US3823845A

US3823845A - Top loading article dispenser

Info

Publication number: US3823845A
Application number: US00380486A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Cantella; R Mott; Jr R Mott
Original assignee: RESERV A ROLL CO
Current assignee: RESERV A ROLL CO
Priority date: 1973-07-18
Filing date: 1973-07-18
Publication date: 1974-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 1991-07-16

Abstract

A top loading article dispenser including an open upper end container for receiving articles with support means in the container to receive and support the articles. The support means is spring loaded to urge the support means towards the top of the container and the top of the container is provided with cover means that are pivotally secured adjacent the top thereof so that the cover means may be pivotally moved to a position for access to the container from the top thereof for loading the container with articles. The cover means comprises a pair of members pivotally secured adjacent the top of the container whereby they may be moved to a position for access to the container and thereafter moved downwardly after the container has been loaded with articles to aid in retaining the articles in position in the container. The pair of members are of less width than the open upper end of the container to provide a slot in the top of the container for access to the articles for removal from the container as desired. Spring means mounted on the container aid in retaining said pair of members in substantially a vertical position when loading articles into the container and for aiding in retaining the pair of members in a horizontal position.

Description

United States Patent [191 Mott, Sr. et al.

[4 July 16, 1974 TOP LOADING ARTICLE DISPENSER [75] Inventors: Ralph Beach Mott, Sr.; Ralph Beach Mott, Jr.; Richard C. Cantella, all of Houston, Tex.

[73] Assignee: Reserv-A-Roll C0., Houston, Tex. [22] Filed: July 18, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 380,486

[52] US. Cl. 221/59 [51] Int. Cl A47k 10/44 [58] Field of Search 221/45, 46, 59, 307, 309,

[56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 813,594 2/1906 Sexton 221/52 979,124 12/1910 Bolt 221/309 1,333,045 3/1920 Swift 312/61 2,085,479 6/1937 Shaffer et al. 221/59 3,291,339 12/1966 Hein 221/45 3,313,583 4/1967 Turkington et al.". 221/59 X 3,498,688 3/1970 Mott et al. 221/52 X Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg [5 7] ABSTRACT A top loading article dispenser including an open upper end container for receiving articles with support means in the container to receive and support the articles. The support means is spring loaded to urge the support means towards the top of the container and the top of the container is provided with cover means that are pivotally secured adjacent the top thereof so that the cover means may be pivotally moved to a position for access to the container from the top thereof for loading the container with articles. The cover means comprises a pair of members pivotally secured adjacent the top of the container whereby they may be moved to a position for access to the container and thereafter moved downwardly after the container has been loaded with articles to aid in retaining the articles in position in the container.

The pair of members are of less width than the open upper end of the container to provide a slot in the top of the container for access to the articles for removal from the container as desired. Spring means mounted on the container aid in retaining said pair of members in substantially a vertical position when loading articles into the container and for aiding in retaining the pair of members in a horizontal position.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL'I 61 14 3.823 345 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The closest prior art with which applicants are familiar includes US. Pat. Nos. 1,689,571; 3,313,583; 3,095,996; 2,253,742; 2,893,804; 3,291,339; 1,080,855; 3,087,647; 3,202,316; 1,564,249; 2,717,085; 769,963; 2,831,602; 2,682,441; 2,781,151; 614,272; and 1,929,968. All of the foregoing patents disclose various devices for dispensing articles such as tissues paper bags and other articles. However, all of such are complicated in structure and none are provided with a flip top arrangement so that the-articles may be placed in the container from the top and thereafter dispensed through the top.

In some situations such as in commercial establishments, by way of example only, filling stations, restrooms in office buildings and the like, the amount of space may be limited. Additionally, in some situations it is desirable to provide a' plurality of lavatories in close proximity to each other and it may be desirable to provide a dispenser on the same surface on which the lavatories are mounted and to provide a minimum number of dispensers which are flush with the surface on which the lavatories are mounted. The present invention provides a relative simple arrangement which enables it to be flush mounted on a surface such as a counter or the like and is constructed and arranged so that access may be had thereto through the top of the container for positioning articles therein. Thereafter .the top may be closed and the top is constructed and arranged to form a slot for access to the articles in the container for withdrawal therefrom as desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dispenser for articles which may be quickly and easily loaded from the top and the articles thereafter dispensed from the top.

