TOGGLE NECKLOCK
United States Patent 3794220
A bottle dispenser mounted on the open end of a bottle has a rotatable threaded shaft extending into the neck of the bottle with a toggle nut threaded onto the shaft for combined rotation and translation movement and a pair of oppositely extending wings pivotally mounted on the toggle nut. The wings are expanded to engage the inner surface of the bottle neck and the shaft rotated so that the toggle nut moves therealong to lockingly engage the expanded wing members against the inner surface of the bottle neck.
US Patent References:
Bottle support and lock for liquid dispensing apparatus
Woodward - July 1951 - 2559815
Measuring dispenser with means nonremovably connecting same to a bottle
Leswick - October 1955 - 2721005
Toggle bolt
Tomkinson - December 1928 - 1694493
Bottle support and lock for liquid dispensing apparatus
Woodward - July 1951 - 2559815
Measuring dispenser with means nonremovably connecting same to a bottle
Leswick - October 1955 - 2721005
Toggle bolt
Tomkinson - December 1928 - 1694493
Application Number:
05/241472
Publication Date:
02/26/1974
Filing Date:
04/05/1972
View Patent Images:
Export Citation:
Assignee:
Auto Bar Systems Corporation (New York, NY)
Primary Class:
International Classes:
B67D3/00; G01F11/00; B67D5/32
Field of Search:
222/153 85/3 215/9,98,73
Primary Examiner:
Reeves, Robert B.
Assistant Examiner:
Kocovsky, Thomas E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Brumbaugh, Graves, Donohue & Raymond
Parent Case Data:
This is a continuation, division, of application Ser. No. 6,428 filed Jan. 28, 1970 now abandoned.
Claims:
What is claimed is
1. In apparatus for dispensing liquid from a bottle having a relatively narrow neck portion adjacent its open end, said apparatus including liquid dispenser means releasably engageable with a necklock assembly secured to the bottle, an improved necklock assembly comprising:
1. In apparatus for dispensing liquid from a bottle having a relatively narrow neck portion adjacent its open end, said apparatus including liquid dispenser means releasably engageable with a necklock assembly secured to the bottle, an improved necklock assembly comprising:
Description:
In order to dispense measured or predetermined quantities of liquid from a bottle, various forms of liquid dispensers have been devised for mounting on the open end of the bottle. Such a dispenser is locked upon the bottle by means of a necklock assembly or other form of bottle closure anchorage which generally extends into the neck of the bottle and is lockingly engaged against the inner surface of the bottle neck. Such dispensers can only be removed by means of a special key or tool which is not available to the bartender or the waiter who is dispensing the liquids. The anchoring or necklock assembly generally comprises some form of expansible structure which is lockingly engaged against the interior surface of the bottle neck and cannot be released therefrom except by means of a special tool or key. One form of such an anchoring structure comprises a pair of wing members pivotally mounted on a mounting block threaded upon a shaft extending into the bottole neck. The pivotal mounting of these expandable wing members has tended to be complex, and hence, has added significantly to the cost of manufacturing such dispensers. Since these dispensers are used in large quantities in bars, hotels, restaurants and the like, various attempts have been made to simplify and improve the anchoring structure.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved necklock assembly for a liquid dispenser of the type which is mounted on the end of a bottle containing the liquid to be dispensed.
Another of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved structure for pivotally mounting a pair of wing members which are expanded into locking engagement with the interior surface of the bottle neck.
According to one aspect of the invention, a liquid dispenser adapted to be mounted on the end of a bottle containing liquid to be dispensed is provided with a necklock assembly which includes a cap assembly adapted to be mounted on the open end of the bottle. An elongated member is rotatably mounted in the cap assembly and extends into the neck of a bottle when the dispenser is mounted on the bottle. A toggle nut is mounted on the elongated member for combined rotation about and translation therealong. The toggle nut is provided with oppositely extending lateral arms with a pair of oppositely extending wing members being pivotally mounted on these lateral arms. The wing members are pivotable between an expanded position to engage the inner surface of the bottle neck and a contracted position against the elongated member pointed toward the open end of the bottle. Each of the wing members is provided with means engageable with the elongated member for limiting the pivoting movement into the expanded position. The connection between the toggle nut and the elongated member is such that relative rotation between the nut and elongated member will lockingly position the wings in the expanded position against the inner surface of the bottle neck.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying description and drawings, which are merely exemplary.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the open end of a bottle and a liquid dispenser mounted on the open end provided with a necklock assembly;
FIG. 2 is an end view taken in the direction of the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the toggle assembly showing the wing members intermediate between the expanded and contracted positions;
FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 but showing the wing members in the fully expanded position;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the toggle nut upon which the wing members are pivotally mounted;
FIG. 6 is an end view of the toggle assembly taken in the direction of the line 6--6 of FIG. 3; and
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a special tool for use in actuating the necklock assembly of the present invention with the open end of the tool being shown in section.
