US2976096A - Article dispenser means - Google Patents

Description

March 21, 1961 D. E. RUECKERT ARTICLE DISPENSER MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 000. 7, 1957 De c2 77 .E Puecerl IN VEN TOR.

BY M a ATTORNEY March 21, 1961 D. E. RUECKERT 2,976,096

ARTICLE DISPENSER MEANS Filed Oct. 7, 1957 2 SheetsSheet 2 F/ a. 5. D eanE, Pueclzert INVENTOR.

BY WW;

ATTORNEY United States Patent ARTICLE DISPENSER MEANS Dean E. Rueckert, Mokena, IlL, assignor to Swift 8: "Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Iiiinois Filed Oct. 7, 1957, Ser. No. 688,763

2 Claims. (Cl. 312-71) This invention relates in general to a display chest adapted to contain a variety of articles stored within cells therein in stacks with the uppermost article of each stack maintained at a desired level. More specifically, this invention relates particularly to an improved storage cell and a novel lifting device within said cell for displaying and dispensingarticles stored therein.

I am aware that certain apparatus of the same general type have been designed. However, the prior apparatus have not been widely accepted. Possibly this lack of acceptance has been due to the fact that they have incorporated stop members at the upper extremity of the cells to arrest the upward movement of the stack of articles therein. Such an arrangement makes it unduly cumbersome to deposit articles Within the cells and to remove them therefrom. Also, it has been observed that where articles are lifted through substantial vertical distances it has been necessary to resort to a complicated means for lifting said articles. If a resilient means suchas a single spring is employed, the spring tends to buckle and hinder proper operation of the apparatus. A further difiiculty encountered in the prior devices is the necessity for the removal of all the articles stored therein for purposes of taking inventory. It is readily understood that the majority of the articles are hidden from view and heretofore there has been no means for quickly measuring the quantity of articles beneath the uppermost layer.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an automatic dispenser-display apparatus wherein articles may be supported accurately at a predetermined level without theneed of a stop member.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a dispenser-display apparatus of the spring loaded type wherein the tendency for thespring to buckle and its consequent disadvantages are reduced.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means for quickly and accurately determining the number'of In general this invention is directed to a plurality of article storage cells which may be assembled Within a storage chest of either the refrigerated or non-refrigerated type. Each cell comprises vertical guide means about its periphery and a lifting device for supporting a stack of articles therein. The guide means are of a material having a low coefficient of friction, and bear a vertical scale calibrated with a series of convenient symbols or digits. The lifting device comprisesan upper platform and an anchor plate vw'th a suitable resilient means interposed therebetween. Preferably, the resilient means consists of a combination of at least a pair of shorter compression springs mounted one atop the other; however, in some instances a single spring may prove sufficient. Conveniently, the resilient means. is especially-selected with Y 2,976,096- Patented Mar. 21 g 1 961 respect to the articles to be stored in the well so that the weight of each article will compress the spring a distance definition of the invention, reference being had to the ap-' pended claims for this purpose. In said drawings:

1 Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of a display case embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of an article storage cell incorporating substantially continuous walls and illustrating the position of rub strips and a calibrated scale;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the article storage cell comprising a plurality of vertical guides, one of which incorporates a calibrated scale;

Figure 4 illustrates the lifting device, which may be inserted into either of the wells shown in Figures 1 and 2, having the preferred structure of a multiple spring resilient means; and

Figure 5 is an end View of the lifting device within a cell such as shown in Figure 3 with one vertical guide removed.

The chest, generally 10, shown in Figure 1, contains a plurality of storage cells of the types illustrated in both Figures 2 and 3. This chest is in the form of an open display case enclosed by rigid side walls 11, 12, end walls 13, 14, and a bottom (not shown). Additionally, chest 10 may be either refrigerated or non-refrigerated as the circumstances require; however, if it is refrigerated, the

a part of this invention and any suitable apparatus may be employed. If the chest 10 is either the self-contained refrigerated or the non-refrigerated type, it may be conveniently mounted on casters 15 to facilitate transporting the chest and its contents to a desirable location. A chest so provided with casters 15 may be moved to a store room when being stocked with new product, thus avoiding a crowded condition on the sales floor.

