Special Dispensing Packages Patents (Class 221/312C)
  • Patent number: 6145698
    Abstract: A hand held tool to expedite a removal of a single sheet from a stack which may be supplied as a segment of a container or an independent unit and modifications to a container to resist a return of a separated sheet to its original position on the stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Inventor: Alvin Meyer
  • Patent number: 6068126
    Abstract: A flat pill pack container includes a main container body with a dispensing opening and an attachment mechanism for attaching a closed-biased, cover, and a defined dispensing chamber adjacent its dispensing opening. The closed-biased cover is attached at the dispensing opening in a first, closed position to prevent removal of pills from the main container body. The cover is movable to a second, open position to permit pill removal. The cover has a gate positioned in an open position when the cover is in its closed position, and the gate moves to a closed position when the cover is moved to its open position. A child resistant safety lock and/or a date indicator may also be included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2000
    Assignee: Valley Design Inc.
    Inventor: Stuart W. DeJonge
  • Patent number: 6006945
    Abstract: A container structure for solid retaining foods, such as cookies and snack chips, or non-food items, such as first aid products or golf balls, is disclosed which is sized and configured to be vendable from a vending machine which is configured for dispensing canned drinks. The container structure and method of vending disclosed presents advantages in the art in providing both vendable food and non-food items with beverages from a single vending machine, facilitates restocking of such vending machines, and provides a more readily recyclable container for vendable foods and non-food items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Inventor: Mark R. Kirkland
  • Patent number: 5924596
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for dispensing promotional and product items is provided, which includes an item dispensing machine. The item dispensing machine includes a payment receipt mechanism, a storage compartment storing the promotional and product items, and a dispensing mechanism. The promotional item and the product item are substantially the same size and shape. Upon receipt of a predetermined payment amount by the payment receipt mechanism, the machine dispenses either the promotional item or the product item, depending upon which item was in position for dispensing. The promotional item includes a preselected monetary amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: 3-Strikes Custom Design
    Inventor: Mark S. Kaufman
  • Patent number: 5826746
    Abstract: A backpack carried on the back of a vendor for transporting and dispensing packaged goods, such as food products or other merchandise. The backpack has a back wall, front wall, opposed side walls, a top closure, and a bottom wall defining a generally rectangular storage compartment. The backpack has at least one access opening at a lower end which is accessible to the hand of the vendor wearing the backpack. A plurality of packaged goods are supported in a vertically descendable disposition by a support member or receptacle installed in the storage compartment which has a lower portion disposed adjacent to the access opening and is configured to support the lowermost one of the packaged goods adjacent to the access opening such that it can be manually removed by the vendor while the backpack is being worn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Inventor: William O. Ash, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5484082
    Abstract: A simple, inexpensive, and easy to construct label dispenser is provided for linerless labels. The dispenser is made from a rectangular strip of cardboard or paper board having four parallel fold lines defining the strip into first through fifth panels and with first and second openings in the first and fifth panels and a third opening in the third panel. The strip is folded about the fold lines to form an open ended rectangular parallelepiped with the first and fifth panels in face to face engagement. A plastic plug is inserted into the first and second openings, making a friction fit with them and holding the first and fifth panels together. A second plug is inserted into the third opening, and the plugs define a pivot axis for a roll of linerless labels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1996
    Assignee: Moore Business Forms, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Casper, Stephen Michalovic
  • Patent number: 5467894
    Abstract: In accordance with the present invention there is provided a dispensing package containing a plurality of objects. The objects are three-dimensional and have a pair of opposing faces connected by peripheral edges. The package includes a container having a top, a bottom and a body, all of which form an interior chamber containing the objects. The objects are stacked within the container in face to face relation, with the body of the container surrounding the peripheral edges of the objects. The stacked objects thereby define an uppermost object, adjacent to said top of the container, and a lowermost object, adjacent to the bottom of the container. The package further includes an interleaving dispenser. This dispenser is made from a bendable member having alternating horizontal and vertical panels connected to each other. The member is disposed within the package with the horizontal panels parallel to the top and bottom of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 21, 1995
    Assignee: The Proctor Gamble Company
    Inventors: Gene M. Altonen, G. Scott Kerr
  • Patent number: 5377864
