US2760688A

US2760688A - Dispenser for finely divided materials

Info

Publication number: US2760688A
Application number: US216415A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr George H Packwood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1951-03-19
Filing date: 1951-03-19
Publication date: 1956-08-28
Anticipated expiration: 1973-08-28

Description

Aug. 28, 1956 G. H. PACKWOOD, JR 2,7

DISPENSER FOR FINELY DIVIDED MATERIALS Filed March 19, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 28, 1956 a. H. PACKWOOD, JR 2,760,688

DISPENSER FOR FINELY DIVIDED MATERIALS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 $2,, .7 i5 1 L==== -EWWWII... llr

Filed March 19. 1951 Aug. 28, 1956 e. H. PACKWOOD, JR 2,760,

DISPENSER FOR FINELY DIVIDED MATERIALS Filed March 19 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 DISPENSER FOR FINELY DIVIDED MATERIALS George H. Packwood, Jr., St. Louis, Mo. Appiicati-on March 19, 1951, Serial No. 216,415

11 Claims. (Cl. 222-181) The present invention relates to a dispenser, and more particularly to a dispenser for finely divided materials. One of the especial uses of the present dispenser is for use with powdered soap, which product presents a number of peculiar problems, many of them revolving around the fact that it is hygroscopic and tends to agglomerate or to form masses that render its dispensing diificult.

Another of the problems in connection with dispensing materials of the kind here under consideration is the cost and time required for charging dispensers with the material to be dispensed. The applicant has heretofore proposed the use of a disepenser base and disposable carton combination in which the carton that contains the soap as delivered from the manufacturer may, by a simple tear-away operation, be installed on a dispenser base at point of use so as to become the bowl or reservoir for the material to be dispensed.

The present invention proposes improvements over the foregoing one which may be found in copending application Serial No. 137,391, filed January 7, 1950, by the present inventor.

In the present dispenser, there is a base that is to be mounted on a wall in a way that will be described. This base self-contains a metering discharge valve means that controls the discharge of the material to be dispensed. The base also has a receiving arrangement that is particularly designed to cooperate with a disposable carton so that the carton can be mounted on the base and can become then the primary reservoir for the material to be dispensed, as a part of the dispenser itself. The resent arrangement has a superior valve arrangement and superior means for mounting the carton on the base, whereby a greater stability can be obtained for the carton, and whereby the construction of the carton itself can be simplified, and yet an adequate and proper dispensing of soap be obtained. Also, there is an improved method of securing the carton in place on the base, so that it cannot be removed by unauthorized persons.

Another feature of the present invention is its adaptability to manufacture of the base largely out of plastic materials or else out of other materials.

Other advantages and improvements in the present construction will appear from the detailed description to follow, together with the drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the dispenser shown as mounted upon a wall or other suitable supporting structure;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the dispenser shown in in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the dispenser;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section looking downward taken on the 'line 44 at the upper part of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a side-to-side vertical section of the lower part of the dispenser, taken on the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a vertical section from front to rear of the States atcnt lower part of the dispenser, taken on the vertical line 6-6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a fragmental vertical section of the lower part of the dispenser, taken on the line 77 at the 1:30 oclock position of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the base of the dispenser with the valve parts removed;

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view through the supporting bracket portion of the base taken on the line 9 across the top of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a similar section through the dispenser at the back of the carton receiving portion, taken on the line 1il-l;ti across the upper part of Figure 8;

Figure 11 is a back elevation of the dispenser base, showing part of the supporting bracket construction;

Figure 12 is a vertical medial section through an insert used to form part of the bracket when the same is made of plastic material;

Figure 13 is a rear elevation of a bracket-supporting disc;

Figure 14 is a plan view of the meter cover or guard plate;

Figure 15 is a bottom plan view of the agitator plate which is part of the metering device;

Figure 16 is a plan view of the fixed metering plate of the metering device;

Figure 17 is a View of an attaching lock screw for holding the carton portion in place;

Figure 18 is a view partly in section of a key for operating the locking element;

Figure 19 is a developed view of a carton suitable to act as a portion of the dispenser;

Figure 20 is a side elevation of the carton before it is prepared for installation on the base;

Figure 21 is a transverse section through the carton taken on the line 2121 of Figure 20; and

Figure 22 is a side elevation of the carton of Figure 21 after it has been prepared for installation on the base.

