US2699886A

US2699886A - Liquid dispensing device

Info

Publication number: US2699886A
Application number: US343873A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Mark S James
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-03-23
Filing date: 1953-03-23
Publication date: 1955-01-18
Anticipated expiration: 1972-01-18

Description

Jan- 18, 1955 M. s. JAMES, JR

LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 23. 1953 INVENTOR.' MARK 5. L/AMES, dR.

Jan. 18, 1955 MI5 JAMES, 3R 2,699,886

LIQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Filed March 25, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR. MAR/ 5. dA MES, df?.

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United States Patent` O LQUID DISPENSING DEVICE Mark S. James, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application March 23, 1953, Serial No. 343,873

13 Claims. (Cl. 222-154) This invention relates to an improved lid-mounted dispenser for germicidal and deodorizing liquids and particularly, to a dispenser for a diaper can that will positively deliver an accurately measured amount of liquid and only after the lid has been returned to a substantially horizontal or fully closed position on the diaper can.

Previous to my present invention there has been no dispenser unit which has been found to be fully practical for diaper can or a like usage, although there has been a continued and urgent need for such a device. I have been engaged in the manufacture of germicidal solutions and have been apprised of this need and urged from time to time to iind a solution to the problem involved, in order that an economical and more satisfactory employment of diaper treating solutions can be accomplished and strong urea-produced and other fetid odors can be eliminated in a simple but positive manner.

It will be recognized that the adding of a treatment liquid or solution by hand is a tedious and time-consuming operation to the housewife and is more honored by its breach than by its application. Further, I have found that it is highly essential to add a measured amount of the liquid each time a dirty diaper is introduced into the can if a full and economical control of odor is to be attained. That is, a substantially localized and limited quantity of liquid should be added each time the pile of diapers is built up within the can.

From a structural standpoint, I determined that the dispenser should be a separate unit from the lid and have a removable, central base mounting of a type to securely hold it on the lid in such a manner as to avoid objectionable interference with the proper usage of operating parts of the dispenser and to insure that such parts are retained in their proper operating relationship on the lid. I have also determined that the dispenser should be capable of delivering the same measured amount of liquid until its main chamber has been substantially completely emptied of liquid; that it is important to avoid a side drip of the liquid when the lid is in its upper or any intermediate, partially or fully inclined position; that the ilow of the measured quantity at the horizontal or closed position of the lid should be substantially a full, immediate, streamtype, as distinguished from an intermittent, surging, spitting, drop-like or sputtering ow; that the flow should be centrally into the can upon the material or diapers and after each new introduction of diapers into the can; that an accurate liquid tlow control means, measuring device or reservoir is needed within the main chamber which will be substantially fully filled when the lid is moved to its open or upright position, will initiate fluid flow when the lid is closed, and will supply additional iluid or liquid to a feed tubing when the lid is closed and the liquid is to be discharged from the tubing; that the device should be capable of being easily and fully recharged with liquid without removing it from the lid and of trouble-free operation without flow stoppages, etc.; that it have an at least translucent body to, at all times, provide a visual indication of the quantity of liquid available in its main chamber; and that its parts should be of an automatic and corrosion-resistant type.

I have been able to meet the above and other important factors involved in the overall problem and to do so in a relatively inexpensive, practical, and simple type of device that is fully automatic in its operation and in connection with the conventional operation of opening and closing a lid.

ICC

It has thus been an object of my invention to solve the problem presented in this eld and to fully determine and meet factors that are essential in its solution.

Another object has been to devise a dispensing unit which will provide a practical solution to the problem presented in the art.

A further object has been to provide a new and improved form of lid-operated liquid dispensing unit.

A still further object has been to provide an inexpensive, automatic dispensing unit for liquids which will feed a full measured quantity of liquid at the required time and in the requisite manner.