Proceeding next to the drawings wherein like reference symbols indicate the same parts throughout the various views, a specific embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.
A liquid dispenser having a necklock assembly according to the present invention is indicated generally at 10 in FIG. 1 and may comprise a cap assembly including a bottlecap or closure 11 and a cap engaging member 12 secured together by screws such as 13. One form of a dispenser with which the invention can be used is illustrated in U. S. Pat. No. 2,559,815. A slide 14 having an opening 15 therein is slidably mounted between the closure 11 and cap 12 for preventing the dispensing of the liquid from the bottle when in closed position. The slide 14 is positioned between upper and lower gaskets 16.
The cap assembly is sealingly mounted in an open end 17 of a bottle having a neck 18 by means of a tubular extension 19 which is inserted into the bottle opening and is surrounded by a sleeve seal 20.
The necklock assembly comprises a threaded shaft 21 having one end 22 rotatably mounted in a sleeve 23 mounted within the central opening of the cap assembly by a plurality of radial flanges 24. The extreme end of the shaft is provided with a nut 25 having a special shape or configuration so as to be engageable by a tool 26 (FIG. 7) and having an open end 27 to receive nut 25.
Mounted upon the threaded shaft 21 within the interior of the bottle is a toggle assembly indicated generally at 28 in FIGS. 3 and 4 and comprising a toggle nut 29 shown in greater detail in FIG. 5. The nut 29 has a threaded bore 30 through which passes the threaded shaft 21 and also a pair of oppositely extending lateral arms 31. A pair of wing members 32 and 33 each have a substantially U-shaped cross section. Both wing members 32 and 33 are identical in construction with the wing member 33, for example, being provided with opposed openings 34 which receive the lateral arms 31 of the toggle nut so that the wing member is pivotally mounted on this toggle nut. In a similar manner, the wing member 32 is also pivotally mounted on the arms of the toggle nut.
The ends of wing members 32 and 33 are provided with upturned extensions 35 each having threaded portions 36 to closely engage threads on the shaft 21.
The wing members have a contacted position as indicated by the dot-dash lines at 37 in FIG. 1 in which position the wing members point toward the open end of the bottle. In their fully expanded positions, the wing member extensions 35 engage the shaft in the manner shown in FIG. 4. The wing members are so dimensioned that when in their contracted position as indicated at 37 in FIG. 1, they will pass through the bottle opening. Since the wing members are freely pivotable about the toggle nut, they can be pivoted to the contracted position as the end of the shaft 21 is inserted into the bottle neck as the first step in mounting this liquid dispenser upon the bottle. As the wing members move into the gradually expanding neck of the bottle, they can be pivotally moved to their expanded position under their own weight as the bottle is held in upright position until the ends of the wing members contact the inner surface of the bottle neck as shown in either FIG. 3 or FIG. 4.
In order to lock the dispenser into position, tool 26 of FIG. 7 can be used to rotate shaft 21 so as to cause the toggle nut to move upwardly toward the end of the bottle. This upward movement causes the wing members to become locked with their ends against the inner surface of the bottle neck, and thus, withdrawal of the dispenser from the bottle is prevented.
It will be understood that various details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention except as defined in the appended claims.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved necklock assembly for a liquid dispenser of the type which is mounted on the end of a bottle containing the liquid to be dispensed.
Another of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved structure for pivotally mounting a pair of wing members which are expanded into locking engagement with the interior surface of the bottle neck.
