Abstract: A housing has two side walls extend upwardly from a floor to define a channel extending between a primer inlet and a primer outlet. A lanyard clip is fastened to the side walls adjacent the primer inlet, compressing the clip releases it, allowing primers to be loaded through the primer inlet. A spring is riveted to the housing floor with a protruding spacer segment facing the primer inlet, and a restraint segment facing the outlet. Multiple primers are restrained between the spring spacer segment and the primer inlet, yet the spacer segment may be deflected by pushing a primer toward the primer outlet until it is positioned on the restraint segment, and presented for engagement on the primer holder of an in-line action muzzleloading rifle. Pulling the dispenser displaces the primer to move along and depress the restraint segment, and dispensing it. A floor cut-out acts as a decapper.

Abstract: In a media dispensing machine having a media cassette, the media cassette includes a casing disposed in a media cassette receiving unit of the media dispensing machine; a media loading unit disposed in the casing and storing media; a driving unit installed at a certain side of the media loading unit inside the casing, operated by a power transmitting unit of the media dispensing machine and dispensing the media stored in the media loading unit; a media guiding unit installed so as to connect the driving unit with an outlet formed at the outer surface of the casing and guiding the media dispensed by the driving unit to a media conveying unit of the media dispensing machine; and a media dispense security unit for controlling the driving unit so as to operate only when the casing is installed in the media cassette receiving unit of the media dispensing machine.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tablet feeder in which a rotor can smoothly rotate to discharge tablets in spite of a large volume type of tablet containing case having a simple construction. A support portion 11 is provided in the tablets containing case 4 and positioned above at least one of the pocket portions 9 for preventing the weight of the tablets acting on the pocket portions 9 from resisting the rotation of the rotor 8.

Abstract: A device to automatically dispense solid medicinal units, such as pills, capsules, or the like, based upon patient needs. The medicinal units are stored in long, thin tubes. Each tube stores, in single-line, vertical fashion, a series of units of the same drug. The medicinal units, thusly stored, are efficiently dispensed from the bottom portion of the tube through a novel valve. In some embodiments, the valve is a permanent part of the tube; in others, the valve separates and re-connects to the tube to facilitate refilling of empty tubes at a drug refilling center. In still another embodiment, the valve comprises a thin wall molted elastic rubber tube sleeve mounted on the lower part of the plastic tube containing the medicinal units.

Abstract: A high capacity cassette for an object counting and dispensing system includes a substantially horizontal base including an exit hole, a peripheral wall about the base and having an internal periphery, the base and the peripheral wall defining a reservoir adapted to store a plurality of the discrete objects, and a structure about the internal periphery which feeds the discrete objects single file toward said exit hole.

Abstract: A reversible cartridge holding a plurality of paper products and for dispensing a controlled amount of the same from a dispenser housing. The cartridge includes a cartridge body having cartridge walls, the cartridge being insertable into an interior area of a dispenser housing. The cartridge may further include removable sections defined in the cartridge body, removal of at least a portion of the removable portions creating openings in the cartridge. The exterior walls define an interior surface and an interior area within the interior surface for receiving a cartridge holding a plurality of paper products. The cartridge further includes two dispensing throats, a first dispensing throat for dispensing multiple paper products, and the second dispensing throat for dispensing single paper products one at a time. Additional openings could be provided for controlling the dispensing and alignment of the paper products within the cartridge.

Abstract: There is disclosed a medicine supply apparatus which can easily and securely prevent a disadvantage that a medicine is wrongly supplied. The medicine supply apparatus comprises a plurality of tablet cases stored in a main body case storage part, each tablet case including a container for containing medicines, and a discharge drum for discharging the medicines one by one from the container, each tablet case is provided with a memory in which identification data for identifying the tablet case is written, and a main body is provided with a controller for identifying the tablet case based on the identification data in the memory of each tablet case, and executing the drive control of the discharge drum of each tablet case.

Abstract: There is disclosed a medicine supply apparatus which improves the cost and operability required for the maintenance of individual tablet cases. In the medicine supply apparatus, a plurality of tablet cases are stored in a main body case storage part, each tablet case includes a container for containing a medicine and provided with a discharge drum for discharging the medicine and a drive table provided with a motor for driving the discharge drum, transmission mechanism for transmitting a motor drive force to the discharge drum and a medicine detection sensor for detecting the medicine discharged from the discharge drum, and the drive table and container are detachably attached to the tablet case.

