GB2108092A - Dispensing dry particulate material - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispenser for dry particulate material comprises a frame (12), at least one drawer (14) slidably mounted in said frame for movement between an extended position and a retracted position, and a plurality of side-by-side hopper compartments (60) in each drawer, each storage compartment having an input passage (72) at its upper end and a discharge passage (58) at its lower end, there being closure means e.g. a valve (84) in each discharge passage, movable between an open position and a closed position to open and close said discharge passage. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Dispenser for dry particulate material This invention relates to a dispenser for dry particulate material. In particular, this invention relates to a dispenser suitable for dispensing nutmeats and/or mixtures of nutmeats and dried fruit and the like.

Prior art Considerable difficulty has been experienced in attempting to provide a dispenser of a type suitable for use as a self-service dispenser for nutmeats and dried fruit and mixtures thereof in supermarkets and other self-service outlets. In order to maintain hygenic conditions in the selfservice dispensing of fruit materials, it is important to ensure that the dispensing apparatus is designed to avoid spillage during loading and during dispensing operations. In addition, it is important to ensure that the apparatus can be cleaned with ease. Considerable difficulty has been experienced in attempting to achieve these objectives in a simple and inexpensive dispensing apparatus.

The dispenser of the present invention overcomes the difficulties associated with attempting to load the dispenser compartments by arranging a plurality of hopper compartments in a side-by-side relationship in a drawer which is mounted to slide into and out of its supporting frame such that when the drawer is in the extended position easy access is available to the input passage.

The difficulties associated with the dispensing have been reduced by ensuring that the front wall of each hopper compartment is angularly inclined to provide a dispenser recess for the hopper compartment which is located in the drawer located immediately thereabove.

The difficulties associated with attempting to clean the hopper compartments have been overcome by making the front wall of the compartment removable.

The difficulties associated with obtaining substantially complete emptying of the dispenser compartment have been overcome by making the bottom wall of the compartment a small wall and by providing that the side and back walls of the compartment are inclined toward the bottom wall.

Summary of invention According to one aspect of the present invention, a dispenser for dry particulate material comprises a frame; at least one drawer slidably mounted on said frame for movement between an extended position and a retracted position; a plurality of side-by-side hopper compartments in each drawer, each storage compartment having an input passage at its upper end and a discharge passage at its lower end; closure means in each discharge passage movable between an open position and a closed position to open and close said discharge passage.

The invention will be more clearly understood after reference to the following detailed specification read in conjunction with the drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a pictorial front view of a dispenser constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a back view of the dispenser of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the dispenser of Figure 1 showing one of the drawings in the extended position; Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of the portion 4 of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a detailed view of the drawer support and locking mechanism; Figure 6 is a pictorial view illustrating a portion of a drawer; Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

With reference to the drawings, reference numeral 10 refers generally to a dispenser constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The dispenser 10 consists of a frame generally identified by the reference numeral 1 2 and the plurality of drawers 14 each slidably mounted in the frame. The frame 1 2 consists of a pair of oppositely disposed side panels 1 6 which are connected by transverse rails 18. A sheet metal bottom panel 20 has an angularly inclined upper portion 22 and a vertically oriented front portion 24. As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, a plurality of drawer mounting rails 26 are mounted on the inner faces of the side panels 1 6.A slide member 28 is supported on each rail 26 by means of balls 30 which act as bearing supports and serve to retain and slidably support the slide members 28 for movement relative to the rails 26. The slide members 28 have an upper face 32 which forms an arcuate support track for rollers 34 which are mounted on the side walls 40 of the drawer 14. A stop 36 is located at each end of the slide member 28 for retaining the rollers 34 against movement relative to the slide member 28. The slide member 28 is normally retained in engagement with the support rail 26 by means of a latch member 42 which is pivotally mounted on the front edge of the side panel 1 6 by means of pivot pin 44 for movement in the direction of the arrow A between the release position shown in Figure 5 and the locked position in which it extends transversely in front of the stop member 46.Thus, when the latch member 42 is in the locked position, the drawer 14 cannot be extended. In order to remove a drawer, it is moved to the extended position and thereafter the front end of the drawer is raised so that the front roller 34 is lifted over the front stop 36 and thereafter the drawer can be further extended until the back roller 34 engages the front stop 36 at which point the drawer may then be lifted completely free of the slide member 28.

