US2247834A - Cracker dispenser - Google Patents

Description

y 1941- c. A. DAVIS, JR, ET AL 2,247,834

CRACKER DISPENSER 4 Filed Feb. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Pay/A, b77 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEY S y 1- c. A. DAVIS, JR., ETAL 2,247,834

CRACKER DISPENSER Filed Feb. 26, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T l I l 56 37 4194 a7 1 36 Mi W111i: 31:21: 1 I 5 P '1 58 i //d l I a 5 a j 7 26 I 52 g? 2 L6 9 5f {32 ATTORNEYS Patented July 1, 1941 2,247,834. oaAcKER nrsrENsER Charles A.

Davis, .lrsand Paul A. Jones,

. Hobbs, N. Mex. 1

Application February 26, 1940, Serial No. 320,936

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvementsindispensing devices and especially is concerned with a newand improved dispenser for wafers such as cookies, crackers and the like: I

It is among the more important objects of the present invention to provide'a compact useful wafer dispenser including means whereby 'wafer particles such as crumbs and the like can be discharged from the apparatus without likelihood of interfering with moving parts thereof due to accumulation of divided material in the dispenser. r

Another object of the instant inventionis to provide a wafer dispenser which, while compact,

nevertheless includes relatively large storage space for wafer to be dispensed and in which but a small portion of the volume of the device is occupied by the mechanism for operating same. v x v An advantage of the novel wafer dispenser according to the instant invention over'certain prior art devices is its simplicity of construction which will lend itself to the requirements of mass production in that it can readily be manufactured by simple stamping operations performed upon' sheet metal. Although this is in no wise tobe construed as implying that the product is flimsy or unsubstantial.

A noteworthy feature of the dispenser accord} ing to this invention is that it includes means-- -for simultaneously dispensing wafers from oppo- 7 site sides of the device whereby the dispenser is suited to double use.

Other objects of the present invention and such that portions of said slotted grid form the backs and bottom wafer-supporting platforms of said compartments; said casing having wafer ejection ports near the platforms; and means for ejecting wafers positioned on the supporting platforms. V

In order to facilitate a fuller, more complete understanding of the matter of the present invention and also in order to present to the art a specific embodiment of this invention, the principally preferred type of device according to this invention will now be described, it being clearly understood, however, that the scope of this invention is expressed in the subjoined claims and thatthe preferred herein illustrated and described embodiment is supplied only by way of non-limitative example. f V

Referring then to the drawings,

Figure 1 isessentially a side elevational view of the presently preferred embodiment of this invention, parts being broken away for clearness of illustration andportions of the device being shown by vertical sectionalview,

Fig. 2 is essentially a front elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is essentially a horizontal sectional view of Fig. 1 taken along the line 3-3,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating features of the partition grid forming a part of the device illustrated in the foregoing figures, and

Fig.5 is essentially a perspective view of, an

ejector element.

Referring especially to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be noted that the device generally designated by thenumeral 10 comprises a casing II essentially rectangular in cross-sectional outline and open at the top ,being provided with a 'cap [2 frictionallyengaging therewith, essentially as ,shown.

The sides Ila of the casing II are provided near the bottoms thereof with essentially rectangular openings l3 which constitute wafer ejector ports as will be hereinafter more fully apparent. A base l4 attached to the casing H at sideportions thereof is hollow, open at the bottom and preferably of essentially frusto-pyramido shape.

tively elongate grid 2|, provided with sets of longitudinally extending slots 22, arranged in sheets whereby end portions 23 and an intermediate locality 24 of the grid are unslotted, is doubled along a transverse center line ,25 to present upstanding but downwardly slightly diverging compartment back portions 26 substantially as shown. The bottom parts of the downwardly extending compartment back portions 26 are .bent outwardly along the transversely extending lines 21 to provide the wafer supporting 4 wherein platforms 28 positioned within a common plane. It is especially to be noted that the slots 22 extend essentially continuously across the Wafer supporting platforms 28 and vertically up the compartment backs 26. The bent sheet grid is supported within the casing l I in a manner such that the downwardly diverging but essentially upright partition elements 26 are positioned near the vertical axis of the casing whereby the casing is divided into a pair of wafer compartments. The grid may be attached to the casing by any convenient means such as welding or soldering to the sides of the casing whereby during use the relative positions of the parts are maintained.

Referring now especially to Fig. wherein is illustrated one of the ejector grids generally designated by the numeral 30, it will be noted that the grid comprises an essentially rectangular sheet of material 3| provided with longitudinally extending slots 32 which extend substantially throughout the length of the sheet except for the front portion 33 and the back portion 34 thereof essentially as shown. Upright integrally formed lugs 35 located on the rearmost edge 34 of the slotted sheet 3! are positioned behind the ends of the outermost slots '32 for purposes which hereinafter more clearly will be apparent. The ejector grids 36 are horizontally slidingly mounted beneath the wafer supporting platforms 2B hereinabove described substantially as shown. in Figs. 1 and 2 whereby the slots 22 and 32 are disposed in registry and also whereby the upright lugs 35 can, during sliding motion of the grids 30, ride in the outermost slots 22 of the wafer supporting platforms. ing motion of the grids 3i), projecting handle elements 36 are provided on the front edge portions 33 of the grids and extend outwardly therefrom and downwardly abutting against side parts of the base It essentially as shown in Fig. 1. It will be noted that abutment of the handle against the base serves to limit motion of the grids inwardly relative to the casing H Hook elements 31 mounted on each of the grids 30 and carrying spring tensioning means 38 normally hold the grids in retracted position whereby the lugs 35 are positioned adjacent but behind the bottom portions of the partition elements 26 and whereby the handles 35 are pressed against side portions of the base 14.