Yet a further object is to provide a dispenser for articles which may be loaded from the top, the top being provided with spring loaded cover means which opening means aids in retaining the cover means in proper position for loading the articles in the dispenser and for thereafter positioning the cover means so that the articles may be dispensed through the cover means.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS one suitable form of container construction along the the support means carried thereby for receiving and supporting the articles and urging them towards the upper open end of the container with the cover means shown open and movable as indicated by the arrows to retain the articles in position in the container after having been placed therein;

FIG. 4 is an end view illustrating in full line the posi-' tion of the support means in the container after the container has been loaded with articles with the cover 2 meansclosed to provide a slot for removal of articles therethrough; and

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional side view illustrating further structural details of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail-in turn arearranged in a suitable cabinet referred to generally at 25, and the present invention is illustrated as being positioned between the

lavatories

22 and 24 and adjacent the bottom ofsurface 26 of the cabinet arrangement 25. g

- In FIG. 2, the invention 20 is shown as including a container referred to generally at 30 of generally rectangular configuration whose open upper end 30a (FIG. 3) is adjacent an opening in the surface 26 and immediately' below such surface as shown in FIG. 4.

In FIG.' 2 the container is again referred to generally by the numeral 30 and is illustrated as being of generally rectangular configuration; however, it can be appreciated that any suitable configuration for the container may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention. As illustrated the container 30 vis shown as including the vertically extending

sidewalls

31 and 32 which are retained in spaced relation by the bottom 33 connected thereto and extending therebetween.

Support means 40 are associated with the container 20 for receiving and supporting articles within the container and for urging such articles towards the open upper end 30a and the cover means referred to generally by the numeral50. Such support means may be of any suitable construction to accomplish the desired function. As shown, such support means'includes slide means 42 adapted to move longitudinally ofthe container 30. The container 30 includes the end members 34 one of which is provided at each end of the container, with a slot 35 extending longitudinally from bottom 33 and terminating at a spaced position from the upper end 36 of such side memberas shown at 37.The end members 34 include the extensions 34a whichsupport the cover means 50 at the open upper end 30a of the container, as will be described in greater detail.

The end members 34 may be secured to the

side members

31 and 32 be any suitable means and it is to be noted that the

side members

31 and 32 include

portions

31a and 32a respectively which overlap a portion of each of the end members 34 at each edge thereof as shown in the drawings. I

The overlapping

portions

31a and 32a are spaced from each end member 34 so that the slide means 42 may be slidably received between the end members 34 and the overlapping portion 310 and 32a. Thus, a channel arrangement 38 is provided for slides 42 to move longitudinally of the container 30 as will be described in greater detail. The slides 42 each include a projection 45 adjacent the lower end thereof which projecv and the end members 34 respectively enable the support means to move up and down within the container without becoming skewed or cocked in in an undesirable manner.

Spring means 60 has one end 61 secured to the projection 45 by any suitable means such as extending through the opening in theprojection 45 and its other end is secured to a bracket 62 mounted on each of the end members at 34. It can be appreciated that a spring means 60 is provided on each end of the container to assist in urging the support means 40 upwardly towards the cover means 50 of the container.

The container is provided with cover means referred to generally at 50 in the drawings and such cover means includes a pair of

members

69 and 70. Stationary plate means 50a and 50b are carried by the extensions 34a and extend laterally therefrom to support container 30 on surface 36. The

members

69 and 70 are pivotally secured intermediate their longitudinal edges by suitable hinge means referred to at 72. The hinge means 72 are carried by the plate means 50a and 50b, and the cover means 69 and 70 as more clearly shown in FIG. 3-5 inclusive.