Abstract: A method for centralized mass processing of substitutable, good-holding magazines used in conjunction with computer-controlled vending machines. A memory-chip-mounting smart-card is used, not only to enter into the machines the magazine location and price of the various goods, but also to carry a sales transaction record of the replaced magazine, thus avoiding the need for magazine locking mechanisms and other security measures.

Abstract: A self-feeding manual cap crimper, indexing mechanism and replaceable cap cartridge provide benefits related to quickly sealing crimp top vials or bottles. A conventional manually operated cap crimping mechanism may be utilized in conjunction with a cap indexing mechanism and a replaceable cap cartridge constructed in accordance with the invention. The replaceable cap supply cartridge includes a main body having a cap containment portion which serially feeds caps to the cap indexing mechanism. The cap indexing mechanism and the replaceable cartridge may each be releasably connected to the cap crimping mechanism. A first actuation of the cap crimping mechanism feeds a cap proximate to multiple jaws associated with the crimping mechanism. A second actuation moves the jaws and crimp the cap onto the vial or bottle.

Abstract: A dispenser for storing/dispensing pharmaceutical dosages that are provided in a stamp-like (flat) dosage form. In some embodiments, the present dispenser includes a housing for retaining a plurality of stacked, individual “stamp-like” pharmaceutical dosages. Disposed within the housing beneath the dosages is a bias element, such as a helical spring, that urges the dosages towards a dosage delivery port of the housing. From the dosage delivery port, dosages are dispensed through an aperture. In other embodiments, the instant dispenser includes a cylindrical main body for retaining pharmaceutical dosages having a stamp-like dosage form that are collectively organized in a roll. A dosage delivery port depending from the cylindrical main body receives dosages one at a time therefrom. The present dispenser is configured, in various embodiments, for manual, mechanically assisted, or automated dispensing.

Abstract: A ball cartridge device includes: a tube container for filling practice balls in the tube container having a locking bar resiliently held in a bottom portion of the tube container for normally preventing discharge of ball from the container, and a discharge tube formed on an unloading device and positioned under the tube container for quickly coupling the tube container for smoothly discharging ball from the tube container through the unloading device to a ball dispensing device.

Abstract: A dispensing device for a container comprises a housing having an open top portion and a bottom portion. The top portion of the housing is attached or permanently affixed to a container opening. An adjustable opening is disposed at the bottom of the housing may be adjusted to permit one of the contents of the container to pass from the housing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system capable of automatically dispensing copperplates one by one in sequence to be used in imprinting captions on a film in a caption printer. The system has a casing shaped as a slim tube having an inclined guiding hole. A coil spring is longitudinally inserted in the casing. Each of the copperplates can be received in each of pitches of the casing. A rotation shaft is fixed to a lower end of the coil spring. The copperplates can be inserted through the upper end of the casing and guided into each of the pitches one by one in sequence while the rotation shaft together with the coil spring is rotated. The copperplates can be dispensed out of the casing through the inclined guiding hole one by one in sequence at each rotation of the coil spring.

Abstract: The security device for containers having lids comprises a catch which is mobile internally of a chamber associated to the container and which has an end which is predisposed to insert snugly and be removed from a hollow seating afforded in a lid. The catch is mobile internally of the chamber in a non-parallel direction to an uncoupling direction of the lid from a retracted position, at which it does not interfere with the hollow seating, and at least one extended position, in which it is at least partially inserted in the hollow seating. The movement of the catch is pneumatically actuated.

Abstract: A scrubs dispenser cabinet dispenses garment tops and bottoms to customers in a plurality of sizes. A cabinet housing has a dispense port at a convenient location on the front. A pair of reels within the housing have a first web belt wound onto them and the belt has pockets or compartments along its length. These compartments are adapted to be loaded with scrub tops. The belt passes over idlers along a path so that the compartments on the first belt align with the dispense port as the belt unwinds from one reel and winds onto the other. Another pair of reels has a second web belt, the second belt similarly having compartments, here adapted to be loaded with said scrub bottoms. The second belt also moves on a path that aligns the compartments with said dispense port as the belt unwinds from one of the reels and winds onto the other.

