US2671963A

US2671963A - Measuring device for contents of containers

Info

Publication number: US2671963A
Application number: US180749A
Authority: US
Inventors: Elizabeth E Wilcox
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-08-22
Filing date: 1950-08-22
Publication date: 1954-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 1971-03-16

Description

Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Elizabeth E. Wilcox, New York, N. Y. ApplicationAugust 22, 1950, SerialNo. 180,749

4. Claims.

This invention relates to the measuring of shortening or other semi-solid substances. while still' in the original container by means of a divider or marker which could be placedv in and/or used with saidf container.

Vegetable shortenings, lards and other things of' similar consistency are usually packed' for retail home trade in cylindrical packagesv of tin, glass or cardboard. When these products are to be used in stated quantities one must spoon out the desire amount andv measure it in a marked cup, a time consumingoperation and one which causes the soiling of sai-d cup and spoon.

I'have for an object to provide means whereby no container other than the original conventional one will be required forY the measuring operation.

To attain this object I propose` the use of a divider constructed of a suitable material that will' not readily absorb grease or moisture (preferably inexpensive enough to be easily disposable) which, by setting it at a certain angle could be used to mark or actuallyy setA apa-rt in cup measure, a designated amount of the substance ready for' easy removal. My divider together with a marked slotted piece for setting and holding the desired angle maybe placed i-n each container or adhered to the container or even supplied separately.

In the accompanying drawing showing, by way of example, one of many possible embodiments of? the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective of' one form of', the invention including the divider and slotted piece;

Fig. 2` is an. elevation off the divider in open position; L

Fig. 3 is an elevation of, theslotted piece,v and Fig. 4 is a perspective of the container showing a use of the device of' Fig. 1.

The. invention as shown, in; its most preferable form inliigs. 1 to. e., ccmprisesa thin rectangular sheet` Il! or. stili. materialsuch ascardboard. plastic,v metal or the. like. provided with a transverse hinge at the midrportion thereof. I prefer to use stiff cardboard or paper as the material and in such case the hinge may bemerely a weakened line II in the cardboard. The height of the sheet is preferably greater than that of the contents I2 of the associated cylindrical can I4, and the length of the sheet is approximately equal to the diameter of the can.

The weakened line or hinge II divides the sheet into two parts or wings I5 and I6 adapted to be opened and closed with respect to each other. A pair of open slots I8 and I9 parallel tothe hinge line II are provided in the2v upper edge marginal portions of the parts I5 and- IB respectively for cooperation with an angle determiningr or tie-piece, generally designated 20. The tie piece 29 is of stiff sheet material which may, but not necessarily, be of thesame material as the hinged sheet I0, and is providedwth. an edge portion 2l, preferably straight. An open reference slot 22 and a plurality of Similar indicator slots 24 spaced at predetermined in,- tervals along the edge portion are provided therein. All of the slots 22A andA 2,4: are open and parallel, terminating in substantially the same plane perpendicular to; ther slots.

By. alinement of reference slot 2'2 with a wing slot, say, I9 and an indicator slot. with the slot of the other wing the piece 2l!r is made to, engage with the sheet I0 as shown in Fig. 1', to: form a deiinite dihedrall angle at the hinge IiI'. If' the lower end 25 of the hinge isl placed at the center of the can III'A the sheet lower edges-26 and 28 can be impressed into the can contents at the surface thereof to mark out radial lines on which a cylindrical segment of definite volume: may: be cut out, provided of course that the contents level is usually constant.

The slots I8 and I9 have the function ofv establishing denite points on the wings I5- and I6 to be engaged by the piece 29 and receiving the intra-marginal portion of said piece whereby the slots of the wings receive portions of the piece and the slots of the piece receive portions of the wings. In this manner the piece 2l!l and the wings are substantially secured together i-n a temporary fit. It is therefore preferable' that all the slots be of only slightlyr greater width thanthe thickness of the sheet material received, be it of the wings or of the piece 20.

The indicator slots are preferably so spaced with respect to reference slot 22,v the sizev of the can I4, 'the usual level of the. Contents. l2 and thev position of slots It.v and. I9 with. respect tdthe hinge, that the indicator slots will correspond to cup measurements. It is preferable that the piece 2,0, simulate a measuring cup, having a handle portion 29. and. that indicia 30` be, pro.-V vided for the indicator slots 24 to show cup measurement.

In use, the device may be employed merely to indicate radial lines for cutting subsequently, as with a knife, the desired quantity. However the height of the wings and their stiffness may be made suicient so that the device may serve as a cutter by sinking into the contents as shown in Fig. 4.

