US2254038A - Cup dispensing cabinet - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 26, 1941 s. N. H gE v 2,254,038 I CUP DIs ENsIge CABINET Filed July 29, 1940 FIG. 2 1.9

INVENTOR SAMUEL N. HOPE Patented Aug. 26, 1941 CUP DISPENSING CABINET Samuel N. Hope, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignor to Lily-Tulip Cup Corporation, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of Delaware Application July 29, 1940, Serial No. 348,180

' 5 Claims.

The present invention relates to cabinets adapted for the dispensing of nested paper drinking cups and other articles.

An object of the invention is to provide a dispensing cabinet for enclosing and protecting a stack of cups and the like, and which will permit convenient access to the cups for individual withdrawal thereof and for replacement of the stack.

Another object is to provide a cupdispensing cabinet which, can be rested in stable position on a flat-topped support, such as a table, desk or counter, without requiring the use of attaching means.

A further object is to provide a dispensing cabinet which is of simple and durable construction and which can be economically manufactured.

Still another object is to perfect details of construction generally.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating one specific embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a cup dispensing cabinet constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken generally along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, an open position of a swingable cover or casing member of the cabinet being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken generally along the line 33 of Fig. 1, the cover being shown in open position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken generally along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, the cups being omitted;

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the cabinet;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 6-6 of Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a top view of the cabinet base, and

Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of a cushion stop for the cover, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section.

In the drawing, I designates a flat-topped base frame of rounded contour having an opening I I in its top wall and a downturned marginal flange I2, the base frame being preferably pressed from heavy sheet metal. Mounted at the underside of the base frame and within the marginal flange are two heavy sheet metal plates I3 and I4 arranged one below the other and spot welded or otherwise secured together. The top plate I3 has a central front extension I which is spot welded or otherwise secured to the base frame, and both plates have reduced rear tongues I 6 which are soldered or otherwise secured at I! tothe base frame.

The base frame III and plates I3 and I4 form a base or support for the cabinet. The plate I3 and the edges of the base frame opening II define a shallow flat-bottom recess or cavity adapted to receive therein the lower edges of an upright sheet metal casing member I8 of rounded trough-shaped cross-section, the casing member being open along its front and having a hoodlike top portion I9. The casing member is rigidly secured to the base by screws which pass through the plates- I3 and I4 and engage angles 2| spot welded or otherwise secured to the lower inner walls of the casing member at the rear and opposite sides of the casing member. The

screws 20 also secure in place a marginally flanged bottom plate 22 which fits within the flanged base member and constitutes a part of the base. The plate 22 has riveted thereto a plurality of cup-shaped buttons or feet 23, preferably of rubber, two of these feet being mounted at the rear of the plate and the other two being mounted on spaced front extensions of the plate.

The casing member I8 is closed at its front by an upright marginally flanged complementary casing member 24 of-trough-shaped cross-section. The casing member 24 forms a hinged cover or closure and when closed is adapted to lap the front edges of the casing member I8. An angle bracket 25 formed of heavy sheet metal has its vertical front portion spot welded or otherwise secured to the inner face of the coverforming casing member 24 adjacent to the lower end of this casing member, and has a rearwardly projecting platform portion 26. A metal strap 21 is spot welded or otherwise transversely secured to the bottom face of the bracket and has spaced downturned vertical ears 28 which pass through parallel slots 29 formed in the top wall of the base frame. The ears 28 extend along the outer sides of downturned ears 30 formed on the front extension I5 of the plate I3, and have forwardly projecting lower portions, Fig. 3, which are pivotally secured to the ears 30 by a hinge pin 3|. The cover-forming casing member is swingable' forwardly about the hinge pin to the inclined open position seen in Fig. 3, the front ends of the slots 29 forming stops engageable by the ears 28 to limit the opening movement. The cover or casing member 24 is provided at its upper portion with a handle 32 by which it may be swung to its open position. The closing movement of the cover'is cushioned by a rubber bumper 33 which for convenience in manufacture may be identical with the rubber feet 23. The bumper is riveted to a sheet metal supporting plate 34, Fig. 8, having notches 35 at opposite sides. A sheet metal mounting plate 33 is spot welded or otherwise secured to the under side of the hood portion [9 of the casing member l8 adjacent to the front edge of this casing member. The mounting plate is provided at opposite sides with bendable lugs 31 which are adapted to enterthe notches of the bumper plate 34, thus permitting easy attachment of the bumper to the casing member and avoiding projections at the outer side of the casing member.

