Dispensing device

April 18, 1939. w. i. hylton et al 2,155,191

DISPENSING DEVICE Filed March 27, 1937

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Patented Apr. 18, 1939

2,155,191

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,155,191

DISPENSING DEVICE

Walter I. Hylton, New York, and Joseph Josinsky, ' Bayside, N. Y., assignors to Hecker Products Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey

Application March 27, 1937, Serial No. 133,318

Claims.

(CI. 312—42)

The tube is not of strictly circular contour but the metal is bent angularly along certain lines to provide an offset extension i5 having three substantially flat sides 18, H and IS forming a channel extending throughout the length of the g tube. This channel formation is provided adjacent the opening 8! and constitutes the back of the device. In this way there is left an unbroken, cylindrical surface over more than 180° at the front of the device for the reception of io any appropriate advertising matter.

Below the lower end of the tube there is provided a shelf ! 9 slightly greater in diameter than the tube. This shelf, as best shown in Fig. 3, may be formed of sheet metal and preferably has 16 a slightly depressed portion 2Θ at its center and an elevated rim 2i around its edge. The free edge, moreover, is preferably made smooth and grounded by bending it downwardly and inwardly, as indicated at 22. To support the shelf (9 there go is provided a bracket 23 having two arms extending at right angles to each other. One arm is disposed parallel with the shelf (9 and may be secured to the latter by rivets 24, or the like, while the other arm is disposed vertically and may 26 be secured to the wall ί 7 of the channel formation of the tube, by means of rivets 25 or the like. The bracket member is preferably slightly narrower tha.n the channel wall 17 so that the vertical arm of the bracket may fit readily within so the channel. This is not, however, essential as it may be placed outside of the channel if it is of greater width. By placing a vertical arm of the bracket within the channel, the back of the device is left smooth and there is no part of it that 35 projects beyond the back surface of the wall 17 other than the small heads of the rivets 25. This allows for the ready attachment of the device to a wall or to any vertical post or strut forming part of the shelving or other display 40 system in a store. Thus, the device may be attached to a vertical support by means of nails or screws passed through an aperture 2S in the wall 17 adjacent its upper end and an aperture 27 in the vertical arm of the bracket 23. . 45

The improved dispensing and display device is particularly adapted for the handling of somewhat irregular articles, such as shoe polish tins, as indicated at 28 in broken lines in Fig. 1. These tins are ordinarily provided witn a key member 50 2S projecting from one side thereof for the purpose of removing the lid whenever it is desired to use the contents of the tin. The channel 15 conveniently accommodates the key elements 29 and allows the main cylindrical portion of the tube to h

This invention relates to a device for retaining, displaying and dispensing small articles or packages, such as tins of shoe polish, and the like.

An object of the invention has been to provide 5 a device of the character indicated which is simple and inexpensive to produce but serves very effectively for its intended purposes. The construction is such that the retaining means may be readily loaded from time to time and the io articles may be readily removed, singly, whenever desired.

A special feature of the invention is the provision for the reception and ready advance oi articles of irregular contour. This is of par15 ticular importance in the dispensing of shoe polish since the containers are usually provided with projectingkeymembers which are likely to become damaged if special and adequate provision is not made for these members.

Another important consideration is the arrangement of the various features o± the construction in such a way as to provide a neat and compact device which serves to display and advertise to good advantage the articles to be dis25 pensed thereby.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the same which will now be given in conjunction with the accom30 panying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is a back view of the device.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the device along the line 3—3 of Figure 4.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device, and Fig. 5 is a view of the bottom of the device. Referring now to the drawing, the illustrative display and dispensing device may suitably comprise a tubular member 8 0 formed of sheet metal, such as sheet iron. Tills member may be substantially circular in cross section, except for a small projection to be later described, but is preferably so constructed as not to form a complete cylinder. A gap I ί is provided between the 45, free edges 12 and 13, thereby forming a slot extending longitudinally of the tube from top to bottom thereof. At the free edges 12 and 13 the metal is preferably folded over and doubled back upon itself to eliminate roughness and present 50 beaded or well rounded edges at the sides of the opening. In a similar way the top edge of the tube may be folded over, as indicated at 14. To facilitate this folding operation, the portion 14 is notched, as indicated at I4i in Figure 3, 55 wherever an angular bend is provided in the tube.

2,185,191 rather snugly surround the main body of the tin.

In loading the dispensing device, it is not ordinarily desirable to simply drop the tins into the top of the tube since they are apt to become 5 twisted and jammed or even inverted in the course of descending through the tube and, moreover, they are likely to be damaged in dropping one upon another. Furthermore, the space between the shelf 19 and the bottom of the tube is 10 somewhat greater than the height of one of the containers so that the lowermost container may be readily withdrawn whenever desired. Accordingly, if each tin were permitted to drop from the top to the bottom of the tube, it would 15 be very apt to bounce or slide off the shelf 19 and the loading of the tube would never be accomplished. To avoid these difficulties in loading the device, the tins are preferably grasped between the thumb and forefinger and so held as they are 21 slid downwardly from top to bottom of the tube, the thumb and finger being permitted to pass freely along the opening ί I which, it will be understood, is of suitable width for this purpose. It is for this reason, moreover, that the edges 12 25 and 13 are beaded or rounded in the manner indicated and their upper ends are curved, as indicated at 33, to eliminate sharp corners. In a similar way tne lower ends of the edges defining the opening may be curved, as indicated at 31.

It will be observed that the lowermost container fits into the depressed portion 20 of the supporting shelf so that the danger of accidental displacement of this container is largely avoided. It will also be noted that in view of the form of 35 the bracket 23, a very large percentage of the circumference of the lower container is exposed, thereby enabling it to be readily grasped whenever it is desired to remove it from the device. As a container is withdrawn, the remaining con40 tainers in the tube will drop until the next one in the series is supported by the shelf. The number of containers remaining in the device may be observed at all times through the opening 11 so that it may be reloaded whenever required.

Moreover, the containers will be held in a definite position within the device by the cooperation between the keys 29 and the channel 15. This has the added advantage of maintaining whatever ornamentation or advertising matter, or the like, 50 there may be on the edges of the containers in a definite relation to the opening ! I so that a uniform and more attractive effect is produced.

While one form of the invention has been described In considerable detail, it will be under55 stood that numerous changes may be made without departing from the general principles and scope of the invention. The terms and expressions used herein have been employed as terms of description and not of limitation.