Abstract:
Apparatus for storing and conveniently dispensing paper clips includes a container having a flat bottom extremity and a circular upper aperture. A golf ball is rotatively seated in the aperture. A stem in the form of a golf tee is attached to the golf ball, and extends downwardly into contact with paper clips stored within the container. A magnet associated with the lowermost, distal extremity of the stem attracts and holds several paper clips. The paper clips are dispensed merely by lifting the golf ball with the magnetically attached paper clips.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to apparatus for storing and dispensing paper clips, and more particularly concerns a paper clip dispenser suitable for desk top use and having a visually distinctive golf motif appearance. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Paper clips are universally employed in office and home environments for securing multiple pages of paper. The paper clips are usually stored as a random array in a cup or in an area of a compartmented drawer organizer unit. In most business offices, desk top space is a valued commodity, and is carefully apportioned with respect to functional needs and appearance factors. Such appearance factors relate to objects which are pleasing to the desk user, who spends considerable time confronted by things on the desk, and objects which may be appealing to a visitor or which may stimulate conversation by the visitor. 
     A container useful for storing paper clips, and having ornamental features involving a golf ball, is disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. 409,486. However, removal of paper clips from said container is difficult because of the narrow opening of its closure means. In order to remove paper clips from said container, the closure means must be removed, and the paper clips poured out. Such manner of dispensing paper clips is inconvenient and time-consuming. 
     It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for storing and conveniently dispensing metal paper clips. 
     It is another object of this invention to provide apparatus as in the foregoing object whose functionality incorporates a distinctive appearance. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the aforesaid nature wherein said distinctive appearance includes gripping means in the form of a golf ball. 
     It is a still further object of this invention to provide apparatus of the aforesaid nature of simple, durable construction amenable to low cost manufacture. 
     These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The above and other beneficial objects and advantages are accomplished in accordance with the present invention by apparatus for storing and conveniently dispensing small metal objects such as paper clips, said apparatus comprising: 
     a) container means having a flat bottom extremity, upper closure means and a circular upper opening, 
     b) a golf ball seated by gravity effect within said opening as a component of said upper closure means, 
     c) an elongated stem attached to said golf ball and extending downwardly into said container, said stem having a wide upper extremity which engages said golf ball, and a lower extremity which is narrower than said upper extremity, and 
     d) magnet means associated with said lower extremity, said magnet means having sufficient magnetic strength to attract and secure several paper clips, permitting the removal of said paper clips from said container means by the lifting of said golf ball. 
     In a preferred embodiment, said stem has the appearance of a golf tee. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention shown in functional relationship with metal paper clips. 
     FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the embodiment of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the apparatus of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 shows the embodiment of FIG. 4 in a different mode of use. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, an embodiment of the apparatus  10  of this invention for holding and dispensing small ferromagnetic objects such as metal paper clips  11  is shown comprised of container means  12  and upper closure means  13  having golf ball  14 . The expression “golf ball” as employed herein is intended to denote either a standard regulation golf ball as employed in the game of golf or a replica thereof which is similar in outward appearance to said regulation golf ball. 
     Said container means is preferably of circular cylindrical construction, fabricated in part of plastic tube  16 . Lower closure means in the form of lower plastic end cap  17  causes said container to effectively have a flat bottom extremity  18 . Said tubular plastic may be fabricated of transparent plastic compositions such as plasticized polyvinyl chloride or polyacrylate. 
     Upper closure means  13  may be comprised in part of an upper plastic end cap  19  such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,064 to J. Thomas Goserud, said cap having a collar portion  20  which frictionally engages the interior of tube  16 , an outwardly directed flange  21  adapted to abut against the upper extremity of said tube, and centered circular aperture  22 . The diameter of aperture  22  is smaller than the diameter of golf ball  14 , whose standard diameter is approximately  42  millimeters, thereby enabling said golf ball to seat upon aperture  22  as a component of upper closure means  13 . 
     The diameter of aperture  22  is preferably such as to enable 20% to 40% of the diameter of the golf ball to extend below flange  21 , thereby achieving good seating of the golf ball without obscuring its appearance. Accordingly, the diameter of said aperture should preferably be between  35  and  38  millimeters. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a retaining sleeve  42  extends upwardly from flange  21  into embracing engagement of the golf ball. Said sleeve, which extends 10% to 25% of the diameter of the golf ball above flange  21 , facilitates stable orientation of the golf ball with respect to any ornamental indicia disposed thereupon. The outer perimeter  43  of flange  21  is shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1 to have a polygonal configuration. Other configurations however, are also contemplated, particularly the circular perimeter  43 a in the alternative embodiment shown in FIG.  4 . Also shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is a plastic end cap  19   a  devoid of retaining sleeve  42 . Said upper and lower plastic end caps,  19  and  17 , respectively may be removably associated with tube  16 , and may each be of monolithic or multi-component construction. 
