Automatic sugar dispenser

Claim 2

A dispenser for a container which is normally maintained in an upright position, comprising: a housing for attachment to said container, said housing having a chamber which includes an inner chamber end for communicating with the inside of said container and an outer chamber end for communicating with the space outside of said container, and a channel with inner and outer channel ends, said channel being substantially sealed from communication with said chamber; inner and outer cover members movable mounted on said housing for respectively sealing said inner and outer chamber ends; a weight disposed in said channel for graviTy-urged movement therethrough from said inner channel end to said outer channel end when said housing is tilted; and first and second operating means extending into said channel in the path of said weight for movement by said weight as it moves towards said outer channel end, said first and second operating means respectively coupled to said inner and outer cover members for closing said inner cover member and opening said outer cover member, and said second operating means located closer to said second channel end than said first operating means, whereby to at least partially close said inner cover before opening said outer cover.

Claim 3

The dispenser described in claim 1 wherein: said housing has a drainage hole at the inner end of said channel, for draining material into said container when said housing is upright; and said housing comprises a pair of housing parts, each of which forms part of the walls of said channel, each housing part having clamp-receiving walls spaced on either side of said drainage hole; and including a substantially U-shaped clamp with a pair of legs engaging said clamp-receiving walls to hold said housing parts together, and a flap valve pivotally mounted on the base of said clamp to open and close said drainage hole.

Claim 4

A dispensing mechanism for controlling the flow of sugar and like materials from a container when it is tilted from an upright position comprising: a housing for mounting on said container, said housing having walls defining a measuring chamber with an inner end leading to said container and an outer end leading to the area outside of said container, and walls defining a passageway with inner and outer ends, said inner end of said passageway being lower than said outer end thereof when said container is in an upright position and said inner end being higher than said outer end of said passageway when said container is tilted to dispense material; a ball disposed in said passageway to move therealong; an inner cover slidably mounted on said housing for sliding forward to close said inner end of said chamber and for sliding rearwardly to open it, said cover having a closing arm which moves into and out of said passageway as said inner cover moves rearwardly and forwardly, respectively; a lever pivotally mounted on said housing and having a first end disposed in said passageway near said inner end thereof for supporting said ball, and a second end disposed against said inner cover to urge it rearwardly when said ball lies on said first end of said lever; an outer cover movably mounted on said housing for sealing and unsealing said outer end of said chamber; and means coupling said inner and outer covers for retaining said outer cover in a position where it seals said outer end of said chamber when said inner cover is moved to an extreme rearward position.

Claim 5

A dispensing mechanism for controlling the flow of sugar and like materials from a container when it is tilted from an upright position comprising: a housing for mounting on said container, said housing having walls defining a measuring chamber with an inner end leading to said container and an outer end leading to the area outside of said container, and walls defining a passageway with inner and outer ends, said inner end of said passageway being lower than said outer end thereof when said container is in an upright position and said inner end being higher than said outer end of said passageway when said container is tilted to dispense material; a ball disposed in said passageway to move therealong; an inner cover slidably mounted on said housing for sliding forward to close said inner end of said chamber and for sliding rearwardly to open it, said cover having a closing arm which moves into and out of said passageway as said inner cover moves rearwardly and forwardly, respectively; a lever pivotally mounted on said housing and having a first end disposed in said passageway near said inner end thereof for supporting said ball, and a second end disposed against said inner cover to urge it rearwardly when said ball lies on said first end of said lever; an outer cover movably mounted on said housing for sealing and unsealing said outer end of said chamber; and means coupling said inner and outer covers for retaining said outer cover in a position where it seals said outer end of said chamber when said inner cover is moved to an extreme rearward position.

