US1716753A - Cup dispenser - Google Patents

Description

June 11, 1929. c. BARBIERI CUP DISPENSER Filed Sept. 26, 1924- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Gsarefiarlzrz o by June 11, 1929. c. BARBIEJR'I 1,716,753

CUP DISPENSER Filed Sept. 26, 1.924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :21 5

iTulIml unnulnnm HIM,

III/III V Patented June 11, 1929.

UNITED STATES CESARE B ARBIERI, OF NEW YORK, N. Yr,

ASSIGINOR TO THE VORTEX MFG. CO. OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CUP DISPENSER.

Application filed September 26, 1924. Serial No. 739,981.

This invention relates more particularly to an improved nested flat cup dispenser of the chain feed type wherein chain feed mecha nisms are adapted to besimultaneously operatcd by a transverse slidahle bar adapted to be actuated by a'lever which is operated by a cup each time a cup is withdrawn from the dispenser casing.

It is an object of this invention to provide H a chain feed type nested flat cup dispenser wherein a lever actuated by the withdrawal of the cup serves to simultaneouslyactuate feed mechanisms within the dispenser to cause the movement of a stack of nested cups towards discharge position.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a nested cup dispenser of the bottom discharge type wherein a cup operated lever is connected to actuate a movable member for the purpose. of simultaneously operating endless conveyors for the purpose of feeding a stack of cups a predetermined distance between cup guides each time a cup is withdrawn from the bottom of the stack out through the lower end of the dispenser con-- tainer.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a nested cup dispenser of simple and improved construction wherein cu feed chains are adapted to be simultaneous y operated by a reciprocating bar which is adapted to be moved in one direction by a cup operated lever mechanism and in an opposite direction by a control spring.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the. specification and the accompanying drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings: I

Figure l is a side elevation of a nested fiat cup dispenser embodying the principles of this invention with one side removed and illustrating the container in section.

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a detail'sectional View taken on line 66 of Figure 1 with the container omitted. I

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 indicates a mounting plate havin longitudinal side flanges 2 and provide with apertures to permit the mounting plate to be mounted on a wall or other vsupport. Pivotally mounted on the upper edgeof the mounting plate 1 is a cover 3. Supported in the lower. apertured ends of the mounting plate flanges 2 is a rod or shaft 4 on the pro ecting ends of which the lower rear corners of the side walls 5 of a container or casing are pivotally supported. The container also embraces, a front wall 6 which connect the side walls 5; The bottom of the casing is closed by a bottom wall 7 having a cup discharge s lot 8 provided therein with the middle portion of said slot enlarged as indicated by the reference numeral 9. Struck from the bottom plate 7 is a shield or apron 10 the middle portion of which is cut away to afford a thumb recess 11 to permit access to be had to the projecting tip of the lowermost cup ofa stack of cups disposed within the container.

Rigidly secured on the inner surface of the container front wall 6 near one side of the container is a flange 12 of a bracket plate 13. Integrally formed on the bracket plate 13 1s a cup channel guide 14 which extends downwardly beyond the lower end of the bracket flange 12 to within a very short distance of the bottom plate 7 of the container. The stationary guide 14 is slightly inclined as indicated in Figure 2 with the upper end of the guide positioned nearer the side Wall of the container than the lower end. Struck from the upper portion of the channel guide 14 is an outwardly and downwardly curved finger or lug 15 over which the upper bight of an endless feed chain 16 is trained. The chain 16 passes downwardly through the. guide 14 and passes through an aperture in the lower portion of said guide to permit the chain 16 to be engaged around a sprocket 17. The sprocket 17 is secured near one end of a shaft 18 the ends of which are journalled in the guide 14 and in the lower end of the flange 12 of the guide bracket 13. Also secured to the shaft 18 is a ratchet 19 with which a pawl 20 is adapted to coact.

I The pawl 20 is pivotally supported on an upwardly directed extension 21 integrally formed on one end of a reciprocating bar 22 having longitudinal slots 23 and 24 positioned near the ends thereof to permit the bar to be slidably engaged on the shaft 18 and on a similar shaft 25. Integrally formed on the lower edge of the bar 22 is a lug 26 to which one end of a coil control spring 27 is attached. The other end of the control spring 27 is secured to a pin mounted on the inner face of the front wall 6 of the container. integrally formed on the lower edge of the bar 22 is a second lug or projection 28 on which is pivotally mounted a pawl 29. The pawl 29 1s positioned to coact with a ratchet 30 which is secured near one end of the shaft 25. Mounted on the opposite end of the shaft 25 is a sprocket 31 around which the lower bight of a second feed chain 32 is trained. The chain 32 passes through an opening 33 provided in the lower portion of a movable channel guide 34 which is also inclined so that the respective uides 13 and con verge downwardly. The movable guide 34 has a finger or lug 36 struck from the upper end thereof to afford a guide over which the upper bight of the chain 32 passes. Tntegrally formed along one margin of the guide 34 is a bracket plate 37 provided with a flange 38 which is secured to the inner surface of the front wall 6 of the container.

