US2453288A

US2453288A - Counterbalanced pivoted closure

Info

Publication number: US2453288A
Application number: US568129A
Authority: US
Inventors: Henry W Walden
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1944-12-14
Filing date: 1944-12-14
Publication date: 1948-11-09
Anticipated expiration: 1965-11-09

Description

Patented Nov. 9, 1948 [TED S TAT ES PATENT OFF ICE GOUNTERBA'LANCED PIVOTED CLOSURE Henry Walden, New York, N. Y. Application December 14, 1944, SerialNo. 568,129

, 1 Claim". 1

This invention relates. to containers, and more particularly to those of a type intended for use by dentists, physicians, artists and many'others for holding, drugs, medicines, paints and materials of similar nature to permit such materials to be easily extracted as needed, from the container.

Dentists and physicians, for example, are required to use drugs and other liquid preparations while treating patients, and. most of these: drugs andzother preparations are contained in stoppered bottles" or. vials which are unhandy to open; which require immediate corki-ng or stoppering after use to prevent evaporation of the contents. These operations aren'ot often" easily and adeptly performed, particularly while the patient is bein treated".v Artists also are often required to use quick-drying inks and paints which are contained in bottles requiring immediate corking after each use, with the result that considerable time is wasted in those bottle-opening and closing operations. Very often the worker will forget to cork the bottle of a material of highl evaporative nature with the resultant loss of its contents.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a container particularly useful for the purposes above mentioned, which can be very easily opened and closed with one handed opera tion; which will greatly facilitate access to the contents of such containers, and which will keep the contents protected and thus clean and sanitary. A container of this character may be made in various designs to suit difierent requirements and when made for medical or dental purposes, it can be designed to present a sanitary aspect as well as to perform functions rendering it of valuable use to the physician or dentist.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illutrative embodiment of the invention is shown, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a container constructed according to the invention; Fig. 2 is -a vertical sectional view through the container,,.with the cover in open position, and Fig. 3 is'a top plan view, on a reduced scale, of the container.

The container is provided with a suitable flat base member I of sufiicient area topermit the cover of the container to be freely opened and closed in the manner hereafter described without causing tipping or upsetting. Rising from the base I, and preferabl molded integrally therewith, is the body 2 of the containen'the same being of tubular form and having an open top 3 through which access to the interior of the body portion 2 is had.

The base I and body portion 2 preferably I formed integral-1y therewith, as well as most, if

notall of the other" parts of the device, may be made from any suitable molded material such as one of th'e'many plastics now on the market. The

body 2*0'! the container'is adapted to rem'ovably" hold within it, a receptacle 6, which can be of glass or other suitable material and it has an open w of relatively knife-edge form as indicated at E, the'top edge portion tapering inwardly as at 1' to'fornr said edge: The edge of" the character' described, formed at the top of the receptacle 6, provides a wiping edge against which brushes, instruments or tools of various kinds re ceiving the contents of the receptacle may betouched or wipedt'o remove excess material, the material thus removed flowing" back into the receptacle. portion of the" receptacle 6 is slightly elevated above the top of the body 2 of the container so that the excess material wiped oil, or removed in the manner explained will drain down into the container, or if any should reach the outside of the receptacle, it will drain down into the con tainer 2 rather than on the outside of the same.

Near its top edge, the container bod 2 is provided with an annular shoulder 4 and also with an angular seating surface 5, these surfaces 4 and 5 providing a seat for the cover l2. Said cover is in the form of a cup-like member, interiorly hollowed at l9 to fit snugly on top of the container body 2, The surfaces l3 and M on the cover, seat against those indicated at 4 and 5 on the container body 2 so that when the cover is in closed position, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, a tight and secure closure is provided for the top of the body 2 as well as for the open top of the receptacle 6, without actual contact with the top of the receptacle 6.

The container body 2 has a rearward extension 9, which can be molded integrally with the base I and with the body 2, and at its upper end it is provided with a clevis portion I!) in which a lug l5, integrally projecting from an arm II on the cover, is pivotally mounted by means of the pivot pin IS. The arm H is formed integrally with the cover I2 and extends rearwardly therefrom to terminate in a handle portion l1 so shaped and disposed that it requires but a relatively light touch of the finger to cause the cover to be raised and to remain in the open position shown in Figv 2. This result may be secured in several ways, such as by weighting the handle part, by locating the pivot point at the p oper p i y so shaping the parts that the desired balance is attained and by which the cover will rise to operi It will also be observed that the top position by a ver light touch of the finger and remain open. Thus, in the use of the device, it is very easy for the dentist, physician, artist or other user, to cause the contents of the receptacle to be made instantly available to his instruments or brush, by lightly touching th handle part i! to cause the cover to raise and remain in open position, as shown in Fig. 2. Similarly, the cover can be closed by lightly touching the end whereat the cup-shaped part is located, causing it to instantly swing downwardly into closed position. To prevent the possibility of the container tip ping during the opening and closing operations of the cover, the base I may be made relatively large and may, if necessary, be formed with a rearward extension as indicated at l8.

It will be apparent that I have provided a container which can be used for a great many purposes; which will keep its contents protected and in a sanitary condition; which can be opened and closed speedily to not onlyiacilitate the Work of the user, but to prevent evaporation of the contents of the receptacle. It will be obvious that many variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the shape of the body 2 may be materially changed to suit the receptacle which it is intended to accommodate. A number of these containers may be grouped or joined together to form a multipleunit, and various other changes can be readily made aswill be apparent to those skilled in this art. It will be observed that the receptacle 6 is spaced from the inner surfaces of the body 2' as-well as from the interior of the cover member. The result is that an air space is provided around the receptacle which, when the same is used for containing powdered material, acts to prevent part of the powdered contents from being dis- 4 persed by suction and scattered about when the cover is suddenly raised.

Having described the invention, what I claim is:

Acontainer of the character described having a body portion provided with a well open at the top, a receptacle of less external diameter than the well fitting within the well and spaced therefrom, said receptacle having an open top projecting above the top of the body portion whereby excess contents" removed from .the receptacle by an instrument may be wiped ofi on said projecting part of the receptacle, a hinged cover proraised position when said arm is lightly touched by the finger.

HENRY. W. WALDEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany Sept. 1922