US476014A

US476014A - higgins

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Publication number: US476014A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1892-05-31
Anticipated expiration: 1909-05-31

Description

(No Model.)

C. S. HIGGINS. SOAP HOLDER. No. 476,014. Patented Mayl, 1892.

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1721 /ff eig/f@ Snom/hoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. HIGGINS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MARY FRANCIS B. HIGGINS, OF SAME PLACE.

SOAP-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,014, dated May 31, 1892.

v Application filed August 10, 1891. Serial No. 402.230. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. HIGGINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Soap-Holders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improved soap holder or receptacle for use in public places, such as hotel washerooms and the like, where persons are accustomedto wash in succession. Ordinarily in such places each person is com` pelled to use the same cake of soap, which is unpleasant to those of fastidious tastes and objectionable, and even dangerous on sanitary grounds, as the cake of soap thus used furnishes a means of communicating disease from one person to another.

My invention consists of a receptacle or holder of such size and shape in cross-section as to correspond to the size and shape of the cakes of soap to be held therein, said receptacle being provided with a closed lid or top and a looking device at its side; also, it has an opening in its lower front portion through which the cakes of soap may be withdrawn one by one; also, the holder or receptacle is provided with a forwardly-movable slide in its bottom and with supportingbrackets on its rear side, whereby it may be attached to a wall or other support.

The objects of my invention are, first, to obviate the above objections by furnishing the soap in separate cakes of suiiicient size to be used but once; second, to provide a soap holder or receptacle in which such cakes may be placed and held, the receptacle being so constructed and the cakes so arranged therein that they will descend by gravity and may be withdrawn one at a time for use, as more fully hereinafter explained. These objects are accomplished by the peculiar construction and arrangement or combination of the parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which the same reference-numerals indicate the same parts, and in which- Figure 1 represents a front elevation of my improved soap holder or receptacle, showing the same open and the arrangement of the cakes of soap therein; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the bottom of said holder or receptacle, looking from above; Fig. 3, a similar View of the lower surface of said bottom, looking toward the front end of the same; Fig. 4, a simi- 4lar view with the removable slide removed; Fig. 5, a detail end view of the removable slide.

In the drawings the numeral l indicates the soap holder or receptacle, which is made of suitable dimensions to contain the desired number of cakes of soap, and in cross-section is of a size to correspond to or approximate the contour of said cakes. In the present instance said holder or receptacle is represented as oval in shape in cross-section. At its lower front portion it is formed with the opening 2, which is of just sufficient size to permit the passage of a single cake of soap at a time. rlhe form of this opening also permits the two lower cakes to be separated in case they adhere, and thus provision is made for 'the easy and outward passage of all the cakes of soap from the holder or receptacle. At its top or upper end the receptacle is provided with the closed lid or cover 3.

The holder or receptacle l is formed of the two equal-sized front and rear parts 4 and 5, which are divided vertically and connected by the hinges 6 at their junction on theirleft sides and fastened by the locking devices 7 on their right or opposite sides.

The bottom 8 of the holder or receptacle is removably secured to the rear part 5 thereof by means of set-screws passed through the holes 9, formed in said bottom and registering with corresponding holes formed in the lower end of said rear part of the receptacle. This bottom is formed with the rectangular recess l0, which is open at its rear end and within which is mounted the movable slide ll, which is formed with the longitudinal grooves l2 in its edges for fitting over the metal along the sides of said recess and guiding said slide during its reciprocations. The front portion of the movable slide isinclined downwardly and provided with the flange 13 at its front edge for stopping the descent of the withdrawn cakes of soap.

Upon the under side of the movable slide IOO 11, at its center, is formed or secured the rack-bar lll, with which meshes the segmentgear 15, which is mounted upon the transverse shaft 1G, which is journaled in the lower ends of the brackets 17, which extend downwardly from the under side of the bottom of the receptacle. To the right end of this shaft is secured the upwardly and forwardly projec'ting finger-lever 19, and around said shaft is wound the spiral spring 1S), which is se-` cured at its ends to the brackets 17. lVhen said finger-lever is moved forwardly and downwardly, said spiral spring becomes wound very tightly around the shaft, and when said lever is released it acts to reverse the movement of said shaft, turn the segmentgear 15, which meshes with the rack-bar 14, and return the movable slide 1l to the rear end of the bottom of the receptacle and in position for its raised front end 20 to move forward another cake of soap. To prevent the spiral spring from moving said slide too far forward, a vertical pin 21 is secured to the under side of said slide near one of its edges and is arranged to come in contact with the horizontal pin 22, which projects inwardly from the upper end of one of the brackets 17. For strengthening the bottom of thoholder or receptacle it is provided on its lower surface along the edges of the recess 10 with the downwardly-projecting flanges 23.

The rear or back part of the holder or receptacle is provided with one or more brackets 39, having perforations through which screws or other fastening devices are passed for securing the receptacle to a wall or other support in vertical position; also, said receptacle is preferably formed of metal and may be ornamented as desired; also, it may be supported in any suitable manner, such as by an ornamental bracket or shelf,instead of by the brackets hereinbefore described.

Having thus fully described thev construction and arrangement or combination of the several parts of my invention, its advantages, and the lnanncr of using the same, what I claim as new is- 1. A holder or receptacle for cakes of soap, which is formed in its front lower portion with an opening of a size sufficient to permit of the withdrawal of a single cake at a time, Ain combination with a removable and recessed bottom and a forwardly-movable slide raised above said bottom, and mechanism for reciprocating said slide, and mechanism for operating the same, including a rack-bar on the slide, a segment-rack, a forwardly-movable slide, a transverse shaft, and a spiral spring surrounding the same, substantially as described.

2. A holder or receptacle for cakes of soap, which is formed in its front lower portion with an opening of a size suficientto permit of the withdrawal of a single cake at atime,in combination with a removable and recessed bottom and a forwardly movable slide raised above the same, and mechanism for reciprocating said slide, and mechanism for operating the same, including a rack-bar on the slide, a segment-rack, a forwardly-movable slide, a transverse shaft, and a spiral spring surrounding the same, said shaft being provided with a finger-lever at one end, substantially as described.

3. Aholder or receptacle forcakes of soap, which is formed in its frontlower portion with an opening of a size sufficient to permit of the withdrawal of a single cake atatime, in combination with a removable and recessed bottom, and a forwardlymovable slide raised above the same, and mechanism for reciprocatn g said slide, and mechanism for operating .the same, including a rack-bar on the slide, a

segment-rack, a forwardly-movable slide, a transverse shaft, and aspiral spring surrounding the same, said shaft being provided with a finger-lever at one end, which projects upward and forward, substantially as described.

4. In aholder or receptacle for cakes of soap, a slide formed with longitudinal grooves in its sides or edges, in combination with a stationary recessed and removable bottom, a transverse shaft, and a spiral spring surrounding the same, and gearing between said shaft and the slide, substantially as described.

5. .A holder or receptacle for cakes of soap, formed in two vertical parts and provided at its lower front end with an opening of a suflicient size to permit of the withdrawal of a single cake at a time and with a forwardlymovable slide for effecting the removal of said cake, in combination with a rack-bar, a segment-gear, and means for operatin g the same, said means including a transverse shaft, a spiral spring surrounding the same, and means for operating said shaft, said means consisting of an upward and forward extending {inger lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CI-IAS. S. HIGGINS.

Witnesses:

ISAAC LUBLIN, W. I-I. CORNELL.

ICO

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