Abstract: The present device is a magazine (10) which includes housing defining a medication storage area. An access door (22) is provided in the housing to gain access to stock the storage area with unit dose medication containers (34). The housing defines an open lower periphery which is covered by at least one locking mechanism having a release door (156). The locking mechanism includes a plurality of cams (166, 174, 186) cooperatively contained such that upon sequential operation, the release door (156) opens the lower periphery which allows the unit dose medication containers (34) to fall.

Abstract: A cottonbud dispenser consisting of a base, a plurality of long coiled springs, pushing blocks to push said springs, a position block, a fixing plate, a stop plate and a transparent case body storing cottonbuds, any of said pushing blocks below the base being possible to be pushed to eject a cottonbud in one of the rooms in the base to extend out of said room so as to be picked up by fingers and also possible to be pushed back to its original position by the compressed long spring after said pushing block is released.

Abstract: In a package designed to be readily loaded into a magazine, stacked roofing washers are collated by means of an elongate, flexible, polymeric strap extending through central apertures of the washers. Near each end of the strap, the strap is formed with a formation, such as, for example, an overhand knot, which is capable of supporting the washers if the package is suspended from the other end of the strap. One such formation is capable of being deformed sufficiently so as to permit it to be forcibly pulled through the washer apertures. A related method of loading such washers into the magazine and a related method of packaging such washers are disclosed. Each such method involves the package noted above.

Abstract: A chip structure (connector) (20) includes a socket body (21); and a pair of L-shaped reinforcing brackets (23, 24), with a vertical leg (25) attached to either side of the socket body and a horizontal leg (28) provided with an abutment face (29).

Abstract: A film sheet load magazine is adapted to hold a stack of superimposed films with at least central portions of the films in a curved configuration and leading ends of the films adjacent a film separator mechanism. The curvature of the films is such that they retain themselves in desired positions in the magazine independent of the orientation of the films with respect to gravity. When a top cover of the magazine is opened, floating primary feed rollers are raised by spring-biasing assemblies to facilitate loading of the films under the rollers, and when the top cover is subsequently closed, the rollers are moved into feeding engagement with an innermost film, and the films are held in position by leaf biasing springs. A cleaning mechanism removes contaminants from the primary feed rollers, which feed each film to secondary feed rollers driven at a faster speed than the primary feed rollers.

Abstract: A portable package for storing and dispensing photographic film cartridges is constructed by a package of film cartridges and a housing of the package. The package contains two or more cartridges in it. Both the package and the housing have matching outlets for dispensing the cartridges.

Abstract: A chip packaging casing for packing chips and also serving as a chip supply source comprises a substantially plate-like body having a spiral passageway formed in its interior, and a plurality of chips received in a row in the spiral passageway of the body. The plate-like body further has a chip-outlet formed therein as a continuation of the spiral passageway to communicate with the exterior of the body and at least one air-intake formed therein to communicate between the passageway and the exterior of the body. The air-intake is adapted to be connected to an air supply source and serves to facilitate the forwarding of the chips along the passageway toward the outlet to discharge the chips form the outlet. A chip supply mechanism is provided for supplying chips to a mounting head of an automatic chip mounting apparatus by using the chip packaging casing.

Abstract: Disclosed are a sheet package and a sheet feeding apparatus in which such a sheet package is preferably employed. The sheet package is comprises a cover for covering a stack of sheets in its entirety and openable by being broken away to expose at least an end portion of the stack of sheets and a member extending outward from the bottom of the stack of sheets. The sheet feeding apparatus is provided with cassette body capable of accomodating the sheet package therein, and a holding portion for fixedly holding the extending member of the sheet package.

Abstract: Dispensing apparatus for business cards or the like articles including a plurality of dispensing units which are in the form of hollow housings for receiving a stack of cards, each housing having a slot through which the cards are dispensed. The housings are supported on a grid-like support which is hingedly mounted to a backing board so that in one position access to the rear of the housings is prevented while in a second position access is allowed to permit refilling of the housings.

Abstract: A sheet container is detachably attached to a sheet dispenser mechanism. A stack of sheets stored in the sheet container are taken out by take-out rollers and introduced into nip sections defined between feed rollers and frictional separation rollers which are opposed to and pressedly contacted with the feed rollers, and the stack of sheets are separated from one another to be delivered. The take-out rollers and the feed rollers are provided in the sheet dispenser mechanism, while the frictional separation rollers are provided in the sheet container. The sheet container includes a front plate which determines the position of the front part of the stack of sheets therewithin, and a lower end portion of the front plate is formed with projections which protrude toward the stack of sheets. The projections restrict the position of the lower end portion of the front part of the stack of sheets in the nip sections between the feed rollers and the frictional separation rollers.

