US2173785A - Bottle-sealing cap - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 19, 1939. H. F. KNlEscHE BOTTLE SEALING CAP O'Iiginal Filed Oct.' ll, 1932 lIlIlI Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES BOTTLE-SEALING CAP Harry F, Knesche, Baltimore, Md.

original application october 11, 1932, serial No.

637,308. Divided and this application January 9, 1939, Serial No. 250,069

3 Claims.

vide a cap of this character which is so formed Y that it maybe placed on the lip of the bottle l mouth and molded so that it will t smoothly and intimately against and around such lip and'will be locked thereon by the inherent properties of the material composing the cap, thereby precluding the presence of crevices or other spaces be- A.l tween it and the lip which might admit or per# mit the lodgment of bacteria or other .unsanitary matter, so that the sealing cap will maintain the bottle mouth and lip in a. clean and sanitary condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cap of this character which can be manufactured inexpensively and can be amxed rapidly and with facility to the bottle mouth by a rela'.-

tively simple means. To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain features which will be hereinafter mor fully described and claimed. l

' In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the pref erred manner of. molding a sealing cap according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing dies suitable for compressing the flange of the molded cap at intervalsk around itscircumference; Fig. 3 isa fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken through portions of the dies shown in. Fig. 2, showing the manner in which the flange of the cap is compressed thereby at intervals around its circumference;

Fig. 4 Ais a view of the cap, partly in section, showing its condition after being acted upon by the dies shown in Fig. 2;-

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the mouthA of a milk bottle and means for remolding pr affixing the sealing cap upon the bottle;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line li--G in Fig. 5;

Fig."7 is an elevation of the neck or upper end of a bottle, showing the sealing cap molded and locked thereon; z

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 in Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view, on an enlarged scale, showing the manner in which the 'fibrous structure of the flange of the sealing. cap is altered during the molding thereof upon the lip of. the bottle.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several gures.

'I'he bottle sealing cap, according to the present 5 invention, is preferably molded to approximately its finished form from paper pulp such for example as that commonly used for making seamless paper articles, or from similar brous material. As shown for examplein Fig. 1, a pair of l0 wire mesh or other foraminous mold members I and`2 having approximately the form of the cap to be molded may be pressed together upona Vbody or layer 3 of wet or moistand relatively loose paper pulp which may be produced in any l5 well known manner, the portion of the pulp between the mold members being squeezed to press therefrom the excess water or moisture and to reduce the same to the desired thickness, of the cap, the cap thus formed having a disc-likepor- 20 tion 4 and a surrounding annular flange 5 of -a diameter to fit over the lip of. the bottle mouth, this ange being conical or flaring toward its free edge to facilitate manufacture of the cap and enable nesting of the caps for shipment to the 2g point' of application.

The cap, molded in the manner described, after partial or complete drying thereof, is subjected to an action which compresses portions of its flange spaced circumferentially thereof, leaving 30 the intervening portions of the ange uncompressed. This action is preferablyperformed by the means shown in Fig. 2 wherein 6 is a female die the opening in which is iluted to form ribs 1 which extend parallel to the axis, of the open- 35 ing and are spaced around its circumference, forminggrooves 8 betweenthem, and 9 represents a male die or plunger which operates through the opening in the die 6. The die 9 is of such a diameter that the clearance between it 40 andthe inner surfaces of the ribs 1 is less than the thickness of the flange of the cap so that when the cap is placed between the dies as shown in Fig. 2 and the `die 9 is forced through the die `6, the ange 5 of the cap will be compressed be- 45 tween the inwardly projecting ribs 1 in the die 6 and the periphery of the die 9, thereby causing v the ange of the cap to be compressed or reduced in thickness on` the lines I0 which are 'spaced circumferentially around the ange, leaving in- 50 tervening uncompressed areas il in the portions of the -ange which were Vaccommodated by the grooves 8 in the die 6 as shown in Fig. 3, these alternately compressed and uncompressed areas thus formed-in the flange extending4 transversely 55 ample as that disclosed in my prior Patent No.

