Cap for caulking cartridge

Claim 1

The combination of an elongated dispensing caulking cartridge and protective cap therefor, said combination comprising: an elongated tubular cartridge having at least one stationary closed end with a coaxial dispensing spout protruding outwardly therefrom, said spout generally converging from said closed end toward an outermost end, said cartridge further having means forming a bead disposed peripherally around said closed end for receiving and releasably retaining said cap on said cartridge; a movable piston disposed within the cartridge remote from the closed end, the protective cap comprising a generally cup shaped member having a top wall and a continuous side wall including inner and outer peripheral surfaces depending therefrom, the outermost edge of said side wall defining an open bottom end dimensioned to be axially received over said one end of said cartridge; an elongated dispensing spout receiver protruding from said top wall and substantially transverse thereto toward said open end, said receiver being dimensioned so as to receive an axial portion of said spout with a segment of said axial portion being closely embraced by said receiver; and means disposed at said open bottom for releasably retaining said cap generally coaxially disposed over said one end with said portion of said spout disposed in said spout receiver, said receiver and said spout being coaxially aligned when the cap is coaxially aligned with said one end, said retaining means comprising a resilient bead receiver extending peripherially around at least portions of said side wall adjacent said open end dimensioned to closely receive said bead means, said bead receiver comprising a generally U-shaped cross-section having a first lip substantially coplanar with said inner peripheral surface, a bead receiver top wall extending generally transversely outward of said outer peripheral surface and a second lip extending downwardly beyond said first lip generally parallel thereto, said second lip including a resiliently deformable locking bead dimensioned to be closely received over said bead means with said locking bead received on the side of said U-shaped cross-section spaced remote from said closed end, means for releasing said retaining means from a retaining condition on said cartridge, said dispensing spout having a generally circular cross-section, said dispensing spout receiver having a generally circular cross-sectional dimension to receive an axial portion of said spout from said outermost end and closely embrace at least a segment of said axial portion spaced from said outermost end, at least the inner peripheral surface of said spout receiver tapering outwardly from said top wall over substantially the entire length thereof the outer peripheral surface of said spout receiver tapering inwardly from said top wall over substantially the entire length thereof, the taper of said inner peripheral surface being greater than the taper of said outer peripheral surface, said top wall being dimensioned such that a portion of said cap from said top wall toward its open end is receivable in the other end of another cartridge identical to said cartridge in an end to end axial relationship, and means on said cap for limiting the amount of insertion of said cap into said another cartridge without the cap top wall contacting the piston in said another cartridge.