Nut Or Candy Dispenser

Abstract

A dispenser for nuts or candy is a tilting container having a normally vertical tube extending to near the bottom of the container with a pair of scoops transverse to the pivotal motion of the container and spaced apart so a few of the nuts or candies collect between the scoops when the container is upright, and one of the scoops directs the collected nuts or candies into the tube as the container is tilted in either direction from its upright position.

Parent Case Text

RELATED APPLICATION:

This application is a continuation-in-part of my parent application Ser. No. 286,331, filed on 5 Sept. 1972, entitled DISPENSER, and abandoned upon the filing of this application.

Description

THE INVENTIVE IMPROVEMENT

The invention involves recognition of a novel, convenient, and interesting way for dispensing nuts or candies from a tilting dispenser so that a few nuts or candles can be discharged without the remainder being handled. The invention aims at simplicity, economy, easy adjustment of the quantity dispensed, capacity to dispense different sized nuts and candies, and ease of operation, assembly, disassembly, loading and cleaning.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventive dispenser includes a container supported to pivot in a vertical plane in either direction from a normally upright position. A tube is arranged in the container to form a discharge passageway opening at the top of the container and extending to near the bottom of the container in the normally upright position of the container. A pair of scoops are oriented transversely to the vertical pivot plane and extend from the bottom of the discharge passageway to the bottom of the container. The scoops are opposed and spaced apart so a few of the nuts or candies collect between the scoops when the container is upright, and one of the scoops directs the collected nuts or candies into the discharge passageway as the container is tilted in either direction.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the inventive dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the dispenser of FIG. 1 loaded with nuts and partially tilted for discharge;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the dispenser of FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the full tilt position;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are the front elevational views of other preferred embodiments of the inventive dispenser;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are side elevational views of another preferred embodiment of the inventive dispenser respectively untilted and tilted;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of another preferred embodiment of the inventive dispenser;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the dispenser of FIG. 8 taken along the line 9--9 thereof;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the dispenser of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the base for the dispenser for FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of an alternative hanging support for the dispenser of FIG. 8;

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of another preferred embodiment of the inventive dispenser;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged, fragmentary view of the top region of the dispenser of FIG. 8;

FIG. 15 is a partially, cut-away front elevational view of another preferred embodiment of the inventive dispenser; and

FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of the dispenser of FIG. 15 used independently of a stand.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

Dispenser 10 of FIGS. 1 - 3 shows one preferred embodiment of the invention including a spherical, transparent container 11 mounted on a pair of pivots 12 supported by upright legs 13 joined to a circular base 14. Container 11 can have any convenient shape, pivots 12 can be eccentric to container 11, and base 14 and legs 13 can be made in many different ways. Container 10 can stand on base 14 as illustrated, or base 14 can be attached to a vertical wall or other surface as desired.

A filler cap 15 covers an opening in the upper region of sphere 11 for filling sphere 11 with nuts or candies. A tube 16 opens at its top end 17 extends vertically downward through the center of sphere 11 to form a discharge passageway 18 extending to near the bottom of sphere 11. A pair of openings 19 are formed on opposite sides of the lower end of tube 16 below discharge passageway 18 to form an opposed pair of scoops 20 on opposite sides of tube 16 and arranged transversely of the pivot plane of sphere 11. An extension 21 of tube 16 below scoops 20 carries a weight 22 adjustably held in place by thumb screw 23 to close the bottom of tube 16 and return container 11 back upright from a tilted position. A deflector 24 can be arranged outside of each scoop 20 if desired.

Container 11 is preferably formed of a pair of transparent plastic hemispheres 26 and 27 held together along a horizontal seam 28 by tube 16. A preferred way of accomplishing this is a spring clamp 29 surrounding tube extension 21 just below hemisphere 27, and a retaining ring 30 surrounding the top end 17 of tube 16 just above hemisphere 26.

FIGS. 2 and 3 best show the operation of dispenser 10 which is partially filled with nuts or candies 25. As sphere 11 is tilted to the position of FIG. 2, one of the scoops 20 gathers up some of the nuts or candies 25 that have collected between scoops 20 by falling into openings 19 when sphere 11 was upright. Then as sphere 11 tilts further to the position of FIG. 3, the collected nuts raised by the lower scoop 20 are directed down discharge passageway 18 and out of the top openings 17 of tube 16 into a hand or dish.

