US2054373A - Receptacle - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 15, 1936.. ERK Y I 2,054,373

RECEPTACLE Filed March 16, 1956 INVENTOR.

BY I

6 32 Reinhmlfi VJ ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 15, 1936 RECE Reinhold V. Erk,

PTACLE Wayncsville, N. 0.

Application March 16, 1936, Serial No. 69,199

9 Claims.

This invention relates to receptacles and more particularly to receptacles adapted to contain game accessories, such as decks of playing cards,

score cards and pencil, and other articles gen-.

5 erally found upon bridge tables and the like. 7

The principal object of the invention is to provide a receptacle of this class, having a bodily removable closure containing pockets which are adapted to carry articles, such as decks of play- 10 ing cards, the closure having a handle disposed in such a position that the articles will not slip, accidentally, from said pockets, when the closure is being removed from the receptacle.

Another object is to provide a handle for a closure, as last described, which will enable the closure to be disposed at an angle when the closure is removed and placed upon a suitable surface, with the inner face of the closure uppermost.

Still another object is to provide a receptacle for the purposes set out, which includes a closure having at least a pair of pockets, each adapted to contain articles found upon bridge tables and the like, such as playing cards, and which articles may be removed from one pocket or the other pocket by tilting said closure.

Still another object is to provide a receptacle of the class described, which includes a closure having pockets, the pockets being so arranged as to enable the user to easily observe the articles within them, when the closure is turned, with its under face uppermost.

Another object is to provide pockets as just described, which enable the user to readily and selectively remove articles therefrom.

Yet another object is to provide a closed receptacle for game accessories, which receptacle is easy to manipulate, compact and sturdy in construction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the closure of the novel receptacle, removed from the receptacle, tilted and resting upon a handle portion, the closure carrying a game accessory.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken through said receptacle longitudinally, showing other game accessories contained therein.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken transversely through the novel receptacle.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section showing stop means at the forward portion of said 010- sure.

In the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A designates generally the novel receptacle, comprising a container B and a 'clo-" sure C, while the letters D, E, and F designate examples of accessories disposed therein.

The container B of the novel receptacle A may have upstanding paralleling side walls 6 and I and similar end walls 8 and 9, all of which walls may be beveled as at ID. The container B also includes a bottom I I, which may be of laminated construction as shown in Figures 2 and 3, and it may have a plurality of. feet 12, preferably disposed at the corners of the container and upon the lower face of the bottom 9. These walls 6' and I, 8 and 9, and bottom ll define a chamher [3.

For the purpose of better defining the invention, the portion of the container B, designated the wall 6, may be termed the forward portion,

since it may be considered as the portion nearest a person opening the novel receptacle. The opposite portion of the container B, designated as l5, may be termed the rearward portion. Consequently, the side wall 6 may be likewise termed the forward side wall and the side wall I may be termed the rearward side wall. These designations are adopted to better explain the operation of the closure with respect to the container, since the walls 6 and 1 are, preferably, substantially alike and it is immaterial when the closure C is not in place upon the container B, which is the forward wall or rearward wall.

The mouth of the container B opens upwardly and, preferably, has the same length and width as the length and width of the chamber 13.

As for the closure C, the same may include a cover member [6 having an upper or outer face [1, a lower or under face It, side edges l9 and 20,'and end edges 2| and 22. The inner face l8 may be rabbeted so as to provide a raised central portion 23 spaced from the side and end edges H! to 22.

' The side edge 19 may be defined as the forward I the cover member I 6 and at no place in the specification and claims is the portion adjacent the side edge to be regarded as the forward portion.

Extending upwardly from the upper face H of the closure C is a suitable handle portion or finger piece 25. In the preferred construction, this handle extends parallel with the side edges l9 and 20, may have a pair of opposite recesses 26 to enable the operator to grasp the handle more readily, and as shown in Figure 2, the handle portion is quite substantial as to length. It is essential that this handle portion 25 be disposed nearest the forward side edge I 9 rather than near the side edge 20, nor should it be disposed, as are conventional handles, at the center of the cover. Neither is it desirable that this handle portion 25 be directly adjacent the forward edge |9. As an example, in. a cover members 4 inches from one side edge to the otlierside edge, the center of the handle portion,

may be substantially 1%, inches from the forward side edge, although this distance may vary somewhat.

. Projecting from the lower or under face |8 of V the closure C, is means to removably carry articles associated with the playing of games, such tral portion 23 of the cover member.

- Figure 1.

as decks of conventional playing cards, or articles usually found upon bridge tablesan-d the like. The means comprisespreferably, a pair of pocket portions 21, extending over the raised cen- Each pocket portion 2'! has a mouth 28 which opens towardsthe vertical plane of the forward side edge l9, and, when the closure is in place, closing the container B, the mouth 28 opens toward the forward side wall 6 of the container B.

The pocket portions 21 have like walls 29, which may comprise members substantially L- shaped in cross section, as shown in Figure 2, adjacent and paralleling the end edges 2| and 22 of the closure C. Preferably the wall 30 of each pocket portion, partly facing the walls 29, may

comprise a member substantially T-shaped in vide two substantially L-shaped walls. As shown,

one portion of each wall 29 and 30 extends normal to .the face l8 While the other portions of each wall parallel this face l8 and extend toward an adjacent like portion. It will be noted in Figures 2 and 3 that the walls 29 and 30 fall short of the bottom ll of the container B.

