Disc dispenser

3,115,992

Dec. 31, 1963

N. J. MENOLASINO ETAL

DISC DISPENSER

Filed April 6, 1960

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3,115,992

Patented Dec. 31, 1963

United States Patent Office

3,115,992

DISC DISPENSER

Nicholas J. Menolasino and Dominic Menolasino, both of 1313 N. 14th Ave., Melrose Park, III., assignors of onefourth to Allan S. Belcove and one-fourth to Seymour “ Santow

Filed Apr. 6, 1960, Ser. No. 20,483 2 Claims. (CI. 221—264)

This invention relates to a dispenser for thin discs of absorbent material treated with an antibiotic or other chemical compounds known to have curative effect on certain diseases or other desirable effects on virus or bacteria.

Such devices are used to determine the treatment most effective for particular ailments. For such purposes, discs are placed into contact with a suitable culture provided in a receiver to determine which of the chemicals or antibiotics is most effective and the desired concentration thereof. Ordinarily, multiple discs treated with different chemicals or antibiotics are brought into contact with the culture. Discs treated with chemicals or antibiotics which are most effective will destroy growth adjacent thereto. Thus when the most effective chemical or antibiotic has been selected or in combination with such selection, other discs containing the desired compound in different concentrations may be brought into contact with the culture to establish proper dosages for treatment.

Very often, it is desirable to make tests with but a single disc either for a spot check, or confirmation, or the like. Under such circumstances, it would be inefficient to make use of a multiple disc dispenser or a multiple disc assembly.

It is an object of this invention to produce a dispenser from which a single disc may be displaced for use in testing and it is a related object to produce a single disc dispenser embodying a holder for support of a supply of discs for displacement into position of use.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter appear and, for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a dispenser embodying the features of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 1 with the vial omitted.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the dispenser shown in FIGS. 1-3 with the top plate removed and with the slide displaced to operated position.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view lengthwise through the dispenser shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 of HG. 5.

The disc dispenser embodying the features of this invention is adapted to be used with a vial 10 in which a plurality of treated discs 12 have been stacked. The open end 14 of the vial is ordinarily sealed, as by means of a stopper, to protect the discs against contamination other than when the vial is in position of use in the dispenser.

For proper displacement of the discs 12 toward the open end 14 of the vial, an amount of discs insufficient to fill the vial, are housed therein. In the remainder of . the space within the base portion of the vial, there is provided a weight 16 dimensioned slidably to be received therein for operation as a ram to effect displacement of the disc members towards lowered position. There is also provided a means between the weight and the adjacent disc member adapted frictionally to engage the side walls of the vial with a force sufficient to resist displacement by the weight of the stack of disc members but insufficient to resist displacement by the weight so that the means will hold the' stack of discs in displaced position independently of the position of the vial. For this purpose, use is made of a level spring 18 having the free ends extending outwardly for a distance to provide a spaced relationship therebetween greater than the internal cross section of the vial so that the free ends will be adapted resiliently to engage the adjacent walls.

The dispenser, which represents the concepts of this invention, comprises an upper plate 20 and a lower plate 22 of substantially equivalent dimensions with the lateral edge portions 24 of the plates offset inwardly by an amount corresponding to more than one-half but less than one times the thickness of the disc members and with the space between the offsets being 'greater than the edge to edge dimension of said disc members. Thus, when the upper and lower plates are joined one to the other with the offsets extending inwardly into abutting relationship, the intermediate portions of the plates defines a slot 26 which is dimensioned to have a thickness greater than the thickness of one disc member but less than two with the slot extending continuously lengthwise through the joined plates. The plates may be joined by conventional fastening means such as by brazing, soldering, welding, riveting and the like when the plates are formed of a metal or by adhesive, as when the plates are formed of a plastic. In the illustrated modification the plates are formed of a metal and they are joined one to the other by functional elements of the dispenser, as will hereinafter be described. Instead of forming the intermediate slot 26 by the described offsets, the desired spaced relationship and slots may be obtained by the use of separate spacer strips inserted between the edges of the lateral edges of the top and bottom plates.

An opening 30 dimensioned to be greater than the disc members 12 and preferably corresponding to the external dimensions of the vial 10 is provided in the top plate to extend through the body portion in crosswise alignment with an intermediate portion of the slot and adjacent to one end thereof. A similar opening 32 which may be of still greater dimension is provided in the bottom plate 22 in lengthwise alignment with the opening 30 but offset therefrom in the direction away from the one end portion. .

