US3178059A

US3178059A - Dispenser for fluid and semi-fluid materials

Info

Publication number: US3178059A
Application number: US253587A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr George H Packwood
Original assignee: G H PACKWOOD Manufacturing CO
Current assignee: G H PACKWOOD Manufacturing CO
Priority date: 1963-01-24
Filing date: 1963-01-24
Publication date: 1965-04-13
Anticipated expiration: 1982-04-13

Description

April 13, 1965 p woo JR 3,178,059

DISPENSER FOR FLUID AND SEMI-FLUID MATERIALS Filed Jan. 24, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3,9 f; 3 as 122 I21 IN /E NToR: GEORGE H. PHcKwoo Jm HTToRNEYs A ril 13, 1965 s. H. PACKWOOD, JR 3,173,059

DISPENSER FOR FLUID AND SEMI-FLUID MATERIALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1963 i'hh/ENTOR GEORGE h. PACKwoooJE'. 5y ffi' y l g E? W4 4,6 M I, U] mem HIHII Ililllil HTTORNE75 April 1965 e. H. PACKWOOD, JR 3,178,059

DISPENSER FOR FLUID AND SEMI-FLUID MATERIALS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 24, 1963 73 55 B3 hVv ENTOR:

GEORGE H. PACKWOOQJR- United States Patent Ofiice l ntern-ted l3, 1%55 3,17%,t959 DISPENSER EFGR ELUil) AND SEMi-FLUID MATERZALS George H. Pachweod, in, Glencoe, Ma, assignor to G. H. Paclrwoed hi'anuiracturing Company, St. Louis, halo, a corporation oi Missouri Filed .ian. 24, 1963, Ser. N 253,557 31 Claims. (6i. 222-45) The present invention relates to a dispenser for fiuid and semi-fluid materials. It is particularly useful in connection with the dispensing of hand cleaners, lotions and the like, although it is to be understood that it can dispense any similar materials. It can be used with any type of material that can be packed in a bottle, and which will flow therefrom under pressure differentials contemplated herein.

Baically the invention consists of a dispenser body a product container associated with the body. The body preferably is a unit, cast or molded of metal or plastic. Two kinds of containers are of particular use in the present combination. One of them is a rigid cylindrical receptacle typified by the familiar can, and the other is a plastic bottle. Other types of containers can be use as will appear from the description. A bottle has certain advantages, including the elimination of mess and drip; but since some products come conventionally in other types of containers, the dispenser has been designed to incorporate such other Where a can type container is used, it conventionally is opened by the removal of its top cover. T he cover can be a slip or friction-fit cover, or it rolled on, may be removed by a can opener. The dispenser body is adapted to receive the upper edge of the container in inverted position. The arrangement provides a sealing relationship between the container and the body by the interfit of the wall or" the can into an appropriate groove in the dispenser body. When a bottle is used, its threaded neck is threaded into a portion of the dispenser body while the shoulder of the bottle is stabilized on the top surface of the dispenser body, and additional stabilizing means may be used to interfit with the same groove that receives the top of the can. The dispenser can use either type container with no change in its operation or mechanism. In both cases, the product to be dispensed can be drawn past a check valve into a dispenser chamber or passage through the action of a piston in a suction stroke, and then ejected trough a discharge orifice past another check valve by a return stroke of the piston. The dispenser is adapted to be fastened on a wall in such wise that the body can be inverted, so that a container of product to be dispensed can be secured to the dispenser body while the can re mains in upright position, and after installation of the can onto the dispenser body, the body may be reverted. The dispenser is designed to employ the check valves described, which necessitated a design that prevents channelliag of material that could break the piston suction.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a dispenser of the foregoing kind that can be operated wit either liquid, semi-liquid or gel-like material Without any change whatsoever in the operating mechanism. Another object is to provide a dispenser of the foregoing kind in which the product container can be either a can, which is preferred for gel-like or semi-liquid materials, or a bottle which is preferred when the material to be used is liquid as in the case of a lotion.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser of this type in which the liquid or semi-liquid product is sucked into the discharge passage by one stroke of a piston and emitted from that passage by the return stroke of the piston; and in which there is a minimum opportunity for channelling through the mass or material in the container to break the suction and prevent the intake of material into the-dispensing chamber. In this connectien it is object to provide a positive valving arrangernent that insures metered dispensing. Another object of the invention is to provide means to adjust the amount of material thatis dispensed with each cycle of operation of the dispensing mechanism and to do this specifically by adjusting the stroke of the piston.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means to prevent the entrapment and retaining of air below the duct to be dispensed when a new receptacle thereof is placed on the dispenser body. And particularly it is an object to provide a venting means to permit discharge of such air. It is an object of the invention to provide a combination of an indicator plus a follower plate wherein the indicator tells the amount of material remaining in the dispenser to be dispensed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a desirable supporting means for attaching the dispenser to a wall or other support, which enables the dispenser 'to be inverted and reverted readily, and yet to be held securely in upright position. And in this it is a further object to provide such mechanism that is compactly combi with the operating mechanism of the dispenser to rm. .mize the projection of the dispenser out from the wall and to give a maximum degree of strength. Another object is to provide attaching means for securing the dispenser to a wall that can permit the dispenser to be lifted from the wall and to be restored to the wall with a minimum of difficulty.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dis pe ser of the foregoing type in which the main body member can be made from a single unitary casting, such a a die casting or by injection molding such as plastic. And another object includes the arrangement of the dis pensing operating mechanism including the valves in such ways that they can be readily installed into the foregoingcasting or molded part and also can be removed for replacement if necessary.

