US2130176A - Paste dispenser - Google Patents

Description

Sept 33, 1938. H. BOND 2,130,176

PASTE DISPENSER Filed July 7, 1956 2 Shets-Shee 1 llll BY l Z f f,

/ ATTORNEY.

H. BOND PASTE DISPENSER pt. E3, i938;

Filed July 7, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR #4P/PK A'o/Vy ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNETED SAES ATE T GFFECE l Claims.

This invention relatesk to paste dispensing devices, and more particularly to those used in conjunction with collapsible tubes containing substances such as toothpaste, shaving cream, jellies, and pharmaceutical, cosmetic or similar products or anything having the consistency of paste.

Normally, for the user of such conventional commercial type tubes it is necessary to undo the screw cap which, as a matter of standard production, is usually found to serve as a closure of the threaded mouth portion of the tube so that a desired quantity of the contents or paste may be squeezed out for use, whereupon the screw cap is to'be replaced upon the tube mouth for required protection of the contents. But not infrequently is the cap dropped or lost.

Another inconvenience for the user in handling the bare tube as such lies in the manipulation of the tube in the process of ldispensing or displacing a portion of the contents as by squeezing. Normally, for the user of a standard tube containing toothpaste, for example, it is inconvenient after first having to remove the screw cap, to be compelled to use his one hand to expel or extrude from the tube a .desired strand of paste, while his other hand must grasp and hold the toothbrush or utensil upon which a desired quantity of the paste is to be delivered.

Inthis way with only one hand available to eiect the displacement and discharge of a desired amount of paste from the tube, it is not always easy to gauge the desired amount thus to be displaced, nor one-handed as it were to expel the contents evenly, neatly, firmly, and in a well-controlled manner, even though the expedient of a tube-winding key might be available.

At any rate the general user while haphazardly squeezing the tube in order to expel nal portions of the contents will have to contend with the rather shapeless, unsightly, perhaps batteredlooking form of the tube as the object of his eiorts to recover elusive portions of the contents which under the uncontrolled and perhaps misdirected pressure of the squeezing fingers will not have been displaced in the proper direction or expelled positively and properly from the tube. Therefore, considering the tube being manipulated in the every-day fashion, the phase of expelling or recovering the final portions of the contents from the tube has been particularly laborious, inconvenient, or, as it were, at least not satisfactory.

Objects of this invention therefore are to produce a dispensing device or accessory for paste containing collapsible tubes, that can be altogether operated with considerable ease, eiiiciency and speed, which is neat and clean in operation and has a minimum of wastage of the contents; in which the amount of paste being discharged and the manner of its delivery can be readily controlled and visually observed without appreciable constraint on the part of the user; a device which provides for secure mounting of the tube' yet leaving the same freely accessible for unimpeded manipulation of the tube Winding key thereon, and which permits of expeditious replacement of the tube; and nally a device which is simple, compact, andof smooth, pleasing contours, and which has inherent to it advertising value with respect to the tubes used therein or the product to be dispensed thereby, or otherwise.

So that these objects may be attained this invention contemplates employing as a tube closure means a substantially automatic paste discharge valve in conjunction with a tube supporting bracket and the tube, all three main components being arranged in a peculiar cooperative structural relationship.

One of the features of this invention lies in the use of a detachable closure cap for the tube mouth, which cap has in it a normally pressure closed paste discharge valve which opens in response to sumcient super-pressure exerted upon the tube contents, and which is hereinafter to be termed a valve cap, and in establishing a structural cooperative relationship between the three main components, that is the tube, the bracket, and the valve cap, requiring nothing but the single operation of turning with one hand the tube winding key to effect the discharge and delivery of paste as desired; That is to say with the paste discharge means orv valve cap always intrinsically ready to operate upon the stimulus of pressure from the tube contents this avoids l handle the paste-receiving article o-r toothbrush Another feature lies in the peculiar mutually position determining relationship as between the tube, the bracket, and the detachable tube closure means or valve cap. That is to say, the very act of tightening the valve cap upon the threaded mouth portion of the tube, with the bracket interposed, is adapted to condition at once all parts for operation requiring merely the manipulation of the tube winding key to effect paste discharge.

Other features have to do with meansfor quick, ready, and convenient replacements of the tube; and with cumulative advantages as regards the functioning of the paste discharge, resulting from the use in novel combination of the valve cap in conjunction with the tube bracket.

Further features have to do with the special shape and construction of the tube bracket per se; and with means for attaching or afxing the same to a wall or the like.

