U.S. patent number 3,746,200 [Application Number 05/171,092] was granted by the patent office on 1973-07-17 for plastic jerry can.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Justrite Manufacturing Co.. Invention is credited to Frank S. Flider.
United States Patent |
3,746,200 |
Flider |
July 17, 1973 |
PLASTIC JERRY CAN
Abstract
An all-plastic "Jerry Can" is made with a recessed handle and a
screw-top opening. A breather tube extends from the highest part of
the inside of the can, through the recessed plastic handle, to a
point on the upper ledge surface of the single screw-top opening
which point is sealed by the cap, when in place. When the cap is
removed, air may pass from the exposed end of the breather tube and
into the highest part of the can, thereby allowing the gasoline or
other fluid to flow smoothly from the can, without surging caused
by the successive creation and breaking of a vacuum pocket inside
the container.
Inventors: |
Flider; Frank S. (Chicago,
IL) |
Assignee: |
Justrite Manufacturing Co.
(Chicago, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
22622490 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/171,092 |
Filed: |
August 12, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/10; 222/468;
222/482; 222/466; 222/479; 215/46; 215/375; 215/398 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
25/385 (20130101); B65D 21/0231 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
21/02 (20060101); B65D 25/38 (20060101); B65d
011/10 (); B65d 021/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/466,467,468,479,482
;215/1C,10,1R,1A |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
661,164 |
|
Jul 1965 |
|
BE |
|
367,104 |
|
Mar 1963 |
|
CH |
|
Primary Examiner: Norton; Donald F.
Claims
I claim:
1. A safety container comprising an all plastic wall having a
continuously closed inner surface terminating at a threaded
neck-like opening having an upper ledge surface at the top thereof,
a handle and fin combination integrally formed in the outer surface
of the wall,
at least one handle supplement attached to said fin,
a breather tube extending from the interior of said wall, through
the handle to the upper ledge surface of the neck-like opening,
said breather tube extending from the point of the container which
is the highest geometric point inside the container when it is
tipped to a pouring position,
said breather tube and neck-like opening sealed by a cap threaded
into said opening and opening when the cap opens.
2. The container of claim 1 wherein said highest geometric point is
formed by said all-plastic wall having an upstanding contoured part
giving a high fluid level inside the container which is above the
level of the pouring neck when the container is resting in a
storage position, whereby an air pocket is formed inside said
container, said breather tube extending from said upstanding
contoured part.
3. The container of claim 1 wherein the bottom of said container
has integrally molded feet formed therein, and means on the top of
said container shaped to receive said feet in cleated interlock
when said container are stacked vertically.
4. The container of claim 1 wherein said handle supplement is an
injection molded plastic piecepart, there being two of said handle
supplements, one being attacked to either side of said fin.
5. The container of claim 4 wherein each of said handle supplements
is a glass fiber filled nylon material, or the equivalent
thereof.
6. The container of claim 5 wherein each of said handle supplements
has trusses molded therein for giving added strength.
7. The container of claim 4 wherein said handle supplements and the
bottom of said containers have complementary cleating parts molded
therein, whereby the containers are interlocked when one is stacked
atop another.
8. The safety container comprising an all-plastic wall having a
continuously closed inner surface terminating at a threaded
neck-like opening having an upper ledge surface at the top
thereof,
a handle and fin combination integrally formed in the outer surface
of the wall,
a breather tube extending from the interior of said wall, through
the handle to the upper ledge surface of the neck-like opening,
said breather tube extending from the point of the container which
is the highest geometric point inside the can when it is tipped to
a pouring position,
said breather tube and neck-like opening sealed by a cap threaded
into said opening and opening when the cap opens said fin being
integral with and extending from the neck to the handle, and said
breather tube is completed at the neck end by a passageway
extending from said ledge through the fin to the tube in the
handle.
9. The container of claim 8 wherein said cap has a lip edge which
projects over said ledge opening thereby sealing said breather tube
opening when said cap is tightened in position in said opening.
Description
This invention relates to plastic safety cans or containers and
especially -- although not exclusively -- to containers for
inflammable fluids, and more particularly to the so-called "Jerry
Can" usually associated with military application.
Containers for inflammables usually have prescribed safety
specifications, which are enforced by governmental, industrial, or
trade agencies. In the case of military specifications, the
containers must also meet very rigidly prescribed specifications,
very often dating back many years. For example, in the case of the
so-called "Jerry Can," the original specifications were written, at
least as early as World War II, and as a result, they are drawn to
steel cans having particular types of hardware associated
therewith. Thus, there has been little improvement in "Jerry Cans"
during the last 25 or 30 years. Accordingly, there is a growing
need for updating the techniques used to make the cans so that new
and superior materials may be used and, at the same time, the cost
may be lowered.
