US3003665A - Condiment dispensers - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 10, 1961 s. J. PETERS CONDIMENT DISPENSERS Filed Aug. 14, 1959 II I 21 i 16 g wiiza 1 I I 7' 5 7 /NVENTOR SJ. PETERS Pmslvr firronwsys United States Patent Filed Aug. 14, 1959, Ser. No. 833,842 Claims. (Cl. 222-94) This invention relates to improvements in condiment dispensers and particularly to improvements in means for the dispensing of such condiments as salt, pepper and mustard.

The'invention consists essentially in the provision of a unitary container having separate compartments for salt, pepper and mustard from which the salt and pepper can be dispensed either separately or together and separately from the mustard. 'Ihe mustard containing compartment of the dispenser is made suitable to receive a plastic tube of mustard, squeezable by means of a push button on the outside of the dispenser and dispensible through the neck ofthe collapsible tube and the top of the container.

The object of the invention is to provide a unitary container for dispensing both granular and semi-liquid condiments such as salt, pepper and mustard.

A further object of the invention is to provide a condiment dispenser in which semi-liquid condiments are contained within a plastic tube, which tube is compressible from the outside of the dispenser for the purpose of dispensing the condiment through a capped aperture.

A further object of the invention is to provide a unitary condiment dispenser having condiment containing compartments, which can be readily dismantled for clean ing purposes.

These and other objects will be readily apparent from the following detailed specification and the accompanying drawings in which- FIGURE 1 is an outside vertical elevation of the condiment dispenser.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of the condiment dispenser showing the mustard containing plastic tube and push-button squeeze plate.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the top surface of the body portion of the condiment dispenser with the dispensing plate and sealing caps removed.

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal cross section on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 showing the various compartments in the body portion of the condiment dispenser.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged partial vertical section of the top of the condiment dispenser showing the mustard dispensing outlet and the spring holding the dispensing plate in sealing engagement with the top of the body portion.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the dispenser plate.

FIGURE 7 is a vertical section of the dispenser plate on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a vertical section of an alternative base plate for the condiment dispenser.

Referring to the drawings, the condiment dispenser 5 is preferably moulded from plastic material and consists of a base plate 6, on which is mounted the body 7 of the dispenser. The base plate is provided with an upwardly projecting boss 8 which is externally threaded at 9 to receive the internally threaded portion 10 of the body 7. The body 7 of the dispenser 5 is provided with three compartments 11, 12 and '13, all of which are open to the bottom of the body and sealed ofi by the boss 8 of the base plate 6. The compartment 11 is for salt, the compartment 12 for pepper and the compa1tment 13 is for mustard. The compartment 13 is formed in the portion 14 of the body 7 and the compartments 11 and 12 are separated from each other by the vertical wall 15.

Fee

2 g V The top wall 16 of the "body 7 has a salt outlet aperture 17 and a series of smaller salt outlet apertures 17a located close to the vertical wall 15. Diametrically opposite the salt aperture 17 a series of pepper outlet apertures 18 are provided, while another series of pepper outlet apertures 18a are located close to the vertical wall '15 on the opposite side from the salt apertures 17a- The compartment 13 is provided at its top end with a hollow plug 19 having a threaded portion 20 projecting upwards above the top wall 16 of the body 7.

The selective dispensing plate .21 is cup shaped to fit over the top :of the body 7 and has a central bore 22 which is a close fit about the threaded portion of the plug :19. An arcuate slot 23 is of sufiicient area to ex- ;pose the salt outlet aperture 17, the pepper outlet apertures 18 or the combined groups of salt and pepper out- 7 let apertures 17a and 18a at any appropriate setting of the dispensing plate 21 on the body 7. The surface of the selective dispensing plate 21 is indented downwards at 24 and the top wall 16 of the body 7 is provided with companion indents 25, 26 and 27. When the indent 24 of the dispensing plate 21 registers with the indent 25 the aperture 23 will register with a blank portion of the top wall 16. However, when the indent 24 registers with the indent 26, the salt outlet 17 is exposed to the slot 23; when the indent 24 registers with the indent 27 the salt outlet apertures 17a and the pepper outlet apertures 18a are exposed at the same time and, when the indent 24 registers with the salt outlet aperture 17 the pepper outlet apertures 18 are exposed by the slot 23.

