Forward feed merchandising device for soft drink bottles claims from the inventor, from Patentvote, vote now!

Claims:

I claim:

1. Apparatus having the capability of supporting a plurality of upstanding bottles arranged in a generally horizontal column and automatically feeding the bottles in the column forward in a columnwise direction when the foremost bottle in the column is removed, comprising:

means providing a substantially rigid supporting surface for supporting a column of bottles;

means for guiding bottles supported by the supporting surface for movement in a columnwise direction parallel to said surface;

pusher means comprising a vertically extending member having a front side for engaging the rearmost bottle in the column, and a rear side;

guide means constraining the pusher means for movement in a columnwise direction;

means for stopping the movement of the column when the foremost bottle reaches a predetermined position relative to the supporting surface;

spring means urging said pusher means in a forward columnwise direction, said spring means comprising a self-coiling strip of spring material secured at one end to the supporting surface near the forward end thereof, extending rearwardly to a location behind said pusher means, and being coiled at said location, the coil being arranged to exert a forwardly directed force on the rear side of the pusher means, the force being sufficient, in any position within the range of movement of the pusher means, to move all of the bottles between the pusher means and said predetermined position in a forward columnwise direction until the foremost bottle reaches said predetermined position; and

means comprising a length of flexible sheet material secured to the pusher means and extending forwardly therefrom along said supporting surface, said sheets being positioned underneath the bottles and between the bottles and the rigid supporting surface when bottles are present in the column, and serving substantially to eliminate variations in the coefficient of friction between the bottles and the supporting surface by preventing direct contact between the bottles and the supporting surface;

said length of flexible sheet material also extending over the rear side of the pusher means between said rear side and the coil of the spring means, whereby the flexible sheet material also serves as a bearing surface for said coil.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 having means, projecting from the rear side of the pusher means, for restraining the coil against lateral movement, and in which the part of the flexible sheet which extends over the rear side of the pusher means is provided with slot means, and said projecting means extends through said slot means, said slot means and said projecting means serving to secure the flexible sheet to the pusher means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the pusher means includes a foot extending forwardly from the lower end of said vertically extending member and parallel to and above the rigid supporting surface and in which the flexible sheet material extends underneath the foot and between the foot and the supporting surface, the coefficient of friction between the sheet and the supporting surface being less than the coefficient of friction between the foot and the supporting surface, said sheet also serving to reduce the friction between said foot and said supporting surface.

4. Apparatus having the capability of supporting a plurality of upstanding bottles arranged in a generally horizontal column and automatically feeding the bottles in the column forward in a columnwise direction when the foremost bottle in the column is removed, comprising:

means providing a substantially rigid supporting surface for supporting a column of bottles;

means for guiding bottles supported by the supporting surface for movement in a columnwise direction parallel to said surface;

pusher means for engaging the rearmost bottle in the column;

guide means constraining the pusher means for movement in a columnwise direction;

means for stopping the movement of the column when the foremost bottle reaches a predetermined position relative to the supporting surface; and

spring means urging said pusher means in a forward columnwise direction said spring means exerting a sufficient force in any position within its range of movement to move all of the bottles between it and said predetermined position in a forward columnwise direction until the foremost bottle reaches said predetermined position;

in which the pusher means comprises a unitary sheet metal member having a first section located above and adjacent the supporting surface and extending in parallel relation thereto, said first section cooperating with the supporting surface to prevent tilting of the pusher and having a front edge and a rear edge, a second section extending upwardly and forwardly from said rear edge, said second section having an upper edge, and a third section extending upwardly from said upper edge, said third section being adapted to engage the rearmost bottle in the column; and

in which said first section extends substantially forward of said third section and in which the central portion of the front edge of said first section is recessed to prevent a bottle engaged by the third section from resting on any part of the first section.

