US2011545A - Combined container closure and applicator - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 13, 1935. B. s. 'THORP 2,011,545

COMBINED CONTAINER CLOSURE AND APPLICATOR Filed May i, 1935 9 i 3 MIV l Wz , INVENTOR WQQZQVM ATTORNEYS I a degree to prevent evaporation of, or exposure Patented Aug. 13, 1935 UNITED sT-AT s This invention relates to combined container closure and applicator devices. The invention is more particularly applicable to containers'such as bottles of the type for containing liquids such i as mercurochrome, iodine, collodion and the.

like, which are to be dispensed by means of an applicator such as a brush or glass rod projecting downwardly into the liquid.

In such devices it is desirable that the closure perform the function of closing the container to tothe air, of the contents, and that it also provide supporting means for the applicator which extends into the container and is immersed in the 1 liquid. i

It is customary to employ for this purpose a closure in the form of a cap made of suitable synthetic plastic products, such as bakelite, hard rubber, etc., the cap being provided with a depending skirt internally threaded or grooved for attachment to the container. In order to prevent seepage of the liquid it'is highly desirable that the cap be provided with a gasket for interposition between the cap andthe rim of the container. Also, the capmust. be ..provided.with some appropriate means for' affixing the applicator thereto.

Both of these requirements have introduced serious difficulties in the provision of a simple, economical and commercially feasible combined container closure and applicator device, The gasket, owing to its necessarily flexible composition and the cementing action of various of the ,contained fluids, tends in .use to adhere to the neck of the container'and to pull away from the cap. Attempts to avoid this by cementing the gasket tothe cap have not proved very successful be cause no satisfactory adhesive has as yet been devised whichwill provide a permanent bond between the gasket and the cap, particularly if the latter is made of such a substance as bakelite. Moreover, many of the 1iquids,forv which combined containers and applicators of the general type are primarily intended, include as an essential' ingredient such a universal solvent as ether or chloroform, which will destroy the bond provided by most cements.

. Similarly, the applicator stem being usually of glass or feather quill cannot successfully be cemented to a cap of the composition aforesaid;

and if attached. by knownmethods tothe gas ket in accordance with known practices, will increase the tendency of the gasket to separate from the cap. I

According to my invention, I overcome these defects in a simple and highly efficacious manher by providing the cap with, an internally'depending central stud or peg integral with the cap. As a means of securing the applicator to the cap and also serving as a gasket between the cap and container, I further provide ai'flexible member, of rubber or the like, which is* of-"'sub= stantiallycylindrical contour but terminating at one end in a radially projecting flange. Each end of this member contains a central bore: extending axially inward to an intermediate depth leaving thereby an impervious transverse wall at the material between the two bores.

The bore adjacent the flanged end of themem her is adapted to slip over while tightly gripping the cap peg until the flange is flush. with the inner surface at the top 'of' the cap; The outer diameter of the flange is such as likewise to engage the inner diameter of the cap ma snug fit. The flange thus serves" as a gasketbe tween the cap and the container, whichl'owmg to the gripping action aforesaid, will be retained in integral assembly with the cap'lwithout the necessity for cementing the two, 'although'an ad hesive may be employed if desired.

The'opposite bore "of the'fiexible 'memberis such as to receive the upper end of the applicator stem in a snug fit'. If, therefore, an attempt/sis made to pull thestem away'from'the capthe flexible member in stretching willgrip 'boththe stem and the cap stud even more tightly'an'd thereby prevent separation of the' assembly. Moreover, the transverse wall interposed between the twobores will preclude seepageof the contained fluid between the flexible flange and the cap such as would dissolve an adhesive if employed or otherwise tend to' separate the two.

In' the drawing:-

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional View in "elevation showing certain details of the device;' 1-;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation with ertainparts in section and illustrates the device in its intended position when used in closing a bottle-and Fig. Bis a cross sectional view taken at I- I of Fig. 1. Referring to the drawing: The numeral l designates a cap which is molded of a synthetic plastic material or the like or other suitable material, such as hard rubber. The cap is provided with a top wall 2 and a depending. skirt-,3,

interiorly threaded as at 4 to providesuitable I that when its upper face lies in' contact with the inner face of the top wall 2, its peripheral edge is in contact with the inside wall of the skirt 3, and the stud it! being of a lesser diameter, than v to securethe connecting member 8 in the posi-- tion illustrated. Likewise, the bore l2 similarly provides a socket portion into which the, upper end of a suitable applicator I4 is positioned, and is thereby-resiliently gripped so as to secure. the applicator to connector 8 and thereby to thecap i. In the embodiment illustrated, the applicator is of thequill andbrushtype, and it :will be understood that any well known form of applicator may be used, such for example as a glass rod.