Referring to Figures'2 and 3, two embodiments of article storage cells, generally 17 and 17A, respectively, may be seen. Cell 17, illustrated in Figure 2, comprises four vertical walls 18, forming a rectangularenclosure. When the cell 17 is to be used in a refrigerated chest,- it is advantageous to provide openings 19 in at least a portion of each wall to allow circulation of the chilled air throughout the apparatus and in proximity to the articles stored therein. Rub strips 20 are secured to the inner surfaces of the walls 18 in any suitable manner, such as by an adhesive. These rub strips 20 are of a material having a low coeflicient of friction and minimize the drag between the cell walls 18 and articles stored therein. Plastic rub strips manufactured from nylon and Teflon have proved satisfactory. Another desirable feature inherent in this structure is that the strip 20 maintain a space between the cell walls -18 and articles within the cell, thus providing a passage for chilled air when the cell 17 is employed in a refrigerated chest. I

A vertical scale 21 is positioned along a corner formed by two walls 18. The scale 21 may be calibrated in any convenient series of symbols or digits and may be graduated in increments equal to the height of individual articles which ,are to be stored within the cell. However, a simple measuring scale calibrated in inches and fractions is sufficient and may be related to any articles which may be stored within the apparatus.

A second embodiment of an article storage cell is illustrated in Figure 3 which shows a cell, generally 17A. This cell consists of a plurality of upstanding vertical guides 23 placed about its periphery. Cell 17A is especially adaptable to refrigerated storage chests since maximum circulation of chilled air is permitted by its open type construction. Further, when the guides 23 are manufactured from a suitable smooth material, rub strips as provided in cell 17 are unnecessary. It has been found that chrome-plated steel rod is highly satisfactory with regard to low friction characteristics and ease of maintenance. In the illustrated embodiment such steel rod is formed into inverted U shaped guides 23. Also, in this type cell structure, a scale 21 is calibrated directly on the surface of one guide 23 facing the interior of the cell 17A.

In both of the above described embodiments of cell 17 and 17A, the structures shown include base plates 25 and 25A respectively. In each instance the base plate 25, 25A is no larger than the outer dimensions of the cell 17, 17A and, therefore, a plurality of individual cell units may be placed side by side in close proximity within a single chest 10. Several sizes of cells may be employed in the same chest as well as combinations of both types of cells 17 and 17A (as illustrated in Figure 1). The base plates 25, 25A may be omitted in certain instances where the cells 17, 17A can be mounted directly to the bottom of chest 10. This may readily be accomplished with cell 17; however, special provision to seat the ends of guides 23 must be provided in the bottom of the chest 10 where cell 17A is employed.

A lifting device, generally 30, is removably associated with both type cells 17, 17A. Figure 4 illustrates the preferred structure of such a lifting device 30. An upper platform 31 is suspended above an anchor plate 32 by a resilient means, generally 33. The upper platform 31 may be fabricated from a piece of light gauge sheet metal stock which is bent to form a supporting surface 34 and downwardly extending side pieces 35. Anchor plate 32 is a flat piece of metal stock. In some instances a single compression spring may be adequate to perform the function of the resilient means 33. However, where the uncompressed length of the resilient means 33, between platform 31 and anchor plate 32, exceeds about twelve inches, it has been found that a single compression spring has a marked tendency to buckle outwardly toward the cell walls and thus cease to function properly. The chest 10 described above is of a normal sales counter height, and the cells '17, 17A therein usually have a depth of about thirty inches. In the preferred embodiment, illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the tendency to buckle is overcome by constructing the resilient means 33 from at least a pair of compression springs 36, 37 having equal outside diameters.

A wide variety of compression springs are available in the commercial market. Normally such springs are helically wound coils having the terminal coil at either end wound in a single plane, rather than a helix, to form a dead coil and enable the spring to be mounted accurately upon fiat surfaces. It has been found that if two of these springs 36, 37 are secured together (as illustrated in Figures 4 and end to end one atop the other with a flat terminal coil 38 of spring 36 secured to a similar coil 39 of spring 37, the combination spring resists the tendency to buckle when loaded, to a remarkable extent. The springs may be secured by welding, brazing, taping, or clipping; however, for reasons of economy, taping and clipping are preferred. Resistance to buckling is attributed to the leveling and stabilizing effect of the dead coils 38, 39 at a point between the free ends of the combined springs 36, 37. Such a combined spring is secured to the underside of platform 31 and to the upper surface of plate 32. Additionally, a restraining chain 40 is atface of the uppermost article.

tached to the plate 32 by means of a clevis 41 at the axis of spring 37; and is similarly secured to the underside of platform 31. The function of chain 40 is twofold: it provides a second connection between plate 32 and platform 31 thus allowing the entire lifting device 30 to be placed in or removed from a cell 17, 17A, by grasping the upper platform 31, without unduly extending and permanently distorting the resilient means 33 thereby; and secondly, it prevents the platform 31 from being forced upwardly, by the resilient means 33, above the confines of a cell when in an unloaded condition.