The hinge means .72 is illustrated as being engaged with the

members

69 and 70 adjacent substantially centrally thereof so that the

members

69 and 70 may be flipped upwardly to the vertical position illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings. At each end of the container 30 on the

plates

50a and 50b leaf spring means 80 is provided and when

members

69 and 70 are moved to the vertical position shown in F IG. 3 of the drawings for access to the top of the container, the outer ends 69 and 70' of the

members

69 and 70 engage the spring means 80 positioned on the plate means 50a and 50b which plate means are secured to extensions 34a on each end of the container by any suitable means such as spot welding as illustrated at 80a in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings. I

The leaf spring means 80 is of unique configuration in that it includes two generally V shaped portions so that the outer edges 69' and 70' of the

members

69 and 70 engage in the apex of each V when they are positioned in substantially vertical position as shown in FIG. 3 for access to the container through the open upper end thereof.

The positioning of the

edges

69 and 70 in each apex retains the

members

69 and 70 in substantially vertical position so that the container may be more readily loaded with articles.

It is to be also noted that the width of the

member

69 and 70 is less than the width of the open upper end 30a so that when they are moved to a horizontal plane as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the drawings suitable slot means 88 are provided for access to the articles within the container. When the

members

69 and 70 are in a horizontal plane, the edges of the spring mean 80 tends to retain them in such position.

DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION After the present invention has been placed in a cabinet or other suitable position, access to the interior of the container may be had by moving the

members

69 and 70 to the vertical position as illustrated in FIG.

3. The container 30 then may be loaded, or 'may be reloaded when the articles have all been dispensed therefrom.

In FIG. 3 the slides 42 are shown in their upper most position having been urged to such position by the spring 60, and as previously noted the construction and arrangement of the support means 40 including the slides 42, a portion'of 46 and the abutting relationship of the base 47 upon which the articles rest with the container walls 34a on each end aid in proper sliding movement of such support means to urge thearticles upwardly toward the cover means 50 of the container.

In FIG. 4 the support 40 is illustrated in its lower most position in which position it would be when the articles have been loaded therein.

The extensions 34a are pivotally secured by the pin means 50 to be tilted toan angle relative to the balance of the container. This enables the device to be mounted adjacent a sloping or horizontal surface 26. When the device is installed, it is installed immediately'below an opening in the surface 26 as illustrated in FIG. 4.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that a relatively simple arrangement is-provided for receiving articles, wherein such arrangement may be top loaded merely by flipping the

members

69 and 70 into a vertical position for access to the interior'of the container 30 and after the container has been loaded, then the

members

69 and 70 can be returned to their horizontal relationship with the spring means tending to retain them in such horizontal relationship by engagement thereof adjacent each

end

69 and 70. Thus the

members

69 and 70 aid in retaining the articles within the container and bytheir spaced longitudinal configuration provide a slot 80 for access for removal of the articles therefrom.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape, and materials as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. A top loading article dispenser including:

a. container means having an open top;

b. support means associated with said container for supporting the articles;

0. spring means connected to said support means for I urging the articles towards the top of the dispenser;

cles;

b. means slidably engaged with said container and a. a base within the container for supporting the articonnected with said base;-and

0. wherein said spring means engages said slide means to urge said slide means and base upwardly toward the top of the container.

Claims

1. A top loading article dispenser including: a. container means having an open top; b. support means associated with said container for supporting the articles; c. spring means connected to said support means for urging the articles towards the top of the dispenser; d. cover means for the top of the container; e. said cover means comprising a pair of members pivotally mounted adjacent the top whereby they may be each pivoted upwardly for access to the container from the top for loading it with articles and thereafter movable to close the container and retain the articles therein; f. said pair of members extending longitudinally of the top of said container and being of less width than the top to provide a slot for access to remove the articles from the container as desired; and g. additional spring means carried by said container to aid in retaining said pair of covers in a horizontal position to aid in retaining articles within the container, and said spring means being configured to aid in retaining said pair of members in substantially vertical position as articles are placed in said container.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said support means includes: a. a base within the container for supporting the articles; b. means slidably engaged with said container and connected with said base; and c. wherein said spring means engages said slide means to urge said slide means and base upwardly toward the top of the container.