Although it is contemplated that a particular device such as shown in Fig. 1 may be supplied with each can when sold and that the contents i2 will always be of a definite depth, the slots i3 and I9 as well as slots 22 and 24 may be of such depth themselves that when the device is sunk to the bottom of the can as in Fig. 4 the edge 2l barely engages the surface of the contents if the contents depth is correct. Thus with the outer edges 23 and 2l, the wings against the inner wall of the can, the cup-piece edge 2l lightly engaging the surface of the contents while the

bottom edges

26 and 28 engage the can bottom, the volume of shortening will be dependent only on which of the particular indicator slots 24 is employed.

The sheet l may be folded flat and placed with the piece 20 on the surface of the can contents prior to the sealing of the can, the two being if necessary, say, in an envelope to prevent hot shortening from unduly wetting them and causing them to adhere together when cooled.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device for measuring shortening and the like in cylindrical cans wherein the depth of the contents is predetermined comprising a rectangular sheet of stiff material transversely weakened at the mid-portion to form a pair of Wings hinged together, the length of the side of the sheet perpendicular t0 said portion being substantially equal to the diameter of the can, the sheet being provided with a pair of open slots, said slots being on opposite sides of the hinge axis and parallel therewith, a tie piece for holding the hinged wings in a selected predetermined angular relationship to each other and comprising a sheet of stiff material having a straight edge, the marginal portions thereof being provided with a series of open slots spaced along said edge and perpendicular thereto, the slots of the wings receiving said marginal portion and the slots of the tie piece receiving marginal portions of the wings.

2. A device for measuring shortening and the like in cylindrical cans wherein the depth of the contents is predetermined comprising a rectangular sheet of stiff material transversely weakened along a line at the mid-portion to form a pair of similar wings hinged together, the length of the side of the sheet perpendicular to said portion being substantially equal to the diameter of the can, the sheet being provided with a pair of open slots, said slots being on opposite sides of the hinge axis and parallel therewith and opening in the same direction; a tie piece for holding the hinged wings in a selected predetermined angular relationship to each other and comprising a sheet of stiff material having a straight edge, the marginal portions thereof being provided with a series of open slots spaced along said edge, the slots of the wings receiving said marginal portion and the slots of the tie piece receiving marginal portions of the wings, the wings, tie piece, depth and spacing of all slots, diameter of the can and the depth of contents thereof all being so proportioned that when the Wings are engaged in successive slots of said series and the axis of the hinge coincides with the axis of the can and said edge barely engages along the surface of the can contents, predetermined volumes, in simple fractions of cup measure, of contents will be included between the wings, and indicia in cup measure provided on said tie piece adjacent said slots in the tie piece.

3. In a device for use with a can having shortening or the like at a uniform predetermined level therein; a rectangular sheet of stiff material transversely weakened at the mid-portion to form a pair of Wings hinged and adapted to be folded together and adapted to be placed in the can to lie flat on the surface of the contents of the can and therein, the length of the side of the sheet perpendicular to said portion being substantially equal to the diameter of the can, the sheet being provided with a pair of open slots, said slots being on opposite sides of the hinge axis and parallel therewith and open in the same direction; a tie piece simulating a cup for holding the hinged wings in a selected predetermined angular relationship to each other and comprising a sheet of stiftmaterial having a straight edge, the marginal portions thereof being provided with a series of open slots spaced along said edge, and indicia for said series of slots indicating cup measure, said piece also being adapted to be placed in the can and lie flat on the surface of the contents of the can and therein.

4. A device for measuring shortening and the like in cylindrical cans wherein the depth of the contents is predetermined comprising a rectangular sheet of stiff material transversely weakened at the mid-portion to form a pair of wings hinged together, the length of the side of the sheet perpendicular to said portion being substantially equal to the diameter of the can; a tie piece simulating the profile of a cup for holding the hinged wings in a selected predetermined angular relationship to each other; means for holding the tie piece in a predetermined position along an edge of the sheet, said piece comprising a sheet of stiff material having a straight edge, the marginal portions thereof being provided With a series of open slots spaced in a predetermined manner along said edge and perpendicular thereto, the slots of the tie piece being adapted to receive marginal portions of the Wings and hold the wings in -a predetermining angular relationship whereby the device when applied to the surface of said contents may measure a cylindrical sector of contents, the spacing of the slots being so chosen that the volume of the sector is a simple common fraction of a cup.'

ELIZABETH E. WILCOX.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,019,702 Robinson Mar. 5, 1912 2,087,061 Mabrey July 13, 1937 2,254,763 Wolfe Sept. 2, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 29,770 France July 20, 1925