US1772041A - Condiment receptacle - Google Patents

Description

1930. w. w. HARRIS 1,772,041

CONDIMENT RECEPTACLE Filed Feb. 25, 1928 INVENTOR ll v W Patented Aug. 5, 193

. UNITED STATES WILLIAM W.

PATENT OFFICE H ABRIS, OI! BBOOKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO KETUHAM &

J MCDOUGALL, INC., A CORPORATION 015 NEW YORK CONDIMENT RECEPTACLE Application filed February 25, 1928. Serial No. 256,857.

This invention relates to condiment receptacles.

An object "of the invention is to provide a receptacle in which the condiment is completely sealed against atmospheric attack at all times except at the moment of delivery and having means to eifect the intermittent delivery of condiment in desired quantity without agitation of the body of condiment beyond a gradual gravitation equivalent to the amount of discharges and without any intake of air except at the point of delivery and that in amounts only equal to the volume of discharged condiment.

The effect of such arrangement is to prevent deterioration in strength of the condiment, which occurs through atmospheric circulation in ordinary receptacles,- and to exclude atmospheric vapors to the extent that the condiment is constantly kept in a normally dry and freely deliverable condition.

That such objects of the invention have been attained will become apparent when it is fully understood that the total intake of air throughout the intermittent'delivery of the entire condiment charge is only equal in volume to the volume of said charge and that the loss of strength through impregnation of such volume of air is infinitesimal and also that no degree of humidity carries sufficient moisture in' such volume of air to appreciably afiect the body of condiment at any stage of its use. Another objecttof the invention is to provide a receptacle having a multiple of condiment chambers and delivery means associated therewith whereby the individual may have more than one condiment in hand, and each immediately deliverable in response to a particular touch of the finger, the said delivery means being also responsive to a single finger touch whereby the simultaneous delivery ofa plurality of condiments, in approximately proportionate quantity, is effected. Such arrangement also eifects a saving of labor by reducing the number of separate pieces to be handled in table setting and table clearing and also a saving of effort in passing various single receptacles between individuals 60 at the table.

,at right an les to establish Pursuant to a preferred form of the invention the receptacle is formed with two chambers and provided with selective discharging means adapted to the proper delivery of salt and pepper, the two condiments commonly used in combination.

This double chambered body formation,'as'

-made of glass, eflects an important economy in manufacture as the accommodation for two condiments is provided by a single glass 0 molding operation.

Further features and objects of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detail description and the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a double condiment receptacle embodying my invention in one form, in use.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3'is a top plan.

Fig. 4 is a section at 44, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section at 55, Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a section at 6-6, Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is apartial section similar to Fig. 6 inverted.

In the drawings, separate but exactly duplicate parts are designated by the same numeral and referred to as singular in the description.

I have shown the body 1 as made of glass 80 and with two chambers, 1 and 1", having open bottoms but otherwise entirely enclosed. The lower portion of the body 1 is recessed to form the seat 1 for a yieldable packing element 2 which is clamped to the 5 body by means of the supporting plate 3 and the pivotally mounted spring wire ,yoke

4, the said yoke co-acting with a cam body formation 1 to secure the parts under tension and thus hermetically sealing the chambers '1 and 1 with the exception of the openings 5 in the yieldable packing element 2 which are located centrally to the respective chambers for the purpose of condiment delivery and chargin as hereinafter described. The ends of the yo e 4 are formed inwardly ivotal connec- Y tion with t e bearing openings 3' in the downwardly extending flange 3" of the supporting plate 3. Open spaces 1' in the base portion of the body 1 are provided to permit the assembly of the respective parts and to further permit freedom of action when the yoke 4 is manipulated to co-act with the cam body formation 1". The cam formation 1 is provided with a slight central depression 1 for retention of the yoke 4 when positioned therein. The particular formation 4* of the yoke serves the triple purpose of added resiliency, finger support in assembly manipulation and a thumb and finger support in the use of the receptacle as a whole.

