Supporting casing for collapsible tube with means to extrude the tube contents

Aug. 7, 1951 v. meczelski 2,563,733

SUPPORTING CASING FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE, WITH MEANS TO EXTRUDE THE TUBE CONTENTS

Filed Oct. 19, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1

<img file="US2563733A_D0001.tif" />

Aug. 7, 1951 v. meczelski 2,563,733

SUPPORTING CASING FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE, WITH

MEANS TO EXTRUDE THE TUBE CONTENTS

Sheets-Sheet 2

Filed Oct. 19, 1948

<img file="US2563733A_D0002.tif" />

INVENTOR.

17/CT05 MECZELSK!

zZ ATTORNEY.

Aug. 7, 1951 _D v. meczelski 2,563,733

SUPPORTING CASING FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE, WITH

MEANS TO EXTRUDE THE TUBE CONTENTS

Filed Oct. 19, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3

<img file="US2563733A_D0003.tif" />

ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 7, 1951

2,563,733

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,563,733

SUPPORTING CASING FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE WITH MEANS TO EXTRUDE THE TUBE CONTENTS

Victor Meczelski, New Britain, Conn., now by judicial change of name, Victor Mitchell

Application October 19,1948, Serial No. 55,265

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in toilet kits of the type embodying a small cabinet or casing adapted to be mounted on the wall of a bath room and having therein means to. support tooth brushes and a device to support a collapsible tube of tooth paste and to extrude a desired quantity of the tooth paste onto a selected tooth brush, as needed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a kit of the above kind embodying a cabinet of improved and simplified construction, whereby the tooth brushes may be supported in the cover parts for ready, access as the cover parts are swung open, and whereby the tooth paste may be conveniently extruded onto a selected tooth brush, when the cabinet is opened.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved device to support a collapsible tube of tooth paste in an inverted position and to provide an easily operated manual mechanism to extrude the tooth paste from the tube.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an operating mechanism for tooth paste tubes which operates from a thrust of the tooth brush under the outlet and in position simultaneously to receive the tooth paste.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the kit in closed condition.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the kit in open condition.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3—3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4—4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5—5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken through the operating mechanism for extruding the tooth paste from the tube, taken on line 6—6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 -is a top plan view of said tube operating mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the jaws for gripping the outlet end of the tube.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view, similar to Fig. 7, of a modified form of tube operating mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of the modified tube operating mechanism shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view of the modified tube operating mechanism, taken on line ! I—II of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a front elevational view pf another (Cl. 222—102) modified form of a tube operating mechanism wherein the tooth brush, when located under the tube outlet and thrust inwardly against a member, effects the actuation of the mechanism.

⁵ Fig. 13 is a vertical sectional view of the tube operating mechanism shown in Fig. 12 and taken on line 13—13 thereof.

Fig. 14 is a top plan view of the tube operating mechanism shown in Fig. 12.

1° Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 to 8, the present kit includes a small cabinet composed of a flat back wall 15, a semi-circular main bottom wall 10, and a pair of similar substantially segmento-cylindrical hinged doors 17 having re¹⁵_; pectively segmental top and bottom walls 18 and 19 which abut each other and the back wall 15, with the bottom door walls 19 disposed on the main bottom wall 16, when the cabinet is closed. The edges of the bottom door walls 19 which ²⁰ abut when the doors are closed are provided with notches 20, and a spring-projected pivoted catch 21, mounted in the main bottom wall 16, engages in these notches to hold the doors closed. Slidable in and projecting through the front of bot²⁵ tom wall 16 is a push rod 22 operable to release the catch 21,. the push rod being operatively connected at its rear end to the catch 21 and being projected forwardly by a spring 23 to normally project the catch. Each door 17 is provided on ³⁰ the inside of its lower end portion with a trough 24 divided into compartments by partitions 25. Near the top, each door is provided on the inside with a deeper inverted trough 26 similarly divided by partitions 27. This provides means on the in³⁵ side of each door for removably supporting a plurality of tooth brushes in a vertical position. In use, each tooth brush has its handle inserted into a compartment of the deep upper trough 26 until the head of the brush is disposed above an ⁴⁰ aligned compartment of the shallow lower trough on the same door, whereupon the brush is lowered into the latter trough with the handle still engaged in the first trough as shown in Fig.

