Safety closure useable on threaded container neck

Claim 1

In the combination of a threaded container neck and a closure, said closure having a closure body, a closure element mounted on said closure body so as to be capable of being moved between opened and closed positions and a locking member movably mounted on said closure body and said closure element so as to be capable of being moved between a locked and unlocked position, said closure element being incapable of being moved between said opened and closed positions when said locking member is in said locked position and being capable of being moved between said opened and closed positions when said locking member is in said unlocked position, said closure body having an internally threaded skirt located thereon threaded into engagement with said container neck so as to mount said closure upon said container neck, the improvement which comprises: said locking member being rotatably mounted on said closure body so as to be incapable of linear movement relative to said closure body and being capable of being rotated between said locked and unlocked positions, said closure element being a spout which is rotatably mounted on said closure body, said locking member having an opening formed therein, said spout being capable of being moved through said opening when said locking member is rotated to said unlocked position, said opening is aligned with Said spout when said locking member is in said unlocked position, said locking member overlying a part of said spout so that said opening is not aligned with said spout in said locked positions so as to preclude rotation of said spout between said open and said closed position, said locking member including a sleeve concentric with and surrounding said skirt, co-acting ratchet means located on the adjacent surfaces of said skirt and said sleeve, said ratchet means extending along the lengths of said skirt and said sleeve, said co-acting ratchet means engaging one another so that rotation is transferred from said locking member to said closure body when said locking member is rotated in one direction relative to said closure body, such rotation in said one direction being related to the orientation of the threads on said container neck and threads on said threaded skirt so that during such rotation in said one direction said threaded skirt is tightened upon said container neck, said closure body or said locking member or both said closure body and said locking member being formed of a deformable material capable of temporary deformation during the rotation of said locking member in a direction which is the reverse of said one direction to a sufficient extent so that said coacting ratchet means will disengage one another without the rotation of said locking member in said reverse direction being transferred to said closure body, such deformation permitting said locking member to be rotated in said reverse direction between said locked and said unlocked positions without said closure body being unthreaded from said container neck.