US2013471A

US2013471A - Device for extracting plastic, viscous, or semi-fluid materials from flexible tubes

Info

Publication number: US2013471A
Application number: US640636A
Authority: US
Inventors: James S Martin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-11-01
Filing date: 1932-11-01
Publication date: 1935-09-03
Anticipated expiration: 1952-09-03

Description

Sept. 3, 1935.

J. S. MARTIN DEVICE FOR EXTRAGTING PLASTIC, VISGOUS OR SEMIFLUID MATERIALS FROM FLEXIBLE TUBES Original Filed Nov. 1,

Fig 7 v 7 ,I'jtg 2 INVEN'F'IIIR /3 19 f 7 .6. 7 f t Patented Sept. 3, 1 935 DEVICE FOR EXTRACTING PLASTIC, VIS- C UUS, R SEMLFLUID MATERIALS FROM FLEXIBLE TUBES James S. Martin, Gary, Ind.

Application November 1, 1932, Serial No. 640,636 Renewed July 27, 1935 Claims.

This invention refers especially to devices for conveniently and economically extracting in small quantities as needed, plastic substances, such as tooth paste, shaving cream, library paste, etc., or viscous or semi-fluid materials, such as liquid glue, etc, from the flexible tubes, in which these substances are commonly sold.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a convenient holder for such tubes, and an easy and quick method of extracting in quantities as needed practically all of the contents of the tube; thus eliminating the waste usually occurring, due to the impossibility of extracting all of the contents by pressure of the fingers.

Another advantage of my invention is that the amount of material to be extracted can be easily regulated, eliminating a frequent source of waste due to extraction of too large a quantity at one time, as often happens when extraction is done by pressure of the fingers.

In the accompanying drawing the device is shown as follows,

Figure 1 shows an end view of the main support.

Figure 2 shows a face view of the main support.

Figure 3 shows a side view of the main support.

Figure 4 shows a front view of the upper roller.

Figure 5 shows an end View of the upper roller.

Figure 6 shows a side view of the lower roller.

Figure 7 shows an end view of the lower roller.

Figure 8 shows a side view of a compression spring.

Figure spring.

Figure squeezer.

Figure 12 shows a side view of the assembled squeezer.

Figure 13 shows a side view of the assembled squeezer with a tube inserted.

Figure 14 shows a side view of the assembled squeezer with a tube inserted and partly wound up.

The squeezer consists essentially of a supporting base, I, from which extend two arms, 2, in which the rollers are to be mounted. In theextending arms, 2, there are holes, 3, and slots, 4, in which the rollers are rotatably mounted, the slots making the necessary allowance for variation in distance between the centers of the rollers, due to the increasing thickness of the tube walls as the tube is wound up on one roller. Provision is also made by holes, 5, for fixing one end of a compression spring at each end of the rollers, so that the rollers will be pressed tightly together.

9 shows a top view of a compression shows an end view of the assembled 11 shows a face View of the assembled The supporting base, I, may be provided with holes, 6, for attaching the squeezer to the wall of a room, and with hooks, I, for hanging tooth brushes, or other provision may be made for hanging shaving brushes.

The length of this supporting base is not vitally. essential. It may be extended beyond the space occupied by the extending arms, 2, so as to protect the wall on which it is supported from being daubed with tooth paste, as the construction is shown on the accompanying drawing, or it may be shortened, so that it only extends far enough to support the extending arms, 2.

The second essential part of the squeezer is a cylindrical roller, 8, which is provided with a spindle, 9, at one end, and an extended spindle, II), at the other end, with a handle, II, at one end of this second spindle, for rotating the roller. The roller, 8, is also provided with a longitudinal slot, I2, on one side, for the insertion of the flattened closed end of the tube. This slot may be cut radially to the axis of the roller, but it is preferable to cut it along a chord of the circular section of the roller, in such a manner that the tube will be bent more than 90 when it is passed through the rollers. The advantage of this is in the elimination of the tendency of the end of the tube to slip out of the slot, as it emerges from between the rollers during the first rotation.

The third essential part of the squeezer is a second coacting roller, I3, on each end of which there is a spindle, I l. Due to the fact that the coefficient of friction between a steel surface and the surface of the lead and tin alloys, of which flexible tubes are made, is very low as compared to the coefficient of friction between two steel surfaces; it is necessary to make the diameter of the spindles of the free running roller, I3, small as compared to the diameter of the roller itself;

otherwise, the roller will not turn, but will allow the tube to be dragged through between the rollers, making it difficult for a child to operate the squeezer.

The fourth essential part of the squeezer is a pair of springs, I5, for producing pressure between the rollers. These springs are made to match each other as rights and lefts. On one end of each spring there is a hook, I6, which engages on spindles, 9 and ID, of roller 8, pulling that roller tightly against the ooacting roller, I3. On the other end of each spring there is a transversely bent hook, II, for insertion in hole, 5, so as to anchor the spring to the supporting arm of the squeezer.

In assembling the squeezer, the spindles, I4 of roller, I3, are inserted in holes, 3, of the supporting arms, 2; the holes being large enough to allow the roller to rotate freely on its spindles. Roller, 8, is then mounted in slots, 4, in the supporting arms. This roller also must be free to rotate. The hooks, H, of springs l5, are then inserted in holes, 5, in the supporting arms, and the hook, N5, of the springs are drawn up and placed over the spindles, 9 and Ill, on the roller, 8.

