U.S. patent number 3,583,605 [Application Number 04/792,099] was granted by the patent office on 1971-06-08 for liquid dispensing pump.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Diamond International Corporation. Invention is credited to Douglas F. Corsette.
United States Patent |
3,583,605 |
Corsette |
June 8, 1971 |
LIQUID DISPENSING PUMP
Abstract
A liquid dispensing pump for a portable container in which the
pump piston is disposed for lost motion in the pump cylinder
between the plunger rod and a discharge valve carried by a stem
affixed to the plunger rod and extending through the piston. The
piston has upwardly and downwardly presented elastomeric skirts of
which the lower skirt seats against the discharge valve on the
piston upstroke and the upper skirt seats against a venting valve
at the termination of the upstroke. Both the discharge valve and
the venting valve exert an expanding action on the respective
piston skirts incident to their seating relation with the skirts
under the resilient pressure of the pump spring, to counteract any
shrinking tendency of the skirts, and means are provided for
limiting the expansion of the skirts. The upper and lower ends of
the piston are symmetrically arranged to permit reversal of its
position in the pump.
Inventors: |
Corsette; Douglas F. (Los
Angeles, CA) |
Assignee: |
Diamond International
Corporation (New York, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
25155787 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/792,099 |
Filed: |
January 17, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/321.9;
417/550; 417/470 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04B
53/121 (20130101); B05B 11/3023 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B05B
11/00 (20060101); F04B 53/12 (20060101); F04B
53/10 (20060101); G01f 011/36 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/321,383--385
;417/470,550 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Reeves; Robert B.
Assistant Examiner: Scherbel; David A.
Claims
Having thus described my invention, I claim:
1. In a liquid dispensing pump, a housing defining a pump cylinder,
a breather chamber and a vent communicating with said chamber, said
cylinder being formed with an inlet port into the lower end thereof
and having a check valve operatively associated with said port, a
collar defining the upper end of said housing and formed with a
plunger guide opening therethrough in axial alignment with the
cylinder, an annular venting valve depending from said collar
around said opening, a tubular plunger rod guided for reciprocation
through said opening and defining a discharge passage for the pump,
means for limiting the upward movement of said plunger rod through
the collar, a valve stem affixed to and depending axially from the
plunger rod, a discharge valve carried by said stem in fixedly
spaced relation below the said plunger rod, a spring compressed
between said discharge valve and the lower end of the cylinder to
resiliently urge the plunger rod and discharge valve to fully
raised position, a piston of elastomeric plastic material having a
bore therethrough slidably receiving said stem and defining a
discharge port for the pump in communication with said discharge
passage, said piston having limited axial movement between said
plunger and the discharge valve, the piston having annular
conically tapered upper and lower skirts diverging in opposite
axial directions, respectively, for frictional wiping engagement
with the cylinder wall during the operative piston stroke, said
discharge valve being shaped and proportioned for wedging sealing
reception within said lower piston skirt during and at the
conclusion of the upstroke of the piston whereby to close said
discharge port against back flow of liquid, and said venting valve
being shaped and proportioned for wedging sealing reception within
said upper piston skirt at the conclusion of the piston upstroke,
whereby to seal off said breather chamber from said guide opening,
there being an annular auxiliary seal depending from the said
collar concentrically to said venting valve, said venting valve
expanding said upper piston skirt into sealing engagement with the
auxiliary seal in the fully raised position of the piston.
2. A liquid dispensing pump as defined in claim 1, including an
annular auxiliary seal depending from the said collar
concentrically to said venting valve, said venting valve expanding
said upper piston skirt into sealing engagement with the auxiliary
seal in the fully raised position of the piston.
3. A liquid dispensing pump as defined in claim 1, in which said
upper and lower piston skirts are arranged symmetrically to each
other so that said piston will be operative when assembled within
the cylinder with either of its skirts directed upwardly.
4. A liquid dispensing pump as defined in claim 1 in which said
piston further includes a downwardly projecting sleeve surrounding
said discharge port, said discharge valve including an upwardly
directed skirt having upwardly diverging conical inner surface
around and spaced from the valve stem to function as a valve seat
for sealing engagement with said sleeve on the upstroke of said
piston whereby to prevent the backflow of liquid through the
discharge port, and for unseating during the downward stroke of
said piston to permit free passage of the liquid upwardly from the
cylinder into the discharge port.
