Dispenser for bodies in sealed sheet material compartments

• US 3,964,638 A
• Filed: 12/19/1974
• Issued: 06/22/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frank S. Dimauro
• Original Assignee: Frank S. Dimauro
• Inventors: Dimauro, Frank S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tollberg, Stanley H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Application Number:
  US05/534,657
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 221/3, 221/15, 221/25, 221/30, 221/72, 221/73, 83/278, 83/423, 226/127, 226/128
• US Class Current: 221/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0472 of the count-down type, i.e. counting down a predetermined interval after each reset
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/68 in which the articles are torn or severed from strips or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/658 With projections on work-carrier [e.g., pin wheel]

Abstract

A device for dispensing, one by one, a series of bodies arranged in a row within sealed compartments of an elongated sheet material which must be severed between its compartments for individually releasing the bodies in their sealed compartments. A container is provided for housing a strip of the sheet material and the bodies carried thereby in the sealed compartments thereof. This container has a wall formed with a discharge opening. A manually operable structure is carried by the container opposite to the latter wall thereof for reciprocating movement by the operator from a rest position first in a forward direction away from the rest position and then in a rearward direction back to the rest position. This manually operable structure is connected to at least part of a structure for feeding the strip of sheet material in a direction which will advance a body in a compartment of the sheet material out through the discharge opening and for cutting across the sheet material between the compartment carrying the latter body and the next compartment, so that the severed part of the sheet material with a body situated in a compartment thereof will drop from the container.

Claims

1. In a device for dispensing, one by one, a series of bodies arranged in a row within sealed compartments of an elongated sheet material which must be severed between said compartments for individually releasing the bodies in their sealed compartments, container means for housing a strip of the sheet material and the bodies carried thereby in sealed compartments thereof, said container means having a wall formed with a discharge opening, manually operable means carried by said container means opposite said wall thereof for reciprocating movement by the operator from a rest position first in a forward direction away from said rest position and then in a rearward direction back to said rest position, and means connected at least in part to said manually operable means for responding to said forward movement thereof for feeding the strip of sheet material in a direction which will advance a body in a compartment of the sheet material out through said discharge opening and for cutting across the sheet material between the compartment thereof housing the latter body and the compartment thereof housing the next body so that the body which is fed through said discharge opening will be severed to drop from said container means, said manually operable means cooperating with at least the part of said feeding and cutting means which is connected thereto for retracting the latter part of said feeding and cutting means with said manually operable means when said manually operable means is returned to its rest position and for placing at least said part of said feeding and cutting means in readiness for feeding the next body to said discharge opening when the manually operable means is again moved forwardly from said rest position thereof, said manually operable means itself forming at least part of a wall of said container means.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said means for feeding and cutting the sheet material includes at least a cutting blade connected to said manually operable means for movement therewith, said means for feeding and cutting also including at the region of said discharge opening a stop member cooperating with said blade for limiting the movement thereof forwardly with said manually operable means and for deflecting the blade through the sheet material between successive compartments thereof.

3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein said stop member is situated at an edge region of said discharge opening which is distant from said blade when said manually operable means is in its rest position.

4. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said wall of said container means carries at the edge region where said stop member is located a means for deflecting the strip of sheet material and a body carried thereby out through said discharge opening.

5. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said manually operable means carries forwardly of said blade a means for engaging the sheet material to prevent the latter from being deflected by pressure of the blade on the sheet material.

6. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said container means carries a signal means for giving an audible signal and a timing means operatively connected with said signal means for actuating the latter after a given time interval.

7. The combination of claim 6 and wherein said container means has at one end region a chamber for housing said signal means and timing means.

8. The combination of claim 7 and wherein said container means has a pair of opposed ends adjacent one of which said chamber for said signal and timing means is located, and said signal container means having a width and depth substantially smaller than its longitudinal dimension between said opposed ends, and the latter dimension between said opposed ends being sufficiently small to enable the container means to be conveniently carried in the pocket of a garment, in a handbag, or the like.

