US2122628A - Container holder - Google Patents

Description

July 5, 1938. I A. H. TRACY CONTAINER HOLDER 2 Sheets-She et 1 Filed Aug. 15, 1936 l I 4 I I I l l l l II July 5, 1938. A. H. TRACY CONTAINER HOLDER Filed Aug. 15, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 1,938

I UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE 9 Claims.

beverage can or container, such as the usual standard beer can, whereby the can and holder may be used in the same manner as a mug or -stein and the beverage may be drunk directly from the can.

Small beer cans, in which beer is dispensed over the counter or sold for domestic use, are usually of a standard size and contain 12 fluid ounces. The usual practice is to punch a hole in the top of the can and place it with a glass before the user. These cans are rather unsightly when so used, and the present invention is arranged to provide an attractive holder which substantially covers the outer surface of the can and which is provided with a suitable handle, so that the can and holder may be used as a mug. The surface .of the holder may, of course, be suitably decorated.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a holder of the character described which may be applied to the can after the top is removed by a can opener which leaves a smooth surface inside the upper bead merely by pushing the holder downwardly over the open top of the can until the upper edge of the holder engages underneath the upper bead and thereby supports the can when the holder is lifted by means of the handle.

A further object is the provision of a resilient can holder of the character described, whereby the holder may be applied by downward movement over the can and the can may be easily removed by inverting the holder and pushing or shaking the can therefrom through the top of the holder. In other words, the holder is arranged to enable the can to telescope completely therethrough.

Another object is the provision of a contaln-.

er holder of the character described, which is cheap to manufacture, convenient in use, attractive in appearance, and which may, if desired, be made of a single piece of resilient material.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodi ment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side view of a beverage can with the holder applied thereto and shown in partial section for purposes of illustration;

(cl. c s-s1) Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a slightly modifled form of holder;

Fig. 5 illustrates another slightly modified form of the invention;

Fig. 6' is a vertical sectional view of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5 and taken on a line substantially corresponding to line 8-8 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which the body portion of the device comprises a spirally wound sheet metal member provided with a suitable handle.

Fig.8 is a side elevation of the upper portion' of one of the holders and illustrates a cover applied thereto.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, comprises a cylindrical body portion I, the normal inside diameter of which at the upper edge 2 is substantially the same as the outside diameter of the body of a standard beer can or similar container. The lower end of the body portion is flared outwardly, as shown at 3, to a diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of the end beads on a beer can.

The entire device is preferably made of a single piece of resilient sheet metal or other suitable material formed to provide a body portion having laterally extending web members 4 terminating in a handle 5 which is preferably cylindrical as shown. The webs may be provided with an opening 6. The web members 4 are preferably closely adjacent, as illustrated. However, they are preferably not secured together, and the entire device being of resilient material enables the body portion to expand when it is pushed downwardly over the top bead of a beer can or other suitable container 1 /(Fig. 3). If desired, the webs 4 may be secured together adjacent the handle 5 by any suitable means, such as rivets 8. This enables the use of very thin sheet material, and the portion of the webs between the rivets aud the body will permit sumcient expansion of the body portion.

Fig. 3 illustrates the method of applying the holder to the usual beer can after it has been properly opened. In applying the holder, it is placed over the can, as illustrated by the dotted lines, and pushed downwardly, and the resilience of the material enables the holder to be telescoped over the can until the upper edge 2 snaps underneath the upper bead 9 of the can. The beer may then be drunk out of the can in the usual way of drinking out of a mug or stein. The

body of the holder is slightly shorter than the height of thecan.

-. webs may, if desired, be secured together adjacent the body portion, although this fastening is not essential. The body portion is split, as

shown at H), to enable the holder to be passed over the beads of the can. The two adjacent edges are preferably arranged to overlap slightly at the bottom, as illustrated at l I. However, they may overlap for the entire length of the holder if desired, or the edges may be merely closely adjacent and not overlap. This embodiment may be made of a single flat sheet of resilient material. I

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1 may, of course, be formed of a comparatively large tubular member pressed together to form the body, webs, and handle, as illustrated, or it may be made of a single sheet of material and seamed or welded together, if desired.

Fig. illustrates an embodiment wherein a tubular body portion I a is provided with its lower end flared in the manner previously described, and having a slot l2 in one side extending downwardly to a point where the inside diameter of the body portion is greater than the diameter of the beads on the can. A handle [3, which may be a bent tubular member provided with a fiattened portion H, is secured to one side of the slot l2 by any suitable means, such as rivets I5. The portion l4 covers the slot l2 which otherwise might be somewhat unsightly, but is not secured to the body at the opposite side of the slot. The

upper part of the body portion is, therefore, permitted to expand when the holder is passed over the head of the can in the same manner as previously described.

