US2177056A - Liquid dispenser - Google Patents

Description

LIQUID DISPENSER Filed Oct. 14, 1958 a Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 24, 1939.' c. w. CROWELL LIQUID DYISPENSER Filed Oct. 14, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. ba /7a H Gama/Z ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIQUID DISPENSER .Application October 14, 1988, Serial No. 235,031

7 Claims.

7 assembled and manipulated during the process of refilling. The improvements are directed in part toward providing a wall supported backing having a casing-cover normally locked against the same to confine the mechanism, whiny cover is held out of the way during refilling toward the means for retaining a reservoir on e backing, said means also functioning with respect to the last mentioned feature; toward means for regulating the flow of stored liquid in the reservoir to an open distributing pan to niaintain a predetermined level in the latter at all times, said means also contributing to the refilling facilities; toward a novel wick arrangement for regulating capillary flow of .the liquid from the distributing pan, and toward a device in connection with the latter for enacting deodorizing distribution through evaporation. To these and other ends, the invention resides in certain improvementsand combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. '1 is a front elevation of a dispenser constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention, the upper portion thereof being in transverse section through the casing element to reveal interior parts;

Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the device attached to a wall and with the casing-cover raised out of the way, as inrefilling, a portion of the casing being in section from front to rear and the interior parts being removed to better show sup porting devices on the back plate;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the entire assembly with the casing-cover in the open position of Fig. 2 and partly broken away in section, a wall of the distributing pan and other parts at the bottom being also partially broken away;

Fig. .4 is a side view of the assembly of Fig. 3 closed and with parts partially broken away or in partial section in a plane from front to rear;

Fig. -5 is a rear view of the assembled device on a slightly. reduced scale from that of the preceding figures;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view through the distributing tray and adjacent parts on a slightly enlarged scale;

Fig. '7 is a top plan view partially broken away of the valve cap on the mouth of the reservoir;

Fig. 8 is a central vertical section from front to rear through the distributing pan and evaporator and in another plane through the wick support and adjuster on the lines 8--8 and 8 8 of Fig. 6, respectively;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the distributing pan, wick and evaporating unit, and

Fig. 10 is a detail view of the latch for holding the cover-casing in place.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it is customary to mount dispensing apparatus of this kind fixedly on a wall or upright and, in the present instance, a combined capillary and gravitational flow from such a point is induced through a conveying pipe to the point of application at a lower level. To this end, I provide in this embodiment a stiff sheet metal back plate I having openings 2 for the fastening means. At

the front is a forwardly projecting cover-casing 3 hinged to'the back plate at the top, as indicated at 4. A latch 5 on the bottom of the cover-casing shown in detail in Fig. 10 through the application of a suitable spanner (Fig. 3) to its stud 6 engages an offset keeper lug 1 at the bottom of the back plate to prevent casual tampering. The entire mechanism with the exception of the conveyor or lead pipe 8 that extends through the bottom of the casing is enclosed therein.

When it is desired to gain access to the interior parts, the casing is raised to the horizontal position of Figs. 2 and 3 where it permits free manipulation of the working parts, as hereinafter described. The cover is temporarily maintained in this raised open postion by a wire bail 9 pivoted on forwardly struck lugs H} on the back plate and engaging temporarily, as a prop, undercut lugs H formed on the interior of the top of the casing. When not so engaged, this bail has another function which will presently appear.

Near the bottom of the back plate are struck inwardly therefrom a forked bracket arm 12, a pair of supporting arms I3 beneath it and a relatively laterally arranged lug I4, as clearly appears in Fig. 2. Further marginal flanges l5 at each side are merely for the purpose of centering the cover bracket against the back plate and holding it secure against lateral displacement.

Supported on the arms I3 is a preferably cast glass tray 16 of substantially rectangular proportions. It has a lug I! on its underside at the left rear taking into a cut-away portion of that arm l3 and is indented at 18 to accommodate the supporting lug 14 so that it held against displacement in all directions but may be removed through an upward and forward movement.

