US3471957A - Calorie-food value counter and pill container - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 14, 1969 B. ROBB 3,471,957

CALORIE-FOOD VALUE COUNTER AND PILL CONTAINER Filed April 10, 1967 FIG. 3

U) E 2 g /''\'O g L% 5 34* g ..l 5 g E 36 g y l A B. B2 c 38- CALORIES INVENTOR.

BLANCHE ROBB United States Patent Int. Cl. G09f 11/29 I218. Cl. 40-82 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure herein is of a container which is divided into two parts, including a pill receiving section with a removable cap and a further section in which is positioned a tape coiled therewithin and extendable through a slot formed in the wall of the container or receptacle. The tape is retractably wound within the container by means of a rotating cap from which extends a spindle to a wall separating the respective parts of the container. The tape incorporates therein a list of foods and includes certain indicating symbols and figures thereon which are referred to indicia printed on the surface of the container at opposite sides of the slot whereby food listed on one side of the tape and value indications provided thereon may refer to certain constituents of food with values relating thereto and on the other side of the tape calories and values of vitamins as well as indication of vitamins included in such food is likewise provided.

This invention relates to the field of containers and more particularly to a pocket or purse carrier that has a three-in-one purposea calorie and vitamin-food value counter, a three-foot measuring tape, and a pill container.

Although there are calorie and vitamin reference booklets to carry in pocket or purse, this carrier is an extra quick way to check the calorie and vitamin-food value content of the most commonly used foods. The foods are listed alphabetically on a three foot retractable tape with calorie count and measure and vitamin-food value symbols that can be deciphered quickly with a glance at the categories stamped on the container. Both sides of the tape are used for this information. The three foot tape is also broken down into A measurements. One end of the container has space in which to carry approximately six average sized pills.

An object of this invention is to provide a relatively small, light, and inexpensive container which is capable of housing three items usually found separately in some pockets and purses. The three items (calorie-food value counter, measuring tape, and pill container) are associated to one another for the purpose of weight watching.

Another object of the invention is to furnish quick reference to foods that are high, good, fair or poor in one particular category (iron, calcium, protein, fats, carbohydrates, Vitamin A, Vitamin B Vitamin B or Vitamin C). If, for instance, you want to know the foods that are highest in iron, just follow the category iron stamped on the container as you pull out the tape. All foods that have red dots in line with the word iron are the foods high in iron, all blue dots in line with the word iron are the foods good in iron, and all yellow dots in line with the word iron are the foods fair in iron. If there is no colored dot, that food has very little or no iron in it.

A still further object of the invention is to use it in advertising as a give away item to customers, or it may be sold in the low-priced merchandising field.

These features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description thereof, and from the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side cut away view showing the inside parts of said container.

FIGURE 3 is a view of the cylindrical receptacle spread open for easy viewing.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, FIG. 1 shows a container in the form of a cylindrical receptacle 10. The receptacle 10 may be made of any convenient material, but a white or pastel colored plastic is preferred since it is light weight and yet inexpensive.

Inside the receptacle 10 is a divider 12 that is permanently secured to the receptacle 10. The divider 12 has a centered socket 14.

There is a slot 16 in the receptacle 10 located somewhat to the right side of the receptacle 10. Through this slot 16 a tape ISA-B can be pulled out or retracted.

The plasticized tape 18A-B is fastened to and then coiled around a spindle 20 that has a permanently attached cap 22 on one end and a ball end 24 on the other. The spindle 20 is inserted into the right end of the receptacle 10, the tape 18A-B pulled through the slot 16, and the ball end 24 snapped into the socket 14. The socket 14 keeps the spindle 20 with attached cap 22 from slipping out of the receptacle 10, yet allows the ball end 24 to revolve freely. The attached cap 22 fits loosely over the right end of the receptacle 10 and turns easily to release or retract the tape 18A-B.

The left end of the receptacle 10 has a ridge 26 as shown in FIG. 2. An end cap 28 snaps on or off over the ridge 26 and is the cover to that part of the receptacle 10 that is the pill container 30 and can hold about six average sized pills.

