The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 13, 1998
Filed:
Apr. 22, 1996
William S Spamer, Roswell, GA (US);
The Mead Corporation, Dayton, OH (US);
Abstract
A bottle dispenser has a gate mechanism to maintain the foremost one of the track-supported bottles substantially vertical. The dispenser includes an elongate track defining a longitudinally extending pathway, a support structure, and a stopper provided at the front end of the track. The track supports a row of flanged bottles such that the bottles are suspended by their neck flanges for movement along the pathway and removable from the pathway through the front end of the track. The support structure supports the track such that the track is inclined toward its front end whereby the suspended bottles are allowed to gravity feed toward the front end when the leading bottle in the row is removed from the track. The stopper engages with the leading bottle to prevent its accidental removal through the front end. The gate mechanism comprises a rotary rachet wheel disposed at least partially in the track for engagement with the bottles and a movable catch arm arranged to take a catching position for restricting rotation of the ratchet wheel in response to arrival of the leading bottle at the front end of the track.