US2565030A

US2565030A - Article dispenser

Info

Publication number: US2565030A
Application number: US96310A
Authority: US
Inventors: George T Kitahara
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-05-31
Filing date: 1949-05-31
Publication date: 1951-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 1968-08-21

Description

Aug 21., l951 G. T. KITAHARA ARTICLE DISPENSER Filed May 31, 1949 Z SMI/W56 -JNVENTOE TH H A EA fo/Gf T Kl T ToRNE y.

Patented Aug. 21. 1951 George T. Kitahara, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 31, 1949, Serial No. 96,310

Claims. (Cl. S12-78) This invention relates to means and ways for dispensing articles and especially elongated articles such as cigarettes, cigars, and toothpicks and the like. The device of this invention is so constructed and arranged that only a single article ata time is projected and made available for delivery, but should the article not be entirely removed from the device and the device released, the article immediately returns automatically into the device where it is fully protected. When the article is projected by the simple operation of a manually controlled push button, the articles within the device are automatically agitated and arranged so as to ready the next single article to be dispensed or placed in a position for manual removal. When the device is employed for dispensing cigarettes, each cigarette therein is carefully handled by the mechanism so as not to be damaged but nevertheless agitated suiciently for predetermining the position 0f the lower cigarettes in order to avoid clogging of the device.

One of the principal objects of this invention is topresent a new and novel device for dispensing articles which is simple, durable, dependable, convenient, inexpensive, compact, efcient, and pleasing and attractive in appearances and suitable for use wherever found applicable regardless of the particular elongated article to be dispensed or placed in. a position for manual removal from the device.

Another object is to provide a cigarettedispenser which is economical to make and manufacture and which is designed and of such configuration that it can be installed in the dashboard of an automobile or other vehicle, or in some convenient place on airplanes and water craft.

Other objects, advantages and featuresof this invention Iwill appear from a careful perusal of the accompanying drawings, the subjoined detailed description, the preamble of these specifications, and the appended claims. l

Below, applicant describes in particularity one of the preferable forms of his invention in order to teach the art thereof and make it clear how the device can be made and used, but it is to be understood that the drawings and description thereof are not to limit the invention in any sense whatsoever except as the same is limited by the prior art. Language employed herein is not, to be construed as giving any unauthorized person or organization the right to make, use and/or sell the invention herein disclosed.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front perspective view of the device of this invention,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the drivers compartment of an automobile showing the device of this invention installed in the dashboard thereof,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the device and this view Iwas taken substantially along the line 3--3 of Fig. l,

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the right handv portion of the device as shown in Fig. 3,

Figure 5 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 4 with certain parts omitted, but those parts shown being in a different position as the dispenser button is shown in its most inward position,

Figure 6 shows in perspective view a few details so that the operation can be better understood.

The device consists of a base member I having a top cover or shell 2 which are neatly congurated and designed so that the device can readily be installed in the dashboard 3 of the automobile illustrated in Fig. 2. The base platform has the end

upright walls

4 and 5 xed thereto, and these end walls snugly iit into the top covering 2 and slidingly engage the end walls 6 and I of the top covering. The top covering 2 also has the front wall 8 and the rear wall 9 so that the interior mechanism is completely covered and protected when the cover 2 is snugly slid onto the base platform.

The front wall of the covering 2 has an open- I ing or bore I0 through which the cigarette is protruded,` such a cigarette being indicated at II.

Another opening or bore I2 is provided at a lower corner of the front wall which accommodates the rod I3 having the push button end I4, as shown.

The end wall 5 of the base platform has an opening 5' and this opening leading into a larger opening l in the end wall 'I of the cover. This end wall is cemented or otherwise secured to the veneer outer portion of the cover as shown. The larger opening I accommodates the piston-like end I5 of the push rod and also the eyelet-like stop ring I6 which is secured to the top or side of the opening 'I'.

At the central portion of the device and in alinement with the bore I0, there is a cigarette accommodatingv groove II, and this groove is formed by the pair Iof spaced apart lateral guide elements I8 and I9. The rear end parts of these guide elements are cut away to form overhanging arms 20 so as to provide an under slot and thus permit free movement of the pusher end 22 of the pivoted lever 23. This lever is shaped Aas shown with the form of an obtuse angle and is pivoted by means of a suitable pin at 24 which bridges the gap of the slot opening 5'.

