US1394139A - Combined stopper and cleaning device - Google Patents

Description

C. H-BRIGHT, JR. COMBINED STOPPER AND CLEANING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. I920.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET lind/Z C. H. BRIGHT, JR. COMBINED STOPPEB AND CLEANING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED. JUNE 10, 1920.

1,394,1 39. Patented oat. is, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E-Im

anomwwg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLAUDE H. BRIGHT, JR., OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

COMBINED STOPPER AND CLEANING DEVICE.

Application filed June 10,

T 0 all 10 ham it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE H. BRIGHT, J12, citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Stoppers and Cleaning Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates generally to containers and specifically to containers having a hollow closure adapted to receive a portion of the contents of the container whereby said contents may be spread on, or otherwise applied to a surface.

The particular object of the invention is to enable a cleansing fluid to be abstracted from a bottle, can or other reservoir and applied to a surface tobe cleaned, the stopper or closure of the reservoir bein adapted for, use as a fountain cleaning tool.

The invention comprises a container and a hollow cap or stopper therefor having a fluid permeable valve spring seated on its inner open end whereby the valve may be opened and the container inverted to fill the hollow cap or stopper with fluid, and the cap or stopper may then be. removed and utilized as a fountain spreader or scrubber to apply the fluid to a surface to be coated or cleaned.

In the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts.

Figure 1 is a section through the upper part of a container having a valved stopper therein, 7

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 inverted and with the valve open,

Fig. 3 is a section through the hollow cap or stopper detached, with the valve closed in condition for use as a fountain spreader or scrubber,

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the sheet metal valve before application thereto of the absorbent body, V

Fig. 5 is a detailed view showing a modified form of spring for holding the valve closed.

Fig. '6 shows a modified form of container and stopper. a

F'g. 7 is a perspective of a modified stop- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921. 1920. Serial No. 388,060.

Fig, 8 shows a vertical section through the modified stopper, and

Fig. 9 is a top plan view thereof.

In sheet 1 of the drawings the container is shown in the form of a bottle 1 which may be of glass as indicated, having a reduced neck providing a seat 2 for a stopper. The bottle is indicated as containing a liquor 3, which may be a coating or cleaning fluid.

The container 1 is closed by a closure shown in the drawing as a stopper 1-, having a cavity 5. The top portion of the stopper is pierced by a perforation 6, through which passes, fluid tight, the stem 7 of a valve 8 seated on the under portion of the stopper was to close the cavity 5. The stem 7 is provided with a head or push button 9 adapted to be pressed upon by a thumb or finger, in order to unseat the valve. The valve 8 is maintained closed by the pressure of a spring 10 as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and the said spring bearing upon the under side of the head 9. The stopper 4 may be made of rubber, cork, or other yielding material, or it may be made of glass, or any suitable material. If made of glass, it should be ground so as to fit a corresponding orifice in the bottle or other container. In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 I have shown a stopper made preferably of rubber composition, and the spring 10 is also composed of rubber vulcanized to such a degree as to render it sufliciently elastic to serve the purpose of a spring to retain valve 8 closed.

The valve 8 is preferably formed of sheet metal or other suitable sheet material, perforated as indicated at 13, and secured to a stem 7 by means of a collar 11 surrounding the lower end of said stem; projecting laterally from the sheet metal valve 8 are points or ears 12. A body of felt or other absorbent material is secured to the valve 8 b means of the points 12, which may be turned as illustrated and caused to enter the edge of a wad of felt 14; or other absorbent substance.

In case the stopper is made of material other than rubber it may be preferable to use a coil spring 10 as indicated by Fig. 5, or such a spring may be used with any type of stopper as preferred.