The wall l3 separating the bores II and I2 pre- I vents any seepage of the liquid (such as might flow toward the upper end of the applicator M when in inverted position) into the bore ll,'and hence assures that even should the liquid seep past the tightly fitting inner wall of the lower socket portion and the applicator rod, nevertheless the tight resilient gripping action exerted by the upper socket portion on the peg 1 will be maintained.- I

It is also to be noted that by making the member 8 of a diameter substantially less than the inner diameter of the neck ofthe bottle I eliminate any sticking, of, the connector to the neck,

such as is inevitably usually existing in such devices from liquidadhering to the usual form of stopper which fits theneck fairly snugly. Any adhesion which might bepresent from suchliquid as comes into contact with the limited area of the flange 9 as is in contact with the upperlip of the bottle is not sufficientto causethe connector to be withdrawn from thepeg I. Inthis connection it is pointed out that the gripping action exerted between the peg 1 and the socket into which it is positioned is similar to that of arubber tube tightly fitting over a plug. or rod, and the stretched condition of, the tubularwalls surrounding the peg I is such as to furnish an extremely strong connecting means. This gripping action is somewhat further enhanced at the portion adjacent the top wall 2 by means of the engagement between the outer peripheral edge of the flange 9 and the inner adjacent surface of the skirt 3. Similarly, when in use the gripping action of the lower socket portion on the upper end of the applicator I4 is such that any force exertedagainst the lower end of the applicator tending to pull the same out of its engaging socket merely tends to stretch the socket portions axially and thereby increase the gripping action'both on the peg I and the end of the applicator l4. r a 7 Having thus described my invention with particularity with reference to its preferred form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after understanding my invention, that other changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scopeof my invention, andI aim' in the appended claims to cover such changes and modifications as are within the scope of the'invention. What I claim is:

1. In a combined container closure and applicator; the combination of a cap having a top wall provided with 'a depending skirt portion for engaging said container anda peg extending down-i wardly from said top wall and positioned within said skirt, a connecting member positioned within said skirt and provided at its upper end with a first socket portion providing means for securing 7 said connecting member to said peg and at its provided with a depending skirt portion for engaging said container and a peg extending down wardly from said top wall and positioned within said skirt; an elastic connecting member positioned within said skirt and provided at its upper end with a} first socket portion in resilient frictional engagement with said peg and at its lower end with a second socket portion, thebores of said socket portions being discontinuous axially of said connecting member and being separated by an imperforate wall portion, an applicator resiliently frictionally held in said second socket portion.

3. In a combined containerclosure and applicator, the combination of a cap having a top wall provided with a depending skirt portion for exteriorly engaging the neck of said container and a peg extending downwardly from said top wall and positioned within said skirt, an elastic member Within said skirt, said member having an upper outwardly extending flange and an integrally depending central stud portion of a lesser diameter than the internal diameter of the neck of said container and bores extending axially inwardly from respective ends of said member with an imperforate wall separating the adjacent inner ends of said bores, said member being seated with its flange against the inner face of the top wall of said cap and being held in position by the resilient frictional engagement of said Ipeg positioned within said top bore, and an applicator held in position by the resilient frictional engagement of its upper end within said lower bore of said member. a

14. In a combined container closure and applicator, the combination of a cap having a top wall provided with a depending skirt portion for exteriorly engaging the neck of said container and a peg extending downwardly from said top wall and positioned within said skirt, an elastic member within saidskirt, said member having an upper outwardly extending flange adapted to overlie the mouthof said container and an integrally depending central stud portion of a lesser diameter than the internal diameter of the neck of said container and bores extending axially inwardly from respective ends of said member with an imperforate wallseparating the adjacent inner ends ofsaid bores, said member being seated with the'upper face of its flange against the inner face of the top wall of said cap andthe peripheral edge ofsaid flange in contact with the inside wall of said skirt and said peg being positioned within said top bore, whereby said member is held in position within said cap by resilient frictional engagement, and an applicator held in position by theresilient frictional engagement of its upper end within said lower bore of said member.

BENJAMIN 'S. 'I'I-IORP.

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