US913028A - Condiment-holder. - Google Patents

Description

J. W. MEAKER. CONDIMEN T HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, woe.

91 3 ,028. Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

WITNESSES. INVENTOI apertures in its ends in which a UNITED STATES PLgTENT ()FFICE.

JOHN W. MEAKER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CONDIMENT-HOLDER.

' Application filed. January 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN WV. MEAKER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Detroit, in the county of 'Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Condiment Holders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to condiment holders for table use adapted to deliver small quantities of powdered pepper, salt or the like, and especially to certain arrangements thereof whereby the contents of the holder is not exposed to the outer air and may be positively ejected as needed without inverting or agitating the holder as in the usual type.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View in longitudinal section of a preferred form of holder constructed of sheet metal, which embodiesfeatures of the invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the holder. Fig. 8 is a view in transverse section on line ww of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view of a modified form of sheet metal holder having a screw top.

In its general features, the device consists of an appropriately shaped closed body or condiment receptacle having alined guide lunger or ejector 1s reciprocable longitudlnally, the condiment being delivered or forced through the lower guide aperture by the lower end of the ejector as the latter is made to play back and forth through the aperture, the receptacle being closed to the outer air at all times save when being filled. The receptacle and ejector may be returned to or maintained in their normal position by gravity or by sprlngs.

In the preferred form of sheet metal construction, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, a tubular receptacle 1 has an indrawn, centrally apertured base 2, and telescopes with an outer casing 3 which has an indrawn upper end 4: with a guide aperture alined with the aperture of the base 2. The lower end of the casing is flared out to form a supporting flange 5.

A bridge 6 consisting of a sheet metal strip secured transversely on the base 2 by tongues 7 on its upper margin passing through slots in the base and headed down Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909 1908. Serial N0. 408,986.

has projecting ends which may be turned into engagement with cross-wires 8 on the flange 5 and thus lock the parts together. The ejector, in this form, is a drawn metal tube 9 with permanently closed upper end, and extends through and is reciprocable in the guide apertures of the receptacle and easing, its lower end having longitudinal slots giving clearance for the bridge 6 the upper ends of which slots form stops or shoulders and prevent its turning. A central lug 10 on the bridge acts as a keeper for a spring 11 in compression between the bridge and top of the ejector, a cotter pin 12 or hke convenient stop limiting the up-stroke of the ejector. For convenience in assembling, after filling, a guide ring 13 encircles the upper end of the ejector and is secured in axial alinement with the guide apertures by a radial arm 14: secured at its outer end to the receptacle wall.

Indents, notches or pockets 15 are formed in the ejector wall so as to be open into the receptacle just above the bottom when the ejector is in its upper position, and to discharge outside or below the receptacle when the ejector .is fully depressed. These indents preferably have a square upper shoulder and sloping side, the shoulder pushing through the condiment which settles around the ejector in the cylinder and shoving a portion of it out through the base.

A slight modification of this form of construction is shown in Fig. 4, the receptacle 17 bein cylindrical with bottom disk 18 marginally flanged and permanently inserted. A centrally apertured screw-cap 19 detachably engages the upper open screw threaded end of the receptacle, and an ejector 20, bridge 21 and spring 22 similar in all respects to the ones previously described complete the holder.

One feature of the invention is the sealing of the receptacle at all times to the outer air when not being filled, so that the condiment does not deteriorate.

Anotherimportant feature is the positive ejection of a definite quantity of condiment at each stroke. The retraction of the ejector wipes off any adhering particles so there is no waste and no scattering of the pepper, etc., when not wanted. The position of the ejector indents or pockets at the lower end of the receptacle is such that the holder discharges as readily when nearly empty as when full, while the movement of the ejector through the mass of the condiment prevents any tendency to cake, and consequently there is no clogging.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a condiment holder, a cylindrical receptacle having a guide aperture in its bottom, a cylindrical ejector axially reciprocable in the aperture provided with periph eral pockets which are moved in and out of the receptacle by the reciprocation of the ejector, a bridge secured to the bottom of the receptacle across the guide aperture, and engaging slots in the ejector end, a spring in compression between the bridge and the ejector, and a member detachably engaging and closing the upper end of the receptacle.

2. In a condiment holder, a substantially cylindrical receptacle provided with a guide aperture in its bottom, a detachable member closing the upper end of the receptacle, provided'with a guide aperture alined with the receptacle, abridge consisting of a metal strip secured on the bottom of the receptacle across the guide aperture, a hollow cylindrical ejector reciprocable in the apertures provided'with slots in one end engaging the bridge and with peripheral indents that are moved in and out of the receptacle by the reciprocation of the ejector, and a spring incompression between the bridge and the ejector.

3. In a condiment holder, a cylindrical sheet metal receptacle closed at its lower end and. provided with a guide aperture in its bottom,a sheet metal casing closing the upper end of the receptacle provided with a flange detachably engaging the receptacle wall and with a guide aperture alined with the receptacle guide aperture, a bridge consisting of a sheet metal strip secured to the receptacle bottom across the aperture, a tubular ejector reciprocable in the aperture and provided with peripheral indents which are moved in and out of "the receptacle through the bottom aperture by the recipro cation of the ejector, a spring in compression between the bridge and ejector, and a stop limiting the movement of the ejector.

4. In a condiment holder, a cylindrical sheet metal receptacle having a lower endwall provided with a guide aperture, a cylindrical sheet metal casing adapted to telescopically engage the receptacle and provided with an upper end wall having a guide aperture alined with the receptacle aperture and with a flange on its open end extending below the receptacle bottom, a bridge consisting of a sheet metal strip secured to the bottom across the guide aper ture, shoulders on the flange adapted to interlock with the bridge ends, astubular ejector reciprocable in the guide apertures provided with peripheral indents which lie within the receptacle when the ejector is retracted and outside the receptacle when the ejector is projected, a spring in, compression between the bridge and ejector and a stop limiting the movement of the ejector.

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

JOHN XV. MEAKER- lVitnesses.

C. R. STIGKNEY, Or'ro F. BARTHEL,

Images