Each of the drawers 14 has a pair of oppositely disposed end walls 40 between which an upper wall 50, a back wall 52 and a lower front wall panel 54 extend. Each drawer 14 is divided into a plurality of hopper compartments 60 by divider walls 62. Each compartment 60 has a small bottom wall 56 located toward the front end thereof through which a discharge passage 58 opens. Window mounting rails 64 are located at the front of each compartment and a transparent window 66 is slidably mounted in the window mounting rails 64 so as to be removable through the upper end of the rails 64. The upper wall 50 has a door panel 68 hingedly mounted at its front end by means of a hinge 70. The door panel 68 is movable between an open and a closed position to open and close an input opening 72 which opens into each compartment 60.

The dry particulate material 80 which is located in the compartment 60 in use is directed toward the output passage 58 by reason of the fact that the back wall 56 is angularly inclined forwardly and downwardly and lower side wall panels 74 are provided at the lower end of each compartment, the side wall panel 74 being angularly inclined inwardly toward the small bottom wall 56.

The bottom wall 56 has a plurality of tubular dispensing necks 80 through which the discharge passages 58 extend. The bottom wall 56 is secured to the front wall 54 by an interlocking lip arrangement generally indicated by the reference numeral 82 in Figure 7. The slide member 84 is slidably mounted in a slot 86 formed in the front wall panel 54 to extend into each compartment 60. The slide member 84 has a discharge passage 88 extending therethrough.The slide member 84 is movable between a closed position as shown in Figure 7 in which the discharge passage 88 is out of alignment with the discharge passage 56 and an extended position in which the discharge passages 88 and 58 are aligned to permit the discharge of particulate material from the hopper compartment 60 through the dispenser tube 80 into a receptacle, such as a plastic bag which may be positioned tightly around the discharge tube.

The slide 84 consists of an upper sheet metal member 90 which has a manually engageable lip 92 at its front end. A plastic base plate 94 underlies and is secured with respect to the sheet metal panel 94 and forms a low friction bearing surface for the sheet metal panel 90 which bears against the bottom wall 56. A tension spring 96 connects the inner end of the sheet metal panel 90 to a frame member 18 and a roller 98 is mounted on the sheet metal panel 90 and bears against the frame rail 1 8 to limit inward movement of the slide member 84.

An advertising display panel 100 is mounted in support posts 102 at the upper end of the frame.

A roll of plastic bags 104 is mounted on a support bracket 106 which is mounted on the frame member 1 6 and the receptacle 108 for ties is mounted at the upper end of the bracket 106.

In use, each of the hopper compartments 60 is loaded with particulate material when the doors are in the extended position as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings access to the storage compartment 60 being obtained by raising the door 68. The drawers are, then, moved to the retracted position and locked in the retracted position by means of the latch 42. A plastic bag or the like is, then, placed around the discharge tube 80 of the compartment from which particulate material is to be withdrawn and thereafter the slide member 84 is manually manipulated to the open position until a sufficient quantity of material has been withdrawn and thereafter it is returned to the closed position with the closing action being assisted by the extension spring 96.

It will be noted that by reason of the angularly inclined front face of each drawer and the angularly inclined surface of the panel 22 of the lower panel 20 a dispenser recess 110 is provided directly below each dispenser tube 80.

Further, it will be noted that the transparent window panel 66 can be removed when the door 68 is in the open position merely by sliding these window panels upwardly along the supports 64.

This permits access to each compartment 60 through the front end thereof to facilitate cleaning thereof.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the dispenser described above provides for the ease of loading and dispensing of particulate material with the result that these functions can be performed with ease and without spillage.

Claims (5)

Claims

1. A dispenser for dry particulate material comprising: a) a frame; b) at least one drawer slidably mounted on said frame for movement between an extended position and a retracted position; c) a plurality of side-by-side hopper compartments in each drawer, each storage compartment having an input passage at its upper end and a discharge passage at its lower end; d) closure means in each discharge passage movable between an open position and a closed position to open and close said discharge passage.

2. A dispenser for dry particulate material as claimed in Claim 1 having at least two drawers arranged one above the other, each compartment having a front wall which is inclined upwardly and rearwardly to provide a dispensing recess directly below the discharge passage of the hopper compartments of the drawer located thereabove, the input passages being arranged such that when their associated drawer is in the extended position they are located forwardly from the drawer located thereabove so as to be accessible for loading.

3. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the front wall of each compartment is in the form of a glass panel which is removably mounted to facilitate cleaning of said compartment.

4. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 1,2 or 3 wherein each hopper compartment has a front end and a back end and small bottom wall disposed toward the front end and back and side walls converging toward said bottom wall, said dispenser passage opening through said bottom wall.

5. A dispenser for dry particulate material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.