5. Apparatus having the capability of supporting a plurality of upstanding bottles arranged in a generally horizontal column and automatically feeding the bottles in the column forward in a columnwise direction when the foremost bottle in the column is removed, comprising:

means providing a substantially rigid supporting surface for supporting a column of bottles;

means for guiding bottles supported by the supporting surface for movement in a columnwise direction parallel to said surface;

pusher means for engaging the rearmost bottle in the column;

guide means constraining the pusher means for movement in a columnwise direction;

means for stopping the movement of the column when the foremost bottle reaches a predetermined position relative to the supporting surface; and

spring means urging said pusher means in a forward columnwise direction, said spring means exerting a sufficient force in any position within its range of movement to move all of the bottles between it and said predetermined position in a forward columnwise direction until the foremost bottle reaches said predetermined position;

in which the spring means comprises a self-coiling strip of spring material secured at one end to the supporting surface near the forward end thereof, extending rearwardly to a location behind said pusher means, and being coiled at said location, the coil being arranged to exert a force having a forwardly directed component on the rear side of said pusher means; and

in which said pusher means comprises means providing a rearwardly facing surface and said coil is in engagement with said rearwardly facing surface and exerts a force on said rearwardly facing surface perpendicular thereto at the location of said engagement, said rearwardly facing surface being oblique with respect to the columnwise direction at the location of said engagement, and in which the angle between said rearwardly facing surface and the columnwise direction, at the location of said engagement, is adjustable to vary the magnitude of said forwardly directed component of force.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which said pusher means comprises a unitary sheet metal member having a first section located above and adjacent the supporting surface and extending in parallel relation thereto, and in which said means providing a rearwardly facing surface is integral with said first section and joined thereto along a straight line extending parallel to said supporting surface and transverse to the columnwise direction, and in which the angle between said rearwardly facing surface and the columnwise direction is adjustable by bending the pusher at said straight line.

7. Apparatus having the capability of supporting a plurality of upstanding bottles arranged in a generally horizontal column and automatically feeding the bottles in the column forward in a columnwise direction when the foremost bottle in the column is removed, comprising:

means providing a substantially rigid supporting surface for supporting a column of bottles;

means for guiding bottles supported by the supporting surface for movement in a columnwise direction parallel to said surface;

pusher means comprising a vertically extending member having a front side for engaging the rearmost bottle in the column and a rear side;

guide means constraining the pusher means for movement in a columnwise direction;

means for stopping the movement of the column when the foremost bottle reaches a predetermined position relative to the supporting surface;

spring means urging said pusher means in a forward columnwise direction, said spring means comprising a self-coiling strip of spring material secured at one end to the supporting surface near the forward end thereof, extending rearwardly to a location behind said pusher means and being coiled at said location, the coil being arranged to exert a forwardly directed force on the rear side of the pusher means, the force being sufficient, in any position within the range of movement of the pusher means, to move all of the bottles between the pusher means and said predetermined position in a forward columnwise direction until the foremost bottle reaches said predetermined position; and

means comprising a length of flexible sheet material secured to the pusher means and extending forwardly therefrom along said supporting surface, said sheet being positioned underneath the bottles and between the bottles and the rigid supporting surface when bottles are present in the column, and serving substantially to eliminate variations in the coefficient of friction between the bottles and the supporting surface by preventing direct contact between the bottles and the supporting surface; said supporting surface having a recess extending rearwardly from the location at which the self-coiling strip is secured to the supporting surface at least to the rearmost location of the pusher means within its range of movement; and

said pusher means including means for maintaining the portion of said self-coiling strip which extends between the pusher means and the location at which it is secured to the supporting surface within said recess;

whereby said portion of said self-coiling strip is located within said recess and underneath said flexible sheet so as not to interfere with the movement of the bottles in said column.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which said self-coiling strip is arranged so that when the pusher means is viewed fron the side such that the front side thereof is to the left, the coil winds in the counterclockwise direction, and having a transverse slot in the recess of the supporting surface near the forward end thereof, the self-coiling strip extending through said slot with the forward end thereof located underneath the supporting surface and forward of said slot, the self-coiling strip having a through hole at the location of said slot, and the rear edge of said slot having a projection extending through said through hole thereby securing said strip in said slot.

