Cigarette dispensing apparatuses

Claim 1

AN AUTOMATIC CIGARETTE DISPENSER OPERABLE TO SEQUENTIALLY DISPENSE CIGARETTES WHEN MOVED ALONG A SURFACE, COMPRISING: A HOLLOW CASING FOR STORING THEREIN CIGARETTES TO BE SEQUENTIALLY DISPENSED INCLUDING A BOTTOM MEMBER AND WALL MEANS CONSTITUTING SIDE AND END WALLS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM MEMBER, THE INTERIOR SPACE OF SAID HOLLOW CASING FORMED BY SAID BOTTOM MEMBER AND SAID WALL MEANS BEING LONGER IN THE DIRECTION OF A SIDE WALL THAN THE AXIAL LENGTH OF THE CIGARETTES TO BE STORED THEREIN, AND BEING OF SUCH WIDTH AND HEIGHT AS TO ENABLE STORING THEREIN THE CIGARETTES TO BE DISPENSED, AN APERTURE PROVIDED IN AN END WALL OF SAID WALL MEANS OF SUCH SIZE AS TO ENABLE DISPENSING OF A CIGARETTE IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION THEREOF, MEANS FOR NORMALLY MAINTAINING SAID CASING IN A SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT POSITION WITH SAID BOTTOM MEMBER SPACED FROM THE SURFACE ALONG WHICH THE DISPENSER IS MOVED DURING OPERATION THEREOF INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED ROLLER MEANS EFFECTIVELY PROVIDING AT LEAST A FOUR-POINT SUPPORT FOR SAID CASING OVER A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE AREA OF SAID BOTTOM MEMBER TO IMPART STABILITY TO THE DISPENSER IN ITS UPRIGHT POSITION, AND MEANS FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID ROLLER MEANS AT SAID CASING SO AS TO EXTEND IN PART BELOW SAID BOTTOM MEMBER OUTSIDE SAID CASING AND IN PART ABOVE SAID BOTTOM MEMBER INTO THE CASING TO THEREBY CONSTITUTE SAID ROLLER MEANS WITH THE PARTS THEREOF EXTENDING BELOW SAID BOTTOM MEMBER THE RUNNING WHEELS FOR THE CASING AND WITH THE PARTS THEREOF EXTENDING ABOVE THE BOTTOM MEMBER THE CONVEYOR MEANS FOR THE CIGARETTE TO BE DISPENSED AND DIRECTLY RESTING THEREON, SAID APERTURE BEING SO LOCATED IN THE END WALL OF THE CASING THAT THE LOWERMOST OF THE CIGARETTE STORED WITHIN SAID CASING IS AUTOMATICALLY DISPENSED BY THE ROTARY MOVEMENTS OF THE PARTS OF THE ROLLER MEANS CONSTITUTING THE CONVEYOR MEANS, ON WHICH IT RESTS, IN THE AXIAL DIRECTION OF THE CIGARETTE THROUGH SAID APERTURE AND IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE DISPENSER AS THE LATTER IS ROLLED ON ITS RUNNING WHEELS ALONG A SURFACE AND THEREBY PRODUCES SAID ROTARY MOVEMENTS.