US2546915A - Automatic opening and closing container - Google Patents

Description

March 27, 1951 I J, YERKEs 2,546,915

AUTOMATIC OPENING AND CLOSING CONTAINER Filed Nov. 13 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .0 (@gioil.

INVENTOR JOHN A.YRKE5 ATTORNEYS March 27, 1951 J, R S 2,546,915

AUTOMATIC OPENING AND CLOSING CONTAINER Filed Nov. 15, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENTOR JOHN A. YER/ 55 ATTORNEYS March 27, 1951 J. A. YERKES AUTOMATIC OPENING AND CLOSING CONTAINER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 13 1946 INVENTOR JOHN A. YERKES ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 27, 1951 AUTOMATIC OPENING AND CLOSING CONTAINER John A. Yerkes, New York, N. Y. Application November 13, 1946, Serial No. 709,443

8 Claims.

This invention relates to containers and particularly those of the type adapted to hold cigarettes or similar articles. It is desirable to keep some articles, such as cigarettes, in a container with a lid thereon and to be able to open said lid automatically.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a container wherein the lid is closed when held in one position and is automatically opened as the container is turned or inverted, the opening and closing action being arranged so that articles will not be expelled unintentionally from the container during the turning operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container which will automatically open and close in a foolproof manner when the container is full and also when only partly full.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which is sturdy, light in weight, and inexpensive to manufacture. In previous devices, complicated arrangements of springs and weights have been employed which are not required in the present invention.

Other objects, features, and advantages will become apparentfrom the following description and drawings which are merely exemplary.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the device when it is in an upright or open position.

Fig. 2 is a view looking upwardly when the container is in the upright position as seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1, the figure being broken along the center- Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view when the container is in an inverted or closed position.

Fig. 5 is a view looking upwardly when the container is in inverted closed position seen in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a section taken along the line 66 of Fig. 4, the figure being broken along the center line.

Fig"? is 'a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line l-! of Fig. 4.

' Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional View of the weight. dFig. 9 is an isometric View of one of the cover li s.

Fig. 10 is an isometric view of the shield located between the two lids.

Fig. 11 is a side view showing the device as it is being turned on its end.

Fig. 12 is an end view showing the device as it is being turned sideways.

example, the receptacle shaped. The straight to receptacle I by In a preferred form of the invention, receptacle 1 may be made of a plastic material, wood, metal, or the like, and has a bottom portion which is preferably cut away to form a pair of apertures 3, 3 (Figs. 1, 2) and shoulders 4 for the reception of plastic or glass windows 2 so that the contents such as, for example, cigarettes it can be seen clearly when the container is viewedfrom the bottom (Figs. 1, 2).

It is evident that the bottom portion may be solid or may have various types of designs thereon as desired. lhe longitudinally extending walls 4| of the receptacle preferably are made straight with rounded ends i2, but, of course, various shaped receptacles may be employed, and, as an may be rectangularly walls M can be vertically grooved on the inside to form shoulders 5 and recesses $3 interiorly of the longitudinal walls t I, said recesses being adapted to receive a weight housing H, the purpose of said housing ii being described hereafter.

Shield 8, resting on ledge 5, may be secured any suitable means such as by screws Ii! engaging screw threaded holes iii (Figs. 1, '7, 10). Depending apron & of shield 8 extends downwardly to rest against weight housing H serving to hold said housing I! against accidental displacement. The shield 8 also serves to concea1 the mechanism.

Weight housing H has four recesses l2 (Fig. 3) to provide space for the operation of the two pairs of hinges l6 (Figs. 1, 9) having depending arms l4, said weight housing being nested within the receptacle between shoulders 5. Four pivot screws 63 in housing H pass through apertures I5 in depending arms It so as to pivotally mount the inges on the weight housing. The depending arms [4 are joined by bridge I! of the hinge there being a central projecting portion 18 terminating in an arcuate portion 2% and chain hole [9 may be located adjacent the junction of portions I8 and 20 of the hinge. The hinges in turn may be secured to the pair of lids 23 in any suitable manner'such as by screws 22 (Figs. 6, 9) extending through holes in said hinges. It is evident that if plastic material is used for the lids that the hinges may be molded inserts in said lids or that the lids and hinges may be integrall formed of any desired material.

