Dispensing Container For Magnetizable Articles

Abstract

A dispensing container for magnetizable articles, such as paper clips, nails, screws and similar metallic articles, it provided with a magnet at the outlet openings thereof to retain such articles at such openings for ready removal as desired. The container walls are angulated in the direction of such openings, so as to in no way impede the egress of the articles from the container through its openings for removal by a user.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Dispensing containers for magnetizable articles wherein the articles are movable unimpeded in the direction of the opening have heretofore employed circular magnets at the outlet opening which effectively comprises but a single exit for the contained articles. This construction has accordingly restricted the shape of the container more or less to a round or square configuration and of a dimension more or less determined by the diameter of the ring-shaped magnet adjacent the container opening, such as shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,528, granted August 30, 1966.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is accordingly the primary object of the present invention to provide a dispensing container for magnetizable articles wherein a bar magnet is utilized at the container opening to retain such articles at such opening for removal by the user as desired.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a dispensing container utilizing a bar magnet at the opening of such container which enables the latter to be of substantially any desired configuration.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a dispensing container for magnetizable articles wherein a bar magnet is utilized at the opening of such container and wherein different types and sizes of such articles are dispensable from such container.

Still further objects of the present invention will become obvious to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a dispensing container constructed in accordance with my present invention,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II--II of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows,

FIG. 3 is a top view of the dispensing container of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view partly in cross section of a modification which the dispensing container of the present invention may take.

Referring now to the drawing in detail the form of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1 comprises a hollow container 5 formed of heavy cardboard, wood or suitable plastic, and of cylindrical or rectangular configuration. Such container has a telescopically connected bottom 6 which is readily removable to allow access to the interior of the container 5 for the insertion of the desired articles to be dispensed, such as paper clips, nails, screws or the like. The top 7 of the container 5 has a partition of narrow width a short distance from each side wall, as viewed more particularly from FIGS. 2 and 3, so as to provide rectangular openings 8 therein of substantially equal area and which extend slightly down each elongated side wall, for the egress of magnetizable articles from the interior of the container 5.

A magnet 9 is secured to the top 7, which approximates the length and width of the narrow portion thereof, as seen particularly in FIGS. 1 and 2, and due to the magnetic field produced by this magnet 9, the housed articles are restrained from dropping out of the container upon inversion or shaking thereof but are readily removable at any time by the user. The lower sides 11 of the top 7 beneath the magnet 9 are of receding cross-section toward a depending apex and similarly the ends 12 of the top 7 likewise recede downwardly in cross-section, as shown more particularly in FIGS. 1 and 2, thus forming a receding cross-sectional interior area in a direction toward the top of said container. Due to the shape thus imparted to the underside of the top 7, the articles within the container 5 are in no way impeded in their movement toward the top openings 8 each side of the magnet 9, and to be thus restrained by the magnetic lines of force at the openings until manually removed.

The embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 4 differs from that above described in that this modification is divided into several compartments for the dispensing of different articles or sizes of the same articles. Such container 15 is likewise provided with a telescopically connected bottom 16 engageable with the outer walls, while the driving partitions 17 which are secured to the interior walls of the container 15 simply rest on the bottom 16 when the parts are joined together. Also, as seen in FIG. 4, the upper portion of diametrically opposed outside walls 18 are slightly angulated in a direction toward each other and of increased thickness, so as to guide articles housed within the container toward the top opening. Similarly, such partitions 17 are likewise slightly angulated in a direction toward each other, with their upper end of substantially V-shape to provide a widened peripheral edge 19.

Permanent magnets 20 are secured to these widened peripheral edges of the partitions 17, to restrain the different sizes or types of housed articles from gravitating from the container 15 when the latter is inverted, and to hold them at the several top openings of the container 15 ready for individual removal by the user as desired. Although the modification as shown in FIG. 4 provides only three individual compartments, it is of course obvious that such dispensing container can be made of as many additional compartments as desired. Also, regardless of the number of individual compartments their respective walls are all so flared as to guide the housed articles unimpeded toward their respective openings.

It should thus be obvious to those skilled in the art that a dispensing container for magnetizable articles has been herein shown and described wherein such container has a plurality of openings for the egress of such articles. Also the interior walls of such container are so oriented as to guide the articles unimpeded to the openings where they are retained by a permanent magnet until selectively removed by the user. Moreover, such dispensing container may be also utilized to dispense a plurality of different sizes or types of magnetizable articles when desired.

Although several embodiments of a dispensing container have been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that still further modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A dispensing container for magnetizable articles comprising:

a. a hollow container for enclosing magnetizable articles and provided with interior walls forming a receding cross-sectional interior area in a direction toward the top of said container,

b. and a magnet disposed across the top of said container and having an area less than that of said top to form at least two separate and distinct openings therein and for producing a magnetic field sufficient to prevent gravitation of housed magnetizable articles from said container and to retain them at the openings in said container for selected removal by a user when desired.

2. A dispensing container for magnetizable articles as set forth in claim 1 wherein said magnet is supported by a partition across the top of said container, with said partition having downwardly receding side-walls toward a depending apex to eliminate impediment to the egress of magnetizable articles through the top of said container on each side of said partition.

3. A dispensing container for magnetizable articles as set forth in claim 1 wherein said container is provided with partitions to form several compartments for housing magnetizable articles of different types and sizes, and a magnet is carried by the top of each such partition.

4. A dispensing container for magnetizable articles as set forth in claim 1 wherein said container is provided with partitions to form several compartments for housing magnetizable articles of different types and sizes with the top of each individual partition flaring outwardly to guide said articles toward the container openings and to form a top edge of increased cross-sectional area at the juncture with the magnet carried thereby.