04/738892

08/03/1971

06/21/1968

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222/439

B65D25/48; B65D47/12; B65D25/38; B65D25/42

222/569,570

Reeves, Robert B.

Scherbel, David A.

What I claim as new is as follows

1. A paint pourer attachment capable of replacing the usual pry-off lid on an annular lid-mounting rim of a paint bucket, said attachment comprising a replacement lid which is applicable to said annular rim when the regular lid is detached and temporarily set aside and provided with a concavo-convex hemispherical hood, said hood being adapted to overhang the receptacle portion of the paint bucket when in use and the concave underneath side thereof providing a paint trapping and concentrating funnel capable of directing paint to an opening provided in said hood, said hood having a dispensing spout communicating with said opening and projecting beyond the convex surface of said hood, the outer marginal bottom portion of said hood being provided with hood attaching and retaining means, said means embodying a flat web which is semicircular in plan and of uniform cross-sectional thickness and of a width that it constitutes a shield, said shield being adapted to reside flatwise atop and bridge over said mounting rim and the channel portion thereof, said web having an outer peripheral edge provided with an elevated resilient snap-fit retainer which is channel shaped in cross section and designed and adapted to retentively snap over a bead which marginally encompasses said rim, the outer wall of said channel having a turned-in lateral lip releasably engageable with a coacting shoulder portion on said bead, said web having an inner peripheral edge provided with a depending flange terminating at its bottom in an outwardly directed lip capable of being releasably interlocked with a cooperating lip on an inward wall of the channel of the aforementioned rim.

2. For use on a paint bucket having an openable top provided with an annular lid-mounting rim having a lid-keying channel overhanging the bottom of the bucket and a concentric encompassing bead fixed and providing an exterior overhanging shoulder, a readily applicable and removable paint pourer attachment capable of replacing the usual bucket closing lid, said attachment comprising an auxiliary replacement lid provided with a dispensing spout alignable and communicable with the receptacle portion of said bucket, said auxiliary lid having an outer marginal portion provided with attaching and retaining means, said means embodying a web providing a shield, said shield adapted to bridge over and cover the channel of said mounting rim, said web having an outer peripheral edge provided with a resilient snap-fit retainer, said retainer being channel shaped in cross section and designed and adapted to retentively snap over said bead and cooperate with said shoulder in a manner to locate and retain said attachment in its ready to use pouring position, said replacement lid comprising a semispherical hood overhanging and occupying a plane above the open top of said bucket, the underneath concave side of said lid cooperating with the receptacle portion of the bucket and mounting rim and defining a paint-concentrating funnel capable of directing paint into the dispensing spout, said attachment being made of one piece of moldable plastic material, said attaching and retaining means being pliant and capable of being snapped and lodged in place by hand pressure and subsequently caught hold of and freed for removal at will, said web being semicircular in plan and having an inner peripheral edge provided with a depending flange commensurate in length with the length of said web, said flange terminating at its bottom in a lateral outwardly directed lip capable of being releasably interlocked with an existing lip on a coacting inward wall of the channel of said lip-mounting rim, said web and said channel-shaped retainer being yieldable when manually spread and being capable of nominal expansion and being possessed of inherent contraction properties in a manner to fittingly and retentively coordinate with lid-mounting rims such as are provided on buckets of slightly varying diameters.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in self-contained ready to use pourer attachments for containers such as for example, paint cans and buckets and has to do with a pourer embodying a suitably angled spout constituting an integral component of a specially designed lid which can be effectually fitted and mounted on the usual annular channeled bead-equipped lid anchoring rim with which the upper openable end or mouth of the container provided.

As will be hereinafter more fully set forth, the instant disclosure has to do with two forms or embodiments of the overall concept. To the ends desired the subject matter of this invention will be comprehended both broadly and specifically and should be construed accordingly.

