Dispenser for semi-fluid materials

Abstract

A storage and discharge container divided into two parts by a resilient bowl. One part can be coupled to a pressurised source to displace the bowl and thereby discharge, through an outlet, material stored in the other part of the container. The outlet is positioned at the extremity of the displacement of a base of the bowl. The bowl characterises the device. The base of the bowl has a plate fixed to a one third portion thereof in alignment with the outlet and is of a tapering thickness, the thick portion thereof being attached to the plate. The wall of the bowl is of a compound taper, tapering peripherally to correspond with the taper of the base and also tapering to reduce in thickness towards its rim.

Description

BACKGROUND

Storage and discharge containers similar to this invention are known. The use of these known devices has been limited to liquid or near liquid materials. A device similar to this invention is disclosed in my New Zealand Pat. No. 151,644. That device partially overcame the limitations of other similar devices known at that time, it being possible to use that device for some less liquid or semi-liquid materials but not with a high degree of reliability. These limitations result in the difficulty in controlling the action of the resilient member such that it will not block the discharge outlet part-way through a discharge operation. Inherent in this difficulty is the problem of controlling the action of the resilient member to provide that little residual material is left on completion of a discharge operation. These problems increase in inverse relationship to the liquidity of the material involved, semi-liquid materials tending to distort the displacement action of the resilient member which thus becomes unreliable.

SUMMARY

The intention of this invention is to provide a storage and discharge container which will alleviate the aforesaid problems and in so doing adapt the device for use with materials of a less liquid nature than has been possible with similar known units. With respect to the device disclosed in my New Zealand Pat. No. 151,644 the intention of this invention is to provide a more reliable unit. This invention provides a storage and discharge container for semi-liquid material comprising a hollow body the interior of which is divided by a resilient bowl, the resilient bowl being characterised in that a plate, similarly shaped but undersized relative to a base of the bowl is fixed to a one third portion, or marginally thereof, of the base disposed in longitudinal alignment with a discharge outlet of the container, the position of the plate being off-set on the base toward that portion to which it is fixed, the base being of a tapering thickness and uniform section, measured normal to the taper, with that portion of the base fixed to the plate being thickest, a surrounding wall of the resilient bowl being of a compound taper, the wall tapering peripherally to correspond with the taper of the base and also tapering, to reduce in thickness, towards its rim.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the device, and

FIG. 2 is an underside plan view of a bowl of the device.

A generally cylindrical container comprises an upper part 1 and a lower part 2, both preferably in the form of aluminium castings. Container parts 1 and 2 are of a similar size, each forming half of the container and both being of a generally bowl shape incorporating flanges 3,4 about their rims. When assembled, part 1 is inverted relative to part 2 with flanges 3,4 mating, nut and bolt combinations 5 being passed through annularly spaced apart and aligned apertures in each flange 3,4 to retain the container parts 1,2 together to form the container.

Lower container part 2 is provided with feet 6 and a threaded aperture 7, formed through a lateral wall thereof, enabling connection of the interior of the container to a pressurised source, for example, to a mains pressure water supply.

Container part 1 is provided with a closeable entry in its end 24 opposite flange 3. End 24 is formed with an inwardly directed rim 9, the inner edge of which is formed with an annular recess 10, on its innerside. A generally disc shaped lid 11 fits in the opening defined by rim 9, the peripheral edge of lid 11 being formed to mate with the recessed edge of rim 9. Lid 11 is preferably of the same material as the container.

A strong-back spring 12 is located under an adjustable fitting 13 incorporating a spindle 14 in screw-threaded engagement in a threaded aperture 15 of a central upstanding portion 16 of lid 11, enabling lid 11 to be secured in the opening of the container.

At the end 24 of container part 1 a discharge outlet 17 is provided. Discharge outlet 17 is preferably formed through an upstanding portion of rim 9, with its inner end co-planar with the innerside of rim 9 and lid 11 and with its outlet directed laterally of container part 1. Discharge outlet 17 is adapted for connection to a control valve or tap (not shown) operation of which controls the output of the device. A resilient bowl 18 is preferably formed from a suitable synthetic rubber material. Bowl 18 is of a generally cylindrical form closed at one end by a base section 19 and dimensioned to fit in container part 2 with base 19 and peripheral wall 23 spaced away from the walls of container part 2, the spacing of wall 23 being achieved by slightly tapering bowl 18 inwardly towards its base 19. Bowl 18 is provided with an annular outwardly extending rim 20 commensurately dimensioned and similarly formed with apertures to flanges 3,4. Rim 20 is retained between flanges 3,4 to divide the interior of the container into two parts. An upstanding projection 8 is formed on rim 20 to mate with a blind hole in flange 3 to provide for the correct assembly of bowl 18 relative to container part 1, and particularly, to discharge outlet 17 thereof.

