US2207528A

US2207528A - Sanitary toothpick dispenser

Info

Publication number: US2207528A
Application number: US281680A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl A Witt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-06-28
Filing date: 1939-06-28
Publication date: 1940-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 1957-07-09

Description

July 9; 1940. c, w 2,207,528

SANITARY TOOTHPICK DISPENSER Filed June 28, 1939 INVENTOR [BY .arZ/ZWZZ 27 Patented July 9, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFECE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to dispensers and in particular to sanitary toothpick dispensers adapted to pay out one toothpick at a time without clogging.

5 The principal object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple sanitary dispenser for round toothpicks and the like which will pay out but one toothpick at a time and in which the dispensing element is adapted to hold one or more toothpicks after being paid out ready to be manually removed from the said dispensing means.

Another object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple, inexpensive to manufacture, sanitary dispenser for toothpicks and the like having but a single movable dispensing element which will pay out round toothpicks one at a time, the dispensing element being adapted to hold at least one toothpick after having been paid out while one or more other toothpicks are paid out without interfering with the paying out of toothpicks subsequent to the paying out of the first toothpick.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a sanitary toothpick dispenser embodying the invention with a portion thereof broken away showing the pivotal mounting of the dispensing element employed.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational View of the dispenser disclosed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the dispensing element in its normal position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view simv ilar to Fig. 3 showing the dispensing element pivoted manually to a position in which it receives a toothpick from the hopper.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan View with the cover removed showing the particular shape of hopper employed.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the sanitary tooth-- pick dispenser disclosed comprises, in general, a hopper Ii) preferably moulded of thermo-plastics or the like supported on a pair of legs II formed integral with the ends of the said hopper and located inwardly therefrom between which a dispensing element designated by the numeral i2 is pivotally mounted about an axis longitu- 55 dinal with respect to the said hopper ID on pins.

I3 disposed through the lower portion of the said legs II. The legs II supporting the hopper ID are preferably secured to a suitable base I 4 by rabbeting the same therein as indicated in the drawing. A cover I5 having a depending peripheral edge I6 is frictionally engaged over the top of the said hopper I0.

The said hopper II] has vertical sides I! and ends I8 and a sloping bottom I9 which terminates into a pair of laterally spaced vertically depending aprons 20 oppositely curved along their longitudinal axes complementary to the curvature of the side of a toothpick to be dispensed from the said hopper. The bottom of the said depending aprons 20 are formed to a vertical curve complementary to the curvature of the side of a toothpick to be dispensed from the said hopper. The lateral space between the said depending hopper bottom aprons 20 is equal to at least three and preferably four times the diameter of a toothpick to be dispensed from the dispenser plus a slight clearance to avoid jambing. The foregoing relationship between the size and shape of the hopper I0 and the toothpicks to be dispensed therefrom is important inasmuch as, after long experiment, it has been found that any material deviation from the above causes the dispenser to become jambed during operation.

The dispensing element I2 is composed of a longitudinally disposed shaft 2I integral with which is moulded laterally spaced dispensing segments 22 and 23 which extend radially upward from the said shaft 2! to close the bottom of the hopper l0 between the longitudinally disposed depending aprons 20 thereof, the front portion of the segments 22 and 23 being notched as indicated in Figs. 2., 3 and 4 for the purpose hereinafter described in detail. The said shaft 2| has an aperture 24 longitudinally therethrough into which mounting pins I3 disposed through suitable apertures in the legs II are pressed.

