An Improved Dredger-box.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 14th Nov., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Dredger-box.
We FRANCIS CHARLES NEVE of 13 Cameron Road, Croydon, in the County
of Surrey, Pharmaceutical Chemist, and LEONARD WATKINS BICKLE of North
Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to improvements in dredger-boxes or vessels for containing
pulverized substances, and having a perforated diaphragm through which the said
powder may be discharged.
The class or type of dredger box or vessel for containing powder to which the
said improvements more particularly relate, are such as are used by surgeons when
performing surgical operations, for dusting a disinfectant or deodorant (such as
iodoform) upon the wound or affected part, or such as are used for culinary
purposes and containing powdered sugar or flour, or for toilet use and containing
violet or other scented powders, and which have hitherto been so constructed, that
the lid-covered perforated diaphragm through which such powder is emitted have
been fixed flush with the mouth of the vessel, and it has been found in practice
that, through the knocking over or otherwise tilting of the said vessel, a portion of
the said powder exudes, and rests upon the upper surface of the said diaphragm,
which, by the sudden removal of the lid becomes displaced and spilt other than
where desired or required, which in all cases is objectionable, and in surgical case
particularly so, where powerful disinfectants or deodorants are in use, and to
obviate or prevent such inconveniences is the object and purpose of our invention,
which we attain by fixing the said diaphragm a suitable distance below the mouth
of the vessel or box, so that such of the powder as may exude and rest upon the
upper surface of the diaphragm, under the circumstances stated, is prevented from
falling therefrom upon the removal of the lid, by reason of the ridge or wall
surrounding and standing up above the level of the said diaphragm.
In order that our said improvements may be fully understood reference is
hereinafter made to the accompanying drawings, which may be read as forming
part of the following specification.
Fig. 1 is a vertical central section of such a dredger-box or vessel according to
our invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same with the lid removed.
Fig. 3 is a like section of a vessel constructed to hold two different kinds of
deodorent or other powders, and is substantially a duplication of Fig. 1.
For the purposes of our invention we construct of metal, china, wood, vulcanite,
celluloid, xylonite, pegamoid or other material or combination of such or other
suitable materials, a preferably cylindrical vessel such as A, of any size to suit the
requirements of its use, the upper end of which is provided with a perforated
diaphragm B, fixed at any desired or suitable distance below the level of the mouth
of same, and which may be perfectly plane or flat as shewn in full lines, or concave
upon its upper surface as shewn by dotted outline. A suitable air-tight or
otherwise close fitting lid or cover C, encloses the upper end of A, which may or
may not be arranged to screw thereon, the roof or crown of which is preferably
concave upon its upper surface, which when in position, operates in preventing a
larger quantity of powder from exuding through the diaphragm B, than may
conveniently be retained lodging upon the upper surface of same by the upper

page_text: end of A, when the lid is removed. The vessel may be provided with a
screw on or otherwise close fitting cap such as D at its lower end, for charging
the same.
In Fig. 3 we illustrate such a vessel constructed to contain two kinds of
disinfecting or deodorizing powders for surgical use, or two kinds of powders for
toilet use, or one for containing flour and the other powdered sugar or the like for
culinary purposes or other uses, for which the said vessel may be adaptable.
According to this arrangement we employ two such vessels.A and A', exactly the
same as Fig. 1, and each having an open bottom so that both may be charged
from their lower ends, the two said lower ends being arranged to screw or other-
wise fit closely into opposite ends of a sleeve or collar E, provided with a solid
central diaphragm F, which forms a division between the two vessels A and A',
and provides that either may be removed for refilling, without unclosing the end,
of the other, or that either may be used for discharging its contents through its
. diaphragm B, independently of the other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is,
1st. In an improved dredger-box or like vessel for containing powdered
substances, the combination of a body such as A, closed at its lower end by a
portable cap D, and provided at its upper end with a perforated diaphragm such
as B, fixed at any suitable distance below the mouth of A, and covered by a
portable cap such as C, having a concave crown such as C', substantially as and
for the purposes herein set forth and shewn by Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
2nd. In an improved dredger-box or like vessel for containing two different kinds
of powdered substances, the herein described method of combining two such
vessels A and A', each provided with a perforated diaphragm such as B, and a
cap or cover such as C C, and portably connected at their lower ends by a sleeve
or collar such as E, having a solid central diaphragm such as F, substantially as
and for the purposes herein set forth and shewn by Fig. 3 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 9th day of October 1896.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1 Broad Street Buildings, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.