US2565699A - Flexible, retractable dispensing spout - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 28, 1951 l. H. RIEKE FLEXIBLE, RETRACTABLE DISPENSING sPoUT Filed May l5, 1948 Patented Aug. 28, 1951 FLEXIBLE, RETRACTABLE DISPENSING SPOUT' Irvin H. Rieke, Auburn, Ind., assigner to Rieke Metal Products Corporation, Auburn, Ind., a

corporation Application May 13, 1948, Serial No. 26,832

7 Claims. 1

Thisinvention relates to an extensible and. contractible pouring spout structure normally nestable in a container and mounted in an opening therein and which spout is of sealing or scalable type.

This invention is an improvement upon the invention disclosed and claimed in copending application, Serial No. 752,707, filed June 5,1947, and entitled Container Nestable, Extensible and Contractible Pouring Spout, now Patent No. 2,561,596.

One object of the present invention is to improve the outer protective seal mechanism whereby it may be readily detached and attached.

Another object of the present invention is to dispose the spout seal remote from the pouring edge thereof so that the latter will not affect the` pouring action.

A feature of the present invention, in addition to the structure whereby the aforesaid objects are accomplished, resides in a rupture pull member carried by the spout seal.

A further feature of the invention resides in a spout structure formed of a flexible plastic material, rubber or the like, comprising a highly flexible cup-like member with sufficient flexibilityY to roll over itself from spout nesting position to spout-extending position, and with a spout portion of heavier cross section to render it more rigid and self-sustaining to prevent collapse thereof. flexibility of the cup member having its large end or base secured to the container, the spout is additionally capable of angular adjustment relative to the container so that the contents may be poured downwardly at an angle to the horizontal. This is accomplished by forming the conical base portion of the spout of a substantially lighter gauge material than the gauge of themore rigid pouring portion of the spout, but of such character that it will hold and maintain its position when set at an angle to the container, as well as permit rolling over upon itself as it is moved from its inner nested position to its extended pouring position.

Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

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

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a conventional cover, such as a lid for a container and with one form of the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a central sectional view of the same By reason of the relatively7 greaterA 2 taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1 and in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the spout portion of the invention, the detachable protective cap being removed therefrom, the spout being illustrated in sealed condition prior to rupturing.

Fig. 4 is sectional View of a somewhat modified form of the spout shown in Fig. 2 with the spoutl protective cap removed, the spout seal partially severed therefrom, dotted lines illustrating a convenient tool for effecting spout seal rupturing.

Fig. 4A is illustrative of the spout as shown in Fig. 4, when flexed upon its supporting base to extend at an acute angle to its mounting.

In the drawings I |0 indicates a can cover proper having, if desired, reenforcing flange and chime anchoring outer portion ||2. Said cover includes an aperture ||3 defined by outwardly and reversely directed flange portion I |4 in turn terminating in an inwardly and reversely directedl bead I5.

A frusto-conical flexible cup member ||6 in-v cludes at its outer and larger end a tubular portion ||'I which terminates in an outwardly directed flange I I8 that is grooved as at ||9 upon its rear face. An anchor ring includes flat portion |20 and tubular portion |2|. The former includes a concentric inwardly directed portion |22 and projectinginwardly therefrom are the flange members |23 spaced apart as at |24 and having central offset raised portions |2311. Theseilanges are inclined for breech lock purposes. The tubular portion |2| includes a curled bead |25 bearing upon cover ||0 immediately contiguous to neck H4 about the opening I I3 therein. The aforesaid ring structure clampingly and sealably secures the spout to the cover in and atv the opening.

Disposed Iwithin the exible frusto-conical cup member ||6 is a reversely extending frusto-conical pouring spout portion |28, the same being integral and united by annular ridged junction portion |21 to provide a telescopic and extensible pouring spout structure, The free end I 28 of portion |26 terminates in or contiguous toy a plane including flange |20.

Herein immediately contiguous to the junction portion |21, the cup member I6 is sealed by a closure portion comprising a seal as shown at |29. Such seal is ridge connected thereto `as at |30. The seal includes the integral pull member |3|' The entire telescopic spout structure is of rubber, on rubber like or flexible plastic material so that` it can be turned and extendedas shown n'Fig. 4:

and ruptured and fully opened as partially indicated in said figure.

The open outer end |28 of the spout portion |26 may be closed by a closure comprising a disc member |32 including a tubular portion |33 seating in the spout. Said tubular portion terminates in channel portion |34 that nests upon the seat at the end |28 of spout portion |26.

Bearing on channel portion |34 isl a retainer comprising a protective cap |35 having a pair of elongated openings |36 formed therein and providing therebetween the finger portion |31. The adjacent stock |38, provided when the openings The invention claimed is:

1. In combination a container portion having an opening therein, a telescopic type collapsible and expansible spout of flexible material disposed in the opening, means securing one end of the spout to said portion at the opening thereof, the spout being normally disposed such that the major and intermediate portions thereof are nested Within the container, a closure portion integral with the spout and disposed inwardly thereof, and a pull member rigid therewith and are formed, is disposed to form nger portions in ,Y

close proximity so that both extensions thereof nest in the disc member |32.