An abutment 3| is provided at the bottom of the pocket portion 21, this being, preferably, a short length of suitable material attached to the end of the wall 30 and extending toward the walls 29 but falling short thereof, as maybe seen in Preferably, there are no abutments attached to the walls 29.

Referring again to the pocket portions21, they may be slightly wider than the width of an article D placed therein, so that a novel stop 32 may be provided, attached to the end of the wall at the mouth 28. This stop 32 may extend over a portion of the mouth 28 and towards the walls 29 but the extent to which it closes either mouth is, preferably, small. That is, the distance from an end of this stop 32 to the inner face of the nearest 'wall 29-is at leastas great or slightly greater'than the width of an article to be carried in a pocket portion 21, for a reason explained later in this specification.

As a supplemental or the sole means to assist the user in removing the closure with the edge l9 uppermost, the wall 1 may be provided with a socket 33 as shown in Figure 3, to cooperate with a projection 34 extending from the abutment 3|, substantially as shown in Figure 1.

The various portions of the novel receptacle A may be secured together in any suitable way or combination of ways such as glued, soldered, or nailed, or the container B and closure C may be moulded. It is preferred that the inner surface of the pocket portions 21 be smooth, so that articles placed therein may be removed more readily.

In use, articles such as the game accessories .E and F may be disposed in the chamber l3 and other articles such as D may be placed within the pockets carried by the closure C.

With the handle portion 25 offset, when it is grasped and drawn upwardly, the closure C will tilt at once, with the edge 20 lowermost, since the center of gravity of the closure is nearer the edge 29 than is the handle portion 25. Consequently, the articles D in the pocket portions 21 will not slide out accidentally, as is frequently the case when pockets are provided for a bodily removable receptacle closure, having a handle portion placed at the conventional place, as heretofore set forth. 'Now, when the closure Cis bodily removed from the container B, the former may be turned over, with the face l8 uppermost and disposed upon a suitable surface, such as a table top, so that the closure takes an lip-tilted position upon the handle portion 25 and the side edge 20. The closure will not readily rock upon the handle portion 25 since it is disposed to one side of the center of gravity of the closure C and farther from the side edge 20' than the side edge Thus it will be seen that the handle portion.

If the-stop 32 be employed, it will prevent both articles in the pocket portions 21 from being ejected when it is desired to remove only one of these articles. That is, one method to remove either one of the articles D is to tilt the closure so that either end edge 2| or 22 is lowermost (depending upon which of these end edges is nearest the article to be removed) and then tilting the closure so that the mouths of -the pockets-are lowermost. article D which is intended to be removed, to first travel by gravity towards the lowermost end edge 2| or 22 until it is brought up against the wall 29 and, consequently, clears the stop 32. On the other hand, the article D not intended to be removed will also travel by gravity toward the lowermost end edge 2| or 22 until it is stopped by the wall 30. However, it will then be partly behind the stop 32 so that, while the first article will. slip readily from its pocket portion when the mouths of the pocket portions are lowermost, thesecond article will be stopped by the stop 32. It has'been found unnecessary to provide an abutment, like the abutment 3|, at the .ends of. the walls 29, the abutment 3| sufiicing to prevent the articles in the pocket portions 21 from sliding out of the bottomsof the pockets.

By the open construction provided for the pockets, the articles therein are seen plainly when This first-movement will cause the- I claim:

,1. In a receptacle for articles associated with the playing of games, such as bridge, a container including a forward portion and having a mouth opening upwardly, and a bodily removable closure for said mouth, said closure having an outer face and an inner face, with a handle portion extending upwardly from said outer face .and disposed forwardly of the center of gravity of said closure, said closure also having means upon its inner face to removably carry articles associated with the playing of games as aforesaid.

' 2. In a receptacle for articles associated with the playing of games, such as bridge, a container including a forward portion and having a mouth opening upwardly, and a bodily removable closure for said mouth, said closure having an outer face and an inner face, with a handle portion extending upwardly from said outer face and disposed forwardly of the center of gravity of said closure, said closure also having a pocket portion extending from said inner face, with the mouth of said pocket portion opening towards said forward portion when said closure closes said container.

' 3. In a receptacle for articles associated with the playing of games, such as bridge, and including smooth surfaced articles, such as playing cards, a container including a forward portion and having a mouth opening upwardly, and a bodily removable closure for said mouth, said closure having an outer face and an inner face, a forward portion and a rearward portion, with a handle portion extending upwardly from said outer face and disposed upon said forward portion of said closure, said closure having means upon its inner face to removably carry articles, such as stacked playing cards, said means including a pocket portion with its mouth disposed forwardly of the center of gravity of said closure and opening towards said forward portion of said container when said receptacle is closed by said closure.