Claim 6

The dispensing mechanism described in claim 3 wherein: said inner cover comprises a sheet of material with a covering end portion that can cover said inner end of said measuring chamber and an operating end portion, said operating end portion having a slot, and an operating arm extending downwardly to abut said second end of said lever; said outer cover is pivotally mounted on said housing and has a covering portion which seals and unseals said outer end of said chamber and an operating arm which extends to said slot in said inner cover; and said means for retaining said outer cover in a position where it seals said outer end of said chamber includes a hook formed on said operating arm of said outer cover and engaged with a wall of said slot in said inner cover.

Claim 7

The dispensing mechanism described in claim 3 wherein: the walls of said passageway include shelf means for retaining said ball near said inner end of said passageway until said container is tilted so that its lower wall extends downwardly at an angle of about 45*, whereby to facilitate the dispensing of even a small amount of sugar which is in said container.

Claim 8

The dispensing mechanism described in claim 3 wherein: said passageway includes a first portion extending from said inner end thereof with a major directional component perpendicular to the sliding direction of said inner cover, and a second portion extending with a major directional component parallel to said sliding direction of said inner cover, said closing arm of said inner cover being located in said second portion of said passageway when said inner cover is in a rearward position.

Claim 9

A dispenser for a container which is normally maintained in an upright position, comprising: a housing for attachment to said container, said housing having a chamber which includes an inner end for communicating with the inside of said container and an outer end for communicating with the space outside of said container, and said housing having a passageway with inner and outer ends; a ball for moving through said passageway from said inner end to said outer end thereof when said container is tilted; inner and outer covers movably mounted on said housing for sealing said inner and outer ends, respectively, of said chamber, said inner cover including a substantially flat sheet-like covering portion for covering said inner end of said chamber, said inner cover being slidably mounted on said housing for movement substantially in the plane of said covering portion, in a forward direction to seal said inner end of said chamber and in a backward direction to unseal it; said inner cover having an operating arm extending into said channel when said cover member is in said backward position, to receive forces from said ball as it falls toward said outer end of said passageway to move said cover member in said forward direction; and an opening lever pivotally mounted on said housing and having a first end disposed in said passageway near said inner end thereof to receive forces from said ball urging said lever in a first pivoting direction when said container is substantially upright, and a second end engageable with a portion of said inner cover member for urging said inner cover in said rearward direction when said lever is urged in said first pivoting direction.

Claim 10

A dispenser for a container which is normally maintained in an upright position, comprising: a housing for attachment to said container, said housing having a chamber which includes an inner end for communicating with the inside of said container and an outer end for communicating with the space outside of said container, and said housing having a passageway with inner and outer ends; a ball for moving through said passageway from said inner end to said outer end thereof when said container is tilted; inner and outer covers movably mounted on said housing for sealing said inner and outer ends, respectively, of said chamber, said inner cover including a substantially flat sheet-like covering portion for covering said inner end of said chamber, said inner cover being slidably mounted on said housing for movement substantially in the plane of said covering portion, in a forward direction to seal said inner end of said chamber and in a backward direction to unseal it; said inner cover having an operating arm extending into said channel when said cover member is in said backward position, to receive forces from said ball as it falls toward said outer end of said passageway to move said cover member in said forward direction; and an opening lever pivotally mounted on said housing and having a first end disposed in said passageway near said inner end thereof to receive forces from said ball urging said lever in a first pivoting direction when said container is substantially upright, and a second end engageable with a portion of said inner cover member for urging said inner cover in said rearward direction when said lever is urged in said first pivoting direction.

Claim 11

The dispenser described in claim 7 wherein: said outer cover is pivotally mounted on said housing for pivoting between an open and closed position; and said outer cover includes means for engaging said inner cover to hold said outer cover at a closed position when said inner cover is at a rearward position.

