Flexible top for salt-cellars.

Application filed September 15,1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Fred Bartlett, a subject of the King of England, residing at Chatham, in the Province of Ontario and Do5 minion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Flexible Top for Salt-Cellars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shakers for powdered material, such as are commonly io designated as “salt cellars.” It is well known that the perforated tops of salt cellars frequently become clogged with salt when the weather is damp.

The ohj ect of my present invention is to pro15 vide a simple, durable, inexpensive and thoroughly practical salt · cellar \top which is formed of flexible material and can be readily manipulated to detach any salt or other powdered material which may stick thereto 20 or clog the perforations thereof.

With the foregoing, and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in 25 the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of the following claims without depart30 ing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any qf its advantages.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification:—Figure 1 is a vertical section through a salt cellar constructed 35 in accordance with the invention. Figs. 2, . 3 and 4 illustrate modified constructions.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

The reference letter “A” indicates a re40 ceptacle or body portion which may he of any suitable size or shape and which may he constructed of any suitable material. While I generally prefer to construct the body portion A of glass, china, or the like, still, in 45 some instances, I may ’form only the neck portion 1 of glass or other inflexible material, the body portion 2 in such cases being formed of rubber os' other flexible material secured in any suitable manner to the inflexi50 ble neck 1. Whenever the salt or other material becomes caked the flexible portion 2 of ' the receptacle A can be squeezed or compressed to break up the lump formation of the salt.

5 The essence of my invention resides in the

Patented May 28,1907.

Serial No. 334,717.

use of a top or cover Β which is constructed of flexible material such for example as rubber. The upper end 3 of the flexible cover B is formed with the perforations 4 through which the salt is discharged when the shaker 60 is properly manipulated. The top B is formed with a flexible depending annular flange 5 adapted to fit around thejipper end of the body portion A. ' “

In order to cause the cover B to be per- 65 manently secured in position upon receptacle A, I interpose suitable gripping means between the top or cover and the receptacle. The gripping means illustrated in Fig. 1 consists of an integral rubber bead 6 which is 70 formed on the interior of the depending flange 5 and is adapted to fit into the semicircular groove 7 formed in the neck portion of the receptacle A. It will be apparent that the cover B can be readily removed or re- 75 placed by drawing the bead 6 out of ihe groove 7 or by inserting the same therein, the upper edge of the receptacle neck being beveled as shown at 8 so as to facilitate the operation of inserting the cover, it being 80 understood that the lower edge of the bead or flange 5 will engage the beveled portion 8 and slide outward thereon when the cover is pushed down, whereby the flange 5 will be extended so as to permit the bead 6 to slip 85 into the groove 7. The groove 7 preferably is wider than the bead 6 so as to provide an annular space 9 in which the finger or an instrument may be fitted in the act of withdrawing the cover. The upper portion of 90 the cover B is domed slightly as shown, so that when the cover is in place the periphery of the domed portion^zof the cover rests upon the beveled edge 8 at the upper end of the neck 1 as shown. 95

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that by constructing the entire cover or flexible material, I am enabled to provide the annular flange 5 which is not only flexible but is also expansible for which reason the 100 cover can be readily removed and replaced as described. Whenever the perforations 4 . become clogged with salt, it is only necessary to tap the flexible cover with the finger so as to press the same downward and thus expel 105 the salt.

In the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 3, the neck 1 of the receptacle A is provided with a supplemental ring 10 which preferably is screwed on the ordinary threads 110

834,702 at the neck of the receptacle A, the ring 10 being formed with an annular groove 12 which is engaged by the bead 6 of the annular flange 5 of the cover B. It will be apparent 5 that the ring 10 constitutes gripping means interposed between the receptacle and tlie cover for holding the same in position. By the use of the ring 10,1 am enabled to use my improved flexible perforated cover in conio nection with the body portion of an ordinary glass or china salt cellar which has been constructed for use with a metallic cover, it being only necessary to remove the metallic cover and replace the same by the ring 10, 15 after which a flexible cover can be used. In this construction the flexible cover can be removed in two ways if desired: first, by drawing it off the annular ring 10; and second, by permitting it to remain in the annu20 lar ring 10 and rotating it so that the cover and ring 10 are screwed off the receptacle A. Ordinarily, however, the ring 10 will remain permanently upon the receptacle A, and merely the flexible cover B will be removed, 25 it being observed that the upper end 16 of the ring 10 is beveled so as to facilitate application of the flexible cover.

In Fig. 2, the ring 10 is dispensed with as well as the bead 12, and the gripping means 30 interposed between the flexible cover and the receptacle consists merely of the usual threads 18 which are gripped firmly by the expansible flange 5 so as to hold the coyer in position.

In Fig. 4 the cover is formed with a domed portion which is much deeper than that shown in the other figures of the drawing, so that the same can be more easily squeezed or manipulated to free the same from salt.

I am aware that it has been proposed 40 heretofore to form the body portion of a salt cellar of rubber or flexible material, but in this form of salt cellar the neck portion was formed of inflexible material and a metallic cover was used, so that the disadvantage of 45 having the perforations of the metallic cover become corroded, or clogged with salt was not avoided by the use of a flexible body portion.