These and many other objects of my invention will appear to those skilled in the art from the illustrated embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a vertical view in elevation, partially broken away and with its upper portion in section to illustrate the mounting and utilization of a dispensing unit or device of my invention as applied to a soiled diaper container or can;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the dispensing device or unit of Figure l with a portion of its cover or top broken away;

Figure 2A is a top plan View of the device, turned 45 degrees with respect to Figure 2, and with its bottom wall broken away to show a guide line or indicia used in filling the device;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom view of the device of Figure 2 showing the construction of a feed heat thereof and taken along the line III-III of Figure Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical fragmental section on the same scale as Figure 3 and taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a vertical view in elevation on the same scale as Figure l, illustrating an open position of a lid of the can and a corresponding vertical position of the dispensing unit of my invention; in this figure, the dispensing unit and the lid are shown in section and the can is fragmentally illustrated;

Figure 5A is a view similar to Figure 5 showing the lid and the dispensing unit in a slightly inclined vertical position and illustrating liquid control as elfected just before the unit is returned to the fully horizontal position of Figure 6;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional View through the dispensing unit of Figure 2 and on an enlarged scale which is intermediate between the scales of Figures 2 and 4; this figure shows the relationship of the fluid when the device has been returned from the vertical position of Figure 5 to a horizontal position of Figure 6 and when uid flow from the device is being initiated;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, but illustrates the relationship of the fluid after a measured feed has been completed and before the device is returned to the vertical position of Figure 5 to recharge the feed parte;

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional detail showing a mounting portion of the device of my invention and is taken along the line VIII-VIII of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a sectional detail somewhat similar to Figure 4 showing a shut-off or closure element for the feed structure; in this gure, the parts are in an open or operative relationship;

Figure l0 is a View of the parts of Figure 9 in a closed or inoperative relationship; and

Figure l1 is a horizontal section taken along the line XI-XI of Figure 10.

In Figures l and 2, a dispensing can lil of some suitable material such as metal, is disclosed which has a top closure lid l2 hinged at 13. Diapers 11 may thus be introduced and removed from the can 10 by opening and closing the lid 12. In this connection, a handle 14 is shown secured to the top ,of the lid. As usual in diaper cans, a fabric netting bag 11a may be removably secured by clips lila or may be positioned over the lip of the can `)Vall to receive the diapers 11 within the can and facilitate their removal as a group from the can for washing purposes.

The device 1S of relatively depthwise-shallow, annular shape of my invention is preferably made of a clear plastic and as shown, has a bottom wall 16, an enclosing annular side wall 17 and a top wall 18. As disclosed particularly in Figs. 6 and 7, the bottom and side walls may be molded or made of one piece and the top wall 18 cemented, or if the material is of thermo-plastic, heat sealed to a flange portion 17b of the side wall. The purpose is to provide a hermetically sealed housing body which will retain liquid therein without leakage.

A rectangular, reinforcing, side piece or boss 17a projects inwardly from the inside of a portion of the wall 17 and with such portion of the wall, defines a filler opening or hole to securely receive a plastic sealing plug 19 therein. The boss 17a may be molded integrally with the device 15.

Within a main or primary reservoir chamber defined by the walls of the device 15, I have provided a secondary reservoir or flow-control chamber which is located diametrically opposite to the filler plug 19 (adjacent the hinge 13), see Figure 2, and is defined by a semi-circular plastic wall 20 which is positioned within the main channber. Side edges of the secondary wall 20 are shown secured to the side wall 17, its bottom edges are shown secured to the bottom wall 16, and its top edges have a restricted fluid-flow passageway defining, spaced relationship with the top wall 18. Due to the downward convergence of the side wall 17, the secondary chamber may have a substantially semi-conical shape.

A feed tubing 21, also of plastic material, is at its upper end secured within an outlet opening 20a in the wall 20 and inclines downwardly therefrom to rest upon and loop along the inside portion of the bottom wall 16. The tubing is securely held in position on the bottom wall 16 by a plastic mounting or clamping block 26 secured to the bottom wall. The lower end of the tubing 21 is secured within a horizontal inlet bore 23a of a feed head or part 23 of a feed head structure. The part 23 has an enlarged vertical feed bore 23h connected at right angles to the horizontal bore 23a and open through a discharge opening 16a in the bottom wall 16. It will be noted that the feed bore 23h and the opening 16a are of the same diameter. The head part 23 is secured in position on the inside of the bottom wall 16 to feed liquid delivered by the tubing 21 vertically into a tertiary or feed chamber. The latter chamber is defined by a small cylindrical or annular enclosure or feeder box 25 of plastic material secured to the outside of the bottom wall 16 about and in an offset relationship with respect to the feed opening 16a towards the filler plug 19.

The feeder box 25 is provided with an air-vent opening 27a in its cylindrical side wall 27 immediately adjacent the bottom wall 16 of the main container and facing the filler plug 19. A liquid feed passageway or opening 26a is provided in its bottom wall 26 that is slightly smaller than the feed opening 16a and is forwardly offset with respect thereto towards the opening 27a and the ller plug 19.