Still another feature has to do with the advertising value inherent to the device, and more particularly to the value which is due in this regard to the shape, construction, and appearance of the bracket.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which with the foregoing will be set forth in the following description. In lthe following description and in the claims, parts will be identied by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. In the accompanying drawings there has been illustrated the best embodiment of the invention known to me, but such embodiment is to be regarded as typical only of many possible embodiments, and the invention is not to be limited thereto.

Fig. 1 is la side view showing the device with the tube ready assembled for use.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view upon the assembly shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing means tending to prevent rotation of the tube in its seat on the bracket.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view with parts drawn apart to disclose the manipulation thereof when mounting or exchanging the tube.

Fig. 5 shows a modified tube bracket.

The numeral I0 designates a tube; II the collapsible body portion thereof filled with paste; I 2 the slightly conical shoulder portion of the tube; and I3 the threaded mouth or paste-delivery portion from which there may issue a strand of paste. A tube winding key I4 is shown to be attached to the end of the collapsible body portion, and it may be manipulated to cause portions of paste to be displaced and discharged from the tube.

The numeral I5 designates a bracket structure for supporting the collapsible tube. This bracket being very simple in form is easy to manufacture either from metal or as a composition mould or from other suitable material. IThe bracket is shown to comprise a horizontally extending body portion I6 for example of substantially rectangular or square shape and a vertically extending back portion I'I by virtue of which latter the bracket is adapted to be fixed or fastened to a wall I8 or the like. A marginal skirt or ange I9 extends from and around the horizontal portion IB for stiifening and otherwise substantiating the same, and in a manner to add to the attractive appearance of the device. Otherwise expressed, the bracket I5 with its body portion I6 and skirt portion I9 can be said to constitute a horizontally extending downwardly open shell portion. By way of example the skirt portion is shown to extend along the three sides and from the edge portions of the body portion I6, with the outer surface of the skirt portion I9 joining or substantially continuing into, or else smoothly merging into the body portion I6. The back portion I5 is shown to exten-d substantially at right angles from the fourth or rear edge portion of the body portion I6. Due to the substantially smooth or unbroken outlines of the bracket and with the skirt portion I9 arranged to extend downwardly, dust and dirt catching corners or the like are avoided.

It is noted that the horizontal portion I6 of the bracket is provided with a seating portion for the tube shoulder and for instance formed with a socket portion or shallow conical ,depression 20 having in the bottom thereof an opening 2I, socket and opening being adapted to accommodate therein the shoulder and the mouth portion respectively of the tube, the opening normally being wide enough to clear the outside diameter of the threa-ded mouth portion passing therethrough. The socket portion proper despite its shallowness can be said to be in the nature of a truncated hollow cone having an inner conical surface 22 and a corresponding outer conical surface 23, and it is shown to be spaced a suitable distance from the back portion Il. From the inner surface there are shown to rise slight protrusions or radial ridges 23a or the like which are to serve as rotation preventing means for the tube when positioned in the socket. By virtue of the tube shoulder per se being seated in the socket, the tube as a whole is adapted to be sustained upon the bracket in a stabilized operative position for paste discharge and to be secured in such stabilized position by an anchoring or nut member or more specifically by a valve cap hereinafter to be described.

The upwardly extending back portion I'I may be given any configuration that might be desirable for mechanical-structural purposes, or for the sake of manufacture, as Well as for decorative reasons.

Therefore, one aspect of the configuration, special shape, and structure of the bracket is their advertising value in general or for instance to the manufacturer or distributor of the tubes to be used therewith or of the product thus to be dispensed. From this angle the back portion II, as well as the skirt portion I9 may have combined in them features of structural advantages along with features of decorative or neat appearance, the front face portion of the skirt I9 in particular being well adapted to carry an inscription or the like at once conveniently visible to the user, and which it may be desired to impress upon him.

However, with respect to the broad structural features of this bracket, it is herein also consi-dered that the back portion of the bracket may extend downwardly (see Fig. 5) instead of upwardly, in which case the stiffening skirt portion I9 coacts with the back portion I1 to give the bracket as a whole a compact box-like shape, an increased measure of mechanical rigidity, and otherwise render its shape and qualities desirable for requirements of manufacture and merchandising.

In one form of embodiment of the bracket lt is contemplated to make the back portion I1 substantial enough to serve as a secure basis for 76 its attachment toa wall or thelike; and` moreovery to provide for meanswhich permit attachingV ori aixing the bracket to a wall orthe like in a manner'to'avoid the use of nails, hooks, or other suchelementsv that need be .driven into the" wall, and for this reason the rear face of the backv portion may for instance be riiiled, roughened or otherwise prepared or conditioned so that it may bev afiixed to the wall surface by some kind'ofV suitable bonding means which may becold solderl or some other suitable or universal bonding substance as indicated by the numeral I'Ta in Fig; 1. The bracket may be moulded' from suitable composition or the like, and as shown ithasV a rounded, compact, and pleasingappearance, and smoothfaces and edges, easyto' clean'and to handle.

