Dispensing apparatus

Claim 2

In an apparatus for uncovering a predetermined quantity of material at the end of a preselected time period, the combination comprising: a stationarily-positioned receptacle for containing a predetermined quantity of material; a lid member pivotable between an upright position in which it covers said receptacle and an upturned position in which it uncovers said receptacle; a movable slide member; a finger element projecting from said slide member at a predetermined location thereon and engageable with said lid member for holding said lid member in its upright position; and drive means for moving said slide member along a generally linear path of travel during a preselected time period, said finger element being engaged with said lid member at the beginning of said time period and being disengaged from said lid member at the end of said preselected time period for allowing said lid member to pivot to its upturned position and thereby uncover said receptacle.

Claim 3

In an apparatus for uncovering a predetermined quantity of material at the end of a preselected time period, the combination comprising: a stationarily-positioned receptacle for containing a predetermined quantity of material; a lid member pivotable between an upright position in which it covers said receptacle and an upturned position in which it uncovers said receptacle; a movable slide member; a finger element projecting from said slide member at a predetermined location thereon and engageable with said lid member for holding said lid member in its upright position; and drive means for moving said slide member along a generally linear path of travel during a preselected time period, said finger element being engaged with said lid member at the beginning of said time period and being disengaged from said lid member at the end of said preselected time period for allowing said lid member to pivot to its upturned position and thereby uncover said receptacle.

Claim 4

In an apparatus for uncovering a predetermined quantity of material at the end of a preselected time period, the combination comprising: a stationarily-positioned receptacle for containing a predetermined quantity of material; a lid member pivotable between an upright position in which it covers said receptacle and an upturned position in which it uncovers said receptacle; a movable slide member; a finger element projecting from said slide member at a predetermined location thereon and engageable with said lid member for holding said lid member in its upright position; and drive means for moving said slide member along a generally linear path of travel during a preselected time period, said finger element being engaged with said lid member at the beginning of said time period and being disengaged from said lid member at the end of said preselected time period for allowing said lid member to pivot to its upturned position and thereby uncover said receptacle.

Claim 5

In an apparatus for uncovering a predetermined quantity of material at the end of a preselected time period, the combination according to claim 1, wherein: said slide member includes a depending element; and said drive means includes a rotatable drive wheel, and a projecting element secured to said wheel in a location thereon offset from the rotation axis of said wheel, said projecting element carried by said drive wheel along a fixed path of revolution which is substantially tangential to the linear path of travel of said slide member, said projecting element engageable with said depending element of said slide member for moving said slide member along its linear path of travel as said drive wheel turns through a portion of one rotation cycle which corresponds to the preselected time period.

Claim 6

In an apparatus for uncovering a predetermined quantity of material at the end of a preselected time period, the combination according to claim 1, wherein the lid member includes: a substantially planar portion for covering the open mouth of said receptacle; and an angular portion extending from said planar portion and engageable with said finger element of said slide member when said lid member is in its upright position, said lid member being pivotable about an axis defined along the margin of said planar portion from which said angular portion extends, said angular portion being of a weight greater than that of said planar portion so that said lid member is normally in its upturned position when said angular portion is disengaged from said finger element.

Claim 7

In an apparatus for uncovering a predetermined quantity of material at the end of a preselected time period, the combination according to claim 2, wherein the lid member includes: a substantially planar portion for covering the open mouth of said receptacle; and an angular portion extending from said planar portion and engageable with said finger element of said slide member when said lid member is in its upright position, said lid member being pivotable about an axis defined along the margin of said planar Portion from which said angular portion extends, said angular portion being of a weight greater than that of said planar portion so that said lid member is normally in its upturned position when said angular portion is disengaged from said finger element.

Claim 8

In an apparatus for uncovering a predetermined quantity of material at the end of a preselected time period, the combination according to claim 4: further comprising a stationary support member having a stud element projecting therefrom; and wherein said slide member includes a longitudinal bar element having an elongated slot defined therein into which said stud element of said support member is confined for slideably and pivotally mounting said bar element, said depending element extending downwardly from said bar element, and an angled element pivotally connected to said bar element along a longitudinal edge thereof, said finger element being yieldably mounted on, and projecting outwardly from, said angled element, said slide member being in a retracted position at one end of its generally linear path of travel at the beginning of the time period, in which position said stud element is engaged with one end of the elongated slot of said bar element, said finger element is engaged with said angular portion of said lid member, and said projecting element of said drive wheel engages said depending element of said bar element, said finger element being disengaged from said angular portion of said lid member at the end of the time period at least by the time said slide member has moved to an extended position at the other end of its generally linear path of travel, and after the end of the preselected time period, said angled element of said slide member may be pivoted upwardly in relation to said bar element, said bar element pivoted to clear its depending element from contact with said projecting element on said drive wheel, said bar element slideably moved to its retracted position, said lid member pivotally returned to its upright position to cover said receptacle, and said angled element pivoted downwardly to engage its finger element with said angular portion of said lid member to thereby reset said slide member and said lid member in their initial positions for the beginning of a subsequent preselected time period.