Since I have found it to be important to limit the flow of liquid from the feed head construction to a measured amount of liquid and to a time when the device has been returned to a horizontal position by closing the lid 12 of the can, I have provided two means for insuring these results. The first means involves the utilization of a relatively close spacing between the upper edge of the wall 20 and the inside of the top wall 18 of the main container. The second means involves the utilization of the feeder box 25 and its chamber.

It will be noted that a pin-hole type of air vent opening 30a is provided through the top wall of the device and through an inwardly-projecting vent block 30a which is secured to the inside of the wall 1S. It is important to have the vent opening 30a close or adjacent to the filler opening or in other words, close to the filler block 17a and particularly, above operating levels of liquid in the main reservoir, see a and a. In this connection, liquid ow from the secondary chamber defined by the wall 20 will not be initiated until an open passageway is provided along the top wall 18 of the container from the air vent opening 30a, as illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings. This is accomplished when the liquid level b (see Figure A) in the secondary reservoir drops to the level b' in alignment with the top edges of the wall 20. The spacing between the upper edges of the wall 20 and the top 18 of the container is such that, as shown in Figure 5A, surface tension of the liquid returning to the main reservoir chamber will seal ot the secondary chamber at the upper edges of the wall 20 until the device reaches the fully horizontal position of Figure 6. Thus, air pressure cannot be effective to initiate flow of liquid from the secondary reservoir until liquid tension has been relieved and the residue of liquid returned to augment the horizontal level a of the liquid in the main chamber.

I have determined that it is important, as shown in Figures 2A and 5, to provide a maximum filling level line indicia on the bottom wall 16, such as 31, so that the vertical level a of the liquid in the main reservoir cannot produce a vertical liquid level c in the tertiary chamber of 25 that goes above the lower edge of the feed opening 26a when the device is in the position of Figure 5. In this connection, it will be noted that the loop of the tubing between the

parts

22 and 23 serves as a liquid trap when the device is in a vertical position. I have discovered that the vertical level c or horizontal level c of the liquid within the part 25 is immaterial as long as the vertical level c does not extend above the lower edge of the feed opening 26a. The size of the device 20 is proportioned in such a way that the vertical level c will produce a horizontal level c of slightly less depth, so that the air vent opening 27a is fully cleared when the device is returned to the horizontal position of Figure 6. That is, the side depth or dimension of the part 25, as provided byV the walls 27 is, as shown, of lesser extent than the width or transverse dimension of the bottom wall 26.

If above proportioned relationship is maintained, I have determined that when the device 15 is in a horizontal position, no How of liquid will be accomplished through the feed passage 26a from retained liquid within the feed chamber of the part 25, since surface tension of such liquid is sufiicient to preclude a flow until additional liquid is supplied through the opening 16a, compare Figures 6 and 7. However, when there is a ow of liquid from the feed opening 16a of the container, this flow is sufficient to overcome surface tension and feed a measured stream of liquid from the outer feed opening or passage 26a that substantially corresponds in amount to the difference between the liquid level b of Figure 6 and the level b of Figure 7 of the secondary or control reservoir of the device. It is thus apparent that the depthwise or vertical location of the outlet 20a when the device is in the horizontal position of Figure 6 will govern the measured amount of liquid which is fed from the device when the device is returned from the vertical position of Figure 5 to the horizontal positions of Figures l and 6.

The air vent opening 27a is important in making liquid tension effective within the chamber of the part 25 and in producing an effective flow that is proportioned to the flow from the tubing 21. It is also located above operating liquid levels of the tertiary reservoir to which it is open.

As shown particularly in Figures l, 6 and 7, the device of my invention is positively secured in position on the inside of the lid 12 by a threaded screw or bolt 29 extending through the top wall 18 of the device and into a mounting lug'28 secured to the inside of the top wall. This may be accomplished by threading both the set screw 20 and the mounting 28 or by employing a self-makingthread type of screw 29. In this manner, the device 15 is removably but securely mounted in position with its filler plug 19 at a top end position on the device and with its secondary reservoir-defining wall 20 at a bottom end position and directly opposite the filler opening when the lid 12 is raised to the vertical position of Figure 5.

In employing the device of my invention, I add a measured amount of germicide by removing the ller plug 19 and then adding sufficient water to fill it up to the filler line indicia 31. The germicide acts as a wetting agent to facilitate fluid flow and does not hinder the surface tension action above described.