The categories of food elements comprising iron, calcium, protein, fats and carbohydrates, comprising first indicia and vitamin type designations such as vitamins A, B B and C, comprising second indicia and the colored dot value and constituent reference symbols such as HIGH in the form of a red dot 34, GOOD in the form of a blue dot 36, and FAIR" in the form of a yellow dot 38 are stamped on the receptacle 10 as suggested in FIGURE 3, these being positioned at opposite sides of the slot 16 formed in the wall of the container or receptacle 10.

The tape ISA-B has a light metal stop 32 at the end that keeps the tape from being retracted completely into the receptacle. The tape is preferably 40 inches long and can be pulled out so as to extend for a distance of 36 inches. The 36 inches are divided into spaces constituting A" measurements and listed on the lower side 18B of the tape, such spaces also having calorie count notations and quantities of food to produce such calories for foods listed on the opposite side set forth therein. On the upper side 18A of the tape is an alphabetical list of the most commonly used foods in spaces exactly like those on the lower side 18B and aligned therewith. To check the food value of a certain food, pull out the tape 18A-B to the food listed on the upper side 18A, check the red dots 34, blue dots 36 or yellow dots 38 as the case may be in the particular space that line up with the categories iron, calcium, protein, fats and carbohydrates comprising the first indicia stamped on the receptacle 10 at the upper side of the slot 16.

Without releasing or retracting the tape, study the side 18B for the calorie count and calorie measure in the particular space for the food under consideration and check the location of the dots 34, 36 and 38 lined up with the categories of vitamin types comprising the second indicia which are stamped on the receptacle at the lower side of the slot 16. If the food measures high in a certain category, there will be a red dot 34 on the tape in line with that category, and if the food measures good in a certain category, a blue dot 36 will apply and be opposite such constituent, etc. If no colored dot is lined up with a par ticular category, it would indicate that the food measures poor or has no value in the same.

As indirated in FIGURE 1 almonds in the space set forth include all of the elements noted in the first indicia as indicated by the dots thereon. As to the value therefor by way of illustration, almonds may be said to include a high quantity of fat which is indicated by the dot which may be red and denoted at 34 with a goodly quantity of the other elements so that such dots will be blue as indicated at 36.

On the other hand, by way of further example, apples have some carbohydrates and since this is only a fair designation, yellow dot 38 is placed opposite such carbohydrate designation.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be readily understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for indicating calorie count and vitamin value of food comprising a hollow receptacle, said receptacle being formed with a cylindrical body having a transverse wall therein, a socket in said wall, a cap removably and rotatably mounted on one end of the body opposite the wall, a spindle extending from the cap to the socket when the cap is in place on the said end, a longitudinal slot in the wall of said receptacle substantially parallel to the axis thereof, a tape coiled in said receptacle and connected with the spindle whereby rotation of the latter by the cap will wind the tape on the spindle through the slot, said tape extending through the said slot, means to draw said tape through said slot outwardly from the receptacle, said tape having a series of spaces on the upper surface in each of which a different food is listed, first indieia on the receptacle above the slot comprising the categories of basic food elements, second indicia at the opposite side of the slot comprising vitamin type designations, the under surface of the tape having an opposite aligned series of spaces in which calorie count and quantity of food to produce the same is set forth for each food in the aligned space on the upper side of the tape, and a common value and constituent reference scale on the receptacle comprising a series of symbols for indicating by color and position the value and constituents of the respective foods, each said food having a symbol positioned in the space for each food opposite the indicia appropriate therefor where such value and constituent is established, whereby upon adjustment of the tape to position the space in which a particular food appears at the outer side of the slot, simultaneous consideration of the indicia may be effected and values observed.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall is positioned intermediate the ends of the body, the tape is positioned at one side of the wall, a hollow space is provided at the opposite side thereof, and a removable cap is mounted at the open end of the hollow space to provide a pill compartment therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 230,592 7/1880 Williamson 40-85 XR 513,239 1/1894 Lazaron 40-85 XR 948,506 2/1910 Horton 40-82 1,974,085 9/1934 Shields et a1 40--82 XR 2,767,680 10/1956 Lermer 206-42 XR 3,245,635 4/1966 Signor 40-85 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 483,404 7/1953 Italy.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 40-306

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