Abstract: An automotive crankcase drain plug retainer is formed by placing a relatively thin washer around the drain plug, between its head and the adjacent surface of the crankcase.A permanent magnet mounted in a casing is connected with a radial tab on the washer by a flexible element. The casing magnetically contacts a crankcase to be drained, having the washer previously installed on its drain plug. The flexible element suspends the drain plug and washer when removed from the crankcase.

Abstract: A container for a flowable product, such as liquid coffee or the like, having a measuring cup closure. The container neck is preferably closed by an inner seal and has secured thereto the lower portion of a surrounding ring member. An upper portion of this ring member telescopically and lockably receives therein the open end of a measuring cup. An internal flange of the ring member includes a bottom surface which seals against the neck edge and the upper portion includes a circumferential bead which forms a seal with the outside of the open end of the measuring cup.

Abstract: A molded plastic snap hinge box comprises two halves (U, L) with a hinge (H) formed from parts integrally molded to the two halves. One half of the hinge consists of three balls (20, 24) in a row, all on ball support arms extending from the box. The middle ball is larger than the two side balls; the two side balls are of equal diameter. Two coaxial cylindrical spacers (30) are mounted on spacer support arms extending from the other box half. The cylinder ends are dished spherically with radii equal to the ball radii; the cylinders snap in between the balls to form the hinges. When the hinge is assembled the three balls are each centered on the cylindrical spacers' axis, which runs parallel to the rear edge of the box in the plane of the box opening rim. The box may be closed with a latch closure (C) comprising a plate (40) on either box half. The plates are each coplanar with the opening rim. Each plate has a hole (44) and a post (42), the post of one plate mating with the hole of the other.

Abstract: A child-proof container and a closure for selectively opening and closing the container. The hollow container has at its upper end a dispensing opening. The closure has a body member and a flip-top cap member attached by a hinge to the body member for movement between open and closed positions. The body member is supported and locked on the container to permit rotational movement of the body member on the container. The container has an annular locking rib for releasable locking engagement with a locking bead on the cap member to permit unlocking of the cap member from the container only when the body member is rotated to an unlocking position with respect to the container, whereby the cap member may be moved from a closed to an open position to permit dispensing of contents from the container. The container and the closure are provided with corresponding indicia to indicate the precise rotational alignment of the container and the body member to permit unlocking of the cap member from the container.

Abstract: An easy-open and reclosable container has a non-circular scored portion on the top lid and an opening and resealing device pivotally fastened on the scored portion for selectably separating it from the top lid to provide an aperture, and selectably resealing the aperture by putting the separated portion back into the aperture and rotating it so as to lock it under the inner surface of the top lid. The opening and resealing device has a compression sealing member for resealing the aperture while the scored portion is locked.

Abstract: A closure for a container has a tamper indicating band with a band retainer in the form of an apertured flap or hoop which is hinged to the lower edge of the band. A series of windows open through the retainer, extending toward but not to its distal edge. As the retainer is turned inside out from its as-molded position to its use position, its distal and/or hinged edges deform to relieve compression and permit the retainer to be inverted by direct downward pushing force. As a result of the deformation, the retainer in its use position may, depending on the number and size of windows, have an advantageous polygonal peripheral shape rather than a circular shape.

Abstract: An improved bottle cap is provided for repeatedly obtaining airtight sealing engagement with a bottle having an annular external lip. The cap of the present invention is particularly well suited for sealing bottles containing sparkling wine or champagne, since such bottles conventionally include an external lip and since the cap of the present invention is able to seal gases within the bottle. The cap includes a housing having a central aperture for positioning over the neck of the bottle and having a radially inward directed flange for fitting beneath the external lip on the bottle. An activating carrier is movable within the aperture in the housing, and a ring-shaped pad holder and elastomeric pad are mounted on and are axially movable with respect to the carrier. A biasing spring is provided for acting on the holder and the pad to bias the pad toward sealing engagement with the bottle.

Abstract: A combination drinking cup and lid for liquid. A cup has a continuous, substantially cylindrical wall and a substantially circular opening at a longitudinal end of the cylindrical wall. A removable lid for closure of the opening has an edge mating with the circular opening of the cup. A spout is located near the circumferential edge of the lid and a weight is located near the circumferential edge radially opposed from the spout. When the cylindrical wall rests on a surface, the force of gravity will radially rotate the cup and the lid so that the weight will rotate towards the surface and the spout will rotate away from the surface.

Abstract: A straw-containing universal type cover assembly for a beverage container which includes a lid adapted to be snap fitted on an annular rim of the beverage container and is operative to simultaneously prevent spillage of and minimize decarbonation rates within the beverage once the container has been opened. The lid also includes a pull tab joined to the periphery thereof for both removing the lid from the beverage container and holding a straw in an upright position. The assembly further includes a multifunctional plug member attached to the straw by means of a flexible strap and having a stem portion operative to be inserted into an opening in the lid in one orientation, with the lid opening being generally aligned with a sealed or previously sealed opening in the top of the beverage container.