As illustrated, the protective cap is arched and l its periphery is formed in an outwardly directed flange |39 terminating with a downturned portion |40 which then projects outwardly as the spaced tongues |41. Y

After the spout structure, in nested relation, is permanently attached to the cover H0 by the anchor ring aforesaid, the spout end seal |32 having a slight friction t is applied to the small end of the spout. Then the retainer or cap |35 is applied by presenting tongues I4| to matching spaces |24 and pressing inwardly on the retainer disposes tongues |41 below the plane of flange portions |23. Retainer rotation then registers the tongues Iwith offset portions I23a of said flanges. To extend the spout, the reverse operaltion of the retainer is eifected and then the spout seal |32, etc. is removed. The portion |26 may then be extended as shown in Fig. 4. Resealing is eiected by pushing inwardly upon end |28 after seal |32 is applied. Then the retainer is applied.

Note that the erst time the spout is @mended `spout portion |26 is under slight compression.

This means that seal |32 is held in place by the retainer bearing thereon, and the retainer is held in place by this yielding formation, that is, tongues |4I are yieldingly trapped as it were in pockets |23a and vibration will not accidently result in retainer rotation sufficient to release the retainer.

As more clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, the ilexible cup member IIB is of substantially lighter gauge than the same material forming the more rigid and self-supporting spout portion |26. A relatively greater flexibility of the cup member permits it to readily roll over itself from its inwardly-extending nesting position toits outwardly-extending pouring position. But in addition thereto it has the great advantage Vof flexing about its supported base so that the pouring spout |26 may extend at an angle tothe container which is highly advantageous in di'- recting the liquid contents therefrom during `the pouring operation. While the invention herein has been described in great detail in the foregoing specification, the same is to be by way of example, only for that form so described, as Well as others `which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the barrel seal and pouring spout art, all are considered to be within the scope of the present inventionas defined by the appended claims.

arranged Wholly within the spout for closure portion rupture from the spout upon sufficient outward pull thereon.

2. In combination a container portion having an opening therein, a. telescopic type collapsible and expansible spout of flexible material disposed in the opening, means securing one end of the spout to said portion at the opening thereof, the spout being normally disposed such that the major and intermediate portions thereof are nested Within the container, a closure for the other end of the spout, a. retainer for said olosure, and a breech-lock connection between said retainer and said means, said breech-lock connection being of the pocket-tongue seating type, the retainer normally bearing upon the closure for retention thereof and the spout yieldingly constraining the retainer to pocket seating.

3. Structure as defined by claim 2 wherein there is provided a closure portion integral with the spout and disposed inwardly thereof, and a Ypull member rigid therewith and arranged for closure portion rupture for spout opening.

4. Structure as defined by claim 2 wherein the said closure is dished and includes a portion seatable in the spout, said retainer having a centrally disposed diametral nger engageable portion registering with the closure dished portion.

5. Structure as defined by claim 4 wherein there is provided a closure portion integral with the spout and disposed inwardly thereof, and a pull member rigid therewith and arranged for closure portion rupture for spout opening. y

6. In combination a container portion having an opening therein, a telescopic type collapsible and expansible spout disposed in the opening, a portion thereof being of flexible material, means securing one end of the spout to said container portion at the opening thereof, a closure for the other end of said spout, said spout and closure being normally disposed such that the major and intermediate portions thereof are nestedwithin the container, a second closure portion integral with the spout and disposed inwardly thereof, and a pull member rigid therewith and arranged wholly within the spout intermediate said first and second closures for eifecting rupture of said second closure from the spout upon sufficientY outward pull thereon after said rst mentioned closure is removed. i

'7; In combination, a liquid container having an opening therein, and a self-contained pouring spout assembly including a supporting ring secured over and about said opening, a pouring spout comprising a tubular body of exible material having a frusto-conical flexible cupped portion secured at the larger end thereof to said container by said supporting ring, and a spout portion of less diameter than and integral with said cupped portion extending from the smaller end thereof, said pouring spout being characterized by the material of said cupped portion being of less gauge than that of said spout portion and suciently 4:flexible to permit it to roll over itself from a spout nesting position within the cupped portion and container to a spout extended position without the container, and to permit exing thereof to an angular position relative to its supporting ring while self-sustaining in both its nested and angular extended positions, said spout portion being of relatively heavier gauge than said cupped portion to resist collapsing and to maintain its tubular form in both said nested position and extended pouring position when said cupped portion is flexed at an angle.

IRVIN H. RIEKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Stutzer et al. Feb. 27, 1894 Schafer Apr.,21, 1896 Weil July 11, 1916 Bigoney Jan. 6, 1920 Lukenbill May 12, 1931 Rollason July 2, 1935 Bodor Mar. 24, 1936 Barker May 9, 1939 Straub Mar. 3, 1942

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