Another object is to provide a dispenser of this type havins an infinite number of adjustments of the amount dispensed by each cycle of operation. An additional one is to provide a dispenser of this type that can be loaded in any of threeways-by inverting a product container into the dispenser body, by pivoting the body into inverted position and lifting the upright container into position thereon and then reverting, and by readily removing the dispenser from the wall and installing a new container of product. Other objects include providing a dispenser that minimizes spillage and mess, both in operation and in installation and at rest; that minimizes rocking and jerking in use and therefore minimizes breaking the dispenser away from its support; that can be loaded quickly and without special tools; and that can be easily removed from the wall and easily cleaned.

Other objects will appear from the description to follow.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the body portion of the dispenser with the product receptacle removed;

FIGURE 2 is a'front-to-rear medial vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 with a cylindrical can product receptacle in place;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical section with the cylindrical can receptacle in place, taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a View similar to FlGURE 3 showing a plastic bottle type of product receptacle, but not showing all of the dispenser body;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 2, on an enlarged scale;

7 FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 3, on an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 7 is a rear view of the main casting of the. 1

- I dispenser body;

FIGURE 8 is a bottom view of the main casting of the dispenser body; 1

'-FIGURE 9 is a rear elevation of the retainer used in fastening the dispenser to the wall;

FIGURE. 10 is a back view of the Wall plate usedin attaching the dispenser to a wall or the like; I j FIGURE 11 is a horizontal section on the line 11-12t ofFIGURElO; V 7

FIGURE 12 is' a top plan view of the bottom plate for the dispenser; a

. FIGURE 13 .is an elevation of the crank driver used in operating the dispenser; 1

FIGURE14 is a bottom plan view of the crank driver ofFIGURE 13;

FIGURE 15 is an end view of said crank driver; 7 FIGURE 16 is a sectional view of the crank driver taken through the axis thereof on the line 16I6 of FIG- UREIS;

provide for the dispensing thereof in measured amounts and to provide for the support thereof in appropriate position on a wall or the like. Preferably, the dispenser body is permanently molded in a single piece from some appro-. priate material such as metal or plastic.' As is shown by the drawings, the dispenser body projects forwardly from the wall or the like and can be attached to the Wall in a particular manner to be described.

The body 20 is provided with a back wall 21, this back wall having a circular recess 22 formed inwardly from its rear surface, the bottom of which recess is provided with an opening 23. It also has three lugs providing for screw holes 24 that may be threaded to receive screws, as will appear. i V

p The back wall 21 also has a lateral projection 25 that is notched in a hook 27 for a purpose to appear.

The circular recess 22 is adapted, to receive a dished and flanged retainer 28, the center portion of which is circular so as to fit slidingly within the recess. A wall plate 29 has a circular recess 30 through which, the outside of the body of the retainer 28 fits with a slidable engagement. The retainer has a flange 31 engageable against the back of the wall plate 29, so that the wall plate can be retained between the body 20 and the retainer. The retainer 28 has bosses providing three holes 32 that are spaced to correspond with the holes 24 in the back wall 21. Screws 33 pass freely through the holes 32 and are threaded into the holes 24. The retainer has I a hole 34 through the middle thereof.

With this preferred arrangement the screws can be tightened into place into the body 20, and the retainer 28, by means of its flange 31, and will hold the dispenser body 20 insnugbut slidable engagement with the wall plate 29 so that it can be rotated from upright to inverted position. The wallplate 29 extends laterally far enough to receive a thumb screw 35 that, as illustrated in FIG- back surfacerecessed to receive the flange of theretainer 28. In other words, the back surface of the wall plate 29 is the rearmost part of the dispenser body being further back than the retainer 28 or the heads of the screws'32. Thus it can be placed flush against a wall. The wall plate is provided with keyhole shaped holes 37 at its four corners. These have their upper margins inset as at 38. Thus when headed screws 39 are threaded'through the holes 37 into the wall in the four appropriate positions, the plate 29 can be placed over them and then .rnoved vertically downwardly, bringing the heads 39 into the narrow parts of the holes where they will hold the plate onto thev wall. In these positions, their heads do not project out far enough to interfere with turning the dispenser bodyupside down and back.

The dispenser body 20 has an upper portion generally I designated at 4 2. I Preferably, but not necessarialy, this portion, 4-2 is circular. typical size of this dispenser, the circular portion 42 In order to give an idea of a may have a diameter of about 6% inches.

Thecircular portion 42 is provided with a deep periphcral groove 43 continuously around its outside edge.

This groove is disposed between an outside more or less' vertical wall 44 and an inside more or less vertical wall 45. The vertical wall 45 preferably is not as high as the wall 44. The sides of the grooves 43 should be sloped to accommodate for variations in size of cans introduced into the groove and also to facilitate placing the can in position. The wall 44 extends'all the way around the dispenser body. The wall 45 is formed as continuous with a generally horizontal wall 46 constituting, in use, a bot- 1 tom for the product receptacle. The wall an is dished toward the center, as illustrated. As shown, particularly in FIGURES 1 and 2, there is a front recess 48 and a back recess 49 that form wells in this surface 46 that minimizethe amount of material inthe unit.

