US1968641A

US1968641A - Dispenser

Info

Publication number: US1968641A
Application number: US655897A
Authority: US
Inventors: Greig Paul
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1933-02-09
Filing date: 1933-02-09
Publication date: 1934-07-31
Anticipated expiration: 1951-07-31

Description

July 31, 1934. R E 1,968,641

DISPENSER Filed Feb. 9, 1933 l atented July 31 1934 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSER Paul Greig, 'Hempstead, Tex. Application February 9, 1933, Serial No. 655,897

7 Claims. (01. 221-104) Thisinvention relates to a dispenser;

Anobject of the invention is to provide a dispenser for delivering predetermined quantities of material from a container.

Another object is to provide a dispenser particularly designed for dispensing measured quantities of ground coffee, or similar material, from a container.

Another object is to provide a device of the character described which may be readily operated, to measure and deliver the material to be dispensed, by one hand of the operator.

A further object is to provide a dispenser having a reserve chamber. for containing a reserve supply of the material to be dispensed, to be used when the contents of the main container have been exhausted.

A still further object is to provide a dispenser of the character described having a main container and a reserve chamber wherein the contents may be kept sealed and kept free from moisture.

i A still further feature resides in a novel type of measuring plunger which is of such construction that it will not be liable to become stuck or jammed.

With the above and other objects in view this invention relates to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a side view of the dispenser partly broken away.

Figure 2 shows a vertical sectional view.

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 shows a cross sectional view taken on the line 4.4 of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to thedrawing, wherein like numerals of reference designate the same parts in each of the views, the numeral 1 designates a container, preferably cylindrical in form, and composed of sheet metal or other suit able material. This container has a removable cover such as designated by the numeral 2.

The container encloses the main chamber 3 whose bottom is formed into a hopper 4. The lower end of this hopper terminates in an outlet 5, preferablyrectangular in shape.

The hopper 4 is located slightly forwardly of the vertical central axis of the container so that its forward and side margins will merge with the corresponding inside walls of the main chamber 3, with its rear margin spaced inwardly from the corresponding wall of said chamber 3 to the end that a reserve chamber 6 will be provided, said reserve chamber having the front arcuate wall 7 on the upper margin of which the hopper is supported. The reserve chamber has a suitable bottom as 8.

Adjacent the lower end of the hopper 4 there is a transverse guide from the front to the rear of the container. This guide has the side walls 9, 9, the top 10 and the bottom 11. The hopper outlet 5 continues through the top 10 of the guide and slidably mounted in this guide is the measuring plunger 12, which fits snugly in said guide. The plunger is normally held in its forward position by a resilient member such as a coil spring 13 one end of which is seated in a deep socket 14 in the inner end of the plunger and whose other end is seated in a socket 15 of the spacer block 16 in the rearward end of said guide, and when the plunger is in said forward position it will close the outlet 5.

The plunger 12 has the measuring compartment 17 therethrough normally in registration with the forwardly declining delivery chute 18 therebeneath, and which leads through the bottom of the container 1.

When the plunger is moved inwardly the measuring compartment 1'7 will be brought into registration with the outlet 5 and said compartment will be filled with a measure of coffee or other material to be dispensed. When the plunger is released the spring 13 will return the plunger to its original, orforward, position closing the outlet 5 andregistering the compartment 17 with the delivery chute 18 and the measured quantity will be discharged into the coffee pot or other receptacle provided to receive it.

The forward and rear margins of the outlet 5 may be formed with sharp cutting edges, as 19, 20 and thecorners of the plunger at the top of the compartment 17 may be formed with

sharp cutting edges

21, 22 and these

edges

21, 22 may be arranged slightly diagonal with respect to the cutting edges 19, 20, to the end that as the plunger is forced inwardly the edge 22 will coact with the edge 20, with shear-like effect and upon return movement of the plunger the edge 22 will co-act with the edge 19 with shear-like effect so that the grains, or particles, of the material that may become wedged between said coacting edges will be out, or sheared, in two and the plunger will not become stuck, or jammed.

It is desirable that means be provided for operating the plunger conveniently with one hand so that the receiving pot. or receptacle may be held with the other hand. Novel means has been provided for this purpose. As shown, the front side of the container 1, opposite the plunger guide, is transversely creased, or depressed, and secured to the depressed portion of the wall there is an outwardly extending sleeve 23 forming a bearing and the outer end of the sleeve is enlarged forming a concavo-convex finger grip, or anchor, 24 with its concaved side outwardly. A push rod 25 is attached to the forward end of the plunger 12 and works outwardly through said sleeve 23 and the outer end of the push rod may have a push plate 26 thereon, if desired.

