Article receiving and storage apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SUCCESSIVELY RECEIVING CARTONS HAVING TWO PARALLEL ROWS OF BOTTLES CONFINED THEREIN AND UNCONFINED INDIVIDUAL BOTTLES, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A CARTON RECEIVING STATION FOR SUCCESSIVELY RECEIVING CARTONS OF BOTTLES, CARTON CONVEYING MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CARTON RECEIVING STATION FOR MOVING EACH CARTON THROUGH AND OUT OF SAID CARTON RECEIVING STATION, FIRST BOTTLE SENSING MEANS COMPRISING SWITCH MEANS DISPOSED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF A CARTON THROUGH AND OUT OF SAID CARTON RECEIVING STATION AND DISPOSED IN POSITION TO BE SUCCESSIVELY ENGAGED BY EACH BOTTLE IN THE TWO ROWS OF BOTTLES CONFINED IN A CARTON, A BOTTLE RECEIVING STATION FOR SUCCESSIVELY RECEIVING UNCONFINED BOTTLES, BOTTLE CONVEYING MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOTTLE RECEIVING STATION FOR MOVING THE BOTTLES THROUGH AND OUT OF SAID BOTTLE RECEIVING STATION, SECOND BOTTLE SENSING MEANS POSITIONED IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE BOTTLES THROUGH AND OUT OF SAID BOTTLE RECEIVING STATION FOR SENSING THE PRESENCE AND SIZE OF EACH UNCONFINED BOTTLE RECEIVED, AND COMMON REFUND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO EACH ACTUATION OF SAID SWITCH MEANS OF SAID FIRST BOTTLE SENSING MEANS FOR TOTALING THE NUMBER OF BOTTLES SENSED IN EACH CARTON RECEIVED AND OPERABLE UPON MOVEMENT OF EACH CARTON OUT OF SAID CARTON RECEIVING STATION FOR DISPENSING A COMPOSITE REFUND FOR THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BOTTLES IN EACH CARTON RECEIVED, AND RESPONSIVE TO ACTUATION OF SAID SECOND BOTTLE SENSING MEANS FOR DISPENSING A REFUND FOR EACH UNCONFINED BOTTLE RECEIVED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SIZE THEREOF.