Generally speaking, the dispenser of the present invention consists of a hollow, material receiving base 30, having an integral attachment bracket portion 31, and a reservoir 32 for material to be dispensed, here shown in the form of a carton or other like container. As will appear, a nondisposable reservoir of similar contour may be used, but at the sacrifice of the ready ability to recharge the dispenser.

The carton is square in cross section, although this shape may of course be varied. It fits into the base and is attached to the base in such manner as to cause its contents to fall by gravity into the base. Within the base, there is a manually operable metering discharge device which is used for dispensing the material through an opening in the bottom of the base. The drawings will show that in the operating position the carton is inverted and the total dispenser consisting of the base and carton is vertically disposed with the metering device at its lower part.

The base 30 is here illustrated as being formed of molded material, such as one of the conventional plastics. It will be understod by a consideration of the shape that it may be made of other materials, and die-casting is a particularly convenient method of making the base. Where the plastic material is used, an insert to be described is provided to give the proper strength.

The bracket portion 31 extends backwardly from the main portion of the base 3%, and is an integral part of the base. The bracket portion 31 is recessed, and in the illustrated plastic embodiment it includes a metal insert 321, of which a cross section is shown in Figure 12. This insert affords strength and also includes means that cooperate in the attachment of the dispenser to a bracket or awall.

The attaching means has portions fiXed to the wall. There is here illustrated a metal plate 33 screwed to the wall and offset somewhat from the wall in its main portion. The middle of the plate 33 has a depressed portion 34 to whicha metal disc 35 is bolted. The disc 35 is undercut around its periphery as is illustrated in Figures 6 and 13. This undercut or beveled edge has two relatively wide cut-outs 36 on opposite sides of its upper mid-por tion, and two smaller cut-outs 37 on opposite sides of its lower mid-portion. A notch 38 is located at the bottom of the edge of the disc. The bracket 31 has means cooperating with the undercut edge of the disc 35. The top of the bracket 31 and particularly the insert 321, as shown in Figures 6, l1 and 12, has at its top two depending undercnt prongs 39 that fit over the oppositely undercut edge of the disc 35. Opposite the prongs 39, there is a lock screw 40 that passes through a hole 41 in the insert 321 and engages in the notch 38 in the bottom of the disc 35. The screw 40 is pointed at its end so that it will fit against the undercut on the disc 35 in the notch 38.

At ninety degrees from the prongs 39 and the screw 49, there are abutment arms 42 formed on the insert. Each arm 42 has a stepped end, providing an inwardly facing surface 43 and a shoulder 44. Figure 11 shows, by the dashed lines representing the disc 33, that the disc is contained between the surfaces 43, to give lateral stability to the support. Figure 6 shows that the shoulders 44 can abut the outer surface of the disc 33 at its edge, to limit the backward movement of the dispenser bracket toward the wall, and improve stability. Similar shoulders 45 are formed on the vertical arms of the insert 321. It is advantageous to have these parts formed of stable material, such as the metal of the insert 321.

It will be understood that, where the material from which the dispenser base 30 is made is metal or otherwise adequately strong, the insert is not required, and the elements of the insert that are employed in the attaching means are integrally formed with the dispenser base 30 itself.

It will be observed that, when the screw 40 is loosened slightly, the dispenser may be rotated on the disc 35 without removal of it from the wall. If the screw 40 is further withdrawn, the dispenser bracket may be rotated to the right or left until the prongs 39 fit into a notch 36 and the screw 40 fits into a notch 37, whereupon the bracket may be entirely removed from the wall. Below the lower shoulder 45, the bracket and the insert are cut back so that this removal can be readily performed.

The dispenser base 30 preferably has converging bottom walls that have a discharge outlet 46 at the bottom thereof. As will be understood, the material to be dispensed is contained in the dispenser above this orifice, and is metered for discharge through the outlet 46. The dispenser part of the base 30 is hollow, and in the embodiment shown it has a plurality of difierent superposed shapes. Its upper part is non-circular, being shown as square in cross section, as indicated by the square front wall 48, the side wall 49, back wall 50 and side wall 51.

Below the square portion, there is a lofted pyramidal section having four sloping

sides

54, 55, 56 and 57. The pyramidal section is intersected by 'a coaxial cylindrical portion 60, and the former is modified to merge smoothly into the latter. The lower part of the cylindrical section 60 has a slight shoulder to aid in supporting the metering parts, as will appear. The cylindrical section 60 also has four recesses 61 that radiate outwardly from it into the pyramidal portions of the base for a purpose to be described.

