Flow control product dispenser

A product dispensing assembly comprising:

• a container having a bottom with an upstanding sidewall that terminates at a top opening, said sidewall further having an interior surface;
• a screw attached to said bottom, said screw extending into said container;
• a hoop frictionally engaged with said interior surface and being attached to said screw by at least one flexible arm;
• and,
• said arm permitting rotation of said screw by a predetermined angular amount before frictional disengagement of said hoop from said interior surface in response to an actuating force on said screw.

A process for dispensing a flowable product from a container comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a container having a product outlet and an interior surface defining a chamber containing said product;
• b) attaching a screw to said container so that said screw can rotate and extend into said chamber;
• c) fixing a torsion spring to said screw so that said spring is frictionally engaged with said interior surface;
• d) threading a piston onto said screw between said torsion spring and said outlet so that said piston cooperates with said container to hold said product in said chamber;
• e) rotating said screw in a first direction by an amount that is sufficient to create a reverse bias in said torsion spring in a direction opposite to said first direction and disengage said torsion spring from said interior surface;
• f) continuing to rotate said screw until a selected amount of said product has moved through said outlet;
• g) discontinuing rotation of said screw;
• and,
• h) reversing the rotation of said screw by said reverse bias.