1,965,550 granted July 3, 1934, and a portion of it has been thus acted upon by the dies 6 and 9,

the alternately arranged compressed and uncompressed portions ||l and II in its ange forming flutes therein.

' The iluted cap embodying the present invention -is capable of being affixed to the bottle by molding the flange of the cap upon the lip surrounding` the mouth of the bottle, and such molding of the cap upon the bottle may be accomplished by relatively simple means such for exwhich means is herein shown. In the present instance, I3 represents the upper end or neck of an ordinary milk bottle thelrnouth III of which is surrounded as usual by an annular lip |5 which is convexed outwardly in vertical section so that the lower portion of this lip where it joins the bottle neck will be of reduced diameter relatively to the upper portion of this lip. The bottle, which is filled at the time the sealing cap is applied, may be closed by the usual closing disk I6 which may be pressed as usual in the recessed mouth of the bottle. After the cap, in the form shown in Fig. 4, is placed over the bottle mouth so that its disc-like portion rests upon the top edge of the bottle and its flange extends downwardly around the lip I5,

an annularly arranged set of pressure applying springs I8 are simultaneously forced inwardly against the -flange of the cap, the cap having been moistened with water-either before ory after being placed on the bottle so as to soften somewhat the pulp or flbrous material composing it, and while the pressure is applied to the flange of the cap by the springs, I8, heat is also applied to expel moisture from the pulp or fibrous material composing the flange and thus assist in imparting a permanent set to the flange. The springs I8 are each segmental in form so that they collectively form a substantially complete circle around the flange of the cap and the lip of the bottle, and each of these springs is concave on its inner surface in a plane transverse to its circumferential length to conform with the outwardly convexed contour of the bottle lip I5. Therefore, forcing of thesprings I8 simultaneously i inwardly against and entirely around the angeiof the cap applied over the lip I5 of the bottle will cause the flange of the cap to be molded upon and around the lip I5 and to assume a contour which conforms with that of the lip, the lower edge of the flange of the cap ybeing pressed inwardlyso that`it underlies the outwardly projecting portion of the bottle lip and thereby becomes locked thereon. The

. diameter or circumferential extent of the lower portion of the flange of the cap is reduced to enable it to thus underlie or lock beneath the lip I5 of the bottle, and such reduction in the diameter or circumferential extent of the flange of the cap is facilitated or made possible by the previous formation of the-alternately arranged -compressed and uncompressed portions I and II spaced in the direction of the circumference of the flange. The simultaneous inward pressure exerted on the flange of the cap by the surrounding pressure-applylng springs or members I8 causes radially inward pressure to be applied lto the projecting uncompressed portions I| of the flange and also imposes a circumferential compression upon the flange tending to contract its diameter or circumferential extent, and these forces thus set up in the pulp or fibrous material composing the flange cause the fibers from the relatively thicker uncompressed portions II to slide orshift into interlapping positions between the fibers in the adjacent compressed portions Ill of the flange, thus increasing the thickness of such compressed portions, as will be seen from the diagram, Fig. 9, which represents the condition of the ilange of the cap at an intermediate point in the molding thereof vupon the bottle lip, this relative shifting of the bers' composing the flange of the cap reducing its diameter or circumferential extent so that .it

v-contracts toward or against the lip I of the bottle, and upon completion of this molding action, the flange of the cap will be molded intimately against the bottle lip I5 so that it conforms exactly with the shape thereof and extends under the outwardly convexed portion thereof so that the sealing cap will be firmly locked upon the lip. Since the lip I5 of the bottle is smooth, the inner surface of the flange of the cap will be molded smoothlyagainst it,

and since the inner or ange engaging faces of the springs or pressure applying members-I8 are smooth, the outer surface of the flange of the cap, when the molding thereof upon the bottle has been completed, will be smooth and will have substantially the appearance shown in Fig. 7,' the compressed and uncompressed portions I0 and of the flange being brought by the molding operation to the same thickness so that the wallof the flange of the cap, after being molded on the bottle, will be of substantially uniform thickness. 1 The rearranging of the fibers composing the ange of the cap, during the molding thereof upon the bottlelip, is facilitated by the moist |9vwhich may be placed in a head 2| containing the pressure applying members I8 so as' to .maintain them in a heated condition, the heat thus applied serving to expel moisture from the flange of the cap and to thereby impart a permanent set to the flange molded on the bottle lip. Y

