US2798648A

US2798648A - Dispensing receptacle for comminuted comestibles

Info

Publication number: US2798648A
Application number: US438427A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph James
Original assignee: T R ZETTELMEYER
Current assignee: T R ZETTELMEYER
Priority date: 1954-06-22
Filing date: 1954-06-22
Publication date: 1957-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 1974-07-09

Description

J. JQSEPH July 9, 1957 DISPENSING RECEPTACLE FOR COMMINUTED COMESTIBLES Filed June 22, 1954 FIG.

Q INVENTOR. iW/ f" FIG. 2

ATTORNEYS- 2,798,648 Patented July 9, 1957 United States Patent Ofitice DISPENSING RECEPTACLE FOR COMMINI JTED COMESTIBLES James Joseph, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to T. R. Zettelmeyer, as trustee Application June 22, 1954, Serial No. 438,427

4 Claims. (11. 222-478 glass, having an open upper end and provided at the upper end with integral external threads. The upper end is closed by a suitable lid having a depending peripheral flange which is threaded complementarily to the threaded end of the container so that the lid can be detachably screw-fitted on the container and retained by the threads in fixed position in all tilted, including inverted, positions of the container.

The lid has a dispensing or discharge port which usually is directed laterally of the lid and is disposed eccentric to the axis of the lid. The port is closed by suitable external pivoted flap which rests in overlying relation to the port when the container is supported in its normal position on its base and which swings open by gravity when the container is tilted.

Such dispensing receptacles have become very widely used but have the serious disadvantage in that they. are difiicult to refill. For example, in the course of daily use, it quite often happens that the lids are inadvertently caused to strike against each other and against other objects with resultant deformation of the threads and often with bending of the peripheral flange so that it does not fit the receptacle. As a result of this deformation of the lids and threads, the lids are very ditficult to remove and reconnect.

Again, due to moist weather or to the locally caused moisture necessarily present at restaurant tables and soda fountains, sugar and like comestibles which are hygroscopic tend to soften and penetrate between the surfaces of the lid and container and there form a gummy mass or resolidify so as to cause the lid to adhere quite tightly to the container.

A considerable amount of time is required during the course of the day for removing the lids from such dispensing receptacles, refilling the receptacles, and then replacing the lids. Generally, this refilling must be done rapidly and without adequate time to thoroughly clean the threads of the containers and lids before reconnect ing them. These difficulties are aggravated at soda fountains because the attendants hands quite generally are not thoroughly dry and when attempting to refill the containers and replace the lids, water is transferred to the lids and containers.

The present invention is one which facilitates the filling of such dispensing receptacles by making possible the filling of such dispensing receptacles without removal of the lid and more particularly, the filling of the container while it is held in one hand and without the use of the other hand. i

p The invention comprises a dispensing receptacle having a lid which is detachablysecured thereon in the conventional manner so as to retain its position in all tilted, including inverted positions of the container. The lid has the usual discharge port. In addition, the lid has a filling opening larger than the discharge port and disposed so that a depending filling spout from a bin of the comestible can be inserted through the filling opening axially by lifting the container thereagainst when the opening is in alignment with the spout, the filling opening normally being closed by a spring-seated valve which is displaced from its closing position by the filling spout as the filling spout is inserted into, and passed through, the filling opening. 7

Various objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the drawings illustrating preferred embodiments of the invention and in which,

Figure l is a top plan view of a sugar dispensing receptacle embodying the principles of the present invention; t

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the dispensing receptacle illustrated in Figure 1, part thereof being shown in section as indicated by the line 22 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the lid of the receptacle and is taken on the line 33 in Figure 2; i

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a saltcellar embodying the principles of the present invention; and,

t Figure 5 is a front elevation of the saltcellar shown in Figure 4, part thereof being shown in section as indicated by the line 55 in Figure 4.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the dispensing receptacle comprises a suitable container 1 which preferably is generally cylindrical and open at the top, and a closure or lid 2 which is detachably secured in fixed position on the upper end of the container 1.

For purposes of illustration, the container 1 is shown as one formed of glass or other thermo-plastic material and having a bottom wall 3 on which it is supported in normal non-dispensing position. The open top of the container 1, indicated at 4, provides a filling opening whichin the conventional form ofthe dispenser is made accessible for filling by removal of the lid 2. The lid 2 is detachably secured to the container 1 so as to retain its position thereon in closing relation to the open upper end 4 in any and all tilted, including fully inverted, positions of the container 1.