Below the shoulder at the bottom of the cylindrical portion, the walls converge inwardly at 62 in an inverted frusto-cone, and provide the outlet orifice 46.

The metering or discharge device of the dispenser includes a fixed meter plate 63. This meter plate is circular so as to fit within the circular portion 60 and rest on the shoulder at the bottom thereof; and it has four radiating lugs '64 that fit into the recesses 61 in the base. As shown in Figures 3 and 7, screws 65 engage through the base by holes 66 to hold the fixed metering plate 63 in position. Figure 7 shows also that the lugs 64 are contoured to the shape of the adjacent walls of the pyramidal portion of the base.

The metering plate has a plurality of arcuately arranged holes 70 around its edge, for a purpose to be described. The metering plate also has a center sleeve 69 upstanding from it.

An agitator plate 71 has a center hub 72 that extends downwardly to bear in the sleeve 69. The lower end of the hub 72 has a square section 73 below which is a threaded portion 74. The square section and threaded section are below the surface of the metering plate 63.

The agitator plate has a central domed section 76 with a peripheral edge 77. The edge is disposed immediately above the edge of the metering plate 63 at the area of the holes 70 through the latter. There are a plurality of arcuately disposed holes 78 around this peripheral flange 77 of the agitator plate.

Below the metering plate 63, there is a guard plate 82. This guard plate has a shift central hub 83 with a square opening to fit over the squared portion 73 of the hub portion of the agitator plate 71, so that the two may oscillate together. The edge of the guard plate is provided with a plurality of notches 84.

Mounted on the squared portion 73 below the guard plate 82 is an operating handle 85. The handle has a squared hub portion that fits over the squared hub 73 on the agitator plate, and is held thereon by a nut and lock nut combination '86, so that the agitator plate, the guard plate and the handle may oscillate together. The handle 85 extends laterally below the guard plate, and passes through a slot 87 in the inverted conical portion 62 of the base. Afinger piece 90 is formed on the end of the handle 85 so that these parts may be oscillated.

The reservoir of the material to be dispensed is removable from the base 30, and is here shown in the form of a disposable carton 32, although it will be understood that this is subject to change where a permanent bowl adjunct for containing material is required. There are distinct advantages to the use of a disposable carton, as will appear.

The present invention provides for a carton that has certain characteristics shown in the drawings. A blank for the carton appears in Figure 19, and it is fairly apparent how the parts are folded together and secured by an overlapping glue flap 95. The carton has a window 96 closed by transparent material.

The lower end flaps 97, 98, 99 and 100 are all scored as shown at 101. Also, the glue flap 95 receives the same scoring. The panel adjacent the end flap 97 has an additional knock-out finger plug 102 provided by additional scoring 103. This knock-out plug preferably has a characterized shape of the type illustrated.

Figure 20 shows a side elevation of the carton in the condition in which it may contain material to be dispensed, as sold for use in the dispenser. The knock-out plug 102 is in place. Figure 22 shows the same side elevation, but with the end removed and the knock-out plug removed.

The carton is installed in the dispenser in a manner later to be described, with the open end of the bowl 30 downwardly. Its cross-sectional shape corresponds to that of the upper part of the base, here shown as square. The base 30 is provided with holding portions to hold the open edge of the carton 32. To this end, there are a plurality of upstanding pins 108 spaced inwardly from the front wall 48 of the base 30, and upstanding from the generally pyramidal surface 54. Similiarly, there are a plurality of such pins 109 spaced inwardly from the wall 49 and rising from the sloping surface 55. In like manner, there are a plurality of such pins 110 ad'- jacent the back wall 50 and rising from the back sloping wall 56, save for the center pin separately indicated at 111 which rises from a trapezoidal lug portion 112 that extends outwardly from the back wall 50. There are pins 113 that are spaced from the side wall 51 and that arise from the sloping surface 57 similarly to the pins 109.

The open end of the carton 32 fits down into the square section of the base 30, it being sized just to fit against the side walls 48-51 and to be contained between such side walls and the adjacent pins 108111 and 113. The push-out plug 102 is shaped to provide an opening to engage over the trapezoidal plug 112, by which means the proper disposition of the carton is assured with the window 96 out to the front. The service personnel can observe whether the supply of material in the carton is low enough to require replenishment by observing through the window 96.