5. A liquid dispensing pump as defined in claim 4, in which said
upwardly and downwardly directed sleeves as well as said upper and
lower piston skirts are all symmetrically arranged with respect to
each other whereby to permit inversion of the piston during its
assembly with the other parts of the pump, without adversely
affecting operation of the pump.
6. A liquid dispensing pump as defined in claim 1, in which said
discharge valve is of greater maximum diameter than the piston
whereby to function as a pilot for the piston during its assembly
within the pump cylinder and to prevent damage to the lower piston
skirt during such insertion.
Description
This invention relates to improvements in a reciprocating liquid
dispensing pump of the type such as is customarily fabricated of
plastic materials for use with a portable liquid container.
More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in such a
pump of the class in which the pump piston performs a valving
action, and for this purpose is capable of a limited degree of
movement with respect to the plunger rod into and from seating
relation with a discharge valve fixed to the plunger rod to control
the communication between the pump chamber and a discharge passage
leading through the plunger to the atmosphere. In such a pump when
the plunger is projected to its fully raised position by its
spring, the piston is axially compressed between and in sealing
engagement at its lower and upper ends, respectively, with the
discharge valve aforementioned and with a venting valve which
controls the communication between the interior of the liquid
container and the atmosphere.
In accordance with the present invention, the piston is provided
with outwardly flaring upper and lower piston skirts for operative
engagement with the cylinder wall on the upward or suction stroke
and the downward or compression stroke of the piston,
respectively.
In accordance with one feature of the invention, the lower piston
skirt cooperates with the discharge valve throughout the upward or
suction stroke of the plunger, as well as in the raised position of
the plunger, to seal of the plunger discharge passage from the pump
chamber, while in the raised position of the plunger, the upper
piston skirt cooperates with the venting valve to seal the vent
passage leading from the container to the atmosphere.
The piston is customarily formed of a conventional elastomeric
plastic material and such material generally is subject to
shrinkage due to aging. Shrinkage of the piston skirts is
manifestly undesirable as adversely affecting the sealing and
wiping relationship between the piston skirts and the cylinder
wall.
In the present invention, such shrinking tendency is effectively
counteracted by mutually conforming and arranging the piston skirts
and their associated valves so that when the plunger is fully
raised by the action of its spring, the ensuing seating of the
piston skirts relative to their respective valves produces an
expansion force on the respective skirts. Each of the generally
conically flaring piston skirts is provided with an internal seal
where it is engaged and expanded by the valve. Also in the
preferred embodiment, such expanding action urges the periphery of
at least one such skirt into firm engagement with a surrounding
sealing surface to provide an external seal.
Further important features consist in facilitating the assembly of
such a pump by forming the piston and its associated parts in a
manner such that the opposite ends of the piston are symmetrically
formed, thereby permitting reversal or inversion of the piston
without affecting its operation; and in arranging the plunger
discharge valve for engagement with the cylinder wall in advance of
the piston, whereby to serve as a combined pilot and protector for
the downwardly directed piston skirt during its assembly into the
cylinder and thereafter, during use of the pump, to remove from the
wall of the cylinder any solid materials which may have been
prepicitated or coated thereon from the product being
dispensed.
In accordance with a still further feature of the invention, the
piston, though it encircles the valve stem of the discharge valve,
is relatively spaced therefrom to permit free flow of liquid
upwardly into the plunger discharge passage during the plunger
compression stroke and also to permit a free floating action of the
piston with respect to the valve stem whereby the piston may
readily accommodate itself to positions in which it effectively
achieves its valving and sealing functions.
The foregoing features and advantages are incorporated in and
attained by the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated
in the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a vertical cross section through a liquid dispensing pump
in accordance with the invention, the pump plunger being shown in
its fully raised position in which both the discharge passage
through the plunger and the vent passage externally of the plunger
are sealed to prevent escape of the contents from the container,
(the latter being shown fragmentarily in broken lines).
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but with the plunger shown at
the start of its downward or discharge stroke in which the vent
passage and also the plunger discharge passage are open.
