GB Patent 680254 - An improved method of and device for delivering liquids from sealed cans, and like containers

Claims

What I claim is:-

1. A method of delivering liquid from a sealed can, tin or like container, whereby at least two tubular piercing implements are forced through an end or side wall of the 75 container and secured in position thereon in mutually spaced relation so that one of the tubular implements serves to admit air into the container whilst the other tubular implement forms a delivery tube through 80 which the liquid is delivered from the container when the latter is suitably tilted, and the tubular piercing implements are completely housed in a holder in the form of a casing or hood which is adapted to receive 85 and encase at least that part of the container which is to be pierced by the implements so that the said container part is completely covered prior to being pierced by the implements, thereby protecting the hands of the 90 user from injury by the implements in piercing the container or injury from the edges of the openings formed in the container by the implements.

2. A device for delivering liquid from a 95 sealed can, tin or like container, comprising a holder in the form of a casing or hood provided with a piercing and delivery head and having an opening through which the container is slidably inserted into and withdrawn from 100 the holder, and wherein at least two tubular piercing implements are mounted in mutually spaced relation upon and project inwards from the piercing and delivery head so that the sharpened piercing ends of the implements are completely surrounded and shielded by the walls of the holder and an end or side of the container must be inserted into the holder and completely enclosed and covered thereby in order to bring the corresponding end or side wall of the container into contact with the tubular piercing implements prior to forcing the implements through the said container wall so that one of the tubular implements serves as a delivery 115 tube through which the liquid is delivered from the container when the latter is suitably tilted while the other tubular implement serves as an inlet through which air passes into the container in order to permit the 120 liquid to flow therefrom.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the holder is formed as a casing which is adapted to encase the entire container or substantially the whole of the container 125 inserted therein.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the holder is formed as a short skirted hood 680;254 whichis adapted toengage-and-embrace-only part, eig. the upper end part,-of the container inserted therein.

5. A device as claimed in claim 2 or -3, wherein detent or-latch--means are located at the opening in the holder through which the container is inserted,-,in-order to lock the container in: -position in the holder.

6. A device as claimed--in-claimn 4, whereintheshort skirted hood is:provided with means which are adapted frictionally to engage the container walls and thus retain the hood in position upon, the container in a readily removable manner.

7. A device as claimed in; any of the preceding claims 2g-, 1wherein the- tubular piercing implement forming the liquid delivery tube is connected to, arpouring-spout which is mounted, upon -the: holder of the device- so. as to deliver laterally therefrom; 8. A device as claimed in- claim 7, -wherein the pouring spout and tubular piercing implement forming the delivery tube for -the liquid are formed -as a single unrit 9. A device as-claimed in- claim 7, -wherein the pouring spout -is formned-as, a -separate element and connected, weg. by screwthreaded:means, to- the associated tubular piercing inplement.

10. A device as claimed in claim 7 or 9, wherein the pouring spout forms- a means- for securing the associated tubular piercing implement in position in the holder.

1-. A device as- claimed in any of the preceding claims 2-10, wherein manual 35 control valve means are provided for shutting off the openings created in the container by the- tubular piercing implements, -when so desired.

12. A method- of delivering liquid from a 40 sealed can, tin or like container substantially as: hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

13. A device for delivering 'liquid from a sealed can, tin or:like container substantially 45 as'hereinbefore described with reference to or as shown in- Figs. 1 and 2 or Figs. 3 and 4-or Figs. 5 and-6 or Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A device for carrying into effect the 50; method claimed in claim 1 or 12, substantially as hereinbefore-described with reference to or as- shown in the accompanying-drawings.

D'ated this 17th day of June, 1950.

ALBERT R. WATTS, Chartered Paterxt Agent, 3; Arcadian Avenue, Bexley, Kent, Agent for the Applicant.

Redhill: Printedfor THerMaiesty'i Statfionery OCffice by Love & Malcomson, Ltd.-1952.

Published.-at T-he P-ateit Oice,.-25,-Southanpton-Btiildings; London, W.C.2, -from which copies may be obt/ined.

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Description

P A,,Pi_ V SP E CIfT I N -

PAI#FTS ESPE"CI'FICATION 680,254

Date of Application and filing Complete Specification: June 17, 1950.

No. 15204150.

Complete Specification Published: Oct. 1, 1952.