Abstract: A dispenser for elongated rod-like articles. The dispenser has a housing which has a trap chamber rotatable cylinder wherein the trap gravitationally captures from the bottom of a pile, one at a time, one of the rod-like articles and arcuately moves it by means of the cylinder to a downwardly facing position from whence the rod-like article falls onto a chute. The housing is loaded from a cartridge which contains the rod-like articles and is inserted on top of the housing when in use. The cylinder is constructed of a plurality of spaced apart discs each of which has a radially extending notch in alignment with one another to thereby define an elongated trap for the rod-like articles to be dispensed.

Abstract: A plate stacker is described for use in the field of sample analysis. The plate stacker increases the rate and ease with which sample carriers such as microwell plates may be interfaced with an automated system and includes a removable rack attached to a base to allow plates to be transported to and from an automated system. The stacker rack includes a door which allows for a compact stacker thus allowing manipulation of the microwell plates in a compact area. Generally, the plate stacker provides a means to allow a user to interface with an automated system. The rack portion of the stacker allows the user to load and unload microwell plates into the system in batches by loading or unloading multiple individual plates into or out of the rack. The base portion allows the automated system to load and unload individual microwell plates from the stacker.

Abstract: The invention comprises a wall or door-mounted container for cleansing wipes having two separate compartments, one for holding readily available packet stacks (or rolls) of dry paper towel wipes of standard size, and one for holding a sealed containers of pre-moistened paper towelette wipes. The latter containers also may be found in retail and wholesale outlets everywhere and comes in generally cylindrical tubs of two or three standard sizes. A slot is provided in the bottom of the first container compartment for permitting egress of the dry paper towels, as is common. A new aperture is provided in the bottom of the second compartment for providing egress to the wet towelettes, in cooperative placement with respect to the cross slit aperture found in the lid of a towelette tub. A one-piece hinged and locked transparent front panel gives ready access to both compartments for instant refilling.

Abstract: A tablet feeder includes a mechanism for preventing tablets from being discharged from any pocket formed in the outer periphery of a rotor mounted on a tablet storage case when the case is fitted on or removed from a support. The tablet feeder includes the tablet storage case and the support. The rotor is rotatably mounted on an inner bottom of the case. A plurality of pockets are formed in the outer periphery of the rotor at predetermined intervals. The rotor is rotated by a motor through a gear. A resilient engaging member having a toothed tip is mounted on the inner bottom of the case. The resilient engaging member carries a disengaging arm. When the case is dismounted from the support, the toothed tip engages a gear provided at the bottom end of the rotor, preventing the rotation of the rotor.

Abstract: A card dispensing cassette includes a housing in which cards are stacked. A dispense outlet is provided in the housing through which cards are laterally dispensed from the cassette. A card retainer, cooperating with the dispense outlet, is slidably mounted to the cassette for substantially lateral movement between a closed position in which cards cannot be dispensed and an open position in which cards can be dispensed. The card retainer has a retaining lip which engages any cards protruding through the dispense outlet when the card retainer moves to its closed position so as to return those cards into the cassette.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing cylindrical objects of uniform diameter, such as beverage cans, from a package holding at least two rows of the objects, with at least two objects in each row. The dispenser has a front face that defines an object-dispensing opening at its lower end. The opening is shaped to allow an object being dispensed to pass through the opening. There is a dispensing tray at the bottom of the opening and projecting outward from the front face of the dispenser. The dispensing tray is adapted to receive and hold an object dispensed from the package and through the opening. The dispenser also includes an object-repositioning structure inward of the front face and positioned to contact the front object in the second row of objects at or above its center line when the dispenser is placed over an opened end of the package.

Abstract: A container which is filled with an array of parallel hollow cylinders of cigarette paper is opened at the top and is overlapped by a retractible temporary cover prior to being partially inverted onto a downwardly sloping top wall of a magazine. The cover is thereupon retracted and the top wall is pivoted to permit entry of cylinders from the interior of the container into a chamber of te magazine. Such cylinders are thereupon caused or permitted to enter the flutes of an indexible drum-shaped conveyor which transports the cylinders seriatim to a station where successive cylinders receive rod-like fillers of particulate material, such as comminuted smokable material.