For convenience of illustration and description, the device as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown with crackers positioned within the storage compartment, although of course it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantially any wafer can be dispensed from the device. In operation the crackers or wafers are stacked within the compartments resting against the partition elements 25 and resting upon the wafer supporting platforms 28 hereinabove described. In ejecting the cracker or wafer, one of the grids 30 or, if desired, both grids simultaneously, is moved by gripping the handle element 36 and pulling horizontally outwardly. As the grid slides outwardly, the lugs 35 engage with back portions of the lowermost cracker or wafer A from the stack A whereby the wafer or cracker is moved outwardly through the ejector port !3 tothe position shown in phantom in Fig. 1. Upon release of the handle the grid moves into retracted position by action of the spring tensioning means hereinabove described and the projecting portion of the cracker or wafer is held in place between the stack A and the wafer supporting platform 28 and may be grasped and pulled from the. dis- In order to facilitate slidpenser. It is to be understood of course that appropriate steps are provided for preventing unlimited withdrawal of the grid 30, the preferred limit of withdrawal being substantially as shown in Fig. 1 whereby likelihood of jamming of the device due to falling of the second lowermost wafer behind the lugs 35 is minimized.

It. will be apparent from the foregoing that inasmuch as the slots 22 and 32 are in registry, wafer particles can fall therethrough to be discharged through the open bottom of the base I4 thereby precluding likelihood of jamming of the moving parts due to deposit of particles thereon. It also will be evident that wafer particles can pass through the slotted portions of the upright portions 26 and be discharged through the open bottom of the device.

Having thus described the present invention, what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wafer dispenser comprising a casing, opening at the top, a bent longitudinally slotted. sheet grid within said casing, forming a partition dividing the interior of said casing into wafer storage compartments in a manner such that portions of said slotted grid form the backs and bottom wafer-supporting platforms of said compartments; said casing having wafer ejection ports near the platforms; means for ejecting wafers positioned on the supporting platforms comprising grids horizontally slidingly mounted beneath and having slots registerable with slots in the wafer supporting platforms; upright integrally formed lugs on rearmost edges of said grids slidable in certain slots formed in the platforms during motion of the grids for engaging with lowermost wafers and moving same through the ejection ports; means for holding said grids normally in retracted position comprising hooks one on each of said grids, and spring tensioning means carried on said hooks; and outwardly extending handles formed integral with said grids for facilitating movement thereof.

2. A wafer dispenser comprising a casing, opening at the top; a wafer-compartment-forming partition within said casing made from. a bent strip of longitudinally slotted sheet material presenting a pair of essentially upright, downwardly slightly diverging elements, formed integrally with each other and joined at the tops; horizontally positioned, longitudinally slotted wafer supporting platforms within said casing, formed integral with said upright elements and extending therefrom to wafer ejection openings formed in side portions of said casing; means for ejecting wafers positioned on the supporting platforms comprising grids horizontally slidingly mounted beneath and having slots registerable with said slots in the wafer supporting platforms; upright integrally formed lugs on rearmost edges of said grids slidable in certain of said slots formed in the platforms during motion of the grids for engaging with lowermost wafers and moving same through the ejection openings; means for holding said grids normally in retracted position comprising hooks, one on each of said grids, and spring tensioning means carried on said hooks; and outwardly extending handles formed integral with said grids for facilitating movement thereof.

3. A wafer dispenser comprising a stand for facilitating stacking of the wafers; said stand comprising a strip of sheet material, provided with longitudinally positioned slots extending substantially throughout the length thereof excepting the ends and a localized intermediate area and bent near its end portions in opposite directions but in a common plane whereby the bent strip in side elevation presents a. pair of L-shaped members integrally formed and joined at the tops providing horizontal Wafer supporting platforms; a casing, opening at the top, circumjacent said stand and attached thereto, internally divided into wafer storage compartments by said stand, and provided with water ejection ports in side portions thereof near the Wafer supporting platforms; means for ejecting wafers positioned on the supporting platforms comprising grids horizontally slidingly mounted beneath and having slots registerable with slots in the Wafer supporting platforms, upright integrally formed lugs on rearmost edges of said grids slidable in certain of said slots formed in the platforms during motion of the grids for engaging with lowermost wafers and moving same through the ejection ports; means for holding said gridsnormally in retracted position comprising hooks, one on each of said grids, and spring tensiom'ng means carried on said hooks; and outwardly extending handles formed integral with said grids for facilitating movement thereof.

4. A wafer dispenser, comprising a casing open at its upper end, a wafer compartment forming partitions Within the casing midway its length and formed of two obliquely arranged walls having laterally extending ends spaced from the bottom of the casing, said obliquely arranged walls provided with longitudinally extending slots continuing through the laterally turned ends, wafer ejecting grids arranged below the laterally turned ends of the partitions, outwardly extending arms carried by the outer ends of the grids and extending through openings in the .casing, upwardly extending lugs carried by the inner ends of the grids and extending through certain slots in the

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