Index at acceptance:-Classes 21, F(ll:13:15), G(8: 9:13); and 66, Blb.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

An Improved Method of and Device for Delivering Liquids from Sealed Cans, and like Containers I, HERBERT MACDONALD PEARSON, C.B.E., Group Captain, Royal Air Force, of Campden, Cuckfield, Sussex, a British Subject, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:-

The present invention relates to the delivery of liquids from sealed cans and like containers.

It is a common practice to contain liquids in sealed metallic cans, tins and like containers for storage, transport and marketing and the modem tendency is increasingly to use cans and tins for containing liquids, e.g.

beer, mineral waters, fruit juices and other beverages, which formerly were invariably bottled in glass or earthenware bottles or jars.

The canning of liquids is particularly advantageous in cases where the filled containers are intended to be transported over long distances, e.g. by shipment overseas, as the cans weigh less than glass or earthenware bottles of equivalent capacity and are better able to withstand the normal shocks of transport and usage, while the contents can be cooled or heated without undue risk of breaking the containers.

As is known, however, the cost of manufacturing cans, tins or like containers provided with pouring necks or spouts and readily removable caps or stoppers or other closure means is comparatively high, while containers so equipped cannot be packed with maximum space economy. For these reasons the use of sealed cans or tins without pouring necks or spouts and readily removable caps or stoppers or other closure means is steadily increasing.

Now such sealed containers have a drawback in that the liquid contents thereof cannot easily or conveniently be delivered.

If a can opener or piercing tool is used to open the can, the liquid contents must be poured out over the usually jagged edge of the opening so made and without the advantage of a pouring neck- or spout. Thus, the commonly practised mode of delivering the liquid contents of sealed containers often 50 leads to the waste of some part of the liquid and soiling of the user's hands and/or surrounding objects and also involves the appreciable risk of injury to the user which is always present in the use of can-openers 55 and opened cans presenting extremely sharp and/or jagged edges around the pouring opening made therein.

In endeavouring to overcome the above described drawback, it has already been 60 proposed to provide devices for delivering liquid from a sealed can, tin or like container, comprising two tubular piercing implements mounted in mutually spaced relation upon a holder which is adapted to engage the 65 container so that the tu4bular piercing implements are driven through a wall of the container, e.g. the top end wall thereof, and held in position therein when the holder is forcibly engaged with the container, and 70 wherein one of the tubular piercing implements serves as an inlet for air into the container whilst the other tubular piercing implement serves as a delivery tube through which the liquid is delivered from the container when the latter is suitably tilted.

Moreover, in some instances, the tubular piercing implements of the previously proposed devices have had manual control valve means associated therewith and adapted to 80 close the openings created by the tubular piercing implements when so desired, while the tubular piercing implement forming the liquid delivery tube has been formed with or connected to a pouring spout member which 85 extends outwards from the container.

However, all such previously proposed devices of which I am aware have a serious drawback in that the sharpened ends of the tubular piercing implements thereof would be 90 openly exposed to dangerous contact with the fingers and hands of the persons holding the devices before application to the containers, while use of the devices would entail considerable risk of injury to the users 95 through inadvertently catching the fingers or 2 6g0,254 other parts of the hands between the sharpened ends of the tubular piercing implements and tops or side walls of the containers to which the piercing implements must be forcibly applied.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a modified and improved method of and device for delivering liquid from sealed cans, tins and like containers, whereby the risk of personal injury attendant upon the use of devices hitherto proposed for the stated purpose is obviated.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a device for delivering liquid from a sealed container improved means for closing the delivery openings and thus protecting the remaining contents of a partly emptied container.

According to one aspect of the present invention, provision is made of a method of delivering liquid-from a sealed can, tin or like container, whereby at least two tubular piercing implements are forced through an end or side wall of the container and secured in position thereon in mutually spaced relation so that one of the tubular implements serves to admit air into the container whilst the other tubular implement forms a delivery tube through which the liquid is delivered from the container when the latter is suitably tilted, and the tubular piercing implements are completely housed in a holder in the form of a casing or hood which is adapted to receive and encase -at least that part of the container which is to be pierced by the implements so that the said container part is completely covered prior to being pierced by the implements, thereby protecting the hands of the user from injury by the implements in piercing the container or injury from the edges of the openings formed in the container by the tubular implements.

