Locking means for shipper type liquid dispensers

Claim 2

A container supported liquid dispensing device of the class in which an actuator rotatable about a vertical axis is disposed for axial movement through an opening in the container closure and spring biased upwardly through said opening to a predetermined raised position to be operated by downward finger pressure on its external upper end; said closure including an annular abutment encircling said actuator and spaced radially therefrom, the upper end of said annular abutment defining an annular locking surface concentric to said axis in a radial plane thereof, said actuator comprising a radially deflectible locking finger extending substantially parallel thereto and fixed adjacent its upper end to said actuator, the said finger including a depending free end normally terminating at substantially the level of said locking surface when the actuator is in its predetermined raised position; said finger normally being received for free rotary and axial movement in the space between said annular abutment and the actuator; a first means responsive to angular movement of said actuator in a first direction around its axis for urging the free end of the finger radially outwardly from said space for endwise abutment with said upper end of the wall; and a second means responsive to angular movement of said actuator in a second direction around its axis for urging the free end of said finger radially inwardly to said space.

Claim 3

A container supported dispensing device as defined in claim 1 in which said first means comprises cam means respectively on said finger and said annular abutment.

Claim 4

A container supported dispensing device as defined in claim 2 in which said second means comprises cooperating cam surfaces on said finger and said abutment respectively.

Claim 5

container supported dispensing device as defined in claim 1 in which said upper end of the annular abutment includes concentric raised rings radially inwardly and outwardly respectively of said locking surface and therewith defining an upwardly directed groove for reception of the free end of said finger, said inner ring being formed with a notch therethrough above said locking surface, said finger in its released position being deflected resiliently radially inwardly by said abutment for resilient outward movement into said notch when moved angularly into registry therewith; said finger having a generally radially inwardly presented cam surface and said inner ring being formed with a generally radially outwardly presented inclined cam surface at one edge of the notch, said cam surfaces being positioned and conformed for coaction to urge said finger radially outwardly through the notch responsive to angular movement of the actuator in said first direction.

Claim 6

A container supported dispensing device as defined in claim 4 in which said inner ring is provided with a generally radially inwardly directed cam surface and said finger is provided with a generally radially outwardly directed cam surface for cooperation therewith in the said second direction of angular movement of the actuator.

Claim 7

A container supported dispensing device as defined in claim 5 including a radially inward protuberance on the outer said guide ring opposite said notch for initially urging the depending free end of said finger into the notch incident to rotation of the finger and actuator in said second angular direction.

Claim 8

A container supported dispensing device as defined in claim 4 wherein the portion of the said locking surface angularly co-extensive with said notch is depressed relative to the remainder of said locking surface to facilitate radial movement of the finger through said ntoch, and is joined to the remainder of said notch, surface by an inclined ramp for thrusting camming engagement with the said finger to exert an axial upward thrust on the actuator.

Claim 9

A container supported dispensing device as defined in claim 2, including a plurality of said fingers in angularly spaced relation around said axis for sequential cooperaton with said first means and said second means.

Claim 10

A container supported dispensing device as defined in claim 8 including a plurality of said locking fingers in angularly spaced concentric relation around the said axis of the actuator, and a plurality of said notches also in angularly spaced relation in said inner guide ring of the annular locking abutment.

Claim 11

In a container supported dispensing pump of the class in which the pump plunger is disposed for reciprocation through an opening in a container closure and normally spring biased upwardly through said opening to a predetermined fully raised position, the improvements which comprise an annular abutment concentrically surrounding said plunger and spaced radially therefrom, said plunger comprising an axially directed locking finger affixed to the plunger, said locking finger being resiliently radially deflectible and having a free end depending in the direction of the plunger movement, said annular abutment having an upwardly directed annular locking surface in a plane transverse to the plunger movement and at a level for abutting engagement by the free end of said finger in the fully raised position of the plunger; said abutment normally radially confining the free end of the finger whereby same is biased radially outwardly against the abutment; an inner guide ring on said abutment projecting above and concentrically to said locking surface, said ring having a gap therethrough to permit radial outward movement of said finger; means on said guide ring and said finger respectively for cooperation responsive to movement of the plunger and finger in a first angular direction for urging said finger radially outwardly through said gap for endwise abutment with the said locking surface; and further means on said finger and said abutment respectively for urging said finger radially inwardly through said gap responsive to angular movement of said plunger and finger in a second angular direction.

Claim 12

In a container supported dispensing pump of the class in which the pump plunger is disposed for reciprocation through an opening in a container closure and normally spring biased upwardly through said opening to a predetermined fully raised position, the improvements which comprise an annular abutment concentrically surrounding said plunger and spaced radially therefrom, said plunger comprising an axially directed locking finger affixed to the plunger, said locking finger being resiliently radially deflectible and having a free end depending in the direction of the plunger movement, said annular abutment having an upwardly directed annular locking surface in a plane transverse to the plunger movement and at a level for abutting engagement by the free end of said finger in the fully raised position of the plunger; said abutment normally radially confining the free end of the finger whereby same is biased radially outwardly against the abutment; an inner guide ring on said abutment projecting above and concentrically to said locking surface, said ring having a gap therethrough to permit radial outward movement of said finger; means on said guide ring and said finger respectively for cooperation responsive to movement of the plunger and finger in a first angular direction for urging said finger radially outwardly through said gap for endwise abutment with the said locking surface; and further means on said finger and said abutment respectively for urging said finger radially inwardly through said gap responsive to angular movement of said plunger and finger in a second angular direction.

Claim 13

The combination defined in claim 10 wherein said first mentioned means and said furtheR means both comprise cam means.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 11 including an outer guide ring spaced radially outwardly from and concentric to said inner guide ring on the opposite sides of said locking surface from the inner guide ring to confine the free end of the finger between said guide rings during relative rotary movement of the finger and plunger.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 12 including a radially inward protuberance on the inner face of said outer guide ring, substantially opposite said notch for deflecting the free end of the finger into said notch as the finger moves over said protuberance, said finger and said inner guide ring being provided with cooperating cam surfaces operative responsive to rotary movement of the plunger in said second direction for urging the finger radially inwardly completely through said gap and into the space between said plunger and the abutment.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 13 wherein the plunger includes a plurality of said fingers in circumferentially spaced relation for successive movement through said gap for operative engagement at a plurality of locations around the circumference of said locking surface, whereby to resist tilting of the plunger.