US3303968A

US3303968A - Tool for piercing aerosol containers

Info

Publication number: US3303968A
Application number: US465312A
Authority: US
Inventors: Compere Alphonse
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-06-21
Filing date: 1965-06-21
Publication date: 1967-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 1984-02-14

Description

Feb 34, 167 A. QQMPERE TOOL FOR PIERCING AEROSOL CONTAINERS Filed June 21, 1965 PA TENT AGENT 3,303,968 TOOL FOR PIERCING AEROSQL CONTAINERS Alphonse Compare, 11946 Depatie St, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed June 21, 1965, Ser. No. 465,312 7 Claims. (Cl. ZZZ-82) The present invention relates to a tool for domestic use and, more particularly, to a tool for piercing spent aerosol containers and other containers containing fluids under pressure, so as to make said containers safe for disposal.

Containers containing liquid and/or gas under pressure with valve means to cause a spray of liquid under opening of the valve, are now in general use and are often the cause of accidents. Subjecting a half-full or nearly empty aerosol container to heat may cause an explosion; piercing such a container may cause skin or eye wounds. This is why aerosol containers are always marked: Do not punctureDo not incinerate.

Under these circumstances, disposal of such containers is a problem, especially for apartment dwellers -who have only an incinerator as means for the disposal of garbage.

Accordingly, the general object of the present inven-' tion resides in the provision of a tool which can be easily handled by unskilled persons, especially adapted for piercing spent aerosol containers in such a manner as to allow discharge, in a very safe way, of whatever fluid under pressure is left in the container, whereby the container so pierced may be thereafter disposed in any manner, as they are totally harmless.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a tool of the character described, of a simple and inexpensive construction, which makes a permanent hole in the container so as to make the same completely harmless and which is provided with means to dissipate the force of the fluid under pressure discharged from the container and convert said fluid into a harmless slow speed flow.

Other important objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a first embodiment of the tool in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation;

FIGURE 3' is a longitudinal section of a portion of the tool;

FIGURE 4 is a plan section taken along line 44 of FIGURE 6, showing a second embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom partial plan view of the tool in accordance with the second embodiment;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-section taken along line 66 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the second embodiment, on an enlarged scale.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like elements throughout, the tool in accordance with the invention consists essentially of a pair of pliers, one jaw of which is provided with the container piercing means associated with means for directing and dissipating the flow of liquid and gas emanating from the can or container.

In accordance with the first embodiment, shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 3, a pair of pliers, generally indicated at 1, comprises curved jaws 2 and 3, pivotally interconnected at 4 by means of a rivet, or the like, and extended by operating handles 5 and 6, respectively.

laws 2 and 3 form nearly a complete circle when in normal closed position to thereby encircle the cylindrical wall of an aerosol container 7, or other container containing a fluid under pressure and intended to be pierced.

Jaw 2 is provided, in about the center of its length, with an annular groove or recess 8 opening at the inside face of the jaw, said recess 8 adapted to receive one end portion of a compression coil spring 9, said end portion of the spring being secured to the jaw 2 within recess 8. The free end portion of spring 9 carries a flanged disc 10 secured to said spring 9, the disc being lined with a ring 11 of cork, rubber, or the like compressible and sealing material, so as to make fluid-tight contact with the cylindrical wall of container 7, when the jaws 2 and 3 are pressed firmly against the container by means of handles 5 and 6.

A container-piercing element 12 is rigidly secured to jaw 2. Piercing element 12 extends through a hole made in jaw 2 centrally of annular recess 8 and comprises an inner conical portion 13 extending inwardly of jaw 2 towards the can or container 7, and a deflector element 15 on the outside of jaw 2. Element 12 further includes a restricted threaded cylindrical portion 14 extending through the hole of the jaw and defining a radial shoulder with the conical portion 13, said shoulder seating against the jaw 2.

Threaded cylindrical portion 14 is screwed within the central threaded hole of bafile or deflector element 15, secured to jaw 2 by piercing element 12. Element 12 has an axial bore 16 which opens at the tip of conical portion 13, but is slightly laterally olfset with respect to said tip, or apex of the cone defined portion 13, so as to form bevelled inclined cutting edges 17 joining in a point 18 on one side of bore 16. The outer end of bore 16 is in communication with a transverse bore 19 opening at diametrically opposed lateral points of the cylindrical threaded portion 14 of piercing element 12.

Deflector element 15 has a generally bell shape with its axis substantially coaxial with bore 16 of piercing element 12 and defining an inner surface 20 which is diverging in an outward direction in the region adjacent transverse bore 19, but which curves radially inwardly in the region adjacent outer opening 21 of the deflector 15.