Claim 12

A dispenser for a container which is normally maintained in an upright position, comprising: a housing for attachment to said container, said housing having a chamber which includes an inner chamber end for communicating with the inside of said container and an outer chamber end for communicating with the space outside of said container, and a channel with inner and outer channel ends, said channel being substantially sealed from communication with said chamber; inner and outer covers movably mounted on said housing for respectively sealing said inner and outer chamber ends; a weight disposed in said channel for gravity-urged movement from said inner channel end to said outer channel end when said housing is tilted; said inner cover including a substantially sheet-like portion for covering said inner end of said chamber, said inner cover being slidably mounted on said housing for sliding in the plane of said sheet-like portion, and said inner cover having an operating portion in said channel for being moved by said weight; and said channel including a first portion extending substantially parallel to the direction of sliding of said inner cover, said operating portion positioned along said first channel portion, and said channel also having an outer end portion extending downwardly from said first channel portion when said housing is tilted to receive said weight after it has passed through said fiRst channel portion, and said outer cover having means in said outer channel end portion for operation by said weight.

Claim 13

A dispenser for a container which is normally maintained in an upright position, comprising: a housing for attachment to said container, said housing having a chamber which includes an inner chamber end for communicating with the inside of said container and an outer chamber end for communicating with the space outside of said container, and a channel with inner and outer channel ends, said channel being substantially sealed from communication with said chamber; inner and outer covers movably mounted on said housing for respectively sealing said inner and outer chamber ends; a weight disposed in said channel for gravity-urged movement from said inner channel end to said outer channel end when said housing is tilted; said inner cover including a substantially sheet-like portion for covering said inner end of said chamber, said inner cover being slidably mounted on said housing for sliding in the plane of said sheet-like portion, and said inner cover having an operating portion in said channel for being moved by said weight; and said channel including a first portion extending substantially parallel to the direction of sliding of said inner cover, said operating portion positioned along said first channel portion, and said channel also having an outer end portion extending downwardly from said first channel portion when said housing is tilted to receive said weight after it has passed through said fiRst channel portion, and said outer cover having means in said outer channel end portion for operation by said weight.

Claim 14

A dispenser for a container which is normally maintained in an upright position, comprising: a housing for attachment to said container, said housing having a chamber which includes an inner chamber end for communicating with the inside of said container and an outer chamber end for communicating with the space outside of said container, and a channel with inner and outer channel ends; inner and outer covers movably mounted on said housing for respectively sealing said inner and outer chamber ends; a weight disposed in said channel for gravity-urged movement therethrough from said inner channel end to said outer channel end when said housing is tilted; and operating means extending into said channel in the path of said weight for movement by said weight as it moves towards said outer channel end for closing said inner cover and opening said outer cover; and closing means coupled to said outer cover and having a portion at said inner channel end for deflection by said weight as it reaches said inner channel end when said housing is returned to an upright orientation, for urging said outer cover closed on said chamber.

Claim 15

A dispenser for a container which is normally maintained in an upright position, comprising: a housing for attachment to said container, said housing having a chamber which includes an inner chamber end for communicating with the inside of said container and an outer chamber end for communicating with the space outside of said container, and a channel with inner and outer channel ends; inner and outer covers movably mounted on said housing for respectively sealing said inner and outer chamber ends; a weight disposed in said channel for gravity-urged movement therethrough from said inner channel end to said outer channel end when said housing is tilted; and operating means extending into said channel in the path of said weight for movement by said weight as it moves towards said outer channel end for closing said inner cover and opening said outer cover; and closing means coupled to said outer cover and having a portion at said inner channel end for deflection by said weight as it reaches said inner channel end when said housing is returned to an upright orientation, for urging said outer cover closed on said chamber.

Claim 16

The dispenser described in claim 10 wherein: said weight comprises a ball; said operating means includes a slidably mounted first member that opens and closes said inner cover and a second member coupled to said outer cover and movable by said first member to close said outer cover; and said closing means includes a lever pivotally mounted on said housing, said lever having a ball-supporting portion lying at said innner channel end for supporting said ball and another portion urging said first member in a direction to open said inner cover when said ball-supporting portion supports said ball.