Container for selectively dispensing a material

Abstract

A dispensing container apparatus having a tubular container with a bottom end and a rotatable annular upper end connected to a tubular shaft, and a compression member associated with the tubular shaft which causes a material disposed within the containment region to communicate into the tubular shaft or into a containing area upon rotation of the rotatable annular upper end. A brush applicator removably fits into an open end of the tubular shaft for receiving paste to be dispensed via brush application. Also, the container apparatus includes a top member having paste-access holes sized and adapted to closely receive different threaded shaft sizes of fasteners. In one form, the top member is partially rotatable for closing the holes, and then further rotatable for moving the piston (and hence paste) within the container.

1 . A container apparatus for dispensing a lubricious paste material, comprising:
 a tubular container;   a top assembly covering the tubular container and including a top member defining at least one paste-access hole;   a piston for motivating paste within the container toward the top member; and   a shaft member operably engaging the piston for rotation to move the piston within the container.   
   
   
       2 . The container apparatus defined in  claim 1 , wherein the shaft member is fixed to one of the top member and a bottom of the container. 
   
   
       3 . The container apparatus defined in  claim 2 , wherein the shaft member is fixed to the top member and the top member is rotatable relative to the container. 
   
   
       4 . The container apparatus defined in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one paste-access hole includes an elongated deep hole, and including a brush applicator positioned in the elongated deep hole. 
   
   
       5 . The container apparatus defined in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one paste-access hole includes a plurality of holes, each being a different size and adapted to receive a threaded fastener with different shaft size. 
   
   
       6 . The container apparatus defined in  claim 1 , including a resilient wiper extending inward from a margin of the at least one paste-access hole. 
   
   
       7 . The container apparatus defined in  claim 1 , wherein the shaft member comprises a tubular shaft defining at least one of the at least one paste-access hole and includes a lateral hole defining a path for paste flow into the one paste-access hole. 
   
   
       8 . The container apparatus defined in  claim 1 , wherein the top assembly includes a resilient layer and a retainer for holding the resilient layer near the top member in a position where the resilient layer wipes excess paste from items extended into the at least one paste-access hole. 
   
   
       9 . The container apparatus defined in  claim 8 , wherein the resilient layer and retainer are connected to the top member but permit a partial turn of the top member without the resilient layer and retainer also moving, such that a partial turn of the top member closes the at least one paste-access hole and a further turn of the top member causes the shaft member to move the piston within the container. 
   
   
       10 . A dispensing apparatus comprising:
 a container with top member having a plurality of paste-access holes and adapted to hold viscous fluid;   a handled applicator in one of the paste-access holes with an applicator end positioned to touch the viscous fluid in the container; and   remaining ones of the holes being shaped to closely receive a shaft end of a fastener of a known size for coating the shaft end with a limited thickness of the viscous fluid.   
   
   
       11 . The apparatus defined in  claim 10 , including a wiper in each of the remaining ones of the holes for resiliently wiping threaded shafts of the fasteners when the fasteners are placed in the holes and then removed. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus defined in  claim 10 , including a paste applicator that includes a bristled end. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus defined in  claim 10 , including a resilient layer attached to the top member by an attachment structure that allows a partial rotation of the top member to a first position without rotating the resilient layer and thereafter upon a further rotation to a second position that causes the resilient member to rotate with the top member, the resilient layer including mating holes that align with the paste-access holes when in the first position but that misalign when in the second position. 
   
   
       14 . A container apparatus, comprising:
 a tubular container having a bottom end, an annular upper end and an inner surface, wherein one of the annular upper end and lower end is rotatable and includes a tubular shaft extending downwardly therefrom that provides fluid communication from the tubular container into the tubular shaft;   a compression member disposed within and slidably engaging the inner surface of the tubular container, the compression member being selectively positionable along the tubular shaft and defining with one of the ends of the tubular container a containment region having a volume;   wherein rotation of the one annular upper or lower end causes the compression member to travel along the tubular shaft decreasing the volume of the containment region to cause a material disposed within the containment region to communicate into the tubular shaft.   
   
   
       15 . The container apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a paste applicator, wherein the paste applicator comprises a shaft having a length and a bristled end, wherein the bristled end is disposable at least partially within the tubular shaft. 
   
   
       16 . The container apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the applicator includes a seal member disposed on the shaft for engaging at least a portion of the tubular shaft to prevent loss or evaporation of the material contained in the tubular shaft. 
   
   
       17 . The container apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the tubular shaft includes at least one aperture disposed on an end thereof providing fluid communication between the containment area and the tubular shaft. 
   
   
       18 . A container apparatus for dispensing a paste, comprising:
 a container holding paste and including an open top;   a top member for covering the container, the top member having a paste-access hole sized and adapted to closely receive a shaft of a fastener;   a piston for moving the paste toward the top but without forcing the paste out the paste-access hole in the cover;   whereby the shaft of the fastener can be extended through the paste-access hole and be covered with the paste and, when removed, leaves a layer of paste of limited thickness on the shaft.   
   
   
       19  The container apparatus defined in  claim 18 , including a cover for covering the top member and the hole to prevent debris from entering the paste and to prevent loss of volatile materials in the paste. 
   
   
       20 . The container apparatus defined in  claim 18 , wherein the top member includes a wiper adapted to leave the limited thickness that covers the threads on the shaft. 
   
   
       21 . The container apparatus defined in  claim 18 , wherein the top member includes a resilient layer that acts as a wiper around the paste-access hole. 
   
   
       22 . The container apparatus defined in  claim 18 , wherein the top member includes a threaded center shaft extending through the piston and to a bottom of the container such that, when one of the top member or the bottom is rotated, the piston moves up the threaded center shaft to motivate the paste toward a top of the container. 
   
   
       23 . The container apparatus defined in  claim 18 , wherein the piston includes an outer seal that slidingly engages the container and that provides sufficient friction to cause the piston to move vertically on the threaded center shaft when the top member is rotated rather than to spin rotationally. 
   
   
       24 . The container apparatus defined in  claim 18 , wherein the top member includes a horizontal plate with a first hole and a resilient layer with a second hole, the first and second holes aligning to form the paste-access hole, but the first hole being larger than the second hole so that marginal material in the resilient layer acts as a wiper when the shaft is extended therethrough. 
   
   
       25 . A container apparatus for dispensing a paste, comprising:
 a container adapted to hold a paste and including an open top; and   a top member on the container including a resilient wiper with a flexible wiping edge shaped to remove excess material from the fastener as the fastener is removed from dipping into the paste to thus keep the excess material in the container; whereby the shaft of the fastener can be extended into the paste and be covered with the paste and, when removed, a layer of paste of limited thickness is left on the shaft.   
   
   
       26 . A method of applying a paste to a threaded shaft of a fastener, comprising steps of:
 providing a container holding paste and including an open top;   providing a top member for covering the container, the top member having an open paste-access hole sized and being adapted to closely receive a threaded shaft of a fastener;   extending the threaded shaft of the fastener through the paste-access hole and into the paste to thus cover a portion of the threaded shaft with the paste; and   removing the threaded shaft such that, when removed, a layer of paste of limited thickness remains on the threaded shaft.