US2528093A - Condiment shaker - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 31, 1950 c, so s 2,528,093

CONDIMENT SHAKER Filed April 1, 1947 M 7 I /9 I /4 M L I F Z 7' INVENTOR. (faw /J 5 S mav mi flwz Patented Oct. 31, 1950 UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE CONDIMENT SHAKER Charles E. Somers, Tampa, Fla.

Application April 1, 1947, Serial No. 738,540

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a condiment shaker, particularly a salt shaker, the object being to provide a cap removable from the body thereof and apertured for the discharge of a condiment as is usual in condiment shakers and a means is provided to remove caked condiment in the apertures and to disintegrate the upper surface of the body of the condiment in the shaker body.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a condiment shaker showing my improved means for prevention of caking of the condiment.

Fig. 2 shows an alternative form of the device.

Fig. 3 discloses another form of the device.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the means for breaking up the caked salt or other condiment.

The preferred form of the device is shown in Fig. l in which the container I is provided with an apertured cap 2 having a threaded flange 3 to engage in the grooves provided therefor at the upper end of the body. The cap has a central aperture through which a wire l extends and on the outer end of the wire is a ball 5. At its inner end the wire is provided with a loop 5 and a second wire I is provided with a similar loop through which the wire of the first loop extends.

Fixed to the end of the wire 1 is a disintegrator.

having a body 8 and. a series of sharp pointed wires 9 extending therefrom in various directions. By rotation of the ball end 5 the disintegrator is caused to turn and may occupy various positions with the wire 1 aligned with or at an angle to the wire t. Some of the wires, as for instance 8, extend upwardly at an angle to the vertical and by pulling the ball 5 upwardly these wires 8 engage the apertures 2 in the cap and by rotation clear the cap of caked condiment.

An alternative form of the device is shown in Fig. 2 which includes a wire Ill to the outer end of which is fixed a ball I I. The inner end of the wire it] is bent upon itself to provide the loops i2 and [3. There is a disintegrator l of the same character shown at 8 in Fig. 1 which is provided with a wire l5 having a loop [6 engaging in the loop E2 of the wire l0. Alike disintegrator I! has a wire [8 and the loop end of which engages in the loop 13 of the wire ill. The disintegrators in Fig. 2 are smaller than the disintegrator in Fig. 1. By rotation of the ball It the disintegrators are turned about the vertical axis of the body I. The device shown in Fig. 2 is particularly useful in large diameter salt shakers.

In Fig. 3 a disintegrator 19 similar to that shown at 8 in Fig. 1 is shown and has a wire 2D fixed thereto which extends through an aperture in the cap 2 and is rotatable by means of the ball 2! in the end thereof. This form of the invention is particularly useful in small condiment containers and the loops, such as shown at 6 in Fig. 1, are dispensed with.

With either of the forms of the disintegrator the same result is attained in that the caked salt at the surface of the body thereof is broken up in fine particles that will pass through the apertures in the cap and in the form shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the upwardly rojecting pins 8' engage the apertures in the cap. By rotation of the ball end 21 a majority, if not all, of the apertures are freed from caked salt.

In shaking the device in the usual manner the projecting pins 8' tend to free the apertures of salt and to disintegrate the body of salt within the shaker and further tends to remove salt adhering to the inner surface of the body.

It is believed obvious from the foregoing description and drawing that my improved device for breaking caked salt and preventing an accumulationof salt in the shaker top is simple and inexpensive in construction and that the various features and objects of the invention are attained by the structure shown and described.

Having thus briefly described my invention, its utility and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A condiment shaker comprising a body having an apertured cap, a wire like element extending through a central aperture of the cap, means at the outer end of the wire like element by which it may be manually rotated, a half ball like element on the inner end of the wire like element having a series of ins projecting at various angles to the axis of said half ball like element whereby rotation of the said means rotates the disintegrator and breaks up caked portions of the condiment.

2. A salt shaker comprising a body having an apertured cap for the discharge of salt, a wire like element extending through the central aperture of the cap, the inner end of the wire like element having a pair of oppositely disposed loops, a pair of disintegrators each having a wire like portion looped in the respective loops in the first named wire like element, said disintegrato-rs each having a series of pin like elements projecting upwardly and a series of pin like elements in the body thereof extending at various angles to the supporting wire like elements whereby on rota tion of the ball end, the disintegrators are caused 3 to move in various directions relative to the first Number named wire element. 509,135 CHARLES E. SOMERS. 647,769 687,979 REFERENCES CITED 5 822,638 The following references are of record in the 1,033,320 file of this patent: $323 3 3: UNITED STATES PATENTS 2121116 Number Name Date 10 66,661 Williams July 9, 1867 4 Name Date McGlinchy Nov. 21, 1893 Strawbridge Apr. 17, 1900 Chambers Dec. 3, 1901 Vester June 5, 1906 Eu Daly Jan. 6, 1914 Stewart June 11, 1918 Watson June 15, 1937 Beringer June 21, 1938

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