Extending downwardly from below the wall 46 and int'egral therewith are two substantially

vertical walls

52 and 53. These walls slope inwardly toward each other toward 1 the front of the'dispenser body where they merge into a more or less circular portion 54 designed to provide a discharge opening as will appear. The wall 46 extends continuously across the upper portions of the two

walls

52 and 53, except in the two

wells

48 and 49.

, At the center of the wall 46 a circular recess 56 is formed. Suitable bridge walls 57 and S8 span the

wells

48 and 49 to make the walls of this recess continuous. inwardly of the recess 56 there is a somewhat deeper annular threaded recess 5%, the walls of which are threaded as preferably by a coarse thread. Forthe typical dispenser here used for illustration, a 38 mm. 6-thread per- URES 1 and 3, can be engaged by the hook 27 of the inch special buttress thread is appropriate.

Within the annular recess 59 and concentric therewith, there is an annular wall 60 that provides an internally threaded recess 61. The recess is bored in the bottom as seen in FIGURE 6, to provide shoulders 62 for seating a spring, as will be explained.

The bore 61 opens into a dispensing chamber 63 that is formed within walls 65 molded integrally with the body 20.

The chamber 63 opens through to the back of the body 20. Forwardly from the back it is machined into circular shape as shown at 67, to receive a piston as will appear. This machined portion terminates at the opening 61. The bottom wall of this tubular part is cut away at 68. toward the rear, to receive a crank arm as will appear.

The forward part of the passage 653 communicates through a hole 69 with a vertical bore '78 that opens through the bottom of the dispenser body.

The depending dispenser body side wall 52 is provided 7 with a boss 73 that-extends inwardly fromthe wall 52. At

the top of the boss 73 there is a reinforcing web 74 that extends from the wall 45 to the wall 52. A vent hole 76 of tapered shape extends upwardly frorn the bottom of the boss 73 to the bottom of the annular recess 59. Near the upper part of the boss 73 and opposite the center of the passage 66 there is a horizontal screw hole 7'7, for a purpose to appear. The outer, and, as illustrated, somewhat larger portion of this hole 77 is threaded. Depending to one side of the wall 53 there is a handle bracing lug 80 that also may be formed integrally with the body 20.

The

walls

52 and 53 and associated parts provide a recess or enclosure 82, opening upwardly into the bottom of the dispenser body 2t). This may be closed by a bottom plate 83 that is removably held in place by screws. This plate 83 should have a hole 34 through it for a purpose to appear, and a hole 85 to register with the bottom of the vent passage 76. At its forward end, the plate 83 has an upstanding ported boss that fits up into the outlet bore 7t as will appear.

The chamber 63, as noted, is part of a dispensing passage for paste, gel-like cream, lotions, or liquid material that is above the wall 46. This product material can flow to the upper part of the circular wall 6%) to be dispensed. This wall 69 receives a check valve that is part of the dispensing operating mechanism. The check valve includes a flanged cap 86 that is threaded into the inner surface of the circular wall 60. The cap has an opening to provide a valve seat for a ball valve 87 that is urged upwardly by a spring 88 that rests upon the shoulder 62 previously mentioned, and illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6. The spring thus yieldably urges the ball 87 into closing engagement with its seat in the cap 86. But when the ball is displaced downwardly against the spring 88, material may flow past the ball down into the chamber 63.

The material to be dispensed may be ejected from the chamber 63 past another ball check valve 943 that seats on a seat at the upper part of the discharge bore 70. The ball 90 is urged upwardly by a spring 91. The spring 91 is held in place by a boss 92 on the forward end of the bottom plate 33. This boss 92 has a tapered rectangular or other shaped hole d3 through it, that forms an outlet or discharge orifice for the material to be dispensed. The size of this hole can be changed by changing the bottom plate 83.

A piston arrangement is used with the foregoing other components of the dispenser operating mechanism to cause material to be drawn in past the valve 87 and ejected outwardly past the valve This includes a spooltype piston 95 reciprocating horizontally in the machined bore 67. This piston preferably has an O-ring 96 about its main piston head. The rear part of the piston is bi furcated, providing a slot 97 into which is pivotally mounted one end of a pitman or crank arm $8. This lever arm, as appears from FIGURE 5, can be received Within the openin s 23 and 34 to make the device more compact and able to be placed more closely against the wall. The other arm of the crank 98 extends in the recess 82 forwardly and somewhat downwardly, and at its forward end is pivotally engaged on a pin 1% that projects laterally from a crank adjusting slide Till. This crank adjusting slide has flat opposite sides so that it can be received in the rectangular slide opening 1030f a crank driver 104. The slide 101 is adapted to slide up and down the length of the opening 103 and it does so by means of a screw 106 that passes through a hole 107 in the end of the driver, is threaded into a hole 103 in the slide 101, and has its end projecting beyond the opposite end of the crank driver 184-. The screw res is held in the driver by an appropriate retaining snap ring over its end which permits the screw to turn freely but not to move axially. Of course, turning the screw moves the crank slide 101 along the opening 103 and alters the distance from the axis of rotation of the crank to the pivot center of the end ofthe arm 28.

