Combined closure and spout for a fluid dispensing receptacle

Jan. 24, 1961 s. m. libit 2,969,167

COMBINED CLOSURE AND SPOUT FOR A FLUID DISPENSING RECEPTACLE

Filed April 17, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1

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Jan. 24, 1961 _{s M L1BIT} 2,969,167

COMBINED CLOSURE AND SPOUT FOR A FLUID DISPENSING RECEPTACLE

Filed April 17, 1957 _{2 Sheets}__{sheet 2}

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2,969,167

Patented Jan. 24, 1961

United States Patent Office

2,969,167

COMBINED CLOSURE AND SPOUT FOR A FLUID DISPENSING RECEPTACLE

Sidney M. Libit, 404 Woodlawn Ave., Glencoe, IB.

Filed Apr. 17, 1957, Ser. No. 653,309

Claims. (Cl. 222—512)

This invention relates to a combined dispensing spout and valve for a receptacle for fluent material. In particular it has reference to a two-part device comprising a fixed part for incorporation with the receptacle and a movable part including a dispensing opening which is digitally shiftable between “on” and “off” positions whereby flow of the material may be initiated and interrupted.

With the advent of those relatively rigid, yet deformable, plastic compositions such as polyethylene ’it is now possible to fabricate two part structures serving as a valve to initiate and terminate flow of liquid from a receptacle, sometimes including a nozzle, and to achieve fluid tightness between the parts without the use of seals or gaskets. ’My invention constitutes improvements in devices of this general class.

The principal object of the invention resides in providing a device of the character aforesaid which may be easily and reliable operated by the fingers between “on” and “off” positions.

Another object is to provide a device of the character mentioned which is extremely compact, as compared to present forms of such devices, thereby to utilize a substantially smaller quantity of raw material.

Still another object is to provide a molded device which is readily adaptable for dispensing liquids of lbw as well as comparatively high viscosity with only minor alterations in the molds.

A' further object is to provide a device which is so constituted as to be self-sealing by suitably utilizing the inherent elasticity of the material in a novel manner.

An additional object resides in the provision of a device as aforesaid in which the movable part is shifted translationally between “on” and “off” positions and wherein means are provided to inhibit inadvertent dislodgment of the. part in the event the user applies shifting force in a direction at right angles to the proper direction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will become apparent from the ensuing description which, taken with the accompanying drawings, discloses certain fofifis which the invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view Of a device in accordance with my invention, in closed condition:

Fig. 2 is a similar view but in open condition;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the fixed part only of the device;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the device;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the device;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the fixed part only of the device.

Fig. 7 is a somewhat enlarged cross section of the device in open condition;

Fig. 8 is a cross section transversely to that of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9'is a side elevation of an alternative form of the device in closed condition;

Fig. 10 is a cross section of this alternative form as seen in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a cross section of the same except that the parts are shown in the open relation;

Fig. 12 is an end view of the same, partly in cross section;

Fig. 13 is a plan view of the same in its open condition;

Fig. 14 is a top plan view to show another alternative 10 form of the invention;

Fig. 15 is an end elevation thereof, partly in section;

Fig. 16 illustrates a top plan view of still another embodiment;

Fig. 17 is a side elevational view thereof; and

Fig. 18 is a cross section thereof taken on the line 18—18 of Fig. 16.

Broadly regarded the invention, in one aspect, comprehends the provision of a combined valve and dispenser for a receptacle whereby fluent materials may be poured 20. following opening of the valve, and the flow thereafter terminated by closing the valve. To this end I provide a fixed· part including means for attaching the invention device to the receptacle or incorporating the same integrally therewith, and a movable part which includes 25 a dispensing opening, e.g. a nozzle. The parts are slidably interconnected by means of a dovetail joint permitting translational movement Of the movable part whereby the dispensing opening therein may be brought into register with a passage in the fixed part in fluid com³θ munication with the interior of the receptacle. Thus, flow may occur while reverse movement will interrupt the flow. In another aspect the invention device includes stops means for insuring proper positioning of the parts for “on” and “off.” In yet another aspect the invention ³⁵ includes means for realizing an efficient seal at the junction of the parts to avoid leakage. In still another aspect the invention incorporates a provision to inhibit improper operation of the valve.

