US3219237A

US3219237A - Pouring spout

Info

Publication number: US3219237A
Application number: US393909A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jackson Clare Marie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-09-02
Filing date: 1964-09-02
Publication date: 1965-11-23
Anticipated expiration: 1982-11-23

Description

N 1965 G. MCSTAY JACKSON POURING SPOUT Filed Sept. 2, 1964 INVENTOR GEORGE M STAY JACKSON I, W, M:

3,219,237 PQURHNG SPOUT George McStay Jackson, Chicago, 111.; Clare Marie Jackson, executor of said George M. Jackson, deceased Filed ept. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 393,909 4 Claims. (Cl. 222--78) This invention relates to a pouring spout for bottles, and more particularly to a new and improved pouring spout which is illuminated upon tilting of the bottle for pouring the contents therefrom.

The invention is an improvement over the pouring spout disclosed and claimed in Patent 2,477,984, granted to me on August 2, 1949. In dispensing beverages, particularly alcoholic beverages from standard quart and one-fifth gallon bottles, in a cocktail lounge or like establishment, it is desirable to use a pouring spout on the bottles because of the frequency of the pouring operations. The pouring spout in the aforesaid patent includes a bottle stopper portion or plug adapted to be inserted in the neck of a bottle, a tubular passage extending through the stopper portion to an outlet in a decorative figure portion of the spout, and illuminating means actuated upon tilting of the spout when dispensing the contents of the bottle. As explained in my patent mentioned above, the decorative figure portion of the spout may include a design, such as a trademark, or advertising materials, such as a trade name, to produce upon its illumination an eye-catching effect having advertising and display value.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a pouring spout of the type described having new and improved means for slidably supporting one or more flashlight batteries which light a small bulb upon tilting of the bottle to which the spout is attached therby to illuminate the decorative portion of the pouring spout.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pouring spout of the type described including new and improved means adapting the spout to receive conventional flashlight batteries in unaltered form.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a pouring spout of the type described having unique means for facilitating installation and replacement of the flashlight battery and/or bulb.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following specification disclosing a preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing where- FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the pouring spout of this invention in its vertical non-pouring position;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing portions of the pouring spout broken away and in section;

FIG. 3 is a section taken along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a reduced perspective View of the illumination producing parts of the pouring spout removed from the latter; and

FIG. 5 is a section taken along line 55 of FIG. 2 with the bulb removed from the bulb supporting member.

Referring to the drawing, the pouring spout of this invention will be seen to include a decorative figure portion and a bottle stopper portion 12. In the illustrative form of the invention, the decorative figure portion of the pouring spout is shown in the form of a parrot. Portion 10 is substantially hollow and includes an elongated internal chamber 14 which is arranged at an angle to the vertical axis of the spout when the latter is in the vertical non-pouring position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Chamber 14 is open at its lower end and is substantially closed atet U by an element 16 which forms the tail of the parrot.

3,219,237 Patented Nov. 23, 1965 ice Element 16 is removable from the body of the parrot which forms the decorative portion of the bottle stopper, and this element is attached to the illuminating mechanism of the pouring spout as will be explained below.

Bottle stopper portion 12 includes an integral frustoconical portion or stopper 18 which is adapted to be snugly received in the mouth of a conventional quart or one-fifth gallon bottle. Stopper portion 12 also includes an integral outwardly extending flange 20 which slidably engages the underside of an inwardly extending flange 22 forming a part of a ring 24. Ring 24, which is freely rotatable on stopper portion 12, is internally threaded for threading engagement with the threads around the mouth of a bottle thereby adapting the ring for removably securing the pouring spout to a bottle.

The pouring spout further includes a pouring passageway 26 which extends through bottle stopper portion 12 and opens at the beak of the parrot which forms decor-ative portion 10 of the pouring spout. A vent passageway 28 extends through a tubular extension 30 integral with plug 18 and through stopper portion 12 where it communicates with additional vent passageways 32 and 34 which open at the exterior of spout portion 12. These passageways serve to prevent a vacuum hold-back by the liquid contends of a bottle to which the pouring spout is attached.

The pouring spout of this invention further includes a metallic, elongated base member 36 having one end thereof secured to element 16. Element 16, which is preferably of molded plastic construction, includes a suitable socket formation 38 in which one end of base member 36 is secured. Base member 36 includes laterally extending projecting portions 40 adjacent the end thereof secured to element 16, and other laterally projecting portions 42 at its other end. As noted in FIG. 3, the inblined base of chamber 14 includes opposed longitudinally extending guideways 44. These guideways receive

projections

40, 42 of the base member thereby slidably to receive the latter in chamber 14. In other words, base member 36 may be slid into and out of chamber 14 by sliding movement of

projections

40, 42 in guideways 44. This sliding movement is brought about by grasping element 16 by a persons fingers.

