US1197449A - Moistening device. - Google Patents

Description

R. F. CRITTENDEN.

MOISTENING DEVICE.

APPLICAHON FILED FEB. 25, 1914.

1 9 1 9?,449 Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

INVENTOR. m.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

RICHARD F. CRIT'IENDEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALEXANDER M. TI-IYES, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

MOISTENING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application filed February 25, 1914. Serial No. 821,017.

To all "whom it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD F. CRrrTEN- DEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, and whose post-office address is 525 Market street, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Moistening Devices; and I dojhereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it most nearly appertains to make, use, and practise the same.

Among the many objects of the invention are, to provide a device of this character, so designed that it canbe constructed wholly of metal; to eliminate all absorbents, such as sponges, wicks and the like from the moistener; to provide an air locked reservoir for the supply ofmoisture, automatically delivered, without the interposition of valves or moving parts.

The invention possesses other advantageous features that with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the following description, wherein I shall outline in full that form of the invention selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present specification. The novelty of the invention will be included in the claims following said specification. From this it is apparent that I do not restrict myself to the showing made by said drawings and specification; as I may adopt many variations within the spirit of this invention, as exposed in said claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross section of a moistening device constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2- is a plan view from above of the same. Fig. 3- is a similar view taken on the line IIIIII.

Constructz'om-In detail the construction as illustrated consists of the tubular reservoir 1, with the closed bottom 2, and the top 3, having the opening 4, therethrough. The reservoir thus constructed is air looked, that is to say, water confined therein will not spill or flow out except, by capillary or similar force, or by a side shake or jar that will break the air lock or vacuum created behind the body of water when the reservoir is in verted. The top 3 is spaced down from the upper edge of the tube, forming the sides of the reservoir, about one-quarter of an inch,

in practice this distance proving about correct. This space 5 will vary somewhat accordlng to the proportions of the device. The open end of the cap 6 telescopes over the reservoir 1, until the top 7 abuts the upper edge of the tube. The top of the cap is provided with a multiplicity of small openings, or perforations 8, better to distribute the water discharged from the reservoir. For ease in manufacturing it is preferable to perforate this cap with a multiplicity of round holes. This is not abritrary however, as narrow slits or fancifully shaped perforations will serve equally well, so long as theyare small enough to prevent an excess of water gushing through the gap.

' The top 3 acts as a bufier plate to break the force of the water or liquid within the re ceptacle or moistener when the latter is inverted for use, and thereby prevents the contents of the moistener squirting out through the perforations or openings 8 each time the device is inverted.

Operation-This device is operated as follows: The cap is removed and the reservoir submerged or otherwise wholly or partially filled with water, so that the water does not rise above the top 3, the cap is then placed in position, being forced down until its top abuts the edge of the tube as described. The gummed surface to be moistened is laid upon a smooth surface, with the gummed side up. The moistening device is inverted and passed across the top of the gummed surface, with sufficient pressure to create a slight vacuum in each tiny perforation in the cap, suflicient to withdraw the water held therein. The water thus drawn through the perforated cap is replaced by Water flowing through the opening 4, due to the violent agitation of the water incidental to the operation of the device, in being passed across the gummed surface as described. The water thus applied to the gummed surface is distributed by the drag of the cap over the surface. The sm allness of the openings in the cap and their close contact with the gummed surface prevent the entrance of a sufiicient volume of air to release an excess of water when the airlock of the reservoir is broken; this smallness of these openings also prevents the discharge of any excess quantity of water from the space 5.

Among the advantages of this invention might be mentioned its sanitary construction Wholly of metal, hard rubber, celluloid orothersuitable. materials having no chemical reactionv with Water. no affinity for the gummed surface, no gum is removed therefrom. The Whole device-being compact and self contained is convenient- 1'n 'operation and may be carried in the pocket. There 1s not moist surface. such as capillary moisteners have, so it is not a source of damage if exposed. upon desks, as the Water Will not flow therefrom if the moistener is. accidentally upset orpapers laidrup n t Having thus described this invention,vvhat is. claimedfand desired to secure by Letters Ba t 1 99mg; 11; t ntvv natqntmnax 9 ht ee The cap having I five cents reach, by addressing the "Commissioner 01 Patents.

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