US2323233A - Dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

June 29,1943. M; i-LL R 2,323,233

nxsrnusme DEVICE I Filed April 17, 1941 will ' INVENTOR MORRIS MILLER WM/ ATTORNEY Patented June 29, 1943 UNITED STATES DISPENSING DEVICE Morris Miller, Detroit, Mich,

assignor to Miller Laundry Machinery Company, Detroit, Mich,

a partnership Application April17, 1941, Serial No. 388,952 3 Claims. ((1221-4 16) This invention relates to a dispenser or storage andsupply device, and in particular it relates to a storagedevice of the hopper type in combination with means for regulating the dispensing movement of stored material, and in combination with means positioning the hopper for filling same.

7 In commercial laundries it is customary to sort various fabrics either before or after the laundry is washed. One application of a use of the present device in commercial laundries is to sort towels after they are washed and dried. It is generally customary to provide a relatively large table or bench upon which piles of towels are assembled. From this pile the operator removes the towels one by one, inspects them, and either stacks them to form a bundle or sets them aside to be further treated. Sorting towels in this manner usually requires relatively large tables which occupy valuablefloor area. Furthermore, the towels, when placed in a pile on the table, usually become scattered, making it both difiicult for theoperator to reach the towels, and increasing'the amount of manual labor.

According to my invention I provide a device in; the form of a hopper which may be inclined to-a position so that one of the principal sides of the hopper rests in a horizontal plane at table Into this hopper may be piled a subtop level. stantialquantity of towels amounting to several hundred pounds. When so filled the hopper may be elevated manually to an upright position assisted by counterweights. The lower end of the hopper is spaced from the top of a table onto which the towelsdrop into an accessible position from which the operator may conveniently withdraw the towels, sort them, inspect them, or stack them in bundles.

Among-the objects of my invention are to provide in combination a device which is capable of positioning towels in a readily accessible position for the operator; to provide a device which will-support a substantial quantity of towels; to provide a device which will retain a substantial quantity of towels and at the same time occupy a minimum floor area; to provide a. supply device of the hopper type from which towels may be easily removed therefrom, and to provide a towel supply device which is easy to fill, simple in operation and economical to manufacture.

These and other objects and advantages will appear more fully in the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a towel supply to the hopper by cables 2'2 operated device representing an embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a rear elevationalview thereof;

Figure 3-is a side View, in section, taken along lines 5'5 of Figure 1 and illustrating a hopper associated therewith in lowered position; and,

Figure4 is a side View, in section, taken along lines'5 5 of Figure 1 and illustrating a hopper associated therewith in its normal upright position. Referring to the drawing and in particular to Figure 1', I show an embodiment of my invention which includes a structural frame 6 in a rectangular iormation serving. as a table and provided with aplate'! forming the table top. Side plates Band Gattached. to the structural frame-work 6 serve as enclosures for the sides of the table structure. A. vertically disposed plate l0 interposed between the end plates 8 and 9 functions as a partition while abottom plate ll plate l2 (Fig. described, the

and back plates and frame work constitute a table-like. structure having two enclosed bins,

open at the front end These bins merely serve of the table structure. as repositories for materials which are sorted on top of the table struc-'f ture..

A pair of vertical angles l3 and W'ard'from the rear edge of the table structure andare connected together at their upper ends by a horizontal member l5. are. attached atthe corners bly. A structuralangle I1 is positioned in a horizontal plane above the top of the table! and" is attached to the vertical members|3 and M.

A back plate l8 fills in the gap between the angle i1 and the top of'the table plate 1. 1T0 the horizontalangle ll' is attached a hopper l9. by means of" a. pair of hinges 20. When the hopper is inits upright positionits back'suredgefof the table; The Width slightlyless'than'theitotal width of the table.

' The hopper isimaintained initsnormal upright 2| attached overpulleys position by means ofcounterweights 23 supported by brackets 24 attached zontal member l5. Tubular guards vided within which the counterweights 2| are vertically movable. These guards 25 are-held in place by brackets 34 attached to the main structural frame 6. I.

The lower end of the hopper is open, and a. panel 26 provided with hinges 21 attached to the to the hori- 2) complete the enclosure; As thusi l4 eiitend up Gusset plates 16. v of the structural; membersforincreasingthe rigidity of the assem- 25 are profront surface of the hopper l9 provides means for varying the size of the opening at the lower end of the hopper. The panel 26 forms in effect a movable portion of the front surface of the hopper at the lower end of the hopper. To limit the outward movement of the panel 26, chains 28 attached to the Sides of the hopper [9 are engageable with hook members 29 extending from the panel 26. The chain provides means which will limit outward movement of the panel 26, but will allow the panel to move into the same plan as the front surface of the hopper.