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a drug dispensing device which is portable, provides a high level of security, is flexible in accommodating a number of user selected drugs, is easily stockable, and reduces labor and time requirement for drug dispensing. The present invention provides an apparatus having a microprocessor means which controls the drug dispensing. The apparatus includes an interior medication storage area adapted to receive a plurality of different sized dispensers in user selectable combinations. A receiving drawer is provided below the interior medication storage area to receive and dispense the medications.A dispenser is provided which can be configured in a multiplicity of sizes and shapes to accommodate different sized medications. The dispenser is adapted to receive a cooperating cartridge which contains the medications. The dispenser includes an actuator which contacts and dispenses the medications from the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignees: Baxter International Inc., Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joseph Blechl, Panos Hadjimitsos, James R. Kurtz, Hiroyasu Shimizu, Manabu Haraguchi
  • Patent number: 5221024
    Abstract: A programmable medicine dispenser with manual override and color coded medicine canisters comprises a cabinet with a spring loaded door. A vertical magazine with a top loading port and a bottom dispensing port holds a large number of medicine canisters each containing medicine to be taken at one time. The canisters are divided into groups, each group identified by colored patches on the canisters corresponding to the scheduled doses during a day. The door is normally locked by an electro-mechanical latching mechanism to prevent access to the medicine. A programmable electronic timer is set to operate the latching mechanism to unlock the door at selectable times during the day, such that the canisters may be sequentially accessed and the medicine taken in the proper order. When the door is unlocked, it springs open to release a lever switch to activate a lamp and a buzzer to alert the patient or a caretaker that medicine should be taken at that time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Inventor: Gordon M. Campbell
  • Patent number: 5123539
    Abstract: A dispenser for containing and dispensing products such as tablets, sweets and the like, including a generally thin, flat, box-like container having a lip-shaped exit portion at a circumferential edge. The dispenser may include a weakened portion at the lip; shaped exit portion and an ascending edge portion at the lip shaped portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1992
    Assignee: Sara Lee/DE N.V.
    Inventors: Alphons B. de Vries, Gerrit Van Binsbergen
  • Patent number: 5086921
    Abstract: An elongate, flexible storing or magazine element serves to receive at its outside ring travellers to be used in spinning or twisting machines. The storing element comprises a profiled strip composed of a retaining member and a back or spine member. The retaining member is positioned within the internal space of the ring travellers and the leg portions of the ring travellers are clamped at the retaining member. The back member is wider than the retaining member; it is positioned outside the ring travellers and serves as an abutment or stop for the leg portions of the ring travellers. This storing or magazine element permits each ring traveller to be individually retained and independently of the preceding and subsequent state and the number of ring travellers stored on the profiled strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1992
    Assignee: Braecker AG
    Inventor: Andreas Neff
  • Patent number: 5037000
    Abstract: A rubber band dispensing container for storing and dispensing rubber bands or like objects. The dispensing container comprises a unitary plastic molded body having a receptacle cover and a confronting base adjoined along a common edge by an integral hinge and further includes cooperative locking members extending outwardly from the edges of the receptacle cover and the base opposite the integral hinge for cooperative engagement therebetween when the dispensing container is in a closed configuration to securely maintain the closed position and to prevent accidental opening thereof. The dispensing container is further provided with a flap for creating a dispenser opening on the receptacle cover for inserting fingers to remove rubber bands or like objects stored therein when the dispensing container is in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1991
    Assignee: Plymouth Rubber Company
    Inventor: Robert Selame
  • Patent number: 5024349
    Abstract: A dispenser comprising an elongate rigid hollow cylindrical tube including opposed ends and a transverse elongate dispensing slot laterally therethrough at a midpoint along the length thererof. The dispensing slot includes opposed serrated edges with the teeth of each edge overlapping the teeth of the other edge to provide for restricted passage of film bags pulled outwardly through the dispensing slot from the interior of the tube. The opposed ends of the dispensing slot are enlarged and smooth-edged for access to interior bags and cooperation with the serrated edges in providing for projecting leading bag corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1991
    Assignee: Sonoco Products Company
    Inventors: Edwin W. Haenni, Hans-Peter Bolz
  • Patent number: 4978031
