Abstract: An aerosol container cover having a central opening for a nozzle and an outer edge adapted for sealing attachment to the open end of an aerosol container body. The aerosol container cover being of a relatively thin walled metal and having a wall thickness in the range of 0.005 to 0.013 inch (0.127 to 0.330 mm) if the metal is steel, and being 0.005 to 0.018 inch (0.127 to 0.457 mm) in wall thickness if the metal is aluminum. The cover is thinner walled than would prevent distortion or eversion of the cover at government mandated minimum pressure levels in the aerosol container. The cover is of a generally convex dome shape as it extends from its outer edge to the central opening, and being free of any countersunk recess in the vicinity of its outer edge. In a method of making the aerosol container cover, the cover is attached to a container body by conventional seaming processing.

Abstract: For a pressurized container for dispensing a fluent material, and particularly an aerosol container, the cover or lid is domed, but is of sufficiently thin material that it might distort under elevated pressure in the container. To inhibit such distortion, one or both of the side walls of the cover recess, which is toward the periphery of the installed cover, are reinforced against deforming or stretching out of the container. In one embodiment, the radially inner wall of the recess engages the radially outer wall of the recess so that outward distortion of the dome of the cover is resisted by the stiffness of both engaged walls of the recess, strengthening the thin material domed cover against deformation under pressure in the container. Specifically, there may be annular ribs or other engageable deformations on walls of the recess that engage and thereby provide interference against the radially outer wall moving up out of the container upon the dome attempting to deform outwardly.

Abstract: An irritant aerosol spray container has an opening into which a valve assembly fits and a gasket is positioned between the valve assembly and the container such that the portion of the gasket in communication with the interior of the container is substantially free of material extractable by halocarbon to form color in the extractant. A safety for the spray is also disclosed operable between first and second positions to permit and prohibit operation of the irritant spray as desired. A variety of irritant sprays particularly adapted to various conditions are also described.

Abstract: A projectile for delivering to a target a can containing pressurized material which is to be dispersed over the area of target. In one embodiment, the projectile includes a cylindrical hollow housing to the rear end of which is attached a launching tube with a fin assembly. The can is slidably disposed within the housing. There is a space between a cap which closes the forward end of the housing and the can in the housing. The can slides forward in the housing toward the cap upon impact of the cap against the target. This opens a valve which releases the contents of the sealed can into the housing, and this, in turn, blows the cap off the housing so that the released material is dispersed over the target area. In another embodiment, the can itself has the launching tube and fin assembly attached to its bottom. Instead of being enclosed in a housing, the top of the can carries a cap which closes the top of the can and which cap is detented spaced away from the dispensing nozzle.

Abstract: A pressurized thin walled expandable can from which a fluent pressurized product is dispensed is made from an expandable can wall and a barrier, which may be a fully evertable bag having uniform thickness and flexibility and shaped to fit within the can wall. The open end of the bag is mounted to the can wall by apparatus which maintain a seal as the can wall expands and returns to its unexpanded condition. As product to be dispensed is introduced into the product chamber, the flexible bag is extended down into the lower end of the can. As the product is later expelled through a discharge opening, the flexible bag, which may be plastic, is fully everted into the upper end of the can to expel all the product. The can is thin walled, so that when pressurized, the can diameter expands by at least one one-thousandth (1/1000) of its unexpanded value. In one embodiment, the bag is mounted by a ring inside the can. The ring includes a portion which expands to maintain the seal with the expanding can side wall.

Abstract: A projectile for delivering to a target a can containing pressurized material which is to be dispersed over the area of target. The projectile includes a cylindrical hollow housing to the rear end of which is attached a launching tube with a fin assembly. The can is slidably disposed within the housing. There is a space between a cap which closes the forward end of the housing and the can in the housing. The can slides forward in the housing toward the cap upon impact of the cap against the target. This opens a valve which releases the contents of the sealed can into the housing, and this, in turn, blows the cap off the housing so that the released material is dispersed over the target area. With the present projectile, the sealed can is not breached before the projectile strikes its target and the contents of the can may be dispersed in a very short time.

Abstract: An irritant aerosol spray container has an opening into which a valve assembly fits and a gasket is positioned between the valve assembly and the container such that the portion of the gasket in communication with the interior of the container is substantially free of material extractable by halocarbon to form color in the extractant. A safety for the spray is also disclosed operable between first and second positions to permit and prohibit operation of the irritant spray as desired. A variety of irritant sprays particularly adapted to various conditions are also described.