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but with the plunger fully
depressed at the end of its discharge stroke.
FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIGS. 2 and 3, but with the plunger at
the start of its upper or suction stroke with the piston seated on
the discharge valve to close the discharge passage while leaving
the vent passage open.
FIG. 5 is a detailed cross section in the same plane as the other
Figures showing a modified arrangement of the discharge valve.
Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings, and referring
first to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the pump of the invention is
adapted for application to a portable container such as a bottle,
the upper end of which is depicted in broken lines in FIG. 1. The
pump structure comprises a pump cylinder 10 which is supported
through an opening in the container cap 12 and depends into the
container interior. The pump plunger or plunger assembly comprises
a tubular plunger rod 14 defining a discharge passage 16 leading to
a suitable external discharge head 18 through which the plunger is
adapted to be reciprocated by intermittent downward pressure on the
plunger head. Return or upward movement of the plunger is produced
by the usual plunger spring 20.
The plunger includes a combination valve and piston 22 which is in
frictional wiping engagement with the cylinder wall and which has a
limited degree of longitudinal movement relative to the plunger rod
for movement into and from operative engagement with a discharge
valve 24 affixed to the plunger rod 14 and controlling the
discharge port 26 through the piston 22. When the plunger is fully
projected to its raised position by its spring 20, the valve piston
22 is compressed between and thus operatively engaged or seated
against both the discharge valve 24, and a venting valve 28. In
this position the discharge valve prevents passage of the product
through the plunger discharge passage to the atmosphere, and the
venting valve prevents passage of the product externally of the
plunger to the atmosphere.
Referring now in more detail to the various parts and their
interrelationships, the pump cylinder 10 depends into the container
through its neck and is encircled by an annular flange 30 through
which the cylinder is positioned and supported on the upper end of
the neck. The flange 30 is secured against the neck by means of the
top wall 32 of the conventional container cap 12 which is threaded
on or otherwise applied to the container. Preferably, a sealing
liner or gasket 32 is interposed between the supporting flange and
the container neck.
The housing also comprises a radially enlarged annular wall 34
which projects upwardly through an opening in the container cap and
which has applied thereto a collar 36 defining a centrally located
guide opening 38 through which the plunger rod is guided for
reciprocation and having sufficient clearance with the plunger rod
to avoid binding thereof as well as to permit a flow of air from
the atmosphere inwardly into a venting or breather chamber 40
jointly defined by the wall and collar. In the operation of the
pump, atmospheric air is admitted through the guide opening 38 and
breather chamber 40 and thence through one or more vents 42 in the
upper portion of the cylinder wall into the container interior to
replace the liquid product which is withdrawn from the container by
the pump.
The collar 36 in the instant embodiment is provided with a wall 44
encircling and fitted around the upwardly projecting wall 34 of the
breather chamber and has an annular rib 46 abutting against and
preferably welded or cemented to the upper end of the wall 44. The
concentric walls 44, 34 also may be cemented or welded together in
fluidtight manner.
Depending from the collar 36 around the guide opening 38 is the
venting valve 28 which may also include an auxiliary annular seal
48 which depends into the breather chamber 40 for cooperation with
the piston in a manner hereinafter described. The tubular plunger
rod 14 as above mentioned, is guided for reciprocation through the
guide opening 38 with substantial clearance to permit the inflow of
air through said opening. The plunger rod 14 defines an internal
discharge passage 16 for the product extending from the discharge
port 26 through the piston upwardly to the generally conventional
discharge head 18 on its upper or exterior end and through which
the product is discharged, as by spraying into the atmosphere. The
discharge head illustrated in the instant embodiment is a spray
head of the type more fully disclosed in the U.S. Pat. to Rex C.
Cooprider No. 3,319,894, granted May 16, 1967. Such a spray head
generally is provided with an upwardly presented finger piece 50,
conveniently conform to receive intermittent finger pressure, the
pressure being alternately applied to depress the plunger and then
to permit its upward return projection by virtue of the action of
the plunger spring 20. Upward projection of the plunger rod is
suitably limited as by means of upwardly presented shoulder 54
around the plunger rod disposed for abutting engagement with a
downwardly presented shoulder within the guide opening 38 of the
plunger.
