US2625131A - Indicating device for medicine bottles - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 13, 1953 E. M. STURHAHN 2,625,131

INDICATING DEVICE FOR MEDICINE BOTTLES Filed June 27, 1950 INVENTOR.

-\ EDWARD M STU/PHAHN A TTOPNE )1 Patented Jan. 13, 1953 I s PATENT INDICATING DEVICE FOR MEDICINE BOTTLES Edward M. Sturhahn, Washington, D. 0.

Application June 27, 1950, Serial No. 170,535

This invention relates to indicating devices, and more particularly to devices which may be used for timing the application or ingestion of medicaments, although not limited thereto.

For many years, devices of the type referred to immediately hereinbefore have been proposed, the same being more or less generally known as medicine timers"; and the patented art contains disclosures of many designs which are intended to accomplish the desired ends. The primary objective is, of course, to provide a device which will not only perform the desired function, but one which may also be inexpensively manufactured, whereby it may be either inexpensively purchased by the user or given away by a drug store or other commercial establishment for its advertising value.

So far as I am aware, the devices of the prior art, for the most part, comprise a dial portion, or face member, one or more hands which are mounted on said face member for adjustable disposition with respect thereto, and means for suspending these combined elements on a medicine bottle. On the other hand, some of the prior art devices of which I am aware simply provide a combination of elements of the type mentioned immediately before which may simply be disposed adjacently with respect to the medicine bottle.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide an indicating device of the type referred to hereinbefore which may not only be inexpensively manufactured, but one which is inherently so constructed that it may either be attached to a medicine or like bottle or which is capable of supporting itself in vertical position on a substantially horizontal surface. According to such construction, the device of the present invention may not only be used in either of the two ways mentioned, but it may also be conveniently used for purposes other than the application or ingestion of medicine, such as a kitchen timer, or the like.

This invention, then, comprises the features fully described and as particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative of but several of a number of ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective of the indicating device of the present invention as attached to a conventional medicine or other bottle.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 1, but illustrating the device thereof as self-supported in vertical position on a substantially horizontal surface.

2 Claims. (Cl. 116-121) member I.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I generally designates the main body portion of the indicating device of the invention, the same comprising a dial portion or face'memher which may, if desired, be supplied with indicia representin the hours of a clock. While the dial portion or face member I is shown as being of substantially circular contour, it may, of course, be made to assume any desired shape.

The central portion of the face member I is apertured to receive a pin 2 which supports one or more hands 3. According to a permissive embodiment, the hands} may, if desired, be six in number. By providing six individually rotatable hands (3), the unused hands may simply be aligned with respect to each other. If medicament is to be applied or ingested every three hours, six hands may be used; and four and three hands may be used to indicate three and four hour intervals respectively.

It will thus be seen that by using six hands the indicating device of the invention may be set at a starting point and not require readjusting except for situations wherein timing is to be done on a basis other than every two, three or four hours in which event six, four or three hands could be used.

For convenience, one or more of the hands 3 may be distinguished from the others in any suitable manner, such as different marking, numbering, coloring, shape or size, etc.

The face member I of the indicating device of the invention is provided adjacent its upper end with an integral extension 4 which carries on its outer end a pair of integrally formed curvilinear arms 6 which occupy a plane which is at substantial right angles with respect to the face As shown in "Figure 1, it is intended that these curvilinear arms 6 may be suitably adjusted or formed so as to at least partially embrace the neck X of a conventional medicine or other bottle.

It is contemplated that the aforementioned integral extension 4 extend rearwardly with respect to the face member I and carry the curvilinear arms 6 in ofi-set relationship with respect thereto. This may, of course, be accomplished by shaping the extension 4 to assume a curve, bent at right angles as shown in Figure 2.

The face member I is provided adjacent its lower end with a depending, relatively narrow, integrally formed extension 8 which merges into an elongate, and right angularly disposed, panel member ID, both of the said members 8 and I0 occupying substantially the same plane as that of the face member I.

As shown most clearly in Figure 2, the lower edge of the aforementioned lower panel I0 is provided with a rearwardly extending foot member I2 which may, if desired, be formed as a single continuous flange or made up of a plurality of elements which combine to perform the same function, as will appear hereinafter.

The purpose of. the foot member (or members) 12 is to permit the face member I to assume a substantially vertical plane when the device of the invention is suspended on a bottle of any shape by spacing the lower extension 8 and panel member In outwardly with respect to the adlacent surface of said bottle. In addition, the foot member (or members) l2 enables the device of the present invention to support itself in vertical position on a substantially horizontal sur face, as shown in Figure 3. In order to accomplish these combined ends, the upper extension 4 should extend rearwardly of the face member I a distance which is approximately the same as the width of the foot member (or members) l2.

While I have shown an described certain specific embodiments of the. present invention, it Willbe readily understood by those skilled in the art that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, sincevarious modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as, defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a time indicating device comprising a face portion, at least one indicating member adapted for cooperation with said face portion andmovement. with respect 2 thereto, an integrally formed member extending rearwardly from said face portion at a point which is adjacent the upper end thereof, integrally formed means extending. from said last named member for at least partially embracing the neck of a bottle, an elongate panel member integrally formed with the lower end of said face portion, and extending at-substantial right angles with respect thereto, andan integrally formed foot member extending rearwardly from said elongate panel member.

2. As an article of manufacture, a time indicating device comprising a face portion, at least one indicating member adapted for cooperation withv said face portion and movement with respect thereto, an integrally formed member extending rearwardly from said face portion at a point which is adjacent the upper end thereof, integrally formed means extending from said last-named member for at least partially embracing the neck of a bottle, an elongate panel member integrally formed. with the. lower end of said face portion and extendingat substantial right angles with respect thereto, and an integrally formed foot, member extending rearwardly from said elongate panel member, the. rearward exllBllSlOn'Of said foot, member being approximately equal to the. rearward extension of .said' firstnamed member.

- EDWARD M. STURHAHN.

REFERENCES oI'rEn The following references are of record in the of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Richardson Marl'i, 1931

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