On the

opposite sides

49 and 51 of the square portion of the base, there are provided

lock screws

120 and 121.

'These are shown in Figure 5 and one appears in detail in Figure 17. Where the base is made of plastic material, these screws may pass through sleeve-like metal inserts as indicated in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 6, the lock screw 120 is disposed adjacent and between the two middle pins 109 that lie alongside the portion 49; and the screw 121 is similarly located with respect to the pins 113. These two screws are pointed so that they can penetrate the walls of the carton, and by being disposed between two closely spaced pins they are backed up by such pins. They may be tightened down by a characterized key, such as that shown at 122 in Figure 18, so that they cannot be removed by unauthorzied persons.

Use and operation In initially installing a dispenser of this kind, the plate 33 or other similar means is fastened in place to hold the disc 35. The carton of material to be dispensed is inverted from the position shown in Figure 19-22, whereupon the knockout plug 102 may be depressed by the thumb or finger, which enables the thumb to lift off the lid of the box by virtue of the scoring 101. With the full box open end up, the bowl 30 is inverted with the

screws

120 and 121 released. The base 30 is installed on the top of the box. In this operation, the squared upper portion of the dispenser bowl fits down over the top of the box or carton 32 and the edges fit between the walls 4851 and the respective sets of

pins

109, 110 and 111, and 113. The taper on these pins aid in securing a tight fit. As previously noted, the plug 102 is of a characterized shape so that the space left when it is removed will fit accurately over the offset portion 112 in the back side of the dispenser base. This arrangement requires the proper location of the carton on the bowl, so that the window 96 is disposed at the front. Also, the diverging end walls of the trapezoidal plug 112 tend to spread the carton edges to aid in avoiding collapse of the carton in use. The pins 110 that fiank the plug 112 secure the adjacent edge portions of the carton. The pin and plug construction, in general effect, provides a groove for receiving the edges of the carton, but has advantages over a continuous groove. It is easier to operate, it cannot clog, and it accommodates irregularities in the shape of the carton.

When the dispenser base 30 is properly positioned over the top of the carton, the

screws

120 and 121 are tightened, so that they penetrate that portion of the edges of the carton between the adjacent pairs of

pins

109 and 113, respectively.

Then the handle finger portion 90 is moved to one or the other ends of the slot 87, which represents extremes of its movement. As will appear, this closes the metering device.

With the setscrew 40 of the bracket withdrawn, the dispenser may be mounted upon the undercut disc 35. In this action, the correspondingly undercut lugs 39 are hooked over an edge of the disc 35, by passing them through a notch 36, while the setscrew may enter a notch 37. Then the bracket is rocked to upright position and locked in place, by tightening the lock screw 40 in its notch 38, so as to hold the dispenser firmly in its upright position. The dispenser is then ready for use.

When it is necessary to replace the carton 32 or to refill the same in the event it is not a disposable carton, it is not required that the dispenser be entirely reremoved from the disc 35. If the screw 40 is withdrawn slightly, the dispenser may be rotated on the disc 35 to an inverted position, whereupon the carton 32 may be removed and a new carton installed. Following this, the dispenser may be reverted and the screw 40 tightened down to hold it in place. The notch 38 in the bottom of the disc serves both as a locating means to insure a properly upright position of the dispenser and also to prevent twisting of the dispenser when the setscrew 40 is tightened.

When the dispenser is installed for use and supplied with the material to be dispensed as aforesaid, the material will descend by gravity so that it will enter the base 30 and rest upon the upper surface of the agitating plate 71. The dome-like center of this plate tends to cause the material to flow to the edges where it can enter the several holes 78. However, in the extreme positions of the finger piece 90, no discharge can occur.

Figures 4, 14, 15 and 16 indicate the operations of the metering device with the handle in a neutral position with respect to the slot 87. In such position, the holes 78 can fill with the material to be dispensed. However, they are located over solid portions of the metering plate 63 of Figure 16. If the handle 90 is moved clockwise in Figure 4, the holes 78 will then be brought into registration with the holes 70 on the fixed metering disc at the time the handle 90 reaches an end of the slot 87. However, at this same time, the guard disc 82 will have moved with the agitating plate 76 so that its notches 84 are no longer in register with the holes 70 of the fixed metering plate.

