US3089622A - Container for liquids - Google Patents

Description

May 14, 1963 E. B. WESTLAKE, JR

CONTAINERFOR LIQUIDS Filed Jan. 7, 1959 IN V EN TOR. fDWfiFD 6 W6 71/?! 5 JP. BY My? H/S ,0 TTOENEVS United States Patent 3,089,622 CONTAINER FOR LIQUIDS Edward B. Westlake, Jr., 307 Lincoln Ave., Havertown, Pa. Filed Jan. 7, 1959, Ser. No. 785,436 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-183) This invention relates to a container for dispensing liquids and to a dispenser adapted for use with such a container.

Automatic devices for dispensing various types of goods upon deposit of a coin have come into wide use in recent years. These devices have the considerable advantage of being able .to dispense goods without any need for a salesperson to handle the sale. This enables large savings for a proprietor in wages and provides prompt, efficient and correct service to those utilizing the dispensing devices. Liquid beverages are sold widely in these dispensers and liquid containers for use in such devices have therefore come into wide demand.

In the present invention, a novel liquid container well suited for use in such dispensing devices is provided. The container includes an inner flexible envelope of some suitable plastic material, an outer carton of cardboard or the like, and a flexible tube which provides access to the interior of the container, and which may be made available for dispensing purposes by removing one corner of the outer carton along previously weakened tear lines. A novel dispenser is also provided which main tains the liquid container in an attitude in which the force of gravity is capable of causing all of the fluid contents of said container to be discharged through the access tube.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a novel container suitable for use in dispensing devices.

A further object is to provide a container in which access means are made available by removal of one corner of the container.

An additional object is to provide a novel dispensing means adapted for use with the container of the present invention.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof, the method of manufacture and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the container of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a view, partly broken away, similar to FIGURE 1, showing one corner removed from the outer container to free the dispensing tube for use.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view showing the container disposed in a dispenser, ready for use.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the container, partly broken away, showing said container in phantom lines before it is filled with its contents.

The novel container of the present invention includes an outer member 12 of cardboard or other suitable material, and an inner envelope 14 disposed within the member 12. The envelope 14 is preferably made from a thin, flexible plastic material, such as polyethylene, and has sealed thereto, by a leak-proof connection 16, a dispensing tube 18, provided with a closing plug fused thereto. When the envelope 14 is disposed within the member 12, the tube 18 nestles in one corner of the member 12, where it is protected during shipment and storage against possible damage or loosening which might result in discharge of the contents of the container.

The previously mentioned corner of the outer member 12 is provided with weakening or tear lines 22 lying in a common plane to facilitate removal of said corner when 3,089,622 Patented May 14, 1963 Ice it is desired to bring the tube 18 into operative position. When the end of the tube containing the plug 20 is severed, the contents of the container 10 may be discharged.

As shown by phantom lines 24 in FIGURE 4, one end of the inner envelope 14 is left open to enable the liquid contents of the inner envelope to be received therein. After the inner envelope 14 has been filled, its open end is closed along a line 26 by well-known means which are effective to' seal the plastic material of which the envelope 14 is made. The container may be heat sealed so as to obtain a fused seam. The corresponding end flaps 28 of the outer member 12 are, of course, left open until the inner envelope 14 has been filled and sealed, .and are then closed.

In FIGURE 3 is shown a dispensing device Bil suitable for use with the container 10. The device 30 includes an outer housing 32 having a lid 34 which may be removed for placement of the container 10 within the housing. The outer housing 32 in many commercial dispensers is cylindrical, designed to receive a cylindrical container that is reusable. However, the expense of sterilizing the conventional container is greater or equal to the cost of a disposable container as shown herein.

The container 10 is supported within the housing 32 by a slanting base plate 36 and a pair of plates 38, all secured to the housing 32 at right angles to each other and in an attitude such that the container 10 is supported with one corner thereof lower than any other part of the container. One plate 38 in FIGURE 3 has been broken away to fully illustrate the structure of the container 10. This container 10 is positioned within the housing 38 and on the plates 36 and 38, so that the corner bearing the tube 18, which corner has previously been removed to free said tube, is lower than any other, and the tube 18 is run through an opening 40 in the base of the housing 32.