Fig. '7 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which a body portion I comprises a single piece of sheet metal which is wound in spiral form, as illustrated, and in which the inside diameter of the upper end is substantially the same as the outside diameter of the container, whereby the holder may engage under the bead as previously described. The lower endis also flared, as illustrated, to enable the holder to be easily telescoped over the can. The body portion may be provided with a suitable handle I 6, which may be of strap material, as illustrated, and secured to the body in any suitable manner. It will be. apparent that the spiral formation of the holder body enables the holder to be used in the same manner as previously described.

'It is sometimes desirable to provide the device with a cover, and this may be accomplished as illustrated in Fig. 8, wherein a cover H, which may be made of material similar to the body of the holder, is provided with ears l8 by which it may be pivoted at H. The cover is also provided with an upwardly extending thumb engaging handle 20 having re'arwardly extending lugs 2| arranged to be resiliently engaged in the holder handle 5 when the cover is open as indicated in dotted lines.

Modifications may be made in detail without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is desired, therefore, that the invention be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by ,Letters Patent is:

1. A can holder comprising an expansible tubular member constructed and arranged to be telescoped downwardly over a beverage can whereby the upper edge of the member automatically engages under the upper bead of the can to sup-' port the can while drinking therefrom, the lower portion of the member being of a diameter greater than the bead engaging portion to enable resilient telescoping movement over said can.

2. A holder for beverage cans having the usual end beads, comprising a longitudinally split resilient tubular member of greater diameter at the bottom than at the top and slightly shorter than the length of a standard can whereby when the holder is pushed downwardly over a can the upper edge will engage under the upper bead, said tubular member being arranged to snugly engage the sides of the can over a material part of its length.

3. A holder for beverage cans comprising a longitudinally split tubular member open at both ends and formed of resilient sheet material and v normally of less diameter than said cans, whereby a can having end beads of larger diameter than the normal innerdiameter of said member may telescope completely therethrough, said member engaging the sides of said can over a substantial partof its length and being flared at one end to enable free entrance of the can.

4. A can holder for a standard beverage can comprising resilient sheet material formed to provide two axially spaced substantially parallel tubular portions connected by a web, one of said portions being of less diameter at the top than the end beads of a can and of larger diameter at the bottom, the resilience of said holder enabling said portion to be easily telescoped completely over a can and to support the can with its upper bead resting on the upper edge of the holder, said other tubular portion providing a handle.

5. A one-piece holder of the character described comprising a tubular body portion of less diameter than the end beads of a container and open at each end and arranged to expand to permit a container to be completely telescoped therethrough, and having laterally extending adjacent webs terminating in a handle, said webs having a finger opening therethrough.

6. A one-piece beverage can holder comprising single piece of resilient sheet material folded together to'form a substantially tubular handle at the line of fold, a laterally extending web comprising closely adjacent portions of the material, said web terminating in a longitudinally split tubular portion open at both ends and slightly shorter than a standard can, the inner diameter at the upper end being slightly less than the outer diameter of a can head and the lower end being flared to enable the holder to be easily telescoped over the bead.

7. A one-piece beverage can holder comprising a single piece of resilient sheet material folded together to form a substantially tubular handle at the line f fold, a laterally extending web comsaid web terminating in a longitudinally split tubular portion having overlapping edges and open at both ends and slightly shorter than a enable the holder to be easily telescoped over the bead.

8. A beverage can holder comprising a resilient, thin, metallic, tubular member slightly shorter than a standard can, the inner diameter at the upper edge and a substantial length of said member being slightly less than the upper bead of a standard can, and the lower edge flared to a larger diameter, said member being split from the top at least to a point of larger diameter than said bead whereby a can may be telescoped completely therethrough or supported thereon by automatic engagement of the edge of the member under the upper can bead, and a laterally extending handle overlapping said split and secured at one side only thereof.

9. A can holder for a standard beverage can comprising resilient sheet material formed to provide two substantially tubular portions connected by a web, one of said portions being of less diameter at the top than the beads of a can and enlarged at the bottom to enable a can to be easily telescoped therethrough and to support the can with its upper bead resting on the upper edge of the holder, said other tubular portion providing a handle, a cover pivoted between said portions and provided with a handle, and means on said cover to be friotionally engaged by the holder handle when the cover is opened.

ATLEE H. TRACY.

Images