4. In a receptacle for articles associated with the playing of games, such as bridge, and including smooth surfaced articles, such as playing cards, a container including a forward portion and having a mouth opening upwardly, and a bodily removable closure for said mouth, said closure having an outer face and an inner face, a forward portion and a rearward portion, with a handle portion extending upwardly from said outer face and disposed upon said forward portion of said closure, said closure having means upon its inner face to removably carry articles, such as stacked playing cards, said means including a pocket portion with its mouth disposed forwardly of the center of gravity of said closure and opening towards said forward portion of said container when said receptacle is closed by said closure, the center of gravity of said closure being at substantially the intersection of its longitudinal and transverse axes, whereby when said closure is raised by drawing said handle portion upwardly, said closure will tilt with its forward portion extending upwardly and said articles in said pocket portion will not slide by gravity therefrom and when said closure is disposed upon a substantially flat, horizontal surface, with the inner face of said closure outermost, said closure will remain tilted with its rearward portion lowermost.

5. In a receptacle for articles associated with the playing of games, such as bridge, and including smooth surfaced articles, such as playing cards, a container including a forward portion and having a mouth opening upwardly, and a bodily removable closure for 'said mouth, said closure having an outer face and'an inner face;

a forward portion provided with a substantially straight forward edge, a rearward portion provided with a rearward edge, and with a handle portion extending upwardly from said outer face and disposed nearer said forward edge than said rearward edge, said closure having means upon its inner face to removably carry articles, such as stacked playing cards, said. means including a pocket portion with its mouth disposed adjacent said-forward edge and opening towards said forward portion of said container when said receptacle is closed by said closure, the center of gravity of said closure being at substantially the intersection of its longitudinal and transverse axes, whereby when said closure'is raised by drawing said handle portion upwardly, said'closure will tilt with its forward portion upwardly and said articles in said pocket portion will not slide by gravity therefrom, and when said closure is disposed upon a substantially flat, horizontal surface, with the inner face of said closure outer most, said closure will remain tilted with its rearward portion lowermost.

6. In a receptacle for articles associated with the playing of games, such as bridge, and including smooth surfaced articles, such as playing cards, a container including a forward portion and having a mouth opening upwardly, and a bodily removable closure for said mouth, said closure having an outer face and an inner face, a forward portion provided with a substantially straight forward edge, a rearward portion provided with a rearward edge, with a handle portion extending upwardly from said outer face and disposed nearer said forward edge than said rearward edge, said handle portion being disposed upon substantially the medial line of said closure extending from such forward edge to said rearward edge thereof, said closure having means upon its inner face to removably carry articles, such as stacked playing cards, said means including a pocket portion with its mouth disposed adjacent said forward edge and opening towards said forward portion of said container when said receptacle is closed by said closure, the center of gravity of said closure being at substantially the intersection of its longitudinal and transverse axes, whereby when said closure is raised by drawing said handle portion upwardly, said closure will tilt with its forward portion upwardly and said articles in said pocket portion will not slide by gravity therefrom, and when said closure is disposed upon a substantially flat, horizontal surface, with the inner face of. said closure outermost, said closure will remain tilted with its rearward portion lowermost.

7. In a receptacle of the class described and adapted to carry bridge table accessories, such as stacked playing cards, a container including a front wall and a rear wall having a chamber and a mouth opening upwardly therefrom, said rear wall having a recess opening into said chamber, a closure for said mouth, said closure having a face facing said chamber when said mouth is closed, means carried by said closure to removably carry a bridge table accessory, such as a stacked deck of conventional playing cards, including a pocket portion having paralleling side walls, said pocket portion extending from said face, and provided with an abutment at the end of one of said side walls, said abutment facing said rear wall when said mouth is closed by said closure, and said abutment having a projection extending into said recess when said mouth is IU ing side edges, means carried by said closure to removably carry a bridge table accessory, such as a stacked deck of, conventional playing cards, including a. pocket portion having paralleling side walls extending from inwardly, of one of said edges to inwardly .of the other of said'edges, said pocket portions extending from said face with the width of-said pocket portions being greater than the width of said accessory, and the length of. said side walls being at least as great as the length of said accessory, a stop extending across a portion of said mouth to one side wall of said pocket portion towards the opposite side wall, the distance from the free end of said stop to the inner face of said opposite side wall being at least'as great as the width of said accessory.

9. In a receptacle of. the class described and adapted to carry bridge table accessories, such as stacked playing cards, a container having a chamber and a mouth opening upwardly, a closure for said mouth, said closure having a face facing said chamber when said mouth: is%.clos"ed by. said closure, said closure also having paralleling side edges, means carried by said closure-to removably carry a bridge table accessory, such as a stacked deck of conventional playing cards, in-

cluding a pair .of spaced apart wall members, substantially L-shaped in cross section, depending from said face andextending from adjacent one of said edges to adjacent the otherrof. said edges, with like portions of said wall members disposed normal to said face and the other like portions of said wall members extending towardseach other, the distance between the facing surfaces of said first named like portion being greaterthan the width of a. conventional playingcard, the nearest distance between said last named like portion being less than the width of. a con-,- ventional playing card, one of, said wall members being provided with an abutment at the end.

thereof nearest one of said edges and extending towards the opposite like wall, said abutment falling short of said last named wall, and a stop

Images