It will be seen that the stopper 4 serves,- in use, as a tight closure for the bottle or other container and will revent evaporation of volatile fluids. Sholfid it be desired to remove a quantity of the fluid for application' to a surface, as in blacking shoes, cleaning cloth or removing spots from any surface by the use of naphtha or other volatile cleansing fluid, the container may be inverted as indicated in Fig. 2, the valve pressed from its seat by the thumb or finger, whereupon" liquid will run into the hollow stopper; and when suiiicient liquid for the purpose in view has been received into the said 1 stopper the thumb will be removed from the press button or head on the stem of the valve and the spring allowed to close the valve. Thebottle may then be righted and the stopper used as a fountain spreader or scrubbing implement. The smallholes in the valve will permit the liquid to permeate the absorbent body of felt or the like, so that it may be rubbed upon the surface to be treated and the fluid applied thereto as for cleaning or coating purposes. The fluid will very gradually be drawn from the hollow stopper into the absorbent mate rial so as to keep it properly charged during the cleaning or coating operation. The charge may be renewed, of course, as often as desired, or as long as fluid remains in the main reservoir, and when the operation is completed the'stopper may be replaced in the: reservoir and will keep the contents inclosed or confined without evaporation.

WVhen considerable friction needs to be applied by means of the fountain scrubber, as in removing old spots from clothing, it is desirable to use a large scrubbing surface, preferably elongated, so as to keep the scrubbing instrument from tilting as it is moved to and fro over the surface by the operator. To provide for this contingency,I contemplate using a can, or similar reservoir, having an elongated discharge and filling orifice, whichmay, in plan view, be oblong, oval, orofsimilar outline, representing an area having a major and a minor axis.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrateda can 1, which may be of sheet metal having a neck 2 at one side ofoval or oblong section, into which fitsa stopper 4 of corresponding cross section. The said stopper 4, like the stopper 4, hasa permeable valve, and a valve stem, spring pressedto close the lower end of the stopper. In Fig. 8, the metallic portion of the elongated'valve is designated 8 the ab? sorbent coating or cleaning pad i l; 'the valve. stem 7, thepush button or head 9*",

and the valve seating spring 10. v Should in either form of the inventionjthe stopperbe made of unyielding material,- it may be found' desirable to provide a packing gasket between the valve and the lower edge'of the stopper. If. the stopper is of rubber composition, cork, or similar yieldable material, as described,- 110 packing is necessary and-nonehas been illustrated. ;;.Wit h the. elongated I stopwlf filled with tendency forthe stopper to tilt when used inthis manner, and the absorbent pad will be maintained flat and in full contact with the surface during manipulation.

, What Iclaimis: J

l. The combination with a container of a hollow cap or stopper having a closedtop and a spr'ing seatedvalve adapted to control communication between the interior of the container-and the interior of the hollow cap or stopper. T .1 r 1 2. A hollow cap or. stopper having a closed top and an opening in the end designedto be inserted inthe opening of a container, a valvev adapted to control said opening, a springtendingtoseat said valve,and a' valve handle whereby the valve may'bc unseated against the tension of'the spring.

A hollow cap or stopper having an openingin the end-designed to be inserted in the opening of a' container, a valve adapted to seat inward, said valve having a stem prm jecting through the top ofthe' stopper and a sprin tending to seat-thevalve. 1

i. hollow cap or stopper having an opening in the end designed tobe inserted-in theopening of a container,- a valve adapted to seat inward, said valve ha'ving'a stem projecting through the .topof the stopper and a spring arranged to bearupon the top of the its outer face. pi

-. v 8. A hollow cap or stopper having a closed top and an open lower end, a perforated valve of sheet material adapted to close said open end, said valve havinga stemproject ing throughthe top. of theclosure; a spring exerting its tension between. the top of the absorbent body val e. I ;9. A hollow closure for, a ,c'ontainer,. said hollow closure having an elongated cross section .;.a closedtoip and an open bottom, a permeable valve corresponding in outline to the cross sectional form of the closure, and a spring device tending to seat saidgvalve' an close the said open bottom. 7 1

. In testimony whereof ;I allix-my-signature. CLAUDE H. BRIGHT, J 11.;

on the outer face of; the

closureand' the stem toseat thevalve, and an

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