The lids are shaped so as to conform generally to the shape of the receptacle with the operating or working ends 25 substantially increased in thickness to assist in the opening action thereof.

The corners 2 3 of said operating ends are bev- \3 elled or shaped so as to provide clearance when the lids swing downwardly within the sloping walls 26 of the weight housing ii to the position shown in Fig. l. The weight housing ll preferably is rectangular in exterior shape so as to fit into the receptacle. The bottom of the weight housing may be hollowed out to reduce weight such as shown at 28 (Fig. l).

The interior of the housing is provided with sloping walls 25 which preferably are conical, but may pyramidal, hemispherical, or a shape having the function of the conical walls as discussed hereafter. So as to reduce length, the conical shaped walls are frusto-conical as shown with an opening 2! near the apex of the cone for economy of width and so as to enable the use of a heavier weight. Cylindrical portion .29 is provided in the bore of the weight housing H, the cylindrical portion, although not essential, serving to lessen the likelihood of vibration and undesirable shifting of the weight when the receptacle is turned in operation thereof.

A pair of cover plates 39 (Figs. 1, l, 6) may be secured to the top of weight housing l l by screws 32 extending through holes in said cover plates in a conventional manner.

Chain 33 may be made from a length of chain intersecting and joined to a second length of chain at a point intermediate the ends of said second chain so that the chain assembly can take a shape similar to that of an inverted T when the receptacle is in the position shown in Fig. 4. Gne end of the chain is fastened to the weight and each of the ends fastened to one of the lids 23. The branch ends may be threaded through each of the chain holes iii (Fig. 9) in the hinges i8 and then a small pin 35 inserted for the purpose of holding the chain therein. It is evident that the pin and chain also may be soldered to the hinge or otherwise suitably fastened thereto. The long branch of the chain is passed through the bore of weight 36 through a small washer v3 S can have a pin 35 inserted through the terminal link and preferably secured by soldering. It is evident that various equivalent methods or means of securing the chain to the lids and to V the weight may be employed.

Weight 3 5 preferably is conical in form but may be given other suitable shapes which are capable of performing the desired operation of the weight.

The best operation of the device is obtained when the weight conforms substantially in exterior shape to the shape of the bore of housing Ii. In the embodiment shown, the weight is frusto-conical in exterior form with a joining cylindrical portion 39, the cylinder being substantially the same length as the cylindrical portion 29 of the bore of weight housing H. The bore 38 of the weight may be enlarged to allow lateral movement of the chain (Fig. i) the bore preferably flaring out to a conical shape .31. in order to give the desirable weight, a portion .38

of the bore is cylindrical and relatively small in diameter as will he explained hereafter.

The chain must be of the correct length to allow the requisite lateral movement of the weight in the weight housing ll. The chain could be el'il iinated by using an alternate'construction wherein the lids 23 would have relatively heavy weights at the working ends so that the lids would be counterbalanced and tend to swing themselves to open position when the container is brought to the upright position of Fig. 1. A linkage also could be used in place of the chain to cause opening of the lid by the weight. It also is to be understood that a single lid container may be used instead of a double lid.

Describing the operation, when the, container is placed on a table or held upright (Fig. 1), weight 35 will rest on the bottom of the bore of weight housing H, lids 23 having been swung to open position by the action of the weight moving downwardly. The action of the weight is transmitted to the lids by means of chain 33 which swings the lids on their hinges it to the position shown in Fig. 1. It is preferable that the length of the weight and the conical surface thereof be so related to the conical bore of the weight housing that there will not be a tight fit therebetween so that there will be no danger of sticking. This, of course, could also be taken care of by proper lubrication of the surfaces.

