US3112849A

US3112849A - Handle device

Info

Publication number: US3112849A
Application number: US38963A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank C Wallace
Original assignee: H H HELBUSH; E R LIVINGSTON
Current assignee: H H HELBUSH; E R LIVINGSTON
Priority date: 1960-06-27
Filing date: 1960-06-27
Publication date: 1963-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 1980-12-03

Description

PbQ/VK Ci IV-QLLDCE INVENTOR.

AT TO R NEY$ United States Patent 3,112,849 HANDLE DEVICE Franlr C. Wallace, 10424 McCormick St., North Hollywood, Caliti, assignor of one-third to H. H. Helhush,

Beverly Hills, and one-third to E. R. Livingston, Los

Angeles, both in Calif.

Filed June 27, 196i Ser. No. 38,963 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-323) My present invention has to do with a handle device and to a method of making and assembling the same, although, in its broader aspects, it concerns a'novel joint construction for joining two structural elements together. In its more particular aspects, my invention relates to a handle device generally of the type disclosed in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,877,934 suitable for easy attachment to and detachment from a conventional spray can, such as an aerosol can, having a plunger actuated valve for releasing a liquid displaced by gas under pressure.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide, in a handle or like device composed of two or more parts such, for instance, as a metallic can'engaging portion, a lever for actuating the displacing plunger of the spray can and a hand engaging portion, a novel construction for assembling and joining the parts together in cooperating relationship which is extremely economical, simple, durable and efficient.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a novel method of making and assembling such a device.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

By way of example, I shall now described in detail a presently preferred embodiment of my invention as a handle for a spray can, for which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view;

FIG. 2 is a view like FIG. 1, except that some parts are shown in section;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the hand-engaging portion with the can-engaging portion detached therefrom;

FlG. 5 is an enlarged section taken on line 5-5 :of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the can-engaging portion; and

HG. 7 is a top plan view of the can-engaging portion.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates a conventional spray can of the well-known type adapted to dispense such liquids as hair sprays, paint and the like, the liquid being forced from the can by gas pressure through a plunger 6 which, when depressed, opens a control valve, not shown. There is a spray oriflee, not shown, in the plunger through which the spray emerges. conventionally, the top end or neck portion of the can has an upwardly opening, undercut recess denoted by the broken lines 7. While such a spray can does not form a part of my present invention, it serves to illustrate one of the uses to which my handle device may be adapted.

My improved handle device is generally denoted by the numeral 10 and comprises a hand gripping portion which also pivotally sockets the trunnions 16a of a plunger actuating lever 17, and a can-engaging portion 20.

The front end or can-engaging portion 20 is a channeled metal stamping having a round opening 22 adjacent its outer end whose inner periphery is partially defined by circum-ferentially spaced, resilient, depending, outwardly disposed ringers 25, which fingers resiliently engage in the undercut recess 7 in the can when the outer end portion of the can-engaging portion or member 20 is pressed against the top end of the can. The fingers resiliently retain the portion 2% locked to'the can so that the can may be lifted and manipulated by the handle member. As best shown in 7, the flat top wall 19 of the portion 2% extends rearwardly and has a rectangular opening 27 therethrough intersected by a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally disposed slits 28 providing a resilient ear 30. The ear 30 is of a length to sli htly extend into the opening 27, for the purpose to be hereinafter described. The portion 20 also has a rectangular opening 35 in its top wall (for passing the lever 17.

The hand gripping or engaging portion 15 is preferably molded of a suitable plastic, such as acetate or polystyrene plastic, has a hollow hand engageable portion th and a forward extension portion 42 to which the canengaging portion 2% is joined in the manner to be described.

-As best shown in the sectional assembly 'view of FIG. 2 and in the view :of FIG. 4 and the enlarged sectional view of FIG. 5, the extension portion 42 has an opening 4:; therethrough to pass the lever 1'7, and at the opposite sides of the latter opening the extension portion has registering recesses 47 to pivotally receive the trunnions 16a of the lever. The outer side surfaces of the extension portion are recessed at 48 (FIG. 5) to receive the channeled inner end part of the can-engaging portion 20.

At its outer or right hand end, the extension portion 42 has a right angularly disposed, upwardly extending boss 5%? engaged by the car as. Spaced rearwardly or to the right from the boss 50, the extension portion 42 has a second upstanding boss 52, undercut at 53, to receive the rear end edge of the can-engaging portion 2% when the parts are assembled. The lever 17 has a finger engageable portion 17a and a plunger engaging opposite end portion 17b and is pivoted to the handle device by the before-described trunnions 16a.