Tube 16 is preferably rotatable, and the preferred assembly of dispenser 10 with spring clamp 29 and retaining ring 30 allows free rotation of tube 16 within container 11. Then it scoops 20 are set fully perpendicular to the pivotal plane of sphere 11, they collect and discharge a maximum number of nuts or candies, and if scoops 20 are set obliquely to the pivotal plane, they deflect a few of the maximum possible nuts and candies back into container 11 and discharge a smaller amount. This allows dispenser 10 to be adjusted for the desired average number of discharged pieces on each tilt.

Another adjustment for the quantity of discharge is in the vertical position of weight 22 closing the end of tube extension 21. As weight 22 is lowered, more nuts or candies can be collected under scoops 20 and directed out discharge passageway 18 when container 11 is tilted.

Dispenser 10 is easily disassembled by removing retaining ring 30 and separating hemispheres 26 and 27. This facilitates cleaning and makes the original assembly simple and economical. Deflectors 24 prevent any nuts and candies from collecting outside scoops 20 and insure that the last piece can be dispensed. Deflectors 24 are not mandatory, however, because nuts or candies that lodge on the outside of a scoop 20 can easily be jiggled loose from such a position.

Dispenser 31 of FIG. 4 is a variation of the basic idea using a cylindrical container 32 with a conical bottom 33 and a central discharge tube 34 having bottom openings 35 forming scoops 36. Pivots 37 support container 32 well above its center of gravity so its own weight returns it to an upright position. However, a bottom weight can be added if desired.

Dispenser 38 of FIG. 5 has a cubical container 39 and a discharge tube 40 that is square in cross section with the edges of tube 40 aligned with the edges of cube 39 as illustrated. Bottom openings 41 then form angled scoops 42 having V shaped troughs for collecting nuts or candies and directing them out of tube 40 when container 39 is tilted. The outside of scoops 42 naturally deflect nuts or candies so that the last piece readily lodges between scoops 42. A preferably adjustable bottom weight 43 returns container 39 to an upright position.

Dispenser 44 of FIGS. 6 and 7 has a spherical container 45 and a somewhat different discharge device. A discharge port 46 is guarded by a shroud or scoop 47, and a pair of baffles 48 and 49 overlap as illustrated with baffle 48 being smaller and inside of baffle 49. As container 45 tilts downward to the position of FIG. 7, nuts or candies enter the space between baffles 48 and 49, and baffle 48 scoops up some of these as container 45 tilts back upright. Then on a successive tilt of container 45, some of the nuts or candies contained in baffle 48 are directed out of discharge port 46 by scoop 47. One or both of the baffles 48 and 49 are preferably adjustable to regulate the amount of nuts or candies discharged on each tilt of container 45.

The inventive dispenser is not only convenient and sanitary in dispensing a few nuts or candies with each tilt of the container, but it is also made simply of a few inexpensive materials and with no moving parts except the tilting container. It is easy to assemble and disassemble, easy to clean and maintain, and readily adjustable for dispensing different amounts of different sized nuts or candies. It can be set on a table or hung on a wall, and it is preferably transparent so that its contents are visible to the user. In addition, it is an interesting and amusing way to dispense nuts or candies.

Dispenser 50 of FIGS. 8 - 11 has a spherical container 51 formed of hemispheres 52 and 53 that are joined and preferably keyed together along seam line 54. Instead of using a counter weight to return container 51 to an upright position, base 55 supports container 51 by projections 56 engaging recesses 57 formed in upper hemisphere 52 above seam line 54 so that container 51 is eccentrically supported and automatically returns to the illustrated upright position. Hemispheres 52 and 53 are preferably injection molded of plastic material and given a translucent surface finish so that the contents of container 51 are visible generally from outside container 51 while specks of salt, oil or nutmeat on the walls of container 51 are obscured. A cap covers an opening in the upper region of container 51 for filling container 51 with nuts or candies to be dispensed.

