US2700837A

US2700837A - Powder compact and like box, or case for personal use

Info

Publication number: US2700837A
Application number: US287829A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wyner Harry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-12-05
Filing date: 1952-05-15
Publication date: 1955-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 1972-02-01

Description

Feb. 1, 1955 H. WYNER 2,700,837

POWDER COMPACT AND LIKE BOX, OR CASE FOR PERSONAL USE Filed May 15, 1952 ATTORNEXF United States Patent POWDER COMPACT AND LIKE BOX, OR CASE FOR PERSONAL USE Harry Wyner, Hampstead, London, England Application May 15, 1952, Serial No. 287,829

3 Claims. (Cl. 40-40) This invention relates to articles which require to be provided with letters, numerals, or other markings, and so arranged that chosen markings may be exposed to view either at the will of the user, or may be exposed permanently to denote the owners name. For example, the invention is of special value in connection with powder compacts and like boxes, or cases, for personal use, that is, articles usually of an ornamental character, which may be carried about by the owner or at least are devoted to his or her personal use. Any such article will be termed hereafter an article of the kind referred to.

It is highly desirable that such articles for personal use should carry the initial or initials of the owner, not only for personal gratification and identification, but in the case of articles used for the toilet, to ensure that they are not accidentally used by any one else. Moreover the sale of such articles is very much enhanced if the shopkeeper is able forthwith to provide an article bearing a suitable initial. It is, however, out of the question for a shop to carry a large number of similar articles bearing different initials and even if a fair stock is carried, the dealer must search for the particular initial, and may then be unable to meet-the customers requirements.

An object of the invention is to provide an article of the kind referred to which can be rapidly adapted to suit any demand for such an article bearing a particular initial, or wherein any desired insignia can be readily exposed to view.

According to the invention, there is provided an article of the kind referred to comprising a rotatable disc-like plate bearing a succession of letters or other markings and mounted inside the article, e. g. within the lid of a compact, an aperture or window in the face of an aperture or window in the face of the article and a button or the like attached to the plate and protruding through said face of the article for rotating the plate to bring any desired letter into position beneath the aperture so that it is visible therethrough.

A detent may be provided to lock the plate in position, when the desired letter is exposed at the window.

Means may be provided, as described in detail later, to render it difiicult or impossible for an uninstructed person to alter the marking visible through the window once the plate has been rotated to bring the desired marking to the window.

Where two initials or other markings in particular juxtaposition are desired, a second rotatable plate may be provided, and this may be constituted by a ring-like member rotatable about the same axis as the aforesaid disc. A second window is, of course, provided.

The invention will be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings which show its application to a powder compact.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan of the compact, partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of arrow A and partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 4 is also an elevation partly in section showing a modification to a detail.

Referring to the drawings,

1 is the base or powder container of the compact and 2 is the lid, hinged to the base at 3 and held by a snap catch at 4. An initial plate 5 is rotatably mounted in 2,700,837 Patented Feb. 1, 1955 the lid. These lids commonly have a mirror inside or, where this is not the case, there may be an inner plate or wall to the lid. The outer wall of the lid is perforated, centrally at 6 with a circular hole of, sayone inch in diameter, through which a circular button 7 protrudes. The button is ornamented in any desired manner to suit the style of the box, and to facilitate rotation of the button for the purpose described below. There is a further perforation in the lid at 8 a little distance from the edge of the button to form a window and this may be, of any desired shape. The button forms the centre of the disc-like plate 5 the edge of which is divided into spaces in each of which is a letter of the alphabet or, as is shown in Fig. l the letters are equally spaced and so disposed that one is always visible through the window formed by the perforation 8. It will be apparent that if the disc 5 is rotated by turning the button 7, any desired letter can be brought to the window. To maintain the button in position in the hole 6 in the lid, there is provided a compression spring 9 which presses against the inner face of the button and the back of the mirror, or the inner wall of the lid. and thus the disc 5 is resiliently pressed against the inner face of the lid 2.

