Method of conveying articles and construction of checkout equipment

Claim 1

IN A MERCHANDISE OR ARTICLE HANDLING AND CHECKOUT SYSTEM INVOLVING THE UNLOADING OF A PORTABLE MARKETING CART FOR TRANSPORT OF MERCHANDISE, A CHECKOUT OPERATOR''S STATION INCLUDING A TABLE OR COUNTER, AN ELEVATING MECHANISM ADJACENT AND TABLE, SAID MARKETING CART BEING ADAPTED TO BE MOVED INTO AN AREA ADJACENT THE TABLE AND POSITIONED OVER THE ELEVATING MECHANISM, SAID MARKETING CART HAVING A CONTAINER THEREON WITH SIDE WALLS AND A LOAD SUPPORTING BOTTOM ADAPTED TO BE ELEVATED UPWARD RELATIVE TO THE SIDE WALLS OF THE CONTAINER, REVERSIBLE POWER MEANS FOR ACTUATING THE ELEVATING MEANS FROM A RETRACTED POSITION TO ENGAGE THE LOAD SUPPORTING BOTTOM OF THE CONTAINER ON SAID MARKETING CART AND TO ELEVATE THE SAME THEREBY RAISING THE ARTICLES IN THE CONTAINER TO A LEVEL, FOR EASE OF UNLOADING ONTO SAID TABLE AT THE OPERATOR''S TABLE OR STATION, CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID POWER MEANS WHEREBY SAID POWER MEANS MAY BE ACTUATED IN ONE SENSE UNDER CONTROL OF THE OPERATOR TO ELEVATE THE BOTTOM OF THE MARKETING CART TO FACILITATE UNLOADING AND OPERABLE IN THE REVERSE SENSE TO RETRACT THE ELEVATING MEANS TO AN INITIAL INACTIVE POSITION THEREBY PERMITTING THE CART TO BE REMOVED.