Claim 9

In an apparatus for uncovering a predetermined quantity of material at the ends of consecutive preselected time periods, the combination comprising: a plurality of stationarily-positioned receptacles for containing a predetermined quantity of material; a plurality of lid members, each of said lid members pivotable between an upright position in which it covers one of said receptacles and an upturned position in which it uncovers one of said receptacles; a movable slide member; a plurality of finger elements projecting from said slide member at predetermined spaced locations thereon, each of said finger elements engageable with one of said lid members for holding said lid member in its upright position; and drive means for moving said slide member along a generally linear path of travel during consecutive preselected time periods, one of said finger elements being engaged with one of said lid members at the beginning of the time periods and being disengaged from said one of said lid members at the end of each of the time periods to allow said one lid member to pivot to its upturned position and thereby uncover one of said receptacles.

Claim 10

In an apparatus for uncovering a predetermined quantity of material at the ends of consecutive preselected time periods, the combination comprising: a plurality of stationarily-positioned receptacles for containing a predetermined quantity of material; a plurality of lid members, each of said lid members pivotable between an upright position in which it covers one of said receptacles and an upturned position in which it uncovers one of said receptacles; a movable slide member; a plurality of finger elements projecting from said slide member at predetermined spaced locations thereon, each of said finger elements engageable with one of said lid members for holding said lid member in its upright position; and drive means for moving said slide member along a generally linear path of travel during consecutive preselected time periods, one of said finger elements being engaged with one of said lid members at the beginning of the time periods and being disengaged from said one of said lid members at the end of each of the time periods to allow said one lid member to pivot to its upturned position and thereby uncover one of said receptacles.

Claim 11

In an apparatus for uncovering a predetermined quantity of material at the ends of consecutive preselected time periods, the combination according to claim 6, wherein: said slide member includes a plurality of depending elements projecting from said slide member at predetermined spaced locations thereon; and said drive means includes a rotatable drive wheel, and a plurality of projecting elements secured to said wheel at predetermined spaced locations in a circular arrangement thereon in coNcentricity with the rotation axis of said wheel, said projecting elements carried by said drive wheel along a fixed path of revolution which is substantially tangential to the linear path of travel of said slide member, each of said projecting elements consecutively engageable with one of said depending elements of said slide member for moving said slide member along its linear path of travel as said drive wheel rotates through a portion of one rotation cycle.

Claim 12

In an apparatus for uncovering a predetermined quantity of material at the ends of consecutive preselected time periods, the combination according to claim 6, wherein each of said plurality of lid members includes: a substantially planar portion for covering the open mouth of said receptacle; and an angular portion extending from said planar portion and engageable with one of said finger elements of said slide member when said lid member is in its upright position, said lid member being pivotable about an axis defined along the margin of said planar portion from which said angular portion extends, said angular portion being of a weight greater than that of said planar portion so that said lid member is normally in its upturned position when said angular portion is disengaged from said finger element.

Claim 13

In an apparatus for uncovering a predetermined quantity of material at the ends of consecutive preselected time periods, the combination according to claim 7, wherein each of said plurality of lid members includes: a substantially planar portion for covering the open mouth of said receptacle; and an angular portion extending from said planar portion and engageable with one of said finger elements of said slide member when said lid member is in its upright position, said lid member being pivotable about an axis defined along the margin of said planar portion from which said angular portion extends, said angular portion being of a weight greater than that of said planar portion so that said lid member is normally in its upturned position when said angular portion is disengaged from said finger element.

Claim 14

In an apparatus for uncovering a predetermined quantity of material at the ends of consecutive preselected time periods, the combination according to claim 9: further comprising a stationary support member having a stud element projecting therefrom; and wherein said slide member includes a longitudinal bar element having an elongated slot defined therein into which said stud element of said support member is confined for slideably and pivotally mounting said bar element, said spaced depending elements extending downwardly from said bar element, and an angled element pivotally connected to said bar element along a longitudinal edge thereof, said plurality of spaced finger elements being yieldably mounted on, and projecting outwardly from, said angled element, said slide member being in a retracted position at one end of its generally linear path of travel at the beginning of the consecutive preselected time periods, in which position said stud element is engaged with one end of the elongated slot of said bar element, each of said finger elements is engaged with the angular portion of each of said lid members, and one of said projecting elements of said drive wheel engaging the first one of said depending elements of said bar element, one of said finger elements being disengaged from said angular portion of one of said lid members at the end of each of the consecutive time periods such that all of said finger elements are disengaged from said respective lid members by the time said slide member has moved to an extended position at the other end of its generally linear path of travel, and after the end of the preselected time periods, said angled element of said slide member may be pivoted upwardly in relation to said bar element, said bar element pivoted to clear its depending elements from contact with said projecting elements on said drive wheel, said bAr element slideably moved to its retracted position, said lid members pivotally returned to their upright positions as a unit to cover said receptacles, and said angled element pivoted downwardly to engage its finger elements with said angular portions of said lid members to thereby reset said slide member and said lid members in their initial positions for the beginning of a subsequent series of preselected time periods.

Claim 15

In an apparatus for uncovering a predetermined quantity of material at the ends of consecutive preselected time periods, the combination according to claim 10, further comprising extension means for releasably connecting each of said plurality of lid members to the next successive one of said lid members such that said lid members may be pivotally returned to their upright positions simultaneously as a unit.