Affixed to and projecting downwardly from the plunger rod is a
valve stem 56 which carries the discharge valve 24 at its lower end
in spaced relation from the lower end of the plunger rod 14. In the
preferred embodiment, the valve stem 56 is frictionally fitted into
the downwardly opening plunger discharge passage into engagement
with a positioning shoulder 58 in such passage and the discharge
passage, in turn, comprises a series of bypass grooves 60 extending
downwardly around the valve stem.
The discharge valve 24 is of downwardly diverging frustoconical
external configuration and is provided with radially outwardly
projecting base 62 in operative sliding engagement with the
cylinder wall, but arranged to permit the free flow of product
therepast into the piston discharge port 26.
Thus in the arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, the annular
base or pilot portion 62 of the discharge valve 24, though adapted
for wiping engagement with the inner wall of the piston, is
interrupted by one or more grooves 64 through which liquid product
is free to pass upwardly for entrance into the discharge port 26
and passage 16 during the downstroke of the piston, all as
indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2.
In an alternative arrangement as shown in FIG. 5, the base or pilot
portion 62' of the discharge valve is of complete annular
configuration and there are provided one or more passages 64'
extending upwardly through the interior of the valve and opening
radially outwardly into the pump cylinder between the pilot portion
62 and the piston 22.
It will be noted that the plunger spring 20 is compressed between
the discharge valve 24 and the lower end of the pump cylinder
around the intake port 66. The intake port 66 is controlled by a
usual check valve 68 and communicates with the bottom of the
container by way of a dip tube 70 of which only the upper end
portion is illustrated. Preferably the lower end of the spring
rests on an annular ledge 72 in the cylinder concentric to the
inlet port 66 and is provided with a constricted lower end
convolution 74 positioned to permit but a limited amount of
unseating of the check valve.
The discharge port 26 of the piston is defined by a bore
therethrough through which the discharge valve stem 56 is received
with substantial clearance so as to permit a flow of the product
upwardly between the stem and the wall of the bore into the hollow
piston rod 14 and to permit a limited amount of floating movement
or displacement of the piston relative to the valve stem. The
frictional engagement between the piston 22 and cylinder wall
causes the piston to lag behind the piston rod at the inception of
each stroke, until the lost motion between the piston and piston
rod is taken up.
The range of relative lost motion between the piston and piston rod
is determined and limited by the oppositely axially presented stop
shoulders 76 and 78 of the piston, adapted for alternate abutting
engagement with the lower end of the plunger rod and the discharge
valve, respectively.
Sealed communication between the discharge port 26 of the piston
and the plunger discharge passage 16 is maintained at all times
through a sealed telescoping connection between the piston and
plunger rod, and defined in the present instance by an upwardly
projecting sleeve 80 carried by the piston around the discharge
port 26 and preferably formed with a radially projecting lip which
is received in snug fluidtight sliding relation within an enlarged
cylindrical socket 82 constituting the lower end of the discharge
passage through the plunger rod.
The inner sealing rib 28 of the annular venting valve is
proportioned for wedging reception within the conically upwardly
flaring piston skirt 84 to exert a radial expansive force on this
skirt when the skirt is urged upwardly by the discharge valve and
plunger spring in the fully raised position of the plunger. The
inner surface of the skirt thus is in sealed relation with the
annular sealing rib around its entire circumference. At the same
time, the expansive action of the rib on the skirt urges its outer
peripheral outer edge portion into sealing engagement with the
encircling outer or auxiliary sealing rib 48 of the vent valve. The
coaction between the venting valve and the piston therefore, is
such as to effect an efficient fluidtight seal preventing
communication of the breather chamber 40 and vent 42 with the guide
opening 38 through the collar 36. Also throughout the upward stroke
of the piston the upper annular end of the exteriorly conical
discharge valve 24 will abut against the downwardly directed
annular stop shoulder 78 of the piston, while the downwardly
flaring outer surface portion of the valve will be in wedging
sealed engagement with the inner conical surface of the conically
downwardly flaring lower piston skirt 88. At the same time, the
depending lower sleeve 90 of the piston will have its radially
outwardly projecting lip disposed in sealed engagement with the
downwardly converging inner conical wall of the discharge valve 24.