A suitable means for detachably securing the lid 2 in fixed position on the container 1 in closing relation to the open upper end and for retaining the lid in said rela tion in all positions of the container may comprise the conventional external threads 5 molded into the upper end of the container and complementary internal threads 6 provided in the peripheral flange 7 of the lid 2. The lid 2 is provided with a discharge or dispensing port 8 which is closed by a gravity seated flap valve 9. The structure thus described is one well known in the art and widely used in restaurants and soda fountains at the present time.

In accordance with the present invention, the lid 2 is provided with a filling opening, indicated at 10, the opening preferably being defined by an internal depending flange 11 and being larger than the port 8.

Mounted on the lid 2 is a flap valve 12 which is yieldably held by a suitable spring 13 in closing relation to the opening 10. The valve 12 preferably is .mounted in the lid 2 so as to open inwardly of the container 1. It can be readily moved out of closing relation to the opening 10 by insertion of a filling spout S into the container 1 axially through the filling opening 10. A convenient arrangement for this purpose is one such as illustrated in which the valve 12 is mounted on a suitable pivot .14 having its axis off-set from and angularly disposed with respect to the axis of the opening 10.

Thus, without removing the lid 2, the container 1 can .be held in its upright non-dispensing position in one .hand beneath the filling spout S of a suitable bin and lifted so as to cause insertion of the spout S through the opening 10 a sufficient distance into the inside of the container 1, to engage and open the valve 12 and discharge the comestible from the spout S into the container without striking the .lid '2.

The control of the flow of the comestible from the spout may be by any suitable means. Usually such spouts are so arranged they are rendered operativeto dis charge when lifted slightly. *In such cases, they generally are provided with arms such, as indicatedat A, which are engaged by the lid for lifting the spout thereby. The spout'S is self-closing upon lowering the receptacle *therefrom. The type of control used for the 'filling spout forms no, part of the present invention.

Referring next to Figures 4 and 5, the invention is shown embodied in a saltcellar comprising a container 15 and a lid 16 similar to thecontainer 1 and lid-2 heretofore described, except considerably smaller. The container and lid are detachably secured by the threads, as indicated at 17. The lid has a filling opening 18 closed by a spring-seated valve 19 similar to the valve 12 :heretofore described.

In this form of the invention, the lidi-s provided with a plurality of discharge ports 20 instead of a single' port 8 and in addition, the valve'itself-is'prov-ided with one or more ports 21. Thus convenience in filling is obtained without atsacrifice in a number of ports available for dispensing very finely comminuted comestible in small quantities. It is apparent that the saltcellar lends itself to filling readily without removal of the lid 6.

It is to be noted that in the foregoing description, the valve was referred to as spring-seated and this term is used to include a valve seated by a spring or by other resilient means. 7

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A dispensing receptacle for comminuted comestibles and comprising a container having an opening, a .lid,

means detachably securing the lid in fixed position on the container in closing relation to the opening and retaining the lid .in said fixed position in all tilted, including inverted, positionsof the container, said lid having a filling opening therein through which a comestible may be introduced into the container while the lid is in said fixed position, a spring seated valve normally closing said opening, said valve having a plurality of small discharge ports therein and aligned with said opening.

2. A dispensing receptacle according to claim 1 characterized in that the lid also has a plurality of small discharge ports therein.

3. A dispensing receptacle for comminuted comestibles and comprising a container having an opening, a lid, said lid having a depending peripheral side wall detac'hably engaging the side wall of the container and securing the lid in .fixed position on the container in closing relation to the opening and retaining the lid in said fixed position in all tilted, including inverted, positions of the container, said lid having a discharge port of which the inlet end is located near the upper level of the container when the container is supported in its normal non-dispensing position, said lid :having a filling opening therein through which comminuted comestibles rmay be introduced into the container while the lid is in said fixed position, said filling openingbeing at .the center of the lid and being of greater diameter than said port, an inturned annular flange disposed about the periphery of said filling 'opening and extending toward the inside of the container so as to provide a short passage leading from the filling opening into the top of the container, and so as to provide a radially thin annular seat which is exposed downwardly when the container is supported in its normal non dispensing position, said opening and seating area being close to the upper level of the container, and a spring seated valve carried .by said lid and normally seated against .said annular seat and closing said filling opening and arranged to open inwardly of the container, and said valve having substantial radial clearance with respect to the side walls of the container and of the lid in all positions of the valve.

4. .A dispensing receptacle according to claim 3 characterized in that said valve has at least one discharge port therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS