Storage and dispensing system for shopping carts

Claim 2

A storage and dispensing system for shopping carts comprising an elongated product display shelf gondola as utilized in supermarkets and the like having opposite open and closed ends and an elongated inner compartment extended therebetween for receiving a plurality of such shopping carts therein through said open end of the gondola; a conveyor disposed within the gondola having an elongated endless chain providing predetermined upper and lower runs; a plurality of longitudinally spaced fingers on said chain individually engageable with said carts within the gondola so as to space the carts in longitudinally nested relation without wedging; a pair of spaced rotatable suppOrt members respectively disposed adjacent to said ends of the gondola mounting said chain for circuitous movement between the ends; power means disposed within the gondola; drive means drivingly interconnecting said power means and said rotatable support member adjacent to the closed end of the gondola motivating the upper run of said chain in a direction toward said open end of the gondola successively individually to discharge said carts one at a time from the gondola; and clutch means disposed between said drive means and said support member at the closed end of the gondola for interrupting said drive to the support member permitting unrestricted movement of said upper run of the chain away from said open end of the gondola incident to the loading of the compartment with shopping carts with the carts engaging successive fingers on the chain.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein said power means is a continuously driven electric motor, said clutch means is a normally open magnetic clutch, and said control means includes a customer actuating switch disposed externally upon said open end of the gondola having operating connection to said magnetic clutch for activating the same to transmit the drive from the motor to the conveyor chain for dispensing said carts from the gondola.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2 including a limit switch in said control system disposed within the gondola for engagement by succeeding carts during movement toward said discharge opening and connected to said magnetic clutch to deenergize the same for limiting the discharge to only one cart at a time from the gondola.

Claim 5

A storage and dispensing system for shopping carts comprising a display shelf gondola in a retail store or the like providing an elongated compartment therein adapted to receive a plurality of shopping carts in longitudinally extended nested relation and including a floor, a closed end wall, and an opposite open end wall having a cart discharge opening therethrough; an elongated endless conveyor chain having predetermined upper and lower runs longitudinally extended between said end walls of the gondola and including a plurality of spaced fingers individually engageable with said carts to space them within the gondola in said nested relation without wedging; a pair of spaced rotatable sprockets respectively disposed adjacent to said end walls of the gondola supporting said chain for circuitous movement therebetween immediately above said floor; a continuously driven electric motor mounted within the gondola; a speed-reducing drive mechanism interconnecting said motor and said sprocket at the closed end of the gondola; a magnetic clutch interposed said sprocket and said speed-reducing drive mechanism; a customer actuating switch disposed exteriorly upon said open end wall of the gondola and connected to said clutch to energize the same to travel said upper run of the chain toward said discharge opening to carry the carts toward and outwardly through the discharge opening; and a limit switch disposed within the gondola engageable by succeeding carts and having electrical connection to said magnetic clutch to deenergize the same upon such engagement of the limit switch to interrupt the drive to the conveyor chain until a subsequent actuation of the customer actuating switch.

Claim 6

A storage and dispensing system for shopping carts comprising a display shelf gondola in a retail store or the like providing an elongated compartment therein adapted to receive a plurality of shopping carts in longitudinally extended nested relation and including a floor, a closed end wall, and an opposite open end wall having a cart discharge opening therethrough; an elongated endless conveyor chain having predetermined upper and lower runs longitudinally extended between said end walls of the gondola and including a plurality of spaced fingers individually engageable with said carts to space them within the gondola in said nested relation without wedging; a pair of spaced rotatable sprockets respectively disposed adjacent to said end walls of the gondola supporting said chain for circuitous movement therebetween immediately above said floor; a continuously driven electric motor mounted within the gondola; a speed-reducing drive mechanism interconnecting said motor and said sprocket at the closed end of the gondola; a magnetic clutch interposed said sprocket and said speed-reducing drive mechanism; a customer actuating switch disposed exteriorly upon said open end wall of the gondola and connected to said clutch to energize the same to travel said upper run of the chain toward said discharge opening to carry the carts toward and outwardly through the discharge opening; and a limit switch disposed within the gondola engageable by succeeding carts and having electrical connection to said magnetic clutch to deenergize the same upon such engagement of the limit switch to interrupt the drive to the conveyor chain until a subsequent actuation of the customer actuating switch.

Claim 7

The system of claim 4 including a pair of elongated laterally spaced substantially parallel cart wheel guide tracks disposed in longitudinally extended relation upon the floor within the gondola with said conveyor chain disposed substantially centrally therebetween in cart-engaging relation.