Abstract: There is disclosed a system for maintaining and dispensing articles in an aseptic environment. The system includes a cabinet of modular units having at least one bank of shelves. Each bank has an open end and a closed end such that the open end is oriented toward a dispensing chute. Each bank contains a plurality of horizontally adjustable shelves laterally disposed in the bank. The shelves are divided by a plurality of dividers to define a series of slots on each shelf. A dispensing chute is located adjacent the open end of the bank and is adapted to provide gravity feed of an article. The articles are feed toward the dispensing chute by a feeding means such as an auger and the leading article is discharged by gravity. The operation of the feed means is controlled by a microprocessor or the like to control the delivery of articles to the dispensing chute. There is also disclosed a prepackaged cartridge of articles for use in the dispensing system.

Abstract: A dispensing box for the continuous feed of fan-folded paper to a printer or other device. The box has opposite side walls, a bottom and an open top, and a lid covering the open top. A narrow slot is formed through the lid, extending from one side to the other adjacent one end of the box, and a free end of the fan-folded paper is fed through the slot from inside the box to a printer or other device. A roller is positioned inside the box adjacent the slot for guiding movement of the paper and smoothing its movement as it is pulled from the box by the printer or other device.

Abstract: In an apparatus for supplying a solid processing agent to a processing tank of a photographic material processing apparatus, there is provide a put-back mechanism for putting a solid processing agent back into an accommodation container when the accommodation container is moved from a operating position to a maintenance position on which the accommodation container can be replaced with a new one.

Abstract: A vending rack for a vending machine is formed of a housing, a path for a merchandise defined in the housing and having an inlet side and an outlet side, an inlet regulating device situated at the inlet side of the path for regulating a size of the merchandise to be supplied to the path, a vending mechanism situated near the outlet side of the path, and an outlet regulating plate situated at the outlet side of the path. The position of the outlet regulating plate is adjusted according to the size of the merchandise. A connecting rod is situated between the inlet regulating device and the outlet regulating plate. The connecting rod is movably attached to the housing so that when one of the inlet regulating device and the outlet regulating plate is moved to adjust the size of the merchandise, the other of the inlet regulating device and the outlet regulating plate is moved to thereby adjust the inlet regulating device and the outlet regulating plate in one adjustment.

Abstract: A package is disclosed for storing and dispensing electrical connectors or components thereof. The package employs a plurality of elongated component-containing tubes in a generally parallel laterally stacked array, with opposite ends of the tubes being in generally linear alignments at opposite ends of the stacked array. An elongated, U-shaped end cap slidingly engages the opposite outer walls of the tubes along the opposite ends of the stacked array thereof. A dispensing system is disclosed wherein a pair of upright supports of a dispensing apparatus are disposed in a spaced arrangement for receiving therebetween the stacked array of tubes held together by the end caps. Complementary recessed portions located within said upright supports hold the end caps so that when the stacked array is moved beyond the recessed portions, the end caps remain in the recessed portions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dispenser for sanitary-hygiene items, such as bags which can be folded up, handkerchiefs, or the like, comprising a box-type housing and a container of a flexible material, such as cardboard, which is exchangeably arranged in the housing and contains the sanitary-hygiene items, the housing of which dispenser comprises at least one projection which projects into the interior of said housing, and the container is provided, in the region of the projections, with predetermined breaking points for puncturing by the projections.

Abstract: A vacuum operated system for individually dispensing items of oral solid medicine from bulk storage to a user, where the medicine is dispensed under computer control, and the quantity and type of medicine is selected in advance by the user. The invention includes medicine dispensing equipment and a computer that provides a user interface. A plurality of storage containers arranged in a rotatable carousel or a rectilinear array may contain various pharmaceutical articles, or various types, dosages, ages, and lot numbers of medicines. The storage containers may be easily refilled by inserting modular refill cartridges into the storage containers. After a user enters certain data into the computer, the invention aligns a universal vacuum probe with the storage container that contains the desired items. The universal vacuum probe is lowered to the desired storage container and engaged with a container probe that is exclusive to that storage container.

