Article holder and dispenser including adjustable dispensing means and

Abstract

An article holder and dispenser including an elongate hollow container especially suitable for storing and dispensing nested articles such as ice cream cones, cups and the like is disclosed herein along with a particular arrangement for releasably retaining articles of different sizes at the discharge end of the container. This arrangement utilizes a plurality of article retaining elements having resilient but wear resistent article retaining segments located within the hollow container adjacent its discharge opening for establishing the effective size of the opening and for releasably retaining the articles to be dispensed. These elements also include support segments respectively located within and slidably movable along the lengths of cooperating circumferential slots in the container for supporting the article retaining portions in adjustable positions around the periphery of the latter and relative to one another, whereby to vary the effective size of the discharge opening depending upon the size of the articles to be stored and dispensed. A locking ring is provided for maintaining the support segments fixed within their respective slots once their positions are selected, thereby fixing the effective size of the opening.