Thus, the improved "Jerry Can" must meet or exceed the existing
military specifications. Ideally, it appears that some of the newer
plastics may have the best opportunity to advance the state of this
heretofore static art. For example, the steel containers have
drawbacks in that they were not only expensive to make, but
hazardous in explosive atmospheres, and short-lived in use. They
tended to rust, corrode, or otherwise deteriorate. They create
hazardous sparks and deface the surfaces which they contact.
Moreover, when the cans are bumped or dropped, they sometimes leak
air and thereafter fail while in service.
Another problem which has been encountered in the manufacture of
"Jerry Cans" and similar containers relates to the storability of
filled containers. They should be designed so that they may stack
neatly and stably in a service or warehouse area. The cans should
fit together when placed side by side, front to back, and top to
bottom, and there should be a minimum amount of waste space.
Moreover, when so stacked, the aggregate of cans should be a stable
mechanical arrangement. There should be very little danger that a
can on the top of the stack would fall off if the entire stack is
shook or jarred.
If the can is a heavy one, such as the conventional 5-gallon "Jerry
Can," for example, it should be easy to handle and to manipulate
while pouring gasoline into or out of the can. The handle should be
arranged to withstand a severe pull, such as the 800-pound pull.
This is an exacting requirement for a plastic can.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide plastic
containers having new and improved characteristics which meet the
military specifications for a "Jerry Can."
Another object of the invention is to provide a can having a
completely internal venting system, controlled from a single
screw-type cap.
Yet another object of the invention is to prevent surging during
the pouring of gasoline from a plastic "Jerry Can," which surging
might otherwise occur if vacuum pockets build in the emptying
can.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an all-plastic
"Jerry Can" which may be manufactured by blow-molding techniques.
Here, an object is to provide a can having an internal breather
vent inherently molded therein.
A further object of the invention is to provide a "Jerry Can" which
stacks uniformly and stably.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a low-cost,
explosion-resistant, automatically venting gasoline can.
These and other objects are accomplished by a blow molded,
all-plastic "Jerry Can" having a completely plastic wall, with an
integral handle molded thereon. Molded adjacent the handle is an
opening, terminating in screw threads for receiving a cap having a
peripheral lip thereon. A breather tube is molded inside the handle
to extend from the highest point inside the can (when tipped to a
pouring condition) to the screw threaded opening. Thus, when the
screw cap is tightened against its lip, it seals both the gasoline
within the can and outside vent of the breather tube, to prevent
escape of explosive or inflammable fumes from the can.
The nature of a preferred embodiment of the invention for
accomplishing these and other objects may be understood best from a
study of the following description of the attached drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the top of the inventive "Jerry
Can";
FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the inventive "Jerry Can",
showing the bottom with a gripping and lifting portion molded
therein, showing the top with the handle, and showing in cross
section the screw type opening;
FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the "Jerry Can";
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 2,
showing the breather vent in the handle portion;
FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view showing the feet on the can and the
bottom handle, forming part of the lifting arrangement;
FIG. 6 is (i) a side elevation view of one of two supplemental
handles used in combination with the integrally molded handle and
(ii) how two cans stack top to bottom; and
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of the front of a can having the
handle shown in FIG. 6, and taken along line 7--7 thereof.
The principal elements in FIG. 1 and 2 are an all-plastic,
preferably blow-molded container 20, having thereon a handle
arrangement 21. The container 20 is filled and emptied by pouring
fluids through a screw threaded necklike opening 22 which is
integrally molded in the container 20. Preferably, this opening is
internally threaded to receive the conventional "Jerry Can"
cap.
The plastic container 20 may be formed by any suitable means --
such as blow-molding inside a mold cavity formed by two-piece
parts, with a parting line which is thickened, in part, to form an
upstanding fin or rib 24 and handle 25. For strength and support,
the fin 24 may be made integral with the neckline opening 22 and
with a rising portion of the can, shown in 26. The handle 25 is
fairly massive structure in the order of an inch in diameter.
Means are provided for preventing the formation of vacuum pockets
in the can. More particularly, formed within a handle is
longitudinally molded breather tube 30 which extends from point 31,
in the interior of the can, at the highest portion thereof, to a
point 32 in fin 24, near the threaded opening 22. A hole 33 is
drilled at an angle from the ledge forming the top of opening 22,
through the fin 24, and into the molded breather tube opening 30.
In this manner, air may pass into the highest part of the can 26
via the path traced from the opening 31, through the hollow tube
30, and the drilled hole 33 to the opening 35 on the top ledge of
the neck 22.