When the container is in the inverted or closed position (Fig. 4) weight 36 will rest on the working ends 25 of lids 23' thus holding the lids in a closed position against the action of the-weight of the cigarettes tending to open said lidst The top of the container will have the appearance as indicated in Fig. 1. It is important to prevent spilling the contents of the container as the receptacle is changed from the upright to the in verted position and therefore thelids must close before the container has been rotated to the point where gravity will act upon the contents and cause them to spill out. vThis means that the weight actuating the closing of the lids must operate before gravity acts upon the contents to cause them to fall out of the container. The angle of the walls of the bore and its relation to the normal horizontal and vertical axis of'the container is made such that regardless of the direction in which the container is rotated in the action of inversion, the weight 3 3 will move under the action of gravity along the sloping walls as to urge lids 23 to .a closed position. This takes place, in the embodiment shown, before the container has been rotated For this reason, there is no delicate balancing between the Weight of a counterbalance and a spring and there are no intricate slides or other friction-causing elements necessary, such elements being difiicult to assemble, adjust, and maintain in operating condition. The conical weight shown bears on the conical bore of the housing so that there is but a single line of contact.

Referring to Fig. 11, as the box is tilted endfor end from an upright to an inverted position, the angle of the wall A l relative to the normal vertical axis 4?, is made such that the weight 36'wil1 start its movement to the left so as to close-lids 23 before the cigarettes so can slide out of the box. The angle of the wall '34 relative to the Vertical axis of the box must be such that the angle of repose of the weight, as it rests on wall G4,, is

reached and the weight starts its movement before the contents of the receptacle can move. The angle of repose, as is well known, is the angle which the plane of contact between two bodies makes with the horizontal when the upper body is just on the point of sliding. It also is sometimes defined as the angle whose tangent is-the coefficient of friction between the bodies. It is thus seen that when the angle of repose is reached as the receptacle is turned, a very slight further movement or a distur g the equilibrium of the weight will cause novemen-t thereof to the left. Similarly, in Fig. 12, the box is turned from an upright to an inverted position around the axis which is longitudinal of the re-- ceptacle, weight 36 will slide on wall 5 (Fig. 12)

, to close the lids 23 thereof before the cigarettes in the box can slide or roll out and be expelled.

It is thus seen that the angle of repose of the weight is reached and passed before the angle of repose of the contents becomes affected by the turning. This is achieved by sloping the walls of the housing containing the weight and by proportioning and arranging the parts in such a manner so as to obtain the best possible operation of the device. I

The weight, when in the position shown in Fig. 1, can be arranged so that there is a pad of felt (not shown) between the end of the weight and the bottom wall 46 of the receptacle so as to as sist in preventing sticking of the weight to the surface 26 after prolonged inactivity. The felt also will tend to reduce the noise which might occur when the weight reaches the bottom of the weight housing.

It is to be understood that the details of construction may be varied, and that the receptacle can be used for many purposes and substances without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a receptacle, an article storing compartment, pivot means on said receptacle, a lid mounted on said pivot means, said lid having a compartil ent covering portion on one side of the pivot means and an extension on the opposite side of the pivot means, a weight, a weight housing having upwardly diverging walls when in upright position, said extension overlying said housing, and means opening said lid when the receptacle is in upright position, said weight sliding down said diverging walls as the receptacle is rotated toward an inverted position, said weight engaging said lid on the side of the pivot means opposite to said opening to close the same.

2. In a receptacle, an article storing compartment, pivot means on said receptacle, a lid mounted on said pivot means, said lid having a compartment covering portion on one side of the pivot means and an extension on the opposite side of the pivot means, a weight, a weight housing having upwardly diverging walls when the receptacle is in an upright position, said extension overlying said housing, and connecting means between the weight and said lid extension, said connecting means being of a length such that the weight pulls on said lid extension to open said lid when the receptacle is in upright position and the weight has moved toward the bottom of said weight housing, said weight sliding down the diverging walls by gravity as the receptacle is rotated manually toward an inverted position, said weight engaging and pressing on the lid extension causing said lid to close said compartment when the receptacle is in inverted position.