Abstract: A dispensing apparatus for thin, disposable plastic gloves wherein the gloves may be reliably removed one at a time in a simple manner. The apparatus comprises a generally rectangular enclosure for housing a removably mounted packet containing a plurality of gloves. The gloves are arranged in closely spaced, parallel relationship to one another for removal, one at a time, through an exit opening provided through the walls of the enclosure. Each glove is provided with a weakened tear line across the wrist portion. The packet of gloves includes a mounting strip which extends across the upper wrist portion of the stack of gloves and is fixed to each glove above the tear line. The mounting strip cooperates with means formed in the enclosure to releasably fix the packet within the enclosure. Each glove may be removed by exerting a downward force through the exit opening on the outermost glove sufficient to separate the glove along the tear line from the remaining gloves in the packet.

Abstract: A sheet store, such as a banknote cassette, comprises a container having an access opening. The access opening is provided with a closure member and a locking device for locking the closure member in the closed position. The locking device includes an electrically conductive non-ferromagnetic member supported for movement between locked and unlocked positions. The member is biased to one of the positions and caused to move to the other of the positions in response to the generation of a magnetic field in the vicinity of the member.

Abstract: A vending machine has a carousel containing several rotatable trays stacked one above another. The trays carry and present for vending selected items, such as food and merchandise. The carousel is contained in a housing or canister and is part of an integrated assembly with a coin container. The carousel is filled at a central depot rather than at the site where the machine is installed for use by customers. The customer locations have the cabinet of the machine. Fixed in the cabinet is a drive mechanism for the carousel and locating and guide members which enable integrated assemblies to be removed from the cabinet and fresh assemblies, with the carousel trays loaded at the central depot, to be installed in place of the removed assemblies. The coin box when empty is equipped with a mechanism which is set to enable coins to drop into the container and is automatically reset so as to close the opening when the assembly is removed from the cabinet.

Abstract: A dispensing device is provided for dispensing a plurality of articles such as cigarette boxes. The device includes two levels of individual dispensing modules. Each dispensing module includes a plurality of vertical stack holders mounted on a support plate having an open center. A dispensing mechanism selectively withdraws an article from one of the stack holders and conveys the article to the open center such that the article drops through the open center for conveyance to a final destination. The dispensing mechanism includes a shuttle plate also having an open center and a mechanism for moving the shuttle plate beneath the support plate for the vertical stack holders. One or more solenoid-activated engagement pins on the shuttle plate selectively engage one or more of the articles held in the stack holders such that, as the shuttle plate moves, the engaged article or articles moves with the shuttle plate.

Abstract: The appliance can be used in particular for dispensing food pellets to animals in animal houses or especially in a space vehicle. It comprises a magazine (10) for storing the pellets (38) in which is compactly housed a thin wall pipe made from a flexible material containing a stack of pellets and a dispenser (20) comprising means for progressively extracting the pipe (30) from the magazine and a knife (42) for opening the latter along a generatrix as it advances for releasing the pellets. A spool (52) receives the split and emptied portion of the pipe.

Abstract: For manually dispensing successively lowermost articles from a stack, the stack is housed in a device which includes a downwardly opening container removably supported in an upwardly and frontally opening box portion of a support. An article removal slide is received in a slot defined between a bottom wall of the box and the lower edge of the container. An upwardly projecting tang, at the back of the slide, drags the lowermost article forwards, out of the slot, as a handle on the front of the slide is pulled forward. Detents in sidewalls of the box above the bottom wall removably mount to complementary features on the container side walls. Guides and an out-stop are provided between the article removal slide and the box bottom wall. The slide is received in a central recess in the box bottom wall. Flanking surfaces of the box bottom wall support the lowermost article which also rests on the slide.

Abstract: The facial tissue sanitary system is a unitized system having a container with a tissue dispensing section and a tissue disposal section, separated from one another by an intervening wall. Each section has a opening through which tissue passes, with a removable adhesive closure sealer provided for sealing of the tissue disposal opening. The container can be situated in a base over which a sleeve moves horizontally to cover the container, the sleeve having upper surface openings corresponding to the openings in the sections. A cover tray is provided to serve alternatively as a cover for the upper surface of the sleeve or a stand for the base, with an identity tag being optionally affixed to the closure lid. The closure sealer is useable to seal the refuse disposed in the tissue disposal section when the container is to be discarded.

