US2824668A - Liquid measuring and filling device - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 25, 1958 J. s. MONTAGUE :1- AL LIQUID MEASURING ANDFILLING DEVICE Filed July 12, 1954 I V EN TORS United States Patent LIQUID MEASURING AND FILLING DEVICE James S. Montague and Philip S. Egan, Evanston, Ill.

Application July 12, 1954, Serial No. 442,606

1 Claim. (Cl. 222-23) Our invention relates to liquid measuring and filling devices especially designed for use with steam irons, although readily adaptable for other purposes.

A particular object of our invention is to provide an article of the type referred to which will operate by syphonic fiow to supply a predetermined volume of water to the reservoir of a steam iron or other receptacle. In its preferred embodiment we provide, in accordance with our invention, an inexpensive article which may conveniently be formed of a moldable flexible plastic material or the like and comprising a container portion adapted to receive a predetermined quantity of water or other liquid with a unitary feed portion for delivering said liquid to a steam iron or other receptacle.

Our invention will be best understood from the drawings forming a part hereof and illustrating a preferred embodiment of our invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan of a device embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper end of the feed or delivery tube forming a part of our invention.

The device comprises a generally cup-shaped receptacle 10, the vertical or depth dimension thereof being preferably greater than the breadth or width theerof. The cupshaped receptacle 10, may be so formed as to provide a predetermined volumetric capacity in its overall dimensions or, preferably, indicia means of some kind is provided below the top thereof marking the upper limit of such predetermined capacity, in this case the latter being in the form of a line, ledge or shoulder 12. Thus, by filling the receptacle up to the shoulder 12 a predetermined quantity of water or other liquid may be employed without risk of spilling when bodily moved.

The receptacle 10 may be formed of any suitable flexible material, such as thin sheet metal, but is preferably formed of a suitable moldable plastic such as one of the common vinyl esters or other suitable resinous materials, either natural or synthetic, such as rubber. In any event, it is desired that this receptacle be of flexible character so as to be readily distortable by manually squeezing the same and of such resilience that it will return to its orig inal shape on release of manual pressure.

The receptacle 10 terminates at the lower portion thereof in a tubular stem 15 which serves as a delivery spout, said stem continuing up into the receptacle, as indicated by numeral 18, to about the level of shoulder 12. As seen best in Fig. 3, the stem 15 and its extension n tube 18 are preferably integral with each other and with recpetacle 10.

integrally formed on the tube 18 and extending radially outward therefrom is a plurality of vertical ribs 20, these ribs also extending at 21 above the top edge of tube 18, as seen best in Fig. 4.

A cylindrical cap 25, of somewhat larger diameter than that of tube 18 plus the ribs 20, is normally disposed over said tube, said cap being closed at the top thereof, as indicated at 27, and open at the bottom thereof. This cap is normally loosely disposed over the tube 18, defining a channel 29 therebetween.

When it is desired to use the device, the stem 15 thereof is inserted into whatever receptacle it is desired to fill--in its preferred application it is inserted into the filling nipple 30 of a steam iron 32. Water or other liquidis poured into the receptacle 10 up to the indicia point, such as the shoulder 12, either before or after placing the device in position for delivery. In order to start the flow and delivery of liquid, the receptacle 10 is manually squeezed, distorting the walls thereof inwardly and thus forcing the liquid to rise above the upper extremity of tube 18. Inasmuch as the water will already have filled the space 29 between said tube 18 and the cap 25, raising the head of water will, of course, increase the hydrostatic pressure, causing the liquid to overflow the upper extremity of tube 18 and to be discharged through the delivery spout 15. Upon releasing manual pressure on the walls of the receptacle 10, discharge of the liquid will continue by syphonic action until the contents of receptacle 10 have been entirely drained. Thus, the measured quantity of liquid will have been fed out of receptacle 10.

While we have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention, and hence we do not wish to be limited to the specific form shown or uses mentioned except to the extent indicated in the appended claim.

We claim:

A liquid measuring and syphonic dispensing device, comprising a cup-shaped receptacle having a distortable and resilient side wall portion and a closed bottom wall, a substantially straight tube open at both ends and'extending through said bottom wall, said tube having its inlet end disposed a relatively short distance below the upper end of said receptacle and its outlet end a relatively short distance beyond the bottom wall of said receptacle, the outlet portion of said tube serving as a spout adapted to be inserted within a filling nipple of a liquid magazine, indicia means on said side wall portion of the receptacle approximately level with the inlet opening of said tube, a generally cylindrical .cap member having a closed end disposed over said tube within the receptacle and spaced from said tube and the bottom of the receptacle so as to provide a channel permitting liquid to enter the space between the cap and the tube and to be discharged from the receptacle through the tube, means disposed between the tube and said cap member at the sides and top thereof whereby the cap is maintained in spaced relation to the tube while providing channels for passage of liquid therebetween, the resilient side wall portion of the receptacle providing means whereby siphonic discharge of the liquid contents of the receptacle may be initiated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,589,068 Evans Mar. 11, 1952 2,714,975 Greene Aug. 9, 1955 2,728,491 Aneshansley Dec. 27, 1955

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