Abstract: A sport bottle includes a container for a liquid and a cover which seals to the container and which includes an aperture through which a straw extends. The straw extends outwardly from the cover to allow the user to drink from the container. A flexible handle element is secured to the cover and is disposed over the straw to allow the user to hold both the container and the straw. The handle element includes a cap for the straw so that the straw may be covered or closed when the sports bottle is not being used for drinking purposes. The cap prevents the liquid from sloshing out of the bottle and also prevents dirt, or the like, from entering through the straw and keeps the end of the straw or the portion of the straw which contacts the users lips, from accumulating dust, dirt, and the like.

Abstract: A reclosable container assembly includes a container having a container sidewall extending to an open end with a laterally extending flange formed at said open end and extending outwardly from said container sidewall. A container locking lip extends from said laterally extending flange away from said open end in spaced relation to said sidewall, and the locking lip includes an outer seating surface which extends from the laterally extending flange and angles inwardly toward the container sidewall. A plurality of spaced support ribs extend between the container sidewall and the locking lip, and a closure member is provided having a skirt which engages the locking lip to attach the closure member to the container. The closure member includes a top wall with the skirt extending outwardly from the periphery of the top wall.

Abstract: A tamper indicating closure for application to a container neck. The closure includes a cap having a top and an internally threaded skirt. A tamper indicating band depends from the bottom of the cap skirt by circumferentially spaced frangible connections. The band has ratchet teeth which engage ratchet teeth on the container neck one at a time during threading-on and unthreading of the cap from the container neck.

Abstract: A self-sealing closure for sealing a receptacle is disclosed. The closure has a lid having a depressed area, at least one orifice within the depressed area, and a shutter matching the orifice. The shutter contains at least two different means for removably attaching the shutter to said lid.

Abstract: A rim space sealing device comprising a peripheral sealing ring of over-lapped shoe segments attached to a floating cover within a storage tank. Spring loaded hanger-pushers and horizontal springs keep the peripheral sealing ring of shoe segments pressed against the tank wall and also keep the floating cover centered within the tank. The space between the peripheral sealing ring of shoe segments and the floating cover is covered by a flexible fabric that prevents product loss. Vertical movement of the individual shoe segments over each other is prevented by a series of circumferentially arranged rods. The over-lap of the shoe segments is restricted by a series of bars forming expansion-contraction spaces.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a vial cap is provided which has two openings, one for receiving the neck of a syringe and allowing medicine to flow into the syringe, and another for allowing air to flow into the vial as medicine is extracted. A safety lid to the vial cap is preferably provided for assuring sterility. A membrane may also be provided to cover the interior surface of the vial cap so that no medicine leaks into the region between the vial cap and its safety lid while the medicine is being transported and stored.The shape and size of the two openings may be varied according to the application, in particular according to the material used for the cap and the medicine being stored in the vial.

Abstract: An easy-open and reclosable container has a non-circular scored portion on the top lid and an opening and resealing device pivotally fastened on the scored portion for selectably separating it from the top lid to provide an aperture, and selectably resealing the aperture by putting the separated portion back into the aperture and rotating it so as to lock it under the inner surface of the top lid. The opening and resealing device has a compression sealing member for resealing the aperture while the scored portion is locked.

Abstract: This relates to a mechanically actuated closure cap which is provided with a tamper indicating feature. The closure cap includes an end panel having a centrally located button that is normally in a button down position, but when the closure cap is applied to a container, it is mechanically actuated to a button up position. A translucent panel is fixedly applied to the closure cap in overlying relation to the end panel and there is positioned between the button and the translucent panel several possibilities of devices for indicating that the closure cap has been applied to a container and either is in its original position relative to the container or has been removed therefrom.

Abstract: A tamper-evident closure includes a cap having an interior, threaded peripheral skirt, a tamper-evident ring disposed below the lower edge of the skirt and a plurality of elongate bridge members interconnecting the tamper-evident ring to the cap. Each bridge member includes a lower end forming a lower juction with the ring an upper end thinner than the lower end forming an upper juction with a surface of a recess formed in the skirt. Each bridge member is designed to break at the upper end thereof when the closure is rotated in a direction to remove it from the container, and each bridge member is inclined upwardly at an acute angle to the ring from the lower to the upper junction, in the direction in which the cap is required to be rotated to remove it from the container.

Abstract: A closure having an axially movable insert disk which is lifted by a bead around the inside of the closure shell to open a sealed container. When the closure is in sealing position on the container, the lifting bead lies below the top of external threading on the container, and at the top of cooperating internal threading of the closure skirt. The bead has an inside diameter greater than that of the closure threading, and can move upwardly past the external threading on the container. The overall heights of the closure and the container finish can thereby be reduced and less material used.

Abstract: A rectangular storage container having a pivotal cover and a body either of which having semicylindrical blocks or rods mounted to their structure providing fulcra in opening the cover. In a preferred embodiment, the storage container includes a square cover and a square body. The square cover comprises a pair of pivots on an inside surface and symmetrically positioned on opposite peripheral sides, a block on the inside surface and centrally positioned at a first end thereof, a chamfer at the first end, and a notch at an opposite second end thereof. The square body comprises an upper peripheral rim and a flange. The pair of pivots and the block rest on the upper peripheral rim of the body while the peripheral sides of the cover rest on the flange of the body. The pair of pivots serve as fulcra and thereby the cover can be opened by applying a force on the first end with the chamfer of the cover being flush with the flange of the body.