By way of example, employing a device of about 6 inches internal diameter adjacent its top Wall 18, of about 51/2 inches in diameter adjacent its bottom wall 16 and of an inside depth of about 1% inches with other parts thereof of a proportionate dimension, as indicated in the drawings, I have determined that one filling (about one pint of liquid) will last about l5 days, if as desired, about l to 3 cc. of liquid is fed each time the lid 12 of the can is closed. It will be further noted that the device of my invention has a semi-permanent mounting, in that it can be readily filled while in a vertical position on the lid of Figure 5. The device is mounted in such a manner that it does not interfere with the normal operation of he diaper can or the insertion or removal of diapers thererom.

In Figures 9 and l0, I have shown a shut-off element or closure annulus or box 32 which may be used with the feed enclosure or box 25 to positively close off liquid liow when the container is being washed-out or is not in use. The closure element or part 32 is of annular or cup shape to slidably fit over the outside of the part Z5 and has openings 32a and 32h therein which correspond to

openings

26a and 27a, respectively, of the part 25. An annular groove 27b is shown about the wall of the part 25 to receive an annular guide lip or ring projection 33 on the inside of the part 32. Since the part 32 is made of somewhat flexible, plastic material, it may be slid on and off the part 25 until its rim 33 engages with or disengages from the groove 27b.

The part 32 may be turned about the part 25, so that its openings 32a and 3211 fully register with the corresponding openings in the part 25 when the device is to be operated in the normal manner above explained. In this connection, it will be noted that the feed opening 32a is of slightly larger diameter than the feed opening or passage 26a to avoid increasing surface tension to the feed and to avoid breaking-up the stream-like feed. Figure 9 shows the part 32 in an open or normal position and Figures 10 and ll show the device in a closed position, such that its holes are not registering with corresponding holes in the part 25.

By way of example, I have found that a top vent 30a of about 1/g2 of an inch diameter, a restricted fluid-flow passageway between the top wall and the edges of the secondary wall of about ls' of an inch, a top inside diameter of the wall of about %6 of an inch, a tubingr 21 of about 1A; of an inch inside diameter, an inner feed opening 16a of a diameter of about 7/32 of an inch, an outer feed opening or passage 26a of a diameter of about 3/{16 of an inch, an air vent opening 27a of a diameter of about of an inch, and a box of about 1% inches I. D. and 3/s of an inch internal depth, work satisfactorily in a device of my invention having the exemplary dimensions previously set forth.

What I claim is:

l. A liquid dispensing device to be mounted on an underside of a hinged lid of a container and that is actuated when the lid is moved from a substantially vertical open position to a substantially horizontal closed position on the container to supply a measured amount of liquid to contents of the container which comprises, a housing body provided with means for securing the device on the underside of the lid, said housing body having a top wall and a bottom wall in a depthwise spaced relationship and having a side wall connected to said top and bottom walls and therewith defining a primary liquid reservoir within said body, a iller portion open through said side wall at an upper end portion of the device when the device is in a vertical position, a secondary wall located at an opposite end portion of the device and projecting depthwise-inwardly from said bottom wall along said side wall to define a secondary liquid reservoir with said bottom and side walls within said housing body, said secondary wall terminating in a slightly spaced relationship with said top wall to define a restricted uid-iiow passageway between the primary and secondary reservoirs, an air vent portion open through said housing body to the primary reservoir above operating liquid levels therein, a feed head structure on said bottom wall to discharge liquid downwardly into the container when the device is in a horizontal position, an outlet portion open from the secondary reservoir, a feed tubing connected at one end to said outlet portion to receive liquid from the secondary reservoir, and said tubing being connected at its opposite end to said feed head structure to supply liquid thereto in a measured amount that is dependent upon the depthwise location of said outlet portion with respect to the secondary reservoir.

2. A liquid dispensing device as defined in claim l wherein, said air vent portion is positioned on said top wall in an adjacent relationship with said filler portion, and said uid-flow passageway has a suiiicient restriction to utilize liquid surface tension to seal olf the secondary reservoir from the air vent portion until the device has been returned to a substantially fully horizontal position from a Vertical position.

3. A liquid dispensing device as deiined in claim 2 wherein, said feed head structure has a feeder box, said feeder box defines a tertiary liquid reservoir therein and has an air vent opening positioned above operating liquid levels in the tertiary reservoir, a feed opening portion is connected to the opposite end of said tubing to discharge liquid into said box, and said feeder box has a feed passageway to discharge liquid fed from said feed opening portion into the container.