The eifect of the foregoing is that the material initially contained within the holes 78 will be deposited in the holes 70 to fill those holes at the time the handle 90 is moved to one limit of its strike. Of course, the holes 78 in the agitating plate will remain filled from material in the dispenser. When the handle is then moved counterclockwise in the slot 87 to the other extreme of its movement, the holes 70 in the fixed metering plate will be closed from above by the agitating plate 76, but at the middle of the stroke of the handle the notches 84 will register with the holes '70 to permit the material from the holes 70 to fall downwardly and through the outlet 46 at the bottom of the dispenser base. When the limit of the counterclockwise stroke is reached, the holes 78 in the agitating plate will recharge the holes 70 in the metering plate, so that another stroke in the opposite direction will cause another discharge.

By this arrangement, there is a metered discharge on each stroke of the handle 90 in each direction. It must also be noted that water or vapor or steam that might enter through the discharge opening 46 cannot pass through the

metering plates

82, 63 and 71, and the material in the bowl 30 above the agitating plate 71 will always remain dry.

In this action aforesaid, the agitating plate 76 moves the mass of material above it to break up any agglomeration of the material, and insure a flow thereof down over the top of the plate for each discharge.

It is readily apparent that the operating parts of the metering device can be installed in this dispenser very readily. As previously noted, the three plates in properly superposed order can be placed in the bottom of the dispenser base 30, and the handle 85 installed from below with the lock nuts as indicated. This will hold the meter- '7 ing parts all together; and theymay be secured to the dispenser by the installation of the screws '65 that enter the lugs 64 that radiate .fromthe fixed metering plate .63.

In a dispenser of the kind in which the reservoir for material is to .be bodily .changed to effect a refill and the old reservoir is then discarded, it is highly important that the minimum amount of material to be dispensed remain in the dispenser after the same has .become, for practical purposes, empty. It is inevitable that a certain amount of material, such as powdered soap, will adhere to the walls and other parts of the dispenser, so as not to be discharged by the metering device, but this must be minirnized.

The present dispenser has been designed, not only to reduce the amount of undischarged material to a minimum, but also to accomplish this and at the same time to transfer the material from a square carton to an oscillating discharging device.

A consideration of the drawings will show that the interior walls of the base are carefully designed. In the first place, the carton 32 fits down into the base 30 in a manner such that there is substantially no ledge immediately belowthe bottom edges of the carton. Then the use of the

several pins

108, 109, 110, 111 and 113 minimizes the lodging of material against the backing-up means for the lower edge of the carton. In other words, it is necessary that there be some means to engage the lower edge of the carton 32 opposite to the upstanding walls of the base; but such means may provide a trap back of which the material to be dispensed may be lodged in such wise that it will not reach the discharge portions of the dispenser. The relatively narrow pin-like members of circular cross section minimize this tendency. The alignment element 112 is given a thickness that more or less corresponds to the thickness of the walls of the con-, tainer 32 so that it does not afford much of a ledge above which the material might be retained. Yet, at the same time, it is adequate to secure the proper alignment and fit of the carton.

Another factor that is carefully worked out in the present case is the gentle downward slanting of the interior wall of the dispenser base 30 from the square section into which the carton fits to the circular section in which the metering elements fit. This slanting is accomplished without there being any serious reentrants nor sharp edges that might cause a packing or bridging over of the material. The slanting portion extends up to the bottom of the carton so that there is no likelihood that the material will pack into the corners of the square section.

The metering elements themselves have been designed to aid in securing discharge of all of the material. The pyramidal section of the member 71 causes the material resting upon it to move toward the periphery. The presence of discharge openings '788470 all around the periphery of the metering elements assures that the material can be discharged if it gets to the lower part of the lofted portion of the dispenser base. It does not have to travel around the metering parts to a single discharge opening.

The carton itself is designed also to minimize the waste of material. Since the entire bottom of the carton is removed to open it, leaving only vertical edges, there are no elements in the carton itself that will retain material and prevent it from being discharged. Of course, such type of carton, especially where it is made of cardboard or like material, can be used only in a dispenser base of the present type which has backing up means such as the pins 108, etc., to support its edge.