The crank driver 1M, which constitutes the crank arm of this assembly, has a hub 112 extending from the side thereof and bearing in the Wall 53. The hub 3112 projects beyond the wall and has a non-circular .(fiatted) 6, bore so as to receive the similarly shaped end of a shaft 113 of a crank 114 that is adapted to be operated by hand. The shaft 113 is secured into the hub 112 by a locking pin 115 that can be applied from the outside. This prevents the part from becoming disassembled and also holds the crank driver in place.

This dispenser body is adapted to cooperate with different kinds of product containers. In FIGURES 2 and 3, a metal can 126 is illustrated. This is a typical cylindrical can of the type that is usually made of sheet steel coated with tin as shown upside down. In the illustration the can is shown as being approximately 5 /2 X7 /2. The can may have a bottom 121, here appearing at the top of the can, which may be'curled over the edge in familiar fashion. This bottom 121 should be provided with a central hole 122, here illustrated as inch in diameter. This hole is initially closed by a knock-out plug partially incised so that it can be readily removed, or it can he covered by a piece of removable tape or the like.

The top edge of the can is curled as is known in the art. The bottom of the groove 43 is shaped to receive this curl, which remains after the lid is removed by one of the usual can opening devices. The inside diameter of the can should be such as to provide a snug fit within the groove 43.

The can is filled with the material to be dispensed, on top of a follower plate 124. When a fresh can of material is placed on the dispenser body in a manner that will be described hereafter and the hole 122 is opened, an indicator and weight arrangement is also applied. This comprises an indicator tag 125 connected to a flexible cable 126 that has a weight 127 on its end. This weight may be a lead sinker and the cable may be a cord or metallic element. The weight fits through the hole 122 and engages on top of the follower plate 124. It will follow the plate down, aiding the plate to follow thematerial as the level thereof drops. The rnember 125 constitutes a handle by which the weight can be pulled up,

and also constitutes an indicator, since its vertical position indicates how much material is left in the dispenser.

This dispenser body can also be used with a different kind of a product container such as the plastic bottle 128 shown in FIGURE 4. This bottle has a tip 129 in its bottom, here inverted, which can be clipped oil to provide a vent hole when the bottle is placed in dispensing position. The bottle has its neck formed with a threaded portion 13% adapted to be engaged with the threads 58. It also has a shouldered portion 131 that fits within the recess 56. Its upper wall 132 fits against the surface 46 and it preferably has a circular ridge 133 that fits into the groove 43 and engages around the wall 45 to a greater or lesser degree, as is desired to give a maximum degree of stability. Finally, it also may have a shoulder-like portion 134 that can engage on the top of the wall 44 for stabilizing purposes. While the bottle will work with less than all of these stabilizing elements, they all contribute to its being held firmly in the dispenser body, and are of value in connection with a plastic bottle which is not perfectly rigid. The bottle preferably has a follower plate or disc 135 similar to the plate 124 in the can, if the product is a plastic of gel-like cream. If the product is free-flowing, no such plate is used. The plate or disc is made of flexible plastic that is inserted into the bottle by being rolled to a size to pass through the bottle neck. When in the bottle it expands to fiat condition and rests at the bottom of the bottle.

It can be observed from FIGURES 3 and 4 that when the bottle or the container is in dispensing position, the vent 76 which opens from the bottom of the dispenser body through to the inside of the threaded wall 56 can I not begins to appear through the vent 76, a thumb screw Bil) can be turned down, which cuts off this vent.

then fastened into place.

Use and operation l The preferred form of installation of this dispenser is against a fiat wall, although it will be readily understood that it can be fastened to other'places and, with appropriately shaped brackets added to it, can be attached to irregular surfaces.

In the illustrated form, installation is made by first applying the wall plate 29 against the back 21 of the body 20, then inserting the retainer 28 in place so that its flange 31 engages the wall plate 29 and its body portion passes through the opening 30 thereof and seats in the recess-.22 in 'the back of the dispenser body. The screws 33 are put in place and are tightened to hold these to be dispensed in the present dispenser. In the first, a

container of material is opened, inverted and then installed onto the body 20 while the latter remains upright. This requires the product to be stifl' enough, relatively to the size of the opening in the container,to stay in the container when it is inverted and installed.

In the second .method of installing a container of product, the thumb screw 35 is loosened. This permits the dispenser body 2% to be swiveled until his upside down; I If a can 120 of product to be dispensed is employed, the

first thing is to remove the lid from the can, leaving a clean and preferably beaded finish around the top of the can wall. This can, still in its upright position, is elevated against the inverted dispenserbody until the can flange is seated snugly in the groove 43. While holding the can in place, with one hand, the dispenser body can be reverted by engaging it with the other hand, until the can is in the upright position illustrated. The hook 27 V is again slipped over the thumb screw 35, which is then tightened. v

In this arrangement, the edge and wall of the container fit deeplyand snugly enough into the groove 43 to prevent wobblingv of the container during use. To aid in this, the

walls

44 and 45 fit closelylaround the container; This stability is especially enhanced where the can is provided with a relatively large diameter such as has been indicated and where its height is not over about one and one-half times its diameter. 7

After reversion of the dispenser, the hole 122 in the top is opened, breaking a suction above the product and above the plate 124 that is packed in the bottom. The weight 127 is inserted through the hole and rests upon the top of the plate 124, which is packed with the product in the can. The product then settles down on the top wall 47 of the body and fills in around the valve 87. In the event a plastic bottle such as 128 is used, the body 20 is inverted as above. The cap is unscrewed from the bottle, and the upright bottle is screwed into the recess 59. In this action, the stabilizing parts are brought into firm engagement by the pull of the threads. When the bottle is well secured in place, the assembly may be reverted and the screw 35 tightened.