As may be observed in Figure 5, an embodiment of this invention is designed to support the uppermost article at, or slightly above, the upper extremity of a cell 17A. In this manner, the uppermost article may easily be grasped and removed by a prospective purchaser, and replaced if necessary, even when the article is surrounded by other articles similarly supported. To so position the last article in a stack, it is necessary that the combined springs 36, 37 be of an uncompressed length equal to the distance between the upper surface of plate 32 and the undersurface of plat-form 31, when a single article is supported thereon at the desired level, plus an amount equal to the deflection of the combined springs due to the weight of a single package. As previously indicated. it is necessary to select springs 36, 37 to provide the resilient means 33 with the characteristic of deflecting an amount equal to the thickness of an article when subjected to a load equal to the weight of an article. Thus, when springs 36, 37 are selected in accordance with the above requirements and the device is loaded with a stack of articles, the uppermost article of the stack will be maintained at the desired level.

Chain 40 is of a length equal to the distance from the upper surface of plate 32 to the top of well 17A plus an amount less than the height of side pieces 35. Therefore, the platform 31 will be restrained by chain 40 from raising completely above the cell 17A even when completely unloaded and regardless of the uncompressed length of springs 36, 37. While operation of the apparatus will have become apparent from the foregoing description, it is to be noted that cells 17, 17A maybe constructed in any desired shape andsize to accommodate a wide variety of articles. Likewise, a lifting device 30 is tailored to match a particular type cell. Platform 31 and plate 32 must be of a size and shape to slide freely within the cell and the resilient means 33 should be selected in accordance with the dimensions of the cell and the weight and thickness of the articles to be stacked therein. A plurality of cells 17, 17A, with their respective lifting devices 30 are then conveniently arranged Within a chest 10 as shown in Figure l. The cells are then stocked with the desired articles which may be rectangular packages, circular containers, cylindrical cans, etc. It has been found that this apparatus may be loaded with ordinary canned goods. such as those put up in cylindrical containers, stacked with the axes of the cans disposed horizontally and parallel to the platform 31. Vertical movement of the stack will not rotate any of the cans therein. However, when the cells are loaded with cylindrical containers it is necessary to select springs 36, 37 of a length which will not raise more than one half of the uppermost article above the top of the cell. Otherwise, the container would tend to roll off the stack.

Inventory of the articles remaining in the cells may be taken readily by manually depressing each stack and noting the calibration on scale 21 opposite the top sur- This calibration will represent a certain quantity of articles dependent upon the thickness of individual articles and the height of the lifting device 30 when fully compressed.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the out departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and

therefore, only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for dispensing articles comprising: a vertical cell having a bottom portion, side members and an open top portion for confining articles in generally vertically stacked relation, vertical rub strips secured to each side member for spacing the stacked articles therefrom, and resilient means disposed between the bottom portion of said cell and the stacked articles there in adapted for supporting said articles with the top of the uppermost article at a preselected level above the top of said cell and urging said stacked articles upwardly as each successive uppermost article is removed, said resilient means consisting of a compression spring having at least one dead coil spaced between said articles and the bottom of said cell.

2. An apparatus to display and dispense articles comprising: a horizontal chest having an open top portion, a plurality of vertical cells within said chest for storing stacks of said articles, a vertical scale within each cell for measuring the amount of articles stacked therein, a platform disposed Within each cell and slidable vertically therein for supporting the stack of articles, vertical rub strips Within each cell for spacing said platform and articles from the walls thereof, and means in each cell for urging the platform and articles upwardly and adapted for supporting said articles with the top of each successive uppermost article at a preselected level, said means consisting of a plurality of helical compression springs having flattened end coils and secured end to end to form a single compression spring having at least one dead coil.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 210,688 Haviland Dec. 10, 1878 1,565,822 Smith Dec. 15, 1925 1,595,266 Turner Aug. 10, 1926 1,971,541 Taber Aug. 28, 1934 2,226,308 Gibbs Dec. 24, 1940 2,251,876 Gibbs Aug. 5, 1941 2,284,225 Norris May 26, 1942 2,426,995 Gibbs Sept. 9, 1947 2,598,156 Brill et al May 27, 1952 2,609,265 Larsen Sept. 2, 1952 2,628,876 Simonian et a1 Feb. 17, 1953 2,692,177 Larsen Oct. 19, 1954 2,791,006 Eichler May 7, 1957 2,804,181 Haynes Aug. 27, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 388,878 France i June 12, 1908 577,117 Germany May 27, 1933 806,327 Germany June 14, 1951 1,095,413 France Dec. 22, 1954

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