According to another aspect of the present invention, provision is made -of a device for delivering liquid from a sealed can, tin or like containeir, comprising a holder in the form of a casing or hood provided with a piercing and delivery head and having an opening through which the container is slidably inserted into and withdrawn from the holder, and wherein at least two tubular piercing implements are mounted in mutually spaced relation upon and project inwards from the piercing and delivery head so that the- sharpened piercing ends of the implements are completely surrounded and shielded by the walls -of the holder and an end or side of the container must be inserted into the holder and completely enclosed and covered thereby in order to bring the corresponding end or side wall of the container into contact with the tubular piercing implements prior to forcing the implements through the said container wall so that one of the tubular implements serves as a delivery tube through which the liquid is 65 delivered from the container when the latter is suitably tilted while the other tubular implement serves as an inlet through which air passes into the container in order to permit the liquid to flow therefrom. 70 The method of the present invention and constructional forms of devices for carrying the method into effect are hereinafter more particularly described, by way of example and without implied limitation of the scope of 75 the invention, with reference to accompanying drawings in which:Fig. l is a part sectional, side elevational view of one form of device for delivering liquid from a sealed container by the method 80 of the present invention; Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the device looking in the direction of the arrow II (Fig. 1); Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional 85 elevation and plan views respectively of the piercing and delivery head of the device shown in Fig. 1, and: herein modified by the addition of valve means for closing the tubular piercing implements; 90 Fig. 5 is a sectional elevational view of an alternative constructional form of device for delivering liquid from a sealed container by the method of the present invention; Fig. 6 is an elevational view thereof looking 95 -in the direction of the arrow VI (Fig. 5); Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view, in section, of the piercing and delivery head of -another alternative constructional form of device for carrying the method of the present invention into effect, while 100 Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a sealed-can or tin of substantially rectangular shape to which the devices shown in Figs. 1-7 are adapted to be applied.

Referring to Figs. 1-7 of the drawings, 1 105 indicates a holder in the form of a casing which is open at its bottom end and closed at its top- end by a piercing and delivery head 2 which may be made separate from the casing 1 (as shown in Figs. 1-4) or formed integral 110 therewith (as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7).

3 is the air inlet of the device formed by a tubular piercing implement 11 and 4 is the liquid delivery tube of the device formed by a tubular piercing implement 12. 115 In each of the constructional forms of the device shown in the drawings, the casing 1 is of rectangular shape in cross section to accommodate a can of the shape of the can C shown in Fig. 8, but it -will readily be 120 appreciated that the casing 1 may be made of any other cross sectional shape to accommodate cans, tins or other containers of round, oval, square, polygonal or irregular shape in cross section. 125 In the form shown in Figs. -1 and 2, the casing 1 is built up with separate side walls 6 680,254 680,2S4 and end walls 7 and is left open at its bottom end, whilst the top end of the casing is closed by a head plate 9. The casing walls 6 and 7 and head plate 9 are secured together by screws 8 and I0 as shown, and/or by brazing, welding, soldering or adhesive according to the nature of the material from which the parts are made.

The casing walls and/or head plate may be 10. made of any suitable material, e.g. aluminium or an aluminium alloy or other metal or solid setting plastic or wood or hard-pressed paper pulp material or a metallised or plastic coated material.

The head plate 9 is apertured and the apertures tapped for engagement with the screwthreaded upper ends of the tubular piercing implements 11 and 12 which are thus located at the opposite ends of the head plate.

The lower or piercing end of each tubular piercing implement 11 and 12 projects into the casing from the underside of the headplate 9 and is chamfered to form a sharp piercing edge 1la, 12a respectively. The implements 11 and 12 will preferably be made of stainless steel or a bronze base metal. The tubular piercing implement 11 which provides an air inlet for the container pierced thereby extends for a comparatively short distance from the underside of the head plate, whereas the tubular piercing implement 12, which is of larger bore and forms a liquid delivery tube leading from the container pierced thereby, extends downwards to a greater extent from the head plate.

The upper screwthreaded end of the tubular piercing implement 11 extends outwards from the top face of the head plate 9 and is engaged by a screwthreaded locking ring 13, which thus leaves the upper end of the bore of the implement 11 open and unobstructed.

The bore of the piercing implement 11 thus forms the air inlet 3 leading through the headplate 9.

The upper screwthreaded end of the tubular piercing implement 12 also extends outwards from the top face of the headplate 9 and is engaged by a screwthreaded cap -14 which seals off the open upper end of the implement 12.

The bore of the tubular piercing implement 12 is connected intermediate its ends to the inner end of the bore of a pouring spout 15 which projects outwards from the upper end of one end wall 7 of the casing 1. The inner end of the spout 15 is externally screwthreaded to engage a tapped hole 16 which passes through the end plate 7 and end of the headplate 9 in alignment with a hole formed in the side wall of the implement 12.