Base member 36 includes longitudinally extending inturned flanges 46 intermediate the ends thereof. A onepiece battery carrying slide member 48 is of generally U-shaped cross section having at its bight portion outwardly extending ribs 50 which are slidably received under flanges 46 of the base member thereby to mount the slide member for free reciprocal sliding movement longitudinally of the base member. Slide member 48, which is of metallic construction, includes curved side wall portions 52 which are adapted to be sprung apart for gripping the non-metallic casing of a flashlight battery. As noted in FIG. 3, chamber 14 includes inwardly extending ledges 53 which slidably engage slide member walls 52 thereby to stabilize the slide member laterally during its sliding movement in chamber 14. Slide member 48 further includes at one of its ends an integral bent portion 54 adapted to contact one end of a flashlight battery 56 and an integral lip 58 at its other end adapted to engage the other end of the battery adjacent the periphery thereof.

A cylindrical, metallic, threaded bulb supporting member 60 is open at one end thereof for threadingly receiving a conventional bulb 62. Bulb supporting member 60 is secured at its other end to a dielectric washer 64, which washer is secured to base member 36 by suitable means, such as a metallic rivet 66 (FIG. 5). Washer 64 insulates bulb supporting member 60 from both base member 36 and rivet 66. Rivet 66 serves as a contact and is engaged by the contact of bulb 62 when the latter is seated in the bulb supporting member.

When the pouring spout is tilted to the right, as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, for pouring the contents of a bottle through pouring passageway 26, slide member 48 slides from left to right for bringing terminal 68 of battery 56 into contact with bulb supporting member 60 thereby to complete the circuit for lighting bulb 62. It will be understood that decorative portion of the pouring spout is preferably made of plastic translucent material. Accordingly, when bulb 62 is lit the decorative portion 10 of the pouring spout is illuminated for drawing attention thereto. When the pouring spout is in the vertical non-pouring position illustrated, movement of slide member 48 away from the bulb supporting member is limited by engagement of bent portion 54 with the inside surface of element 16.

It will be realized that the pouring spout of this invention is adapted to receive conventional batteries of the flashlight type without the necessity of removing the non-metallic cover of the battery which is necessary in the use of the pouring spout disclosed in my aforesaid patent. It will be appreciated that base member 36 may be readily removed for installation and replacement of battery 56 and/or bulb 62 by grasping element 16 and slidably withdrawing the base member from the guideways in the base of chamber 14. Special tools or devices are not required for installing and replacing the battery and/ or bulb.

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not to be so limited. On the contrary, the invention is susceptible of various forms and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an illuminant pouring spout including a bottle stopper portion and a decorative portion provided with an elongated internal chamber arranged at an angle to the vertical axis of the spout when the latter is in a vertical non-pouring position on a bottle and which chamber is open at its lower end, which spout further includes a pouring passage, the improvement comprising, an elongated removable member detachably secured in said chamber, a finger-grippable element fastened to one end of said removable member, which element forms a part of said decorative portion and substantially closes the open end of said chamber when the removable member is secured in said chamber, a bulb supporting member secured on the other end of said removable member, a battery carrying slide member secured on said removable member intermediate the ends thereof for free sliding movement in either direction longitudinally of the removable member, said slide member and said bulb supporting member being arranged and adapted so that when the former is slid toward the latter a bulb in the bulb supporting member is lit by a flashlight battery in the slide member, whereby when the spout is tilted to a pouring position the decorative portion thereof is illuminated.

2. The pouring spout according to claim 1 wherein said slide member is generally U-shaped in cross section and formed of resilient material for releasably gripping one or more flashlight batteries.

3. In an illuminant pouring spout including a bottle stopper portion and a decorative portion provided with an elongated internal chamber arranged at an angle to the vertical axis of the spout when the spout is in a vertical non-pouring position on a bottle and which chamber is open at its lower end, which spout further includes a pouring passage, the improvement comprising, an elongated metallic base member removably secured in said chamber, a finger-grippable element fastened to one end of said base member, which element forms a part of said decorative portion and substantially closes the open end of said chamber when the base member is secured in the same, a cylindrical bulb supporting member open at one of its ends for reception of a bulb and having its other end secured to the other end of said base member via dielectric means, a contact supported by said dielectric means and being in electrical contact with said base member, a battery carrying slide member secured on said base member intermediate the ends thereof for free sliding movement in either direction longitudinally of the base member, which slide member is generally U-shaped in cross section and formed of resilient metallic material for releasably gripping the non-metallic cover of a flashlight battery thereby to support the latter in general parallel relation with the base member so that when the slide member is slid toward the bulb supporting member the latter is contacted by one end of a flashlight battery carried by the slide member, said slide member including a bent portion at the end thereof adjacent said one end of the base member for contacting the other end of the flashlight battery, whereby when the spout is tilted to a pouring position a bulb in said bulb supporting member is lit by the battery in said slide member for illuminating the decorative portion of the spout.

4. The pouring spout according to claim 3 wherein said elongated chamber includes longitudinally extending guideways in which laterally extending portions of the base member are slidably received, whereby said base member may he slid out of and into said chamber for installing and replacing the flashlight battery.

No references cited.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.