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:
Oct. 11, 1996
William S Spamer, Roswell, GA (US);
J Marshall Suttles, Elberton, GA (US);
Dennis E Parham, Kennesaw, GA (US);
James Douglas Whiten, Kennesaw, GA (US);
The Mead Corporation, Dayton, OH (US);
Abstract
A merchandising device includes bottles arranged in a row, a track for supporting the row of bottles, a support rack for supporting the track, and a stopper provided at the front end of the track to engage the leading bottle in the row. Each bottle has a cap and an integrally formed annular neck flange. The bottles are suspended by their neck flanges for movement along a path defined by the track and are removable from the track through the front end of the track. The track is inclined downwardly toward the front end, and thereby the bottles are allowed to gravity feed toward the front end along the path. The stopper prevents the leading bottle from exiting the front end until removal thereof is desired. The leading bottle when at the front end is suspended in a vertical position. The stopper includes an engaging element disposed at the front end for movement transversely of the path as well as of the leading bottle, and a spring for urging the engaging element transversely into the path. The engaging element is positioned relative to the leading bottle such that when in the path, the engaging element abuts the cap of the leading bottle to stop the leading bottle at the front end.