4. A liquid dispensing device as defined in claim 3 wherein, said feed passageway is of restricted size to retain a level of liquid in the tertiary reservoir until additional liquid is supplied thereto through said feed opening portion.

5. A liquid dispensing device as defined in claim 3 wherein, a closure box is movably mounted over said feeder box by liange and groove means, said closure box has an air vent opening and a feed passageway, and said ciosure box is movable to bring its air vent opening and feed passageway respectively into and out of alignment with the air vent opening and feed passageway of said feeder box.

6. A liquid dispensing device to be mounted on an underside of a hinged lid of a container and that is actuated when the lid is moved from a substantially vertical open position to a substantially horizontal closed position on the container to supply a measured amount of liquid to contents of the container which comprises, an air-vented housing body of relatively clear plastic material, said housing body having top, bottom and side walls defining a primary liquid reservoir therein, means removably securing said top wall to the underside of the lid and within confines of the container, a filler portion open through said side wall at an upper end portion of the device when the device is in a vertical position, said filler portion being positioned clear of the lid, so that the device may be filled with liquid without interference by the iid, a secondary wall located at an opposite end portion of the device and projecting depthwise-inwardly from said bottom wall aiong said side wall to deiine a secondary liquid reservoir with said bottom and side walls within said housing body, upper edges of said secondary wall terminating in a slightly spaced relationship with said top wall to define a restricted fluid-How passageway between the primary and secondary reservoirs, a feed head structure open through and mounted on said bottom wall to discharge liquid downwardly into the container when the device is in a horizontal position, an outlet portion in said secondary wall positioned in a downwardly spaced relationship with respect to the upper edges thereof, a feed tubing having an upper end connected to said outlet portion and a lower end connected to said feed head structure, and said Huid-flow passageway passing liquid from the primary to the secondary reservoirs when the device is moved to a vertical position by opening the lid and utilizing surface tension of the liquid to prevent an air-venting f the secondary reservoir until the device has been returned to a substantially fully horizontal position by the closing of the lid.

7. A liquid dispensing device to be mounted on an underside of a hinged lid of a container which device is actuated when the lid is moved from a substantially vertical open position to a substantially horizontal closed position on the container to supply a measured amount of liquid to contents of the container which comprises, a housing body having walls deining a primary liquid reservoir, means removably securing said housing body on an underside of the hinged lid and within the confines of the container, a filler plug removably mounted in a wall portion of said housing body which represents an upper end portion of its side wall when the device is in a vertical position, a secondary wall secured within said housing body adjacent a wall portion thereof which represents a portion of its side wall that is opposite to said filler plug, said secondary wall defining a secondary liquid reservoir within said body, said secondary wall defining a limited flow passageway between the primary reservoir and the secondary reservoir with a wall of said housing body that is a top wall when the device is in a horizontal position, a feed head structure mounted on and open through a feed opening in a wall of said housing body that is a bottom wall when the device is in a horizontal position, a feed tubing connected at one end through said secondary wall to the secondary reservoir and connected at its other end to said feed head structure to supply liquid from the secondary reservoir and discharge it through said feed head structure upon the contents of the container when the device is in a horizontal position, and an air-vent in said top wall adjacent said filler plug, and said limited flow passageway utilizing surface tension of the liquid to prevent communication between said air-vent opening and the secondary reservoir until the device has been moved with the lid to a substantially fully horizontal position.

8. A liquid dispensing device as defined in claim 7 wherein, said feed head structure has a feed box positioned about said feed opening and defining a tertiary liquid chamber with said bottom wall, said feed box has a feed passage through a wall thereof that is a bottom wall when the device is in a horizontal position, said feed passage is transversely offset with respect to said feed opening in a direction towards said filler plug, an air vent opening through a side wall portion of said feed box that is adjacent the feed passage and close to the bottom wall of said housing body, and said feed box retaining liquid therein until a positive ow of liquid is introduced into the tertiary chamber thereof from said feed opening.