    Abstract: A dispenser system for razor blade units, including a dispenser housing in which the razor blade units are successively and displaceably disposed. Via a handle that is provided with a latching mechanism that cooperates with the razor blade units, the razor blade units can be removed from the dispenser housing one at a time. To simplify securement of the handle to a razor blade unit that is to be removed, the dispenser housing has a guide mechanism along which the end of the handle is guided and which brings the latching mechanism of the handle into a disengagement position. After reaching the removal position, the handle automatically engages the razor blade unit, so that this unit can be removed from the dispenser housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: Wilkinson Sword Gesellschaft mit beschrankter/Haftung
    Inventor: Max Lembke
  • Patent number: 4977626
    Abstract: A garment or the like including a dispenser pocket attached thereon, formed by two overlaid panels, one of which is partially detachable, forming a pocket therebetween and further having an elongate opening through the outer panel allowing the storage of a multiplicity of sheets to be stored within the pocket, and removable through the elongate opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Inventor: Dawn M. Smith
  • Patent number: 4959231
    Abstract: A package for transportation, storage and microwave cooking of an individual serving of popping corn includes a semi-rigid cardboard box having downwardly converging and generally trapezoidal sides, the inner surfaces of which are oil absorptive. One pair of opposed sides includes a pair of fold-down closing flaps which can be interlocked to releasably close the top of the box and each of which is provided with a pair of matching score lines to define a central flex section for the box top, so that the top flexes upwardly upon cooking. A small raw corn and oil container is positioned in the bottom of the box and is covered by a film sealed to a flange extending outwardly from the top edges of the container to the sides of the box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 25, 1990
    Assignee: Marquee Foods, Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert B. Lakey, N. Bruce Graham
  • Patent number: 4940163
    Abstract: A dispenser for wiring accessories has an elongate plate-like configuration and comprises a baseplate from which projects a bar extending transversely across the baseplate to a width less than the width of the baseplate. A longitudinal groove in the bar parallel to the baseplate runs the full length of the bar. A lip faces the longitudinal edge of the bar into which the groove opens. The lip is parallel to and spaced from this longitudinal edge. The baseplate is extended at one end of the bar. A transverse cradle on this extension receives a wiring accessory and a longitudinal finger projects cantilever-fashion from the bar over the cradle and is spaced from the cradle to retain a wiring accessory in the cradle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Assignee: Legrand
    Inventors: Alain Baillet, Francois Loisel, Daniel Paulin
  • Patent number: 4832229
    Abstract: A dispenser is disclosed for dispensing strips which contain medicine and can be divided into individual sections as they are dispensed. The dispenser includes a housing having a storage space for strips and a discharge passageway through which strips are dispensed. A ramp interconnects the storage space and passageway. A feed wheel having a peripheral gear feeds strips along the ramp. The feed wheel is actuated by a member operable from outside the housing. The actuating member shifts a drive pawl which engages the peripheral gear on the feed wheel. A cap is secured over the dispensing end of the housing and is held in place by a snap connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1989
    Assignee: Bramlage Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter Haftung
    Inventors: Ludger Hackmann, Guenther Pohlmann, Viktor Seifert, Johannes Weid
  • Patent number: 4805801
    Abstract: Fluted coffee or other beverage filters, generally formed of paper, or paperboard, are so stacked in containers in which they are sold that it is not easy to lift off and remove a single filter paper for application. The practice has been to transfer the filters to a dispenser therefor, but generally such dispensers are fabricated of a polymer material, are reasonably expensive, and are not for disposable usage, or ease of application. Herein, the container and beverage filter dispenser of this invention may be solid and marketed with a supply of filters, and thrown away after application and usage. In addition, the invention contemplates a blank from which the container, and spring for biasing the filters upwardly within the container, may be fabricated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1989
    Inventor: Edward J. Knopf
  • Patent number: 4733460
    Abstract: An applicator device constitutes a magazine for the articles to be applied using the device. It comprises an elongate body adapted to hold and guide the articles. A longitudinal hollow space inside the body open at each end is adapted to receive the articles. There is a hood member at the open end of the body through which the articles leave the body. The device may be used for applying cable markers to a cable or electrical conductor, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Assignee: Legrand
    Inventors: Jean C. Auger, Jean P. Barrtuso, Marc Gosse
  • Patent number: 4634021
    Abstract: A release mechanism is disclosed for releasing an object such as a ball from a body under the force of gravity. A bimetallic element obstructs or opens an opening in the body for retaining or releasing the object depending upon the temperature of the bimetallic element. The release mechanism may be incorporated into a novelty "brass monkey" for "emasculating" the monkey when the temperature decreases to a predetermined temperature at which the balls in the "brass monkey" are permitted to drop to a base which is designed to produce an audible sound when struck by the balls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1987
    Inventor: John W. Davis
  • Patent number: 4562939
