Dispensing device for cups

Claim 1

A DISPENSING DEVICE FOR DISPENSING PREFORMED, SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID DRINKING CUPS EACH HAVING AN OUTWARDLY BEADED RIM, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING TUBULAR CONTAINER FOR RECEIVING THEREIN A STAC OF NESTED CUPS, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING AT ONE END THEREOF, AND DISCHARGE CONTROL MEANS PROVIDED AT SAID OPEN END OF THE CONTAINER FOR GRAVITY DISCHARGE OF CUPS ONE BY ONE, SAID DISCHARGE CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A SLIDE HAVING A CIRCULAR OPENING THE DIAMETER OF WHICH JUST PERMITS PASSAGE OF A CUP, THE DIAMETER OF THE CONTAINER OPENING BEING GREATER THAN THE MAXIMUM CUP DIAMETER, SAID SLIDE BEING SLIDABLE TRANSVERSE OF THE CONTAINER AXIS BETWEEN A DISCHARGE POSITION IN WHICH THE SLIDE OPENING IS CLEAR FOR DISCHARGE OF A CUP, AND A LOCKING POSITION IN WHICH THE SLIDE OPENING IS BLOCKED FOR SUCH DISCHARGE, FIRST SUPPORTING SURFACES ON THE SLIDE AND ON THE INNER WALL OF THE CONTAINER FOR SUPPORTING THE LOWERMOST ONE OF SAID CUPS IN THE LOCKING POSITION OF THE SLIDE, AND SECOND SUPPORTING SURFACES ON THE SLIDE AND THE INNER WALL OF THE CONTAINER FOR SUPPORTING THE NEXT FOLLOWING ONE OF THE CUPS IN THE DISCHARGE POSITION OF THE SLIDE, MOVEMENT OF THE SLIDE FROM THE LOCKING POSITION TOWARD THE DISCHARGE POSITION PUSHING THE LOWERMOST CUP SUPPORTED ON SAID FIRST SUPPORTING SURFACES OFF SAID SURFACES FOR GRAVITY DISCHARGE THROUGH THE SLIDE OPENING AND THE CONTAINER OPENING, SAID SECOND SUPPORTING SURFACES SUPPORTING THE CUP FOLLOWING THE ONE BEING DISCHARGED DURING THE DISCHARGE THEREOF, AND SPRING MEANS BIASING THE SLIDE INTO ITS LOCKING POSITION.