integrally formed along one longitudinal mar in of the flange plate 38 is a flange 39 to a 0rd a channel guide for a slidable cam plate 40 positioned between the guide 34 and the flange 39 and slidable over the bracket late 38. A finger plate 41 is integrally formed on the upper end of the cam plate 40 to permit the same to be manually shifted longitudinally with respect to the guide 34. The cam plate 40 is provided with cam slots 42 through which pins 43 project. The pins pass through transverse slots in the flange 38 and have the ends thereof secured to the inner face of the front wall 6 of the container.

Secured on the inner face of the front wall 6 of the container is a pin support 44 on which the upper end of an actuating lever 45 is pivotally mounted. The lever 45 is provided with a slot 46 through which a pin 47 on the bar 22 projects. Formed on the lower inclined edge of the lever 45 is an inclined plate 48 having a cup guide channel 49 integrally formed thereon. The up per end of the guide 49 is positioned to register with the lower end of the guide 34.

The operation is as follows:

When the mounting plate 1 is mounted on a wall by screws or other means the cover 3 may be raised and the container 56 swung outward about the pivot shaft 4 into a position to permit an operator to engage the finger iece 41 to pull outwardly on the same there y causing the cam plate 40 to slide outwardly. The outward movement of the plate 40 causes the cam slots 42 to move on the pins 43 thereby causing the movable channel. guide 34 to move transversely away from the stationary guide 14 to increase the distance therebetween. A stack of flat nested cups may now be readily inserted into the container between the channel guides 14 and 34 with the lowermost cup projecting through the discharge slot 89 in back of the shield 10 with the tip of said lowermost cup disposed behind the thumb recess 11. \Vith a stack of cups in position between the guides 34 and 14 the cam plate 40 is moved downwardly by pressing on the finger piece 41 thereby causing the movable channel guide 34 to move back into normal position toward the stationary guide 14 whereby the upper corners of the cups within the container are engaged and supported by the inner laps of the feed chains 16 and 32. Due to the fact that the guides 14 and 34 converge towards their lower ends, the cups in the lower end of the stack are compressed more than those in the upper end of the stack so that the cups in the lower portion of the stack are slightly expanded.

With the container filled with a stack of flat nested cups supported by the conveyor chains in the guides 13 and 34 the container is adapted to be swung upwardly into closed position to permit the cover to be lowered to hold the container in place.

The stack of cups within the container is so positioned that the lowermost cup projects through the discharge opening 8 9 and has one creased portion thereof seated in the guide channel 49 supported by the lever 45.

To withdraw the lowermost cup from the container an operator merely has to place his thumb in the thumb recess 11 of the shield 10 against the folded portion of the tip of the lowermost cup while the fore finger of the operators hand is adapted to be engaged in back of the tip of the lowermost cup. The lowermost cup may now be easily withdrawn through the restricted outlet slot 89 with one creased portion of the cup sliding in the lever channel guide 49 thereby causing said lever to swing about the pivot pin 44 outwardly away from the center of the container. Outward move. ment of the lever 45 causes the pin 46 to slidably move the control bar 22 toward the left, looking at Figure 2, so that the pawls 20 and 29 supported on said bar act to rotate the respective ratchets 19 and 30 thereby causing rotation of the respective shafts 18 and 25 and the sprockets 17 and 31 on said shafts. It will thus be noted that both sprockets 17 and 31' are simultaneously actuated a predetermined amount therebyjca us; ing the feed chains 16 and 34 to movea predetermined distance to cause the stack of cups within the container to be moved downwardly between the guides 13 and 34 a predetermined distance towards discharge position to move the lowermost cup into a position to be readily engaged for removal from the container as hereinbefore described.

As the lowermost cup is withdrawn from the container causing actuation of the lever 45 the control spring 27 is stretched'thereby Y affording a means for automatically returning the bar 22 to normal position as soon as the cup passes out of engagement with the lower endof the lever guide channel 49. The spring 27 thus acts to automatically return the bar- 22 to its normal position thereby positioning the pawls and 29 in place ready to operate the ratches 19 and 30 when the next cup is withdrawn from the container.