The tool is used in the following manner:

The spent aerosol container 7 is encircled by jaws 2 and 3, preferably near the bottom edge thereof just above the lower head of said container. The handles 5 and 6 are pressed together firmly to thereby cause the point 18 and cutting edge 17 to pierce and enter the container during their piercing action. The ring 11 of cork or rubber material is pressed by spring 9 against the container wall to thereby make a good seal around the perforation made by piercing member 12. When the element 12 has attained its limit inward position within the container 7, sealing ring 11 and disc 10 have come in contact at the edge of their central hole with the conical surface 13 of piercing element 12, to thereby positively prevent escape of the fluid in the container between the outside of piercing element 12 and the edges of the holes pierced by said element. Thus, the fluid must flow through bore 16 and transverse bore 19. Therefore, the fluid is discharged substantially laterally within the bell-shaped deflector member 15.

The fluid is discharged as jets against the diverging side face portion 20 of the baflie member 15 and must again change direction and flow radially inwardly near the marginal outer portion of the deflector, whereby the fluid molecules impinge upon each other, thereby completely dissipating any energy remaining in the fluid jet; Therefore, at a slight distance from the outer opening 21 of the baflie 15, the fluid flows at very low speed.

The inside of the contatiner quickly comes to atmospheric pressure and then the pliers 1 are released from the container, and the latter may be disposed of in any desired manner, as it is now harmless.

FIGURES 4 to 7 inclusive show another embodiment of the pliers in accordance with the invention. The second embodiment comprises pliers 22 consisting of a pair or

curved jaws

23, 24 crossing each other and pivotally interconnected at 25 and each provided with an

integral handle

26 and 27, respectively, as in the first embodiment.

A curved flange 28 is rigidly secured to jaw 23 and extends inwardly of jaw 23 along the major portion thereof, to be in a plane normal to the

plane containing jaws

23 and 24. Flange 28 is lined on the inside with cork, rubber, or other similar material, as shown at 29, which is curved to engage the cylindrical wall of a container 7 to be perforated, such engagement being gas-tight.

The center of flange 28 and its lining 29 is provided with a hole 30. A plate 31 depends from the outer edge of curved flame 28 and extends in a plane parallel to the

plane containing jaws

23 and 24. Plate 31 is disposed within the space encircled by the

jaws

23, 24.

A slide member 32 is applied and retained against the outer face of plate 31 and is connected thereto by rivets 33 extending through the longitudinal slot 34 made in slide member 32, such that slide member 32 may move in a path substantially perpendicular to handles 26, 27; that is, towards and away from the other jaw 24.

The outer end of slide member 32 is provided with a cam-shaped opening 35, in which is disposed a cam 36 secured to the shaft 37' of a wing-shaped operating member 37, which is disposed on the outside of plate 31 and slide member 32. The shaft of said operating member is journalled within the end of plate 31. Thus, rotational movement of wing-shaped member 37 causes the came 36 to move within cam-shaped opening to reciprocate slide member 32. The latter carries a right angular flange 38 at its end opposite cam 36, which overlaps flange 28 and its hole 30. Flange 38 carries a piercing member and a deflector member identical to the piercing member 12 and deflector member 15 of the first embodiment, the piercing member adapted to extend through hole 30 of flange 28 and lining 29.

Piercing member 12 is reciprocated by wing-shaped operating member 37 between a retracted position, as shown in FIGURE 6, in which the tip 18 of the piercing member is within hole 30, and an advanced operating piercing position in which the major portion of the conical part 13 of piercing member 12 protrudes inwardly from lining 29. In said advanced position, the conical portion 13 makes practically gas-proof contact with hole 30.

The tool in accordance with the second embodiment is used as follows:

The base of the container 7 to be pierced is inserted between

jaws

23 and 24 so as to rest on plate 31 and the

handles

26 and 27 are squeezed together to firmly encircle the container by

jaws

23 and 24; while in this position, wing-shaped member 37 is turned to move the piercing element 12 from retracted to advanced position, thereby perforating the cylindrical wall of the container and allowing discharge of gas and liquid through the piercing member and deflector member 15, as in the first embodiment.

The jet of gas and liquid under pressure is practically totally dissipated in the deflector member. The can is thus rendered harmless and can be disposed of in any manner desired.

While preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is understood that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A tool for piercing spent containers of a fluid under pressure comprising a pair of pliers having curved jaws firmly encircling the container, a container-piercing member mounted in the centre portion of one of said jaws and directed towards the other jaw, said piercing member having a through bore for the discharge of fluid un der pressure in said container, said piercing member having a substantially conical external shape and said through bore extending longitudinally of the same and opening at its inlet end in a zone laterally offset with respect to the apex of said conically shaped piercing member, to define a tip on one side of said inlet opening and bevelled side cutting edges, the through bore of said piercing member having an elbow near its outlet end whereby said outlet end opens laterally of said piercing member at an angle relative to said through bore, and a deflector member secured to said jaw and extending opposite the outlet end of said bore.

2. A tool for piercing spent containers of a fluid under pressure comprising a pair of pliers having curved jaws for firmly encircling the container, a container-piercing member mounted in the centre portion of one of said jaws and directed towards the other jaw, said piercing member having a through bore for the discharge of fluid under pressure in said container, said piercing member having a substantailly conical external shape and said through bore extending longitudinally of the same and opening at its inlet end in a zone laterally offset with respect to the apex of said conically shaped piercing member, to define a tip on one side of said inlet opening and bevelled side cutting edges, and a deflector member spacedly surrounding the outlet end of the through bore of said piercing member, in the form of a bell defining an inner surface of revolution diverging outwardly from said piercing member for a portion of said surface of revolution, and then converging in the direction outwardly from said piercing member for the outer end portion of said surface of revolution of said deflector member, the outlet end of said through bore of said piercing member forming at least one elbow to direct a jet of fluid discharged through said through bore against said surface of revolution.

3. A tool as claimed in claim 2, wherein said deflector member has a threaded inner opening and said piercing member has an externally threaded stern on which said deflector member is screwed with the interposition of said jaw member.

4. A tool as claimed in claim 3, further including a sealing member surrounding the tip end of said piercing member, spring means attached at one end to said jaw and at the other end to said sealing member to elastically support the latter for longitudinal movement with respect to said piercing member, in order to engage in a fluidtight manner the area of a container engaged and pierced by said piercing member in the zone surrounding the perforation made by said piercing member.

5. A tool as claimed in claim 2, further including a slide member on which said piercing member and said deflector member are rigidly secured and manually-operated means for displacing said slide member in a reciprocating manner along a path towards and away from said other jaw.

6. A tool as claimed in claim 5, wherein said means include a plate rigidly secured to said first-named jaw and extending towards the other jaw, said slide member being attached to said plate for longitudinal movement with respect to the same, an operating handle having a shaft journalled in said plate, a cam member carried by said shaft, said slide member having a cam-shaped opening engaged by said cam member, whereby rotation of said cam member causes longitudinal reciprocating movement of said slide member to move said piercing member from a retracted position to an advanced container engaging and piercing position.

7. A tool as claimed in claim 6, wherein said plate is offset With respect to the plane containing said jaws and further including a curved flange normal to said plate and secured to said jaw, said slide member having a flange normal thereto and directly carrying said piercing and deflector members, said first-named curved flange having a hole through which said piercing member is References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1933 Johann 222-83 X 2,008,807 7/1935 Williams ZZZ-87 X 2,129,971 9/1938 Smith 22283.5 2,839,221 6/1958 Demaret ZZZ-82 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A TOOL FOR PIERCING SPENT CONTAINERS OF A FLUID UNDER PRESSURE COMPRISING A PAIR OF PLIERS HAVING CURVED JAWS FIRMLY ENCIRCLING THE CONTAINER, A CONTAINER-PIERCING MEMBER MOUNTED IN THE CENTRE PORTION OF ONE OF SAID JAWS AND DIRECTED TOWARDS THE OTHER JAW, SAID PIERCING MEMBER HAVBER HAVING A THROUGH BORE FOR THE DISCHARGE OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE IN SAID CONTAINER, SAID PIERCING MEMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONICAL EXTERNAL SHAPE ANS SAID THROUGH BORE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE SAME AND OPENING AT ITS INLET END IN A ZONE LATERALLY OFFSET WITH RESPECT TO THE APEX OF SAID CONICALLY SHAPED PIERCING MEMBER, TO DEFINE A TIP ON ONE SIDE OF SAID INLET OPENING AND BEVELLED SIDE CUTTING EDGES, THE THROUGH BORE OF SAID PIERCING MEMBER HAVING AN ELBOW NEAR ITS OUTER END WHEREBY SAID OUTLET END OPENS LATERALLY OF SAID PIERCING MEMBER AT AN ANGLE RELATIVE TO SAID THROUGH BORE, AND A DEFLECTOR MEMBER SECURED TO SAID JAW AND EXTENDING OPPOSITE THE OUTLET END OF SAID BORE.