Base 19 is of a tapering thickness as is wall 23, the wall 23 being of a compound taper, reducing in thickness towards its rim 3 and also reducing in thickness from one side to the other side, commensurate to the taper of base 19.

More particularly, that portion of base 19 disposed in longitudinal alignment with discharge outlet 17 (this being the reason for providing projection 8) is of a thickness of most magnitude relative to the remainder of base 19, which tapers therefrom to reduce in thickness towards its diametrically opposed section. The adjoining portion of wall 23 commensurately tapers thus providing that that section of wall 23 longitudinally aligned with discharge outlet 17 is thicker than its diametrically opposing section, wall 23 uniformly tapering to provided this reduction in thickness. Preferably this compound tapering of wall 23 is continued into rim 20, the mating face of flange 4 being slightly inclined to compensate for this difference in the thickness about rim 20. A plate 21, preferably formed from three sixteenths of an inch thick sheet metal, is fixed to the underside of base 19, being the non-material contacting face thereof. Plate 21 is similarly shaped to base 19 but undersized relative thereto. It is off-set or eccentrically fixed to base 19, plate 21 being disposed towards that section of base 19 longitudinally aligned with discharge outlet 17.

Plate 21 is fixed, such as by way of a suitable adhesive, to a one third sector, or marginally thereof, of base 19, being that sector of most thickness and as mentioned above, disposed in alignment with discharge outlet 17. The fixed sections of plate 21 and base 19 are indicated by the area 22 shown on FIG. 2.

In use a semi-liquid material, for example, minced meat for sausages or a quantity of face cream is positioned within the container via its closable entry. A suitable pressurised source is coupled to aperture 7 and this tends to displace the bowl 18 forcing the material out discharge outlet 17. It is found that with the tapering base 19, compound tapering wall 23 and plate 21 positioned, dimensioned and fixed as described, the corner portion formed by the thin section of base 19 and the conjoining section of wall 23 tends to be firstly displaced. A stage is reached when the base 19 is inclined transversely of the interior of the container with the maximum spacing, between base 19 and the mouth of the discharge outlet 17, being between the discharge outlet 17 and that portion of the base 19 to which plate 21 is fixed. Further pressure results in further displacement of bowl 18 and the thin portion thereof impinging on the underside of rim 9 and the adjacent section of lid 11 diametrically opposite discharge outlet 17. Thereafter the remainder of base 19 impinges on the underside of lid 11, the impingement action working its way across lid 11 towards discharge outlet 17. Plate 21 facilitates this action by restricting displacement of that sector of the base 19 to which plate 21 is fixed. Also at an early stage of the impingement of base 19 on lid 11 the free edge section of plate 21 will impinge, acting through base 19, on rim 9 diametrically opposite discharge outlet 17. Thereafter plate 21 pivots about this impinging edge section facilitating the impinging action of base 19 on the underside of lid 11 and thus keeping the space conjoining discharge outlet 17 clear until the extremity of the displacement of bowl 18 is achieved. This is reached when that portion of the base 19 fixed to plate 21 inpinges across the inlet of discharge outlet 17 thereby providing a substantially complete discharge or material stored in the container.

It is found that with this arrangement little residual material is left and the device may be utilized for a wide variety of materials, a quantity of which have at least a semi-liquid characteristic or nature.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A storage and discharge container for semi-liquid material comprising a hollow body, the interior of which is of circular cross section and which is divided diametrically by a resilient bowl having a circular base and an annular wall, a rim of the wall being fixed medially of the container with the bowl disposed towards an end of the interior, that end of the body being adapted for connecting the respective part of the interior to a pressurized source and the other part of the interior having a closable entry thereinto for inserting semi-liquid material and a discharge outlet laterally offset to one side of the container, a circular plate of a less diameter than the base of the bowl fixed to a non-material contacting face of the base, the plate being fixed to only that portion of the base which is disposed in longitudinal alignment with the discharge outlet, the position of the plate being eccentric on the base it being off-set toward that portion to which it is fixed, the base being of a tapering thickness and uniform section, measured normal to its taper, with that portion of the base fixed to the plate being thickest, the wall of the bowl being of a compound tapering thickness, the wall tapering peripherally to correspond with the tapering thickness of the base and also tapering, to reduce its thickness, toward its rim, whereby upon the application of pressure from said pressurized source to said respective part of the interior, the plate and base of the bowl advance toward said outlet in transversely inclined position with said fixed portion of the plate travling, thereby to expell said material from said outlet.

2. A storage and discharge container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body of the container is formed from two parts which join medially and diametrically relative to the bore, a joining flange on each said part, the bowl being provided with an annular outwardly directed rim which is clamped between the flanges by nut and bolt combinations retaining the flanges together, the wall of the bowl tapering outwardly from its base toward its rim.

3. A storage and discharge container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said discharge outlet has an inlet coplanar with the inner face of that end of the interior of the container.

4. A storage and discharge container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said portion of the base to which said plate is fixed is about one third of the base.