9. In a device for dispensing, one by one, a series of bodies arranged in a row within sealed compartments of an elongated sheet material which must be severed between said compartments for individually releasing bodies in their sealed compartments, container means for housing a strip of the sheet material and the bodies carried thereby in sealed compartments thereof, said container means having a wall formed with a discharge opening, manually operable means carried by said container means opposite said wall thereof for reciprocating movement by the operator from a rest position first in a forward direction away from said rest position and then in a rearward direction back to said rest position, and means connected at least in part to said manually operable means for responding to said forward movement thereof for feeding the strip of sheet material in a direction which will advance a body in a compartment of the sheet material out through said discharge opening and for cutting across the sheet material between the compartment thereof housing the latter body and the compartment thereof housing the next body so that the body which is fed through said discharge opening will be severed to drop from said container means, said manually operable means cooperating with at least the part of said feeding and cutting means which is connected thereto for retracting the latter part of said feeding and cutting means with said manually operable means when said manually operable means is returned to its rest position and for placing at least said part of said feeding and cutting means in readiness for feeding the next body to said discharge opening when the manually operable means is again moved forwardly from said rest position thereof, said manually operable means forming a wall of said container means opposite to said wall thereof which is formed with said discharge opening, and said container means having side walls carrying guide means for guiding said manually operable means, so that when the latter is displaced forwardly from said rest position thereof access may be had to the interior of said container means.

10. In a device for dispensing, one by one, a series of bodies arranged in a row within sealed compartments of an elongated sheet material which must be severed between said compartments for individually releasing the bodies in their sealed compartments, container means for housing a strip of the sheet material and the bodies carried thereby in sealed compartments thereof, said container means having a wall formed with a discharge opening, manually operable means carried by said container means opposite said wall thereof for reciprocating movement by the operator from a rest position first in a forward direction away from said rest position and then in a rearward direction back to said rest position, and means connected at least in part to said manually operable means for responding to said forward movement thereof for feeding the strip of sheet material in a direction which will advance a body in a compartment of the sheet material out through said discharge opening and for cutting across the sheet material between the compartment thereof housing the latter body and the compartment thereof housing the next body so that the body which is fed through said discharge opening will be severed to drop from said container means, said manually operable means cooperating with at least the part of said feeding and cutting means which is connected thereto for retracting the latter part of said feeding and cutting means with said manually operable means when said manually operable means is returned to its rest position and for placing at least said part of said folding and cutting means in readiness for feeding the next body to said discharge opening when the manually operable means is again moved forwardly from said rest position thereof, a stop means carried in part by said container means and in part by said manually operable means for stopping the forward movement of the latter when said manually operable means has reached a forward cutting position, said discharge opening having front and rear edges, and said stop means locating the part of the cutting means which is connected to said manually operable means at the region of said rear edge of said discharge opening when said manually operable means has reached said cutting position thereof, said rear edge of said discharge opening forming a part of said cutting means which is connected with said wall of said container means, and said manually operable means having a portion capable of being deflected by the operator toward said wall of said container means and carrying a blade of said cutting means which upon deflection of said portion of said manually operable means by the operator toward said wall of said container means cooperates with the rear edge region of said discharge opening for cutting through the sheet material.

11. The combination of claim 10 and wherein said wall of said container means is a bottom wall thereof while said manually operable means forms a top wall of said container means and is shiftable with respect to said bottom wall thereof, said stop means being formed by a front end wall of said container means and a stop member carried by said top wall and engaging said front end wall when said blade carried by said manually operable means becomes situated over the rear edge of said discharge opening.

12. The combination of claim 10 and wherein said feeding and cutting means includes a feeding member connected to said manually operable means for movement therewith and situated behind the part of the cutting means which is connected to said manually operable means for movement therewith.

13. The combination of claim 12 and wherein said wall of said container means carries in the interior of said container means a projecting portion for projecting up into the space between a pair of successive compartments to prevent retraction of the sheet material when said manually operable means is retracted back to said rest position thereof.

14. The combination of claim 10 and wherein said wall of said container means is formed in the interior of the latter with a longitudinal groove for accommodating the compartments, said wall having on opposite sides of said groove a pair of opposed side surfaces for engaging the lateral portions of the sheet material which extend beyond the compartments.

15. The combination of claim 10 and wherein said container means is in the form of a single unitary body while said manually operable means and the parts connected thereto are also in the form of a single unitary body, so that the entire dispensing device is composed only of two unitary bodies.