Turning now to the drawings I have shown, Figs. 1 ⁴⁰ to 8, a preferred form which the invention may assume in practice comprising a fixed part 10 and a movable 'part 11. The fixed part 10 includes a skirt 12 and an interior circumferential rib 13 for securing the device to the beaded neck of a receptacle of a common type ^s such as those used for fuel for pyrophoric cigarette lighters. Sometimes an inner hollow conical portion 14 is included and is adapted to fit snugly in the neck of the receptacle to i supplement the sealing action. However, ₅θ the parts 12, 13 and 14 form no part of the invention per seas other modes of attaching the device to, or integrating the same with the receptacle are possible. In the case of a.device provided with a skirt as just described for forcible placement on the neck of a receptacle _g5 certain additional advantages follow and will be elaborated upon hereinafter.

Arranged to form a protruding portion of the part 10 is an elongated guide 21 in the form of a male dovetail member including longitudinally extending ribs g₀ '22—22. The guide 21 is provided with lateral wall portions 23—23 and end wall portions 24 and 25 defining a pocket 26 for a purpose to be explained.

Adapted to be engaged over the guide 21 for sliding relation therewith is the slidable member 11 which ineludes a body 30 having a top wall 31, side walls 32—32 ⁰ and end walls 33—33. Each of the walls 32—32 is provided on its interior with a rib 34 adapted to engage resiliently under the ribs 22—22. These several walls and the ribs 34 define what is sometimes herein referred to as a female dovetail element. It will be noted that the upper face of each of the ribs 34 is inclined complementarity to an inclined face of the associated rib 22 so that, ϊη effect, these serve to interconnect in the manner of a

9,969,167 be employed for that purpose, i.e. when the nozzle is omitted a suitable projection may be provided for manipulation.

In a device in accordance with this invention it is to 5 be expected that members of the consuming public may misapprehend the operation of the device and, instead of thrusting the movable part in the direction of the guide, attempt to obtain register of the bores 40 and 41 by a false movement perpendicularly to the intended 10 direction. Since such careless action will, in many cases, dislodge the movable member 11 it is preferred to provide a recess 51 into which the member may be received over its stroke. One end of the recess may be closed, as at 52 and the other end left open. Thus, the user is given a 15 visual indication of the manner in which the movable spout part is to be manipulated between its two positions and the likelihood of erroneous use, as noted above, is virtually eliminated. Although the end wall 52 is redundant with respect to the right hand wall (Fig. 7) 20 of the guide 21 it is preferred that the same be included in order to further the safeguard inherent in the recess 51 in the manner just described.

By recessing the part 30 in the recess 51 any tendency of the walls 32—32 to diverge is substantially counter²⁵ acted, thereby materially supplementing the inter-engagement of the ribs 22—22 and 34---34 and the consequent sealing force between the fixed and movable parts of the device. For clarity in the drawings a working clearance is shown between the walls 32—32 and the adjacent side walls of the recess 51. Such clearance need be only sufficient to permit relatively effortless shifting of the movable part 11 and yet not so great as to allow divergence of the walls 32—32 which, in turn, might result in losing the benefit of the sealing force of the dovetail type ³⁵ of joint.

From the foregoing it will be evident that when one or the other of the two parts of the device are made of inherently resilient material, e.g., polyethylene initial assembly is easily accomplished by forcing the two into ⁴⁰ engagement by momentary distortion of the resilient part whereafter engagement is maintained in the manner illustrated. Obviously, and preferably, both parts may comprise resilient material. The instant concept is ideally adapted to assembly by high speed automatic machinery 45 since the same requires only ordinary orientation of the parts in suitable guide channels and application of thrust to the movable part.

An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 9 to 13 wherein the movable part Ila is arranged 50 for sliding movement in a dovetail groove. In principle the function is as described for the primary embodiment.

Thus the part 11α is provided with a rectangular base 30α having inclined lateral faces 60—60 adapted to be snugly received in complemental faces 61—61 on the 55 inner walls of upstanding ribs 62—62 of the fixed part 10α.

In order to fix the stroke of the movable part between “on” and “off” positions the surfaces 61—61 are terminated at each end by stops 63—63. Desired reinforcement of the ribs 62—62 may be realized in any usual 60 fashion, e.g. by inclusion of buttresses 65.

In this form of the invention supplementation of the sealing action in the region of the protuberance, in the “off” position has been accomplished by a slightly inclined ramp 70 underlying the lower surface of the movable ®5 part 11α. The combined action of the dovetail joint, the ramp 70 and the protuberance 42α results in a warping of the base 30α in a manner to increase the seal at the protuberance.

In both forms of the invention the movable part may be easily shifted by using the nozzle 39 or 39α as a handle. However, as alluded to hereinabove, such nozzle may be eliminated in the case of pulverulent materials which are usually best dispensed through a simple aperture.