In order to permit a free downward flow of the prod I uct, even though it may be semi-liquidor gel-like, the

thumb screw 143 is unscrewed somewhat, opening the .vent 76 and'permitting escape of any air entrapped in the bottom of the dispenser that might prevent downfiow. of the product. caped, the thumb screw is again tightened, sealingoii the As soon as the'air has completely esvent 76.

The product flows downwardly and fills around the' parts together; but the arrangement permits the dispenser centrally located valve 87. Having it centrally located 1 minimizes the possibility of having a channel or passage form through the material withiri the can 120 or bottle 128 to the top thereof, which would destroy the vacuum that draws material into the dispensingchamber. It has been found that this disposition of .the valve eliminates having high walls on the dispenser body 20 that some dispensers use to insure presence of a sufficient head of materialto overcome any passages that form. The formation of passages is also restricted by the presence of the plate 124' or the plate 135, that extends evenly a maximum distance all around the port.

7 The material provides a' seal between its upper surface within the can, which is open to the atmosphere through the hole 122. or 129, and thevalve 87. The materials familiarly used and dispensed as for cleaning the hands contain oily or oil-like materials that aid in the forming of such seals and also aidlin providing seals'in the operation of this device. I

When it is desired to dispense some product, the operator cranks the crank 114 with one hand while the other hand is disposed below the outlet orifice 93. Turn' ing thecrank' 114 rotates thexcrank driver 104; The

of the crank 114 causes a rotary motion of the pin100 on the crank slide, which motion results in a reciprocation of the piston 95 within the machined cylinder 67. The stroke of the piston and, as will appear, the amount of the material dispensed for each stroke of the piston is regulated by the adjustment of the screw 106 which changes the length of the crank arm.

As the piston 95 moves in, which is to'the right in FIGURE 2, it acts as a movable wall constricting the discharge chamber 63, and this expels the product outwardly past the valve 99. During this, the valve 87 seals against its Seat,preventing'expulsion of the product back into the product container. As one'revolution of the crank 114 is completed, the piston 95. is retracted, which is to the left in FIGURE Z. It again acts as a movable wall, butthis time it enlarges the chamber 63. The action is accompanied by the seating of the valve 90 and the development'of a low pressure area back of the valve 87, whereupon this valve 87 is opened by the force of atmosphere and gravity to cause product to pass inwardly into the chamber 63 around the valve 87.

7 At the start it may be necessary to operate the crank a number of times in order to expel air from the chamber 63, but once it is expelled, thereafter the product fills this chamber. Thereafter, a single complete rotation of the crank arm 114 will draw one charge of material from the container into the chamber 63, and expel one charge therefrom through the orifice 93 The amountis determined by the adjustment of the screw 1%, within maximum and minimum limits.

The indicator 125, by its elevation, tells the quantity of material in the can. Ordinarily the plastic bottles are suificiently translucent to enable the quantity remaining therein to be observed from outside the bottle, so that the indicator is unnecessary.

It is to be observed that the main part of this dis penser body can be made of a single molding and the other parts applied thereto without difliculty. 'In order to installthe crank parts, the bottom plate 83' is removed. This also gives full and free access to these crank parts for. adjustment of the stroke of the crank and hence of the amount to be dispensed per revolution of the hand crank 114, although adjustment can usually be made by inserting a screw driver through the hole 84. Removal of this plate 83 also gives access'to the check valve 963' dispensed has been described as including an inversion of The disposition of these operating parts in an snrspso the dispenser bowl by swiveling, it also can be done a third way by taking the dispenser bowl entirely off the wall and applying it to the can, then inverting the combination and reapplying it to the wall. This is readily done because of the use of the keyhole slot arrangement.

It will be noted that the dispenser can be changed from using a can to using a bottle product receptacle without any mechanical or operational alterations. The valving arrangement operates with either in a manner to minimize air-channelling and hence loss of suction required to draw a viscous material into the dispensing chamber 48. It can shift from free-flowing liquid to stiff gels without requiring any change, any tools, or any adjustments.

This dispenser minimizes mess and leakage in another way. Both the can and the bottle are actually in sealing engagement with the dispenser body 26. Consequently, material cannot escape by oozing around the joint between the container and the body 20. Some dispensers,-

having no air vent, provide a venting at this joint, but at the cost of leakage of product at the vent.

This dispenser provides a long path from the valve 87 to the

port

122 or 129, because of the centrality of the valves and the use of the

plate

124 or 135. This so minimizes channelling that it could break the feed suction. The central valve requires the operating mechanism to be ofi-center, but the interfitting of these parts in the space usually employed in the supporting bracket prevents making the dispenser body excessively large or excessively stand out from the wall. Also the arrangement enables the delivery orifice to be under the main body 24), instead of projecting forward from it where it is somewhat dangerously in the way, or can be broken by accidental blows. Note also that the compact arrangement, with the crank type operation, minimizes rocking of the dispenser during use, and hence reduces the tendency to pull it off the wall.