'I'he springs or pressurev applying members I8 may be simultaneously forced radially inwardly by the means shown in my prior patent hereinbefore referred to, comprising a set of plungers slidable radially in the head 2| and each having the middle of one of the springs I8 attached thereto as by a screw 22, and another set of plungers 23 slidable radially in the head 2| between the plungers 2|! and slidably bearing against and overlapping the` adjacent ends of the respective springs or pressure applying members I8, all of the plungers 20 and 22 being simultaneously forced inwardly by a set of levers 24 pivoted to the head` 2| at 25 and all engaging an actuator 26 which is held stationary while the .head 2| is lowered over the lbottle 'mouth as in said prior patent, so that the members Il will be pressed inwardly evenly or with equal pressure around the ange of the cap and the bottle lip. Spaces left between the ends of adjacent springs lcornpensate for the reduction in diameter or circumferential extent of the vflange of the cap under the molding action thereon produced by these springs.

The bottle sealing cap provided by the present invention is capable of being applied or alxed to the bottle so that it effectively seals the bottle from malicious tampering with its contents since the cap is permanently molded on the bottle lip and is securely locked thereon bythe flange of the cap which extends beneath the outwardly convexed portion 'of the bottle lip. Removal of the seal from the bottle by the user may be accomplished easily by a twisting and lifting force applied thereto by the hand, but removal of the sealing capcauses splitting or breaking of the flange of the cap in order that the lower portion of the ilange of the cap may pass over the upper portion of the lip which" is of relatively greater diameter. Therefore, removal of the cap for the purpose of tampering with the contents of the `bottle would leadV to immediate detection, the

consequent splitting or mutilation of the flange of the cap being plainly apparent. Since the flange of the cap covers the entire lip of the bottle and extends to its junction with the neck of the bottle, the ange of the cap serves as a covering for the bottle lip so that bacteria or other unsanitary matter cannot reach or lodge upon the bottle lip and hence milk or other contentsv poured from the bottle will not be contaminated. Furthermore, the sealing cap molded on the bottle is locked thereon by the inherent properties of the pulp or fibrous' material composing the flange of the cap, thus rendering it unnecessary to use binding wire or other fastening means which is dimcult to apply and remove and is otherwise objectionable. The improved sealing caps according to the present invention may, ifv

desired, be made waterproof by mixing or other- Wise incorporating paraffin or other suitable waterproofing material with the pulp or fibrous material, and when paraffin is so used, it will preclude adhering of the pressure applying members to the flange of the cap incident to the molding thereof upon the bottle lip.

The herein described sealing caps according to the present invention may be produced inexpensively and with facility, and the molding of the caps upon the bottle lips may be accomplished readily and inexpensively by relatively simple means.y

The method herein described for forming or preparing the capis claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 250,070 led Jan. 9, 1939.

The method of applyingor aiilxing the cap to a bottle or other container and the cap so applied are claimed in my prior application Serial No. 637,308 of which this application is a division.

I claim as my invention: 1. A flanged cap for sealing the mouth of bottle, composed of fibrous material, the flange of the cap being formed with relatively hard and soft sectionsl alternating around its circumference, the relatively soft sections being of greater thickness than the hard sections.

2. A sealing cap composed of brous material and having its peripheral portion compressed at intervals spaced circumferentially thereof on lines extending transversely of its circumference, with intervening uncompressed portions of the peripheral portion of greater thickness than the compressed portions thereof.

3. A cap for application to a bottle, said cap being composed of fibrous material in the form of a disk-like portion and a surrounding annular flange, said flange being compressed at `inter vals spaced circumferentially thereof on lines extending substantially in the direction of the axis of the ilange and having intervening uncompressed portions of greater thickness than the compressed portions thereof, said uncompressed portions of the ange being' compressible to substantially the same thickness as said compressed portions thereof. l

. HARRY F. KNIESCHE.

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