Abstract: A pressurized thin walled can from which a fluent pressurized product is dispensed through a discharge valve. The pressurized can is divided into a product chamber and a propellant chamber by an impervious flexible diaphragm, preferably shaped in the form of a cup and formed of a plastic material, which is mounted to the wall inside the can and away from the can ends. As product to be dispensed is introduced into the product chamber, the flexible diaphragm is extended down into the can. As the product is later expelled through a discharge valve, the flexible diaphragm is fully everted in the upper region of the can to expel all the product. The can is thin walled, and upon being pressurized, the can diameter expands slightly. In one embodiment, a ring inside the can holds the flexible diaphragm in place. The ring includes a portion which expands to maintain the seal with the expanding can side wall. In another embodiment the ring is rigid, but of slightly larger diameter than the can.

Abstract: The disclosure concerns a thonged medallion, method of assembling the same and apparatus for performing that method. The medallion includes a domed piece of metal having a flap bent into the interior of the dome, and the flap having a hook-like formation defined on the free edge thereof for cooperating with a hook-like formation on the opening in the element for clamping upon a thong inserted into the opening defined by the open flap. A continuous web of thong material is fed through a passageway into the opening in the dome-shaped element, a predetermined length of the web material is cut off, a stamping piston crimps the flap to clamp the thong in the opening.

Abstract: A low pressure container for dispensing a product, even products of high viscosity, namely about 10,000 cps. or higher, at pressures of only about 6-40 lbs. per sq. in. gauge (psig). The low pressure reduces the safety hazard to practically zero, reduces the cost of the container very substantially and minimizes the use of metals, plastics and other scarce container materials. The container is provided with an internal barrier in the form of a piston, bag, disc, or the like, to separate the product from the propellant.The container side wall is thinner than the container ends and may be relatively thin, for example in the order of 0.0015" to 0.0045" times the diameter in the case of aluminum or steel cans. The necessary thickness of other materials (such as plastic, paperboard or laminates of metal, plastic and paper) will depend on their relative tensile strengths.

Abstract: A spray head for an aerosol container, or the like, for producing a plurality of spray patterns: The spray head includes a central spool with an inlet on its bottom side in communication with the valve stem leading out of the aerosol spray container and with an outlet on the side of the spool. A shell or sleeve surrounds the spool and is longitudinally movable with respect to the spool. The sleeve has two longitudinally spaced apart outlets. Longitudinal shifting of the sleeve with respect to the spool aligns one or the other outlet from the sleeve with the spool outlet. A spring normally returns the sleeve so that a first outlet thereof is aligned with the spool outlet. The entire spray head sits on the valve stem. The valve stem with the associated valve element in the container is spring biased to normally close the valve. The spring force on the valve is less than the spring force in the spray head.

Abstract: A piston for an aerosol container, particularly adapted for insertion through the top of the container; the piston includes an annular, cylindrical collar near its top end and a conical outwardly flaring flange atop the cylindrical collar, with the flange flaring wider toward the top of the container, whereby the flange scrapes the container interior as it moves up; the cylindrical collar is more flexible than the conical flange to ease insertion of the piston and for more effective piston sealing despite the piston cocking in the container; an anti-cocking ring are provided on the piston.

Abstract: The invention provides a low pressure package or packaging system for dispensing a product of high viscosity, namely, 10,000 cps. or above at a pressure of only about 6-40 lbs. per sq. in. gauge (psig). The low pressure reduces the safety hazard to practically zero, reduces the cost of the container very substantially and minimizes the use of metals, plastics and other scarce materials. The container is preferably provided with a barrier in the form of a piston, bag, disc or the like, to separate the product from the propellant.By reason of the low pressure, the wall of the container can be relatively thin, of the order of 0.005 inch or less in the case of aluminum in 2-inch diameter containers. The necessary thickness of materials other than aluminum (such as steel, plastic, paper board or laminates of metal, plastic and paper) will depend on their relative strengths.

Abstract: A tiltable discharge valve for pressurized containers especially suitable for dispensing a high viscosity product, at an unexpectedly low pressure: the valve provides for increasing flow-through cross-sectional area, as the container pressure falls; the valve includes a large disc or head secured to a tiltable stem; the container pressure presses the disc into the valve seat; the valve disc tilts around its fulcruming ring to raise its sealing ring off the valve seat; the valve seat is quite yieldable and the sealing ring sinks in deeper into the seat under higher container pressure and sinks less deeply into the seat as the container pressure decreases, whereby the extent the sealing ring rises off the seat upon tilting of the stem is container pressure determined, and the amount of product delivered to the stem outlets remains generally constant even as container pressure decreases.