US2819139A

US2819139A - Container for toilet paper rolls

Info

Publication number: US2819139A
Application number: US462805A
Authority: US
Inventors: Irving C Stevenson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-10-18
Filing date: 1954-10-18
Publication date: 1958-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1975-01-07

Description

Jan. 7, 1958 I. C. STEVENSON l CONTAINER FOR TOILET PAPER ROLLS Filed OCT.. 18, 1954 KNIIIIMJIIIHIM .I..I|....illll` linx,...

Hulhmwnllhrilll.

/NNE/VT/P @Signe/25012 nbf @y if ZW @7mm/fr United States Patent O CONTAINER FOR TOILET PAPER ROLLS Irving C. Stevenson, San Francisco, Calif.

Application October 18, 1954, Serial No. 462,805

1 Claim. (Cl. S12-234) The present invention relates to improvements in a container for toilet paper rolls, and its principal object is to provide a container of the character described which fits neatly into a bath room, is attractive in appearance, and is adapted for storing a number of rolls of toilet paper in stacked relation prior to their transfer to a dispensing device.

It is further proposed to arrange the container in such a manner that the rolls of toilet paper stored therein are normally kept out of sight, while still being available of easy access upon the mere opening of a swinging door.

It is further proposed to provide, in combination with the container, a suitable marker which comes into View whenever the container is empty, so that the housewife may ascertain at a glance whether the stock on hand has been depleted and if re-tlling is necessary.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide a marker which is normally brought, by spring pressure, into juxtaposition with respect to a window in the container, but which is depressed into inactive position by the weight of one or more rolls of toilet paper stored in the container.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds, and the new and useful features of my toilet paper container will be fully defined in the claim attached hereto.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the preferred form of my invention; and

Figure 2, a vertical section taken substantially along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claim attached hereto, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my container 1 is preferably made in the form of an upright cabinet of a suitable height and width to accommodate a desired number of toilet paper rolls 2 therein in stacked relation.

The container is preferably constructed to fit in the corner of a bath room and comprises a pair of side walls 3 and 4 arranged at a right angle with respect to one another and top and bottom walls 5 and 6 holding the side walls in angular relationship, the bottom wall 6 forming the floor of the container.

The front edges of the top and bottom walls are suitably curved, as at 7, and the free edge of one of the side walls has a door 8 hinged thereto, as at 9, the door following the curvature of the front edges of the top and bottom members and being dimensioned to form a complete closure for the front opening of the container.

The door 8 may be held in closed position by means of a suitable clasp 10 engaging over a ball 11.

The container is extended a certain distance below the iloor 6 along the same outer contour to form a lower chamber 12 formed with a fixed front wall'13, The latter wall has a window or opening 14 in the central portion thereof.

The iloor 6 has a leaf spring 15 mounted thereon, the spring having one end anchored to the floor, as at 16, near the corner of the cabinet and projectingforwardly from its anchoring point in a substantially median line.

The spring is tensioned to cause its free end 17 to normally spring away from the oor, but to be depressed by the weight of one or more rolls resting thereon` The free end of the spring has a downward extension 1S which projects through a hole 19 in the iloor, and carries, at its lower end, a marker 20 which is positioned opposite the window and which is movable with respect thereto.

The marker carries the word Empty in such a manner that the word appears opposite the window when the spring occupies its natural position, as in Figure 2, andV disappears below the window when the spring is depressed by the weight of one or more rolls of toilet paper, as in Figure l.

The lower end of the lower chamber may be closed as by a 4bottom 21 which may be formed with a suitable opening 2?. to give access to the interior, and the side walls may be formed with suitable holes 23 for suspension from nails or screws in the wall of the room.

In use, the container or cabinet may be suspended in any suitable corner of a bath room or the like, and may be filled with a stack of toilet paper rolls in. the manner shown.

The rolls may be removed successively as occasion arises. As long as one roll is left in the cabinet, it will depress the spring 15 and cause the marker Empty to disappear below the window 14.

When the last roll of toilet paper has been removed, the free end of the spring 15 rises and brings the marker opposite the window, Thus the housewife may ascertain at a glance whether the container is empty and arrange her purchases accordingly.

The cabinet is intended to be rather ornamental, as well as useful, and a corner cabinet is preferred because it usually tits into the outlines of a bath room more unobtrusively than a flat form mounted against the ilat side of a wall.

it is apparent, of course, that different forms may be developed to suit different conditions, and that I, therefore desire protection on the general idea of my invention rather than on the form shown.

i claim:

A bathroom fixture for holding a stack of rolls of toilet paper comprising a portable, upright and externally uncontined cabinet having a pair of straight and upright side walls arranged at a right angle to one another so as to fit into a rectangular corner of a bath room, top and bottom members for holding the side walls in angular relation having circularly curved front edges and a circularly bent door hinged to one of the side Walls and adapted to fit upon the front edges and to form a closure for the front opening, the side walls having means for suspending the saine in a corner section of the bath room, and the dimensions of the cabinet being such as to accommodate a stack of toilet paper rolls therein, and means visible from the outside of the cabinet and operable by the weight of the roll for visually indicating the presence of a roll in the cabinet, the latter means comprising an apron suspended from the cabinet and fitting into the contour thereof and having a window therein, a marker movable with respect to the window and spring means associated with the bottom member and supporting the marker, the spring means being tensioned to present the 3 marker opposite the window when the cabinet is empty, 510,199 but being operable by the Weight of a roll to move the 692,178 marker into an inactive position. 969,038 2,310,072 References Cited in the le of this patent 5 2, 57 5,530 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,719,528

359,213 Leavitt Mar. 8, 1887 4 Sheldon Dec. 5, r1893 Burnham Jan. 28, 1902 Carmony e Aug. 30, 1910 Fry Feb. 2, 1943 Reid Nov. 20, 1951 Gabrrielsen Oct. 4, 1955