Supported on the forked bracket I2 is a reservoir l9, in the present form of an inverted bottle,

the shoulders of which may rest loosely in the yoke and the forward ends of the arms of which are bent upwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, to retainit from that direction; When the bail 9 is not in use as a prop for the casing, as previously explained, it is dropped down over the reservoir, as in Figs. 1 and 4, and retains the latter in a normal operative position against the back plate and against both forward and lateral movement though it is permitted vertical movement.

Referring to Figs. 3, 6 and 7, at the mouth of the bottle is a stopper 2!] lined with a soft gasket 2| that makes tight contact with the rim of the mouth. It is so held in place by integral spring clips 22 that snap over the exterior ledge on the bottle mouth. The gasket surrounds a valve cage 23 containing a valve 24 and its spring 25 that tends to urge it to its seat 26 in the cap, such seat forming an' opening through which the contents of the bottle can pass from the cage 23 which is laterally open, as indicated at 21 in Fig. 7. A valve stem extending through the valve has aguiding portion 28 in the cage and an operating portion 29 projecting through and beyond the seat opening.

The element I6 is an open distributing tray for the contents of the reservoir, which latter, of course, has to be refilled from time to time. The valved cap becomes useful in this operation for after the bottle is filled with liquid through removal of the cap and is inverted and replaced in operative position, the valve prevents spilling and leakage until the relationship of Figs. 3 and 6 is established with the mouth of the bottle within the distributing tray. Thereupon, the valve is unseated through engagement of the stem portion 29 thereof with the bottom of the tray induced by the weight of the bottle and contents and the liquid flows from the reservoir into the tray until it rises to a level that seals the seat and opening 26. This is substantially the desired permanent level of liquid within the tray and as it is drawn therefrom in the manner hereinafter described, it is automatically replenished from the reservoir on a well-known principle.

The liquid used in such instances is a pleasantly odorous or neutralizing disinfectant and means are provided for both feeding it from the distributing pan as a fluid and disseminating it as a gas in the atmosphere. For the latter purpose, I place in the pan to rest on one edge a folded or looped strip or sleeve of absorbent material such as the felt 30. Through its interior runs an inert reenforcing Wire 3! which holds it in the desired form when saturated. This evaporating element rises above the liquid level so that it has a substantial surface exposed to the air and which partially surrounds the mouth of the reservoir bottle. However, it is desirable to keep it out of contact with the walls of the tray and I, therefore, cast in the bottom of the later spacing lugs 32, clearly shown in Fig. 9. Oherwise by capillary action, the liquid would creep onto and over the rim of the tray and become objectionable through collecting dust and for other obvious reasons.

Because of this evaporation feature or gas distribution, the protective casing 3 is not a complete seal but only a protective covering for the interior parts. I provide it with vents or breather openings in the present form of horizontal slots 4i extending across the side walls and part of the front wall and through which air currents can pass.

The means for withdrawing the liquid, as such, from the distributing tray consists essentially of a wick 33 having one end immersed therein. It proceeds thence upwardly, outwardly and downwardly below the liquid level being supported by a rigid goose-neck tube 34. The outer end of this tube is threaded but engages loosely in an enlarged un-threaded" socket in the upper hexagonal portion 35 of a sleeve 36 having an exteriorly nut 38 holds the double cone head 39 of the drain or conveyor tube 8 to a seat in the lower end of the sleeve so that a drip passage is formed from the end of the wick and the goose-neck through the sleeve to the drain. The portion of the goose-neck in part 35 of the sleeve is spaced from the walls of the latter by its threads so that this part acts as a drip cup to prevent seepage from the wick from reaching exterior parts.