Base 55 is best shown in FIGS. 8 and 11 as having opposite end regions 58 formed as upright support legs and a mid region 59 formed in a generally S shape perpendicular to end regions 58. Base 55 can then be formed simply and economically of a single piece of wire bent into the appropriate shape without requiring any welding. Upright legs 58 are resilient enough so that projections 56 can be spread apart to receive or remove container 51.

Tube 60 provides a discharge passageway to an opening 61, and tube 60 also holds hemispheres 52 and 53 together. A flange 62 surrounds the upper region of tube 60 and is positioned over the top of hemisphere 52 as illustrated. The tube bottom 63 is closed and extends through the bottom of container 51, and an O-ring 64 surrounds tube bottom 63 and fits in a groove around tube 60 below the bottom of hemisphere 53. When O-ring 64 is in place, hemispheres 52 and 53 are held together between flange 62 and O-ring 64. Tube 60 has openings 65 separating a pair of scoops 66 that scoop up nuts or candies for dispensing through discharge 61 as previously described for other dispensers.

Tube 60 is rotatable on its axis for adjustment inside container 51, and bottom hemisphere 53 has a pair of projections 67 that extend up inside container 51 adjacent tube 60. Tube 60 can be rotationally positioned so that openings 65 confront projections 67 which then close off the bottom of tube 60 and prevent any nuts or candies from entering the region between scoops 66. Such a closed or off position is indicated as shown in FIG. 10 by a pointer 68 on flange 62 pointing to a closed indication 69 formed on hemisphere 52 around the periphery of flange 62. As tube 60 is rotated toward the open dispense indication 70, openings 65 are uncovered relative to projections 67 and scoops 66 are moved toward alignment with projection 67 for scooping up the maximum amount of nuts or candies for discharge through openings 61. Projections 67 then cooperate with openings 65 of tube 60 for full regulation of the amount of nuts or candies to be dispensed from maximum down to shut-off or closed and as shown in FIG. 14, any desired position is maintained by a detent projection 78 under flange 62 engaging a ring of bumps 79 around the top of hemisphere 51. The shutoff capability eliminates the need for any closure cap over discharge opening 61. Also, projections 77 on the outer surfaces of projections 67 deflect any nuts or candies that might otherwise lodge outside projections 67.

A pair of ridges 71 is raised up from the bottom of lower hemisphere 53 in a shape best shown in FIG. 9 for guiding nuts or candies in between scoops 66 in the space between projections 67. Ridges 71 help guide the last few nuts or candies in between scoops 66 so that container 51 can be emptied completely without jiggling or shaking. Several possible shapes can be used for the bottom of hemisphere 53 to accomplish this.

Dispenser 50 can also be supported by a hanging support 72 as shown in FIG. 12. Support 72 is preferably a wire having a top loop 73 above dispenser 50 and curving downward in a support loop 74 under the lower half of dispenser 50. A projection 75 on the lower end of wire 72 engages one recess 57 of dispenser 50, and another projection 76 is welded to wire 72 to engage the other recess 57 of dispenser 50. Support 72 then allows dispenser 50 to be suspended from a light fixture, a swag chain, a specially installed support, or any other convenient object. Dispenser 50 is free to tilt within support 72 for operation as previously described.

Dispenser 80 of FIG. 13 has a spherical container 81 and three dispensing tubes 82 - 84 as illustrated. Tubes 82 - 84 are set at 120.degree. relative to each other and are spaced as close together as possible and generally parallel to the vertical rotational plane established by base 85. Base 85 is preferably similar to base 55 except that it supports container 81 at the ends of a diameter 86 through the center of container 81 so that container 81 is balanced and normally upright in any rotational position. Tubes 82 -84 are all similar to tube 60 in having scoops 87 on opposite sides of bottom openings 88. Then, as container 81 is rotated 120.degree. in either direction from the position illustrated in FIG. 13, tube 82 will scoop up nuts or candies and tilt to the position of either tube 83 or tube 84 to dispense nuts or candies. At the same time, one of the tubes 83 or 84 moves to the illustrated position of tube 82 to receive a charge of nuts or candies for dispensing on the next tilt. Then, successive 120.degree. tilts of container 81 discharge one of the tubes and charge another tube for the next tilt.

