US2844893A - Containers - Google Patents

Description

July 29, 1958 J. KELLER CONTAINERS Filed March 20, 1953 v INVENTOR. JOSEP H KELLER ATTORNEYS.

CONTAINERS Joseph Keller, Flushing, N. Y.

Application March 20, 1953, Serial No. 343,641

4 Claims. (Cl. 40-4) This invention relates to containers, and more particularly to containers such as bottles or prescription vials commonly used by pharmacists to contain prescribed medicines and where it is necessary to individually label each bottle. Often when such prescriptions are renewed, the label must be changed and given a new number and date.

An object of the invention is to provide a container to which the label may be attached without glue and wherein the label is covered by a transparent protective member.

Another object is to provide a container of the class described, the protective member covering the label being part of the container.

A further object is to provide a container wherein the label is protected by a sleeve which always remains associated with the container yet permits the label to be changed at will without disassociating the sleeve and container.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification which discloses, by way of example, prescription vials embodying several forms of the invention.

It will be understood that this disclosure is illustrative and not limitative of the invention which is as defined by the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a container embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2, 2, Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front view of the container, Figures 1 and 2, with a label in place;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of construction of the container, Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of construction of the container, Figure 1; V

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of construction of the container, Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of construction of the container, Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a vertical plan view of the container, Figure 7;

Figure 8A is a transverse sectional view of the line 8a, Figure 8; and

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of container embodying the invention.

The body of the vial may be made of any suitable material, such as glass, plastic, wood or metal, and same may be blown, molded, cast, or fabricated in any suitable manner. The body may be of opaque material, or both it and the protective member overlying the label may be of plastic.

In the illustrations here given, it will be understood that the bodies and protective members are made of transparent plastic material, and while shown as circular in cross section, may be of any other desired shape.

Referring to Figure 1, the body member of a vial has the cylindrical outer wall 10 closed by the bottom 11,

Yates Patent 0' 2,844,893 Patented July 29, 1958 forming a chamber 12, into which the material to be dispersed is placed via neck 13 in open communication therewith.

It will be noted that the cylindrical wall 10 is outwardly smooth from end to end, and at each end thereof is placed annular flat rings 14, 15. Surrounding these rings and surrounding the body therebetween as shown is the label-retaining member 16, which comprises a sleeve of transparent material, the inner wall 17, of which is spaced apart from the outer wall 18, of the body leaving the label space 19, therebetween.

A slot 20 is made in the sleeve 16 to permit a label shown at 21, Figure 2, to be inserted into the space 19. The end 22 of this label may be snapped below the stop 23, but can be easily disengaged therefrom and the entire label pulled out of 'slot 20, in case it is desired to change the label.

It will be noted that label 21 is easily placed, requires no glue, is clearly visible and protected from dirt, etc., and is easily removed and replaced, and that the means for securing the label in place constitutes part of the container.

The container, Figures 1 and 2, complete with label or sleeve 16 or 15 may be integral with 10, and 14 integral with 16. Any arrangement may be used provide the label space 19.

If desired, the container, Figure 1, may be molded or otherwise formed in one piece, the space 19 and slot 20 'being formed therein when the body is cast or otherwise formed.

Figure 4 shows a modification of the invention. Here the body 24 has a bottom portion forming the stepped flange 25, adapted to receive one end 26, of the transparent cylindrical sleeve 27, which is spaced apart from the outer wall of body 24 to provide the label space 28 therebetween. The label in this construction is inserted and removed from space 28 through the open top 29.

A suitable cap or cover 30 fits either over the upstanding end 31 of body 24 or fits Within the same like a cork. In either case the outer rim 32 covers the annular opening 29 to space 28.

Referring to Figure 5, a modified construction is shown wherein the body 33 has a stepped flange 34, formed in the outer wall thereof to receive the lower end 35 of the sleeve 36 and provide the label space 37 between the sleeve and body as shown. The label is inserted at 38 and this opening is closed by a cap like 30 in Figure 4.

In Figure 6, the stepped flange 35 of Figure 5 is omitted, and instead the bottom portion 39 of sleeve 40 is turned inwardly and secured to the body 41, and provides the label space 42 as shown. The same cap and sealing construction is used as shown in Figure 4.

In Figure 7 the body 43 has a recess 44 extending around the body. The label 45 is placed therein and the resilient split transparent label-retaining ring 46 is sprung or snapped over the label and retains same in position.

In Figure 9, instead of the recess 44 retaining the label 45 and ring 46, the body 47 has the outwardly extending flanges 48, 49, and the label 45 and ring 46 lie between these flanges as shown. The cross-sectional view of Figures 8 and 9 is as shown in Figure 8A, where the ring 46 is shown as springing in place over label 45. The ring 46 may lap, as shown at 50 to facilitate removal, or may be slightly shorter than the label to provide an end that can be pulled outwardly to release the ring from the container.

It will be noted that the label can be removed and replaced on the containers, Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, without disassociating the sleeves 16, 27, 36 or 40, and this is also true of the sleeves 46, Figures 8 and 9. When that will round containers are used, as it is merely necessary to revolve the sleeves on the containers, pull out the labels from below the sleeves and insert one end of a label between sleeve and container and then revolve the sleeve to overlie the label.

What is claimed is:

l. A container comprising a cylindrical side wall having a bottom wall and provided with a removable top, a pair of spaced, parallel annular ridges formed on the outer surface of said side wall providing an annular groove therebetween, a resilient transparent sleeve embracing said side wall between said ridges, the top and bottom edges of said sleeve engaging respective ridges, and said sleeve being split so as to accommodate a label between the sleeve and the side wall within the said groove between the ridges, said sleeve being of greater length than the circumference of the side wall within the groove so that the opposite ends of the sleeve overlap to embracingly engage the side wall and frictionally retain the label in place between the sleeve and the side wall.

2. A cylindrical container having a peripheral upright wall with a circumferential depression formed therein, a transparent split sleeve fitted to turn freely in said depression with its outer surface substantially flush with the outer surface of said wall at the sides of the depression, said sleeve being permanently associated with said wall with a space between it and the depression to provide clearance for a label insert to be inserted via the split in said sleeve and into the space between said sleeve and the bottom of the depressen,

3. A cylindrical container having a peripheral upright wall with a circumferential depression formed therein,

a transparent split sleeve fitted to turn freely in said depression with its outer surface substantially flush with the outer surface of said wall at the sides of the depression, said sleeve being permanently associated with said wall with a space between it and the depression to provide clearance for a label insert to be inserted via the split in said sleeve and into the space between said sleeve and the bottom of the depression, said sleeve at the split being provided with an overlapping end normally biased in- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 566,761 Hosmer Sept. 1, 1896 991,608 Day May 9, 1911 1,380,633 Brown June 7, 1921 1,508,170 DOlier Sept. 9, 1924 1,653,608 Allen Dec. 27, 1927 2,159,547 Bjorltquist May 23, 1939 2,538,684 Gushard et al Jan. 16, 1951 2,567,395 Peterson Sept. 11, 1951 2,690,624 Phillips Oct. 5, 1954

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