³ dovetail as commonly understood. It will be recognized that the slidable connection between the movable and fixed parts of the device is maintained by the interlocking character of the two dovetail elements. Moreover, by forming the sliding joint of a dovetail character, the inclination of the abutting inclined faces of the ribs 34 and 22 may be so arranged and dimensioned as to exert a downward force upon the movable member to supplement the fluid seal between the fixed and movable parts of the device. At this juncture it is to be noted that, in order to allow assembly of the parts 11 and 21 an elastomer, such as polyethylene, is employed. Thus the part 11 may, upon initial assembly, be forced over the guide 21 and thereafter retained in the working relation illustrated. Additionally, many plastic compositions, such as polyethylene, possess a waxy surface thereby facilitating relative sliding movement of the two parts notwithstanding the snug degree of engagement dictated by the function of the parts. Such sliding movement is over a distance limited by abutment of a wall 33 with the guide 21 (Fig. 7).

In practice it has been found that the invention device has been preferred in the exemplificative embodiment namely, including the skirt 12 for adaptation to the neck of a receptacle. When so employed the skirt is made to be a tight fit over the neck and, as so arranged, the skirt is allowed to stretch somewhat. Consequently the wall portions defining the pocket 26 are deformed outwardly and, in particular, the ribs 22—22 are forced outwardly into tight engagement with the ribs 34—34 thus supplementing the retention of the movable part 11.

Guide 21 is provided with a passage 41 affording communication with the interior of the receptacle to which the device is attached and is preferably provided with an annular pad 42 circumscribing the passage and which, being in forcible abutment with the wall 31, serves to seal the opening 41 when the device is in its “on” and “off” positions. Inasmuch as the inclined, contacting faces of the ribs 22—22 and 34—34 are such as to draw the wall 31 into right relation with the pad 42 a relatively high pressure per unit area is achieved and leakage of fluids, even those having extremely low viscosity such as naphtha, simply and reliably precluded.

One of the paramount advantages of my invention resides in that function of the pad 42 whereby it is effective to prevent leakage in both the “on” and “off” positions of the movable part 11. Moreover, it is apparent that if the diameter of the dispensing opening, e.g. the bore of the nozzle 39, measured at the plane of abutment with the pad is greater than the radial width of the pad, i.e. the distance from the periphery of the bore 41 to the outer periphery there is a possibility of leakage when the movable part is in a certain position. I avoid this condition by making such radial distance greater than the said diameter of the dispensing opening but not so large as to detract from the prime consideration namely, the obtaining of high pressure per unit area.

In order to circumvent any tendency of the member 11 to cock about the relatively small bearing zone presented by the upper surface of the pad 42 I prefer to incorporate a second pad 44 having the same elevation as the pad 42 and offset laterally therefrom at the extreme end of the guide 31. Alternatively the upper surface of the guide 21 may, in those cases where the fluid material is of comparatively high viscosity, be made uniformly flat or may be provided with an elongated, rectangular pad.

Any suitable pouring means may be provided on the movable valve part. For example, the same may be a simple opening therein or may, as shown be a nozzle 39 projecting from the upper surface of the member 11 and having a bore 40 which is adapted, in the “on” position to register with the bore 41 and, in the “off” position, moved out of register, as will be apparent. While the nozzle 39 may constitute a handle for shifting the movable part 11 it will be understood that any other means may

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As mentioned above the recess 51 is intended to convey to the user that shifting of the part 11 is in the direction of the lateral walls of the recess. Other modes of accomplishing the desired result are possible. In Figs. 14 to 18 two alternatives are depicted. 5

For example, in Figs. 14 and 15 I have shown the use of restraining abutments 81 in the form of a plurality of upstanding projections adapted to bear lightly on the exterior of the walls 32—32 of the movable part 11 whereby to resist any tendency of the user to shift the 10 same transversely of its proper direction. Preferably the contacting surfaces of the abutments are provided with reduced bearing areas, e.g. in the form of semi-cylinders 82. Moreover the projections 81 may contribute to the fit between the mating dovetail parts by reducing any tendency to diverge which the walls 32-—32 may exhibit.

Another expedient for accomplishing the same purpose is shown in Figs. 16 to 18. In this case a portion of the movable member body-30-is circumscribed by a U-shaped wall 86 adapted, on at least its lateral walls 87—87 to fit snugly, but not in a binding manner, against the body 30. The end wall 88 not only rigidities the lateral walls 87—87 but also acts as an end stop to limit closing movement of the valve. In this example the recess 51 has been omitted.

While I have shown certain embodiments of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.