Container 90 of FIG. 15 is a generally spherical bottle having an elongated cylindrical neck 91 and supported on a stand 92 by a wire 93. Wire 93 wraps part way around neck 91, loops around the spherical body of bottle 90, and then wraps around the other half of neck 91 and terminates in free ends supported on stand 92 as illustrated. With such an arrangement, container 90 is normally upright and can pivot in either direction as previously described. The free ends of wire 93 can be bent to any level desired to establish the preferred pivot point, and many different shapes of bottles and support wires or brackets are possible.

A dispenser tube 94 is insertable into container 90 through neck 91, and has bottom openings 95 separating a pair of scoops 96 for collecting and dispensing nuts and candies as previously described. Bushings 97 surround the upper region of tube 94 and engage the inside of neck 91 to support tube 94 in place. An opposed pair of finger holes 98 allow tube 94 to be gripped for insertion and withdrawal from container 90 and for adjusting the angular orientation of scoops 96 relative to the pivot plane of container 90.

Container 90 is filled with nuts or candies with tube 94 removed, and then tube 94 is inserted through neck 91 and twisted and turned until it is moved to the bottom of container 90 where it is held in position by bushings 97. Then on each tilt of container 90, nuts or candies are dispensed by scoops 96 and tube 94 as previously described.

FIG. 16 shows container 90 removed from stand 92 for independent manual operation. Bottom 99 is flat enough so container 90 can stand up, and arrows 100 show the direction that container 90 should be tilted to dispense nuts or candies.

Many different stands can support container 90 or any of the previously described containers, and such stands can be formed of wood, solid metal, wire, plastic, and other materials. Containers can have many different shapes and can have a dispensing tube that is removed for filling the container, or left in place while the container is filled through a separate opening.

Persons wishing to practice the invention should remember that other embodiments and variations can be adapted to particular circumstances. Even though one point of view is necessarily chosen in describing and defining the invention, this should not inhibit broader or related embodiments going beyond the semantic orientation of this application but falling within the spirit of the invention. For example, those skilled in the art will appreciate the different container shapes and supports, and various materials and constructions that can be used in adapting the invention to various circumstances.

Claims

I claim:

1. A nut or candy dispenser including a pivotally mounted container for holding nuts or candies and comprising:

a. a length of wire formed to support said container and shaped to have a pair of opposite upright regions spaced apart by slightly more than the width of said container;

b. said upright regions of said wire having supports turned inward toward said container;

c. said container fitting between said upright regions of said wire and having means for receiving said supports for supporting said container in a normally upright position from which said container is free to pivot in either direction in a vertical plane between said supports and perpendicular to a line between said supports;

d. means for returning said container to said normally upright position from a pivoted position in either direction in said vertical plane;

e. a tube in said container extending from above the top of said container to below the lowest surface of said container supporting said nuts or candies and forming a discharge passageway;

f. means for closing the bottom of said tube to said nuts or candies;

g. means around an upper region of said tube above said top of said container and means around a lower region of said tube below said lowest surface of said container supporting said nuts or candies for interconnecting said tube and said container, at least one of said interconnecting means being removable for separating said tube from said container;

h. said lower region of said tube adjacent said lowest surface of said containter supporting said nuts or candies having a pair of diametrically opposed openings to admit said nuts or candies from said container into said lower region of said tube;

i. said lower region of said tube between said openings forming a diametrically opposed pair of scoops oriented transversely to said vertical plane between said supports so some of said nuts or candies collected between said scoops when said container is upright are scooped up and directed out of said discharge passageway by one of said scoops when said container pivots in one direction and by another one of said scoops when said container pivots in the other direction; and

j. means for controlling the amount of said nuts or candies scooped up and discharged as said container tilts.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said tube bottom closing means is a weight secured in said tube below said scoops and providing said means for returning said container to said normally upright position.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein said weight is vertically adjustable in said tube to determine the number of said nuts or candies directed into said discharge passageway.

4. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said tube bottom closing means is a bottom wall of said tube, and said means for receiving said supports are above the center of said container in said normally upright position of said container to provide said means for returning said container to said normally upright position.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said container has upper and lower portions secured together by said tube and said interconnecting means.

6. The dispenser of claim 3 including an O-ring surrounding said tube below said lower portion, and wherein said tube has a flange positioned over said upper portion.

7. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said tube is rotatable to set said scoops at various transverse angles relative to said vertical pivot plane to determine the number of said nuts or candies scooped up and directed into said discharge passageway as said container pivots.

8. The dispenser of claim 7 wherein said tube has a flange positioned over the top of said container and including means on said flange and said container for indicating the transverse angular disposition of said scoops relative to said vertical pivot plane.

9. The dispenser of claim 1 including deflector means arranged on the outward facing sides of said scoops to prevent said nuts or candies from resting against the outside of the upper one of said scoops when said container is pivoted.

10. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said container is generally cylindrical with a generally conical bottom.

11. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said container is generally cubical, and said tube is generally square in cross section with the edges of said tube aligned with edges of said cube.

12. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said container is a pair of hemispheres secured together by said tube.

13. The dispenser of claim 36 wherein said container is spherical and said tube is cylindrical.

14. The dispenser of claim 1 including a pair of diametrically opposed projections extending upward from said lowest surface of said container adjacent said lower region of said tube and oriented transversely to said vertical pivotal plane.

15. The dispenser of claim 14 wherein said tube is rotatable to set said scoops at various transverse angles relative to said vertical pivotal plane and to adjust the amount of said openings disposed between said projections to determine the number of said nuts or candies directed into said discharge passageway.

16. The dispenser of claim 15 wherein said tube has a flange positioned over the top of said container and including means on said flange and said container for indicating the relative amount of said openings disposed between said projections.

17. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein said tube extends below said scoops and said openings and through said lowest surface of said container and has a closed bottom, said means for receiving said supports are above the center of said container in said normally upright position of said container, and said container has upper and lower portions secured together by said tube.

18. The dispenser of claim 1 including ridges raised up inside the bottom region of said container and oriented to guide said nuts or candies toward said openings in said tube.

19. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said wire is formed in a curve lying in a plane perpendicular to said upright regions to form a base supporting said upright regions.

20. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said wire is formed as a hanging loop curving under said container between said upright regions and extending above the center of said container.

21. The dispenser of claim 1 including a wooden base upholding said supports.

22. A nut or candy dispenser including a pivotally mounted container and comprising:

a. a base supporting said container on a horizontal pivot axis through the center of said container so said container is free to pivot in either direction in a vertical plane perpendicular to said pivot axis;

b. three tubes set at 120.degree. to each other around said container and generally parallel with said vertical pivot plane, each of said tubes forming a discharge passageway and extending from an open end to a loading end adjacent the wall of said container opposite said open end of said tubes;

c. each of said tubes having a closed bottom and said loading ends of said tubes having a pair of diametrically opposed openings to admit nuts or candies from said container into said tubes;

d. said loading ends of said tubes between said openings forming a diametrically opposed pair of scoops oriented transversely to said vertical pivot plane so some of said nuts or candies collected between said scoops when said tube is upright are scooped up and directed out of said discharge passageway by one of said scoops when said container pivots in one direction and by another one of said scoops when said container pivots in the other direction.

23. The dispenser of claim 22 wherein said loading ends of each of said tubes extends through said wall of said container.

24. A nut or candy dispenser comprising:

a. a container shaped as a bottle having an elongated cylindrical neck;

b. a tube insertable into said container through said neck and extending to the bottom of said container;

c. bearing means engaging said tube and said neck to support said tube in place in said container;

d. a lower region of said tube adjacent said bottom of said container having a pair of diametrically opposed openings to admit said nuts or candies from said container into said lower region of said tube; and

e. said lower region of said tube between said openings forming a diametrically opposed pair of scoops so some of said nuts or candies collected between said scoops when said container is upright are scooped up and directed out of said tube and said container by one of said scoops when said container is pivoted in one direction and by another one of said scoops when said container is pivoted in the other direction.

25. The dispenser of claim 24 including a support stand and means for mounting said container on said support stand for pivotal motion of said container in a vertical plane transverse to the orientation of said scoops.

26. The dispenser of claim 25 wherein said tube is rotatable within said neck of said container to set said scoops at various transverse angles relative to said pivotal plane to determine the number of said nuts or candies scooped up and directed out of said container as said container pivots.