Other

George L Mercer

Steven B Gold

Karl J Maggard

A system for dispensing sample products and premiums which includes at least one data entry terminal operable for identifying particular circumstances including items being purchased by a given consumer and for generating an output signal identifying each of the products or other qualifiers, memory means for storing at least one sample/premium file which identifies each product or qualifier for which a given sample or premium should be dispensed, a data processor coupled to the data entry terminal and the memory and operable for receiving the output signal from the data entry terminal, for comparing the products or other qualifiers identified therein to the sample/premium file and for generating a sample/premium dispense signal if any of the purchased products or other qualifiers are listed in the sample file, and sample/premium dispensing device coupled to the microprocessor and operative for receiving the sample/premium dispense signal and dispensing a sample or premium. A system for the creation and continuous real-time updating of consumer purchase behavior databases through the capture, maintenance, organization and analysis of the purchase activity of consumers which database is generated through the use of the system for the dispensing of sample products and premiums as aforesaid.

Method and apparatus for dispensing samples and premiums

A pipe handler for safely handling large pipes utilized in gas and oil lines, and the like utilizes a horizontal spreader bar having a dependent lifting arm hingedly attached at each end thereof. Each of the distal ends of the lifting arms includes a pivoted lifting shoe. The spreader bar is to be suspended from a crane. A winch having a double drum is mounted to the spreader bar and powered by an electric motor. Each drum includes a cable operatively connected to a respective one of the lifting arms. Initial operation of the winch causes the arms to swing outwardly. To handle a large pipe, the crane operator positions the spreader bar over a pipe to be moved, and operates the winch to swing the lifting arms outwardly sufficiently to allow the lifting shoes to thereafter swing inwardly to insert the lifting shoes into the respective ends of the pipe. The pipe can then be hoisted and moved to a desired point.

Growing community of inventors

Ft. Worth, TX, United States of America

George L Mercer