This dispenser can easily be cleaned, either by running water through it in an ordinary dispensing manner, or by taking it from the wall and cleaning it. The keyhole slots 37 make the dispenser easy to lift bodily from the wall, without using any tools, or removing any screws. Its

light weight (in plastic about two pounds) makes the removal and cleaning easy. The simple arrangement of parts makes cleaning easy. And water can readily be washed through its dispensing parts to clean them.

Also to be noticed is the fact that the piston arrangement, which constitutes a movable wall means to vary the size of the dispensing chamber to produce in-feeding suction and expelling pressure, does not require the piston to cross the inlet. The piston does not have to act as a valve, cutting off the inlet, as in some dispensers. This means that the piston can have a sealing fit in its cylinder, as by the O-ring 96, a feature that is impractical when the piston must cross the inlet port, because of the wear on the seal developing from repeatedly forcing it across the port. The present design operates without valving by the piston by having the check valve 87. But former dispensers have been unable to use a check valve because its resistance to flow requires a good suction, and strong suction increases the tendency to channel through the product to the air above, breaking the suction. Since the present arrangement minimizes such channelling, a strong suction can be used. With this mechanism also, the inteed of additional material can begin the moment a suction is created sufficient to overcome the valve impedance, whereas in dispensers wherein the plunger acts as a valve, infeed cannot begin until the plunger has retracted from its expulsion pressure stroke to uncover the inlet port. Accordingly, the time for charging the dispensing chamber in such other dispensers is short, especially when the crank is operated rapidly. Incomplete charging and dispensing result. Indeed, other dispensers may require devices to impose pressure upon the material to speed its entry into the dispensing chamber. Such blades and the like are un- 19 necessary here. And this dispenser delivers'all of the product from the can or bottle, not leaving any waste.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the process of this invention as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are within the scope and teaching of this invention as definedby the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dispenser for liquid and semi-liquid materials, a dispenser body, a product container mounted on the body, the product container having a vertical axis and a lower wall generally transverse to the axis, and a neck depending from the middle of the lower wall, and means to secure the body to a wall or the like support, the body having an upwardly facing surface. with an inlet opening through the middle thereof; the body having a means to engage the lower wall of the container at distances substantially outward from the inlet and leaving also a continuous receptacle-receiving recess around the opening; the product container being thus supported on the body and its neck having a depending wall engaged in said recess in sealing relationship with the body to prevent leakage around the wall, and to dispose the product over the opening; the body having a vent through from within the recess to the outside of the dispenser body, to connect the area adjacent the recess to the outside, and means to open and close said vent, whereby to relieve air pressure in the dispenser as desired; a dispensing chamber in the housing, the inlet opening leading thereinto, and an outlet opening leading therefrom and providing a discharge orifice; mechanism providing metering discharge of product from the con tainer, including a piston slidable in the chamber in a suction stroke direction to draw material from the receptacle into the chamber and movable in the opposite direction to expel material from the chamber; and means to prevent ingress to the chamber through the outlet on the suction stroke and to prevent egress of material through the inlet on the opposite stroke.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, with the means to operate the piston that includes a crank, an arm for connecting the crank to the piston; and means for adjustably and pivotally connecting the arm to the piston, and means for connecting the arm to the crank at different distances from the center of rotation of the crank.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, with a crank arm connected at one end to the piston, and extending downwardly and inward below the piston, a crank mounted on the body for rotation about a horizontal axis, and pivotally connected to the crank arm.

4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the last-named means includes a tubular fitting threaded into the walls of the inlet opening, a ball in the fitting and scalable thereagainst, and a spring acting against the ball to urge it into sealing engagement, the fitting being insertable from above into the body.

5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the body has the circular wall integral with the walls of the chamber, the chamber comprising a horizontal portion and a vertical portion, the latter being the discharge outlet; walls depending on opposite sides of the horizontal portion and connected with the vertical portion to form an enclosure below the horizontal portion; a crank having its driver in the enclosure, and a crank arm in the enlosure and connected pivotally to the crank driver and the piston.

6. In a dispenser: a body having a dispensing chamber with an inlet at the center axis of the container, and a material container having a downwardly-projecting wall surrounding a material passage in its lower end, the container being superposed above and having its downwardly-projccting wall in sealing engagement with the body; the container having a vent in its upper end, and a gravityoperated follower plate above the material and extending across the container substantially into contact with its inner walls all around but free of said walls; and suctiontype means to draw material to be dispensed, from the 1 1 container through the inlet into the chamber; the arrange: ment of the inlet and follower plate and the sealing of the container to the body minimizing channelling through the material to the top thereof.

7. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein thesuction means includes a piston reciprocable in a cylinder that forms part of the dispensing chamber, the piston having a path of travel that does not cross the inlet. 7

8. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein the body has a continuous recess around its upper surface and the downwardly projecting wall engages with the body in said recess in sealing engagement, the recess being wide enough to permit the edge of the container to be readily inserted and withdrawn.

