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US 4,190,170 AGranted
Snuff can and the like
AssigneeUnited States Tobacco Company
InventorEugene J. Boyd
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeUnited States Tobacco Company
InventorEugene J. Boyd
Estimating the term…
A flat can of a size which will fit in a person's pocket which is suited particularly for snuff, but is adapted for use with other products. The can has a bottom wall and a cylindrical side wall, and there is a lid with a top wall and a downwardly-extending peripheral flange which fits snugly around the neck of the cylindrical side wall. The lid is held in place by circumferential rib structures, respectively on the outer surface of the neck of the side wall and on the inner surface of the lid flange. There are also vertical ribs on the can neck which extend upwardly from the peripheral rib and which provide venting when the lid is installed. The vertical ribs are in pairs spaced a short distance from each other and there is a gap in the peripheral rib on the neck between the bottom ends of each pair of vertical ribs. When the lid is being installed or removed, the circumferential rib on the lid flange rides upon the vertical ribs so as to facilitate the movement of the lid flange on the neck. The rib structure on the lid flange is also formed by spaced segments with gaps between their ends. The arrangement is such that a plurality of vertical vent passageways between the respective pairs of vertical ribs are in alignment with gaps in the circumferential rib construction on the lid flange. Hence, when the lid is in place, the can is still vented, and the product in the can is properly vented when that is desirable. However, when the product in the can must be sealed, a circumferential label or wrapper of impervious material is placed on the can after the lid has been put into place.
A can construction comprising, the combination of, a can formed by a bottom wall and an upwardly extending cylindrical side wall, and a lid comprising a top wall and a downwardly extending peripheral flange having an inside diameter and configuration such as to be snugly received upon the top of said cylindrical side wall, said flange having a circumferential rib structure upon its inner surface projecting radially inwardly from adjacent its bottom edge, said side wall having a circumferential rib structure projecting radially outwardly from said side wall and positioned so that its bottom edge mates with the top edge of the first-named rib structure so as to hold said lid onto the top of said can, said can and said lid being of plastic and being sufficiently deformable so that said flange can be flexed outwardly to remove the lid from the can and to flex when the lid is being installed onto the can, said can having a plurality of vertical vent passageways from the top of said can and past the said rib structure on said side wall, said rib structure on said flange having a plurality of vent gaps which are so positioned that one or more of said vent passageways is in alignment with one or more of said vent gaps.
A can which is suited for packing granular products comprising, the combination of, an open top can having a bottom wall and an upwardly-extending cylindrical side wall, and a lid positioned upon the open top of said can and having a top wall and a downwardly-extending peripheral cylindrical flange which fits snugly around the top of said side wall, the top portion of said side wall having a circumferential rib structure which is positioned a predetermined distance below the top edge of said side wall which distance is less than the width dimension of said flange, said rib structure comprising a plurality of arcuate rib segments which are positioned end-to-end around said side wall with each end of each segment being separated from the adjacent end of another segment by a vent gap, said flange having a circumferential rib structure upon its inner cylindrical surface which is formed by a plurality of arcuate rib segments which are positioned in spaced aligned relationship from each other around said surface to thereby form vent gaps, means forming a plurality of vent channels extending from the top of said cylindrical side wall to each of said vent gaps of the first-mentioned of said rib structures, the second-named of said circumferential rib structures being positioned below and in cooperating relationship with the first-named of said rib structures whereby said rib structures retain said lid on said can, said gaps in said rib structures providing vent passageways from said vent channels and thence from the top of said can.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.