The selective dispensing plate 21 is spring held in close contact with the top wall 16 of the body 7 by the spring 28 which'is held in compression by the cap 29. The cap 29 is provided with an upwardlly projecting threaded portion 30 on to which the screwed cap 31 fits to seal off the outlet from the mustard compartment 13.

A mustard container 32 is preferably in the form of a squeezable plastic tube having an extended neck portion 33 extending up through the hollow plug 19 and cap 29. The neck 33 of the tube 32 would normally be sealed and be pierced after the full tube of mustard is inserted into the compartment 13. A squeeze plate 34 extends vertically the length of one wall of the compartment 13 and is interposed between that wall and the tube 32. A shaft 35 extends outwards from the squeeze plate 34 through the aperture 36 in the solid portion 14 of the body 7 and terminates in a push-button 37. A spring 38 about the shaft 35 normally holds the squeeze plate 34 and push-button 37 in the non-squeezing position.

In the condiment dispenser shown in FIGURE 2 it is necessary to hold the compot upside down in order to unscrew the base plate 6 when it is desired to replace an empty mustard container 32 as otherwise the salt and pepper would spill out of their respective compartments. In FIGURE 8 an alternative form of base plate is shown. In this base plate a separate plug 39 provides access to the compartment 13 without interfering with the other compartments 11 and 12.

The top wall 16 can have identifying marking as shown in FIGURE 3 and which vw'll be visible through the slot 23 of the dispensing plate 21, where C=the closed position, S=salt dispensing position, P=pepper dispensing position and SP=combined salt and pepper dispensing position.

While a condiment dispenser has been described having compartments for salt, pepper and mustard, it is to be understood that other granular and semi-liquid materials can be carried 'by the device for dispensing in the above described manner. Also it is understood that instead of the body 7 having two compartments 11 and 'viding walls defining an inner, compartment centrally located in said body portion, the said. outer and inner compartments being open at one end and having dispensing apertures at the opposite end, a removable base plate .sealing the open end of said body portion and the various compartments from each other, a selective dispensing plate overlying the apertured end of said body portion, the said dispensing plate being rotatably mounted to'selectively expose the apertures of the said outer compartments, a nozzle forming the dispensing aperture of said inner compartment, the said nozzle extending through said dispensing plate and forming a journal member about which the said dispensing plate is rotated, a cap on said nozzle, a compression spring about said nozzle between said cap and said dispensing plate, a screw cap closing the outlet end of said nozzle, a squeeze plate in said central compartment, and a push-button recessed in the wall of said 'body portion operably connected to said squeeze plate for displacement of said 7 squeeze plate within the central compartment.

2. In a condiment dispenser as set forth in claim 1 in which a spring is inserted between the push-button and the said body portion.

3. In a condiment dispenser as set forth in claim 1 in which a collapsible tube of condiment fits into said central compartment and into the discharge nozzle and is squeezed by said squeeze plate.

4. In a condiment dispenser as set forth in claim 3 in which the squeeze plate extends the full length of the central compartment and bears against the collapsible tubeof condiment.

5. In a condiment dispenser as set forth in claim 4 in which the base plate has a screwed plug inserted therein giving access to the central compartment only.

References Cited in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Frye Feb. 27, 1917 1,925,962- Hoyer Sept. 5, 1933 7 2,241,044 7 Stenberg May6, 1941 2,613,853 Halvorsen Oct. 14, 1952 V, FOREIGN PATENTS 451,933 Great Britain Aug. 14, 1936

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