Automatic dispensing apparatus

Claim 2

An automatic dispenser to be submerged in a body of liquid in a toilet flush tank, comprising a receptacle having a vertically oriented open top for containing a cake of soluble material; means including a closure member for said receptacle having upwardly extending walls forming a cylindrical solution chamber portion extending above the remainder of said closure member and said material; means including an opening in the top of said chamber for admitting liquid into said chamber; discharge conduit means including a float operated valve communicating directly with said solution chamber and operative to communicate solution from said chamber to the exterior of said receptacle; and annular float means encircling said chamber and connected to said valve means to control communication of said discharge means to permit flow from said chamber into a body of liquid in which said receptacle is submerged when the level of said liquid falls below said solution chamber.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 wherein said float means comprises an inverted air cavity.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 1 comprising means extending through the top of said solution chamber for connecting said float means to said valve means.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 2 comprising an elongated connecting member extending through the top of said solution chamber for connecting said float meaNs to said valve means.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 3 wherein said float means comprises annular wall means defining a cylindrical body member extending around the outside of the walls of said chamber and skirt means extending outward from said wall means to define said air cavity.

Claim 7

An automatic dispenser for a toilet flush tank, said dispenser comprising: a vertically oriented upright receptacle having horizontally oriented opening for receiving a charge of soluble material and adapted to rest on the bottom of a flush tank; said receptacle having a closure assembly for said opening having a portion including upwardly extending walls defining a cylindrical solution chamber projecting above said opening; means defining openings in the top of said chamber for admitting surrounding water into said receptacle via said chamber when the water level is above said closure member; discharge means communicating directly from the bottom of said solution chamber to the exterior of said receptacle; and valve means in said discharge means connected to annular float means surrounding and externally of said chamber responsive to a drop in the level of water in said tank below said discharge means during a flush cycle to discharge solution from said chamber at the end of said flush cycle.

Claim 8

An automatic dispenser for a toilet flush tank, said dispenser comprising: a vertically oriented upright receptacle having horizontally oriented opening for receiving a charge of soluble material and adapted to rest on the bottom of a flush tank; said receptacle having a closure assembly for said opening having a portion including upwardly extending walls defining a cylindrical solution chamber projecting above said opening; means defining openings in the top of said chamber for admitting surrounding water into said receptacle via said chamber when the water level is above said closure member; discharge means communicating directly from the bottom of said solution chamber to the exterior of said receptacle; and valve means in said discharge means connected to annular float means surrounding and externally of said chamber responsive to a drop in the level of water in said tank below said discharge means during a flush cycle to discharge solution from said chamber at the end of said flush cycle.

Claim 9

The invention of claim 6 wherein said float means comprises an inverted air cavity.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 7 comprising means extending through the top of said solution chamber for connecting said float means to said valve means.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 8 wherein said float means comprises annular wall means defining a cylindrical body member encircling the walls of said solution chamber and skirt means extending outward from said wall means to define said air cavity.