A pair of

plates

25 and 26 have their end margins tacked to the rabbet portions at the tops 0f the

walls

4 and 5 respectively, and these plates converge at a lower level to form an open feed trough or slot 21. The plate 26, however, is somewhat higher than the plate 25 at their` lower ends soas to provide a suitable opening 28 to accommodate a cigarette controller and agitator element 29. This opening must be large enough to allow the controller sufcient movement as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. The congeration of this controller can best be understood by referring to Fig. 6, wherein it is shown that the controller is a wire bent in the form of a U at its distal end and has its

side legs

30 and 3| curved and the ends of which are loosely wrapped about a pintle 32 that is supported at its ends by the bent down portions 33 of the plate 26. One leg of the controller is extended, as indicated at 34, and this extension enters the loop of the hair-pin-like operating arm 35 which is xed to the block 33. The block 36 is secured to the lever` 23 and rocks to and fro as the lever 23 is reciprocated by the piston i5. This rocking action of the block 3B causes the controller to rock vertically, note Fig. 3, and this action agitates the cigarettes in the hopper 31 so as to prevent the cigarettes at the throat 21 from jamming so as to wedge and block the passage. This is a very important feature and makes the device dependably workable. A ribbon spring 38 is provided to constantly urge the lever 23 rearwardly, one end of this spring being fixed to the wall and the other end unattached so that it can glide along one side of the lever, as shown. Any suitable stop, such as a stud, may be employed to limit the spring action return of the lever. A flange or wire loop 39 is fixed to the lever in the position shown for the purposes of pushing the cigarette from the groove ll when the lever 23 is worked.

A very important hair-pin-like spring wire member 40 is shown as iixed to the block 36 and positioned so that its end 4l clears the groove l'l when this end 4| is in its rearwardmost position. This member 40 is adjusted to a level so that its end 4l is located between the top of the cigarette Il and its central axis, so that when the lever 23 is projected forward by the piston I5, the end of this spring member 40 will be forced upwardly to the top of the cigarette and wedge it between the end l of the member 40 and the top surface of the lever 23 and thus cause the lever to protrude the cigarette through the bore I0 of the cover, but in the event the cigarette is not manually removed and the push button I4 released, the cigarette will be returned into the groove and completely withdrawn from its protruded position so that the returned cigarette is fully protected from damage and from drying action of the exterior atmosphere. A sponge, or any other thing that can hold moisture, may be inserted in the compartment provided at 42.

Itis, of course, understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of form, style, design, and construction of the whole or any part of the specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof in that such changes and modiiications are considered as being within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a dispensing device for articles, the device comprising a housing having a chamber within that is divided by a partition means which is declined toward an article passage, a groove beneath the passage adapted to accommodate but a single article at a time, a bore through'the housing in alinement with the groove, a lever means within the housing connected with a control means so that the lever means can be shifted from without the housing, an agitating means extending across a portion of the passage and connected to the lever means so that the agitating means is operated when the lever means is operated and thus prevent jamming at the said passage, and push means consisting of a cantilever spring and which is connected to the lever means for moving the article from a portion of the groove and through the bore of the housing.

2. The device recited in claim 1 wherein the agitating means is a U-shaped wire having curved legs which are parallel and which support a horizontal yoke, the said agitating means having a pivot connection Within the chamber and so positioned that the yoke thereof acts as a stop for some of the articles when the lever means is in its normal position.

3. In a dispensing device for cigarettes, the device comprising a completely closed housing which provides an interior chamber, declined wall means dividing the chamber into an upper hopper and an under chamber which accommodates the working mechanism, a passage through a lower portion of the wall means, a groove alined with and beneath the passage, a discharge bore through the housing in alinement with the groove, a lever pivoted near one end thereof having a portion at its distal end which passes along a portion of the said groove, and means connected with the lever which springingly engages and holds the rearward end of a cigarette in said groove so that the cigarette moves with the lever in its movement and the forward end of the cigarette is protruded through the discharge bore.

4. The device recited in claim 3 wherein the lever is controlled exteriorly of the housing by a push button means, and means connected to the lever which extends over the groove for the purpose of preventing jamming of cigarettes over the groove.

5. In a dispensing device for articles, the device comprising a housing having a chamber within that is divided by a partition means which is declined toward an article passage, a groove beneath the passage adapted to accommodate but a single article at a time, a bore through the housing in alinement with the groove, a lever means within the housing connected with a control means so that the levei` means can be shifted from without the housing, an agitating means extending across a portion of the passage and connected to the lever means so that the agitating means is operated when the lever means is operated and thus prevent jamming at the said passage, and push means connected to the lever means for moving the article from a portion of the groove and through the bore oi the housing, the push means including a spring clip means which grasps the article when in the groove at the time the lever means is operated.

GEORGE T. KITAHARA.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 598,718 Thompson Feb. 8, 1898 693,933 Webb Feb. 25, 1902 763,567 Pevoto June 28, 1904 1,703,352 Moore Feb. 26, 1929