Thus it will be apparent that a double seal is effected between the
piston and the discharge valve throughout and at the conclusion of
the upward stroke of the piston.
The annular abutment shoulders 76 and 78 within the piston are
axially located for alternate axial abutment with the annular lower
end of the piston rod and the annular upper end of the discharge
valve respectively, to transmit reciprocation from the plunger to
the piston with a limited degree of lost motion sufficient to
effect the desired valving action of the piston. The respective
stop shoulders are located to engage the associated ends in time to
prevent direct axial abutment of the outwardly flaring end edges of
the piston skirts 84 and 88 with either the collar or the pilot
portion 64 of the discharge valve 24, thereby avoiding possible
damage to the skirts and impairment of their sealing engagement
with the cylinder wall.
During shipment and storage of the filled containers equipped with
the dispensing pump of the invention, the upper external end of the
plunger including its discharge head will normally be covered by a
protective overcap 92 (shown in FIG. 1) removably affixed to the
collar in conventional manner to avoid inadvertent depression or
reciprocation of the fully projected or raised plunger and to
protect same against damage. In the fully raised position of the
plunger with the protective overcap 92 applied in the manner shown
in FIG. 1, the pressure of the plunger spring 20 against the
discharge valve 24 will have fully projected the discharge valve 24
and plunger rod 14 to the full limit permitted by the stop
shoulders 54 of the plunger rod and will thus have axially
compressed the piston 22 between and in seated relation with
respect to both the discharge valve 24 and the venting valve 28.
The discharge valve will thus bar the admission of the liquid
product from the pump chamber into the discharge port 26 and
passage 16. The seating of the piston 22 with respect to the
venting valve 28 will bar the escape of the liquid product from the
container upwardly through the vent 42 and breather chamber 40 for
escape or leakage through the collar guide opening 38 around the
plunger rod.
At the commencement of the downward plunger stroke as shown in FIG.
2, the initial downward movement of the plunger rod 14 and
discharge valve 24 will serve first to unseat the discharge valve
from the piston 22, the latter remaining stationary within the
cylinder until such time as its upper stop shoulder 76 is engaged
by the downwardly presented end of the plunger rod, whereupon the
upper skirt 84 of the piston is unseated from the vent valve 28 to
commence its downward movement with the rest of the plunger
assemble. Unseating of the discharge valve 24 will permit upward
flow of the produce from the pump chamber (as shown by the arrows
in FIG. 2) between the lower piston skirt 88 and the exterior
conical face of the discharge valve 24, thence, over the upper end
of the discharge valve and back downwardly on the inner face
thereof, around and beneath the beaded lower edge of the depending
piston sleeve 90 and thence upwardly through the piston discharge
port 26 between the piston and valve stem 56 and upwardly through
the discharge passage 16 to be expelled into the atmosphere through
the discharge head 18.
The ensuing opening of the venting valves 28, 48 will then permit
airflow either inwardly through the collar guide opening 38, thence
through the chamber 40 and vent 42 to the container interior or
vice versa, as necessary for pressure equalizing purposes.
The discharge valve 24 will remain unseated throughout the
continuation of the downward or compression plunger stroke, until
the plunger is in its fully depressed position, substantially as
shown in FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings, to permit discharge
of the contents of the pump chamber until the completion of such
stroke.
In FIG. 4, the plunger is shown shortly after it has commenced its
return or upward stroke under the influence of the plunger spring
20. It will be understood that at the very inception of such
stroke, the piston 22 will have remained stationary until the
discharge valve 24 has moved upwardly sufficiently to engage the
downwardly presented piston stop shoulder 78, following which the
piston will be caused to move upwardly together with the rest of
the plunger assembly. Such initial lost motion or upward movement
of the plunger rod 14 and discharge valve 24 relative to the piston
22, will have brought the outer conical surface of the discharge
valve into sealing engagement with the inner conical surface of the
lower piston skirt 88 and, at the same time, will have caused the
downwardly converging inner conical surface of the discharge valve
to sealingly engage the lower end of the lower piston sleeve 90 to
afford a second seal, whereby the entry of fluid into the
downwardly opening discharge port 26 through the piston will be
effectively prevented.