The openings 3 in the supporting plate 3 are arranged concentric to the delivery open ings 5 and are larger in diameter than said delivery openings in order to freely expose the yieldable periphery of the openings 5 to the sealing action of the closure 6. It will be seen that the yieldable packing element 2 serves a dual purpose as the medium for effecting the hermetical sealing of the chamber bottoms and the providing of a yieldable periphery of the delivery openings and there by acting as a medium for the effective sealing thereof.

The closure 6 is preferably made of yieldable material, such as molded rubber or the like, for the purpose of added compensation, in conjunction with the yieldable periphery of the delivery opening 5, for effecting a reliable seal regardless of the possible interposition of grains of condiment. The closure 6 has an opening 6 for mounting on the wire arm 7 where it is held in position by frictional contact after being placed in registering location with the delivery opening 5. The arm 7 is hinged to one end of a generally U-shaped carrier frame 8, the other end of which is formed with a catch 8 adapted to receive the free end of the arm 7. The carrier frame 8 has a secondary U-shaped formation 8*, extending above the body 1, which serves as the means for finger manipulation and abutment for the spring 9 and also retains the said spring against one angle of lateral movement.

The body 1 is provided with shallow side channels 1 commencing at completely open spaces 1 in the base portion and converging at the top portion into a deeper cross channel 1, thus forming a retention and guiding means for the carrier frame 8 which is losely mounted therein to permit of its free reciprocal action in response to either the upwardly exerted spring force or the downwardly applied manual pressure. The side walls of the cross channel 1 also serve to retain the spring 9 against displacement in the opposed lateral direction.

The inwardly extending projection 8 of the carrier frame 8 is provided to bring the finger pressure area of the two carrier frames sufliciently adjacent to permit of their simultaneous operation by a single finger pressure.

Instead of permitting the continuous free running of condiment upon depression of the closure 6, the preferred construction shown provides a restricting part 10 having a diametrically reduced portion l0 which is adjustably connected to the closure 6 by the threaded means 10", the conformation of the adjacent surfaces, these two parts 6 and 10 being such as to form an annular grove 11 that is preadjustable in vertical dimension for carrying an approximately predeter mined amount of condiment upon a single depression of the closure.

The action of the operable parts will be clearly understood from their different positions as shown in Fig. 3 in which the parts 1n relation with the chamber 1 are in the normally sealed position and the like parts in relation with the chamber 1 are shown in the manually depressed position, after havmg delivered the predetermined amount of condiment.

Again referring to the means employed for effecting a reliable seal of the delivery openmg, it will be seen that the lowermost section 5 of the periphery of the delivery openmg 5 is preferably of sharp corner formation as particularly shown in Fig. 6. The reduced portion 6 of the closure 6 is of approximately the same diametrical area as that of the opening 5. The lower enlarged portion 6 is of larger diameter than that of the delivery opening 5 and terminates in a tapering formation 6 which acts as the effective sealing means when retained in tensional contact with the sharp cornered periphery 5 of the delivery opening 5. It will therefore be seen that in the first retractional movement of the closure 6, the reduced portion 6 serves to free the delivery opening from falling grains of condiment prior to the contact of the actual sealing elements, thus leaving these elements practically free from condiment interference in effecting this important sealing function. The necessity of the intermittent breaking of this seal for the purpose of condiment delivery and the desirabilit of automatically re-eifecting it in a reliab e way in order to gain the fullest possible advantage from the otherwise completely enclosed chamber structure, and to accomplish this under spring tension sufficiently light to be easily manipulable, is the reason for designating yieldable material as the preferred means to this end.

The provision for quickly and entirely freeing the delivery opening 5 and thus permitting its use as a charging orifice is most particularly shown in Fig. 6. A slight outward pressure at 8 springs the free end of the carrier frame 8 from its natural form and permits the escape of the free end of arm 7 so that it may be swung to one side as shown and at the same time effecting the bodily removal of the closure 6 and the restricting part 10, thus fully exposing, for cleansing purand are not subject to the otherwise conse-.

pensive materials in the pose, the only working parts that come into condiment contact. After charging, only the single movement of the arm 7 into engagement with the catch 8 is required tocrestore the complete working arrangement. It will be seen that this is all accomplished through pletely closed upper and side wall structure.

simple and positive movements and without any full detachment of parts or any disarrangement whatever of the deliver adjustment. are completely free from condiment contact quent fouling and corrosion, is of particular economical importance as affecting the long life and perfect working of this invention.