     An elongated stem  23 , fabricated of metal or plastic as a monolithic structure, is attached to said golf ball, and extends upon a straight axis of symmetry  29  downwardly into said container. Said stem has a wide upper extremity  24  which engages the golf ball, and a distal extremity  25  which is narrower than said upper extremity. Stem  23  preferably has the form of a standard golf tee having a convexly contoured circular upper surface  34  at said upper extremity, a sharply tapered upper portion  26 , and moderately or non-tapered lower portion  27 . Typically, stem  23 , when having a golf tee configuration, will have a length between about 20 and 40 millimeters, and the diameter of upper surface  34  will be between about 10 and 15 millimeters. The specialized size and configuration of stem  23  further serves to prevent the golf ball from falling off upper end cap  19 . 
     Stem  23  is preferably attached to the golf ball by way of a screw  28  which extends through an internal bore  30  centered upon axis  29 . As best seen in FIG. 3, the exemplified embodiment of screw  28  has a flat head  31  adapted to fit within recess  32  in distal extremity  25 , and interact with abutment shoulder  33  within said recess. 
     The length of screw  28  is such as to enable at least ¼ inch length of the screw to penetrate golf ball  14  seated upon convex upper surface  34  of stem  23  when the head  31  of said screw abuts shoulder  33 . 
     In the exemplified embodiment, the depth of recess  32  and the thickness of head  31  of said screw are selected such that, when said screw engages the golf ball, and head  31  abuts shoulder  33 , a downwardly opening compartment  36  is defined at the distal extremity  25  of stem  23 . Said compartment will typically have a circular diameter between 3 and 5 mm. and a depth between about  1  and 3 mm. 
     A magnet  37 , having a shape defined by substantially flat upper and lower surfaces  38  and  39 , and circular cylindrical sidewall  40 , is disposed within compartment  36  in close-fitting engagement therewith and is secured in place by virtue of its attraction to metal screw  28 . Adhesive means may also be employed to secure said magnet within compartment  36 . Magnet  37  is preferably of neodymium/iron/boron or samarium/cobalt type, available from the Edmund Scientific Company of Barrington, N.J. The magnetic force of magnet  37  is greater than 6000 Gauss, and is capable of suspending between 3 and 10 metal paper clips, each paper clip having a weight between 100 and 300 milligrams. 
     In an alternative embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, stem  23  may be attached to said golf ball by adhesive means interactive between upper surface  34  and the golf ball, instead of the aforesaid attachment mode employing screw  28 . In a still further alternative embodiment, stem  23  may be attached by magnetic means to the golf ball employing a magnet recessed into the surface of the golf ball and interactive with another magnet or magnetically attracted substrate associated with said upper surface  34 . In said latter alternative embodiment, the magnet recessed into the golf ball may in itself be employed in conjunction with certain configurations of container means  12  to attract paper clips, even without the presence of stem  23  and its associated magnet  37 . 
     In using the apparatus of this invention, metal paper clips are stored within container means  12 . The golf ball is caused to seat within aperture  22  in a manner which disposes stem  23  downwardly into said container means. The paper clips become attached and held to the lower portion of said stem by virtue of the effect of said magnet. When the golf ball is raised upwardly away from the container means, the paper clips which cling to said stem are easily removed by the user. 
     In an alternative manner of use, as shown in FIG. 5, the golf ball may be positioned in an inverted manner wherein stem  23  is upwardly directed. In such mode of use, small objects fabricated of iron can be held by said stem for easy removal by the user. Said objects, which may include paper clips  11  or other fasteners or parts for assembly operations would be stored within container means  12 , and periodically removed and dispensed by stem  23 . 
     In said alternative manner of use, the magnetic tee facilitates pivoted rotation of the seated ball, thereby disposing distal extremity  25  of said stem, with attached objects, at a more convenient location for the user. Specialized indicia on the golf ball may be interactive with the pivoted orientation of the ball. When the magnetic tee is vertically upwardly oriented with just one or two paper clips attached, the device can provide amusement value because tapping of the device or the surface upon which it rests causes movement of the clips. 
     While particular examples of the present invention have been shown and described, it is apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention in its broadest aspects. The aim of the appended claims, therefore, is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.