In order to hold the disc in position, after it has been rotated to bring the desired letter into position at the window, there is provided a detent consisting of a rivet, rivet-head, or like protuberance 10 on the inner side of the lid, and capable of engaging in any one of a series of holes or depressions 11 in the disc 5 see Fig. 1, and one in line with each letter. The depression may be longitudinal in shape to facilitate engagement with the rivet or the like in the lid. Normally, the rivet 10 is resting in one such hole or depression, and if it is desired to rotate the disc 5, it must first be depressed by pressure on the button 7 to remove it from engagement with the rivet and when rotation is finished the release of the button allows the disc to rise under the pressure of the spring, and be locked by engagement of the rivet in a hole, at the same time accurately indexing the position of the initial in relation to the window.

While the plate on which the letters are disposed has been described as disc-like, it will be readily understood that this is merely a convenient term and in practice the plate is, as illustrated, dished, or otherwise shaped, to agree with the local contour of the lid.

The upper end of the spring 9 which presses against the interior of the button may have a suitably shaped washer or the like 12 to contain it, and the button then has a corresponding dimple 13 in which the washer is housed.

Referring now to Fig. 3 when two initials are required, the hole in the lid is made larger, and the button 7 is surrounded by a rotatable ring 14. The ring is part of a disc-like plate 17 bearing letters, and these are visible through a window 15 fairly near the edge of the hole in the lid. The central button then has its plate 5 of larger diameter and a further window 16 is provided more remote from the edge of the hole 6. The plate 5 appertaining to the central button may be recessed or depressed slightly as shown, to accommodate the disclike plate 15 attached to the ring 14 so that both discs are in close contact with the lid interior at the parts which are visible through the respective windows. The ring 14 of the plate 17 is suitably shaped or ornamented so that it can be readily rotated and a locking device is provided as before.

Each window may be ornamented or have its edges turned in or otherwise shaped so that the initial window and surround all appear as part of the decoration or pattern of the box.

The invention is also applicable to articles having a novelty or souvenir appeal. For example, by using a larger window, or several windows, various views of a city might be exposed by rotating the knob. Or, on an appropriate article the discs might give information such as a series of cocktail recipes, or the discs might hear dates and names of the days of the week, months and so forth, so that a perpetual calendar is provided. Such a device might be applied, for example, to a desk blotter.

Means may be provided to lock a disc permanently in position when the desired marking is visible in a window,

to prevent an unauthorised person from altering'a marking, or the risk of confusion between owners of similar articles through unintentional displacement of a disc. A suitable means for this purpose may consist of making the spring 9 very stiff and the rivet 10 of a suitable length so that a considerable depression of the button is necessary to free the initial plate for rotation. In such a case only an instructed person, such as a saleswoman, would be prepared to exert the pressure necessary to displace the plate sutficiently to allow it to turn and bring a difierent initial to the window.

In Fig. 4 the coiled spring 9 used in Figs. 1 to 3 is replaced by a spider-like spring 18 having in this case three arms 19.

It will be readily understood that the invention is applicable to articles, forexample powder compacts, of any shape, for lids of rectangular boxes as well as circular, and either domed as in case of lids for powder bowls, or fiat as in case of large cigarette boxes.

What I claim is:

1. An article of the kind referred to comprising, a rotatable disk-like plate mounted inside the article and bearing markings arranged in annular succession concentric to the center of said plate, said article having a circular aperture in one face and said plate having a companion central offset to fit snugly within said aperture and protrude slightly above said one face of the article, said central offset having a circular aperture, a second disklike plate of larger diameter than the first and bearing markings similar to the first, the annular row of markings on said second plate having a radius greater than the radius of said first plate, said second plate having a central offset to fit smoothly within the aperture of the offset portion of said first plate, a spring seated in said offset portion of said second plate to yieldably hold said offset portion of the second plate seated in the aperture in the first plate and the offset portion of the first plate seated in the aperture in the article, and a pair of windows in said one face of the article through which selected ones of the successive markings on the respective plates will be visible upon rotation of the plates.

2. In an article as claimed in claim 1, means to hold the respective plates against rotation.

3. In an article as claimed in claim 1, an annular row of openings in each of said plates, pins projecting from said article for engagement in the openings of said rows, and said spring being of such strength as to hold said plates against downward movement under normal pressures exerted upon the ofiset portions of said plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 657,834 Ruttman Sept. 11, 1900 2,492,891 Schall Dec. 27, 1949 2,565,557 Guimond Aug. 28, 1951