A slide plate 34, formed of a relatively rigid material, such as metal or plastics, is dimensioned to have a width and a thickness corresponding to the width and the thickness of slot 26 to enable the slide plate to be displaced lengthwise within the slot between a normal retracted position and an operated position. The length of the slide plate adapted slidably to be displaced within the slot 26 between operated and normal positions is dimensioned to be less than the length of the slot so that a spaced relationship will exist between the end of the plate and the adjacent end of the slot when the plate is in operated position. In practice, the slide plate is dimensioned to have a greater length to provide a portion which extends beyond the top and bottom plates even when displaced to operated position and means are provided on the exposed end portion for facilitating manual displacement as represented by the upturned edge 36. The slide plate 34 is provided with an opening 38 intermediate its ends and dimensioned to correspond with the dimension of the disc members but slightly less than the opening 3» through the top plate so that the lip of the vial will rest thereon when the vial is inserted into position of use through an opening 30 in the top plate.

When in the normal position, the opening 38 is adapted to be in register between the opening 30 in the top plate, and when in operated position, the opening 38 is adapted to be in register above the opening 32 in the bottom plate. Means are provided to limit displacement of the slide

3,115,992

Ο plate to both normal and operated positions. One such means comprises a lengthwise slot 4® in the slide plate 34 wherein the slot is dimensioned to have a length corresponding to the distance between the rearward edge of the opening 38 in normal position to the rearward edge of 5 the slide 32 in the bottom plate. A stud 42 fixed to the top and bottom plates, is adaped to extend through the slot 4® to abut the forward end when the plate is in normal position and to engage the rearward end when the plate is in operated position thereby to limit movements ,q of the plate when displaced to such positions. The stud can be in the form of a rivet which is also used to join the plates one to the other in the assembled relation, as previously pointed out, thereby to join the functions of a stop with its function as a metal joining means. 15

Means are provided constantly to urge the slide plate towards normal position. One such means comprises the Z-shaped lever spring 44 formed with a loop 46 at one end in pivotal engagement about a stud 4§ while the free end of the spring bears against the forward edge of the 20 slide plate. Again, the stud 48 can also comprise a rivet securing the plates 20 and 22 together.

Means are provided for positioning the vial with the open end 14 in communication with the opening 30 through the top plate. In the illustrated modification, one 25 such means comprises a pair of ring members 50' and 52 having a film 54 of a resilient plastic or elastomeric material to span the openings 56 within the ring members. The assembly of ring members and plastic film are joined together in a vertically spaced apart relation above the top 30 plate 20 by means of support rods 58 fixed at their lower end to the assembled plates and at their upper ends to the ring members. The film of flexible plastic or other elastomeric material is formed with a central opening 60 in vertical alignment with the openings 30 and 38 and 35 the opening 60 is dimensioned to be less than the wall to wall dimension of the vial 1®. As a result, when the vial is displaced through the opening 60, the plastic is deflected outwardly and it is stretched to enlarge the opening whereby the outer wall of the vial is resiliently en- 40 gaged by the plastic firmly to hold the vial in its displaced position.

In use, the stopper is removed from the vial. While the vial is being held in an upright position, the dispenser is inverted and positioned above the open end of the vial 45 with the opening 6® and the open end of the vial in vertical alignment. Thereafter the vial or the dispenser is directed towards each other to project the open end of the vial through the opening 6® in the plastic until the end portion of the vial is seated within the opening 30 in ⁵⁰the top plate.

Thereafter, the assembly may be righted whereby the disc members will be displaced gravitationally and by the weight 16 through the opening 3® in the top plate and into the aligned opening 38 of the slide plate until the ⁵⁵lowermost disc member comes to rest upon the top surface of the bottom plate. The lower lip of the vial will ordinarily be received within the opening 30 and will come to rest upon the edge portions of the slide plate 34 which extends for a short distance beyond the opening.

Upon displacement of the slide plate from normal to operated position, as shown in FIG. 4, the lowermost disc member in the opening 38 will be displaced over the surface of the bottom plate to the opening 32 through which the disc member will fall by gravitational force in the dispensing operation. Upon release of the slide, it will be returned to normal position in response to the spring member 44. Upon return to normal position, the lowermost disc in the stack will become displaced into the vacated opening 38 of the slide plate. 70

The weight 16 will operate as a ram to urge the stack of disc members toward the lowermost position and the spring holder 18 will maintain the column of disc members in their displaced positions notwithstanding movements which might right the vial during use. For removal 75 of the vial for replacement by a vial of other or the same disc members, it is only necessary to invert the dispenser and withdraw the vial. The stopper should be replaced in the removed vial to protect disc members which have not been used.

It will be apparent that the discs may be dispensed one at a time merely by displacement of the slide plate from normal to operated position and that such single dispensing operation can be subsequently carried out until the last of the discs in the stack has been dispensed.

It will be understood that numerous changes may be made in the details of materials, construction, arrangement and operation, without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the following claims.