US2922551A - Combined salt and pepper shaker condiment holder - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 26, 1960 RlKlJlRO OSAKA 2,922,551

COMBINED SALT AND PEPPER SHAKER CQNDIMENT HOLDER Filed March 51, 1958 States Patent COMBINED SALT AND PEPPER SHAKER CONDllVIENT HOLDER Rikijiro Osaka, New York, NY.

Application March 31, 1958, Serial No. 725,221

4 Claims. (Cl. 222-142.4)

This invention relates to kitchen utensils and, more particularly, to a condiment holder for enclosing two different condiments, such as salt and pepper, and represents an improvement upon my previously issued Patent No. 2,812,882, dated November 12, 1957, for a Condiment Holder. This application is also a continuation in part of my co-pending application, Serial No. 708,783, filed January 14, 1958, now abandoned.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a condiment holder of the type described that has means for more effectively sealing one compartment from the other and for limiting the rotation of the associated closure means between the opposite opened and closed positions upon the container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a condiment holder for holding a multiple number of different condiments having improved guide baffle means for directing the outward flow of the condiments, which baffle means further provides support for one of the closure separating elements.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide rotation limiting means on each side of the container for positively engaging diametrically opposite sides of the closure in both the open and closed positions thereof so as to provide more positive action therebetween.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a condiment holder made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of certain parts of the condiment holder shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken along line 44 of Figure 1, showing the device in operative use; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to Figure 1, showing the parts in an adjusted closed position.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to Figures 1 to 3 thereof, a condiment holder made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a cylindrical main body section 12 having an integral bottom wall 11 and an upwardly tapered section 13 that terminates in a narrow neck portion 14., A main divider partition wall 15 extends diametrically across the interior of the container integral with the bottom wall thereof, and terminating short of the upper limits of the neck portion 14. This wall 15 divides the interior of the container into two separate compartments 16, 17 which receive different condiments, such as salt and pepper, respectively.

Diametrically opposite sides of the neck 14 are provided with perforated sections 18', 19 that are in perpendicular facing relationship with the opposite sides ice of the divider wall 15. A closure member 20 having a depending peripheral flange 21 is slidably supported upon the neck 14 and has diametrically opposite cutouts 22, 23 for selective rotation into communication with the perforated sections18, 19. Each end of both of the cutouts or openings 22, 23 is provided with a recess 24a, 25a; 24b, 25b, respectively, that communicates therewith for alternately receiving a stop member 26a, b fixed to the associated neck portion 14 of the container. It will thus be recognized that as the closure 20 is rotated from the open position shown in Figure 1 to the closed position shown in Figure 5, the stop lugs 26a, [1 will be first released from the first set of cutouts 24a, b and then received by the other set of cutouts 25a, [1. As a result the closure 20 is secured to the neck 14 by the action of both stop lugs 26a, b in both the open and closed positions so as to lock the closure in assembly with the neck of the container and to automatically limit the movement of the closure between the fully open and fully closed positions without having to visually observe such movements during use.

A semi-circular plate 29 provides a seal between the two diverge compartments 16, 17 of the container. This plate 29 has a J-shaped flange along the straight edge that is carried upon the upper edge of the divider wall 15. The arcuate portion of the plate 29 is supported upon a crescent shaped flange 27 which extends radially inwardly from the neck 14 above the perforated sections 18, 19. A separate'such crescent flange 27 is carried by each diametrically opposite side of the neck 14, whereby the plate 29 may be supported in overlying relationship with either one of the compartments 16, 17. These crescent shaped flanges 27 also serve as baffle guide plates fordirecting the flow of condiments from the interior of the respective compartments outwardly through the respective perforated sections 18, 19 associated therewith. In any event, the close fit between the inverted J-shaped flange 30 with the top edge of the divider wall 15 and inside surface of the closure 20 prevents the mixing of the condiments during use. In order to fill the compartments, it is only necessary to remove the closure 20/ and the semi-circular plate 29, whereupon each condiment may be individually poured into the respective compartment.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims'appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A condiment holder comprising, in combination, a cylindrical container comprising an integral side and bottom wall and an integral wall dividing the interior thereof into two substantially equal semi-circular compartments, said side wall having a concentric upwardly extending cylindrical neck adjacent to the top portion thereof, said neck having a perforated section in the vicinity of each compartment to provide an exit for granular condiments contained therewithin, said dividing wall terminating below the upper level of said container side wall, a substantially semi-circular cover plate having an inverted J-shaped flange along the straight edge thereof for engagement with the top edge of said divider wall, said neck of said container side wall having at diametrically opposite sides thereof and facing each side of said dividing wall a radially inwardly extending crescent shaped flange controlling the flow of condiments through said perforated neck, one of said flanges further supporting the arcuate side of said cover plate to isolate one compartment from the other, and a rotatable closure removably secured to said neck in securing engagement with said side wall and said flange of said cover, said 7 closure having a depending peripheral flange with openings at diametrically opposite sides in communication with said respective perforated wall portions, and limiting means limiting rotation of said enclosure between selected open and closed positions relative to said perforated sections; 7 n I 2. A condiment holder as set forth in claim 1, wherein said limiting means comprises a stop member carried bysaid neck at one side of each perforated section.

3. The combination according to claim 2, further comprising recesses in said depending peripheral flange in communication with each endof both of said openings for alternately guidingly receiving said stop members in 4 response to rotation of said closure between saidopen and closed positions.

4. A condiment holder as set forth in claim 3, wherein each said stop member comprises a lug extending radially outwardly from said neck substantially filling said respective recesses in response to rotation of said closure between said open and closed positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,316,519 Stone Sept. 16, 1919 1,598,055 Compton Aug. 31, 1926 2,812,882 Osaka Nov. 12, 1957

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