Secured to the rearwardly projecting portion 26 of the cover bracket 25, as by spot welding, is a hat-shaped sheet metal cup-retainingmember 33 having inclined shouldered side walls, Fig. 3. A stack of nested inverted paper cups A are supported on the retaining member 38, as seen in Fig. 2, the shape of the retaining member permitting cups of various sizes to be accommodated.

When the cup dispensing cabinet is in use, it is rested on a suitable tabular support 39, such as a table, desk or counter, the rubber feet 23 preventing marring of finished surfaces and resisting sliding movement. The weight of the base holds the cabinet in a stable upright position. The weight of the cover bracket 25 and other cover-supported parts at the rear of the vertical plane of the hinge pin 3i'holds the cover or swingable casing member in its normal closed.

position, thus enclosing and protecting the cups in the container or receptacle formed by--- the casing members. g

Whena cup is desired the cover or casingmember 24 is swung by its handle 32 to the inclined open position shown by dotted lines inFig. 2, and by full lines in Fig. 3, the stack of cups being swingable outwardly with the cover. The cover will be retained in its open position, as its center of weight is then forward of the vertical plane of the hinge pin 31. The uppermost cup is removed from the inclined stack, "and the cover is .then swung rearwardly to'its closed position. In the final part of its closing movement the cover is urged rearwardly by its unbalanced weight, and when the cover reaches its closed position it is cushioned by the rubber bumper 33.

While one specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dispensing cabinet, a base adapted to be rested on a support, a. pair of complementary upright casing members on said base adapted to form a receptacle for enclosing therein a stack of nested inverted cups to be dispensed from above, one of said casing members being pivotally mounted about a transverse axis at the lower portion for outward swinging movement to permit access to said stack, and means carried by said pivotally mounted casing member for supporting said stack of cups from below, said means having a cup-retaining part adapted to extend into the lowermost inverted cup.

2. In a dispensing cabinet, a base adapted to be rested on a support, a casing member fixed on said base and having an open front, a cover for said open front pivotally mounted on said base and 'swingable about a transverse axis to open and closed positions, said casing member and cover forming a receptacle for enclosing therein a stack of articles to be dispensed, and means 7 carried by said coverat its lower portion and 3. In a dispensing cabinet for nested cups and the like, a base, and a pair of complementary upright casing members on said base adapted to form a receptacle for enclosing therein a stack of nested cups, one of said casing members being pivotally rnounted about a transverse axis at the lower portion thereof for" outward swinging movement to permit access to said stack, said swingable casing member having a bracket at its lower portion with a cup-retaining proj ection on which the stack of cups is supported? 4.1;; a dispensing cabinet, an apertured base,

a casing member'secured to said base and having an open front, and a cover for said open front having ears at its lower end projecting through said base and pivotally secured to said base, said base havingstop abutments limiting the outward swinging movement of said cover, said casing member'and coverforming a. receptacle for enclosing therein a stack of articles to be dispensed,

and said cover being swing'ableoutwardly for access to said stack.

5. In a dispensing cabinet, a base having a top wall with a recess presenting side edges, a casing Sb-member of trough-shaped cross-section having 'an open front and having its lower edges fitting in said recess, means for securing said casing member to said base, and a cover for the open front of said casing member and forming with said member a receptacle for enclosing therein a stack of articles to be dispensed, said cover being pivotally mounted at its lower end and-swingable outwardly for access to said stack.

. SAMUEL N. HOPE.

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