Abstract: Apparatus for stacking conical objects includes right hand and left hand side walls which are joined by divergent walls to define a tapering horizontal cross-section column in which the spacing between the opposite walls is shorter than the length of any one of the conical objects. The conical objects can be placed manually in the top of the column 1 but only in a given orientation (thanks to the tapering horizontal cross-section of the column) and only when hooked on a retaining finger projecting into the column through the side wall. The conical object at the top of the stack thus settles into an inclined orientation which it retains when the retaining finger is released to drop the cone down the column, thanks to an inertia brake to retard the wider diameter end of the falling cone and preventing the cone from becoming vertical. The retaining finger at the foot of the column releases only the bottom cone and allows any cones above it to become indexed downwardly into the bottom-most position.

Abstract: A device for dispensing conical objects to form a stream of generally horizontal side-by-side conical objects with alternate conical objects having one orientation and intervening conical objects having the reversed orientation. The stacks having a first orientation have release cams driven from a common cam shaft while the intervening stacks have release cams driven from a common cam shaft, the timing of the two cam shafts being such that the conical objects are released successively starting from stack and ending at stack.

Abstract: A vending machine (20) comprises a housing (21) and a pair of product vending shelf units (24, 26) mounted within the housing (21) in vertically stacked relation. Each shelf unit has a front end higher than the rear end thereof. A product selection mechanism (29) is mounted within the housing (21) for actuation of each of the shelf units (24,26) to vend a product (90) forwardly therefrom in response to a customer selection. An anti-theft product delivery drawer assembly (31) is mounted below the lower shelf (26) within the housing (21) and receives the vended product in an inner stored position, and exposes the product for retrieval by the customer upon the customer pulling the drawer outwardly, a drawer cover plate (153) slidable outwardly over the drawer (151) as the drawer is pulled outwardly for preventing access to the interior of the vending machine.

Abstract: An integrally molded plastic tape cartridge holding case having two oppositely facing openings provided with a plurality of inclined shelf means for supporting a tape cartridge placed thereon and an integrally molded tape cartridge transport case having compartments for holding a plurality of tape cartridge holding cases and a handle on the tape cartridge transport case so that the tape cartridge transport case can be transported from one location to another location.

Abstract: This invention is a container for holding and semi-automatically dispensing a bar of soap. The soap is placed in the container through an opening in the top. A pivotally connected enclosure positions the soap on a holding shelf and shelters the soap from direct and indirect contact with water. The shelf, which may have an open grid-like surface, has at least one drain, allowing water to drain from the soap and not pool and collect around the soap. When the soap is needed, the user mechanically operates the container. The enclosure pivots, pushing the soap semi-automatically to an exit opening, where the soap dispenses from the container into the hand of the user. The container may be used in any facility requiring the use of soap and particularly in bath tubs and showers. The container may be attached by a bracket to a wall or other mounting surface.

Abstract: A portable carrying case for toy cars includes an outer housing connected to a handle. Within the outer housing is a turntable having several open-ended vehicle compartments which can hold a toy car in each. Between the outer housing and the handle is a movable gate adjacent to one compartment. Within the handle is a control shift lever, which not only causes the gate to open and to close the housing, but simultaneously also causes the turntable to rotate. There is also provided an indexing means which cooperates with the turntable, in order to limit the rotation of the turntable. Thus as the lever is shifted back and forth, one compartment at a time is rotated into position, and held there, adjacent to the movable gate.

Abstract: There is disclosed a soap bar holding and dispensing device which comprises a housing having a top, sidewalls and an open bottom with a soap bar rack pivotally mounted within the housing. The rack is formed by at least one leg having a distal, laterally projecting foot which, when the arm swings to a closed position, engages beneath the soap bar to secure the bar within the housing. The housing also includes at least one rib on an inside sidewall in juxtaposition to the leg and projecting to the leading edge of the foot when the rack is pivoted into its open position, thereby stabilizing the soap bar when the rack is moved to its open position and permitting the soap bar to fall from the dispensing device into one's hand.

Abstract: A gravity fed dispensing device of the type designed to serially dispense a plurality of cylindraceous containers. The containers to be dispensed are charged into the device at the top thereof, and follow a series of downwardly descending ramp means to the discharge station. Each successive ramp means segment is sloped in a direction opposite to the direction of slope of the ramp means segment that precedes and succeeds it. The ramp means are disposed in interconnecting relation to transversely spaced sidewall members, and a tray member is defined by one set of sidewalls interconnected by a pair of such ramp means segments, adjacent the upper and lower edges thereof. The tray members are stackable to increase the storage capacity of the device as desired, and the ramp means segments are specifically positioned so that the upright and overturned positions of the tray members are identical.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic apparatus for dispensing or vending food and drink or other products having a rather small volume. The locking mechanism of the apparatus is based on the utilization of gravity. An electromagnetically actuated locking bolt is used to hold a segmented, serially folding door in a desired position, the door being so constructed that whenever the bolt is withdrawn, the door moves downwards due to gravity. As it moves downward, the lower segments of the door serially fold down into a magazine located below the locking mechanism and the upper segment of the door opens a space in which food or drink or other products are located.

