US1731798A - Dispensing machine - Google Patents

Description

Gut. 15, 1929. E. J. SWEETLAND DISPENSING MACHINE Filed May 21, 1927 INVENTOR mfJSweetbmi ATORNE s Patented Get. 15,

TED STAT rrnr ERNEST J. SWEEILAND, OF I-IAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA IDIbEPENEING MACHINE Application filed May 21, 18%7. Serial No. 183,136.

This invention relates to improvements in Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section receptacles for temporarily holding articles of a container produced in accordance with of a nature that are adversely affected by eX- my invention. posure to moisture, air, and the like, and Fig. 2 is another view of the device shown means for dispensing these articles. in Fig. 1.

There are many articles such as tobacco, Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 1. granulated or powdered materials, and others Fig. i is a side view partly in section of a that are affected adversely by either too much modified form of dispensing means. humidity or moisture in the air or are affected Fig. 5 is a partial elevation, partly in secby too little moisture and dry out. For e2ition of a machine similar to Fig. 1 showing e0 ample, sugar or salt or malted milk or other a diil'erent use of the same. food products may be spoiled or become Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a still furhardened and unfit for use it they become ther modified form of dispensing means for unduly damp. Tobacco on the other hand, liquid articles.

should be kept reasonably moist for most he dispe sing machine shown in Figs. satisfactory conditions. All of these articles 1 and 2 is particularly adapted to dispense and many other similar ones should also be tobacco. lit comprises the base 10, a tran kept free from contaminating dust and dirt. parent dome or reservoir 2 which is filled It is, therefore, the principal object of this through the filling cap 1 1 and the dispensing invention to provide a receptacle for various means 16 through which the material is suit- 7i articles 01" the class described to keep them ably removed. The base which is preferably under regulated atmospheric conditions. made of metal is substantially cylindrical in It is another object of this invention to cross section although a suitable flare to the provide a means for temporarily containing bottom portion 10 permits a more rigid supvarious dry products for subsequent dispensporting structure. The base is vertically difling which may retain the products in a subvided near the middle thereof by a horizontal stantially air tight condition. web 10 in which the filling cap 14c is titted by It is still another object of this invention to a screw thread. it will. be apparent iii-om provide a substantially hermetically sealed Fig. 1 that the flared bottom portion 10" will container which is provided with a dispensthus act as a tunnel or guide to the filling a ing means that does not break the air seal and material and will advantageously aid in the dispenses measured unit quantities from the filling operation. contents of the container. The dome or reservoir 12 which is prefer- It is a further object of this invention to ably glass is generally cylindrical in shape provide a means for regulating the moisture and is superposed by a hemispherical top. as content of a substantially dry product by en- At the bottom it is adjoined to the base P01- closing it in a sealed container. tion in any suitable manner and retained by It is a still further object of this invena material such as the permanent plaster oi. tion to produce a receptacle for the principal Paris or cement 12. The cement will prepurpose of effectively storing small quantivent accidental displacement of the dome as ties of products that may be temporarily rewell as seal it from the atmosphere. This tained for future dispensing, the relative dome or reservoir is made of a transparent amount oi which may be quickly determined glass in order that the enclosed material may by inspection. be clearly seen. It is possible, however, to

Further objects and advantages of this inmake it out of porcelain or metal or any other e vention willappear from the following depreferred material. scription of the accompanying drawings The dispensing means 16 consists of a which illustrate certain preferred forms of tubular shell attached in some manner such embodiment to which this invention is as by a screw thread, to an appropriate openadaptable and in which: ing in the base 10, above the web 10 and ice inside the chamber. A screw 17 or Worm within this tubular shell, operated by any means such as a knurled knob 18 will efficiently remove the material through the tube and dispense it from the discharge spout 19. This spout is preferably sealed with a resiliently actuated flap valve 20 controllable by the fingers of the operator and provided With a leather .or rubber gasket.

.As shown in Fig. 2, an article to be filled such as a pipe is held immediately under the opening of the discharge spout 19, the valve 20 is opened and the knob 18 rotated until a suflicient quantity of tobacco is dis charged. The valve 20 is then closed and the interior chamber is efficiently sealed. During the dispensing operation the tobacco in the tube '16 prevents any substantial amount of air entering the dispenser.

To keep the tobacco in the desired moist condition, the filling plug M is made in the form of a cylinder of such size that it will retain a moist sponge. The top 14: of this cylinder filling plug 14 is removable and is litted with a fine mesh Wire screen 14 which allows the humid atmosphere of the sponge to pass through the tobacco and yet prevents the tobacco from passing into the sponge holder. It is to be understood that the filling cap or chamber 14 effectively seals the interior of the chamber from the outside air, however, but is arranged to receive the sponge and provide an interior moistening means.

7 I pin supported in the pair of standards 4.

' Figs. 4 and 5 are illustrative of slightly modified details of the dispensing means. Instead of a knurled knob, a crank handle 21 is attached to the worm shaft by means of a screw 22 for example. In this form, the pitch of 'the worm threadis of such size that a unit amount of material may be dispensed at each revolution of the crank. For domestic storage of coffee, it would be arranged so that each turn of the crank would dispense a spoonful of coffee.

To seal the discharge opening 19the cap 1 is provided with a gasket 2 which is cemented into the cap and remains permanently with it. The cap is hinged at the point 3 on a hingie r flat spring 5 held in place by the pin 6 or any other means is doubled on itself and assembled under tension.

' will force'the cap closed. 'lVhen it is desired to open the 'cap, it is swung outwardly by the knob 8 until'the flat surface 9 of the lobe? bears againstthe spring 5. will then rest n open positionuntil 1t 15 de- The cap sired to .close itagain. This arrangement gives a very positive snap-action either open o r'closed and will act in the closed position to additionally seal the container.

In Fig. 6 a further modified form of dispensing means is shown in which the reservoir is to be filled with some liquid such as alco- 1101 or similar substance and it is desired to have a plunger valve in the end of the discharge opening. In combination with the glass container, the device would be ideally suited to dispense liquids or medicines of any preferred type and in which the knowledge of the actual amount in reserve is necessary. Such a construction prevents unsightly open bottles or reservoirs that collect dirt.

These various modifications of discharge or dispensing devices are merely illustrative of various desirable forms to which the invention is adapted and which, due to various conditions of use or articles contained, might be desirable. It is also understood that these enclosed products may effect the construction of the reservoir itself. For example, certain products of a corrosive nature could not be satisfactorily kept in a metallic container. Certain salts will seriously corrode metal and for protection, the reservoir and base might all be of glass or the base mi ht be of pulp, waxed paper or papier macho. Such a con struction would be materially cheaper than a special non-corrosive metal for the base. The dispensing device could also be of glass.

Another important feature shown in F is the means for permanently sealing the gl s dome to the base which is so essential for many articles. As shown, a ring of cork cemented to the lining is used and this is usually sufficient to compensate for the differences in coefficient of expansion of the glass dome and the metal base. However, it would be possible to construct the rim of the base so thin that the metal itself will allow suflicicnt expansibility; This might be accomplished by spinning the metal into the rim portion or by stamping. A still further construction of the base to compensate in a measure for the difference in expansion rate to prevent destruction of either the top or base would be by crimping the base rim to increase the peripheral expansibility. To keep the dome permanently sealed is the essential requirement.

The term unit quantity as used herein. means such amounts as are commercially commen. For example, the amount of sugar for sweetening coffee is figured in teaspoonfuls. Therefore, for a cafeteria sugar dispensing machine, one rotation of the crank handle would be equal to one teaspoonful of sugar. Similarly, the amount of malted milk for a soda fountain drink or the amount of bromoseltzer may be a tablespoonful and similarly one rotation of the crank in that type of maehinewould discharge the exact amount desired. For coffee, which it has been found, deteriorates upon exposure to air, the combination of the air tight, transparent container with a dispensing mechanism to dispense one tablespoon of coffee per revolution of the crank, is very desirable. It is of course, obvious that in this modified form, the filling plug is merely a screw threaded cap to satisfactorily close the bottom inasmuch as a moistening or other atmosphere modifier is not essential.

It is to also be noted that only when the material in the interior chamber is desired to be kept in a particularly moistened condition, will the sponge be kept therein. Some ma terials on the other hand, such as salt or plaster of Paris for dental use and similar proclucts are desired to be kept in a dry atmosphere and a suitable absorbent material such as cal :ium chloride for example, will be placed in the cup like filling cap of Fig. 1. If no changes in the general atmospheric conditions are necessary, the plain form of cap shown in. 5 will be used.

ll hile l have described several forms of embodiment oi": this invention, 1 am aware that various changes may be made by those skilled in the art and l, therefore, desire protection on a broad interpretation oi. the invention as disclosed and described herein and claimed in the claims appended hereto.

I claim: I

1. In a tobacco humidor, a hermetically sealed glass reservoir, a base comprising a substantially cylindrical reservoir receiving section, a supporting section, a horizontal web therebetween through. which the humidor is adapted to be filled, a tubular encased worm screw extending into said supporting section above the horizontal web, adapted to dispense the enclosed tobacco, and a spring controlled closure normally sealing said Worm screw encasement.

2. In a tobacco humidor oi. the class described comprising a reservoir and a multiple section base, means to fill the reservoir through the base comprising a filling cap, aid cap moistening means enclosed by and means over the moistening means to permit humid atmosphere to permeate the reservoir and to prevent contamination of the sponge by the enclosed product.

3. In an air-tight tobacco humidor of the class described comprising a multiple section base divided. by a horizontal Web a transparent hermeticallv sealed reservoir attached thereto, a filling cap and moistening means received in the cap in saidbase to permit 1n isture to keep the tobacco in condition and to permit refilling oi the reservoir, and a dis pensing means connected to the upper section oi. said base and cmnprising a tubular casing Worm screw therein, means thereon to turn the screw and remove the tobacco, and a closure valve to maintain said screw casing airtight.

4. In a dispensing machine of the class described comprising a multiple section base divided by a horizontal Web, the upper section being adapted to receive a reservoir sealed thereto and a Worm dispensing means to remove the enclosed product, the web be ing adapted to receive an atmosphere modifying closure and filling means, and the lower section being formed to receive the filling material when the machine is upside down.

5. In a dispensing machine of the class described comprising a base portion and a reservoir sealed thereto, the base portion being adapted to initially receive an enclosed product through a suitable filling opening and a dispensing means comprising a tubular casing, a worm thread therein, the pitch of the Worm being such that one revolution thereof will discharge a unit quantity of the enclosed material, and a valve sealing the discharge opening.

6. In a dispensing machine of the class described comprising a base portion and a reservoir sealed thereto, the reservoir being adapted to be filled through the base portion and a dispensing means comprising a Worm, a casing covering said worm, a crank on said Worm, and a valve positively closing said casing.

7. In a dispensing machine, a support comprising an entrance opening and a moisture modifying filling cap therein, a hermetically sealed transparent container attached to the support, and a means to dispense a unit quantity of the contents of said machine projecting into said support above the filling cap and below the reservoir.

In testimony whereof I have ailixed my signature to this specification.

ERNEST J. SWEETLAND.

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