The front end of the dispensing segment 23 is preferably enlarged at 25 and is cored to receive an operating arm 26 onto the end of which a suitable operating knob 21 is fixed. The weight of the said knob 21 is such as to normally maintain the dispensing element I2 and the segments 22 and 23 thereof rotated to the position indicated in Figs. 2 and 3 wherein the unnotched portion of the segments 22 and 23 is positioned directly under the depending aprons 2B of the hopper ill, in which position the segments 22 and 23 of the dispensing element I2 support the toothpicks 28 in the hopper III. A stop 29 suitably located on the segment 23 of the dispensing element l2 prevents the said dispensing element I2 from rotating too far under the gravity infiuence of the operating knob 2?, see Fig. 3. In its lifted position the operating knob 2i contacts the front side of the hopper If! and serves as a stop to permit the segments 22 and 23 of the dispensing element l2 to rotate when the said operating knob is lifted until the carrier notches 30 therein become positioned slightly greater than the diameter of one toothpick inward from the inner side of the front depending apron 28 of the hopper liLsee Fig. 4.

By reference to Fig. 4 it will be observed that the rearward portion of the carrier notches 3B in the segments 22 and 23 of the dispensing element l2 are disposed substantially vertical when the operating knob is lifted to the toothpick receiving position, however, the forward portion of the said carrier notches 30 slopes forwardly downward when the dispensing element I2 is permitted to drop by gravity to the toothpick dispensing position shown in Fig. 3 wherein a toothpick received by the said segments 22 and 23 in the carrier notches 35 thereof rolls out of the said carrier notches into the dispensing notches 3| in the segments 22 and 23. It is preferable that the said dispensing notches 3! in the segments 22 and 23 are large enough to receive at least two toothpicks. The said dispensing notches 3| being so disposed as to present to the user of the dispenser toothpicks paid out from the hopper ID to the dispensing notches by the carrier notches each time the operating knob 27 is fully lifted to the position shown in Fig. 4 from its normal position shown in Fig. 3 and permitted to drop back to its normal position shown in Fig. 3.

The said dispensing notches 3! in the dispensing segments 22 and 23 are shaped reentrant so as to prevent any toothpick once received therein from rolling back into the carrier notches 3B and fouling the paying out of toothpicks from the hopper Ill by gravity into the said carrier notches 38. If more toothpicks are paid out of the hopper Ill into the carrier notches 3G by repeated lifting of the operating knob 27 than the capacity of the dispensing notches 3! then excess toothpicks paid out will merely fall from the dispensing element I2. A suitable spacer bar 32 is preferably provided integral with and laterally between the upper rear portion of the segments 22 and 23 to maintain them in rigid radial alignment.

Although the novel sanitary toothpick dispenser has been shown and described as manufactured of moulded plastics, obviously it may be constructed of metal or other suitable material by those skilled in the art.

Although but one specific embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described in detail, it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made in the size, shape, arrangement and detail of the various elements of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention other than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a sanitary toothpick dispenser, a hopper having a slot in the bottom thereof, means supporting said hopper, an apron depending from said hopper each side of said slot, a dispensing element composed of a longitudinally disposed shaft journaled on said hopper supporting means for arcuate movement on an axis parallel to and below the said slot in said hopper and a pair of laterally spaced dispensing segments extending upwardly from said shaft into substantial contact with said depending aprons, the segments of the said dispensing element each having a carrier notch and a dispensing notch in the periphery thereof, the said carrier notches being located to receive but one toothpick at a time when the said dispensing element is moved arcuately under said hopper slot to a toothpick receiving position and shaped to permit the toothpick carried therein to gravitate to the said dispensing notches when said dispensing element segments are moved arcuately forward with respect to the said hopper slot to a toothpick dispensing position, and an operating handle on said dispensing element for moving the said dispensing element arcuately on its axis to and from the toothpick receiving position from and to the toothpick dispensing position.

2. In a sanitary toothpick dispenser, a hopper having a slot in the bottom thereof, means supporting said hopper, an apron depending from said hopper each side of said slot, the said aprons being curved along their oppositely disposed inner faces and along the bottom thereof complementary to the curvature of the side of a toothpick to be dispensed, a dispensing element composed of a longitudinally disposed shaft journaled on said hopper supporting means for arcuate movement on an axis parallel to and below the said slot in said hopper and a pair of laterally spaced dispensing segments extending upwardly from said shaft into substantial contact with said depending aprons, the segments of the said dispensing element each having a carrier notch and a dispensing notch in the periphery thereof, the said carrier notches being located to receive but one toothpick at a time when the said dispensing element is moved arcuately under said hopper slot to a toothpick receiving position and shaped to permit the toothpick carried therein to gravitate to the said dispensing notches when said dispensing notches when said dispensing element segments are moved arcuately forward with respect to the said hopper slot to a toothpick dispensing position, and an operating handle on said dispensing element serving as a counterweight means for normally maintaining the said dispensing element in its dispensing position.

