US2630014A - Adjustable measuring device - Google Patents

Description

March 3, 1953 G. w. CHESTER ADJUSTABLE MEASURING DEVICE Filed Aug. 8, 1950 Gifford W- Chesfer 7 BY a IN V EN TOR.

Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE MEASURING DEVICE Gifford W. Chester, Kansas City, Mo.

Application August 8, 1950, Serial No. 178,325

1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful immovements and structural refinements in measuring devices, more particularly, measuring spoons or scoops such as are commonly used for transferring a predetermined quantity of material in the nature of coffee, flour, sugar, etc, from a storage container to a dough mixing pan, perculator or the like, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a device of the character herein-described, which may be used for accurately measuring a predetermined amount of material which is being handled.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for adjusting the device so as to accommodate diiferent, predetermined quantity of material.

Some of the advantages of the invention lie in its simplicity of construction, in its efiicient operation, in its pleasing appearance, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line l4 in Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line ii 5 in Figure 2.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of an adjustable measuring device which is designated generally by the reference character IL and embodies in its construction a substantially cylindrical receptacle 12 which is provided integrally with a laterally projecting handle l4 and with a longitudinally extending reinforcing rib [6 under the handle, as shown.

The outer end portion of the handle formed with an aperture I8 whereby the entire device may be hung from a hook when it is not in use, and it is to be noted that the receptacle I2 is provided at diametrically opposite sides of its lateral wall with a pair of spiral slots 20 to slidably receive a pair of keeper pins 22. These keeper pins have diametrically reduced portions which actually project into the slots 29, while the main body portions of the keeper pins are slidable in a tubular guide 24 provided at the underside of a bottom 26 of the receptacle l2. The bottom 26 is provided with an upstanding annular flange 28 which frictionally but slidably engages the inner surface of the receptacle, and it will be noted from the foregoing that by using the guide 24 as a fingerpiece, the bottom 26 may be rotated in one direction or the other in the receptacle, thus sliding the pins 22 in the slots Zil and, by virtue of the spiral configuration of the slots, shifting the bottom 25 upwardly or downwardly in the receptacle, as the case may be. Accordingly, the Volume or capacity of the receptacle will be correspondingly decreased or increased, whereby the quantity of material picked up in the receptacle of the device may be accurately measured, depending upon the position of the bottom relative to the receptacle.

As is best shown in Figure 3, a compression spring 30 is positioned in the guide 24 and bears against the keeper pins 22, thus urging the latter into the slots 20, but by pressing the keeper pins inwardly out of the slots 20, that is, into the guide 24 against the resiliency of the spring at, the bottom 28 may be removed for purposes of cleaning the same as well as the interior of the receptacle.

In order to assure accuracy of measurements, means are provided for preventing heaping of material in the receptacle, these means simply consisting of a substantially semi-circular levelling member 32 which is formed integrally with an arcuate arm 34, the latter being provided at its outer end with a vertical pivot pin 36 which extends downwardly through the intermediate portion of the handle M into a cylindrical casing 38 depending from the handle.

The arm 34 is provided concentrically with the pin 36 with a boss 40, and a helical spring 42 is positioned in the casing 38 on the pin 36, one end of this spring being anchored in the boss 49, while the remaining end thereof is anchored in the bottom wall of the casing 38, as is clearly shown in Figure 5.

A stop lug 44 is provided on the arm 34 adjacent the levelling member 32, thisstop lug being urged in abutment with the adjacent side edge of the handle it by the action of the spring 42,

3 so that the levelling member 32 is normally in alignment with the receptacle I2, as shown.

However, the arm 34 is equipped at one longitudinal edge thereof with a reinforcing rib 35 having an upwardly projecting fingerpiece 43 provided thereon, and it will be noted from the foregoing that by simply grasping the handle M in the palm of the hand and pressing the fingerpiece 43 with the thumb in the direction of the arrow 50, the levelling member 32 may be caused to sweep across the open upper end of the receptacle I2 so as to level the material therein and assure accurate measurement. Needless to say, as soon as pressure on the fingerpiece 48 is released, the spring 42 will automatically return the levelling member 32 to its initial position wherein the stop lug 44 engages the handle [4.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a measuring device, the combination of a cylindrical receptacle including a lateral wall provided at diametrically opposite sides of its lower portion with a pair of spiral slots, a circular bottom slidably and rotatably positioned in the lower portion of said receptacle, an openended cylindrical guide provided at the underside and extending diametrically of said bottom, a pair of keeper pins slidable in opposite end portions of said guide, diametrically reduced extensions provided at the outer ends of said pins and projecting into the respective slots, and a coil spring positioned in said guide between said pins for urging the same outwardly.

GIFFORD W. CHESTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 544,398 Ackerman Aug. 13, 1895 1,050,502 Welch Jan. 14;, 1913 1,202,101 Read Oct. 24, 1916 1,226,48 Ehrlich May 15, 1917 1,508,548 Gottheimer Sept. 16, 1924 2,328,995 Olds Sept. 7, 1943 2,459,466 Spreen Jan. 18, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,689 Great Britain 1885

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