A sealing gasket 17 of rubber, cork or other suitable resilient material is applied to the underface of the headplate 9 so as to surround the inwardly projecting ends of the piercing implements 11, 12 in liquid sealing relation 65 thereto, and the piercing implement 12 is provided with a ring of drainage holes 18 which pass through the wall thereof below the sealing washer 17.

The lower ends of the side walls 6 of the 70 casing 1 are provided with semicircular openings 19 to enable the container C to be grasped by the fingers of the user's hand and withdrawn from the casing.

The lower ends of the end walls 7 are 75 formed with external clearance recesses 20 to receive spring-loaded pivotal detent or latch members 21 which serve releasably to retain the container C in the casing 1. Each detent 21 is fulcrumed intermediate its ends 80 upon transverse pins 22 which lie in a transverse clearance recess 23 formed in the external surface of the corresponding end wall 7. The fulcrum pins 22 are screwthreaded for engagement with suitably tapped 85 holes in the side plates 6 and the inner plain bearing ends of the pins enter the opposite ends of a bearing hub formed upon the inner side of the detent. The fulcrum pins 22 are surrounded by helical twist springs 24 which 90 act upon the detents 21 so as normally to urge the upper ends of the detents outwards from the end walls 7 of the casing whilst bringing the claws 25 formed at the lower ends of the detents into position beneath the 95 lower end of the container C when the latter is fully inserted in the casing (see Fig. 1).

In making use of the above described device for delivering the liquid contents of the sealed container C, the user will hold 100 the device by grasping the upper ends of the detents 21 between the thumb and fingers of one hand, thus to displace the detents to the position shown in chain dotted outline in Fig. 1. The detent claws 25 are thus withdrawn from the end edges of the opening at the bottom of the casing and it is then possible to insert the top of the container C into the opening and to slide the whole container into the casing. When the top of the container 110 reaches the piercing edge 12a of the tubular piercing implement 12 it will be necessary to apply an end-to-end compressive force to the casing and container, either by compression between the hands of the user or by standing 115 the container upon a firm support and pressing the casing downwards thereon.

When a sufficient compressive force is thus exerted, the implement 12 will pierce the top end wall of the container and enter therein, 120 whereupon the container will slide further into the casing until the top end wall thereof meets the piercing edge Ila of the tubular piercing implement 11. The piercing operation will then be repeated so that the lower 125 ends of both tubular piercing implements enter the container and the latter completes its sliding movement into the casing to bring 680,254 the top end wall of the container into sealing engagement with the sealing gasket 17. The spring-loaded detents 21, when released by the user's fingers, will assume the full line position shown in Fig. 1 and will thus lock the container in position in the casing until the detents are again manipulated by hand and deflected to release the container.

By the method and device above described the container is pierced and opened for delivery of its liquid contents without the risk of injury to the hands of the user of the device.

Furthermore, the opened container is provided with a pouring tube and spout from which the liquid can be poured cleanly and under complete control whilst air is freely admitted to the container. The location of the tubular piercing implement 11 in oppositely disposed, spaced relation to the tubular piercing implement 12 and the arrangement of the inner end of the air inlet provided by the implement 11 comparatively close to the top of the container ensures that the air is admitted to the container above the level of the liquid contained therein when the casing and container are suitably tilted to pour the liquid from the delivery spout 15.

It will be noted that the drainage holes 18 facilitate the delivery of the remaining contents of the almost emptied container.

Furthermore, the casing of the device also protects the user's fingers from injury by inadvertent contact with the sharp and/or jagged edges of the openings made in thecontainer for the delivery of the liquid therefrom and protects the contents of the opened container from undue exposure to the atmosphere.

In cases where it is not desired immediately to pour out the entire liquid contents of a sealed container which has been opened by the method of this invention, it may be of advantage to provide the above described device with manually operable valve means for closing the bores of the air inlet and liquid delivery implements when so desired.

One constructional form of such valve means is disclosed in Figs. 3 and 4 which show a modified form of the piercing and delivery head described above with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the tubular piercing implements 11 and 12 are carried by and securely fixed to a plate 26 which is clamped to the underside of the headplate 9 by screws 27. The headplate 9 is provided with passages 28, 29 which are axially aligned with the bores of the implements 11 and 12 respectively to provide the air inlet and liquid delivery passages respectively.

