US1798346A - Lather-forming device - Google Patents

Description

March 31, 1931. R. H. WAGER 1,798,346

LATHER FORMING DEVICE I Original Filed April 30, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 31, 1931. R. H. WAGER LATHER FORMING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed April 30, 1928 Swan/what pfilyer',

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Patented Mar. 31, 1931 STATES PATENT QFFEE LATHER-FGRMING DEVICE Application filed April 30, 1928, Serial No. 274,121, and in Canada March 5, 1928.

Renewed September The invention relates to lather forming devices of the general type disclosed in my U. Patents 1,554,146, 1,554,1t7 and 1,554,148, and my pending U. S. application Serial No. 259,519, filed March 6, 1928.

Oneobject of the invention is to generally simplify and cheapen construction without sacrificing durability or efi'iciency.

Another aim is to produce an improved means for condensing soap bubbles to a lather.

Yet another object is to provide a bubble condensing means which may be adjusted to produce a thick, thin or medium lather, as desired.

lVith the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view partly in elevation. 7

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Fig; 1, the hand bulb being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the receptacle.

Fig. 4 is a complete vertical sectional View.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are horizontal sectional views onthe correspondingly numbered lines of Fig. 4, looking in the directions indicated by the arrows of said lines.

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the plateof the bubble condensing means.

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view on line 9-9 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 10 is a detail section on line 10-1O of Fig. 4.

Fig; 11 is a bottom plan view of the soap cake supporting device, and directing channels for delivering the mingled air and water in tangential direction from rim of said support.

The form of constructionillustrated in the drawings, will be specifically described, with the understanding that within the scope of the invention as-claimed, variations may be made.

I provide a receptacle 12 having a flat bottom 18' and an integral skirt 1%} projecting downwardly below said bottom. Bott m 13 lower is formed with a central opening 15, and the skirt 14 is provided with a downwardly opening notch 16. At opposite sides of this notch, the skirt is reinforced at its outer side by vertical ridges 17 whose upper ends are shaped at 18 to provide an outwardly opening socket for a purpose to appear. The sidewall of the receptacle 12 is permanently imperforate and hence said receptacle is adapted to be filled to the brim with liquid. in a number of the prior devices of the general type to which t ie present invention relates, a lateral filling neck was provided on the receptacle wall so positioned as to limit the extent of filling, providing a bubble-receiving chamber between the liquid level and bubble-condensing means embodied in a cap for thereceptacle. However, this neck has complicated molding of the receptacle from glass and other materials and hence it has now been omitted, and while the receptacle is filled to the brim, provision is made within the cap of said receptacle for providing the necessary bubble space between the liquid and the bubblecondensing means, all of which will be hereinafter specifically described.

An admission tube 19 for air or other gas, is upwardly inserted in the notch 16 and is provided with an enlargement 20 which is inwardly inserted into the socketformation 18. The inner end of this tube 19 is provided with a head 21 which contacts with the receptacle bottom 18 and may if desired be provided at its upper portion with a coating of cement to abut said bottom. A tubular gas admission post 22 passes at its lower portion through the opening 15 and is threaded at 23, into the head 21, said post being shouldered at 24: to contact with the upper side of the receptacle bottom 13. Under this shoulder, cement may be used if desired. I

In prior devices, air admission means cor responding to the tube 19 has been cast integrally with the receptacle, further complicating the manufacture of the latter. Hence, by the construction herein disclosed, manufacture is facilitated and cheapened. The lowerend of the post 22' securely anchors the inner end of the tube 19 and the co-acting formations 18-20 support the outer end of said tube so that it cannot be pried downwardly with any danger of breaking the bottom or other portion of the receptacle. In initial assembly, the portion of the tube 19 between its enlargement 20 and head 21, is slipped into the notch 16, said tube is then slid radially inward until said enlargement 20 seats within the socket formation 18, and the post 22 is then installed.

Internally, the up er end of the post 22 is shaped to form a. valve seat 25 with which a ball valve 26 co-acts, and to hold this ball against movement out of the post, I prefer to inwardly bend portions of the latter as at 27.

A sleeve :28, closed at its upper end 29, surrounds and extends over the post 22 and is spaced from the latter, said sleeve terminating in upwardly spaced relation with the receptacle bottom 13 and being provided its lower end with a substantially conical, outwardly declined tlai-ige 30. This flange rests directly upon the bottom 13 and is provided in its lower side with pitched recesses or grooves 31 which open through its peripheral edge and serve to discharge gas into the receptacle 12 from the space within the flange and the sleeve 28. Due to the angular po sitioning or pitch of the recesses or the like 31, the ingoing gas is whirled so that agitation of the liquid is effected around, under and over an annular soap cake 32, to rapidly term soap bubbles. The soap cake surrounds the sleeve 28 and is held centered by the latter, and it rests upon radial webs 33 formed upon the upper side of the flange 30. These webs so support the soap cake that the water may be agitated under it to assist in forming the soap bubbles.