9. Apparatus having the capability of supporting a plurality of upstanding bottles arranged in a generally horizontal column and automatically feeding the bottles in the column forward in a columnwise direction when the foremost bottle in the column is removed, comprising:

means providing a substantially rigid supporting surface for supporting a column of bottles;

means for guiding bottles supported by the supporting surface for movement in a columnwise direction parallel to said surface;

pusher means for engaging the rearmost bottle in the column;

means for stopping the movement of the column when the foremost bottle reaches a predetermined position relative to the supporting surface; and

in which said means providing a substantially rigid supporting surface is an elongated sheet metal element having an elongated web and a pair of reinforcing flanges located along its opposite long edges and extending downwardly therefrom, each reinforcing flange having an integral, inwardly extending flange at its lower edge;

in which said pusher means comprises a sheet metal member having a first section extending across said web in closely spaced parallel relation thereto, a pair of integral depending flanges extending downwardly from said first section, each in closely spaced parallel relation to one of said reinforcing flanges, and a pair of inwardly extending flanges, each being integral with one of the depending flanges, each of said inwardly extending flanges of the pusher means being arranged below and in closely spaced relation to an inwardly extending flange of the supporting surface providing means, whereby said flanges serve as guide means constraining the pusher means for movement in a columnwise direction; and

in which each of the inwardly extending flanges of the supporting surface-providing means is provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced slots extending outwardly from its innermost edge to form a tab, the tabs being located opposite each other near the forward end of the supporting surface and being bent downwardly to positions such that they are engageable by the inwardly extending flanges of the pusher means to limit forward movement of the pusher means.

10. Apparatus having the capability of supporting a plurality of upstanding bottles arranged in a generally horizontal column and automatically feeding the bottles in the column forward in a columnwise direction when the foremost bottle in the column is removed, comprising:

means providing a substantially rigid supporting surface for supporting a column of bottles; means for guiding bottles supported by the supporting surface for movement in a columnwise direction parallel to said surface;

pusher means for engaging the rearmost bottle in the column;

guide means constraining the pusher means for movement in a columnwise direction;

means for stopping the movement of the column when the foremost bottle reaches a predetermined position relative to the supporting surface;

means comprising a length of flexible, self-coiling, sheet material secured at one end to the pusher means, extending forwardly therefrom along said supporting surface and being coiled at its opposite end, said sheet being positioned underneath the bottle and between the bottles and the rigid supporting surface when bottles are present in the column, and serving substantially to eliminate variations in the coefficient of friction between the bottles and the supporting surface by preventing direct contact between the bottles and the supporting surface; and

means located adjacent the forward end of the supporting surface for retaining the coiled end of said self-coiling sheet at a substantially fixed location while allowing said sheet to coil as said pusher means moves forward.

Other info:

Inventors: Suttles, James M. (Elberton, GA)

Application Number: 06/065931
Filing Date: 1979-08-13
Publication_date: 1981-12-01
Assignee: MEAD CORP

Primary Class(es): 211/59.300
Other Classes: A47F1/12; A47F1/00; A47F1/00
US Patent Ref:

2110299	March, 1938	Hinkle	211/49D	Bottle rack
2218444	October, 1940	Vineyard	211/49D	Merchandise dispenser
2738881	March, 1956	Michel	211/49D	Display and storage holder for containers
2806631	September, 1957	Van Vactor	211/13	Automatic merchandising unit
2934212	April, 1960	Jacobson	211/49D	Display and dispensing racks
3083067	March, 1963	Vos et al.	312/71	Merchandise display and dispensing device
3161295	December, 1964	Chesley	211/49D	Display device for merchandise
3166195	January, 1965	Taber	211/49D	Display device
3308961	March, 1967	Chesley	211/49D	Package display-dispenser
3848745	November, 1974	Smith	211/49D	TRAY UNIT
4128177	December, 1978	Bustos	211/49D	Display rack with improved shelf assembly

Other Refs: NL106617

November, 1963

211/49D

Primary Examiner: Frazier, Roy D.
Assistant Examiner: Gibson Jr., Robert W.
Attorney: Howson, And Howson

Claims:

I claim:

Title: Forward feed merchandising device for soft drink bottles