All of the foregoing elements cooperate to minimize the waste of material. It will be understood that this is important because, when the dispenser is to be refilled, the screw 44} is loosened adequately so that the base can be rotatedaround and inverted, and the carton 32 removed. When the carton 32 is thus reverted in this type 8 of dispenser, any material that has not been discharged will fall into the carton 32 and will be thrown away and lost with the discarding of the old and otherwise empty carton. The new carton inserted into place, of course, is substituted for the old carton. By ensuring full discharge of the contents .of the carton during operation this waste isprevented.

Whatis claimed 'is:

1. In a dispenser, a hollow base having an upper opening and a lower opening thereinto, discharging means between the openings having a member movable to provide conduction of material from the upper part of the hollow base to the lower part for passage through the lower opening, and wall holding means in the upper part of the base, comprising backing means inside thewall of the upper opening and spaced therefrom, for receiving the edges of a material reservoir and to contain the said edges between said backing means and the wall of the opening, at least a portion of said wall of the opening being of a downwardly tapering configuration adjacent the backing means and said backing means comprising a plurality of upwardly projecting elements extending from the inside of the base alongside the inner wall of the base adjacent the upper opening therein.

2. in a dispenser, a hollow base having an upper opening and a lower opening thereinto, discharging means between the openings having a member movable to provide conduction of material from the upper part of the hollow base to the lower part for passage through the lower opening, and wall holding means in the upper part of the base, comprising backing means inside the wall of the upper opening and spaced therefrom with at least a portion of said wall of the upper opening being of a downwardly tapering configuration adjacent said backing means, for receiving the edges of a material reservoir and to contain the said edges between said backing means and the wall of the opening, and a characterized element in the base projecting into the space between the wall and the backing mean-s andcooperable with the shape of the edge of the reservoir to insure proper disposition of the reservoir on the base, and a container mounted on the base having its bottom end open and its bottom edge walls provided with a recess for interfitting with the characterized element on the base.

3. In a dispenser, a hollow base having an upper opening and a lower opening thereinto, discharging means between the openings having a member movable to provide conduction of material from the upper part of the hollow base to the lower part for passage through the lower openings, and wall holding means in the upper part of the base, comprising backing means inside the wall of the upper opening and spaced therefrom with at least a portion of said wall of the upper opening being of a downwardly tapering configuration adjacent said backing means, forreceiving the edges of a material reservoir and to contain the said edges between said backing means and the wall of the opening, the discharging means having means to prevent discharge of material through the base during reverting of the dispenser, having peripheral pascages for discharge of the material adjacent the lowermost portion of the downwardly tapering wall of the upper opening, the movable member being adapted to control said passages, and having means to direct the material toward the peripheral passages.

4. In a dispenser of the kind described, a base having an upper portion with upper walls forming a polygonal sleeve-like recess; middle walls disposed beneath the upper walls on said upper portion and shaped to provide a circular opening, the middle walls converging downwardly from the polygonal recess into the shape of the circular opening; and the lower walls converging from below the circular opening into a discharge opening at the bottom, and a mounting bracket portion extending laterally from the .base, with its outer part recessed for fitting over an attachment member adapted to be affixed to a wall, said recess having integral overhanging prongs at one side, a movable attaching member at the opposite side, and stabilizing mean-s intermediate the prongs and movable member,

5. In a dispenser for finely divided material: a base having an upper portion to receive an inverted rectangular carton or the like, the base providing walls around the opening to afiord a rectangular sleeve-like receptacle for an open end of such a carton, and having backing means spaced from such walls to fit into the open end of the carton and to support the walls against collapse; an arcuately movable discharge mechanism in the base below said rectangular portion; having discharge openings all around its periphery, the interior walls of the base between the rectangular portion and the discharge mechanism being slanted from the rectangular shape opposite a bottom portion of said backing means to a circular shape down to adjacent said discharge openings without reentrants to trap material and prevent its ready descent; and manually operatable means to actuate the discharge mechanism.

6. In a dispenser for finely divided material: a base having an upper portion to receive an inverted rectangular carton or the like, the base providing walls around the opening to afiord a rectangular sleeve-like receptacle for an open end of such a carton, and having backing means spaced from such walls to fit into the open end of the carton and to support the walls against collapse; an arcuately movable discharge mechanism in the base below said rectangular portion; having discharge openings all around its periphery, the interior walls of the base beween the rectangular portion and the discharge mechanism being slanted from the rectangular shape opposite a bottom portion of said backing means to a circular shape down to adjacent said discharge openings without reentrants to trap material and prevent its ready descent; and manually operatable means to actuate the discharge mechanism; releasable means on the base to clamp the carton thereto; a support for the base including a supporting bracket unitary with the base, a fixable element onto which the bracket is mounted for rotation, whereby the base may be inverted for replacement of a carton, and means to secure the bracket and fixable element against rotation.