In order to swing the hopper into its lowered position, a handle 30 is provided which connects with the upper portion of the hopper through a heavy cord 3! and a bracket 32. Side guards 33 extend vertically from the tabl top I and at the sides of the table to prevent materials, which drop through the hopper opening, from flowing over the sides of the table. These plates 33 are spaced apart a sufficient distance so that the hopper may pass therebetween when it is swung into its lowered position.

Inthe operation of the device, and as shown in Fig. 3, the operator pulls the hopper to its lowered position at which point it offsets the weight of the counterbalance weights 2|. While in this convenient position the operator fills the hopper with fabric materials, such as towels 35. Thereafter the operator pushes the hopper to the upright position as shown in Figure 4, whereupon the towels drop through the lower opening of the hopper onto the table top I and in a readily acoessible position for withdrawal by the operator.

As shown in Figure 4, the opening at the lower end of the hopper is greater than the distance from the top of the table to the bottom of the hopper whereat the hopper is hinged. It has been found this relationship is desirable for the proper outlet distribution of the towels. While ordinarily such a relationship would prevent the hopper from being lowered to the position as shown in Figure 3, the fact that the panel 26 is freely movable so that it may be aligned in the same plane as the front surface of the hopper permits the hopper to be lowered to the position illustrated. -As the hopper is brought to its lowered position the panel 26, engages the table top I and moves automatically in alignment with the front surface of the hopper.

. From the foregoing it is believed apparent that I have provided a novel and useful device for increasing the efliciency in commercial laundries, and while I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my stood that it is susceptible of those modifications which appear within the spirit of my invention and the scope of the appended claims.

.Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters'Patent is: 1'. In a device of the character describedin combination, a structural frame including a table top, a hopper positioned above the table top and in spaced relation therefrom, structural members forming a vertical continuation of the tabletop at the rear of the table top, hinged means'connecting the lower end of the hopper invention it is to be underwith the continuation structural members at an elevation so that the front surface of the hopper will lie in close parallel relation with the plane of the table top, said hopper having an opening at the bottom thereof, and a hinged panel forming a part of the front wall of the hopper adjacent the bottom opening, the distance between the bottom of the hopper and the top of the table being such that upon lowering the hopper to a horizontal position the said hinged panel strikes the table top and is moved into alignment with the front surface of the hopper wall, the transverse width of said opening being greater than the distance between the table top and the bottom of the hopper.

2. In a device of the character described in combination, a structural frame including a ta ble top, a hopper positioned above the table top and inspaced relation therefrom, structural members forming a vertical continuation of the table top at the rear of the table top, hinged means connecting the lower end of the hopper with the continuation structural members at an elevation so that the front surface of the hopper will lie in close parallel relation with the plane of the table top, said hopper having an opening at the bottom thereof, a hinged panel forming a part of the front wall of the hopper adjacent the bottom opening, and means for limiting the outward movement of the panel while the panel is freely movable so that the same will lie in the plane of the front surface of the hopper, the distance between the bottom of the hopper and the top of th table being such that upon lowering the hopper to a horizontal position the said hinged panel strikes the table top and is moved into alignment with the front surface of the hopper wall, the-transverse width of said opening being greater than the distance between th table top and the bottom of the hopper.

3. In a. device of the character described in combination, a structural frame including a table top, a hopper positioned above the table top and in spaced relation therefrom, structural members forming a vertical continuation of the table top at the rear ofthe table top, hinged means conmeeting the lower end of the hopper with the continuation structural member at an elevation so. that the front surface of the hopper will lie in close parallel relation with the plane of the table top, said hopper having an opening at the bottom thereof, a hinged panel forming a part of the front wall of the hopper adjacent the bottom opening, and counterbalancing means of sufficient weight to maintain the hopper in a normal vertical position but of insufficient weight to overcome the weight of the hopper when the hopper is moved to a horizontal position, the distance between the bottom of the hopper and the top ofthe .table being such that upon lowering the hopper to a horizontal position the said hinged panel strikes the table top and is moved into alignment with the front surface of the hopper wall, the transverse width of said opening being greater than the distance between the table top and the bottom of the hopper.

' MORRIS MILLER.

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