Patents by Inventor Anthony P. Brown

Anthony P. Brown has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6357624
    Abstract: A lid dispenser for storing and dispensing plastic drink lids. The dispenser has an elongated body within which the lids are stacked upside down and a dispensing slot in a sidewall facing a user. A gravity biased finger rides in a vertical trackway in a sidewall opposite the dispensing slot. The finger contacts the stack of drink lids, clamping the uppermost lid against the next-to-uppermost lid and tilting the uppermost lid at an angle towards the user. The uppermost lid can be grasped by the user and snapped through the dispensing slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Inventor: Anthony P. Brown
  • Patent number: 5819982
    Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing disposable lids from a coaxial stack of nested lids. The dispenser has a v-shaped tray with an open dispensing end for holding the stack, a resilient member biasing the lids towards the open dispensing end and a pair of spaced apart friction surfaces opposing the tray at the open dispensing end. The friction surfaces are inclined at a low angle to the stack and overhang the tray forming a throat through which the lids pass. As the lids are pushed into the throat by the resilient member biasing the lids, the friction surfaces stop movement of the stack through the throat and an endmost of the lids is unlatched from a next-to-endmost lid opposite the friction surfaces. A curved finger followed by a stop is reciprocated between the friction surfaces. When the finger is reciprocated towards the stack of lids, it makes contact with the endmost flange, overriding and hooking under its flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Inventor: Anthony P. Brown
  • Patent number: 5131562
    Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing lids for soft drinks or the like from a stack held in an upright container having a discharge opening. An abutment shoulder is attached to the inside of the upright container near its discharge opening. The lowermost lid in the stack is held by the abutment shoulder. In starting position, a prong projects through the container above the lowermost lid. The prong is manually moved by a handle on the outside of the container to a position below the abutment shoulder. As the prong moves below the abutment shoulder, it flexes the lowermost lid and releases it from the abutment shoulder. The lid drops through the discharge opening as the prong is returned to starting position by a spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Inventor: Anthony P. Brown