Generically, the disclosure covers a paint pourer attachment, that is, an attachment which lends itself to economical and feasible production from flexible and resilient self-adapting plastic material. Briefly, the inventive idea comprehends the utilization of a readily applicable and removable cover, more particularly, a replacement lid which is auxiliary to the main or conventional lid and which is applicable to the built-in lid-mounting rim. This auxiliary lid is equipped with an oblique angled spout and has an outer marginal edge portion provided with attaching and retaining means. This latter means embodies a web which can be semicircular in plan or completely annular and of prescribed ready to use diameter. This web constitutes a protective shield or guard in that it is adapted to bridge over and cover the channel of the mounting rim whereby to prevent paint from filling and objectionably clogging the channel. The outer peripheral edge is provided with a resilient snap-fit retainer, said retainer being channel shaped in cross section and designed and adapted to retentively snap over said bead and cooperate with said shoulder in a manner to locate and retain said attachment in its ready to use pouring position.

One embodiment of the invention is characterized by a semispherical hood. This hood is approximately one-half the diameter of the open mouth or upper end of the bucket or can. When it is applied it overhangs and occupies a plane above the plane of the rim at the open top of the bucket. The underneath or concave side of the lid provides a receiver or receptacle into which the outflowing paint is funneled and is capable of being readily directed to and discharged by way of the spout. This form of the invention is of one-piece moldable plastic material. The attaching and retaining means is pliant and capable of being snapped and lodged in place by hand pressure on rims of slightly varying sizes.

The other form of the invention is characterized by a disk or an equivalent discoidal diaphragm. The diaphragm is of a diameter to span the part of the bucket opening which is intended to be covered when the attachment is in use. The attaching and retaining means corresponds to that used on the hood-type lid. A vent is provided and a stopperlike plug can be utilized in a manner to close the vent when it is not being used.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a fragmentary portion of a paint-containing can or bucket with the usual or customary closing lid removed and with the attachment lid substituted therefor in a manner to provide the desired paint trapping, funneling and pouring spout.

FIG. 2 is a section taken approximately on the plane of the section line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view at right angles to FIG. 2, that is a view observing FIG. 2 in a direction from left to right.

FIG. 4 is a view on a smaller scale with the attachment completely detached and readied for use.

FIG. 5 is a view on a smaller scale and which is diagrammatically presented and which shows the open top container and, what is more significant, suggests in phantom lines how the attaching and retaining channel is susceptible of being expanded progressively to fit atop buckets and cans of varying diameters.

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective similar to FIG. 1 and showing the second form or modification with the attachment applied and with a portion broken away to show certain of the details otherwise hidden.

FIG. 7 is a view taken on the plane of the line 7-7 of FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a view in perspective of the form of the invention covered completely in FIGS. 6--9.

And FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view primarily in section and showing the adjustable feature wherein the ribs on a flange to be described can be adjustably applied.

Reference will be had first to the embodiment or form of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 inclusive. The container, broadly speaking, may be described as a paint can or a bucket. The term "bucket" is being used for convenience of description. In any event the bucket is denoted by the numeral 10 and is of ordinary construction and has a cylindrical or equivalent body or container portion 12. The aforementioned lid mounting and keying rim is denoted by the numeral 14. This is a more or less conventional channeled-type rim. It is perhaps best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 wherein it will be noted that the endless or annular keying channel is denoted by the numeral 16. The inner channel wall 18 is provided with a lateral horizontal lip 20 which normally serves as a ledge in conjunction with the portion 22 for seating and effectively accommodating the usual applicable and removable lid (not shown). Persons conversant with the art to which the invention relates are aware that the main or regular lid has a bead which fits down into the channel and necessitates prying the lid off in order to obtain access to the contents of the can. The rim also embodies an outwardly located channel which is here described as a bead 24 and whose lower edge provides an overhanging shoulder 26. The numeral 27 designates the pivoted carrying bail or handle.

