US3061080A - Article container - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 30, 1962 w. F. STEPHEN 3,061,080

ARTICLE CONTAINER Filed Nov. 6, 1961 INVENTOR. %z 75? fJTA-PHEN United States Patent 3,061,080 ARTICLE CQNTAINER Walter F. Stephen, Boulder, Colo. (743 S. Woicott St, Casper, Wyo.) Filed Nov. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 150,231 2 Claims. (Cl. 2061) This invention relates to a container and holder for rubber bands and the like.

In instances where rubber bands are used in quantities for securing articles together, it is a time-consuming operation to separate the individual bands from a loose pile of bands with one hand While the article is being held in the other hand. One instance of such a use is by paper boys who roll or fold the paper and then hold it in the folded or rolled condition with one hand while they endeavor to separate a band from a pile or box of bands with the other hand so that it may be slipped over the held paper.

The principal object of this invention is the provide a rubber band container which will allow a plurality of bands to be lifted and which will automatically grip and support the bands in a separated, upright position so that they may be readily and individually grasped.

Another object is to provide a slotted lid for a rubber band container which will prevent accidental spillage or loss of the bands and which will allow the bands to be readily grasped for removal without any necessity for removal of the lid.

A further object is to provide resilient means in a container lid which will automatically grip and hold rubber bands or similar articles in an upright, externallyprojecting, and easily grasped position to eliminate the necessity for manual separation of the bands.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efliciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved rubber band container and holder as it would appear in use; and

FIG. 2 is a cross section therethrough taken on the line 22, FIG. 1, showing how the bands in the container are reached.

The invention comprises a cup-like, preferably rectangular how of any suitable material to which a flange lid 11, of relatively stiff yet flexible plastic such as poly-ethylene, corresponding in horizontal outline to the bowl 10, is removably fitted. The lid is either fitted sufliciently tight to the bowl to securely retain itself in place or is provided with means for detachably retaining itself such as protuberences 12 on the container fitting receiving sockets 17 in the lid, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The lid is perforated adjacent each corner as indicated at 13 and knife cuts 14 extend from each perforation 13 to the perforation 13 at the opposite corner so that the cuts will intersect each other at the middle of the lid.

The cuts 14 divide the lid into four triangular, flexible tongue portions 15 with their apexes coinciding at the middle of the lid and with their adjacent inclined edges in substantial contact throughout their lengths.

In use, the container is partially filled with rubber bands, as indicated at 16. The user depresses the tongue portions 15 and grasps a plurality of the most easily reached bands, as shown in FIG. 2, and lifts them upwardly. As his hand moves upwardly the flexible tongues will close together gripping the rising bands therebetween so that the latter Will slide from the users fingers and be retained in upstanding, easily grasped positions, as shown in FIG. 1.

The upstanding bands are then individually pulled for use and when all are used the users fingers are again inserted to bring another batch of bands between the lid tongues.

Whilu the invention has been described for use with rubber bands to which it is more applicable, it is possible that it will be found useful for other articles of a similar nature such as paper clips or the like.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An article holder comprising: a substantially square bowl-like container; a substantially square flexible, plastic lid fitted over said container and closing the top thereof; and two exceedingly narrow slots extending diagonally from corner to corner across said lid and intersecting each other at the middle of said lid to divide the entire surface of said lid into four similar flexible triangular tongues with their apexes together at the middle of said lid, the four sides of said lid forming the bases of said four triangular tongues so that the entire area of said lid can be manually flexed downwardly to allow articles to be removed from said container between the thumb and finger of a user.

2. A rubber band container, holder and dispenser comprising: a rectangular bowl; a rectangular flanged lid fitted downwardly over and about the top of said bowl; a perforation formed in each corner of and through said lid closely adjacent the peripheral edges thereof; and a knife cut extending through said lid from each corner perforation diagonally across said lid to the diagonallyopposite perforation to divide said lid into four triangular portions with their apexes coinciding at the middle of said lid the bases of said triangular portions flexiblly joining said lid between said perforations and parallel to the peripheral edges of said lid, the altitude of said triangular portions being sufficient to allow them to be sufficiently depressed by the thumb and fingers of a user to allow rubber bands to be grasped from said container by the thumb and fingers and lifted upwardly so that said bands will be gripped and supported in said knife cuts as the triangular portions return to their normal positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,553,232 Beyer May 15, 1951

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