US2904214A

US2904214A - Sheet container and dispenser

Info

Publication number: US2904214A
Application number: US563939A
Authority: US
Inventors: Miller Hobart Gross
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-02-07
Filing date: 1956-02-07
Publication date: 1959-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 1976-09-15

Description

Sept.v 15, 1959 H. G. MILLER 2,904,214

SHEET CONTAINER AND DISPENSER Filed Feb. '7, 1956 2 sheets-sheet 1 0, Y .E M'. MII/1171117111'11111111111111111111 Q :Ern Zar Hobart Miller Sept. l5, 1959 IH. G. MILLER 2,904,214

SHEET CONTAINER AND DISPENSER Filed Feb. 7, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @Hobart Gla/Miller United States Patent 2,904,214 SHEET CONTAINER AND DISPENSER Hobart Gross Miller, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 7, 1956, Serial No. 563,939

2 claims. (ci. 221-43) The invention relates to improvements in dispensers for light sensitized sheets and is more particularly concerned with a device adapted to contain a stack of light sensitized sheets and to dispense the sheets therefrom one at a time through a d-ischarge opening therein, the dispenser having novel means therein to prevent the entrance `of light into the container through said opening.

The device includes a housing composed of two substantially like halves constituting a bottom container portion and a cover portion hingedly connected so as to be ymov-able into open and closed position. Means is carried therein for automatic dispensing of one sheet at a time from a stack of sheets arranged in the housing through a dispensing opening or slot normally closed by a loosely guided slidable and rotatable light seal member that also functions as a guide means for the leading edge of the sheet -being dispensed so as to avoid scratching of the same and insure proper operation of the device even though the sheet may have a tendency to curl slightly.

Itis, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a novelly constructed container and dispenser for light sensitized sheets.

Another object is to provide a dispenser for light sensitized sheets with novel means to prevent the entrance of light into the dispenser interior.

Another object is to provide a sheet dispenser with novel means to guide a sheet to be dispensed into and through a dispensing opening.

Another object is to provide a device of the character referred to with novel means operable to dispense sheets one at a time automatically.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser for sheets which is not expensive to construct and is very ecient in operation.

Another object is to provide a device of the character described with novel means to align sheets of any size, within the limits of the device, in a stack.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating anunderstanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction, assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or Patented Sept. 15, 1959 similar parts throughout the several gures of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the sheet container and dispenser embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2. is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken `substantially on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts in positions occupied at the completion of a dispensing operation.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional vieW illustrating the feeding of a sheet through the dispensing opening.

Fig. 5 is a view looking at the inside of Ithe cover portion of the device.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the bottom portion of the device.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the containerdispenser includes a flat substantially rectangular boxlike housing 11 formed from -two substantially like

halves

12 and 13 hingedly connected together, as at 14, so as to be moved from the closed position, illustrated in Fig. 2, into an open position to permit the placing of a stack of sheets 15 therein. The sheets are light sensitized sheets of paper used in photographic processes. As shown the bottom housing portion or container 13 includes a bottom wall 16,

end walls

17 and 18 and connecting side walls 19. The bottom wall 16 is inclined upwardly, as at 21, so as to merge into a substantially horizontal surface area or ledge 22 contiguous with the top edge of the end wall 17. The stack of sheets 15 is arranged on the bottom wall 16 rearwardly of the inclined portion 21 and in order to maintain the lsheets in the stack in substantial alignment there is provided a removable backing strip' 23 which extends transversely of the bottom portion 13. This strip has at least two rearwardly extending braces 24, the free ends of which are abutted against the inside surface of the end wall 18. The backing strip 23 with its braces 24 `is removable so that another backing strip having braces of different lengths may be inserted in the bottom portion 13 when sheets of a size other than as illustrated are placed therein, thus adapting the container dispenser for use in dispensing sheets of different '.sizes within the overall capacity of the housing.

The top housing portion or cover 12 has a top wall 25, depending

end walls

26 and 27 and depending connecting side walls 28. When the top portion 12 is in closed position with respect to the bottom portion 13, the side and end walls of the two portions are in edge to edge alignment. Outwardly offset flanges 29 on the side walls 28 overlap the upper margins of the bottom side walls 19 so as to prevent the entrance of light through the joining of the two walls. The joining of the two

end Walls

18 and 27 is effectively light sealed by the presence of the hinge 14. The other end wall 26 on the top portion has a shallow recess 31 on its free edge substantially coextensive with its length. This recess 31 provides an elongated dispensing opening in conjunction with the flat surface or ledge 22 on the bottom portion through which the sheets 15 are to be ejected one at a time.

Novel means is provided for the automatic ejection of the sheets 15 one at a time. As is perhaps best illustrated in Fig. 5, this means includes an elongated guide plate 32 which is rrnly secured to the inside face of the top wall 25. The guide plate 32 includes parallel longitudinal ilanges 33 along which are guided the longitudinal margins of a slide plate 34. The slide plate 34 has depending from it, adjacent to one of its ends, a pair of ears 35 apertured to receive a pin 36 for pivotally mounting one end of an arm 37. The free end of the arm 37 is bifurcated, as at 38, and has journalled therein a friction element 39 which preferably is in the form of a circular member serrated on its entire circumference, This member is mounted substantially firmly in the arm 37 so as not to be freely rotatable, it being manually rotatable when required so as to present a new surface when worn. A coiled tension spring 41, carried on the pivot pin 36, normally urges the arm 37 downwardly away from the slide plate 34- so as to cause the friction member 39 to bear at all times on the top sheet of the stack of sheets 15. The slide plate 34 normally rests in the position illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5 and, when said plate is shifted in the direction of the discharge `opening 3l, into the position shown in Fig. 3, the top sheet in the stack 15 is carried therewith and the leading edge of said sheet is projected through the discharge opening 31 suciently to permit it to be grasped for manual withdrawal.