9. The dispenser of claim 8, wherein the recess comprises a deep groove rounded at its bottom, and the container comprises a can with a vertical wall with a rounded edge constituting the downwardly-projecting wall insertable into and removable from the groove to dispose its edge in sealing engagement with the bottom of the groove, and to support the container stably on the body.

10. In a dispenser: a body formed of a. single unitary member having a back wall, a top wall, and two spaced depending side walls merging with the forward side of,

the back wall and the under side of the top wall; a dis pensing chamber arranged below the top wall between the side walls, an inlet into the dispensing chamber through the top wall; an outlet for the dispensing chamber; the dispensing chamber extending to the back wall and opening through the same; an enclosure formed between the side walls, forward of theback wall, and below the chamber, the enclosure opening out the bottom; a crank mounted on one side wall for rotation about a horizontal axis, an arm pivotally connected to the crank, and a plunger in the dispensing chamber connected to the arm .at the back open end of the chamber.

means including a circular boss-and-recess attaching means between the plate and the back wall for rockably mounting the body on the plate, the wall plate having quickly-detachable means for securing it to a wall, whereby the dispenser may be readily removed from the wall as well as swivelled about the attaching means, and stop means for securing the body uprightly.

12. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein the back Wall has a circular recess through which the chamber opens, a retainer with a cylindrical offset in the circular recess, and having a flange parallel to the back wall in spaced rela- ItiOl'l, the bottom of the retainer being secured to the back wall; a wall plate having a circular hole disposed around the cylindrical offset of the retainer and retained between the flange and the back wall; the back wall having hook means and the wall plate having stop means engageable by the hook means when the body member is upright.

13. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein there is a bottom plate spanning the side walls and extending over the outlet, and orifice means on the bottom plate where it crosses the outlet. 14. The dispenser of claim 13, wherein there is a check valve in the outlet, including a ball and a spring, the spring engaging the ball and the bottom plate. 7

15. The dispenser of claim 10, wherein there is dispensing operating mechanism, including a piston reciprocable in the chamber toward and from the back wall; an arm pivotally connected to the back of the piston, extending downwardly and forwardly in the enclosure; a crank in- I eluding a crank driver rotatable about a vertical axis, in

the enclosure, the driver having a radial slot, a crank slide operable radially in the slot and rockably connected to the end of the piston arm; and means for adjusting the crank slide in the slot to change the stroke of the piston.

16. The dispenser of claim 15, wherein the last-named means includes a screw, a bottom plate covering the enclosure, and a hole in the bottom plate giving ready access to the screw.

onto the body, the container having an opening in the upper end thereof; an element in the container floating on the material; an indicator to tell the level of liquid in the container, including a member insertable through the opening and weighted so as to be engageable with the top of the floating element and movable therewith, and means connected therewith visible from outside the container to indicate the level of the floating element.

. 18. The dispenser of claim 17, wherein the floating element'comprises a plate, and the means visible from the outside includes a flexible connector from the plate, passing through the opening in the upper end of the container.

19. In a dispenser of the kind described: a dispenser body and an inverted, removable container thereon for flowable' material; the container having side walls, an upper wall disposed at the top' of the inverted container, and a bottom at the lower end 'of the inverted container, the bottom providing an opening for egress of material and alower portion around the lower end of the inverted container approximately coextensive with the side walls;

the body having an upper surface upon which the container rests, the upper surface having portions coextensive with the aforesaid lower portion of the container for interengagement of the container and body at the outer parts of the container so as to give a stable support to the removable container, interengaging but separatable means on the surface and the container interfitting together to provide a seal; a'dispensing chamber in the body comprising a horizontal cylinder extending from the back of the dispenser forwardly; an inlet through the upper surface of the body and connecting into the chamber, an outlet from the chamber; a check valve in'the inlet to pre-' vent back flow therethrough; a check valve in the outlet to prevent fluid flow into the chamber from outside; a plunger in the chamber reciprocable backward and forward to draw material from the container into the chamber and to expel it via the outlet; a crank beneath the chamber rotatably supported on the body for rotation about a horizontal axis; a ipitman connecting the crank and the plunger/the pitman being pivotally connected to the plunger at the back thereof and being operable upon rotation of the crank to reciprocate the plunger; the outlet opening through the bottom of the body at least substantially within the forward limits of the container.

20. In the dispenser of claim 19: the chamber opening through the back of the body; a bracket for securing the dispenser to a support, (the bracket having interengaging parts with the back of the body, and having an opening in alignment with the chamber, the pitman connection to of the body and its opening being the opening aforesaid that receives the pitman.

22. In the dispenser of claim 19, pivot means connecting the pitman to the crank, the means being positionable adjustably toward or from the axis of the crank to vary the stroke'of the plunger, and a screw accessible at the lower part of the dispenser to adjust the position thereof and to hold the pivot means in adjusted position.

, 23. In the dispenser of claim 19, the forward extent of the chamber being closed and being within the for: ward extent of the container.

24. In the dispenser of claim 19: the interengaging but separable means providing a seal between the upper surface of the body and the lower part of the inverted container comprising a threaded recess adjacent the center of 13 the said upper surface, surrounding the inlet, and a threaded neck on the container screwed into said recess, the container having a shoulder extending laterally from the neck to coopreate with the upper surface of the body to provide the stable support as aforesaid.