It will be noted that the improved chain feed dispenser of this invention has the chain feed mechanisms so arranged that theyare operated by a' single lever mechanism adapted to be operated in turn by one creased portion of a cup as said cup is manually withdrawn from the containerthrough the discharge opening of the bottom of said container. This arrangement affords very simple and effective means for feeding a stack of flat nested cups downwardly within a contianer toward discharge position a predetermined distance each time a cup is removed from the bottom of the stack out through the discharge opening in the bottom of the container.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon other Wise than necessitated by the prior art.

Iclaim as my invention: 1. A nested cup dispenser comprising a mounting plate, a container mounted thereon, a cover for said container pivotally mounted on the upper end of said mounting plate, said container having a discharge opening in the bottom thereof, a plurality of chain feed mechanisms mounted within said container adapted to engage a stack of nested cups therebetween with the lowermost cup in said stack projecting through the discharge opening in said container, means for simultaneously operating said chain feed mechanisms, and a pivoted lever connected with said means adapted to be operated by a cup as it is withdrawn from the container to cause actuation of said means and simultaneous operation of said chain feed mechanism to cause feeding of pivotally the stack of on s through a predetermined distance throug said container each time a cup .is withdrawn therefrom.

2. A nested cup dispenser comprising a casnisms movable through said guides adapted to support a stack of flat nested cups therebetween with the lowermost cup projecting from said casing, mechanisms for operating said chains, a slide bar for simultaneously operating said mechanisms, a pivoted lever mounted in said container and connected with said slide bar, and a guide on said lever adapted to be frictionally engaged by one creased portion of the lowermost cup in said stack to cause actuation of said lever as the lowermost cup is Withdrawn and operation of said slide bar to simultaneously move the chains a predetermined distance to advance the stack of nested cups in the casing to position the next cup in a position to be withdrawn from the container.

3. A nested cup dispenser comprising a container having a cup discharge opening in the bottom thereof, a stationary guide inv said'container, a tainer, means for moving to engage a stack of flat nested cups therebetween with the lowermost cup in said stack projecting through the dischargev opening of said container, mechanisms vfor simultaneously operating said chains, and a single lever mechanism pivotally supported in said container adapted to be actuated by the withdrawal of the lowermost cup in the container to cause said mechanism to simultane ously operate said chains to advance the stack of cups a predetermined distance.

4. A nested cup dispenser comprising a casing, a discharge opening in the bottom thereof, a chain feed mechanism within said. container, a second chain feed mechanism in said container, said chain mechanisms adapted to engage a stack of flat nested cups therebetween with thelowermost cup projecting through the discharge opening in said container, means for adjusting said secondary chain feed mechanism with respect to the first mentioned chain feed mechanism, a spring controlled slidable bar, pawl and ratchet mechanisms adapted to be simultaneously operated thereby to cause simultaneous operation of said chain feed mechanisms, a lever pivoted in said container adapted to move said slide bar in one direction to cause guides mounted therein, chain mechamovable guide in said consaid movable guide? with respect to said stationary guide, endlessk chains movingthrough said guides adapted simultaneous operation of said pawl and ratchet mechanisms, a guide on said lever Vance the stack of cups a predetermined distance in said container, and a spring connected with said slidable bar for automatirally returning the same and said lever to nornml position after the removal of a cup from the container.

5. A nested lat cup dispenser comprising a =containcr having a discharge opening therein, a plurality of chain feed mechanisms in said container adapted to engage a stack of flat nested cups therebetween with the lowermost cup in said stack projecting from the bottom of said container, and a cup operated lever in said container adapted to be operated by the withdrawal of a cup to cause simultaneous operation of said chain teed mechanisms to advance the stack of cups a predetermined distance each time a cup is removed from the container.

(3. A nested cup dispenser comprising a container having a cup discharge opening therein, a plurality of chain feed mechanisms in said container adapted to engage a stack of nested cups therehetween with the lowermost cup projecting through said discharge opening, a lever pivoted in-said container and adapted to be automatically actuated by the withdrawal of the lowennost cup from said container to cause simultaneous operation of said chain feed mechanisms and the feeding of the stack of cups a predetermined distance in said container, and means in said container for automatically returning the pivoted lever to normal position after the removal of the lowermost cup from the container.

7 A nested flat cup dispenser comprising a container having a discharge opening therein, a plurality of chainfeed mechanisms in said container adapted to engage a stack of flat nested cups therebetween with an end cup projecting through said opening, and means adapted to be operated by the withdrawal of a cup to cause simultaneous operation of said chain feed mechanisms.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CESARE BARBIERI.

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