To prevent the sleeve 28 from accidentally sliding off of the post 22 when the cap of the device is removed and the contents of the re ceptacle 12 are being discharged, 1 provide said post with lateral lugs 34 receivable in bayonet grooves 35 formed in the sleeve 28. Upon manual turning of this sleve sutiiciently to bring the lugs 34 in alinement with the vertical portions of the bayonet grooves 85, said sleeve and the flange 80 may be removed for cleaning. To facilitate application and removal of the sleeve, its upper end is preferably roughened as at 36, for instance by the formation of a multiplicity of fine vertical ribs thereon.

A cap 37 is provided for the receptacle 12, said cap having a continuous downwardly projecting side wall preferably formed of an upper annular section 38 integral with the cap body and a lower rotatable section 39, the two sections being suitably connected, as at l0. The inner side of the wall section is provided with tapered ribs 41 to underlie lugs on the receptacle wall to secure cap and receptacle together, when said section 39 is turned in one direction, and to permit removal of the cap when said section is reversely turned. A gasket 42 of rubber or other elastic material is disposed Within the wall section 39 and is held against dropping therefrom by the ribs 41. When the cap is applied to the receptacle, this gasket rests upon the upper edge of the receptacle wall, and the lower edge of the wall section 38 is held solidly upon said gasket.

The body portion 43 of the cap 37 is of more or less plate-like form and is provided in its lower side with a plurality of preferably segmental pockets M; spaced about its central portion. One of these pockets is provided with an outlet 45 communicating with a lather discharge spout 46, which spout is preferably formed as a separate piece from the cap 37, being cemented or otherwise secured to the latter.

A screen 4-7 contacts with the lower side or. the cap body and extends across the open lower side of all of the pockets 44%. A plate 48 disposed within the confines ot' the wall section 38. contacts with the lower side of the screen 47 and is provided in its upper side with a plurality of pockets l9 similar to the pockets 44. and disposed in overlapping relation with the latter. One of these pockets 49 is formed with a bubble inlet 50. Bubbles from the space between the lower side of the plate -18 and the liquid in the receptacle 12, pass upwardly under pressure through the inlet 50, an d due to the arrangement of pockets a9e4- and screen 17, these bubbles must pass alternately in opposite directions through said screen before reaching the outletand discharging from the nozzle lt). It the inlet 50 and outlet 45 be diametrically opposed, the bubbles will travel in opposite directions from said inlet to said outlet and hence will pass a great number of times through the screen, so that a very thick creamy shaving lather is produced. By turning the plate 18 however, so that inlet 50 is closer to outlet 45, measured at one side of the center of said plate, than at the opposite side of said center, then the bubbles will take the shorter course, will travel a fewer number of times through the screen, and consequently will not produce such a thick or dense lather. As a thick lather, a thin lather or a medium lather, will meet all requirements, I have made provision for three adjustments of the plate 48 to obtain lathers of these characteristics.

Finger pieces or handles 51 are formed on the lower side of the plate 18 for turning it as required. Also formed on this plate, is an arrow 52 or other indicator (Fig. 7) cooperable with stationary indicators, such as the numbers 1, 2, 3. When plate 18 is turned to position arrow 52 toward the fixed indicator 1, inlet 50 is diametrically opposite out let a5 and hence the pockets and screens are plate with one or more angular lugs 53 receivable in cii'cuinferentially spaced recesses 54 formed in the lower edge of the wall section The gasket 42 supports the plate 48 and hence holds the lugs 53 yieldably in the recesses 44, and said gasket will yield to'permit turning of the plate from one position to another when desired, or may be removed.

Attention is invited to' the fact that the plate 48 is upwardly spaced to quite an extent from the brim or upper edge of the receptacle 12. Hence, even though this receptacle be filled to the brimwith liquid, there will be a space 55 provided between the liquid level and the plate 48 in which generated bubbles may accumulate prior to passage through the bubble-condensing means to the lather outlet spout 46. It is essential that a proper space be provided between the hubble condensing means and the liquid level.

r In prior devices, provision for this space was made within the upper portion of the recep tacle and a lateral filling neck was provided which prevented filling beyond a predetermined level, to preserve the space in question.

" For ease of and inexpensive manufacture,

this neck has now been omitted and it is in tended that the receptacle be filled to the brim. Hence, to provide for the necessary bubble space, the bubble-condensing means has been upwardly spaced within the cap, from the brim of the receptacle wall.

A hand bulb 56 is shown for injecting air under pressure into the device, through the tube 19, post 22, etc. The outer end of this bulb is provided with a check valve 57 which admits air to said bulb upon distention of the latter, but closes upon compression of said bulb. Soapy liquid leaking back through the air passage, might reach the valve 57, particularly upon tilting of the entire device and would clog said valve so that it would not properly function. To prevent such occur rences, the outer end of the bulb 56 is provided with an inwardly projecting lug or boss 58,

and the valve 57 is mounted in this projection.

Thus, soapy liquid within the bulb 56 cannot reach the check valve even though the device he turned to position said valve straight downward.