25. In a dispenser: a body and a container for flowable material; the container comprising an inverted bottle with generally cylindrical sides having an intially closed upperly-disposed wall and a loWerly-disposed wall having a neck projecting medially therefrom, the latter wall extending outwardly from the neck to the sides, in a direction transverse to the axis of the bottle, to form a shoulder, the shoulder being at least about twice as wide as the neck, the neck being cylindrical and provided with threadlike fastening means; the body having an upper surface with a recess at its mid-portion, the walls of which have thread-like fastening means complementary to those on the container, whereby the container may be secured to the body by the interengaging of the fastening means; the upper surface of the body extending outwardly around the recess and having upwardly facing portions engageable with the lowerly-disposed wall of the container around the shoulder thereof outwardly from the neck, and sufiiciently closely to the side Walls of the container to provide stable support for the container by the combination of the medial fastening means and the shoulder support; and means in the body below the neck for causing dispensing of material from the container.

26. In a dispenser: a body and a container for fiowablc material; the container comprising an inverted flexible plastic bottle having a vertical axis side walls, an upper wall, and a lower wall, the lower wall being generally transverse to the axis and extending inwardly from the side walls toward the axis, and having a downwardly projecting annular threaded neck at the middle of the lower wall, the lower wall extending around the neck and having an area several times the transverse area of the neck; the body having an upper surface similar but complementary in shape to the lower wall of the container so as to support the lower wall substantially throughout the extent thereof from the neck outwardly to the side Walls, the upper surface of the body having a threaded recess into which the neck of the bottle may be secured to cause it to be held and to cause the lower wall of the container to engage with the upper surface of the body, a passage through the body within the threaded recess and means on the body to cause material to flow through said passage and to be dispensed.

27. In the dispenser of claim 26: a follower disc in the bottle having dimensions less than the inside dimensions of the bottle so that it can freely descend in the bottle as the material is dispensed, and, the disc being of flexible and somewhat resilient material, so that it can be folded for insertion through the neck, and will expand to discshape when inside the bottle.

28. For a dispenser: a hollow container having an enlarged generally cylindrical body portion and a reduced annular neck; and a follower disc inside the container, made of flexible and resilient material so it can be inserted through the neck, and will return to disc shape in the container, the disc having dimensions less than the inner dimensions of the body of the container but approximating the same so that the disc can freely follow the upper surface of the contents of the container as the contents are withdrawn.

29. in the dispenser of claim 26: a removable projec ing tip on the upper wall of the bottle, formed in the plastic, the same being adapted to be clipped away to provide a vent in the upper end of the bottle.

30. in the dispenser of claim 26: the upper surface of the body having a peripheral channel around it, and the lower wall of the container having an integral ridge projecting from it for engagement into the channel.

31. In the dispenser of claim 26: a vent passage in the body from within the recess, to exhaust air from the lower part of the container, and means to open and close the vent.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A DISPENSER FOR LIQUID AND SEMI-LIQUID MATERIALS, A DISPENSER BODY, A PRODUCT CONTAINER MOUNTED ON THE BODY, THE PRODUCT CONTAINER HAVING A VERTICAL AXIS AND A LOWER WALL GENERALLY TRANSVERSE TO THE AXIS, AND A NECK DEPENDING FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE LOWER WALL, AND MEANS TO SECURE THE BODY TO A WALL OR THE LIKE SUPPORT, THE BODY HAVING AN UPWARDLY FACING SURFACE WITH AN INLET OPENING THROUGH THE MIDDLE THEREOF; THE BODY HAVING A MEANS TO ENGAGE THE LOWER WALL OF THE CONTAINER AT DISTANCES SUBSTANTIALLY OUTWARD FROM THE INLET AND LEAVING ALSO A CONTINUOUS RECEPTACLE-RECEIVING RECESS AROUND THE OPENING; THE PRODUCT CONTAINER BEING THUS SUPPORTED ON THE BODY AND ITS NECK HAVING A DEPENDING WALL ENGAGED IN SAID RECESS IN SEALING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BODY TO PREVENT LEAKAGE AROUND THE WALL, AND TO DISPOSE THE PRODUCT OVER THE OPENING; THE BODY HAVING A VENT THROUGH FROM WITHIN THE RECESS TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE DISPENSER BODY, TO CONNECT THE AREA ADJACENT THE RECESS TO THE OUTSIDE, AND MEANS TO OPEN AND CLOSE SAID VENT, WHEREBY TO RELIEVE AIR PRESSURE IN THE DISPENSER AS DESIRED; A DISPENSING CHAMBER IN THE HOUSING, THE INLET OPENING LEADING THEREINTO, AND AN OUTLET OPENING LEADING THEREFROM AND PROVIDING A DISCHARGE ORIFICE; MECHANISM PROVIDING METERING DISCHARGE OF PRODUCT FROM THE CONTAINER, INCLUDING A PISTON SLIDABLE IN THE CHAMBER IN A SUCTION STROKE DIRECTION TO DRAW MATERIAL FROM THE RECEPTACLE INTO SAID CHAMBER AND MOVABLE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO EXPEL MATERIAL FROM THE CHAMBER; AND MEANS TO PREVENT INGRESS TO THE CHAMBER THROUGH THE OUTLET ON THE SUCTION ON THE OPPOSITE STROKE.