The means for actuating the slide plate 34 includes a motor or solenoid 42 suitably mounted in a bracket 43 secured to the inside face of the housing top wall 25. The solenoid receives its energy from any suitable source of electric current through wires 44 having connected therein a Contact switch 45 which has its operating stem 45 projecting through the top wall 25 for ready access. The solenoid 42 has an elongated core 47 connected at its projecting end by a pin 4S to a lever arm 49. The lever arm 49 is pivoted at one end on a fixed pivot 51 and its free end is pivotally connected, by a pin 52, to the slide plate 34. When the solenoid is energized upon closing of the switch 45, the slide plate 34 is shifted into the position as illustrated in Fig. 3 so as to partially eject a sheet. When the solenoid is deenergized, a spring 53 operates to return the slide plate 34 to its initial position and, owing to the yicldable mounting of the arm 37 carrying the friction member 34, said friction member slides freely over the projected sheet without retracting the same.

ln order to prevent light from entering through the discharge opening 31 and damaging the light sensitized sheets in the stack, said opening is provided with a light seal 54. As is perhaps best illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 the light seal 54 consists of rod or elongated roller arranged in surface contact with the inside face of the wall 26 of the top portion 12. Said rod or roller is adapted normally to rest upon the ledge 22 of the bottom portion 13 to thereby close the discharge opening 31. When a sheet is ejected it passes beneath and elevates the rod 54 as it slides along the ledge 22. Elevation of the rod 54 is permitted by mounting it in a plurality of vertical guideways 55 in the top portion 12. These guideways are dened on one side by the wall 26 and on their other side by the vertical edges 56 of downwardly extending webs or ribs 57 formed integral with the top wall 25 and depending therefrom. The lower extremities of the edges 56 of said ribs are offset outwardly slightly, as at 58, so as to reduce the overall width of the guideways 55 at their ends and thereby retain the rod 54 therein when the top portion 12 is raised into an open position. The trailing edge 59 of each of the webs or ribs 57 is suitably curved upwardly, as is best illustrated in Fig. 4, so as to provide a cam surface to deflect downwardly the free 55, the leading edge of the sheet will enter beneath said rod with a minimum amount of resistance irrespective of the precise condition of its leading edge.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A paper safe device for containing and dispensing photo-sensitive sheets, said device comprising a substantially enclosed container having an approximately vertical wall, said wall having an elongated horizontally extending discharge opening therethrough, said opening having upper and lower edges, a support ledge extending horizontally and substantially coextensively with the lower edge of said discharge opening, an elongated cylindrical light-seal element extending horizontally adjacent said discharge opening, said element normally resting upon said ledge and contacting the interior surface of said wall to seal the opening against the admission of light therethrough, means mounting said element for free rotatable movement about its longitudinal axis and for free vertical movement upwardly fro-m said ledge, said mounting means including means for maintaining said element in contact with said interior surface of said wall during vertical movement of said element, means within the container for holding a stack of photo-sensitive sheets, and means for advancing each of said sheets successively to thrust the leading edge of each sheet against said element to raise the latter to permit the sheet to pass through said discharge opening while the element is maintained in light sealing contact with both said sheet and said interior surface of said wall, said mounting means comprising a plurality of horizontally spaced members tixedly secured within the interior of said container, each of said members having an approximately vertical edge extending substantially parallel to said vertical slideway therebetween, said element having a plurality of spaced portions each rotatably and slidably mounted within a respective one of the slideways.

2. A paper safe device as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said members is provided with a stationary cam edge for contacting and guiding the leading edge of each successively propelled sheet so as to direct the leading edge of each sheet between said element and said ledge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 19,252 Lewis et al. Feb. 2, 1858 523,384 Tirrell et al. July 24, 1894 536,627 Housh Apr. 2, 1895 1,016,779 Ruppel Feb. 6, 1912 1,257,153 Turney Feb. 19, 1918 1,495,874 Bartlett May 27, 1924 2,182,955 Allen Dec. 12, 1939 2,572,121 Dosberg Oct. 23, 1951 2,594,634 Galloway Apr. 29, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 836,707 France Oct. 25, 1938 978,387 France Nov. 22,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEJ OEETIEIOATE OE CORRECTION 'Patent No., 2,9%,214 l September 15, 1959 'obart Gross Miller It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correct-ion and that the said Letters Patent should readas corrected below.

Golumn 4, line 43, beforev1 "slideway" insert u end Wall and spaced fom the latter so as to define a vertical nu.,

Signed and sealed this 24th dey of May 1960.,

(SEAL) Attest: e

KARL AXLNE RBERT C. WATSON Attesting Ofcer Commissioner of Patents