Improvements in Spittoons or Cuspidores.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spittoons or Cuspidores.
I, JOHN JEHIEL PARSONS of Temple Court New York, United States of America,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for CUSPIDORES, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to a cuspidore, or spittoon or refuse receptacle, hereinafter
termed a cuspidore, composed of two separable parts; one part-the vessel proper--
being a sheet of inexpensive material folded to form for temporary use to be thrown
away when soiled; the other part-the holder or frame for seating the vessel and
retaining it in form-being a permanent feature of the device that may be used a
repeated number of times.
I will proceed to describe my invention in connection with the accompanying
drawings, which illustrate a cuspidore made after the manner of the invention.
In the said drawings, in which like numbers of reference designate like parts
throughout.
Figure 1, is a top plan view of one of my improved cuspidores, and
Figure 2, is a transverse vertical section of tlie same taken on a plane indicated by
line 2 2, in Fig. 1.
Figure 3, is a plan view of a blank sheet from which the vessel or receptacle of
the cuspidore is folded into form.
Referring to the drawings, 5 designates my improved blank-sheet from which the
vessel of the cuspidore is folded into shape. This blank is made of a flexible, inexpensive
material, for instance paper, that is preferably rendered both fire and water proof, so
as to prevent possible ignition thereof by any burning material that might be placed in
the vessel, and to make it impervious to liquid deposited therein. The blank is cut to
form and is provided with guide-lines or creases, as indicated by the dotted in lines in
Fig. 3, for determining the folds to be made in the blank in forming up the same into
the shape of a vessel, like for instance that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The blank may
be cut from the stock by means of a suitable die, which may be provided with creasing
edges for marking or indenting the blank, at the same time as the cutting is done.
Of the spaces or portions marked off by the crease-lines in the blank-sheet, tho
space 6, forms the bottom, 7, 7, 7, 7, the sides, 8, 8, etc., the gores intermediate to the
sides, and 9, 9, 10, 10, the flaps or sections for forming the sloping apron or shield 11,
As clearly
having opening 12, when such sheet is folded up to form a vessel.
indicated in the drawings, in, forming up the vessel from the blank-sheet, the
sides 7, 7, 7, 7, are up-set obliquely, so as to be downwardly converging, and they
neet on the lines 13, 13, and the gores 8, 8, etc., fold to the inside of the vessel.
These gores need not necessarily be clamped together or secured to the sides of the
vessel, in order to maintain the sides in position, since this is accomplished by means of
an appropriate frame, to be hereinafter described.
The bowl of the vessel thus formed is partly covered or screened, by the
inwardly and downwardly inclined apron or shield 11, the purpose of which is to
conceal the expectorated matter or refuse deposited in the vessel. This apron 11,
overhangs the vessel and has a central opening 12, leading into the interior of the
same, and towards which the sides of the apron are downwardly inclined, so as to
cause any matter falling thereon to easily slide or run into the vessel through
opening 12.
The especial novelty in the blank-sheet lies in the peculiar construction of the
apron-forming flaps or sections 9, and 10, and their relation to the body of the sheet,
as will now be described. The apron 11, is made up of a set of Haps 9, and 10,
which are folded over from the sides 7, 7, 7, 7, into the interior of the vessel, and are
so cut and constructed as to readily interlock with each other and hold the apron in

page_text: form, when the sheet is folded into vessel-shape. The corners or sides of the flaps 9, 9,
are notched as at 15, 15, leaving an intermediate portion 16, and the ends of
flaps 10, 10, are formed with the tongues 17, 17. It is to be observed that the basal
lines of the flaps, upon which they are folded, are equal; the side lines 14, 14, of
flaps 9, are less inclined towards each other than those of flaps 10, while in the
outlines of the blank-edges, the angles 18, and 19, lying between the gores 8, 8, 8,
and the flaps 9, and 10, are unequal. It is not necessary to have the angles 18, and 19,
formed as shown, but it is preferable because ample over-lapping surfaces are thereby
provided. The flaps or sections 9, and 10, alternate in arrangement, and the number
of the same may be varied as desired.
By forming the flaps 9, with the corner or side notches 15, 15, and the
flaps 10, 10, with the tongues 17, 17, and giving the peculiar inclination to the
sides 14, 14, of the respective flaps, I secure the necessary lateral extensions, or pro-
jections, for effecting the interlocking of the flaps. In flaps 9, such over-lapping
extensions are found in the area included between the edges and the imaginary lines
running from the forks of notches 15, 15, to the angles 18, and in flaps 10, these
extensions are the triangular corners of tongues 17, formed by the imaginary
prolongation of lines 14, 14, across the tongues. These referred to interlocking
extensions of the flaps are marked 20, and 21, respectively, in the drawings, and their
exact locations will be readily understood from Figs. 1 and 2. Each of these
extensions over-lap upon the underside of the adjacent inter-locking flap. When the
blank is folded to form, the side-lines 14, 14, of Haps 10, coincide with the imaginary
lines drawn from the forks of notches 15, 15, to angles 18, as before described and
the side-lines of portions 16, 16, coincide with the imaginary extensions of
lines 14, 14, across tongues 17, of flaps 10. This gives practically straight meeting
lines 22, (see Fig. 1) for the flaps, and as these lines present the only breaks in the
upper face or surface of the apron 11, a desirable advantage is thereby obtained since
no projections are offered that might catch and hold filth. The peculiar form of the
interlocking apron-forming flaps, and the formation of an apron free from objectionable
projections, constitute parts of my invention.
