Means for packaging polishing disks and holder therefor

Aprs! 28, 1942. p. _s. eckman 2,281,237

MEANS FOR PACKAGING POLISHING DISKS AND HOLDER THEREFOR

Filed July 2. 1940

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ATTORNEY

Patented Apr. 28, 1942

2,281,237

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,281,237

MEANS FOR PACKAGING POLISHING DISKS AND HOLDER THEREFOR

Pauline S. Eckman, San Francisco, Calif.

Application July 2, 1940, Serial No. 343,631

Claim. (Cl. 206—72)

This invention relates to equipment and devices used by dentists in their practice, and particularly pertains to means for packaging polishing disks used by dentists and a holder therefor.

As is well known, dentists in their practice employ a considerable number of polishing disks which are used but once and then discarded. These disks not only vary in diameter but in abrasive qualities and are commonly furnished in a wide range of sizes and abrasive qualities, all of which must be constantly available for prompt selection by the dentist to fit the particular immediate requirement. Heretofore, these disks have been packed(ages) in small boxes which do(es) not enable the dentist to expeditiously select the desired size and abrasive quality.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide improved means of packaging polishing disks of the character referred to and a holder for such packages which will enable the selection by the dentist of a polishing disk of the desired size and abrasive quality promptly and without the handling of any disk but the selected one.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved holder for packaged polishing disks showing the packaged disks mounted on the holder for use.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my improved device for packaging the disks.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in plan of one of the gripping members of the holder.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the gripping members of the holder.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, 10 indicates a holder for packages ii of polishing disks 12. This holder includes a suitable fiat base 14 having pairs of upright gripping members 15 secured thereto, preferably in the manner illustrated. Each gripping member includes a substantially semi-cylindrical portion 16 nesting within which and lying parallel thereto is a cylindrical rod ί 7. The rod 17 is yieldingly urged in contact with the portion 16 by the inherent resilient qualities of the materials of which each gripping member is constructed. However, I may use other forms of gripping members and I do not limit myself to the precise form illustrated.

The gripping members 15 are arranged, as stated, in pairs which are arranged at equally spaced distances apart on the base. I have illustrated three pairs of gripping members as mount ed on the base, but, obviously a greater or lesser number may be provided.

The packages 11 are in the form of strips or tape and provide a novel way of packaging the 5 polishing disks 12. These disks are usually quite thin and of slightly flexible material with an abrasive surface.

To form the package I provide a flat band of thin flexible and preferably transparent material, 10 such as Cellophane. This fiat band is of a proper width so that when it is folded upon itself along a central longitudinal line, it will be of a width slightly less than the disks it is to contain. After folding, the two sides or flaps of the strip or tape 15 thus formed are secured together laterally at points equally spaced apart along their lengths by stitching, stapling, adhesion or otherwise as desired, the spacing between such points being slightly greater than the diameter of the disks 20 to be packaged, thus forming a strip or tape having successive pockets along its length which are closed on three sides and of a dimension enabling the insertion of a disk therein through the open side thereof. The pockets are, of course, each 25 capable of receiving a disk inserted through the open side of the pocket, and the disks will tend to be held in such pocket by the frictional contact between the disk and the sides of the strip or tape.

The strips may be of any desired length. That is, they may be only of sufficient length to fit between the gripping members 15 of each pair on the holder, or they may be of any longer length and thereafter be cut to fit the holder. In such 35 case the strip would be severed between the disks.

Obviously, therefore, I have provided a package for polishing disks which consists of a flexible tape or strip having a plurality of pockets formed therein, each to receive and contain a polishing 49 disk, which strip or tape may be rolled, folded or otherwise compacted due to the fact that the strip is inherently pliable or flexible.

In use, the dentist may select one package of each size and quality of disks and place one pack45 age of each between each pair of gripping members by inserting the ends of the strip or tape between the gripping portions of the gripping members 15, as illustrated in Fig. 1. In this fashion the packages will be removably retained 50 by the gripping members 15 with the open side of the pockets thereof uppermost to enable the disks to slightly protrude so that the dentist may quickly select and remove the desired disk without in any manner handling the remainder of the 55 disks,

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By so packaging the disks, it is obvious that disks of various sizes and qualities may not become mixed and will always be maintained separate. This provides a novel way of merchandising the disks as well as enabling the dentist to have readily available to him a wide variety of disk diameters and abrasive qualities for his selection without handling the remainder of the disks.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.