Positioned below the housing 30 and secured thereto by a bracket 42 is a member 44 having an arcuate surface 46 against which the tube 18 rests. Cooperating with the surface 46 to control the flow of the liquid contents of the container 10 from the tube 18 is a lever 48 pivotally mounted by a shaft 50 on a bracket 52 secured to the base of the housing 32. At one end, the lever 48 is provided with a manual operating surf e 54, and at its other end, said lever has an arcuate surface56 which cooperates with the surface 46 on the member 44 to retain the tube 18 therebetween. A leaf spring 58 secured to the lever 48 and coacting with the underside of the base of the housing 32 urges the lever 48 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 3, to pinch the tube 18 between the surfaces 46 and 56 to cut off flow of the liquid contents of the container 10 through the tube 18.

It will be seen that by depressing the surface 54 on the lever 48, said lever is rotated in a clockwise direction and the surface 56 thereon is moved upward to a position where it does not pinch the tube 18. Fluid flow through the tube 18 is thus permitted and may continue so long as the surface 54 on the lever 48 is held in depressed position. Upon release of said surface, the spring 58 rotates the lever 48 in a counterclockwise direction to restore the surface 56 to a position in which it engages the tube .18 and pinches it against the surface 46 on the member 44 to cut off fluid flow.

If desired, a suitable coin-controlled mechanism (not shown) may be provided to control the operation of the surface 54 on the lever 48. Such a device could require a deposit of a coin to free the lever 48 for depression, and could control the length of time said lever could remain depressed, thereby controlling the amount of fluid dispensed per coin.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it Will be understood that Within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A dispensing device comprising in combination a housing, a removable lid for the housing, a slanting base plate positioned within the housing at an acute angle to the horizontal, a pair of additional plates positioned Within the housing, said additional plates being secured to the housing at right angles to the base plate and to each other and in an attitude such that a container is supported with one corner thereof lower than any other part of the container to facilitate the dispensing of a liquid; an aperture in the bottom of the housing through which a dispensing tube attached to the lowest corner of the carton may extend; a first member positioned under the bottom of the housing against which the dispensing tube may rest; and a member shiftably mounted under the housing and arranged to cooperate with said first member to control flow of a liquid from the carton through the dispensing tube.

2. A dispensing device comprising, in combination, a housing; a removable lid for the housing; a base support member positioned within the housing at an acute angle to the horizontal; at least one additional support member positioned within the housing at right angles to the base support member, the support rnembers together forming a support for holding adjoining faces of a removable carton containing a liquid to be dispensed in such a position that one corner of the carton is lower than any other corner to facilitate dispensing of the liquid; said carton including an outer carton of polyhedral configuration and a fluid-tight container positioned within the outer carton, said inner container being provided with a dispensing tube positioned inside said one corner of the outer carton, and tear lines surrounding said outer carton to permit removal of said one corner; an aperture in the bottom of the housing through which said tube may extend; a first member positioned under the bottom of the housing against which the dispensing tube may rest; and a shiftably mounted member under the housing and arranged to cooperate with said first member to control flow of a liquid from the carton through the dispensing tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,446,308 Smith Aug. 3, 1948 2,516,471 Letsch July 25, 1950 2,574,931 Nason Nov. 13, 1951 2,831,610 Dennie Apr. 22, 1958 2,861,718 Winzen Nov. 25, 1958 2,895,653 Giepen July 21, 1959

Claims (1)

1. A DISPENSING DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A HOUSING, A REMOVABLE LID FOR THE HOUSING, A SLANTING BASE PLATE POSITIONED WITHIN THE HOUSING AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL, A PAIR OF ADDITIONAL PLATES POSITIONED WITHIN THE HOUSING, SAID ADDITIONAL PLATES BEING SECURED TO THE HOUSING AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE BASE PLATE AND TO EACH OTHER AND IN AN ATTITUDE SUCH THAT A CONTAINER IS SUPPORTED WITH ONE CORNER THEREOF LOWER THAN ANY OTHER PART OF THE CONTAINER TO FACILITATE THE DISPENSING OF A LIQUID; AN APERTURE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUSING THROUGH WHICH A DISPENSING TUBE ATTACHED TO THE LOWEST CORNER OF THE CARTON MAY EXTEND; A FIRST MEMBER POSITIONED UNDER THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUSING AGAINST WHICH THE DISPENSING TUBE MAY REST; AND A MEMBER SHIFTABLY MOUNTED UNDER THE HOUSING AND ARRANGED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID FIRST MEMBER TO CONTROL FLOW OF A LIQUID FROM THE CARTON THROUGH THE DISPENSING TUBE.

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