According to one aspect of the invention, a liquid dispenser adapted to be mounted on the end of a bottle containing liquid to be dispensed is provided with a necklock assembly which includes a cap assembly adapted to be mounted on the open end of the bottle. An elongated member is rotatably mounted in the cap assembly and extends into the neck of a bottle when the dispenser is mounted on the bottle. A toggle nut is mounted on the elongated member for combined rotation about and translation therealong. The toggle nut is provided with oppositely extending lateral arms with a pair of oppositely extending wing members being pivotally mounted on these lateral arms. The wing members are pivotable between an expanded position to engage the inner surface of the bottle neck and a contracted position against the elongated member pointed toward the open end of the bottle. Each of the wing members is provided with means engageable with the elongated member for limiting the pivoting movement into the expanded position. The connection between the toggle nut and the elongated member is such that relative rotation between the nut and elongated member will lockingly position the wings in the expanded position against the inner surface of the bottle neck.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying description and drawings, which are merely exemplary.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the open end of a bottle and a liquid dispenser mounted on the open end provided with a necklock assembly;
FIG. 2 is an end view taken in the direction of the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the toggle assembly showing the wing members intermediate between the expanded and contracted positions;
FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 but showing the wing members in the fully expanded position;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the toggle nut upon which the wing members are pivotally mounted;
FIG. 6 is an end view of the toggle assembly taken in the direction of the line 6--6 of FIG. 3; and
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a special tool for use in actuating the necklock assembly of the present invention with the open end of the tool being shown in section.
Proceeding next to the drawings wherein like reference symbols indicate the same parts throughout the various views, a specific embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.
A liquid dispenser having a necklock assembly according to the present invention is indicated generally at 10 in FIG. 1 and may comprise a cap assembly including a bottlecap or closure 11 and a cap engaging member 12 secured together by screws such as 13. One form of a dispenser with which the invention can be used is illustrated in U. S. Pat. No. 2,559,815. A slide 14 having an opening 15 therein is slidably mounted between the closure 11 and cap 12 for preventing the dispensing of the liquid from the bottle when in closed position. The slide 14 is positioned between upper and lower gaskets 16.
The cap assembly is sealingly mounted in an open end 17 of a bottle having a neck 18 by means of a tubular extension 19 which is inserted into the bottle opening and is surrounded by a sleeve seal 20.
The necklock assembly comprises a threaded shaft 21 having one end 22 rotatably mounted in a sleeve 23 mounted within the central opening of the cap assembly by a plurality of radial flanges 24. The extreme end of the shaft is provided with a nut 25 having a special shape or configuration so as to be engageable by a tool 26 (FIG. 7) and having an open end 27 to receive nut 25.
Mounted upon the threaded shaft 21 within the interior of the bottle is a toggle assembly indicated generally at 28 in FIGS. 3 and 4 and comprising a toggle nut 29 shown in greater detail in FIG. 5. The nut 29 has a threaded bore 30 through which passes the threaded shaft 21 and also a pair of oppositely extending lateral arms 31. A pair of wing members 32 and 33 each have a substantially U-shaped cross section. Both wing members 32 and 33 are identical in construction with the wing member 33, for example, being provided with opposed openings 34 which receive the lateral arms 31 of the toggle nut so that the wing member is pivotally mounted on this toggle nut. In a similar manner, the wing member 32 is also pivotally mounted on the arms of the toggle nut.
The ends of wing members 32 and 33 are provided with upturned extensions 35 each having threaded portions 36 to closely engage threads on the shaft 21.
The wing members have a contacted position as indicated by the dot-dash lines at 37 in FIG. 1 in which position the wing members point toward the open end of the bottle. In their fully expanded positions, the wing member extensions 35 engage the shaft in the manner shown in FIG. 4. The wing members are so dimensioned that when in their contracted position as indicated at 37 in FIG. 1, they will pass through the bottle opening. Since the wing members are freely pivotable about the toggle nut, they can be pivoted to the contracted position as the end of the shaft 21 is inserted into the bottle neck as the first step in mounting this liquid dispenser upon the bottle. As the wing members move into the gradually expanding neck of the bottle, they can be pivotally moved to their expanded position under their own weight as the bottle is held in upright position until the ends of the wing members contact the inner surface of the bottle neck as shown in either FIG. 3 or FIG. 4.
In order to lock the dispenser into position, tool 26 of FIG. 7 can be used to rotate shaft 21 so as to cause the toggle nut to move upwardly toward the end of the bottle. This upward movement causes the wing members to become locked with their ends against the inner surface of the bottle neck, and thus, withdrawal of the dispenser from the bottle is prevented.
It will be understood that various details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention except as defined in the appended claims.