Abstract: A dispensing machine in the form of a vending machine for vending generally planar articles, which may be rigid or flexible, includes an article feed system having a first generally horizontal conveyor on which the articles are arranged generally vertically side-by-side and by which they are moved towards a second generally transversely extending conveyor which removes the endmost article from the first conveyor and supplies it to an outlet slot in the housing of the machine and from which it is removed by the user. The second conveyor may remove articles from the first conveyor generally vertically upwardly or generally horizontally. The article feed system is driven by operation of a handle by the user through an intermediate mechanical drive system connected between the handle and the article feed system and keys may be provided for preventing operation of the article feed system in the absence of the provision by the user of the required amount of money for an article.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for simultaneously positioning electronic components, such as surface-mounted chips on a circuit board. A removable load plate carries a plurality of chip placement assemblies, each having a support disposing a plurality of such components in a stack adjacent the board. The assemblies are disposed about the load plate in a geometric pattern corresponding to that of chips to be placed. A stripping component of each assembly in slidable engagement with the support sequentially urges each chip in the stack transversely from the stack to a second position opposing a corresponding desired site on the board where the chip is to be placed. Each support includes a mounting block having a connector for releasable interconnection of each positioning apparatus to the load plate. A chamber maintains the chip at the second position in response to fluid pressure differential.

Abstract: A sheet feed device for feeding a sheet in a copying machine includes a sheet cassette storing a stack of sheets therein and removably positioned in a housing of the copying machine, and a plurality of suction cups for attracting one of the sheets at a time from the sheet cassette. The suction cups are movable toward and away from the sheet cassette. Locking fingers lock the sheet cassette against removal when the suction cups are moved toward the sheet cassette and are ready for or are feeding sheets from the sheet cassette. The locking fingers are angularly movably supported in the housing and lockingly fittable in recesses defined in side walls of the sheet cassette.

Abstract: An adjustable dispenser container for holding boxes of plastic bags that are usually stored on a roll or packed individually side-by-side within a box to be dispensed from the box via a slot including a housing having sidewalls, a bottom, a top and a longitudinal axis intersecting the bottom and top. One of the walls includes a longitudinally extending slot. The slot is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the box. An adjusting spring in the form of a pair of spaced apart leafs is provided interiorly of the body for frictionally holding the box with respect to the body in a position that registers the slot of the box with the longitudinal slot of the housing so that plastic bags can be dispensed simultaneously through both the first and the second slots and the springs deforming when the box is placed in the housing so that boxes of varying sizes can be used in the housing.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for the storage and dispensing of packaged adhesive bandages and similarly shaped flat packaged units. The dispenser includes a drive unit base, which may be powered either manually or electrically. A cartridge is removably mountable to the top of the base. The cartridge holds a stack of packaged adhesive bandages on a floor in which is defined an elongated slot. A weight is provided to exert downward pressure against the bandages toward the cartridge floor. A roller with an elastic following finger attached to the roller is mounted within the housing and aligned with the slot in the floor. When the roller is rotated the following finger frictionally engages the lowermost bandage in the stack, urging it through an exit portal at one end of the cartridge. As the bandage is propelled through the portal, it displaces a resilient flap which covers the portal.

Abstract: A vending machine for supplying different articles, the articles being located in magazines which are detachably fixed in compartments of the cabinet. The articles are removable through a flap of each magazine and the magazines are individually removable through a front opening of the cabinet for refilling with new articles. The magazines are of at least one narrow and one wide type. Each compartment is arranged for accommodating at least two narrow magazines juxtaposed to each other. At least two of the narrow magazines are replaceable by a wide magazine, the width of which is substantially equal to the total width of the magazines it replaces.

Abstract: A sheet feeding system comprises an interlock assembly for use with a sheet store which includes, a carriage slidably mounted in a housing. A disc shaped locking member locks the carriage in a first position relatively to the housing. A probe can be inserted into the carriage to move a spring biassed plunger out of engagement with the disc to allow the disc to move into an aperture in the probe in order to lock the probe with the carriage for movement relative to the housing.

Abstract: A display rack for dispensing packaged items from a vertical stack of items contained within magazines which are interchangeably received and retained by columns within a housing. The leading item within each magazine may be withdrawn through the discharge opening of the housing and upon withdrawal, a next leading item will be placed in a position for withdrawal as a result of the positive gravity feed of the magazine. A guard is provided which covers the discharge opening of the housing thereby preventing access to the packaged items within the magazines. The display rack also includes a means for locking the guard in first and second positions.

Abstract: A dispensing apparatus for disposable, thin plastic gloves is disclosed wherein said gloves may be retrieved by the user one at a time in a relatively simple manner. The apparatus comprises a box-like, generally rectangular enclosure for housing a removably mounted packet containing a plurality of the disposable gloves arranged in the packet in closely spaced, planar unfolded condition. The enclosure is provided with a front window or opening and a removable top cover or cap. The packet of gloves is loaded into the enclosure through a top opening and are disposed so that they may be removed, one at a time, through the front opening of the enclosure. The packet comprises a pair of faces yieldably connected to one another which have a configuration generally conforming to the shape of the gloves in an open palm and finger planar condition.