    Abstract: A pill container having a body with a cavity for receiving a pill formed therein, a cover slidably arranged on the body to cover the cavity being retained in cavity covering position by the mating arrangement of the body and cover, the cover being further arranged to be moved by engagement of the cover with the teeth of a user, and movement of the body inwardly of such user's mouth to position the cavity therewithin permitting a pill to drop from the cavity, into the user's mouth as the pill will provide the necessary reaction sought.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1986
    Inventor: Jerome F. Pallat
  • Patent number: 4538726
    Abstract: A combination of multiple numbers of a prefabricated disposable palette in a container suitable for packaging, shipping, storing and displaying said palettes and dispensing said palettes individually. The said container is constucted so as to be either disposable or reusable and either wall mounted or self supporting and the palette is constructed so as to be usable on one or both sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1984
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1985
    Inventor: Charles S. Pastva
  • Patent number: 4530447
    Abstract: A dispenser is provided for dispensing one or more items, such as pills from a container. The dispensing member is located at or near the top of the container and has an aperture. When the container is closed by a cover and inverted, an item such as a pill passes through the aperture and is positioned between the cover and the top surface of the dispensing member. When the container is turned back to its initial position and the cover removed, a pill can easily be taken off the outer surface of the dispensing member. The dispensing member may form part of the container; may be inserted as a separate member in the container; or it may be located in the cover for the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: July 23, 1985
    Inventor: Donald J. Greenspan
  • Patent number: 4523694
    Abstract: A dispensing cap for medication containers and the like enabling a single dosage of such medication to be dispensed from the container in response to each cycle of movement of an external movable component forming a portion of the cap. The cap includes a stationary inner cap attached to the mouth or neck of the container, an outer cap rotatably connected to the inner cap and a rotor disposed between the inner and outer caps and geared thereto in a manner which will cause the rotor to rotate in a direction opposite to rotational movement of the outer cap. The inner cap, rotor and outer cap each have a discharge port therein which are movable between aligned and misaligned positions so that a single pill, capsule, dosage of medication or other item will be discharged by gravity from the dispensing cap for each cycle of operation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1985
    Inventor: Douglas F. Veltri
  • Patent number: 4522314
    Abstract: A toothpick dispenser for vertically dispensing a toothpick includes a stationary base having an upright cylindrical housing, and a cylindrical body for containing toothpicks which is telescopically received within the housing for vertical sliding movement therein. An upstanding stationary support stand projects axially from the base within the housing, and the movable body includes a cone-shaped bottom that slopes inwardly and downwardly toward a central opening which slidably receives the support stand. When the body is moved upwardly to its loading position a single toothpick passes through the opening in its bottom and is received on end by the stand. When the body is moved downwardly to its dispensing position the stand closes the opening in the cone and the toothpick projects from the body in an upright vertical positon. The dispenser also includes a removable cover for the body having a guide member for directing the toothpick through an opening in the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1985
    Inventor: Alexander Nelson
  • Patent number: 4354619
    Abstract: A container for the dispensing of tablets one by one in which, below a drop-out chamber arranged below a sorting trough the container wall has a tablet drop-out opening in front of which, in each case, one of the tablets is released by spring-loaded sliding movement so as to drop out. Two housing caps supplement each other to form the container and can be telescopically inserted one within the other, one of the housing caps forming the drop-out chamber below the sorting trough which is formed by the two housing caps together, the drop-out opening of the chamber being closed in the relaxed position of the spring by a wall section of the other housing cap, the last-mentioned housing cap having a division finger which in the pushed-together position of the two housing caps closes off the sorting trough from the drop-out chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1982
    Assignee: Bramlage GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Wippermann, Peter Keller
  • Patent number: 4084864
    Abstract: This invention relates to a device to temporarily hold a plurality of objects, which device is commonly known as a paper clip, and a related device to automatically affix and dispense said paper clips. The invention advances the art in that the shape claimed results in a paper clip which is easier to affix manually, will facilitate dispensing by an automatic dispenser claimed herein and will be both simple and economical to manufacture. This invention also advances the art in that the related dispenser will store and hold ready a supply of said paper clips for dispensing and will automatically affix and dispense said clips on object(s) inserted into the dispensing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1978
    Inventor: Nelson S. Kibler