7. In a dispenser for finely divided material: a base having an upper portion to receive an inverted rectangular carton or the like, the base providing walls around the opening to afford a rectangular sleeve-like receptacle for an open end of such a carton, and having backing means spaced from such walls to fit into the open end of the carton and to support the walls against collapse, said backing means comprising a plurality of upstanding projections; an arcuately movable discharge mechanism in the base below said rectangular portion; having discharge openings all around its periphery, the interior walls of the base between the rectangular portion and the discharge mechanism being slanted from the rectangular shape opposite a bottom portion of said backing means to a circular shape down to adjacent said discharge openings without reentrants to trap material and prevent its ready descent; and manually operatable means to actuate the discharge mechanism; and a rectangular carton as aforesaid, the carton having one end entirely open so that it presents substantially only vertical walls interfitted into the sleeve-like receptacle, and the slanting of the base below the rectangular sleeve-like receptacle and the bottom edge of the carton providing substantially continuously downwardly extending surfaces without edges.

8. In a dispenser: a base having material discharge mechanism therein, and an opening in the top thereof; a separable material reservoir, having an open end and being inverted with its open end downwardly and interfitted with the opening in the top of the base so that material may descend by gravity from the reservoir to the base for discharge; a bracket on the base for fixing the base to a wall or like support, a fixable element attachable to the wall, and having a rotatable fit with the bracket, and releasable means holding the fixable element and the bracket against rotation; said arrangement providing for selective inversion of the base for removal and refitting of the reservoir with the open end of the reservoir up, the fixable element and bracket having rounded undercut and overhanging elements by which such parts are attached together and are relatively rotatable, said parts being recessed at points spaced from their respective positions when the dispenser is vertical, whereby they may be separated and the dispenser entirely removed from the wall or like support.

9. In a dispenser: a base having material discharge mechanism therein, and an opening in the top thereof; a separable material reservoir, having an open end and being inverted with its open end downwardly and interfitted with the opening in the top of the base so that material may descend by gravity from the reservoir to the base for discharge; a bracket on the base for fixing the base to a wall or like support, a fixable element attachable to the wall, and having a rotatable fit with the bracket, and releasable means holding the fixable element and the bracket against rotation; said arrangement providing for selective inversion of the base for removal and refitting of the reservoir with the open end of the reservoir up, the fixable element and bracket having rounded undercut and overhanging elements by which such parts are attached together and are relatively rotatable, said parts being recessed at points spaced from their respective positions when the dispenser is vertical, whereby they may be separated and the dispenser entirely removed from the wall or like support, the bracket having a reenforcing element therein, with two opposite arms one of which has an overhangv on it to provide the overhanging element aforesaid, the opposite arm having a projectable and withdrawable overhanging element constituting the releasable means aforesaid, and the bracket having two oppositely extending intermediate arms to provide lateral stability.

10. In a dispenser: a base having material discharge mechanism therein, and an opening in the top thereof; a separable material reservoir, having an open end and being inverted with its open end downwardly and interfitted with the opening in the top of the base so that material may descend by gravity from the reservoir to the base for discharge; attachment means on the base for fixing the base to a vertical wall or like support, including a bracket means, and a flexible element attachable to the wall, means attaching the bracket means and fixable element together for relative rotation through substantially without changing the distance of the base from the fixable element, means holding the bracket means and the fixable element together so that they do not come apart but may rotate in a plane parallel to the attaching wall from an upright position of the base to an inverted position thereof, and releasable means releasably holding the fixable element and the bracket means against rotation; said arrangement providing for selective inversion of the base for removal and refitting of the reservoir with the open end of the reservoir up.

11. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein the attachment means may be released only when the base is in a predetermined position of its rotation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 553,752 Golf Jan. 28, 1896 928,052 Hirsch July 13, 1909 1,128,323 Johnstone Feb. 16, 1915 1,341,652 Lawrence June 1, 1920..

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