US2683555A - Tooth paste and toothbrush support and dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

July 13, 1954 BRANDSTETTER TOOTH PASTE AND- TOOTHBRUSH SUPPORT AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed May 21, 1951 r i 95 Z m g MW P B IO r Y m y E w a 4 m 6 0 '7 2 r r 2 0 2 :4, mk h g m 5E Patented July 13, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE TOOTH PASTE AND TOOTHBRUSH SUPPORT AND DISPENSING DEVICE Edward G. Brandstetter, Rosedale, N. Y.

Application May 21, 1951, Serial No. 227,47 6

2 Claims.

lhis invention relates to bathroom articles and accessories, particularly tooth paste and toothbrush supports and dispensing devices.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved bathroom fixture and accessory in which a tube of toothpaste and the like may be supported and at the same time squeezed easily and conveniently without the need for touching the toothpaste tube with the hand at all in the squeezing process.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved toothpaste support and dispenser device in which a housing is provided for attachment to a fixed position such as a Wall or the like, with means for engaging one end portion of the toothpaste tube from which toothpaste is to be dispensed, and for drawing the tube progressively inside the housing, whereby, in the process of such drawing, paste is squeezed out of the mouth of the tube, and thus dispensed onto a toothbrush or the like as desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for squeezing paste out of a tube of toothpaste in a sanitary manner, in such fashion that the squeezing pressure is always applied at the end portion opposite the discharge opening of the tube, while the emptied portion of the tube is uniformly rolled up inside the housing of the device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel device for squeezing paste out of a tube of toothpaste which at the same time supports the tube in such fashion that it is suspended with its discharge opening hanging downwardly so that the paste squeezed out of the tube may fall directly upon a toothbrush disposed therebeneath, without waste or dripping of the paste onto the housing itself.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a novel device of the character described, which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, and highly effective and efficient in use for its intended purpose, providing not only dispensing support for a toothpaste tube, but also sanitary support for a plurality of toothbrushes.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my novel and improved device as supported upon a wall or the like, with toothpaste tube and brushes supported thereon ready for use, the view being partly broken out to show its construction.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevational view taken on plane 22 of Figure 1, showing the toothpaste tube in engagement with the winding key shaft but not yet rolled up.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevational view similar to that of Figure 2, but showing the toothpaste tube partly rolled up on the winding key shaft, and paste being dispensed from the discharge end thereof.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view as seen on plane 4-4 of Figure l, of the device, the view being partly broken out to illustrate its construction.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in Figure 1, as seen on plane 5-5 of Figure 1, looking upwards, the toothbrushes and toothpaste tube being omitted from the view for clarity of illustration.

Figure 6 is a view showing the winding key shaft separately from the rest of the device, and the toothpaste tube in engagement therewith immediately prior to insertion of this assembly into the main housing of the device.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view similar to that of Figure 4, and showing a modified form of the device.

In the use of such sanitary devices as toothbrushes and toothpaste, it is important that the utmost care be taken to avoid contamination of the toothbrush and the toothpaste itself. When the toothpaste tube is constantly handled by the hands of the user, it is liable to contamination and also is usually squeezed in the middle of the length of the tube. This distorts the tube so that it is liable to crack or break near the discharge end and when paste leaks out of such a break or crack the tube must be discarded since it cannot be used safely any more. When the tube is squeezed by hand from the far end, it then flattens out and may break or crack anyway, despite the most gentle handling. My invention avoids all these difiiculties, by securely holding the toothpaste tube in suspended fashion, and rolling it up from the far end opposite to its discharge opening, applying firm squeezing pressure on the tube as needed to force some paste out of it onto a toothbrush, no handling of the tube taking place at all during this process. The device also provides a safe support and protection for several toothbrushes inside its housing for removal as needed.