Abstract: Improvements in storage dispensers for metallic objects having magnetic properties; a storage dispenser for paper clips and the like made up of a hollow vertical hopper with a downwardly slanted floor and an opening on one side, there being magnetic retainer means on an extension of the inclined floor; honeycomb or cellular structures for storing and dispensing metallic objects having magnetic properties; inclined floor storage and dispensing constructions with magnetic retainer means; devices receiving, storing and readily making available for dispensing therefrom of metallic objects with magnetic properties; games utilizing one or more cubicles, cells or openings having inclined floors therein with magnetic retainer means adapted to receive, retain and sometimes reject metallic objects with magnetic properties.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic apparatus for dispensing or vending food and drink or other products having a rather small volume. The locking mechanism of the apparatus is based on the utilization of gravity. An electromagnetically actuated locking bolt is used to hold a segmented, serially folding door in a desired position, the door being so constructed that whenever the bolt is withdrawn, the door moves downwards due to gravity. As it moves downward, the lower segments of the door serially fold down into a magazine located below the locking mechanism and the upper segment of the door opens a space in which food or drink or other products are located.

Abstract: A vendor comprising a cabinet having a front door and shelves in the cabinet for holding items to be vended, the shelves being slidable into and out of the cabinet, the vendor having a door and shelf interlock for locking the shelves in vending position in the cabinet unless the door is opened far enough to enable the shelves to be pulled out for loading without striking the door, and for locking the door in open position unless all the shelves are slid in to their vending position, the interlock operating automatically on swinging the door to open position to lock the door in open position and to unlock the shelves, and operating automatically on pushing the shelves in to vending position to unlock the door, the shelves then being automatically locked in vending position on swinging the door toward its closed position.

Abstract: A display case of the type having at least one housing for receiving articles to be dispensed comprises a cover member that is guided for vertical movement in the plane of the face of the housing. Guiding members are configured to permit detachment of the cover member solely in response to movement of the cover member in a predescribed manner thereby preventing inadvertent detachment.

Abstract: A portable dispensing system for storing and dispensing, for example, surgical suture packages, which system provides one or more shelved dispenser boxes having a transparent front panel for allowing visual inspection of individual packages (and descriptive information on the packages) of sutures stored therein. The shelves of each dispenser box are adjustable as needed to retain different types of sutures thereon, with several shelves mountable in each dispenser box, thereby forming separate storage sectors.Slots in the transparent front panel are provided for the addition and removal of individual suture packages to each shelved sector.Inventory information is written on the transparent panel after visual inspection from which the status of suture packages therein is perceived.Each suture dispenser box is slideably storable on a wall rack. Several racks can be mounted in various parts of a hospital and individual dispenser boxes shuttled to areas where need is greatest.

Abstract: A rack mountable on a wall, the rack having compartments formed on its front side, the compartments being of different sizes so that each is suitable for containing a particular size of dry cell batteries that are stored therein. This rack can also be placed on a shelf, counter or refrigerator top.

Abstract: An easily removable front panel for a newspaper vending machine uniquely containing the dispensing door with the customary display window, the coin mechanism and the coin return means. Easy access is provided not only for adjustment or repair of the coin mechanism and for coin removal, but also to the newspaper storage cavity of the cabinet for reloading.

Abstract: A vendor comprising a cabinet having a front door and shelves in the cabinet for holding items to be vended, the shelves being slidable into and out of the cabinet at the front of the cabinet when the door is open, the vendor having means for locking the shelves in the cabinet unless the door is opened far enough to enable the shelves to be slid out without striking the door, and means for locking the door in open position when any shelf is in an extended position at least within a predetermined range of extension from its position within the cabinet to prevent closing the door against a shelf.

Abstract: A product dispensing machine of the type having conveyor means for moving successive product carriers, each divided into a plurality of separate product carrying compartments, into registry with a product dispensing zone, including separately shiftable access doors or closures for the paths to the various compartments, is provided and employs reliable, predominantly mechanical, control means for normally maintaining the access closures in closed and locked condition denying access to the products, for automatically both unlocking and opening the access closures in a predetermined sequence in response to successive actuation of a dispense cycle actuating means (such as a coinage deposit unit) permitting removal of the product from each of the compartments of the registered carrier in turn, and for automatically moving the next product carrier into registry with the dispensing zone, after all of the products have been sequentially dispensed from the preceding carrier, permitting the sequential dispensing of all

Abstract: A merchandising machine cabinet and shelf structure in which a pair of channel-shaped rails mounted on the inner sides of the cabinet structure at corresponding heights and extending from front to back of the cabinet with the channels opening inwardly receive respective pairs of spaced wheels mounted on the sides of the shelf to permit the shelf to be moved rectilinearly out of a fully housed home position to an intermediate position at which an element on the shelf engages a pivot adjacent to the front of the cabinet and at which one roller of each pair registers with a slot in the upper wall of the corresponding channel to permit the shelf to be pivoted downwardly to a limit position at which the merchandising units are readily accessible for loading. Interengageable means on the cabinet door and on the front of the shelf ensures that the shelf is moved fully into its home position as the door is closed.