The pourer attachment in this form of the invention is denoted by the numeral 28 and it is preferably but not necessarily constructed from moldable plastic having the desired flexible and resilient properties required by the manufacturer and perhaps by users. The lid in this instance is referred to as auxiliary and, more specifically, is a half lid and is preferably in the form of a substantially semicircular concavo-convex hood whose exterior convex side is denoted at 30 and whose underneath concave side is denoted at 32. The complemental and integral attaching and retaining means for the hood is denoted, as an entity, by the numeral 34. It comprises a flat semicircular web 36 which is of a size to span and shield and guard the channel 16. This is to say when the retaining means is applied as shown in the views of the drawing paint will not accumulate in the channel when it is being poured by way of the nipple or spout. The spout is here shown at 38 and the intake end is connected with a discharge opening 40. The outer peripheral edge portion of the web is provided with a downwardly opening channel 42 which constitutes an adapter. The outer channel wall snaps over the bead and is provided with a turned-in lip 44 which is adapted to engage the shoulder 26. There is an inner semicircular depending flange at 46 which is concentric with the channel 42. This flange 46 cooperates with the aforementioned lip 20 and is provided with a suitably small lip 48 to interlock with the lip 20 in the manner shown to advantage in FIGS. 2 and 3. It is repeated that the purpose of FIG. 5 is to illustrate the flexible and yieldable properties from which it will be seen that the attaching and retaining means can be applied to can and bucket rims of variable outside diameters.

It is a matter of common knowledge that there are many brands of paint sold in cans and buckets and they vary in diameter. It follows that a lid from one bucket does not satisfactorily fit a bucket containing a different brand of paint. However and with the flexible attaching and retaining means 34 herein shown it will be evident as suggested in FIG. 5 how this semicircular-type hood and retaining means lends itself to variable usage. In those cases involving paint containers ranging from pints, quarts and gallons it will be evident that it may be necessary to provide prescribed sizes for different makes or sizes of cans and buckets. It is also within the purview of the invention that the form of the invention herein shown can be sold either to paint manufacturers or to companies that make paint cans and paint buckets. It might well be the practice to employ this type of attachment as a giveaway item if this manner of commercialization is established.

With reference now to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 it will be evident in FIGS. 6 and 7 that the bucket 50 comprises a suitable container of requisite capacity or size which is denoted at 52. The bucket has the same structural characteristics as already described in that it is provided with a lid-mounting rim 54 having a channel 56 the inner short vertical wall of which is provided with a horizontal or lateral reinforcing lip 58. The outer wall 60 (FIG. 7) is joined with an inverted channel-shaped bead 62 which is secured over the edge of the container in the usual manner. The pourer in this form of the invention is denoted by the numeral 64 in FIG. 8 in particular. It comprises a plastic disk also referred to as a discoidal replacement lid 70. The lid is of suitable diameter for the can shown. The attaching and retaining means comprises an inverted outer channel 72 which has a turned-in lip 74 engaging beneath the shoulder on the bead 62 as shown amply in FIGS. 7 and 9. The outer marginal portion which is here designated as the web is denoted at 76 and again its purpose is to span and shield or guard the upwardly opening channel 56. The depending flange 78 is spaced inwardly from and is concentric with the downwardly opening channel 72. This flange is of requisite vertical cross section and is constructed to cooperatively engage the aforementioned lip 58. It may be necessary to accommodate different sizes to provide the flange 78 with an upper encircling rib 80 and a similar lower encircling rib 82. It is believed that this provision of dual ribs adapts the flange 78 to cooperate either with the lower rib 82 attached or the upper rib attached in a suitably accommodating manner (not detailed). With reference again to FIG. 8 it will be noted that 84 designates a vent to accommodate a pluglike stopper 86. This stopper or plug is on the outer free end 88 of a flexible tab or strap 90 having an inner apertured end detachably connected with the headed shank 92 on the horizontal limb 94 of an L-shaped bracket 96. The vertical limb of the bracket is denoted at 98. This bracket serves not only to accommodate the button-down tab or strap but provides, as is evident, an accessible finger grip which may necessarily have to be resorted to in detaching the attachment lid 70. In this form of the invention the discharge opening is denoted at 100 and the integral diagonally disposed pouring spout at 102. The outer end of the spout is normally closed by an attachable and detachable closing cap 104.

The views of the drawings have been chosen to independently and generically disclose the overall subject matter of the invention. The matter of using the domical or hood-type pourer 28 is shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 inclusive. The construction and manner of use of the second form of the invention is adequately shown in FIGS. 6 to 9. The simplicity of construction is such that all significant aspects of the overall concept should be and are self-evident. Accordingly, a more extended description is deemed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.