In order to understand clearly the nature of the invention, and the best means for carrying it out, reference may now be had to the draw- 3 ings, in which like numerals denote similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown there is a main housing generally indicated at 20, which includes a back wall 22 which is adapted to lie against a wall or other support such as the wall 24. A fioor member 26 extends outwardly from the lower edge 28 of the backing wall 22, and may conveniently be formed integral therewith if desired, being secured thereto in any suitable manner. As seen best in Figures 2, 3 and 5, a number of openings 38 are formed through the floor member 26, in mutually spaced relationship as shown, the openings being shaped to allow the shanks 32 of the toothbrushes 34 to be inserted therethrough from above as seen in Figure 2, but not so large as to permit the brush heads 36 to pass therethrough. In this manner a number of toothbrushes may be accommodated inside the housing 20 in a safe and sanitary manner, with their handles or shanks hanging downwards as shown.

A lower front wall 40 is secured to or integral with the forward end of the bottom wall 26, and extends upwardly therefrom as shown, to location 42, at which it is integrated with or secured to the rearward end of the intermediate platform wall 44, the latter extending forwardly therefrom to location 46 at which it is integral with or secured to the lower edge of upper front wall 48. The upper front wall 43 extends upwardly from joint 45, as seen in Figures land 2, its upper margin 50 being rightwardly offset or indented as seen in Figure 2, to provide a recess or seat to receive the depending forward skirt or lip 52 of the top or cover member 54. The latter cover member 54 is provided at its rearward edge with integrally formed hinge sections 56 for pivotal engagement with the axially aligned similarly formed hinge section 58 formed in the intermediate portion of the upper edge of the back wall 22. The cover member 54 may thus be pivoted upwards in the direction of the arrow 6b to expose the interior chamber 62 for insertion or removal of the contents thereof. Side walls 64 and 66 are integral with the abutting back wall, bottom walls, 28 and 44, and front walls 40 and 48, to enclose the sides of the main housing, and their upper ends are indented as is the upper end of the front wall 48, to receive the depending skirt sides 68 of the top member 54.

An elongated slot 1G is formed through the bottom member 44 as shown best in Figure 5, the slot extending all the way from the right wall 64 to a location 12 near the left wall 66 though spaced therefrom. The bottom wall E4 is thus bifurcated as shown, and the right end of the slot 15 as seen in Figure has its edges somewhat rounded off as at [4 to provide smooth entry of the toothpaste tube when needed.

A circular opening i6 is formed through the right wall 64 as shown, being joined to the right end of the slot 10. A stub shaft or trunnion 18 is either integral with or secured to the left end wall 66, as seen best in Figure 4, so as to extend rightwardly therefrom inside the chamber 62. As seen in Figure 4, an annular bead 88 is formed in the right end of the stub shaft or hearing member 18, for snap engagement with the corresponding bead 82 formed in the leftward end of the winding key shaft member 84 as the two members are brought into overlapping engagement upon insertion of the key shaft memher 84 into the housing 25 through the opening 16 from the right. The key shaft member 84 includes a handle portion 88 integral with or secured thereto for turning the same about its axis, and is formed of hollow cylindrical tubing having an axial bore 89 extending through the shaft portion thereof.

Slots 90 are formed in the shaft 84 so as to bifurcate the shaft member leftwardly of the handle 88, allowing the far end 92 to be inserted therein from the left end 94 of the shaft member 84 as seen in Figure 6, so that the crimped end of the toothpaste tube 96 is disposed inside the bore 89 of the shaft 84 and retained therein. The full toothpaste tube 96 having thus been engaged with the winnding key member 84 in the manner shown in Figure 6, the assembly is ready for insertion inside the housing, through the opening 76 and the slot 10 from the right as seen in Figures 4 and 5, it being inserted all the way in until the left end bead 82 of the winding key 84 snaps into engagement with the bead on the right end of the stub shaft 13, being thus free to turn, but yet retained securely thereon by the yieldable snap engagement until removal is desired.