Abstract: A portable tabletop or counter top cookie dispenser has a transparent container. A pair of laterally spaced partitions extends lengthwise of the container along the bottom of the latter, and the partitions define a trough which opens to a discharge chute at the front of the container. Inclined guide walls are mounted in the container above the trough and serve to funnel cookies placed in the container to the rear of the trough. A screw conveyor is located in and extends longitudinally of the trough. The screw conveyor is driven by a handwheel disposed at the front of the container externally thereof. When the handwheel is rotated, the screw conveyor urges cookies in the trough towards the discharge chute.

Abstract: Plastic binding strips used with this invention comprise a female strip consisting of a narrow, thin plastic strip formed with spaced apertures and grooves communicating with the apertures and a male strip comprising a narrow plastic strip having bendable studs projecting at fight angles therefrom spaced to fit through holes in the pages to be bound and the apertures in the female strip. Such strips are packaged in cassettes. The hopper for the female strips receives a stack of cassettes. Strips are fed from the lowermost cassette by a horizontally reciprocating finger onto a transverse ways and then feed along the ways to an assembly station. When the lowermost cassette is empty, its support is removed and the next cassette is moved into place. The male hopper is similar to the female except that the studs require greater spacing between cassettes and provision is made in the feed structures for the upward projection of the studs.

Abstract: A towelette dispensing device is provided, for cleaning a toilet seat on a toilet bowl, which consists of a receptacle mountable onto a vertical flat surface adjacent the toilet seat. A package of towelettes can be inserted into the receptacle. A towelette can be extracted, one at a time, from the receptacle by a person, to wipe clean the toilet seat used by another person previously. This will satisfy a concern and need for individual personal hygiene by lessening the danger of germs being transmitted from the toilet seat.

Abstract: A subassembly for use in a computerized medicine dispensing station is disclosed. The station has a cabinet for housing openable drawers in stacked arrangement containing dispensable pharmaceutical items. The subassembly includes a drawer having a base plate, side walls, and a front panel defining an interior compartment. The drawer can be inserted into the cabinet. The interior compartment of the drawer is divided into subcompartments, each subcompartment defined by spaced apart side walls and a curved rear wall. Each subcompartment contains a movable magazine mounted therein for racetrack-like movement therein between the spaced apart side wall and the curved rear wall. The magazine includes individual open cups for containing single dispensable pharmaceutical items therein. The front panel has an aperture which is normally closed and locked.

Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus and method of manufacture for a blister-type display package which includes a vacuum-formed dispenser housing, and a vacuum-formed dispenser door mounted on the rear of the housing. The housing includes a cavity to hold the objects to be dispensed and an undercut ridge adjacent to an opening in the cavity on the rear of the housing. The dispenser door has a movable portion to cover at least a portion of the cavity opening and an undercut outer ridge which cooperates with the undercut ridge on the housing to enable the movable door to be snapped into and out of a closed position. A securing lip on the door is secured to the rear of the housing. A hinge extending between the securing lip and the movable portion, enables the door to be opened and closed. A display card is heat sealed to the rear of the housing to secure the door to the housing.

Abstract: An improved carousel apparatus for use in carousel-type magnetic tape library systems and the like, including a cylindrical magazine carried by a rotatable turntable. The turntable includes a sprocket wheel that is engaged by a drive belt or chain connected to a stepper motor affixed to a rotatable base plate. Affixed to the sprocket is a shutter plate having a plurality of notches in its perimeter for detection by an optical-indexing sensor. The apparatus also includes a carousel-indexing sensor and a cartridge-in-carousel and cartridge-orientation sensor. Disposed within the central cavity of the carousel magazine unoccupied by cartridges is a cartridge-onloading/offloading mechanism which is rotatably mounted concentric with the carousel turntable.

Abstract: The invention relates to a tablet dispenser, including a dispenser housing, a replaceable tablet package to be accommodated in the housing, an adjustable periodicity indicator and a single tablet dispensing aperture in the dispenser cover. The tablet package includes a cover, rotatably connected to the bottom portion of the package and provided with an opening which, upon use of the dispenser, is in alignment with the tablet dispensing aperture. The dispenser further includes a locking device to compel joint rotational movement of periodicity indicator and package bottom portion, and an operating member to effect stepwise rotation of the package bottom portion relative to said package cover.

