US1988134A - Dispensing container - Google Patents

Description

15, 1935' F, w, NITARDY DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Dec. 7, l932 INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 15, 1935 v UNITED STATES" DISPENSING CONTAINER Ferdinand W. Nitardy, to E. R. Squibb & S

Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor ons, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application December 7, 1932, Serial No. 646,118

3 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensing containers and has for its object the provision of a container er of spherical, cylindrical, polyhedral, or other shape, or intended for therapeutic, alimentary, commercial, industrial, recreational, or other purposes.

Essentially thedispensing container of this invention comprises a body having a concavity adapted to receive aplurality of rows of tablets and provided with a constricted extension, and a slidable cover; prefe ably, it comprises a body having two parallel sides and a concavity adapted to receive a plurality of rows of tablets and pro- 20 vided with a constricted extension on another side, and a cover slidable along the two parallel sides. Suitably tilting the container causes tablets to descend therefrom into the extension, which, being'constricted, receives fewer tablets than there are rows; and the tablets in the extension may be gravitationally dispensed by retracting the cover sufficiently to expose them and then turning the container more or less upright. By making the width of the extension less than twice the tablet width, it is possible to dispense a single tablet with the utmost facility. Preferably, further: the distance between the under side of the cover and the bottom of the concavity and of the extension is less than twice the tablet thickness, the extension is adapted to receive only one""tablet, and the parallel sides and the extension are longitudinal with respect to the container.

-ll preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing:

' Figure 1 being a top view of the container with the cover unretracted; v

Figure 2, a perspective view of the container with the cover retracted to expose the extension;

Figure 3, a bottom view of the container with the cover retracted to expose the extension;

Figure 4, a top view of the body of the container, with the cover removed; and

, Figures 5, 6, and '7, fragmentary diagrammatic top views of modified extension ends of the body.

In the container shown, 11 is the body, having of the invention is parallel longitudinal sides 12, and a concavity 13 holding several rows of tablets 10 and provided. with a constricted longitudinal extension 55 14 (adapted to receive only one tablet), to which the raised part 15 serves as a guide. Optionally (see Figures 5, 6, and 7), the extension may be positioned near themiddle of the side rather than at the corner, and the raised parts may be arranged accordingly or altogether eliminated. Slidably mounted on the body is the cover 16, having downwardly and inwardly turned flanges 17, embracing the sides and bottom of the body. The distance between the under side of the cover and the bottom of the concavity and of the extension is somewhat more than, but less than twice, the tablet thickness. Knobs 13, in the path of the flanges 17, stop the retraction of th cover when the extension 14 has been exposed. A raised part 19 may be used to limit the tablet capacity of the container to some conventional number, such as twelve. For added convenience, the body edge at the extension end and-the cover edge at the opposite end may be curled as at 20, 21. Manifestly, the body may have horizontal flanges and the cover may have folded edges slidable along such flanges, or the body may have horizontal folds and the cover may be a substantially flat element slidable within such folds; extensions may be provided on two opposite sides; and the cover may besubstantially symmetrical or have the same shape as the body outline. The mode of using the container has alreadybeen indicated.

Containers constructed in accordance with this invention are characterized by numerous obvious advantages, among them easy, smooth, and instantaneous operability with the fingers of only one hand to deliver a limited portionof the contents, especially a single tablet.

It is to be understood that the embodiment specifically described above is merely exempliflcative and by no means limitative of the invention, which may assume various other formssome of them hereinbefore referred to-within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1

1. A dispensing container comprising a body having a shallow main chamberadapted to hold a plurality of rows of tablets and an auxiliary chamber connected with said main chamber by a lateral opening, the width of said opening be ing greater than the largest dimension of one of said tablets, said auxiliary chamber being shorter and'narrower than said main chamber and being adapted to hold only fewer tablets than the number of said rows, and a lid slidably engaging said body and moving substantially parallel to the bottom thereof, said lid being attached'to said body by meansof a plurality of downwardly and inwardly turned flanges, there being a projection on the exterior of said body between said flanges to stop the retraction of said lid when said auxiliary chamber has been uncovered, both said chambers being substantially covered by said lid when it is unretracted, and the contents of said auxiliary chamber being exposed for dispensing but the contents of said main chamber remaining substantially covered when said lid is retracted only far enough to uncover said auxiliary chamber.

2. A dispensing container comprising a body having a shallow main chamber adapted to hold at least three rows of tablets and an auxiliary chamber connected with said main chamber by a lateral opening, the width of said opening being greater than the largest dimension of one of said tablets, said auxiliary chamber being shorter and narrower than said main chamber and being adapted to hold only fewer than three tablets, and a lid slidably engaging said body and moving substantially parallel to the bottom thereof, said lid being attached to said body by means of a plurality of downwardly and inwardly turned flanges, there being a projection on the exterior of said body between said flanges to stop the retraction of said lid when said auxiliary chamber has been uncovered, both said chambers being substantially covered by said lid when it is unretracted, and the contents of said auxiliary chamber being exposed for dispensing but the contents of said main chamber remaining substantially covered when said lid is retracted only far enough to uncover said auxiliary chamher.

3. A dispensing container comprising a body having a shallow main chamber adapted to hold at least two rows of tablets and an auxiliary chamber connected with said main chamber by a lateral opening, the width of said opening being greater than the largest dimension of one of said tablets, said auxiliary chamber being shorter and narrower than said main chamber and being adapted to hold only one tablet, and a lid slidably engaging said body and moving substantially parallel to the bottom thereof, said lid being attached to said body by means of a plurality of downwardly and inwardly turned flanges, there being a projection on the exterior of said body between said flanges to stop the retraction of said lid when said auxiliary chamber has been uncovered, both said chambers being substantially covered by saidlid when it is unretracted, and the contents of said auxiliary chamber being exposed for dispensing but the contents of said main chamber remaining substantially covered when said lid is retracted only far enough to uncover said auxiliary chamber.

FERDINAND W. NITARDY.

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