9. A liquid dispensing device as defined in claim 7 wherein, a mounting element is centrally positioned and secured on said top wall of said housing body, and a threaded screw is positioned to extend through the lid and is threadably secured within said mounting element to pcsitively hold the device in position on the inside of the .li

l0. A liquid dispensing device to be mounted on an underside of a hinged lid of a container, which device is actuated when the lid is moved from a substantially open vertical position to a substantially horizontal closed position on the container, which device is employed to supply a measured amount of liquid to contents of the container when it is in a horizontal position with respect thereto and wherein the construction of the device is defined from the standpoint of its horizontal position, and which device comprises, a housing body having top and bottom walls of a lesser dimension than the lid and having a continuous side wall connected to the top and bottom walls in a depth-wise spaced relationship of a minor dimension and defining therewith a primary liquid reservoir within said housing body that extends horizontally of said housing body, means removably engaging said top wall through said lid and securing the device in a horizontal position to an underside of the lid, a removably-plugged filler opening in said side Wall at a location opposite to the hinging of the lid, a secondary wall at a location opposite said filler opening and adjacent the hinging of the lid, said secondary Wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall along said side wall and defining a secondary liquid reservoir within said housing body, upper edges of said secondary Wall being in a slightly spaced relationship with said top wall and defining a limited-now top passageway between the primary and secondary reservoirs, an air vent mounting on said top wall of greater depth than the thickness of said top wall and positioned adjacent said filler opening to introduce atmospheric air pressure into the primary reservoir, a feed head structure mounted substantially centrally on said bottom wall and over a feed opening extending through said bottom wall to discharge liquid downwarly upon the contents of the container, a liquid flow tubing connected at an upper end to the secondary reservoir at a depth-wise spaced relationship from said top wall and sloping downwardly from its upper end and connected at its opposite end to said feed head structure to supply liquid thereto from the secondary reservoir, said limited-flow passageway passing liquid from the primary reservoir into the secondary reservoir when the device is moved to a vertical position, said limited-flow passageway utilizing surface tension of the liquid to seal off the secondary reservoir from the primary reservoir and from said air vent mounting during vertical movement of the device when the hinged lid is being closed and utilizing air pressure from said air vent mounting when the device has been moved to a fully horizontal position to institute a liquid ow along said tubing and feed an amount of liquid to said feed head structure that corresponds to the depth of liquid in the secondary reservoir between the upper edges of said secondary wall and the connection of the upper end of said tubing with the secondary reservoir.

1l. A feeder structure for a liquid dispenser having top,side and bottom walls defining a liquid reservoir, a filler opening through its side wall, a liquid ow control means connected to the reservoir, and a liquid feed tubing connected to the control means and inclined downwardly to its bottom wall which comprises, a feed plug mounted on an inside of the bottom wall and having a horizontal bore to which the tubing is connected, said feed plug having a vertical bore connected with said horizontal bore and to a feed opening in the bottom wall, a feed control box securely mounted on au outside of the bottom wall and about the feed opening therein and defining a tertiary liquid reservoir with the bottom wall, said control box being of minor depth-wise dimension and having an airvent opening therethrough along the bottom wall facing towards the filler opening and having a feed passage of slightly smaller dimension than the feed opening in the bottom wall and that is positioned in a bottom portion of its wall and in an offset relationship with respect to the feed opening in the bottom wall and adjacent its side wall portion in a direction towards the filler opening, and said feed box utilizing surface tension of liquid therein to prevent a flow of liquid therefromuntil a positive iiow of additional liquid is introduced therein from said feed plug.

12. In a structure as defined in claim l1 wherein, a closure box is turnably mounted on said control box and has an air-vent opening and a feed passage therethrough to register with the air-vent opening and the feed passage of said control box when said closure box is turned to one position and to close them off when it is turned to another position.

13. A liquid dispensing device to be hinge-lid-mounted on a container for movement from a substantially vertical open position to a substantially horizontal closed position on the container for supplying a measured amount of liquid to contents of the container which comprises, a housing body having top, bottom and side walls defining a primary liquid reservoir within said body, a filler portion open through one of said walls into the primary reservoir, a secondary wall projecting depthwise-inwardly from the bottom wall along the side wall to define a secondary liquid reservoir with said bottom and side walls within said housing body, said secondary wall terminating in a slightly spaced relationship with the top wall to define a restricted fluid-flow passageway between the primary and secondary reservoirs, an air vent portion open through said housing body to the primary reservoir above operating liquid levels therein, a feed head on said bottom wall to discharge liquid downwardly into the container when the device is in a horizontal position, an outlet portion open from the secondary reservoir, and a feed tubing connected at one end to said outlet portion to receive liquid from the secondary reservoir and being connected at its opposite end to said feed head to supply liquid thereto in a measured amount that is dependent upon the depthwise location of said outlet portion with respect to the secondary reservoir when the device is in a substantially horizontal position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 697,830 Franc Apr. 15, 1902 2,333,310 Greening Nov. 2, 1943