Abstract: A toothpick dispenser with an elevated base having opposite end mount pedestals that rest on a supporting surface with the elevated base mounting a toothpick box that is slideable back and forth between opposite end limited positions. One position is established by limit position contact of the box with one of the pedestals and a lock device mounted in the elevated base at the mount pedestal at the other end is movable into an end limit blocking position for the box when the elevated base is put down on a supporting surface. There are two toothpick dispensing grooves in the upper surface of the elevated base, one for each of the opposite end positions of the toothpick holding box with the back edge of each groove being rounded to prevent jamming up of the dispenser box by either square centered toothpicks or round centered toothpicks whichever is being dispensed.

Abstract: A dispensing apparatus for relatively flat packets such as individually packaged non-prescription drugs is disclosed. A housing having openings in the top and front walls thereof receives a plurality of vertically disposed magazines. The magazines each comprise a packet receiving tray member and a removable sleeve which partly encloses the tray member. An opening in the magazine is provided by the cooperation of an opening in a wall of the sleeve and the tray member. A liner is disposed in the tray member depending from the wall of the tray member and engaging the inner rear wall of the tray member. A shelf depends from the magazine opening at the lower end of the opening. An optional laterally disposed extension is provided at the bottom of the housing.

Abstract: A locked bill stacker in which a slide is mounted on the cash box for movement between a first position at which it blocks the mouth of the cash box and a second position at which the mouth is open. When the stacker is in operative relationship with a bill acceptor, movement of the slide from the first to the second position locks the stacker to the acceptor. When the slide is moved from the second position to the first position the slide is locked in the first position. A latch is provided to prevent the slide from accidentally moving from the first position to the second position before the stacker is positioned in operative relationship with the acceptor.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for storing beads in a liquid medium and for draining and dispensing said beads essentially in the absence of said liquid medium is described. In one embodiment, the apparatus is designed so that the liquid medium in which the beads are stored can be captured in a separate compartment from the bead-containing compartment and the beads can be delivered without the liquid medium when the apparatus in inverted. This apparatus is designed so that the liquid medium will join with the beads for storage in the bead-containing compartment when the apparatus is upright. In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a bottle with a removable, threaded inner container which is used to drain the liquid medium from the beads prior to attachment to a separate bead dispenser.

Abstract: A holder and dispenser for utility knife blades includes a molded plastic back plate and a cover connected thereto by an integral hinge. Blade dispensing apertures are formed at the ends of the cover and a manually actuable follower moves in an opening extending the length of the cover.

Abstract: A portable cartridge and mounting apparatus includes, within the cartridge, a document separator, a stack follower, a double document restraint, and a three position lock and latch mechanism for selectively locking the cartridge cover and the issue slot. The mounting includes first and second drives for operating the separator and restraint mechanisms to issue individual documents through the issue slot. The mounting and cartridge are keyed to detect that a cartridge containing a predetermined denomination is properly mounted with the issue slot open to enable the drive mechanisms. A sensor is provided to detect a cash out condition to inhibit operation of the drives.

Abstract: A small-article receiving hopper is mounted on the upper surface of an inclined support and is rotated by connection with the drive shaft of a motor projecting through the support. The disk-like bottom of the hopper is undercut to form a circumferential series of radial and angularly spaced article receiving slots with the innermost end of the slots in overlying relation with respect to an outlet opening formed in the support. A centralized electrical control means controls operation of a selected motor hopper of a plurality of motors, each associated with a different hopper for dispensing different drugs. The motor of the selected hopper is rotated until a desired number of pills is dispensed and is then stopped.

Abstract: Method of charging a chute for the feed of objects to a machine using a casing which has a band shaped frame forming a wall surrounding the objects and two detachable end lids closing the frame at lateral edges opposite each other. The frame at one point on its circumference is pliable apart. The method comprises removing one end lid, placing the casing in an opening in the side of the chute, and removing the other end lid. The opening in the chute is then closed and the frame is plied apart to release the objects in the chute.

Abstract: A mechanism for automatically and sequentially feeding each of a plurality of pins, for supporting aperture masks adjacent the glass face plates or viewing panels of color television picture tubes, to a mechanism or gun for insertion of each of the pins into the glass of the face plates or viewing panels. The mechanism includes a rotatable turret or cylindrical pin magazine or canister which holds a relatively large quantity or plurality of the pins vertically stacked in columns adjacent the outer periphery of the turret or magazine for the pin feeding operations and which can readily and rapidly be removed from the mechanism and replaced by another full turret or pin magazine when the first one is empty of pins.