Now, upon removal of the screw cap [00 from the toothpaste tube 96, which is formed of soft collapsible material such as metal or other material, and is filled with toothpaste I04. As the user desires to dispense paste out of the tube 95, all he has to do is to turn the key handle 88 about its axis, which pulls or draws the crimped end of the tube upwards through the die or cam opening 70 as the upper end of the tube 96 is wound around the shaft 84 inside the housing 20 in the manner shown in Figure 3. This squeezes paste out of the tube as in Figure 3, onto the brush when held therebeneath.

When the tube is entirely wound up on the shaft so that all the paste is used up, it is only necessary to pull downwards on the lower end of the tube 96 like a window shade, unwinding it from around the shaft, and then withdraw the key member 84 and the upper end of the tube out of the slot 10 and the opening 16. The empty tube may then be pulled out of the slot 90 of the shaft 84 and a new full tube engaged therewith in the manner mentioned above. The cap I00 is of course replaced after use of the device to avoid hardening of the exposed end of the paste I84.

As seen in Figure 7, the stub shaft 18a may be made hollow and of greater inside diameter than the outside diameter of the shaft 84, so that the left end of the shaft 84 fits inside the bore of the stub shaft 18a, and engages its bead 82 with the inside of the bead a, of the stub shaft 180,.

Although I have described my invention in specific terms, it will be understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It will also be understood that floor 44 may be somewhat doubled in thickness at slot 10 to smoothly squeeze tube 96 in passage therethrough.

I claim:

1. A bathroom fixture and the like comprising a main housing defining a chamber, shaft means journaled in one wall of said housing and extending across said chamber and pivotally carried on an interior surface thereof, said shaft means being accessible from outside said housing for being turned about its axis, said shaft means having a bore with a slot formed therein and constructed and arranged to engage with one end of a collapsible paste-filled tube, said chamber having a guide opening formed in a wall thereof and having mutually substantially parallel guide edges forming the margins thereof to receive said end of said tube therebetween, whereby, upon turning said shaft means about its said axis, said tube is drawn between said guide opening edges and cammed into compressment on its way into said chamber, squeezing paste out of the opposite discharge end thereof, and whereby said compressed end of said tube is wound around the said shaft means, and wherein said shaft means comprises a cylindrical abutment carried by one wall of said main housing chamber and projecting into said chamber, with a bearing opening formed in the opposite wall of said main housing chamber in axial alignment with said cylindrical abutment, and a cylindrical shaft having a handle at one end for turning the same, and its other end formed so as to engage rotatably with the said cylindrical abutm nt for turning upon the same, and substantially annular groove and bead means carried jointly by said cylindrical abutment and said cylindrical shaft for releasably maintaining the same in mutual engagement.

2. A bathroom fixture and the like comprising a main housing defining a chamber, shaft means journaled in one wall of said housing and extending across said chamber and pivotally carried on an interior surface thereof, said shaft means being accessible from outside said housing for being turned about its axis, said main housing chamber being provided with a hollow cylindrical bearing abutment, and wherein the opposite wall of said main housing chamber has a bearing opening formed therein, said shaft means being insertable through said bearing opening and into said chamber, for rotatable engagement of its inner end with the inside of said bearing abutment, substantially annular groove and bead means carried jointly by said bearing abutment and said shaft means for effecting releasable engagement therebetween, said shaft means having a bore with a slot formed therein and constructed and arranged to engage with one end of a collapsible paste-filled tube, said chamber having a guide opening formed in a wall thereof and having mutually substantially parallel guide edges forming the margins thereof to receive said end of said tube therebetween, whereby, upon turning said shaft means about its said axis, said tube is drawn between guide opening edges and cammed into compressment on its way into said chamber, squeezing paste out of the opposite discharge end thereof, and whereby said compressed end of said tube is wound around the said shaft means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,826,189 Rothwell Oct. 6, 1931 2,065,825 Riederer Dec. 29, 1936 2,548,635 Iannone et a1 Apr. 10, 1951

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