US2200755A - Condiment shaker - Google Patents

Description

May 14, 1940. w. MCARTHUR coNnIMENT SHAKER Filed May 2, 1938 FIG FIG. 4

INVENTOR Patented May 14, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONDIMENT SHAKER William McArthur, East Orange, N. J.

Application May 2, 1938, Serial No.` 205,469

1 Claim.

`be simple in construction and efficient in operation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a shaker for a plurality of separated condiments or other materials which permits the materials to be replenished without danger of mixing one with another.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved closure cap.

. A further object of theinvention is to provide an Aimproved relationship of compartments for containing the diierent materials to be dispensed and the relation of such compartments to the cle sure cap. i

A further and ancillary object of the invention is to provide a container for one material and a receptacle for another material, the receptacle depending from the closure cap.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container having a closure cap with a receptacle depending from the closure cap and means associated with the closure cap for controlling the dispensing of the material from the receptacle and the container.

Where a movable member is movably mounted and where such member is arranged inside thel closure, there is danger of the controlling member being gripped between the top of the closure and the edge of the container so as to prevent ready movement of the controlling member if the closure is screwed Vtoo tight upon the container. It is a further object of `the invention to avoid this disadvantage by placing the movable dispensing control member between the inner and outer members of the closure which are spaced apart and secured together so that ready movement of the controlling member is permitted at all times regardless of how tightly the closure is screwed upon the container.

01. fis-45) In the accompanying drawingwhich illustrates the invention:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the invention adapted for use as a salt and pepper shaker with the control in position where certain of the material exits are closed and othersv are open.y I

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the device on the une 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device, similar `to Fig. 1 but with the exit control in the opposite limit of its position whereby the open exits of Fig. l are closed and the closed exits are opened; and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the upper portion ofthe shaker, the bottom part being broken away. Referring to the drawing, the device comprises a container I of glass, porcelain or other suitable material, having a screw-threaded neck 2 upon which is screwed a sheet metal closure comprising `the shell portion 3 having a top wall 4 and a marginal skirt 5 depending therefrom. Within the shell is a cap portion comprising a top wall 6 and a depending marginal skirt 7 in which are formed the `screw threads 8 for cooperation with the threads 0 on the container. Centrally depending from the top wall of the cap portion of the closure is a tubular receptacle I0 having its lower end closed by the removable screw plug II and at its upper end being connected with the top wall of the cap portion about the margin of the opening I 2 in the center of the cap portion. This connection maybe formed by soldering or in any suitable way.

Lying with an easy fit between the top walls 6 and 4 of theshell and cap portions of the closure is a control plate I3 rotatable about a central boss I4 upon the plate which enters the central recess I5 in the top Wall 4 of the closure shell.

The top Wall 6 of lthe cap portion of the c10` sure is provided with a series of holes IB cornmunicating with the interior of the container I outside the receptacle I0. Directly opposite or registering with the holes I6 are the outer series of holes Il in the top wall of the closure shell. In the plate I3 is an outer series of holes I8 adapted to be moved into and out of registry with the holes I 6 and I'I as the plate is rotated about its center.

Also the plate I3 has an inner series of holes I9 opening to the interior of the receptacle I0,

`and being movableinto and out of registration `with an inner series of holes 20 in the top wall 4 of the closure shell, as the plate I3 is'turned about its center. p To afford means for moving the plate I3 about its center the plate has a finger piece vZI extending through a slot 22 -in the shell portion of the closure, the movement of the cap in either direction being limited by the finger piece coming against the ends of the slot 22 and the holes I6 and Il' are so arranged with relation to the holes I8 in the plate that when the nger piece is at one end of its travel (see Fig. l), the holes I6, II and I8 will aiTord openings from the interior to the exterior of the cap, but such openings will be closed by the plate i3 when the finger piece ZI is moved to the other end of theslot (see Fig. 3). Also the holes i9 in the plate are in such relation to the holes 20 in the closure shell that when the finger piece is in the posi-` tion as shown in Fig. 1 the openings 2D will be closed by the plate I3, and when the nger piece is in the position as shown in' Fig. 3, openings will be aiiorded from the interior of the receptable Ill to the exterior of the cap through the holesV i9 and 20.

It will now appear that when the plate I3 is in one extreme position as when the nger piece 2I is against one end of the slot 22 as shown in Fig. l, communication with the interior of the receptacle ill with the exterior of the closure will be closed by the plate I3, while communication through the holes from the interior of the container I to the exterionof the closure through the holes will be open. When, however, the plate I3 is rotated so that the nger piece ZI is against the opposite end of the slot 22, as shown in Fig. 3, the communication from the interior of the container with the exterior of the closure will be cut oi, while communication from the interior of the receptacle It with the exterior of the closure will be open. tion of the plate where the ringer piece 2l is intermediate between the ends of the slot 22, the plate I3 will close all the openings through the closure so that communication with the exterior .from both the interior of the container I and the receptacle iii willbe cut off.

The cap and shell portions of the closure are secured together against both relative, longitudinal and rotational movement by curling the lower edge of the skirt 5 of the shell portion tightly about the'lower edge of the skirt of the ycan portion, so that the screw-threaded cap portion will be turned by force applied to the outer shell portion in order tc screw the closure on to and oil? the containerI and also the cap and shell portions of the closure are held properly longitudinally spaced so as not to bind upon and prevent the ready rotation of the plate I 3 in the operations as described.

It will be seen that, the device being used as a pepper and salt shaker, the closure and recep- In the positacle can be removed from the container and pepper placed in the receptacle apart from the container and salt placed in the container apart from the receptacle so that there is no danger of mixing the salt and pepper in replenishing supplies of the receptacle and container such as is the case where a combined pepper and salt shaker is formed by compartments formed in the container, so that they are permanently located in close relation to each other and there is consequent danger of spilling the pepper into the salt compartment and vice versa.

It will further be observed that a simple and eflicient device is provided whereby, by the simple operation of pushing the finger piece into proper position, either salt or pepper may be obtained independently of the o-ther, or the device may be closed against the dispensing of either.

While the invention has been illustrated in what is considered its best application it may have other embodiments Without department from its spirit and is not therefore limited to the structures shown in the drawing.

What I claim is:

The combination with a container, of a closure therefore comprising an outer shell having a substantially flat top wall and a marginal de pending skirt, a cap member within said shell n and having a substantially flat top wall and a marginal depending skirt, `said cap and shell portions being secured together against longitudinal and rotational movement by the curling of the marginal edge of the skirt of one of said members tightly about the skirt of the other of said members, said cap member having a screw thread for operatively engaging with the said container in removable relation, said cap member having a receptacle depending therefrom and entering within said container with a space between it and the container, said cap and shell having two sets of registering dispensing open ings, one of said sets being centrally arranged and adapted to permit dispensing from the said receptacle and the other of said sets of openings being arranged outside of said central set and adapted to permit dispensing from said container,

having a slot through which said finger piece extends to the exterior of the closure.

WILLIAM MCARTHUR.

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