Dispensing apparatus for spring retaining rings

Claim 1

THE COMBINATION OF A DISPENSER FOR MAINTAINING A SUPPLY OF SPLIT SPRING RETAINING RINGS AND A TOOL FOR WITHDRAWING AND ASSEMBLING SAID RINGS ONE BY ONE, SAID DISPENSER COMPRISING A BASE, A RIGID STACK ROD EXTENDING SUUBSTANTIALLY NORMALLY UPWARDLY FROM THE BASE FOR DISPOSING THE SUPPLY OF RING S IN COLUMN FORMATION ON SAID BASE, AND A POCKET IN SAID BASE FOR RECEIVING THE ENDMOST RING OF SAID COLUMN LOWERING THEREINTO FROM SAID STACK ROD AND POSITIONING SAME IN WITHDRAWAL-READINESS POSITION, SAID TOOL INCORPORATING RING PICK-UP MNEANS WHICH DEPENDS FOR ITS ACTION ON ITS ABILITY TO MOVE AGAINST A FACE OF A RING, AND MEANS MOUNTING SAID STACK ROD FOR BODILY RETRACTING MOVEMENT TO AN OUT-OF-THE-WAY POSITION IN WHICH IT EXPOSES SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE RELATIVELY UPWARDLY DISPOSED FACE OF SAID RING TO SAID TOOL RESPONSIVELY TO THRUST OF A PART OF SAID TOOL AGAINST ITS LOWER END, THEREBY TO RENDER SAID ENDMOST RING POSITIONED IN THE RING POCKET ACCESSIBLE TO SAID PICK-UP MEANS.