Check-out counter for supermarkets or the like

Claim 1

A CHECK-OUT COUNTER COMPRISING A CABINET PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE BAGGING WELL OPENING THROUGH THE TOP THEREOF, A PAIR OF VERTICALLY DISPOSED COPLANAR RIBS EXTENDING INWARDLY TOWARD EACH OTHER FROM THE OPPOSITE WALLS OF SAID BAGGING WELL AND DIVIDING THE LATTER INTO A FILLING COMPARTMENT FOR UNFOLDED OPEN BAGS AND A STORAGE COMPARTMENT FOR FOLDED BAGS HAVING THEIR BOTTOMS FOLDED UP AGAINST THEIR SIDE WALLS FACING SAID FILLING COMPARTMENT, SAID RIBS BEING RELATIVELY NARROW WITH THEIR FREE EDGES DISPOSED TO OVERLAP THE SIDE EDGES OF BAGS IN SAID STORAGE COMPARTMENT BUT BEING SPACED TO PERMIT PASSAGE OF THE UPPER PORTIONS OF A BAG THROUGH THE OPENING THEREBETWEEN BY MANUAL FORCE, AND THE BOTTOMS OF SAID RIBS BEING SPACED THEREBETWEEN A LONGER DISTANCE, SUFFICIENT TO PRECLUDE OVERLAPPING THE FOLDED BAG BOTTOMS, WHEREBY AN OPERATOR MAY SIMULTANEOUSLY OPEN AND TRANSFER A BAG FROM THE STORAGE COMPARTMENT TO THE FILLING COMPARTMENT BY THE OPERATOR''S INTRODUCTION OF ONE ARM INTO AND URGING THE FACE OF THE BAG ENGAGING SAID RIBS TO CAUSE THE BAG BOTTOM TO SWING FREELY DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE WIDER GAP PROVIDED BY THE PARTITIONS ON THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND TOWARD THE FILLING COMPARTMENT AS THE SIDE EDGES OF THE UPPER PORTION OF THE BAG ARE FORCED BETWEEN SAID RIBS SO THAT THE OPERATOR CAN THEREAFTER DIRECTLY PLACE ARTICLES INTO THE OPEN BAG POSITIONED IN THE FILLING COMPARTMENT AS THEY ARE CHECKED OUT, SAID COUNTER BEING L-SHAPED IN CONFIGURATION AND INCLUDING A COVERED COUNTER SECTION AT THE APEX AND AT LEAST ANOTHER SMALL HINGED COUNTER AT ONE OF ITS ARMS, SO AS TO PROVIDE A COVER FOR AN ADDITIONAL COMPARTMENT WHERE BOTTLES, CANS AND THE LIKE CAN BE STORED FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY TO A CUSTOMER.