US1742548A - Moistening device - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 7, 1930. .1. H. LEAL MOISTENING DEVICE Filed April 9, 192B m4a1/70e yPatented Jan. `7, 1930 UNITED STATES JOSEPH H. LEAL, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Y MOISTENING DEVICE Application led April 9, 1928. Serial No. 268,690.

My invention relates to devices for moistening the fingers to facilitate the handling and counting of money, checks and the like, and particularly to that class of moistening devices comprising a liquid container and a inoistening member of liquid absorbing ma terial rotatable in the container to expose freshly moistened portions of its periphery. Mounting means for sustaining the moisten ing member for rotation inthe liquid container in moistening devices as heretofore proposed are generally formed of metal and hence are subject to rust with consequent deterioration ofboth the mounting means and the moistening member. Further, the structure of the mounting means is of such com plexity as to greatly increase the cost of manufacture and of such form as to necessitate the projection of a portion of the means sultant disadvantage of preventing or rendering the mounting means difcult of removal and thus precluding the removal and cleansing of the moistening member by washing and squeezing, which it is required to do from time to time for sanitary and other reasons.

It is a purpose of my inventionto provide a moistening device of the class above specified wherein the disadvantages recited are eliminated by the provision of a liquid container constructed of any suitable non-metallic material and in which a, moistening member of resilient material, preferably sponge rubber, is removably received and rotatably mounted by non-metallic trunnions or other suitable means which embraces the moistening member axially in a manner to compress the member sufficiently to form an imaginary axis about which the member can be manually rotated in exposing freshly moistened portions of its periphery to the user.

It is a further and broader purpose of my invention to provide a liquid container and moistening member in which no metallic parts yare used and wherein the moistening member is rotatable in the container to expose different portions of its periphery and yet freel, removable therefrom to permit cleansingt ereof.

through the moistening member with the ref Another purpose of my invention is the provision of a moistening device of the above? described character in which liquid deposited upon the top of the liquid container is drained back into the container, and wherein the trunnions are formed integral with the container thus reducing the cost of manufacture.-

I will describeonly two forms of moistenmg device embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features in claims.

-In the accompanying drawlngs:

Fig. l is a view showing in perspective one form of moistening device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the meisten-ing device shown inFig. l;

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken atright angles to Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is aperspective View ofanother form of moisteningv device embodying my invention with the moistening element removed.

.In carrying out my invention, I provide a container K for a liquid, such as water, constructed of any suitable material, such as china, andcast or molded to form a cupshaped body of circular formhaving a top Wall l5 provided with a diametrically disposedslot or openingl. Thevupperedge of the body is formed with an annular bead 17,` and from this bead the top wall is in- Uclined' toward the center and in two directionsso as to effect drainage of water deposited thereon back'into the container through the slot 16. Cast integral with the top wall are a pair of lugs 18, which project into the slot from the side walls thereof and which constitutetrunnions about which a moisten* ing element is adapted to rotate within the slot.v These trunnions 18 are medial of the ends of the slot and as'shown in Fig. 1 they are of angular form while as shown in Fig. 4 they are circular in form and provided with rounded heads 18e` for the purpose of reducing the friction between the trunnions and themoistening member and to thereby facilitate rotation of the moistening member within the container. Atopposite sides of the trunnions, as shown in Figa, the walls of the alot are recessed as indicated atr 19 to for the* member Wliich operates ":to K prevent y form drain openings through which Water from the surface of the container can pass freely back into the container. By reference to Fig. 4 it Will be noted that the inclination of the top Wall l5 is such as to drain Water toward these openings.