Inasmuchl as the bracket herein shownA and describedmayfbe used for the mounting thereon offpafste-containingtubes of standard makes, this bracket in View of the inherent features described, islh'erein also considered per se as a new anduseful article of manufacture.

The vnumeral 24v designates a valve cap adapted tobe applied to the threaded mouth portion of the tube. This Valve cap when tightly screwed in place has a .dual function, as will be seen more clearly hereinafter, as anautomatically pressure responsive paste discharge meanson the handland'as a position-securing anchoring means forthetube on the other hand. This valve cap is shown to be provided withv a knurled crown portion 25er' the like to' facilitate the handling of' the valve cap when tightening the same in place. A circular groove 2'6 marks the crownportion 25' as against the edge portion 2'I of the valve cap, the latter portion shown to have an inner conical face 28 corresponding to and adapted to engage upon the aforementioned conical surfaceY 23` at the underside of the bracket. Suitabley means (not shown) may be provided for loosely connecting as by a flexible or chain connectionk or the like the detachable valve cap with the' bracket, to prevent slipping away and dropping of the valve cap when removed from its place on the tube mouth. A portion of the tube contents in the formof ay length of strand 29 of paste is shown extruded from the valve, that is to say emanating from the smooth and slightly convex" end face 3U thereof.

In'asmuch as it` may be desirable in conjunction with the bracket to provide means permitting utensils to be suspended therefrom or held thereby for use along with the paste, according to one preferred embodiment there are provided simple holes 3| in the corner portions of the substantially rectangular horizontally extending bracket portion I 6, which holes are adapted to receive for instance a toothbrush placed therein with its handle pointing downwar-d. From the disclosure in Figs. 4 and 5 respectively it is noted that theprovision of brush holding means by way of such holes in the free available corner area of the bracket detracts nothing from the simplicity andsmoothness and from other desirable characteristics in the structural form and appearance of the bracket.

The operation of the device, simple as it is, will have been understood from the foregoing.

With respect to assembling the device it is noted that the tube with the cap removed is positioned upon the bracket by seating the shoulder portion I2 in the socket with the threaded mouth portion I3 passing loosely through the opening 2|, and the tube key positioned to point in a direction in? which it can beproperly handled. With the tubeA thusposition'ed the valve cap I5y is then appliedfrom underneath:thebracket` to close the mouthi I3.and isscrewedthereon suflicientlytightso that'the tuber will be rmly. held in: place in the socket permitting in` turn the firm handling of the tube winding key I4; As the tube is tightened upon its seat the radial ri'dges- 23 will tend to impressthemselves into the material of thetube shoulder, and this will tendl to` prevent an undesired rotation of the tube in the'seat, and there willbe no undesired twisting or deformation of the relativelyv soft body of thev tube. As will be seen thev position ofA theI respective main component partsisfeffec'- tively securedA by'virtue of the tight' engagement uponY one-another of the respective Contact faces 22, 23, 28'-, between the parts when in place.

It is clear that the valve cap 24 in the combination and relationship shown helps to establish an effective anchoring for the tube, which enables the user to exercise a firm and otherwise unimpeded grasp upon the tube key I4l for the purpose of positively and conveniently controlling the extrusion of paste. Moreover it is peculiar to this device that the very act of applying the Valve cap in the manner described is adapted at once to condition the tube as well as the paste discharge means for immediate paste delivery as may be effected through the mere turning of the winding key I 4l. It will be noted that the tube II is'spaced from the back portion I1 of the bracket to provide accessibilityfrom all sides of the tube body and operating clearance between the tube and said back portion to permit convenient operation of the tube key I4' and accessibility from all si-des of the'valve cap 26.

The internal mechanical details of the valve per se have not been particularly shown since various types ofy known valves may be used in View of the broad idea underlying the present combination. However, the valve cap may be generally .described as of the type that will permit adequate and proper pressure exerted upon the tube contents to extrude some ofthe paste, but will shut oliE the paste discharge automatically as the pressure is released.

An advantage of utilityA and convenience becomes apparent when the device is used for the dispensing ofr` brushless shaving cream or cold cream or any such other cream that is applied with the bare ngers. In this case the users very finger may receive a strand of paste by readily and conveniently wiping an extruded portion simply off the end face 30 of the valve cap 24, while the opening and closing ofthe valve discharge per se functions automatically as desired.