It is obvious that the higherthe wick 33 is elevated, the smaller the rate of the capillary flow into the sleeve 33 and the drain 8 will be, and the lower it is disposed, the greater the feed will be. goose-neck 34 sits loosely in the portion 35 of the sleeve, I provide a nut 40 on. the threaded portion which bears on top of the sleeve and, in reality, supports the goose-neck. Hence, by adjusting this nut one way or the other, the tube can be raised and lowered and the capillary climb of the liquid through the wick thereby increased or decreased at will.

The tube 34 can also be swung about in the.

sleeve to dispose the immersed wick end at a convenient point in the distributing tray I6 to accommodate it to the other parts occupying the same. For instance, in Figs. 6, 8 and 9, it is shown encircling the valve stem within the evaporating felt 33 while in Fig. 4 it is shown forwardly on the outside of the felt wall.

On the broad aspects of the improvements I have made, details of construction may be modified without departing from thespirit of vention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a back plate and an abutting casing hinged at the top thereof to open outwardly, of a detachable reservoir supported by the back plate and housed by the casing, and means on the latter engaging either the reservoir or casing alternatively to act as a retainer for holding the reservoir in position and to act as a detent for holding the casing open.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a back plate and an abutting casing hinged at the top thereof to open outmy in wardly, of a detachable reservoir supported by As the outer end of the wick supporting moved, to be raised into engagement with the casing to hold the same in elevated open position.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a back plate, a distributing pan supported thereon, a hollow cover-like casing hinged to the top of the back plate and a detachable and replaceable reservoir in the form of an inverted bottle retained against the back plate above the pan in a manner permitting its vertical movement thereon and its reception into the casing when the latter is raised, of an automatically closing check valve at the mouth of the reservoir having an extension normally engaging the pan and holding the valve'open through the Weight of the reservoir and its contents when the device is in operation, and supporting means consisting of a forked bracket extending from the back plate and engaging the bottleneck laterally on two sides, said bracket being arranged to limit the downward movement of the reservoir and hence the opening movement of the valve.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support and a reservoir thereon, of a distributing pan beneath the reservoir, the latter embodying a neck projecting into the pan, means for regulating the transfer of liquid from the reservoir to the pan to maintain a predetermined level in the latter, and a vertically disposed absorbent evaporating and odor dispensing element in the pan spaced from the reservoir neck, the pan being provided with means for also maintaining the said element out of contact with the side walls of the pan so that both sides of the element are exposed for evaporation and capillary drainage therefrom is prevented.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support and a reservoir thereon, of a distributing pan beneath the reservoir, the latter embodying a neck projecting into the pan, means for regulating the transfer of liquid from the reservoir to the pan to maintain a predetermined level in the latter, and a vertically disposed absorbent evaporating and odor dispensing element in the pan, spaced from the reservoir neck, the pan being provided with lugs on its bottom for maintaining the said element out of contact with the side Walls of the pan and the element itself being constituted by a folded piece of soft material reenforced to maintain it in such folded position so that both sides of the element are exposed for evaporation and capillary drainage therefrom is prevented.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support having a drip socket, a distributing pan carried by the support at one side of the socket and means for maintaining a constant level of liquid in the pan, of a drain wick having a portion immersed in the liquid and a conducting portion leading upwardly and thence downwardly out of the pan, and regulatable supporting means for the wick through the medium of which the height of the capillary flow may be adjusted, such means comprising a goose-neck tube having an outer threaded end loosely and vertically slidably held in the socket and a nut on said threaded end reacting against the support to define the height of the goose-neck by the extent of projection of its threaded end in the socket.

'7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support, a distributing pan carried thereby and means for maintaining a constant level of liquid in the pan, of a drain wick having a portion immersed in the liquid and a conducting portion leading upwardly and thence downwardly out of the pan, a goose-neck tube so supporting the wick, a sleeve supporting the outer end of the tube and fixed to the first mentioned support, said sleeve being formed to act as a drip cup for the wick and tube, and a drainage pipe leading from the sleeve.

CLARENCE W. CROWELL.

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