US2331117A - Dispensing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

0ct.5,1943. LDGQODHUE ETAL- 2,331 1 DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed oct'l 3, 1941 INVENTORS L.D.GOODHUE w. N.$ULL|VAN ATTORNEYS "and others, but it is not limited to such use and Patented on5, 1943 .4

msPnNsmG APPARATUS Lyle D. Goodhue, Berwyn, Md., and William N.

Sullivan, Washin D. 0., assignors to Claude R. Wickard, as Secretary of Agriculture of the United States 0 successors in office i America, and to his 1 Application October 3, 1941, Serial No. 413,474

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) Claims.

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended by the act of April 30, 1928,

and the invention herein described and claimed, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to dispensing apparatus, and an object thereof is the provision in combination with a container adapted to hold a liquid under pressure and a spray device for dispensing the liquid, of means for separating out a predetermined quantity of liquid in the container and expelling with the spray device this predetermined quantity as a unit dose so that each dose dispensed will be exactly the same. This permits a high degree of controlled application. Just the right amount of spray is delivered upon each application and there is eliminated both the waste ordinarily resultingfrom the discharge of more than is needed in a particular application and the inefficiency ordinarily resulting from the discharge of an insuflicient quantity which is, in efiect, also a wasteful application.

This invention is especially useful in the applicat ion of aerosols and fumigants, parasiticidal can also be used with such materials as cleaning fluids, paints (to apply a uniform coating over an area), and so forth.

In the accompanying drawing thereare illustrated three preferred embodiments of this invention, in which: I

Figure 1 is an elevational section of one embodiment; Figure 2 is an elevational section of the second embodiment; and Figure 3 is an elevational section of the third embodiment.

The embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a container ll adapted to hold a liquid 12. Above the level of the liquid 9. well or pocket I3 of a predetermined volume open at the top It is secured to the inner side of the container. A spray device l5 of any suitable type desired having a nozzle 16, an operating valve l1, and an entry tube 18 depending therefrom is removably secured on the mouth I9 of the container by any suitable means, such as screw threads. The tube l8 extends downward into the pocket 13 and terminates at the bottom thereof. When the liquid 12 i of a type containing a component volatile at ordinary room temperatures such as dichlorodifluoromethane, carbon dioxide, methylbromide,.

the tube 18 and the nozzle [6 when the valve I1 is open, from whence it volatilizes or, atomizes into the atmosphere. However, when the liquid is not sufficiently volatile, gas under pressure from an external source may be introduced through a valved nipple 20. The pocket 13 1S filled with liquid by inverting or simply tilting the container ll, thenc righting it again, leaving the pocket filled with a. predetermined amount of liquid which is expelled or liberated by operating the valve 11. When all of the liquid inthe pocket is discharged, the valve .11 is closed, the container 11 again inverted or tilted, and the operation I 'he embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 comprises a container or tank-2 I, through the mouth 22 of which there is hermetically disposed the body of a bulb 23- closed with the exception of I an opening 24 at the top, through which the entry tube 25 of a spray device 26 extends, and an opening 21 below the neck of the container at a predetermined point above the bottom of the bulb defining a given volume of liquid. The bulb should be proportioned so that the volume above the opening 21 is greater than the volume below. The bottom of the tube 25 is open and extends to the bottom of the bulb. The spray device 26 as in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 is of any suitable type hawng an operating valve 28 and a nozzle 29. The container may also be provided with a valved nipple 30 to permit the introduction of an external source of gas under pressure. In this embodiment the liquid to be sprayed is placed in the container through the mouth 22 after removing the bulb 23. The bulb is then replaced and the container inverted permitting the liquid to enter the bulb through the opening 21 and fill the portion between said opening 21 and the spray device. The container is then reverted causing the liquid to fall into the lower portion of the bulb below the opening 21. Any excess liquid spills out through the opening 21 into the container, so that a predetermined quantity of liquid is retained in the bulb ready to be expelled through the nozzle 29 of the spray device 26 by operating the valve 28. Gas pressure in the con-' ate against the liquid in the bulb 23 through the opening 26 and force it through the tube 25 when the valve 28 is opened.

The embodiment'illustrated in Figure 3 comprises a container 31 surmounted by a bulb 32, the bottom 33 of which is open and connected to the mouth 34 of the container through a valve 35. At the top of the bulb 32 aspray device 36 prising is disposed, like that of the other two embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, and having a nozzle 31, an operating valve 38, and a dependent entry tube 39 which extends to the bottom of the bulb 32. This apparatus is operatable only with a liquid volatile enough to create a pressure sufiicient to expel it from the bulb 32 through the nozzle 31, Liquid is introduced into the bulb by opening the valve 35 and inverting the container. The bulb will become only partially filled with liquid due to the presence of trapped air. However, the bulb is so proportioned that this partial quantity will be the predetermined amount required for each dose or application. The valve 35 is then closed and the container reverted. The predetermined quantity of liquid in the bulb 32 is then ready to be discharged through the nozzle 31 when the valve 38 isopened, the gas resulting from volatilization of the liquid in the bulb furnishing the necessary pressure.

Having thus described our invention, we claim: 1. An apparatus of the character described comprising a container to hold a liquified gas under pressure, a liquified gas receptacle of predetermined capacity secured to the inner wall of said container above the normal liquid level, a

tube between said receptacle and the exterior of .said container, and a valve in said tube, whereby when said valve is open, the pressure within said container will force liquid in said, receptacle through said tube. V

2. An apparatus of the type mentioned coma container to hold a liquified gas under pressure, a receptacle within said container of predetermined capacity above the normal liquid level, said receptacle being secured to the inner wall oi the container whereby it can be filled by manipulating thelcontainer. a tube between said receptacle and the exterior of. said container, and

a valve in said tube whereby when said valve is open, the pressure within said container will force liquid in said receptacle through said tube. 3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a container to hold a liquified gas under pressure, a liquified gas receptacle of predetermined capacity secured to the inner wall of said container above the normal liquid level, and a valved tube from said receptacle to the exterior of said container.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising a container to hold a liquid under pressure, said container having a mouth at the top thereof, a bulb hermetically disposed through said mouth, said bulb having an aperture through the side thereof below said mouth and at a predetermined point above the bottom thereof, the volume of the bulb above said aperture being greater than the volume below, and means associated wtih said bulb for expelling liquid in the bulb below said aperture.

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising a container adapted to hold a liquified gas under pressure, a receptacle of predetermined capacity secured to the inner wall of said container, said receptacle being open at the top, whereby the container can be manipulated to fill the receptacle with liquified gas in the container by causing the liquified gas to flow along the wall of the container above the receptacle, a spray device attached to said container above said receptacle, said spray device having a dip tube extending downward to the bottom of said receptacle, and a valve in said tube whereby when said valve is open the pressure within the container will force liquid in the receptacle through said tube and spray device.

LYLE D. GOODHUE. WILLIAM N. SULLIVAN.

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