3. In. a receptacle, an article storing compartment, a hinged lid pivot means on said receptacle, a lid mounted on said pivot means, said lid having a compartment covering portion on one side of the pivot means and an extension on the opposite side of the pivot means, a weight, a weight housing having upwardly diverging walls when said receptacle is in upright position, said extension overlying a portion of said weight housing, and flexible means connecting said extension with the weight and holding the lid in open position. when the receptacle is in upright position, said weight sliding down said diverging walls as the receptacle is inverted to- 6, ward an inverted position, said weight engagings'aid lid extension, so-as to close the same.

4. In a receptacle," an article storing compartment, pivlot' means on said receptacle, a lid mounted on said pivot means, said lid having a compartment covering portion on one side of the pivot means and an extension on the opposite side of said pivot means, a conical shaped weight engageable with said lid to close the same,

a conical shaped weight housing having a bore with upwardly diverging walls when in upright position, said bore being of greater length than the weight, said extension overlying said housing, and means opening said lid when the receptacle is in an upright position, said weight sliding down said diverging walls by gravity as the receptacle is rotated in any direction toward an inverted position and engagingsaid lid extension and closing the same.

5. In a receptacle, an article storing compartmerit, pivot means on said receptacle, a lid mounted on said pivot means, said lid having a compartment covering portion on one side of the pivot means and an extension on the opposite side of said pivot means, a conical weight engageable with said lid to close the same, a weight housing having a bore with conical upwardly diverging walls when in upright position, said extension overlying said housing, and flexible means connected to said weight and holding said lid in open position when the receptacle is in an upright position, said weight sliding down said diverging walls by gravity as the receptacle is rotated in any direction toward an inverted position and engaging said extension or the lid and closing the same.

6. In a receptacle, a pair of article storing compartments, a pair of pivots on said receptacle, a pair of lids each mounted on one of said pivots, each of said lids having compartment covering portions on one side of its pivot and having an operating extension on the other sidefa weight, a weight housing having upwardly diverging walls when the receptacle is in upright position, said lid extensions overlying said housing, and means opening said lids when the rece tacle is in upright position, said weight being slidable by gravitv along said diverging walls as the recentacle is inverted in. any direction until the weightv contacts said extensions and closes said lids.

7.111 a receptacle, a pair of article storing compartments, a pair of pivots on said receptacle, a pair of lids each mounted on one of said pivots, each of said lids having compartment covering portions on one side of its pivot and having onerating extensions on the other side, a weight, a weight housing having upwardly diverging walls when the receptacle is in upright position, said lid extensions overlying said housing, and flexible connecting means between said weight and said extensions opening said lids when the rece tacle is in upright position, said weight being siidable by gravity along said diverging walls as the receptacle is inverted in any direction until the weight contacts said extensions and closes said lids.

8. In a receptacle, an article storing compartment, a pivot means on said receptacle, a lid mounted on said pivot means, said lid having a compartment covering portion on one side of the pivot and an extension on the opposite side of the pivot, a weight, a weight housing having upwardly diverging walls when the receptacle is in upright position, said walls defining a bore facing said extension, the angle of slope of said walls being of sueh ma nitude that when the .zlveeeptecle is 7 REFERENCES .QHED manually following references are record will m v al n said well y gra ity t en a filgf this patent: said ,lid extensiq nd close 1 b ,;$3' mefi 5 he'8- V cfiptacle is rotated toward a honizontal pesjftjgn 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS so that articles will not spill-fromsaid compart- Number Name Date ment, and means connected to said lid extension 1,486,439 Kla-ges Mar. 11,1924 holding said lid in epen positiqn when the re- 1,573,938 Henrietta Feb. 23,1926 eeptaele is upright and the weight is away from 1,914,250 Gillen June 13, 1933 said lid extension. 10 1,994,218 Hiering Mar. 12, 1935 2,316,979 Shipley Apr. 20,1943

JOHN A. YERK 2,391,453 Goldbert Dec. 25, 1945

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