The conventional "Jerry Can" cap 36 has screw threads which fit
into the internal threads 34 inside the neck opening 22. When this
cap 36 is tightly drawn into its closed position, its lip covers
the opening 35 of hole 33 and prevents any escape of vapors from
the inside of the can. A gasket 37 may be provided to complete the
seal at the top of the neck 22 and opening 35. However, when the
cap 36 is unscrewed, the top 35 of opening 33 is exposed to the
atmosphere, so that air may pass freely from outside the can to the
inside of the can.
Thus, as the can is tipped to pour, a space is formed in the high
part 26 of the can 20 where air must displace the fluid poured from
the container if a vacuum pocket is to be avoided. Since air may be
drawn in through the opening 35 and the tube 33, no vacuum is
formed, and the fluid pouring from the container flows smoothly,
without surges.
Means are provided for enabling the "Jerry Can" handles to
withstand the severe pulling test required by the military
specifications. In greater details, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, two
supplemental handle sections are made from a very strong plastic or
other material, such as a glass-fiber filled nylon. Preferably,
these handle supplements are injection molded pieceparts. Each of
the handle supplements comprises a series of strengthening ridges,
such as 40, and a series of openings 41-45. These openings are
arranged in position to meet with and be superimposed over
similarly situated openings 46-50 (FIG. 2) in the blow-molded
plastic can.
Accordingly, it is a fairly simple matter to attach the fiberglass
handle supplements by placing a piecepart similar that shown in
FIGS. 6, 7, on opposite sides of the fin 24. A rivet is passed
through an opening 41 on the left handle supplement, opening 46 on
the blow-molded fin part, and an opening 41 on the right handle
supplement. Thereafter, handle supplement rivets are used in a
similar manner to attach the handle supplements of FIG. 6 on
opposite sides of the blow-molded handle 25. More particularly, as
shown in FIG. 1, the fiberglass handle 51a is on the right and the
fiberglass 51b is on the left. The rivets 52-56, used for attaching
the two handle supplements, are clearly seen in the drawing. The
strength of these handle supplements, together with a multiplicity
of attachment points, makes a strong and rigid structure capable of
withstanding very severe pull tests.
Means are provided for enabling the cans to stack easily and stably
when in storage. More particularly, FIG. 6 and 7 use dotted lines
60, 61 to show how the bottom of the top can fits into the top of
the bottom can when two cans are stacked, one above the other. The
details of this arrangement may be best understood by a comparison
of the FIGS. 6, 7 and 5 (which is a bottom plan view) with FIG. 2,
which shows the hand grip 68 in side elevation.
More particularly, the bottom of the can is molded with six feet
62-67 which raise the can above any floor or other flat surface on
which it is resting, allowing air to circulate underneath it. The
feet 64, 65 also provide stable points for making a cleated
connection between the top and the bottom of two stacked cans.
Adjacent the end of the bottom of the can which is held by the
person who is pouring fluid from the can, is an arched or recessed
grip portion 68, adapted to receive the fingers of one hand. Thus,
it is easy to pour from the can by holding the handle 25, or one of
the handle supplements 51, with one hand and by holding the area 68
with fingers of the other hand. As best seen in FIG. 6, the
finger-gripping area 68 rises above a mating contour where rivet 56
passes through by the upstanding tabs on the blow-molded container
20 and on the handle supplements 51. The feet portions 64, 65 fit
down into recesses 70, 71 in the handle supplements 51 (FIG. 1).
These intermeshing feet and recessed configurations cleat together
when two cans are stacked vertically, thereby adding greatly to the
stability of the stack.
Among other things, the described structure enables the use of
plastic parts and provides a stronger "Jerry Can." For example, the
can may be dropped from greater heights than steel cans and yet not
break or spill. There is a resistance to dents, and if dentally or
subjected to mechanical abuse, any deformation of the can body
tends to disappear when the deforming force is removed. This would
not be true of a steel can. Plastic has great strength, it resists
dents, and it is cooler in handling. The method used for attaching
the handle supplement to the upstanding fin makes a good, strong,
and durable connection without piercing the walls of the container.
There are no spot welds which may break or give way under use (as
might occur on steel cans). If any hardware parts are used, they
may be dip coated with plastic to preclude exposure bare metal
surfaces which rust, corrode or generate sparks.
While the principles of the invention have been described above in
connection with specific embodiments, apparatus, and applications,
it should be understood that this description is here made only by
way of example. It is not to be construed as a limitation upon the
scope of the claims. Therefore, the appended claims are to be
construed to cover all equivalent structure falling within the true
scope and spirit of the invention.
* * * * *