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US 5,105,981 AGranted
Selectively shakeable freestanding particulate matter reservoir
OwnerThomas Gehmaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A particulate matter dispenser is operated by a push button to move a sliding clamp through a linkage into and out of engagement with an elastic tube at the bottom of a reservoir holding the particulate matter. Coil springs normally bias the sliding clamp into engagement with a fixed clamp or the like so as to hold the tube in a closed position to prevent discharge of material.
Claims7
A particulate matter dispenser, comprising
- a particulate matter reservoir having a discharge end and operatively disposed in an outer casing in a freestanding manner to allow selective agitation of particulate matter therein;
- an elastic tube connected with the discharge end and extending into an opening in the casing to hold the reservoir in the freestanding manner;
- means for clamping the tube into a normally closed, nondispensing position disposed at only one point intermediate ends of the tube;
- and
- means for operating the clamp means with a single-finger push button such that the selective agitation of the particulate matter takes place only upon pushing and releasing of the push button.
2 more elements
A method for dispensing particulate matter, comprising the steps of:
- supporting a reservoir in a dispenser so as to be freestanding sufficiently using a normally closed elastic dispensing tube to allow selective agitation of the particulate matter;
- filling the reservoir with a desired quantity of the particulate matter;
- and
- dispensing the particulate matter through said normally closed elastic dispensing tube, wherein only during the step of dispensing does the selective agitation of the particulate matter occur.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.