SELF-LEVELING DISPENSER WITH ARTICLE SEPARATOR

• US 3,861,563 A
• Filed: 04/12/1973
• Issued: 01/21/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arthur Lisbin, George Tanney, James Albanese
• Original Assignee: Arthur Lisbin, George Tanney, James Albanese
• Inventors: Lisbin, Arthur, Tanney, George, Albanese, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bartuska, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US05/350,501
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 221/279,280,311 312/71 211/49D 220/93,33,29
• US Class Current: 221/279
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/06 dispensing from top for spring-urged trays or plates B65G1/07
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0858 the articles being automatically urged towards the dispensing aperture, e.g. spring-loaded B65D83/0864 takes precedence

Abstract

A dispensing device for dispensing articles includes a container in which a column of the articles are arranged in column form. The container has an opening through which the articles are dispensed and biasing means urge the column of articles in one longitudinal direction toward the opening. Stop means are mounted in a fixed position relative to the opening in order to engage one longitudinal end of the column of articles. The biasing means urges the column in one longitudinal direction so that the end article engages the stop means, whereby when the end article is withdrawn upon being dispensed, the biasing means moves the column in the aforementioned one longitudinal direction to cause the next succeeding article in the stacked column to engage the stop means and to tilt at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the column to thereby facilitate dispensing.

Claims

1. A dispensing device comprising container means containing a column of rigid artIcles to be dispensed, said container means having an opening through which said rigid articles are dispensed, biasing means urging said column in one longitudinal direction towards said opening, stop means mounted in a fixed position relative to said opening and disposed in a position to engage one longitudinal end of said column, said stop means including a section extending over said opening of said container means and having a length greater than at least one-half the radius of said opening in said container means, said section of said stop means including a straight line portion disposed at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said column, said stop means including a cover having a first and a second cover element, means pivotally mounting said first cover element on said second cover element such that said first cover element is rotatable between a closed position and an open position, said biasing means urging said column in said one longitudinal direction so that the end article at said one longitudinal end of said column engages said section of said stop means, whereby when said end article is withdrawn upon being dispensed, said biasing means moves said column in said one longitudinal direction to cause the next succeeding article in the stacked column to engage said section of said stop means and to tilt said next succeeding article at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said column to thereby facilitate dispensing of said article.

2. A dispensing device according to claim 1 wherein said section of said stop means includes wedge means mounted on said second cover element, said wedge means having a surface engageable by said end article, said surface being disposed at an acute angle relative to the general plane of said dispensing opening in said container means.

3. A dispensing device according to claim 1 wherein said opening in said container means is surrounded by a flange, means pivotally mounting said second cover element on said flange, and clip means on said flange engageable with said second cover element to secure the latter in operable position on said flange.