Throughout the entire upward or suction stroke of the plunger, the
discharge port and passage will thus remain closed so that the
piston may suck the liquid product upwardly through the dip tube 70
and intake port 66 past the check valve 68 and into the pump
chamber, to be expelled on the next downward or compression stroke
of the plunger assembly.
At the conclusion of the upward stroke, the various parts will
again be in the position illustrated in FIG. 1, with both the
discharge valve 24 and the venting valve 28, 48 in seating relation
with the piston.
It is to be noted that in the preferred embodiment of the invention
as herein illustrated, the opposite axial ends of the piston are
symmetrically arranged with respect to a radial plane bisecting the
piston, so that when the various piston parts are assembled by
sliding the piston 22 on to the valve stem 56 and then press
fitting the upper end of this stem into the lower end of the
discharge passage 16 of the plunger rod, it is immaterial which end
of the piston is first placed on the valve stem, due to their
identical construction and proportioning.
It will be noted that the upwardly projecting sealing sleeve 80 of
the piston cooperates with the enlarged cylindrical socket 82 in
the lower end of the piston rod to maintain a telescoping sliding
seal effective in all relative positions of the piston and plunger
rod to prevent leakage therethrough from the plunger discharge
passage 16 into the breather chamber 40. Thus, when the plunger is
in its fully raised position and loaded with the liquid product,
following the completion of a dispensing operation, the product is
barred from escaping into the annular space then existing between
the lower end of the plunger rod and the upper piston skirt 84 to
leak upwardly and outwardly through the plunger guide opening 38 of
the collar.
In the sealing or closed position of the venting valve 28, 48 shown
in FIG. 1, the outer conical surface of the inner sealing sleeve 28
of the collar is wedgingly received in the inner conical face of
the upper piston skirt 84, forcing it radially outwardly into
engagement with the surrounding outer collar sleeve 48, thus
effecting inner and outer seals, while, at the same time, limiting
undesired stretching of the skirt 84. The upper skirt is thus
retained at the desired dimensions for proper cooperation with the
cylinder wall throughout each upward stroke of the plunger.
At the same time, the outer sealing surface of the discharge valve
24, by virtue of being thrust upwardly by spring pressure into the
downwardly converging conical lower piston skirt 88, will tend to
resiliently expand the latter until such time as the upper end of
the discharge valve is engaged by the downwardly presented stop
shoulder 76 of the piston, thereby providing a tight seal and
urging the lower edge of the piston skirt 88 outwardly into sealing
engagement with the cylinder wall.
The expansive force of the spring 20, therefore, will be utilized
as long as the plunger is in its fully raised position to maintain
both skirts of the piston in fully expanded condition and thus, to
counteract any tendency toward shrinking through aging of the
plastic as well as to maintain over long periods of time an
efficient fluidtight seal between the piston and its respective
cooperative valves.
The annular guide portion 62 or 62' of the discharge valve, being
of comparatively stiff structure as compared to the wiping edges of
the piston skirts, prevents undue buildup of precipitates or
coatings on the cylinder wall arising from product aging or
instability and, further, such guide or pilot portion serves as a
guard and lead-in for the piston during insertion of the plunger
into the cylinder incident to assembly of the pump. Thus, damage
and/or deformation of the comparatively frail lower edge of the
piston skirt are avoided during assembly of the pump components.
Moreover, when the various components of the plunger are assembled
prior to insertion of the plunger into the cylinder, the leading or
lower end edge of the plunger skirt will similarly be protected by
the pilot portion of the discharge valve during handling and
storage of such subassemblies.
Not only does the lower piston sleeve 90 engage and disengage the
conical inner surface of the discharge valve 24 to thus perform its
valving function in concert with the piston lower skirt 78, but, in
addition, it provides an especially positive seal on the upward or
suction stroke of the plunger, at which time the greater pressure
above the plunger tends to expand the sleeve radially outwardly
into sealing engagement with the valve. Moreover, because of its
expansive action as above described, the said sleeve will serve
efficiently to bar the ingress of atmospheric air from the
discharge passage 16 into the container due to increases in
barometric pressure or to decreases of the internal pressure within
the container.
* * * * *