3. In a sanitary toothpick dispenser, a hopper having a slot in the bottom thereof at least slightly greater in width than the diameter of three toothpicks to be dispensed therefrom, means supporting said hopper, an apron depending from said hopper each side of said slot, the said aprons being curved along their oppositely disposed inner faces and along the bottom thereof complementary to the curvature of the side of a toothpick to be dispensed, a dispensing element composed of a longitudinally disposed shaft journaled on said hopper supporting means for arcuate movement on an axis parallel to and below the said slot in said hopper and a pair of laterally spaced dispensing segments extending upwardly from said shaft into substantial contact with said depending aprons, the segments of the said dispensing element each having a carrier notch and a dispensing notch in the periphery thereof, the said carrier notches being located to receive but one toothpick at a time when the said dispensing element is moved arcuately under said hopper slot to a toothpick receiving position and shaped to permit the toothpick carried therein to gravitate to the said dispensing notches when said dispensing element segments are moved arcuately forward with respect to the said hopper slot to a toothpick dispensing position, and an operating handle on said dispensing element for moving the said dispensing element arcuately on its axis to and from the toothpick receiving position from and to the toothpick dispensing position.

4. In a sanitary toothpick dispenser, a hopper having a slot in the bottom thereof at least slightly greater in width than the diameter of three toothpicks to be dispensed therefrom, means supporting said hopper, an apron depending from said hopper each side of said slot, the said aprons being curved along their oppositely disposed inner faces and along the bottom thereof complementary to the curvature of the side of a toothpick to be dispensed, a dispensing element composed of a longitudinally disposed shaft journaled on said hopper supporting means for arcuate movement on an axis parallel to and below the said slot in said hopper and a pair of laterally spaced dispensing segments extending up- Wardly from said shaft into substantial contact with said depending aprons, the segments of the said dispensing element each having a carrier notch and a dispensing notch in the periphery thereof, the said carrier notches being located to receive but one toothpick at a time when the said dispensing element is moved arcuately under said hopper slot to a toothpick receiving position and shaped to permit the toothpick carried therein to gravitate to the said dispensing notches when said dispensing element segments are moved arcuately forward with respect to the said hopper slot to a toothpick dispensing position, and an operating handle on said dispensing element serving as a counterweight means for normally maintaining the said dispensing element in its dispensing position therefor.

5. In a sanitary toothpick dispenser, a hopper having a slot in the bottom thereof, means supporting said hopper, an apron depending from said hopper each side of said slot, a dispensing element composed of a longitudinally disposed shaft journaled on said hopper supporting means for arcuate movement on an axis parallel to and below the said slot in said hopper and. a pair of laterally spaced dispensing segments extending upwardly from said shaft into substantial contact with said depending aprons, the segments of the said dispensing element each having a carrier notch and a dispensing notch in the periphery thereof, the said carrier notches being located to receive but one toothpick at a time when the said dispensing elementis moved arcuately under said hopper slot to a toothpick receiving position and shaped to permit the toothpick carried therein to gravitate to the said dispensing notches when said dispensing element segments are moved arcuately forward with respect to the said hopper slot to a toothpick dispensing position, and

an operating handle on said dispensing element for moving the said dispensing element arcuately on its axis to and from the toothpick receiving position from and to the toothpick dispensing position, the said dispensing notches being reentrantly formed sufficiently to prevent toothpicks received therein from rolling back into the carrier notches when said dispensing element is moved arcuately to its receivingposition from its dispensing position.

CARL A. WITT.