To assemble the hereinbefore described parts of my handle device, the trunnions of the lever are dropped into the recesses 47. Next the rear end of the can-engaging portion 26 is inserted in the undercut 53, and, using that engagement as a fulcrum, the portion of the canengaging portion 29 is pressed downwardly over the extension 42, which causes the boss Stl to pass through the recess 27 and flex the ear 3% unwardly so that the car then bears angularly against the boss 5%) to prevent parts from being relatively swung in the opposite direction. In fact, any atempt to swing the parts relatively in the opposite direction will cause the outer end of the ear 3% to tend to dig into the plastic boss it so that in order to disassemble said parts it is necessary first to use a suitable tool to hex the ear 5% away from the boss. One of the advantages of making the handle portion 15 of plastic is to enable the ear to slightly dig into the boss 54) positively to efiect locking of the parts together against accidental disassembly.

It is also apparent that, by the before-described construction, the device may be assembled in a minimum of time since it is only necessary to drop the trunnions of the lever into the recesses 47 and, after the can-engaging portion is applied, it retains the plunger against escape from the recesses. The described construction is also advantageous in that it enables the hand-engageable portion to be made of a lightweight plastice whose weight does not tend to tip over the can, and plastics are adaptable to being made of attractive colors to add to the aesthetic value of the device, which is important when the handle device is being used on a hair spray can which usuflly forms a part of the boudoir equipment. Also my construction enables the can-engaging portion to be 3 in a form of a metal stamping so as to get appropriate resiliency and strength to the fingers 2S and ear 39.

I claim:

1. In a handle for a plunger actuated aerosol can, a hand-engaging portion having a forward extension presenting an opening therethrough, presenting a pair of upstanding bosses adjacent the respective end boundaries of said opening, the rear one of said bosses presenting a forwardly opening undercut, said forward extension also presenting a pair of upwardly opening re istering recesses as opposite sides of said opening, a plunger actuating lever extending through said opening and having trunnions pivotally engaging in said recesses, a front end can-engaging portion having a channeled rearward extension engaging over said forward extension of said hand-engaging portion and having its rear edge engaging in said undercut, said rearward extension having a lever passing opening in its top, having an opening through which the forward one of said bosses extends, having a rearwardly extending ear portion resiliently engaging said last-named boss, and providing a top closure for said upwardly opening recesses.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said forward extension has side recesses to receive the sides of said rearward extension.

3. In a handle device rfor a plunger ctuated aerosol spray can, a hand gripping member having a forward eX- tension presenting a pair of longitudinally spaced, integral boss portions, the rear one of which is forwardly undercut and the forward one of which defines an upright abutment; said forward extension also presenting an opening therethrough and a pair of trunnion-receiving 'ecesses at opposite sides of said opening; a channelshaped can-engaging portion fitting on said forward extension and having a resilient, reanvardly disposed ear lockably resiliently engaging the forward one of said bosses and having its rear end portion engaged in said undercut; and a plunger actuating lever extending through said opening and having trunnions engaging in said recesses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 594,043 Thompson Nov. 23, 1897 2,223,153 Seifer Nov. 26, 1940 2,263,815 Northrup et a1. Nov. 25, 1941 2,319,782 Rourke May 25, 1943 2,538,435 Wegner Jan. 16, 1951 2,616,643 Budd 4, 1952 2,696,332 rFelver 7, 1954 2,803,383 Dickman et a1. Aug. 20, 1957 2,820,578 Dickrnan Jan. 21, 1958 2,868,421 Schott Jan. 13, 1959 2,877,934 Wallace far. 17, 1959 2,884,166 Vosbikian Apr. 28, 1959 2,924,008 Haushalter Feb. 9, 1960

Claims

3. IN A HANDLE DEVICE FOR A PLUNGER ACTUATED AEROSOL SPRAY CAN, A HAND GRIPPING MEMBER HAVING A FORWARD EXTENSION PRESENTING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED, INTEGRAL BOSS PORTIONS, THE REAR ONE OF WHICH IS FORWARDLY UNDERCUT AND THE FORWARD ONE OF WHICH DEFINES AN UPRIGHT ABUTMENT; SAID FORWARD EXTENSION ALSO PRESENTING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH AND A PAIR OF TRUNNION-RECEIVING RECESSES AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID OPENING; A CHANNELSHAPED CAN-ENGAGING PORTION FITTING ON SAID FORWARD EXTENSION AND HAVING A RESILIENT, REARWARDLY DISPOSED EAR LOCKABLY RESILIENTLY ENGAGING THE FORWARD ONE OF SAID BOSSES AND HAVING ITS REAR END PORTION ENGAGED IN SAID UNDERCUT; AND A PLUNGER ACTUATING LEVER EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING AND HAVING TRUNNIONS ENGAGING IN SAID RECESSES.