Abstract: A transparent display article dispenser, includes spaced front and rear walls and spaced side walls integral with the front and rear walls to define a vertical chute having open upper and lower ends. The front wall includes a first horizontal retainer flange projecting into the interior of the passageway at a lower end of the chute. The rear wall includes a second horizontal retainer flange projecting towards the first retainer flange and being spaced below the first retainer flange a distance in excess of the height of the article being dispensed. An opening is formed within the front wall below the first retainer flange for removal of an article resting on the second retainer flange. An elongated removable see-through tubular cartridge sized smaller in cross-section than the chute passageway and being configured to that passageway has a lower end inserted within the chute passageway and stores articles to be dispensed in a serial, abutting fashion.

Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for dispensing rollable articles from a package, container or the like. The apparatus includes a retainer for placement over an opening in a package to prevent rollable articles contained in the package from rolling en masse out of the package. The retainer also defines a port for controllably dispensing rollable articles from the package. In addition, the apparatus includes a holder for rollingly receiving an article controllably dispensed from the package through the port. The holder is capable of holding the dispensed articles to enable an individual to remove an article from the holder by grasping it. In addition, an attachment means is provided which cooperates with the retainer for securing the retainer to the package over the package's opening.

Abstract: A newspaper vending machine is described holding individual newspapers in a carrousel which rotates within a closed tube. The carrousel is separated into a plurality of discrete chambers by platforms. The carrousel rotates relative to the tube. The tube defines an opening through which a single platform may be accessed as the carrousel rotates within the tube. A mechanism operates in conjunction with the door to the vending machine to rotate the carrousel as the door is opened.

Abstract: Electronic component packaging case comprising a substantially plate-like body having a substantially spiral passageway formed in its interior, a linear passageway formed therein as a continuation of an outermost circular portion of the sapiral passageway, an outlet formed therein as a continuation of the linear passageway to communicate with the exterior of the body, a plurality of electronic components received in a row in the spiral passageway, and a plurality of air-intakes for facilitating forwarding of the electronic components along the spiral passageway to the outlet, the air-intakes being formed in the casing body in a manner to communicate between respective circular portions of the spiral passageway and the exterior of the casing body, the case being adapted to be supported on a base of an electronic component supply mechanism with the body standing on the base when the case is used as an electronic component supply source, the outlet being formed at a portion of the casing body which is located at

Abstract: A tray and dispenser for holding and dispensing individual film packets from a stack of film packets provided in a tray. The tray comprises a bottom wall, an first end wall, a second end wall, and two substantially parallel side walls. The side and end walls extend upwardly from the bottom wall and terminate in an upper rim to define an open top and a recess for receiving a stack of film packets. The second end wall is provided with a support surface for supporting a stack of film packets placed in the recess when the tray is placed in the vertical position. The bottom wall of the tray is provided with ribs for spacing the stack of film packets a predetermined distance from the surface of the bottom wall and forming a rear space behind the bottom packet. The second end wall is also provided with an access opening for allowing access to the packet disposed on the bottom of the stack of film packets when the tray is placed in the substantial vertical position.

Abstract: An apparatus is described which can receive a large number of earplugs from a box and dispense one or two of them at a time to a worker. The apparatus includes a wheel (22, FIG. 1) which is rotatable on a frame (12) and which has holes (24) that move in a circular path and that can each receive a single earplug (16). As each hole moves over a dispense passage 18, the earplug in the hole can fall out, and be dispensed. A barrier (42, FIG. 2) lying above the wheel, prevents an earplug from falling into a hole that lies at the passage. The barrier covers only one side (52) of the path (32) of the holes, to allow a deformed earplug to move along the other, uncovered side (54) of the path. The wheel has a narrow slot (80) extending from each hole to the periphery, so a tool can be projected through a frame opening (84) and through the slot to dislodge an earplug stuck in a wheel hole.

Abstract: A dispenser apparatus (1, 60) for medications (2) in capsule or pill form includes a case (3, 64) dispensing the medications and a removable loader (4, 75) capable of containing the medications previously put into the loader. The case includes a driving mechanism (7, 61) for driving the loader in a given direction, and optical detection (39) arranged in order to detect the passage of a medication at the moment of its exit from the case and connected to a electronic device (40) for storing, computing and retrieving the data relating to the dispensing of medications. The loader includes several transverse compartments (24) forming a continuous longitudinal chain, the loader and the orifice being arranged in order to allow the exit of the medication directly under gravity when it is dispensed.

Abstract: A container is described which can hold multiple small articles such as earplugs, and which can be inserted into a dispenser where the contents can be readily released. The container includes a box (30, FIG. 3 ) whose bottom wall includes a pair of flaps (50, 52) having inner ends (54, 56) pivotally connected to the bottoms of opposite side walls, and having outer portions (64, 66) that lie adjacent to each other. A release device (34) holds the outer portions of the flaps together to prevent them from pivoting down until the release device is pulled out, when the flaps pivot down and the articles fall out. The outer portion of each flap includes an upstanding tab (76, 78, FIG. 5 ) with a horizontal slot (82), and the release device includes a cardboard plate which is received in the slot.

Abstract: An apparatus is described which can receive a large number of earplugs from a box and dispense one or two of them at a time to a worker, which avoids touching of the earplugs by any other person. The apparatus includes a wheel (22, FIG. 1 ) which is rotatable on a frame (12) and which has holes (24) that are each capable of holding a single earplug (26). As the wheel turns, earplugs fall into the holes. As each hole moves to a dispense location (30), the earplug in the hole can fall out of the hole along a dispense passage (16). A barrier (42) lying above the wheel, prevents an earplug from falling into a hole that lies at the dispense location, and sweeps away any second earplug which lies partially within a hole approaching the dispense location. A large number of earplugs are contained in a box (80) which is installed in an open top (82) of the dispenser.

Abstract: An automatic sample analyzer comprising, a plurality of sticks which have a plurality of reagent portions corresponding to different examination items so as to be divided into a plurality of groups of sticks by combinations of the examination items, a plurality of cassettes each having an outlet and a discriminatory mark, the discriminatory mark corresponding to one of the group of the sticks so as to accommodate the one of the group of the sticks, a removal device for automatically taking a desired one of the sticks of the cassettes by using a single removal mechanism.

Abstract: A tray and dispenser for holding and dispensing individual film packets from a stack of film packets provided in a tray. The tray comprises a bottom wall, an first end wall, a second end wall, and two substantially parallel side walls. The side and end walls extend upwardly from the bottom wall and terminate in an upper rim to define an open top and a recess for receiving a stack of film packets. The second end wall is provided with a support surface for supporting a stack of film packets placed in the recess when the tray is placed in the vertical position. The bottom wall of the tray is provided with ribs for spacing the stack of film packets a predetermined distance from the surface of the bottom wall and forming a rear space behind the bottom packet. The second end wall is also provided with an access opening for allowing access to the packet disposed on the bottom of the stack of film packets when the tray is placed in the substantial vertical position.

Abstract: A dispensing unit for paper currency includes a box-shaped currency container (14) with a circuit that stores an identification code and with a frame-like receptacle module (12) into which the currency container (14) can be inserted, and a contact arrangement (146) of the currency container (14) can be connected by a mating contact arrangement (148) mounted on the receptacle module (12) to a polling and control circuit that controls the opening or locking of the currency container (14). In order to permit polling of the circuit in the currency container (14) during the insertion movement, the mating contact arrangement (148) is adjustable in the direction of insertion (A) of the currency container (14).

Abstract: A rivet feed system which includes a base feeder assembly (28), having a rivet passageway (30) extendign lengthwise therethrough. The base feeder assembly (28) includes cutout regions to receive rivet injectors (24) which are moved in operation between a first position and a second position. In the first position, an opening (80) in the injectors (24) forms a part of the passageway (30) through the base feeder assembly (28), while in the second position, the opening (80) is positioned directly beneath a vertically oriented rivet cartridge (22) to receive a rivet therefrom. The passageway (30) is connected to a source of pressurized air (32) which moves rivets therealong to a rivet machine or the like. The plurality of cartridges (22) positioned along the base feeder assembly contain rivets of various selected sizes.