To use the device, the receptacle 12 is filled with water after inserting the soap cake 32, and the cap 37 is then fastened to said receptacle, after first adjusting the plate 48 according to the density of lather desired. Then, operation of the bulb 56 causes injection of air which escapes into the receptacle through the recesses 31 producing agitation of water around the soap cake 32 and hence generating soap bubbles. These bubbles accumulate in the spaces 55 and are'forced by the accumulating pressure within the receptacle, into and through the bubble condensing means, it'rom the inlet 50 to the outletspout 46. In so traveling, the bubbles must pass a plurality of times through the screen 47, the passes through the screen being controlled by the setting of the plate 48 and the consequent spaced relation between the inlet 50 and the outlet-45.

After using the device, the cap may be easily removed and all remaining liquid poured from the receptacle 12, during which pouring operation, theconnection 2425 will prevent the sleeve 28' from sli'ding'out of the receptacle, and obviously the soap cake will be stuck to the sleeve or the webs33 sufficiently to prevent accidental sliding therefrom. lVhenever it is advisable to removethe sleeve 28,'for instance, to thoroughly clean all parts this may be accomplished by manually r'otatopen topped receptacle for a sapon'a'ceou's liquid, said receptacle being provided with a permanently imperforat'e sidewall and being hence adapted for filling to its v brim, means for forcinga gas through the liquid to produce soap bubbles, a cap for said recepta'cle fluid-tightly and removably secured thereto, said cap having a lather outlet, an'd bubble cOndensing means in said cap spaced upwardly from the brim of said receptacle't'o provide a space in which generated bubbles may accu ulate before passage through said bubble-condensing means to" said lather outlet.

2. In a lather forming device a liquid receptacle having a tubular gas admission post risingrigidly from it'sbottom, a' sle'eve surrounding andspaced from' said post and closed at its upper end, said sleeve" terminatingin upwardly spaced relation withsaid bottom and being provided at itsl'owe'r end with an outwardly declinedannularflange resting on said bottom, said flange being adapted to support sleeve-encircling soap and having recess'es in its peripheral portion todischarge gas into the receptacle'from the spac'e'beneath the flange.

3. In a lather' forming device, a liquid receptacle, a substantially conical support at the bottom thereof, the upper side of said sup port being provided with substantially radial Webs to contact with'the lower side'of a soa'p cake,-and means for admittinggasunder pressure into the receptacle around said sup- .Y

ceptacle, a substantially conical support at the bottom thereof provided with an upwardly projecting member at its apex for holding an annular soap cake centered upon the support, the upper side of said support being provided with substantially radial webs to contact with the lower side of the soap cake, and means for admitting gas under pressure into the receptacle around said support.

5. In a lather forming device, a liquid receptacle having an opening in its bottom and provided with a skirt projecting downwardly below said bottom, said skirt being formed with a downwardly opening notch and with an outwardly opening socket at the upper end of said notch, a radially disposed gas admission tube upwardly inserted into said notch and having an enlarged portion inwardly inserted into said socket, the inner end of said tube being provided with a head lying against the receptacle bottom, and a tubular gas admission post whose lower end passes downwardly through the aforesaid opening in the receptacle bottom, said post end being shouldered to rest on said bottom and having a threaded connection with said head.

6. In a lather forming device, bubble condensing means comprising a screen, two plates contacting with opposite sides of said screen and each having a plurality of pockets spaced apart circumferentially of the plates, two spaced pockets of said plates having a bubble inlet and a lather outlet respectively, the pockets of one plate bein disposed in overlapping relation with those of the other plate to cause passage of the bubbles alternately through the screen in opposite directions.

7. A structure as specified in claim 6; together with means mounting said plates to permit relative turning thereof, whereby the spaced relation between said inlet and said outlet may be varied.

8. In a lather forming device, a receptacle cap having a continuous side wall projecting downwardly and provided with means for connecting it to a receptacle wall, said cap having a plurality of downwardly opening pockets spaced apart around its central portion, one of said pockets being provided with a lather outlet, a screen extending across said pockets, and a plate within the confines of said side wall and contacting with the lower side of said screen, said plate having pockets in its upper side spaced about its center and disposed in overlapping relation with the first named pockets, a pocket of said plate spaced from the aforesaid outlet being provided with a bubble inlet, said plate being rotatable within said side wall to vary the relation between said inlet and said outlet.

9. In a lather forming device, a receptacle cap having a continuous side wall projecting downwardly and provided with means for connecting it to a receptacle wall, said cap having a plurality of downwardly opening pockets spaced apart around its central portion, one of said pockets being provided with a lather outlet, a screen extending across said pockets, an elastic receptacle-engaging gasket surrounded by said side wall and held against dropping therefrom, a plate contacting with the lower side of said screen and with the upper side of said gasket, the upper side of said plate being formed with a plurality of pockets spaced apart about its center and disposed in overlapping relation with the first named pockets, a pocket of said plate spaced from the aforesaid outlet being provided with a bubble inlet, handle means for said plate permitting turning thereof to vary the relation between said inlet and said outlet, and co-acting means on said plate and cap held yieldably in engagement with each other by the elasticity of said gasket for yieldably holding said plate in any position to which it is turned.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ROBERT HUDSON WVAGER.

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