As the tendency of the sides 7, 7, is to spring outwardly, and the apron flaps or
sections 9, 10, to spring upwardly, the peculiar overlapping extensions of the same and
the manner in which they interlock, render the flaps self-locking and self-sustaining,
so long as the attached sides 7, 7, are held in position. The extensions 20, resist any
downward movement of the flaps, and the extensions 21, oppose any upward move-
ment thereof, so that by virtue of the novel inter-locking of parts the apron will be
stoutly maintained in position. If preferred the over-lapping portions 20, and 21,
may be secured to the flaps, to hold the vessel in folded form, and in this construction
it may be used without any supporting or retaining frame. The blank is preferably
made in a single piece, though not necessarily so.
The folded vessel is seated in a rigid frame 23, preferably made of metal, though
any other suitable material that is stout and durable, such as for instance papier
maché, will answer the purpose. The character and ornamentation of the frame may,
of course, be varied to suit the taste. The frame 23, shown herewith, is rectangular in
form, with downwardly converging sides, conforming to the contour of the vessel
seated therein. The frame is open at the top and bottom-so as to expose both the top
and bottom of the vessel within-and it is formed with a downwardly flaring base
to afford a large resting surface. It will be seen that owing to the tendency of the
sides and flaps to un-fold and spring out of position, as above referred to, the vessel
exerts sufficient pressure laterally against the sides of the frame, to prevent its easy
displacement from the frame, so that when seated home therein, the vessel self-
retaining, and requires some little pressure from beneath in order to eject it. At the
same time the downwardly converging sides of the frame 23, will prevent the vessel
or slop-jar from being forced too far into the frame. It is, therefore, not necessary to
have any locking means for retaining the vessel in the frame, thereby facilitating the
removal of a soiled vessel, and its replacement by a clean one, and rendering the
operation more agreeable, since any tedious manipulation necessary to eject a vessel

page_text: when foul, would be most undesirable. Another important office of the frame 23, is
to hold the vessel in shape, so as to keep the apron-forming flaps interlocked, and
sustain the apron 11 against easy displacement. This peculiarly formed folded vessel,
having the characteristic of retaining itself in the fraine, and the open ended frame
itself, all form part of my invention.
The operation of putting together the cuspidore and replacing the vessel thereof
when soiled, will now be readily understood. The vessel is folded to form from the
blank sheet, 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is then seated in the frume 23, which
holds the sides 7, 7, in position and keeps the apron-flaps locked together. The
flaps may bo interlocked before scating the vessel or afterwards. An easy way of
locking them is to first depress flaps 9, 9, and then flaps 10, 10, snapping the corners
thereof into notches 15, 15, of flaps 9. The stiffness of the material of the folded
vessel gives it a tendency to unfold, but while the sides 7, 7, are held in proper
position this can not occur. It is not required to in anywise fasten the vessel, as the
interlocking of the flaps and the grip of the frame, will serve to sustain it in form.
In replacing the vessel when filthy, the frame may be grasped by one hand, and the
bottom of the vessel pushed upon to eject it from the frame. A new and clean vessel
folded to form is then seated in the frame, which in this way constitutes a permanent
part of the device.
The material of the vessel being a cheap paper or other suitable material, it can be
thrown away as soon as it becomes slightly soiled, or odorous, and a new one
substituted. As the blank sheets are formed with lines for directing the folding, they
can be stored away in flat condition, thus occupying the minimum of space. They
can be made into shape by an un-skilled person, and by him easily placed in the frame.
The device is designed to fulfill all the purposes of the ordinary spittoon or cuspidore
and slop jar, and it is particularly suited for use on board-ship."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The improvement in cuspidores, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, which
consists in the employment, with a folded vessel of a frame or support for supporting
the said vessel and retaining it in shape.
2. The improvement in cuspidores, substantially as herein before set forth, which
consists in the employment of a vessel folded to form, with a frame in which the vessel
is seated and retained.
3. The improvement in cuspidores, substantially as herein described, which
consists in the employment with a vessel folded to form and having inclined sides, of a
frame having inclined sides and an open bottom, so that the vessel may be dislodged
from the frame by pushing upon the bottom of the said vessel.
4. The herein described improvement in cuspidores, which consists in a folded vessel
having an apron composed of interlocking flaps or sections, combined with an
appropriate frame for seating the vessel in and holding the apron-flaps interlocked.
5. The herein described improvement in folded cuspidores, which consists in apron-
forming flaps or sections folded from the sides of the vessel and having lateral
projections making the flaps self-locking to sustain the apron in form.
6. The herein described improvement in folded cuspidores, consisting in the apron
formed from folded flaps or sections having lateral projections for overlapping upon
the under-side of their adjacent flaps and locking the flaps together and forming
the apron free from any projections.
7. The herein described improvement in cuspidores, consisting in the employment
of a folded vessel made of flexible material for temporary use, combined with a rigid
frame for permanent use.
J. G. LORRAIN, M. Inst. E.E., M. Inst. M.E.,
Associated Agent for Applicant.