The moistening member is indicated at M, and itis essential that this memberbe constructed of"resilientmaterial, 2In the present instance I have shown it as formed of that when inserted intothe slot 16 it can be manually rotated therein. The prerequisite of resiliency is necessary to permit an inser tion of. the moistening member into the slot,

the sides of the member yielding to the trunnions 18. WV'hen the moist'ening member is once -in vplaeethe trunnions are V:disposed axiallyrthereof and they project into `opposite sides-"ofthe member'soas to' slightlyv compress'the' rubber `and' thereby form an axis aboutA which the"moisteningv member rotates.

lra-ctual practice, .thecontainer is partly filled with Wateras illustrated .in Figs. Zand 3 sothat the' lower'portiono the moistening member is submerged. The upper port-ion which xis `disposed` 'eXteriorlyof the container may be engaged'bythe-hand vaiidnioved to eiect'rtation ofthe member sothat the Inoistened periphery previously Vsubmerged Will be elevated and thuseXposed to'permit moistening offthe fingers. t During rotation of the moisteningmember, the trunnions operate tox maintain the; member centered, .and as a consequence they form an imaginary axis bodily displacement of .thev memberirom lthe container -as a result of rotating the member. In thismanner the' moi'sten'ing :member is" at all 'times I mounted y'for rotational movement, to expose gfreshlyl'moistened portions of its periphery, a-ndyet it can be readily removed witfliout injury thereto 'to perm-itv cleansing thereof. It'willl be understood that: to propei'ly clean.theLmoisteningmelnber it is neces# sary to `alternately 'rinse and`- squeeze the sponge rubber, and Where there are nosolid parts WasheclWith the member when removed from .the containerf-it willt be "manifest 'that proper -sqeezingl of the sponge rubber 'Will be eifectedincident toits cleaning.

When thelnembei-M is-saturated with Water there isa preponderanceof Weight at its lower, portion which seems to' counterbalscribed only two forms of moistening device embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made herein Without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

.l. `A':=moistening device'compiji'sing a liquid containerhavingan opening in the'top'y there- Jof, tru-n-nions fixed on the Walls of said opensponge rubber and oijardiwmeter an'dfwizdth ing, :andL a 'meiste-ning: member of resilient material rotatable Within the opening and .engagedsand compressed by said trunnions whereby an axis is formed about which the moistening member can be rotated to present newly moistened peripheral portions eX- teriorly'of the container. A

' 2. A moistening device'cornprising'a liquid container of' circular form having-a diametrically disposed sl-otin the top thereof, trunnionsl formedintegral. Withandi projecting inwardly i fromZ the' Walls'` of the slot at` opposite points, 'l anda disk-'shaped-moistening member of resilient materiali rot-atzzbley i-n'i the slot-and compressed yaxially bythe trunnions whereby Yan 'axis is f formed about Iwhich the moistening member can be rota-ted.

3. A -`moistening device yhas embodied 'in claim 1k wherein the Walls' 'of the'openings'are recessed to provide VVdrain"Eopeningslfand the top WallS of the kcoi-itai-ner'-isY inclined in such directions as to `Vlsecuire v-drainagelof i liquid thereon into the drain'f )p'enings y Y f4. 'Asf an article et manufacture, al liquid container havinga 'slot the top-*Wallkthereof, and"trunnionsfprojectinginto :said slot from 'the =Wal-ls thereof Aand l formed integral with saidl'walls a-ndi adapted? to coa'ct infrotatifvely Vsupporting a moistening 'member Withinr the-slot. I

f `5. rr-moistening device,'cornprising a liquid container having an opening inthe top' thereof.V a disk shaped moistening memberfoi-resilient material Within said opening, .and trunnions iXed-tof the ywallsran'd' projecting i'nto said' openingi'to penetrate the sides of thel member and.' thus rovide'ia centering axis about-Which 'the .mein ermayibe rotated. {SignedlatlLosAngeles,in .the county of Los Angeles, and i State of f California f this 22d `day 1' .of fMarch, .1928.

ance any pullingaetionfapplied to its upper part when vrotating the -member'and which operates in-conjunction'withfthe trunnions to maintain the member centered Within thev slot so fithat'it cannotfbe l accidentally removed from lthe icontainer. `Rotation is further facilitated by' thereductionof friction' at the poi-nts` of Contact `of theasponge 'rubber'. with the edgesof' the :slotbecauseof the fact that the rubber and slot edges. are moistened.

`'Although -lhave herein shown and de-

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