The dispenser will usually be kept on a pantry shelf, or table, and when it is desired to use the same it may be moved forwardly until the chute l8 clears the edge of the supporting shelf or table. With one hand the coffee pot, or other receptacle, may then be held underneath said chute and with the other hand the grip 24 may be grasped by the fingers and pressure applied to the push rod 25 to move the plunger inwardly to re.- ceive a measure of the article to be dispensed and said rod then released and the plunger will be returned, by the spring 13, to discharge the material. The operation may be repeated until the required number of measures has been discharged.

Should the main chamber 3 be inadvertently completely emptied there will still be a supply in the reserve chamber 6 sufficient tolast until the dispenser can be replenished. This reserve supply may be rendered available by upsetting the dispenser to discharge the contents of the chamher 6 into the chamber 3 and the reserve supply may be then dispensed as above explained.

The drawing and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only, but the invention is broader than the illustrative embodiment thereof, and I therefore intend no. limitations other than those imposed by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A dispenser comprising a container having a main chamber formed with a hopper-like bottom provided with an outlet, said container also having a reserve chamber, partly around and beheath, said hopper-like bottom, a plunger guide adjacent the bottom of the main chamber having a discharge chute declining therefromand oifset forwardly from said outlet, 2, plunger in said guidev having a measuring compartment, means for manually moving the plunger into position to move said measuring compartment into align-v ment with said outlet to permit the compartment to fill, means for automatically moving the plunger into position to align the measuring compartment with said chute to permit the compartment to empty, said reserve chamber being open above whereby upon the inversion and manipulation of the container the contents of thereserve chamber may be transferred into said hopper like bottom.

2. Dispensing apparatus comprising a container for the material to be dispensed and having a hopper provided with an outlet, a delivery chute, a plunger having a measuring compartment, a guide along which the plunger is movable, means for moving the plunger into one position to cause said compartment to register with said outlet and into another position to cause said compartment to register with said chute, said outlet and plunger having sharp, angularly related, cutting edges which cooperate, upon such movement of the plunger, to shear the material between said co' operating edges.

3. Dispensing apparatus comprising a container for the material to be dispensed and having a hopper provided with an outlet, a delivery chute, a plunger having a measuring compartment, a guide along which the plunger is movable, the front wall of the container opposite the plunger guide being depressed, a finger grip or anchor connected to the container and located within the depression of said wall of said container, manually operable means associated with said finger grip through which the plunger may be moved into one position to register said compartment with said outlet and means for automatically moving the plunger into another position to cause said compartment to register with said chute.

4. A dispenser comprising a container having a main chamber formed with a hopper-like bottom provided with an outlet, said container also having a reserve chamber adjacent said hopperlike bottom, a plunger guide adjacent the bottom of the main chamber whose forward end has a discharge opening which is offset forwardly from said bottom outlet, a plunger in said guide having a measuring, compartment, means for manually moving the plunger into, position to register the measuring compartment with said outlet to permit said compartment to fill, meansv for automatically moving the plunger into position to permit the discharge of the contents of the measuring compartment through said discharge opening whereby the measuring compartment is permitted to empty, said reserve chamber being open above whereby upon inversion of the container the contents of the reserve chamber may be transferred into said hopper-like bottom.

5,. Dispensing apparatus comprising a containerfor the material to be dispensed and having a, hopper provided with an outlet, said apparatus having a delivery opening, a plunger having a measuring compartment, a guide along which the plunger is movable, the front wall of the containeropposite the plunger guide being depressed, a finger grip connected to the container and located Within the depression of said wall of the container, manually operable means associated with the finger grip through which the plunger may be moved into one position to register said compartment with said outlet and means for automatically moving the plunger into another position to permit the contents of said compartment to pass through said delivery opening.

6. Dispensing apparatus comprising a container for the material to be. dispensed and having a hopper provided with an outlet, said apparatus having a delivery opening, a plunger having a measuring compartment, a guide along which the plunger is movable into. one. position to register said compartment with said outlet and into another position to permit the contents of said compartment to pass. through the delivery opening, thefront wall of the container opposite the plunger guide being depressed, a finger grip located in said depression, means associated with the finger grip through which the plunger may be manually moved to one of said positions and means for automatically moving the plunger to the other of said positions.

7. Dispensing apparatus comprising a container having a main chamber formed with ahopperlike bottom, said container also having a reserve chamber adjacent said hopper-like bottom, said apparatus having a delivery opening, a plunger having-a measuring compartment, a guide along one of said positions, means for automatically moving the plunger to the other of said positions, said reserve chamber being open above whereby upon inversion of the container the contents of the chamber may be transferred into the hopperiike bottom.

PAUL GREIG.