Improvements in Devices for Shaking or Sprinkling Salt, Sugar, Spices, Liquids, and the like.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left. 26th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Shaking or Sprinkling Salt, Sugar,
Spices, Liquids, and the like.
I, CECILIA LAWTON, residing at 43, South Battery, of Charleston, in the County
of Charleston, State of South Carolina, United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to devices for sprinkling salt, sugar, spices, liquids, etc.,
and the object thereof is to provide a simple and improved device of this class in
which the openings will be always automatically closed when the device is in
normal or upright position.
In the practice of my invention I provide a casing or receptacle which may be
of any suitable shape, and may be composed of any desired material, and said casing
or receptacle is provided with exit openings in its side or bottom in lieu of at the
top thereof. The casing or receptacle is provided with a detachable bottom which
may be connected with the body by screw threads or in any suitable manner, and
a rod or stem is passed longitudinally through the same or through the top and
bottom, the bottom being provided with a bearing through which said rod or stem
is passed, and this rod or stem carries at its lower end a disk, or head which is
adapted to fit within a corresponding recess in the bottom of the casing or recep-
tacle.
The relative construction and arrangement is preferably such that when the
vessel is resting in normal upright position, the disk or head at the bottom of the
rod or stem will be flush with the bottom surface of said vessel or receptacle, and
the said rod or stem carries cross pieces or radial arms which are provided at their
outer ends with flat heads or disks which may be formed of metal, cork, wood or
any suitable material, and which bear against the inner side walls of the casing
or receptacle in which the exit openings are formed. The said disk or heads on the
outer ends of said radial arms are shaped so as to conform to the inner side walls
of the casing. or receptacle, and the relative construction and attachment is such
that when the vessel stands in normal or upright position, the said disk or heads
will completely cover the said exit openings.
My improvement is especially adapted for automatically closing the exit open-
ings whenever the vessel is in a normal or upright position. The closure of said
exit-openings serve to exclude air from the casing or receptacle so that the contents
are thus preserved in proper condition.
The said casing or receptacle is also preferably provided with a smooth interior
wall surface, of a diameter corresponding to the removable bottom so that the stem
or rod mechanism may be withdrawn if desired, through the bottom opening, and
suitable guide grooves may be provided interiorly in the sides of the walls of the
casing or receptacle for facilitating this operation.
The stem or rod preferably projects through an opening in the top of the casing

page_text: or receptacle, and is provided with a ball or knob which will serve as a handle
by which the casing or receptacle can be lifted, and which can be employed to
depress the stem or rod whenever the latter does not operate by its own gravity.
The operation of said stem or rod by means of said knob or handle can also be
employed to shake up the contents of the casing or receptacle, and to prevent the
clogging or packing thereof, and the radial arms connected with said rod or stem
are preferably flat like a knife blade so that they will cut through the contents of
the casing or receptacle if the latter become hardened.
My invention is adapted for effective use in connection with bottles, for con-
taining liquids in which case, the exit openings could be extended or elongated
into a spout or neck, and when thus adapted for vessels containing liquids the
removable side plates or disks connected with the radial arms of the stein or rod
can be arranged to resist the gravity action and open only when pressure is
employed, thus insuring against accidents, and my improvement is simple in
construction and operation, and well adapted to accomplish the result for which
it is intended, and it will be apparent that changes in and modifications of the
construction herein described, may be made without departing from the spirit of
my invention, or sacrificing its advantages.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Devices for Shaking or Sprinkling Salt, Sugar,
Spices, Liquids, and the like.
I, CECILIA LAWTON, residing at 43, South Battery, Charleston, in the County
of Charleston, State of South Carolina, United States of America, do hereby
declare, the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:—
This invention relates to devices for sprinkling salt, sugar, spices, liquids, etc.,
and it has for its object to provide a simple and improved device of this character
in which the exit openings will be always automatically closed and the air ex-
cluded when the device is in a normal, or upright position.
The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the
accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improve-
ment are designated by the same letters of reference, in each of the views, and in
which:-
Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view of a device embodying my im-
provements;
Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view, illustrating a slightly modified
construction; and,
Fig. 3 is a side view of the device.
Referring to the drawings A designates the body of the vessel, which may be
of any suitable or adapted contour and may be constructed of any suitable material.
Said body or vessel A has exit openings, a, in its side, or bottom, in lieu of at its
top. The vessel A forms a closed receptacle, and is provided with a detachable
bottom, B, which may be connected with the body by screw threads, b, or in any
other suitable manner. C designates a rod or stem, which is longitudinally and
suitably mounted in the vessel A and passes through a bearing opening, b', in the
4

