US2658468A - Pocket container for cigarettes - Google Patents

Description

J. W. ENFIELD POCKET CONTAINER FOR CIGARETTES Nov. 10, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 16, 1952 4 INVENTOR JOHN W ENF/ELD ATTORNEY O 10, 1953 J. w. ENFIELD POCKET CONTAINER FOR CIGARETTES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 16, 1952 FIG. 5

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POCKET CONTAINER FOR CIGARETTES John W. Enfield, Chico, Calif.

Application July 16, 1952, Serial No. 299,082

3 Claims. 1

The present invention relates generally to containers and specifically to a pocket-size container for cigarettes, medicines, or the like which are most desirably taken at pre-arranged intervals or at set times during the day.

The container of the present invention therefore has for its principal feature a time-interval indicating means connected with the latch which opens the container, so that as the container is opened the indicating means advances to the next hour, or to the time of the next intended opening. This makes the invention of considerable use to a person who needs to be reminded of the hour of the next dosage of a medicine, and, conversely, is of even more use to a person who wishes to limit himself to the consumption of, say, a cigarette every two hours, or three a day.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a, container constructed of inexpensive sheet materials of plastic, light weight metals, or of hard-finished cardboards or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a series of intervals or set times on the indicator so that as the person found himself able to go without cigarettes for, say, three hour intervals, he could change the scale or indicator to make the intervals of four or five hours, and later, do the same thing again, possibly to six or seven hours. Or, if the device was used for indicating the dispensing time for medicines, the indicator could be changed to indicate suitable intervals as desired or prescribed.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from consideration of the annexed drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the front of the cigarette case.

Fig. 2 is a side view in section taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the actuating disc.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the indicator disc with sample time intervals inscribed thereon, and

Fig. 5 is an exploded View of the parts of the invention in side View.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the container or case I B has a lid I l hinged at the back by a piano hinge 12 having a spring 113 incorporated in the hinge to make the lid fly open when the catch I4 is released.

On the front of case I is attached the shallow box l having, in this conception of the invention, an 'arcuate lower portion I6. A slot I! in face 15 permits the limited movement of the lever l8 which is a projection from the edge of the actuating disc 19. Also on disc 19 as shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 5 is the actuating pawl 20 which, when the lever is is moved in a counterclockwise direction in slot l1, engages with the edge of one or another of the perforations 2| in the indicator disc 22. The pawl 20 is so shaped as to slide up and out of the perforations 22 as the actuating disc [9 is returned to its first or clockwise position by the spring '23 which attaches by a lug 24 to actuating disc H by a similar lug 25 to the case Ill.

The shallow box I 5 has a second slot 28 formed by outwardly turned edges 29 in which is slidable an aperture plate 39. This permits the indicator disc to hear more than one series of time interval markings, only one circle of them being visible at a time through the aperture 3| of the aperture plate 30. Also attached to the actuating disc I9 is cam 32, facing rearwardly and bearing against latch lever 34 as it is moved counterclockwise to release catch I4. Latch lever 34 is Y-shaped and is biased by spring 35 below the hinge 31. The shallow box or face l5 has a spring on its inner wall bearing against the indicator disc 22 with a detent or lug 4| on the end of it which will also slip into any one of the perforations 2| in the indicator disc 22.

The actuating disc I 9 and the indicator disc 22 are restrained from lateral movement in the shallow box [5 in the following manner which permits rotary movement of each. A plate 42 is fastened to the front of the case l0 and has a circular socket 43 into which fits the boss 44 formed or cemented on the rear of the actuating disc l9, this holds disc IS in place for rotary movement only, and the indicator disc 22 is held at its lower periphery by the inner side of the arcuate lower edge 16 of the box l5. While the lugs 20 and 4| engage the appropriate perforations during rotation and at rest, respectively, and thereby hold the indicator disc 22 from moving upwardly.

As will be seen in Fig. 4, the time interval indicia inscribed on the indicator disc 22 are in sequence by skipping a certain number of perforations 2|, this is for the purpose of permitting the lever IB a greater length of stroke for each operation and gives a greater radial movement for each opening of the lid II. This permits the widest latitude of design of cam 32 in conjunction with the design of the latch lever 34, spring 35, and catch 14. The time interval indicia illustrated on the indicator disc 22 are here only suggested as applicable to a cigarette case as an example, and are not deemed to be a part of the invention. Any other indicia may be substituted as desired, and not to be limited to the illustrated embodiment thusly described.

In operation, the case I!) is conveniently held in the left hand and the thumb of that hand moves the lever [B a single stroke downwardly which rotates the indicator disc 22 to the next time interval and unlatches the lid II. The actuating disc l9 returns to its original position and lug 20 engages with the perforation 2| which is next in the skipped sequence. As here illustrated, the perforations which engage in sequence and, therefore, the indicia which follow in sequence are 54 apart, permitting the stroke length of the actuating lever I8 to be 7 of circumference of the disc I9.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood, that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A pocket container for cigarettes or the like having a reminder of the dispensing time intervals thereon comprising a case having a lid biased to open position, a latch for said lid, a shallow box fixed to said case, a first disc in said box rotatably secured to said case, said disc having a latch-releasing-cam thereon, a second disc in said box, time interval indicia on said second disc, said indicia arranged on said disc in concentric circles and in skipped sequence in each circle, a slot in said box, an aperture plate slidable in said slot adapted to register with any one of said indicia circles, a circle of spaced perforations in said second disc, means in said box releasabiy engaging one of said perforations, means on said first disc engageable with another of said perforations for movement of said first and second discs together, and lever means on said first disc operable through a slot in said box to rotate said first and second discs While unlatching said lid.

2. A dispensing case for cigarettes or the like having an automatically advanced time-to-use indicator thereon comprising a substantially rectangular case, a shallow box secured to the side of said case, an indicia-bearing disc in said box, means including an arcuate side of said box and detents for releasably restraining movement of said disc in said box, means on said box including an aperture for exposing in sequence a series of indicia on said disc, a lid on said box biased to open position, a latch on said box adapted to hold said lid closed, and lever means protruding from said box constructed and arranged to simultaneously actuate said latch and advance said disc in one direction to expose the indicia next in sequence.

3. In a pocket-size cigarette case having a lid spring-biased to open position and a latch for said lid, the improvement of a visual reminder of the next of a series of set intervals of time to open said case comprising a shallow box fixed to the front of said case, a disc rotatable in said box, inscriptions on said disc representing desired intervals of time, said inscriptions being arranged in concentric circles thereon, an aperture plate slidable in the face of said box adapted to expose one or another of said inscription circles an interval at a time, said inscribed intervals in each circle being in skipped sequence and of an odd number so that said disc must be rotated a set number of more than one interval for said exposed intervals to be sequentially following, pivotal means in said box for simultaneously unlatching said lid while advancing said disc to the sequentially following interval, and lever means protruding from a slot in said box operable to actuate said pivotal means.

JOHN W. ENFIELD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 184,529 Kata Nov. 21, 1876 973,156 Baumgartner Oct. 18, 1910 1,917,427 Brudney July 11, 1933

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