Dispensing box

Jan. 24, 1939. m. _P Kennedy 2,145,181

DISPENSING BOX Filed Dec. 13, 1937

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Patented Jan. 24, 1939

2,145,181

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,145,181 DISPENSING BOX Mary Phyllis Kennedy, London, Ontario, Canada Application December 13,1937, Serial No. 179,483

Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in dispensing boxes as described in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing that forms a part of the same.

: The invention consists essentially of the novel features of construction pointed out broadly and specifically in the claims for novelty following a description in detail of an acceptable form of the invention.

10:; The objects of the invention are to devise a dispensing box for the purpose of holding sipping straws or other articles of a similar nature in a sanitary condition and at the same time permit the removal of a straw or other article in the box 15 without in any way touching the ends thereof;

to increase sanitary conditions in boxes of that nature which will at all times thoroughly enclose the ends of the sipping straws or other articles and yet enable a consumer to extract the articles 20 from the box without having in any way to open the cover or any other part of the box; to construct a box in which the egress thereof will be automatically opened or closed by the action of the sipping straw or other article as it is being 25 removed from the box, and generally provide a box provided with a flexible opening and which will be durable in construction and efficient in its many purposes.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view 30 of the dispensing box.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the dispensing box, showing two of the flaps extending in an upright position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the box hav35 ing the cover and flaps in their open position.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the lines 4—4, in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the box disclosing a sipping straw being removed.

Figure 6 is a modified form of box.

Like numerals of reference indicate the corresponding parts in the various figures.

Referring to the drawing, the dispensing box as shown in the drawing is used as a container 45 for a plurality of drinking tubes, commonly known on the market as sipping straws and hereafter mentioned under that term, but it must be understood that this dispensing box has not been confined exclusively to the use of straws but may 50 be used for containing other articles.

The dispensing box is preferably made from cardboard or similar material, although in certain cases it may be made of a more durable substance, but as shown in the drawing the dispens55 ing box consists of a carton as indicated by the (Cl. 229—17) numeral. 10 provided with the usual side walls I i and the top and bottom walls 12 and 13. One of the walls II is provided with a central aperture 14 and this aperture being large enough for the introduction of the fingers, of a hand for gripping 5 the article therewithin and may be of any suitable shape, such as heart shape, diamond shape or to conform with any particular configuration that is desired.

This front wall I I containing the aperture 14 10 has a vertical slot 15 extending into the enlarged aperture 14 and extending beyond the top edge 16 into the flap IT. The slot 15 adjacent to the edge 16 flaring outwardly to the edge 16 and flaring inwardly in the flap IT so as to form an en- 15 larged slot 18 which may be diamond shape or any other shape.

On the inner surface of the apertured wall 11 is secured, by adhesive or other suitable means, a strip of material 19 which may be made of rubber 20 or other material and has a longitudinal slit 20 and the transverse slit 21. The longitudinal slit 20 adapted to be situated centrally between the vertical edges of the slot 15 and extending therebeyond to the extreme apex of the enlarged slot 25 18, while the transverse slit 21 is situated in alignment with the joining edge 16 of the wall 11 and flap IT.

The aperture wall 11 has a perforated section 23 extending on the vertical line from the lower- so most portion of the aperture 14 and in direct alignment with the slit 20 of the strip of material 19.

The means for closing the ends of the box may of course be varied according to the requirements, 35 but as shown is provided with the usual flaps 11 and closures 12 and in the actual operation or use of this dispensing box the sipping straws or other articles are introduced in the box and the box is suitably closed and when it is desired to use the 40 box as a dispensing medium, all that is necessary to be done is to cut the serrated or perforated section 23 and to break the Celluloid facing 24 from the aperture 14, although it is optional whether the facing need be used and the device is then 45 ready as a dispenser, as all that is necessary to remove a straw is to insert the fingers of the hand into the aperture 14, grip one of the straws and pull it out through the aperture 14 and the slit 15 of the material 19 and it will be noted that as 50 soon as the straw, has been removed the slits 23 and 21 will return to their normal position, which is the closed position, in view of their flexibility and in this instant it is rather advsable to use a strip of material formed from rubber or other 55

2,146,181 material which will give a springing effect and in that way the opening will be closed when the dispenser is not being used and thereby avoid dirt or other foreign material from penetrating 5 therethrough, but one of the main features is that the fingers of the hand will not come into contact with the ends of the straw which will be placed in the mouth of the person, thereby eliminating any possible danger from any foreign matter that 10 might be on the fingers from coming in contact with the straw ends.

In the modified form as shown in Figure 6 the construction is substantially the same with the exception that the enlarged aperture 25 is formed 15 in two of the walls 26 of the box, in other words, the serrated edge and the accompanying slot and slits are situated in one of the corners of the box, as with slight , modifications the invention is adaptable when formed in that location of the 20 box and it is of course understood that this arrangement is equally serviceable when the range is on the horizontal plane as to that shown on the vertical plane in the box.