With respect to the advertising value of the device and more specifically with respect to the configuration of the bracket, in this respect the skirt portion I9 adapted to carry advertising matter, say, in the way of inscription or otherwise, has been shown to extend downwardly in an embodiment where the catching of dust or dirt or other undesirable matter upon the bracket is reduced to a desirable minimum.

I claim:

1. For use with a paste containing tube having a collapsible body portion, a shoulder portion at one end of the body portion, and a relatively constricted paste discharging mouth portion eX- tending from said shoulder portion; a dispensing device comprising a bracket having an opening arranged and wide enough to permit straight passage therethrough and protrusion therefrom of the tube mouth portion, said bracket having a socket portion adapted to receive therein and to sustain said tube shoulder portion and thereby the tube as whole in a stabilized operating position for paste discharge therefrom, the seating surface of said socket portion being provided with protrusions adapted to impress themselves into the material of said shoulder portion to prevent rotation of the shoulder portion relative to the socket; and anchoring means adapted to be applied to the protruding tube mouth portion in a manner to secure the seated stabilized position of the tube as a whole by virtue of said anchoring means bearing tightly against a corresponding adjacent surface portion of said bracket.

2. For use with a paste containing tube having a collapsible body portion, a shoulder portion at one end of the body portion, and a relatively constricted paste discharging threaded mouth portion extending from said shoulder portion, and having a winding key connected with the bottom portion of the tube; a dispensing device comprising a bracket having a substantially horizontally extending body portion defined by an upper substantially plane surface, and having a marginally and downwardly extending skirt portion, and formed with a socket portion interrupting said surface, which socket portion is adapted to receive freely positionable therein said tube shoulder portion and has a smooth edged round opening vdesigned for the straight passage therethrough and protrusion therefrom of the threaded mouth portion of the tube, said bracket further having a back portion extending substantially at right angles from the rear edge portion of said horizontal body portion, and adapted to be fastened to a vertical supporting surface or wall, said socket portion being spaced from said back portion to provide accessibility from all sides of the tube body and operating clearance between the tube and said back portion to permit convenient operation of the tube key and accessibility from all sides of the nut member hereinafter mentioned; a nut member adapted to be applied to said protruding mouth portion in a manner to secure the seated stabilized position in said socket of the otherwise freely rising tube body by virtue of said nut member bearing against a corresponding adjacent surface portion of said bracket, and paste delivery means responsive to pressure exerted upon the paste by said key, and unitary and rotatable with said nut member.

3. For use with a paste containing tube having a collapsible body portion, a shoulder portion at one end of the body portion, and a relatively constricted paste discharging threaded mouth portion extending from said shoulder portion, and having a winding key connected with the bottom portion of the tube, a bracket structure comprising a substantially horizontally extending downwardly open shell portion, a back portion extending substantially at right angles from said shell portion and adapted to be fastened to a vertical supporting surface or wall, said shell portion having a substantially horizontally extending body portion provided with a marginally and downwardly extending skirt portion the outer surface of which merges directly into that of said body portion, and furthermore provided with a socket portion interrupting the top surface continuity of said body portion, which socket portion is adapted to receive freely positionable therein said tube shoulder portion and has a smooth edged round opening designed for the straight passage therethrough and protrusion therefrom of the threaded mouth portion of the tube, said socket portion being spaced from said back portion to provide accessibility from all sides of the tube body and operating clearance between the tube and said back portion to permit convenient operation of the tube-key and accessibility from all sides of the nut member hereinafter mentioned; a nut member adapted to be applied to said protruding mouth portion in a manner to secure the seated stabilized position in said socket of the otherwise freely rising tube body by virtue of said nut member bearing against a corresponding adjacent surface portion of said bracket, and paste delivery means responsive to pressure exerted upon the paste by said key and unitary and rotatable with said nut member.

4. For use with a paste containing tube having a collapsible body portion, a shoulder portion at one end of the body portion, and a relatively constricted paste discharging threaded mouth portion extending from said shoulder portion, and having a winding key connected with the bottom portion of the tube; a bracket structure comprising a substantially horizontally extending downwardly open shell portion and adapted to be fastened to a vertical supporting surface or wall, said shell portion having a body portion provided with a marginally and downwardly extending skirt portion, said body portion furthermore provided with a seating portion adapted to receive freely positionable thereon said tube shoulder portion and having an opening designed for the straight passage therethrough and protrusion Idownwardly therefrom of the threaded mouth portion of the tube, said opening being spaced from said back portion to provide accessibility from all sides of the tube body and operating clearance between the tube and said back portion to permit convenient operation ofthe tube key and accessibility from all sides of the nut member hereinafter mentioned; a nut member adapted to be applied to said protruding l mouth portion in a manner to secure the seated HARRY BOND.

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