Saturday Evening Pumps, Part 1

saturday-evening-pumps-part-1<p>Late one Saturday night, I was casually browsing the Container & Packaging Supply catalog (yep, that's how exciting my Saturday nights are), when suddenly I came across a product in the <a title=closures href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/catalog/closures/4/>Closures</a> category that I hadn't noticed before: <a title=pumps href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/catalog/pumps/88/>Pumps</a>. I hesitantly clicked the link, unsure of what secrets I might uncover, and was shocked by the sight I saw. My computer's screen was FILLED with pumps! Seven different varieties! Who in the world needs SEVEN different kinds of pumps?? I guess it's time for me to investigate further into the mystery of pumps. Because really, what else is more exciting on a Saturday night than learning about these closures?</p> <h3><a title=smooth pumps href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/catalog/smooth-pumps/116/>Smooth Pumps</a></h3> <p>The first set of closures is the smooth pumps. The neck, or the part where you thread them onto a bottle, is smooth. That's easy enough. I felt confident enough to move on to the next category to see what else I could discover about pumps.</p> <h3><a title=ribbed pumps href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/catalog/ribbed-pumps/117/>Ribbed Pumps</a></h3> <p>Next up are the ribbed closures. These looked remarkably similar to the smooth pumps until my eyes wandered down to the neck. The name suddenly made sense: the neck is covered in skinny vertical ridges, or ribs! I bet this pump is easier to screw and unscrew than the smooth one is when your hands are covered in the lotion that you just dispensed with this closure.</p> <h3><a title=up-lock pumps href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/catalog/up-lock-pumps/118/>Up-Lock Pumps</a></h3> <p>When I started browsing this category, I was a little bit confused: why were there lots of ribbed and smooth pumps? Hadn't these already been classified in other styles? Then I had a late-Saturday-night ah-ha moment: some of these products have MULTIPLE characteristics! So there are smooth, up-lock pumps AND ribbed, up-lock pumps! Maybe other people are quicker to catch these intricate subtleties of Container & Packaging Supply's catalog, but it took me a little bit. Good for those who pick things up faster than I do. Now, back to the closures. These pumps lock in the upright position when you turn them a ¼ a turn. This helps prevent accidental messes. I bet that the down-lock pumps are pretty similar.</p> <h3><a title=down-lock pumps href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/catalog/down-lock-pumps/119/>Down-Lock Pumps</a></h3> <p>I was right! These closures lock when the pump is in the down position. It takes a lot more work and preparation to lock this pump, though. To lock it, you have to push the pump all the way down and then screw it down. This means that, if the bottle has something in it, you need to depress it over a sink or towel so that you don't make a big mess (yep, I've made that mess before¦ many times). Even when you screw it down, it might dispense a little bit more product. This lock, though, is more secure than the up-lock.</p> <p>By this point, my Saturday night was coming to a close. I decided to save the excitement of the remaining three pump types until next Saturday. I can't wait!</p>