George Hopper

US Patent:

42328004, Nov 11, 1980

Filed:

Apr 16, 1979

Appl. No.:

6/030537

Inventors:

Dennis R. Martin - Saginaw MI
George O. Hopper - Saginaw MI

International Classification:

B65G 5906

US Classification:

221109

Abstract:

Apparatus for individually dispensing cylindrical articles, such as rolled newspapers and the like, comprising vertically inclined, juxtaposed racks for storing articles which travel therealong by the force of gravity, and an adjustable width chute adjacent the terminal ends of the racks and spaced therefrom to receive articles from the rack and downwardly pass them in a vertical stack, a gate movable between a blocking position in the path of the lowermost article in the column and a non-blocking position permitting the lowermost article to downwardly pass, and stack support mechanism movable between a remote position when the gate is in the blocking position and an operative position in the path of the second lowermost article when the gate is in the non-blocking position to interrupt the downward passage and vertically support the balance of the articles which trail the lowermost article.