US2985343A - Measuring and dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

May 23, 1961 J. MASK MEASURING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed March 16, 1959 Fig. 4

Jerome Mask 1N VEN TOR.

Atlmt]:

United tates Patent MEASURING AND DISPENSING.

DEVICE 'Jerome Mask, 3316 Smith Ave., Baltimore, Md.

Filed Mar. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 799,596

2 Claims. (Cl. 222-442) ,The present invention relates to a simple, practical and reliable bottle closure characterized by a readily applicable and removable cap and a measuring cup which is rotatably connected with the cap.

More specifically, the invention has to do with a screwtype cap, a measuring cup for fluid or free-flowing granular or equivalent material, said cup, being provided with a readily applicable and removable closing cap, the adjacent ends of the cup and bottle closing cap being rotatably connected together and having openable and closable ports by way of which a desired valving connection between the cap and cup is provided.

In carrying out a preferred embodiment of the invention the bottle cap has a screw-threaded attaching rim or ring and a lid-like disc portion, the outer peripheral edge of which is joined to the inner periphery of the rim, a portion of the rim extending above the disc and being flanged to cooperate with the disc in providing a keying channel. The channel serves to accommodate an assembling and keying flange which is integrally formed with the bottom of the measuring cup and this flange is rotatably seated in the keying channel thus providing the desired operating and rotatable connection between the cap and cup.

Further novelty is predicated on the construction stated wherein the bottom of the cup is flat and circular and has an intake port therein which is selectively registerable with a cooperating port in the lid portion of the bottle cap.

Further novelty is predicated on the construction stated and wherein the cup has circumferentially spaced stops which are engageable with a check-lug on the upper portion of the rim of the cap. These several features cooperate and serve to readily denote the open and closed position of the valving ports. Suitable venting means to facilitate the loading or filling of the measuring cup is also provided.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved measuring and dispensing device and showing how it is constructed and used.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 1 with the valving ports shut-off or closed.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, similar to Fig. 4, showing the valving means open and the venting port uncovered.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the plane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the valving means closed.

Fig. 5 is a view on a small scale with the bottle and measuring device in a measuring cup loading or filling position.

Referring now to the drawings with the aid of reference numerals and lead lines the numeral 8 designates any 10 the upper end of which is externally screw-threaded suitable bottle or equivalent container having the neck as at 12 as seen in Fig. 2. This screw-threaded neck is adapted to accommodate the screw-on-type part 14 here designated as the closing cap. Thiscap is made of appropriate commercial plastics and embodies a substantially flat disc-like lid 16 having an eccentric pouring port or orifice as at 18. The attachingcollar or rim isdenoted by the numeral 20 and it is of annular or ringlink form and has internal screw-threads engageable with the threads 12. The portion of the rim which extends above the plane of the lid portion 16 is provided with a turned in flange 22 which cooperates with the lid portion in the manner shown to define an endless keying channel 24 which serves to accommodate the outstanding keying flange 26. The flange 26 is a component of the measuring cup 28. This cup is of any predetermined and desired capacity depending on the load which it is intended to trap. The bottom or diaphragm portion of the cup is denoted at 30 and it too has an intake port or orifice 32 therein which can be moved out of align- -ment as seen in Fig. 4 or into alignment with the pou'ring hole or port 18. Obviously, to pour liquids or 'granui lar contents from the receptacle portion of the bottle into the measuring cup it is necessary that the valving means be open as shown for example in Fig. 3. It has also been found advisable and for the most part essential to provide venting means for the cup loading operation or step. Therefore, in one side of the wall 34 of the cup is provided with a vent hole 36. The upper openable and closable mouth portion of the cup is provided with external threads 38 to accommodate the screw threads on the flange 40 of the manually applicable and removable closing cap 42. If desired to avoid repetition of cap the first named bottle cap 14 may be alternately and suitably described as a closure. There is one other feature to be mentioned and that is the fact that the upper portion of this closure is provided on one side with an upstanding generally rectangular lug 44 which has the function of a valving element for the vent hole 36.

All of the components 14, 28 and 42 are preferably made of clear plastic material. In fact, the cup will be provided with appropriate gauge markings or graduations as shown at 44 in Fig. 1. Also on opposite sides of the check lug 45 the exterior surface of the cup is provided with suitable, outstanding stop elements or shoulders 46 and 48 respectively.

It is evident as before mentioned that the bottom 30 of the cup and lid portion 16, having openable and closable ports 18 and 32, provide a desirable controllable valve. This valve is shown closed in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. However, in Fig. 3 the valve is shown open. That is to say when the port 32 is in alignment or registration with the port 18 by turning the bottle upside-down whatever content is in the bottle will flow through the open ports and will be trapped in the measuring cup 28. At this time the cap 42 is of course in closed position and also at this time the orifice or vent 36 has been uncovered and thus opened to facilitate flow of the liquid from the bottle into the measuring cup.

It will be obvious that the several abutrnents or lugs 46, 48 and the intervening lug 44 cooperate in designating the open and closed valve action. As seen in Fig. 3 when the lug 48 is engaged with the lug 44' and the vent 36 is open the liquid in the bottle can be poured into the measuring cup. The dispensing step does not require the vent to be opened and so therefore the valve is turned. off, so to speak, before pouring the trapped and measured contents from the measuring cup. This means turning the cup 28 in a direction from right to left to bring the lug 44 against the stop shoulder or lug 46. At this time the lug 44 covers the vent 36. Then by unscrewing the cap 42 the liquid which has been trapped and Patented May 23, 1961 measured in the cup may be dispensed or poured therefrom into another container or may be used in any manner that the user desires to use it. Actually it is within the purview of the invention to load the measuring cup, turn the valve off, and then take the entire unit ofl, that is the closure or cap unit 14 and the cup 28. Usually, however, the bottle, cap and measuring cup are used as an assemblage or unit.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling withing the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a container having aneck, a closure having a collar removably connected to and embracing said neck, said closure also having a disc-like lid portion and said lid-portion being provided eccentrically with a pouring port, a measuring cup having a bottom rotatably keyed atop said lid portion, said bottom having an intake port which is registerable at will with the pouring port, said measuring cup also having a readily applicable and removable closing cap, said measuring cup also having a vent hole, said closure having a lug which is selectively,

cooperable with said vent hole, said cup being provided with circumferentially spaced shoulders and said lug being in a position between the shoulders and said shoulders being selectively engageable with said lug, the position of the shoulders and lug being related to the cooperating positions of the aforementioned ports.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and wherein said closure is provided above the lid portion with an encircling keying channel, the bottom of said cup having an outstanding keying flange rotatably keyed for operation in said channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 408,911 Chagnon et a1 Aug. 13, 1889 587,597 Nourse Aug. 3, 1897 624,204 Frank May 2, 1899 1,685,147 Case Sept. 25, 1928 2,765,954 Wohlbier Oct. 9, 1956 2,775,375 Heller Dec. 25, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS V V 28,530/30 Australia July 6, 19370

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