The underside of the headplate 9 is also provided with a transverse open ended groove which extends across the lower ends of the passages 28, 29 and, in conjunction with the plate 26, forms a slideway and guide for 65 a ported slide valve 31. The slide valve 31 contains valve ports 32, 33 which are positioned to align with the passages 28, 29 respectively when the valve slide is in the full line position shown in the drawings, so that 70 the bores of the tubular piercing implements 11, 12 are in full communication with the passages 28, 29. When the valve slide is displaced to the position shown in chain dotted outline the valve ports 32, 33 are 75 moved away from the passages 28, 29 and the latter completely closed by other parts of the valve slide. Thus, the air inlet and delivery openings formed by the tubular piercing implements may be closed at will. 80 In the alternative constructional form of device as shown. in Figs. 5 and 6 for carrying the method of the invention into effect, the casing 1 and head plate 9 of the piercing and delivery head 2 are made in one piece, e.g. 85 by casting, extruding or pressing a suitable material. In this arrangement the tubular piercing implements 11 and 12 are shouldered and provided with flanges 34, 35 respectively which act as distance pieces and abutments 90 for the sealing gasket 17. The upper screw-threaded end of the tubular piercing implement 11 projects through the headplate 9 and is engaged by a screwthreaded ring or boss 36, while the upper end of the tubular piercing 95 implement 12 is internally screwthreaded and engaged by a screw plug 37 which serves to close the upper end of the bore of the implement 12 and clamp the latter firmly in position. 100 The spout 15 is made as a unitary part of the implement 12 and projects through a clearance slot 7a in the upper part of the end wall 7. The implement 11 and unit 12, 15 may each be built up from welded parts or 105 cast as an integral whole.

In the last described construction, the side walls 6 are provided with finger openings 19 for the purpose above described and the end walls 7 carry detent or latch means at the 110 lower ends thereof in the form of blade springs 38. Each blade spring 38 is inset in a rebated portion 39 of the end wall and is secured thereto by rivets 40. The lower end of each blade spring 38 is turned up at a sharp 115 angle and then turned inwards to provide a claw 41 with an inclined camming surface 42. The camming surfaces 42 of the claws 41 form a flared mouth for the reception of the top end of the container C which will 120 outwardly deflect the spring claws 41 to the position shown in chain dotted outline (Fig. 5) when pushed into the casing.

The manipulation of the last described device is similar to that described with 125 reference to Figs. 1 and 2, except that no individual manipulation of the detent or latch means is required. The detent springs 680,254 38 will part as above described to permit the insertion of the container into the casing and will automatically close in behind the bottom end of the container (as shown in full lines in Fig. 5) when the container is pierced and fully inserted into the casing. In removing the container from the casing, a sharp pull upon the container with the fingers of the user's hand will cam back the claws 41 of the blade springs 38 and force the latter apart to permit the withdrawal of the container.

It is not essential for the pouring spout 15 to project from a side or end wall of the casing of the device and in a further alternative form of device for carrying the method of the invention into effect, as shown in Fig. 7, some simplification in construction and economy in space is achieved by arranging for the pouring spout 15 to project upwards and outwards from the headplate 9 of the casing of the device.

In the last mentioned arrangement, the tubular piercing implements 11 and 12 are provided with annular flanges and formed with screwthreaded upper ends which project outwards through the headplate 9. The projecting upper end of the air-inlet implement 11 is engaged by a screwthreaded ring or boss 36, as in the previously described embodiments, but the upper projecting end of the liquid delivery implement 12 is engaged by the internally screwthreaded collar or base 43 of a spout 15a which serves firmly to clamp the implement 12 in position and is shaped to extend upwards and outwards from the headplate 9.

A sealing gasket 17 is placed in position against the shoulders of the tubular piercing implements as shown.

It will be understood that the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be provided with the detent or latch means shown in Figs. 5 and 6 or vice versa, while the device described with reference to Fig. 7 may be provided with either form of detent means.

Furthermore, the piercing and delivery heads as above described may be used in conjunction with holder or hood means having comparatively short skirts in place of the full length casing 1 shown in the drawings.

Such short skirted holders or hoods could be adapted to make a sliding fit with the end of the container or could be provided with friction shoes or springs, for example, adapted slidably to contact with or clamp around the container in order to maintain the tubular piercing implements in position after piercing the container to which the device is applied.

It will also be understood that while the method and device of this invention are primarily intended for the purpose of conveniently delivering liquids from sealed metallic cans and tins, the invention is also applicable to the delivery of liquids from other containers, made for example of waxed 65 cardboard or plastic, which lack a pouring neck or spout for the clean and efficient delivery of the contents and/or are not provided with a pouring opening and removable closure means for such opening. 70