US3017717A

US3017717A - Ant vault

Info

Publication number: US3017717A
Application number: US670A
Authority: US
Inventors: David H Caubre
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-01-05
Filing date: 1960-01-05
Publication date: 1962-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1979-01-23

Description

D. H. CAUBRE ANT VAULT Filed Jan. 5, 1960 Jan. '23, 1962 DAVID If CAUBQE,

IN VEN TOR.

Patented Jan. 23, 1962 3,017,717 ANT VAULT David H. Calibre, 4122 W. 162ml St, Lawndaie, Calif.

. Filed Jan. 5, 1960, Sci. No. 670

3 Claims. (Cl. 43131) The present invention relates generally to the field of insecticide holders, and more particularly to a container in which a bottle of ant poison can be disposed in a position accessible to ants but out of reach of children.

An effective method of combating ants and like insects is the use of a sweet material such as syrup that contains a poison. However, while such a material is poisonous to ants, it is likewise poisonous to children, and each year numerous fatalities occur due to children surreptitiously eating the same. a

A major object of the present invention is to provide a container for a bottle of ant poison which may be readily opened by an adult who understands its mode of operation, but cannot be opened by a small child, irrespective of the treatment to which he subjects the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a container for an ant poison bottle, and so hold the same that it is readily accessible to ants, but is inaccessible to small children and pets.

A still further object of the invention is to furnish a container for an ant poison bottle that serves as a safety device for both children and adults, in that access to the bottle may be had only after a predetermined series of steps are performed, whereby the ant poison bottle will not be picked up inadvertently in the belief that it is a bottle containing a harmless material.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred form thereof and from the accompanying drawing illustrating the same in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the ant poison bottle container;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the device showing the hinged side thereof in an open position;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the device taken on line 33 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional View of the device taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, it will be seen that the invention includes a generally rectangular box A defined by first and second end walls and 12, a top wall 14, bottom wall 16, a fixed side wall 18 best seen in FIGURE 3, and a side wall 20. The side wall 20 is hinged to bottom wall 16 by two longitudinally spaced hinges 22. The hinges 22 are affixed to the adjacent edge portions of bottom wall 16 and side wall 26* by a number of screws 24 or similar fastening means.

An elongate lug 26 is affixed to side wall 20 in such a position that it is disposed adjacent to the outer interior surface of top wall 1 3 when side wall 20 is in the closed positions shown in FIGURE 2. A vertically disposed bore 3% is formed in top wall 14 which is in vertical alignment with an elongate recess 32 formed in lug 26 when side wall Ztl is pivoted to the closed position shown in FIGURE 3. A steel pin 34 is adapted to be slidably disposed in bore 3%} and recess 32. The pin is of sufficient length that a portion thereof extends into the bore when the balance of the pin rests within the confines of recess 32.

A second lug 36 is affixed to side wall 20 on the same side thereof on which first lug 26 is mounted. One end of an elongate spring 38 is affixed to the interior surface of side wall by a screw 39 or other fastening means, and the free end portion of the spring extends outwardly slightly from the side wall to at all times exert an outwardly directed force on an ant poison bottle B which is of such size as to be disposable in box A. Spring 38 exerts outward pressure on the bottle to force it into pressure contact with second lug 36. This force exerted on lug 36 tends to pivot the side wall 20 into the open position, but the pin 34 when in bore 3% and recess 32 prevents such pivotal movement. Sufiicient force is exerted on pin 34 to frictionally maintain it within the confines of bore 30 and recess 32, and to a degree that a child cannot dislodge it therefrom. The side wall 20, when held in the locked position by pin 34, is almost but not quite in abutting contact with the edge portions of box A.

When it is desired to have access to the box A, to change the bottle of ant poison therein or the like, the side wall 20 is pivoted into abutting contact with box A, and a permanent magnet C, as may be seen in FIGURE 1, is used to pull the pin 34 outwardly from the bore 30 and recess 32.

An opening 40 is formed in substantially the center of end wall It and is closed by a plate 42 in which a number of spaced apertures 44 are formed of a size that will permit ants to crawl therethrough.

The operation of the invention is obvious. A bottle of ant poison B is placed in box A, and the side wall 20 pivoted to a position where the pin 30 can be slid down into bore 36) to engage recess 32 and removably hold the side wall in the closed position. The box A is then placed in a fixed position and preferably held there by screws 48 that extend through openings 50 formed in side wall 16, and the poison is readily available to ants and other insects. When the poison is depleted, the side wall is pivoted to the open position by following the steps previously described, and the bottle is refilled with poison, or a new bottle substituted in its stead. The device is then ready to be used again.

It will be apparent that the box A and side wall 20 can be fabricated from any number of solid materials such as wood, polymerized resins, metal or the like.

Although the invention herein shown and described is fully capable of performing the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore mentioned, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment thereof, and that I do not mean to be limited to the details of construction herein shown and described other than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safety container for a poison bottle comprising a box open on one side wherein said bottle can be disposed, a side wall hingedly connected to said box and adapted to be moved to a position to close said open side, said box having a bore formed therein that terminates at a location adjacent said side wall when said side wall is in a closed position, said box also having an opening formed therein through which insects can pass to reach said poison bottle and contents thereof a magnetically attractable pin of such transverse cross section and length as to be slidably insertable within the confines of said bore and project inwardly beyond the interior surface of that portion of said box in which said bore is formed and when said pin is so disposed, all but the upper end surface thereof is concealed; engageable means on said side wall for interlocking with said inwardly projecting portion of said pin to maintain said side wall in a closed and locked position relative to said box; and spring means positioned within said box, which spring means exerts sufficient laterally directed force on said pin to maintain said pin in said bore and engageable means due to frictional contact therewith until said pin is subjected to a sufiiciently strong magnetic field as to be withdrawn from said bore to permit said side wall to be moved to a position to allow access to the interior of said box and said bottle contained therein.

2. A safety container as defined in claim 1 wherein said engageable means is a lug affixed to the interior surface of said side wall, said lug having an elongate recess formed therein that is coaxially alignable with said bore when said side wall is in a closed position, with said recess being adapted to be removably engaged by the lower portion of said pin.

3. A safety container as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring means is an elongate spring affixed to and projecting from the interior surface portion of said box opposite said open side thereof, which spring at all times urges said bottle disposed within said box toward said side wall when said side wall is in a closed position to exert a laterally directed force on said pin when said pin is disposed in said bore and recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS