supported Within said opening will be collapsed by bending its outer end laterally to form an opening through which fluid from within said container may be fed to the outer surface of said tube when the container is in an inverted position.

3. In a device of the class described, a cap having the shape of a truncated cone and provided with an opening in its truncated end, a web having a central opening, means for clamping the base of said cap and said web to the open end of a container for closing the same, and a rubber tube having its inner end secured in the opening of said web and its opposite end closed and projecting through and beyond the open end of said cap.

4. In a device of the class described, a cap having the shape of a truncated cone and provided with an opening in its truncated end, said end being inclined relative to its base, a web having a central opening, means for clamping the base of said cap and said web to the open end of a container for closing the same, and a rubber tube having its inner end secured in the opening of said web and its opposite end closed and projecting through and beyond the open end of said cap.

5. A dispensing cap having the shape of a truncated cone and provided with openings in its truncated end and one side, a rubber tube mounted through both of said openings, the upper end being closed, flattened and projecting upwardly and beyond the truncated end of said cap.

6. A dispensing cap having an opening in its end, a web adapted to be clamped between the cap and the outer end of a container to which the cap is attached, and a flexible and collapsible tube supported in and snugly fitting the opening of said cap and fixed in said web, having its outer end closed.

7. A dispensing cap having an opening in its end, a flexible tube supported in and snugly fitting the said opening, having its outer end closed and extending beyond said cap and its inner end terminating within said cap, and means for fixedly supporting the inner end of said tube.

8. The combination of a container, a cap closing the open end of said container, said cap having an opening in one end, a flexible and collapsible tube within said opening, having one end closed and projecting beyond said cap, the inner end of said tube being opened and projecting within said container, and a web having an opening eccentrically of its periphery for supporting the lower end of said tube.

9. The combination of a container having an opening in one end, a second opening in one side near said end, and a flexible member passed through both of said openings to close the same, said member being formed of yieldable material whereby lateral movement of one end of said flexible member will cause said flexible member to be contracted within a corresponding one of said openings whereby an opening will be provided to permit material to leave or enter said container.

10. The combination of a container having an opening in one end, a spreader formed of contractible and yieldable material projecting through and closing said opening, having its inner end fixed and its outer end free to move laterally, whereby lateral movement of the free end of said spreader will cause that portion of the spreader within said opening to be contracted and another opening formed between the spreader and one side of the first said opening.

RICHARD E. SALVESEN.

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