While glass, both on account of economy of manufacture and its transparency should be a strongly favored material for the body construction of condiment receptacles, there has been a wide use of other and more exroduction of the ordinary articles of the ind now in general use. The main reason for this is the difliculty and labor of keeping the walls of the ordinary glass rece tacles clear and clean. Only a slight excess 0 humidity causes condensation on their inner walls with the result that they quickly become coated with either saline deposit or other condiment dust and not only become unsightl but so nearly opaque that the may have to 0 held against the light in or er to discern the amount of condiment content.

The fact that m invention precludes such objectionable con itions and ermits the entirely advantageous use of g ass bod construction is of further economical an labor saving importance.

Whereas I have described my invention by reference to a specific form thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A condiment rece tacle having a body structure forming'a p uralit of 0 en bottomed chambers, the walls 0 said c ambers 1 being otherwise entirely closed, means comprising a yieldable element for peripherically sealing said open bottoms, the sad peripherical sealing means further comprism a resilient element for maintaining the sea ing contact of the said yieldable element under tensional compression, delivery ports in said yieldable element positionedrespectively to each of said chambers, closures for sealin the said delivery ports, means exterior 0 said chambers for supporting said closures and resilient means co-actin with said supporting means for maintaining the said closures in sealing relation with said delivery ports, the said closure supporting means further constituting fin er operative means for displacing the said c osures within and relaw tive to-said delivery ports respectively to The fact that all other working parts efiect the delivery of condiment and also comprisin a. manually movable member for eiiecting rther displacement of said closures to convert the said delivery ports to charging opening purpose. 2. A condiment receptacle having comforming a chamber with a bottom 0 ening, means for completely sealing said ottom said delivery port 'to effect the delivery of I condiment.

3. A condiment receptacle comprising a condiment receiving chamber provided in one of its sides with an opening, said chamber being otherwise completely sealed, a valve for said opening for controlling the discharge of condiment therethrough, means for o erating said valve to efl'ecta movement of said valve outwardly of said opening in the dischar e of condiment therethrough, and means or mounting said valve operating means exteriorly on said chamber.

4."A condiment receptacle comprising a condiment receiving chamber provided in one of its sides with an opening, saidchamberbeing otherwise completely sealed, a valve for said opening for controlling the discharge of condiment therethrough, means for operating said valve to eflect a movement of said valve outwardl of said opening in the discharge of con iment therethrough, and means for supporting said valve operating means exteriorly on said chamber.

5. A condiment receptacle having a discharge opening, closure means for sald opening arran d to enter said discharge opening at its 0 osure position, said closure means having spaced enlar ements for -pro-determinin the extent 0 discharge, means for actuating said closure means outwardly relative to said. discharge opening to its discharge position, and means for mounting said closure actuating means exteriorly of said receptacle. I

6. A condiment rece tacle comprising a condiment receiving c amber provided in one of its sides with a discharge opening, said chamber being otherwise completely sealed, an abutting closure for sealing said discharge opening against entry of atmosphere into the interior of said chamber, means for maintaining said abutting closure in, sealing relation with said discharge 0 ening and finger operative means dis ose exteriorly of said chamber for e ecting a spaced openin between said abutting closure and said ischarge opening for the discharge of condiment therethrough.

4 mmoai 7. A condiment receptacle comprising a condiment receiving chamber having completely closed upper and side Wall structure, said chamber being provided with a bottom opening, means for sealing said bottom opening, said sealin means comprising a closure member for sai bottom opening, supporting means exterior of said chamber for said closure member, means exterior of said chamber m for maintaining tensional contact of said closure member against the periphery of said bottom ening, and finger operative means for efiectlng a spaced opening between said closure member and the periphery of said bottom opening to thereby efiect delivery'of condiment. e In testimony whereof I have ed this spegification this 23rd day of ecember, 192 I WILLIAM W. HARRIS. [14.5.]

Images