US2520538A - Paper cup container and dispenser - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 29, 1950 E. G. GILBERTSEN PAPER cu? CONTAINER AND DISPENSER Filed July 19, 1947 //7I/Qflf'0f:-

EINAR G. GILBERTSEN Arfomey Patented Aug. 29, 1950 s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FAPER CUP CONTAINER AND DISPENSER Einar G. Gilbertsen, Bremerton, Wash.

Application July 19, 1947, Serial No. 762,160

2 Claims. (Cl. 312-43) This invention relates to drinking cup con tainers, and it has reference more particularly to a container in which a stack of nested paper drinking cups may be supported and from which i the cups may be drawn, one at a time, as needed.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a simplified and practical container, adapted to be attached to a wall, or other form of support, to receive the stack of nested cups,

and to support the stack with the lowermost cup extended from the container in a manner permitting it to be grasped and withdrawn while others of the stack will be retained and the stack permitted to feed downwardly as the cups are successively removed.

It is also an object of my invention to provide novel means of support for the stack of cups that may be readily adjusted to adapt the container for the support of cups of dilferent sizes.

Yet another object of the invention is toprovide a device for this purpose that is attractive, sanitary and inexpensive.

Other objects of the invention reside in the details of construction and combination of the parts embodied in the device, in their assembled relationship, and in the mode of use of the con tainer as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein-- Fig. 1 is a top view of the present container and its attaching means, parts being broken away for better understanding of construction.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, with one of the brush holders in cross-section.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the container with parts broken away, particularly for better illustration of the cup supports, and showing the position of the lower end of the cup stack as held in the container.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the adjustable member of the stack supporting means that is used in the container.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View, in reduced scale, of the stationary or fixed member of the stack supporting means used in the container.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the container attaching bracket, with a part broken out for better understanding of construction details.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- First, it is to be explained that the present device is a container for holding stacks of nested paper cups which are round in horizontal crosssection, tapered from their upper to their lower ends, and formed about their upper ends with outwardly curled beads. When the cups are nested, the beads rest one upon the other, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawing, wherein the lowermost cup of the stack is designated by numeral Ill, and the bead at its upper end is designated at H.

The container embodied by this invention, and designated in its entirety by reference character l2, comprises a case or housing of metal or other suitable material, with opposite side walls I3 and I3", and front and back walls l4 and Hi. In horizontal cross-section the container is substantially square and of such size as to receive the stack of cups therein with substantial clearance,

as seen in Fig. 1.

At its lower end, the housing is open and at its upper end, it is fitted with a lid or cover l8 that has its lower edge portion adapted to be received in an internal slip fit joint within the upper end of the housing as seen in Fig. 3.

For its functional support, I provide the housing I2 with an attaching block 20 that may be fixed to the back wall l5 of the housing as seen in Fig. 1, by screws 2| passed through holes in the wall and threaded into the block. The block is recessed at its back side, as at 22, to receive a lug 23 extended from a wall plate 24 to be secured to a support by screws, as at 25. Provision is made for passing a screw bolt 25 through a Wall of the block 20 and into the lug 23 as seen in Fig. 6, to secure these parts. To remove the container, it is only necessary to remove screw 26.

For the support of the stack of cups in the container, I provide two cooperatively arranged stack supporting and cup separating plates 21 and 28. These plates are located in the lower end portion of the housing, near the front and rear walls thereof, and in an upwardly diverging relationship as shown in Fig. 3.

The plate 21, as seen in Fig. 5, comprises a single piece of sheet metal, flat and of rectangular form, formed with inturned flanges 2929 along opposite sides. Across its lower, horizontal edge, this plate has an inwardly curled, rounded bead 30. This plate is fixed permanently in the housing by any suitable means, for example, by welding or riveting its flanges to the side walls of the housing. When secured it assumes the position shown in Fig. 3.

The plate 28 comprises a single piece of sheet metal, of substantially the same size as plate 25, formed with inturned flanges 3l-3l at opposite edges and an inwardly curled bead 32 across its lower edge. The flanges 3l3l are formed near upper and lower ends, respectively, with small outwardly struck bosses 34 and 35, as noted in Fig. 4. The bosses 35, at the lower ends of the flanges, are adapted to be contained for guided adjustment in horizontal channels 36 that are pressed outwardly from the lower edge portions of the side walls l3l3', while the bosses 34 at the upperends of :the flanges are likewise contained in vertical channels 37 that are pressed outwardly from the walls. The relative location of these channels is seen in Fig. 3.

'The plate 28 is closely fitted .between the side walls of the container. The flanges 3l3l press against the side walls and the bosses "34 and 35 are held seated in their respective channels, and the plate will be yieldingly held at any set position, but its lower end portion may be shifted toward or from the Opposite plate 21 to adapt the device to and provide for the support :of cups of :difierent diameters in the device.

when thezstack supporting plates are properly .seti'or cups of a designated diameter, the bead H of the lowermost loop :as in the stack of nested ;oups will engage at opposite sides of the cup with the -;lo,wer end beads 80 and 32 of the two plates 27 and 23. By grasping the lower end portion aof the lowermost cup and exerting :an easy .downward pull thereon, it will be released, since its peripheral rim portion will spring sufliciently to be disengaged from the supporting beads Eli and .32, but the bead 2H 01 the next following cup of the stack will be engaged ;by the plate :beads, and

the stack thereby retained.

.move with this adjustment but are retained by the bosses 34 :channels '311.

In order that :the stack of cups may be easily :centered in the housing between the side walls,

the back plateZS .is formed with a downwardly pointed, -V-shaped recess to in its upper edgeand centrally located between the flanges, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 4.

For :the support .of tooth brushes from this :housing, I have applied metal wings ll-M :to opposite side walls, and these are formed with openings 42 through which the handle portions of brushes 43 may be extended as has been illustrated in Fig. 2.

Devices of this kind can be made of metal, plastics, fiber or other materials, and in sizes suitable to the various needs or desires. They provide convenient and practical mean for the holding and dispensing of cups.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as 116W therein, and desire :to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1,. A container for flexible body drinking cups comprising a housing open at its lower end, a pair of downwardly converging plates secured in the housing with their lower edges in parallel relationship adjacent the lower end of the housing and adapted. to receive the lower end portion of a stack of cups between them; each plate being formed with a bead at its lower edge to engage the lowermost cup of the stack; one of said plates being permanently fixed-and the other plate be- :ing formed {with flanges turned laterally .f-rom opposite sides and irictio ally engaged against the .side walls of the housing to :yieldingly retain the beaded edge of the :plate at different positions of adiustment relative to the beaded edge .of the fixed plate.

:2. Adeviee as ,recited in claim 1 whereinsaid housing .is stormed with horizontal ichannels in its opposite :side walls near their lower edges, and

with 'izertical channels at a :higher level, and said flanges of the plate being gformed with outwardly :struckhosses movably contained .in said channels to determine the positioniof the plate at various positions of adjustment.

'EINAR 1G. GILBERYISEN.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,027 ,353 Mosteller May 21, 1912 1,076,967 Fisher Oct. 28, 1913 2,315,827 Tansley Apr. 6, 1943 2,369,933 Amberg Feb. 20, 19.45 2,373,217 Allen Apr. 10, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date.

21,893 Australia Aug. .19, 1930

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