2. In this way, the brush is held in place for ⁴⁵ ready removal by a reversal of the operation described. The doors 17 have suitable hinges 28 at the top and spring hinges 28' at the bottom which act to swing the doors open when unlatched.

Mounted centrally on the inner or front side of ^υ the back wall 15 is a tube operating mechanism 29 to support a tube of tooth paste 39 in an inverted position and to extrude desired quantities of the tooth paste from the tube onto the head of a selected tooth brush 30', as needed. This mechanism 29 is shown as including a guide mem2,563,733 ber 31 formed of a vertical elongated strip of metal secured on the wall 15 and having its longitudinal edges offset forwardly and bent to provide guide flanges 32. Vertically slidable on the guide member 31 is the mechanism 29 including a Ushaped roller mount 33 centrally fixed to a slide 34 having return* bent edges 35 which: receive the guide flanges 32 of member Si. Journalled in the sides or legs of mount 33 are the shafts of a pair of extruding rollers 36 and 37 which are adapted to frictionally receive the closed; end of tube 30 therebetween. A gear 38 secured on _Lan end of the shaft of roller 37 is operable to rotate the latter so as to move the .mechanism downwardly and squeeze the tube 30 . ancl thereby , extrude the tooth paste from said tube 30 while the latter is held and supported at its neckend.: For the latter purpose, the guide member 31 is provided at its lower end. with a forwardly projecting horizontal plate 39 having an opening 40 to receive the neck of tube 30,- and provided on the under side of plate 39^:is-a. spring-clamp 41 adapted to. grip the neck of the tube 30^Jto hold the latter, in place. The clamp- comprises coacting crossed pivoted jaws -42’ normally closed' by a tension spring 43 Which connects their rear ends and having, finger pieces 44 on their forward ends which are. adapted to be-pressed-together to release and permit the insertion of or removal of the tube, Fig. 8.

A'pinion 45 is. journalled on the-roller mount 33 in mesh with gear .38, and is provided with a finger actuated operating wheel'48 so that the required-slow movement of the operating mechanism,29 may be .readily effected. The rollers' 36 and 37 are -intergeared as at -47 so-that both¹ act on the tube to feed the tube operating mechanism 29.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 9 to 11, the pinion 45 which meshes with gear 38 is fixed to a ratchet wheel 48-which is operable.by a rack bar 49 loosely slidably mounted- On the roller mount 33' and projected forwardly and pressed into engagement with ratchet wheel 48 by a spring 50; The -arrangement is such that, when the bar 49 is pressed rearwardly, it' turns ratchet wheel ‘48 to- operate the rollers 36 and 37, and when the bar 49 is released, it-is returned to its forward position - by spring 50 without turning: and by freely· ratcheting past the ratchet wheel 48;^:

Referring now particularly to Figs; 12, 13 and 14, there is shown a modified form of tube operating mechanism wherein tooth: brush 30’·. can be used to effect the operation of the mechanism. Instead of using a horizontally extending rack; as in the operating- mechanism shown ill Figs; 9 to 11, a ’ vertically extending; rack 5 2 is used. This rack is vertically slidable in vertically spaced guides 53 and 54 and is retained against ratchet wheel 48 by a spring 55.1 A linkage comprising a long link 56 and a short link 57 pivotaly connected together at 58 extends between a bracket support 59 and the rack 52. The connection of the link' 56 -with the rack is made by a pin 61. A spring 62' acts between the pin 58 and the back wall·! 5 to urge the links 56 and 57 forwardly with a-support 63'for the tooth brush 39'. By placing the tooth brush 30' on the support 63 and thrusting the same rearwardly, the rack 52 is elevated and the ratchet wheel 48 is turned- whereby-to cause the rollers 36 and 37 to be operated upon the upper end of the tooth paste tube 39. Paste will accordingly, be laid upon the tooth brush so that as the tooth brush -is taken away, it will be automatically provided with-the paste.

The link member 57 is of U shape as shown more clearly in Fig. 12 and is supported by its opposite legs on laterally spaced brackets 59.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided a tooth brush and tooth paste cabinet which, when closed, confines the paste and tooth brush and protects the same against dust and other foreign matter for sanitary purposes. It will also be seen that there has been provided an automatic mechanism for dispensing tooth paste,onto the,tooth-brush by the mere extension of the tooth brush under the outlet end of a tooth paste tube.

While various changes may be made in the detail· construction·,.it shall be understood that such changes shall be-within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. .