For use, the squeezer is preferably attached to a wall or other support, by means of holes, 6. This is not absolutely essential, however, as the squeezer may be used even when not attached to a solid support.

In using the tube squeezer, the flattened closed end of the tube, i8, is inserted in the slot, 12, in roller, 8, and by turning the handle, H, the roller, 8, is rotated and the tube is forced to pass between the rollers, the pressure between the rollers expelling the contents of the tube in quantities regulated by the amount of rotation given to the handle.

The location of holes, 3, and slots, d, in supporting arms, 2, is such that a plane passing through the axes of the rollers will not intersect the plane of the supporting base at but will make an obtuse angle on the side next to the mouthv of the tube. By this arrangement the mouth of the tube is pushed away from the supporting base, as the tube is passed between. the rollers, thus giving rooom between the mouth of the tube and the supporting base or wall of the room, to which it is attached, to place the toothbrush or shaving brush so that it can receive the paste, without having to touch the supporting base or the wall of the room with the brush.

. Having thus described the construction and operation of the tube squeezer, what I claim as new 1. A tube squeezer consisting of a supporting base, a pair of bracket arms extending therefrom,

' a pair of coacting rollers, rotatably mounted on spindles in said bracket arms, in such position that a plane passing through the axes of the rollers makes an obtuse angle with the surface of the supporting base on the side of said rollers through which the mouth of a collapsible tube protrudes; one of said rollers being mounted in circular holes in said brackets, the other in slots in said brackets, so as to allow for variation in distance between centers of rollers; the last mentioned roller being provided with a longitudinal slot in its cylindrical surface, to allow insertion of the flattened closed end of a collapsible tube, and with a handle at the end of one spindle for rotating the roller; and two springs acting upon the spindles of the last mentioned roller to produce pressure betweenthe rollers.

2. A tube squeezer consisting of a supporting base, adapted for attachment to or suspension on the wall of a room, a pair of bracket arms extending from said base, a pair of coacting rollers rotatably mounted on spindles in said bracket arms, in such a position that a plane passing through the axes of said rollers makes an obtuse angle with the surface of the supporting base on the side of said rollers through which the mouth of a collapsible tube protrudes; one'of said rollers being mounted in circular holes in said brackets, the other in slots in the said brackets, so as to allow for variation in distance between centers of rollers; the last mentioned roller being provided with a longitudinal slot in its cylindrical surface, to allow insertion of the flattened closed end of a collapsible tube, and with a handle at the end of one spindle for rotating the roller; and two springs acting upon the spindles of the last mentioned roller to produce pressure between the rollers.

3. A tube squeezer consisting of a pair of rotating rollers, between which a collapsible tube may be passed; a pair of springs acting on the spindles of one roller to produce pressure between said rollers; a supporting base with two bracket arms extending therefrom, for mounting said rollers, one of these rollers being loosely mounted on spindles in circular holes in said bracket arms, so as to rotate freely from friction of the other roller or of the surface of the tube walls, the other roller, on which said pressure springs act, being provided with a longitudinal slot in its cylindrical surface for insertion of the flattened closed end of a collapsible tube, said slot being unsymmetrically placed with regard to the circular section of said roller, this roller also having a handle at the end of one spindle for rotating said roller, and being mounted in slots in said bracket arms, so as to allow for variation in the distance between centers of rollers.

4. A tube squeezer consisting of a pair of rotating rollers, between which a flexible collapsible tube may be passed; a pair of springs acting on the spindles of one roller to produce pressure between said rollers; a supporting base with two bracket arms extending therefrom, for mounting said rollers; one of said rollers being mounted on spindles in circular holes in the said bracket 1 arms and being free to rotate from the friction of the second roller pressing against it; the second roller, on which the pressure springs act, be-

ing mounted on spindles in slots in the said bracket arms, so as to allow for variation in distance between the centers of the rollers, this second roller being rotated by a handle at the end of one spindle, and being provided with a longitudinal slot in its cylindrical surface for insertion of the flattened closed end of a collapsible tube; the slots and holes for mounting therollers being so arranged that a plane passing through the axes of the rollers will make an obtuse angle with the plane of the surface of the supporting base on the side of said rollers through which the mouth of a collapsible tube protrudes.

5. A tube squeezer consisting of a pair of rotating rollers, between which a collapsible tube may be passed; a pair of springs acting on the spindles of one roller to produce pressure between the rollers; a supporting base with two bracket arms extending outwardly therefrom for mounting said rollers; one of said rollers being mounted on spindles in circular holes in said bracket arms and being free to rotate from the friction of the second roller pressing against it; the second roller, on which the pressure springs act, being mounted on spindles in slots in said bracket arms, so as to allow for variation in distance between the centers of. the rollers, this second roller being rotated by means of a handle at the end of one spindle, and being provided with a longitudinal slot in its cylindrical surface for insertion of the flattened closed end of a collapsible tube, this slot being unsymmetrically placedwith regard tothe circular section of the roller; the slots and holes in the bracket arms for mounting the rollers being so arranged that a plane passing through the axes of the rollers will intersect the plane of the supporting base at an obtuse angle on the side of said rollers through which the mouth of a collapsible tube protrudes.

JAMES S. MARTIN.