page_text: bottom B thereof, and this stem carries at its lower end a disc or head, C¹, which
is adapted to fit within a corresponding recess, 63, in the bottom B. The relative
construction and arrangement is preferably such that when the vessel is resting
in normal upright position upon its bottom B, the disc or head C₁ will be flush
with the bottom surface of the latter, as shown in Fig. 1, B. The stem C carries
cross pieces or radial arms, D), which carry at their outer end a flat head or plate, d,
which may be formed of metal, cork, wood, or any adapted material, and bears
interiorly against the portion of the sides of the vessel A in which the exit open-
ings a are formed. The head or plate d corresponds to this portion of the sides
or walls of the vessel, and the relative construction and adjustment is such that
when the vessel stands in normal upright position (thus pressing the disc or head (
of the stem into position with relation to the bottom B), the head or plate d will
completely cover the exit openings a.
It will be noted that besides the fact that my improved construction and arrange-
ment is especially adapted for automatically closing the exit openings whenever
the vessel is in normal upright position, the closure of said exit openings also
excludes air from the vessel so that the contents are thus preserved in proper
condition.
I prefer to form flattened heads or plates, d. at diametrically opposite sides of
the stem cross pieces or arms, so that the stem is braced in position, and the stem
may be further braced or strengthened by the provision of additional cross pieces
or radial arms, D', suitably arranged at right angles to the cross piece D, which
supplementary cross pieces or arms may be provided, if desired, at their outer ends
with flattened heads or bearing plates. The vessel is preferably provided with a
smooth interior wall surface of a diameter corresponding to the removable
bottom B, so that the stem mechanism may be withdrawn if desired through the
bottom opening. Suitable guide grooves, e, may be provided interiorly in the
sides of walls of the vessel for the reception and guidance of the flattened heads
or plates d.
The stem C preferably projects through an opening, 62, in the top of the vessel A,
and its extended projecting top end may be provided with a ball or knob, c,
which will serve as a handle by which the vessel can be lifted and which can also
be employed to depress the stem whenever the latter does not operate by its own
gravity. The operation of the stem by means of its projecting top end can also
be employed to shake up the contents of the vessel and prevent clogging or packing
of the same.
In cases where the stem is not projected through the top of the
vessel, any suitable means may be provided upon the bottom disc or head C¹ of
the stem, by which the latter may be drawn downwardly when desired. The cross
pieces or arms D D' are preferably flat, like a knife blade, so that they will cut
their way through the contents of the vessel, if the latter have become hardened.
In Figs. 1 and 3, I have illustrated a construction, according to my invention
and improvements, in which the exit openings are formed in the sides of the
vessel. But in Fig. 2, I have illustrated a slightly modified construction, in
which the exit openings a are formed in the bottom B of the vessel and are
adapted to be closed by the disc or head C¹ of the stem. In this modified con-
struction, the openings a intersect the recess 62 of the bottom of the vessel, and
they are preferably arranged in a diagonal or outwardly extending plane, as shown
so that they will throw the contents of the vessel outwardly beyond the rim or
periphery of the projecting disc C¹.
It will be understood that my invention and improvements are adapted for
effective use in connection with bottles for containing liquids, in which cases the
exit openings could be extended or elongated into a spout or neck. When this
adapted for vessels containing liquid, the movable sliding plates or discs, which
form valves, carried by the stem, can be arranged to resist the gravity action and
open only when pressure is employed, thus ensuring against accident, and the
operative faces of such valves may be capped with cork or other suitable or
adapted material,

page_text: It will be understood that a spring may be employed to ensure a firm closure
of the valves.
I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the precise forms and
details of construction as herein shown and described, as manifest variations and
modifications may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention.
For instance, a movable side plate or disc forming a valve carried by a stem
adapted to be automatically operated when the vessel is in normal upright position
may be adapted to various positions and arrangements with respect to said vessel.
therefore reserve the right to all such variations and modifications as properly fall
within the spirit and scope of my invention and the terms of the following claims.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A salt cellar constructed as herein described and as shown in the drawing.
2. A device of the character herein described, comprising a vessel or receptacle
having a removable bottom, a cavity or recess formed centrally of said bottom,
perforations formed in said bottom and communicating with said cavity or recess
and a rod passed longitudinally and centrally through said vessel or receptacle
and adapted to move longitudinally therein, said rod being provided at its lower
end with a disc or head which is adapted to fit in and close said cavity or recess,
substantially as shown and described.
3. A device of the character herein described, comprising a vessel or receptacle
having a removable bottom, a cavity or recess formed centrally of said bottom,
perforations formed in said bottom and communicating with said cavity or recess
and a rod passed longitudinally and centrally through said vessel or receptacle
and adapted to move longitudinally therein, said rod being provided at its lower
end with a disc or head which is adapted to fit in and close said cavity or recess,
and said rod being also provided within said vessel or receptacle with radial arms,
substantially as shown and described.
4. A vessel of the class described, adapted to normally rest in upright position
and provided with outlet openings and vertical grooves in its side walls, and a
valve seat in its bottom, a stem slidably mounted in said vessel, and embodying
a lower end portion projecting through the bottom thereof, and a valve formed
on the said lower end portion of said stem and fitting the valve seat, cross pieces
or radial arms projecting from said stem and carrying heads or plates adapted to
close the openings in the walls of the vessel, said heads or plates fitting and being
adapted to move in the vertical grooves in the inner surface of the walls of the
vessel, the relative construction and arrangement being such that when the vessel
rests in normal upright position and the valve on the projecting bottom portion
of the stem is forced upwardly into the seat, the plates or heads upon the arms
will be in operative position for the closure of the outlet openings, and the bottom
portion of the vessel sealed, substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 26th day of January 1899.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.