US2931539A - Condiment holder - Google Patents

Description

April 5, 1960 D. c. MAXEY CONDIMENT HOLDER Filed June 10. 1958 INVENTOR. DEAN C. M AxEr AT T O RNEYS United States Patent CONDIMENT HOLDER Dean C. Maxey, Roanoke, Va.

Application June 10, 1958, Serial No. 741,101

1 Claim. (Cl. 222-130) This invention relates generally to a condiment holder, and more specifically to a condiment holder having partitions therein in order that two or more condiments can be dispensed from a single holder.

An important objective of this invention is the provision of a condiment holder of this general type which also functions as the end closure for the tubular body of a flashlight or the like. Sportsmen, motorists, and other persons normally having flashlights in their possession often find themselves in need of a seasoning for foods. The utilization of a flashlight equipped with the condiment holder of this invention will provide such persons with the needed seasoning without burdening them with further items to be carried.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a condiment holder comprising a substantially hollow main body portion having a plurality of groups of perforations formed in one end thereof, the perforations communicating with a like plurality of condiments holding chambers of the holder, and rotatable closure means for opening and closing the group of perforations in order that the seasoning may be selectively disposed therefrom.

Among the further objects and advantages of this invention is the provision of a condiment holder of the class described supra, the condiment holder being noncomplex in construction and assembly, inexpensive to manufacture, and durable in use.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a condiment holder constructed and assembled in accordance with the features of this invention, the holder being shown in combination with a conventional flashlight;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail cross section taken substantially along the vertical plane of the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a detail cross section taken substantially along the horizontal plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a detail cross section taken substantially along the horizontal plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective of the instant condiment holder.

In the drawing, reference numeral is applied to indicate the condiment holder in general, which is seen to comprise a housing for flowable material including a substantially hollow paraboloid main body portion 12 having a pair of opposed ends 14, 16. The end 14 is substantially open and is provided with an integral annular band 18 having a discoidal closed end 20. The end 20 is provided with two groups of diametrically opposed condiment dispensing apertures 22, 24, the individual apertures of one group often being made of a larger diameter than those of the other group in order that pepper or the like will be passed through the group hav- 2,931,539 Patented Apr. 5, 1960 ing the lesser diameter, and salt through that group having the greater diameter.

The interior of the main body portion 12 is diametrically divided into two equal chambers, A, B, by a substantially flat partition wall 26 extending from the end 20 to the substantially discoidal base 28 of the main body portion 12, the base 28 being spaced from but disposed adjacent to the end 16 thereof whereby that portion of the main body portion 12 subjacent the base 28 forms an integral, depending flange 29 thereon. The base 28 is provided with a pair of substantially rectangular apertures 30, 32 as well as a circular opening 34 located substantially at its centerpoint. Rotatably superimposed over the base 28 is a substantially discoidal closure 36 having a substantially rectangular aperture 38 and a substantially circular opening 40, the opening 49 being coaligned with the opening 34 and the aperture 38 being adapted for alignment with either of the condiment holders access apertures 30, 32 or with neither of them, as the closure 36 is rotated to a selected position. A pin 42 extends through the co-aligned openings 40, 34 and is fixedly secured within the partition 26.

It should be noted that the space between the closure 36 and the end 16 of the main body portion 12 constituting the flange 29 is threaded for connection with the cylindrical base of a conventional flashlight body portion 44, the tubular body portion of the flashlight having the usual helicoidal spring 46 therein. The closure 36 bears against this spring 46 in the manner shown in Figure 2.

The rotatable selective opening and closing means 47 of the holder 19 comprises a discoidal plate 48 having substantially the circumferential dimensions of the end 20. The plate 48 is provided with an integral annular band '50 depending perpendicularly from the outer edges thereof. A substantially centrally located opening 52 is formed in the plate 48 in order that a pin 54 can pass therethrough, through the end 20, and into the partition 26 to provide an axis for rotation of the means 47.

An orifice 56 is formed in the opening and closing means 47 adjacent an edge of the plate 48 and extends partially into the band 50. It is seen in the dotted lines of Figure 3 that the orifice 56 conforms in configuration to the groups of apertures 22, 24.

To fill the condiment holders the closure 36 is rotated manually to the position where the aperture 38 is coaligned with the aperture 30 and salt or the like is poured into the chamber denoted A in Figure 2. Secondly, the closure 36 is rotated approximately 180 to co-align the aperture 38 thereof with the aperture 32 leading to chamber B, and pepper or the like is supplied to this chamber. Thirdly, the closure 36 is rotated approximately to the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 4 thus sealing the base of the holder. The end 16 of the holder 10 is then caused to serve as the base of a conventional flashlight body portion 44- or the like by securing the holder 10 thereto by the threaded connection shown by a press fit, or by any other suitable means. When a condiment is desired the closing means 47 is manually rotated until the opening orifice '56 is coaligned with the desired group 22 or 24, of openings in -the end 2%. Then, the condiment chosen is dispensed light body portion which includes a plurality of dry cell batteries and a spring adapted to bear against said batteries, said flashlight body portion having an open tubular end portion of slightly reduced diameter, a housing for fiowable materials having a substantially hollow paraboloid main body portion, means dividing said main body portion into a pair of chambers, a substantially'discoidal base for said main body portion spaced inwardly from one end thereof, said last named end constituting an annular depending flange on said main body portion, said base having access openings formed therein for each of said chambers, a substantially discoidal closure having a single access opening formed therein and being substantially equal in diameter to the diameter of said end portion of said flashlight body portion, said closure being rotatably superimposed over said base in sealing relation thereto, said single access opening being selectively registrable with said access openings in said base, means on the opposite end of said main body portion for selectively dispensing fiowable material from each of said chambers, said flange being of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of said flashlight body portion, and said flange being superimposed on the reduced end portion of the flashlight body portion with said closure providing a bearing surface for said spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,250,848 Gilmore Dec. 18, 1917 1,602,745 Binkele Oct. 12, 1926 2,192,836 Lewis Mar. 5, 1940 2,262,897 Lewis Nov. 18, 1941 2,716,182 Carter Aug. 23, 1955 2,753,082 Kovacich et a1. July 3, 1956

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