Cover for containers of different sizes

May 11, 1937. s. j. brandstein 2,080,108

COVER FOR CONTAINERS OF DIFFERENT SIZES

Filed Nov. 21, 1936

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Patented May 11, 1937

2,080,108

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,080,108

COVER FOR CONTAINERS OF DIFFERENT SIZES

Samuel J. Brandstein, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application November 21, 1936, Serial No. 111,983

Claims. &lt;

This Invention relates to devices such as covers for articles of different sizes and shapes.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described having im_ proved means whereby a cover may be removably positioned on articles of different sizes or shapes to cover, conceal, or protect the article or the contents thereof, and to expose at will a normally covered portion of the article for ₁₀ access thereto or for inspection of said normally covered portion of the article.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the nature set forth wherein a cover and an article are coordinated in an improved 15 manner so that the cover is elastically contractibly secured around the article, and a portion of the cover may be removed by stretching a contractile portion and without causing the cover to thus snap off from the article.

In the use of a cover contractibly elastically 29 secured around an article, for instance, a container, and whereby the cover efficiently prevents the entrance of air or dust, it is often desirable to obtain quick access to the article or contents of said container, without removing ²⁵ the entire cover. It is further desirable to obtain such access, while leaving both hands free for other purposes. Particularly is such access advantageous when the container is filled with foods, and is positioned as in a refrigerator.

³⁰ The housewife sometimes wants to remove some of the food, without taking out the container, and there may not be sufficient room for removing or reapplying the cover. In that case, this invention is of particular utility; and it is ³⁵ also of general advantage with other types of articles, glass ware, illuminating devices, and the like, where for any reason it is desired to partially expose a normally covered portion or face ₄₀ of the article, which may project light, or which may be ornamented or decorated.

It is therefore a further object of the invention to provide a device which shall fulfill all the above mentioned objects and which shall _4δ be simple and cheap to manufacture, easy to wash and clean, neat in appearance, durable, reliable, compact and efficient in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification 50 proceeds. .

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed

31. 65—16) drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a device ₅embodying the invention with a normally covered portion of an article exposed by the cover.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the removed cover. . . . 10

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation showing tne modification of the invention, Including a fully covered article.

Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of the removed modified cover. 15

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes a device embodying the invention. This may include a cover 11 embodying the invention, and an article 12 which is to be normally covered by θ₀the cover 11 or to be partially exposed thereby, . as shown, while the cover is reliably self maintained on the article.

The cover f I may include a member 13 or flexible, pliable or limp material, having ape- ₃g ripheral portion or element 14 that is normally contracted to produce a peripheral gathered portion 15 in the member.

Extending along a portion of said periphery is an elongated element 16 of any suitable ma- ₄₀terial, which is connected to a peripheral portion such as 14 or 15, at spaced points 17 and is otherwise free. ,

More specifically, the member 13 may consist of a textile fabric, leather, rubber, oiled silk, Cel- ₄₅lophane, or other composition material, which may be porous but is preferably fluid tight, so that the cover can be efficiently used for the preservation of foods. The portion 14 is intended to include a drawstring or other contracting means, 50 but is preferably of a flexible elastic material, ] such as a rubber or rubberized strip suitably relatively continuously secured to the member 13. While the latter may consist of a disc of material, it may also have other shapes, and may be 55

2,080,108 polygonal In form, the term periphery being intended to broadly denote the marginal or nearmarginal portion of such member. The element 16 may especially consist of widely varying mate5 rials, its function being realized by acting as a continuation of an opposed portion of the contractile means 14 when a portion of the cover is lifted up as will be described hereinafter.

If desired, only the portion 14α adjacent to the 10 element 16 and between the points 17 may be of elastic tension material or rubber, and the remaining portion 14b together with the element 16 may be regarded as a one piece contractile element or draw string.

The article 12 may illustratively consist of a container having a mouth forming rim 18.

The cover fl is adapted to be secured over and around articles of different sizes by merely stretching or otherwise elongating the contract20 ible portion 14, and then contracting the same around the article 12 below the rim 18. The element 16 will thus also lie along the outside of the article and may lie in the plane of the portion 14 or in angularly spaced relation thereto. The ten25 sion in the element 16 may be different from or substantially less than the tension in the pori tion 14.

If it is to be desired to uncover a portion of the article 12, the portion 19 of the cover adjacent to ³⁰ the element 16 is merely pulled upward and sprung upon the top of the article as shown in Hg. 1, and will not become detached by the contracting action of the elastic portion 14. The retaining element 16 will cooperate with the op³⁰ posed contractible portion 14 that lies below the rim to maintain the cover secured on the article. In fact, the cover portion 19 remains in positive open position and cannot accidentally move to covering position. If now the normal full cover40 ing position of the article is desired, the portion 19 is merely pulled over the exposed rim portion of the article. The desired action may be realized by making of elastic material only that portion of the part 14 which is adjacent to the element 45 16, and the rest of the part 14 may then be merely flexible.

Sometimes, in applying a cover to an article which is somewhat too large for the normal use of the cover, the high degree of stretching of the 50 elastic portion 14 may cause the same to slip off the article, particularly if there is no rim flange on the latter. This can be avoided with the cover 11, by first engaging the cover portion 19 around the article, since the element 16 then supplements 55 the adjacent portion 14, and then drawing the rest of the cover over and around the article. Thus the element 16 may also aid in the applying of the cover to an article.

If the element 16 has greatep.extensibility than 60 the elastic portion 14, it will undergo a greater degree of stretch than the latter when the cover is partially opened as in Fig. 1, to thus expose a larger portion of the article.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is shown a device 21 embody65 ing the invention, and which differs from the device 10 principally in that the cover 22 includes in place of the element 16, an elastic contractile strip such as 23 which extends continuously around the elastic contractile portion 14 and is 70 secured thereto at opposed or marginally spaced points 24. This permits opposed portions of the cover to be lifted at will in the manner indicated in Fig. 1. Hence the operator may conveniently lift the portion of the cover nearest to him to 75 gain access to the container 12. The closed posi tion of the cover as shown is the same as that for the cover 11.

It will now be seen that I have provided a device which fulfills the objects of the invention and is well adapted for practical use with arti- 5 cles of different sizes, while being a unitary structure that is flexible throughout and hence easily washable. It will be noted that the element 16 is representative of any restraining means which co-operates as with the securing contractile por- 10 tion 14b so that the latter tends to maintain the restraining means in removable engagement with the lip 18,’especially when the cover is partially removed as at 19; and the invention may include other restraining means secured to the cover at 15 spaced points, as for example, a pair of clips or hooks that may be individually connected to the cover at points 17 and slipped into removable engagement with the lip 18. It will be observed that the restraining elements 16 and 23 are 20 spaced downward as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 for ready visibility, so that a person may grasp and lift off an adjacent part of the cover without accidentally grasping the restraining element.