US3581934A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Adjustable cup dispenser
Assignee: Primerica Inc
•
Filing: 1969-05-01
•
Granted: 1971-06-01
•
Expires: 1989-05-01
Abstract
Abstract An adjustable cup dispenser having a minimum of parts, namely an elongated housing for receiving a stack of cups and a control sleeve cooperatively associated therewith, which provide ready support for a stack of cups and also effect positive size adjustment for supporting stacks of varying cup sizes.
Inventors
- 👤 Anthony Salvatore Sciascia
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 10:46
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47F; A47F1/00; A47F1/04; A47F1/08; A47F1/085
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
70 words
An adjustable cup dispenser comprising: a housing having a bottom opening for receiving a stack of nested cups therewithin for bottom-dispensing from the stack; said housing having integrally formed resilient means for supportively engaging a lowermost cup externally thereof; and control means carried by said cup-engaging means said control means having means for effecting positive radial adjustment of said cup-engaging means to accommodate the support of cups of varying sizes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
70 words
An adjustable cup dispenser comprising: a housing having a bottom opening for receiving a stack of nested cups therewithin for bottom-dispensing from the stack; said housing having integrally formed resilient means for supportively engaging a lowermost cup externally thereof; and control means carried by said cup-engaging means said control means having means for effecting positive radial adjustment of said cup-engaging means to accommodate the support of cups of varying sizes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The cup dispenser of claim 1 wherein said housing and said control means each respectively comprises a single structural element.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The cup dispenser of claim 1 wherein said cup-engaging means comprises a plurality of substantially vertical fingers depending externally from adjacent said bottom opening of said housing; and said control means is mounted upon and carried by said fingers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The cup dispenser of claim 3 wherein said control means comprises a sleeve rotatably journaled on said fingers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The cup dispenser of claim 4 wherein the upper end of said sleeve is rotatably received within said housing to minimize dust entry into said housing.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The cup dispenser of claim 5 wherein the upper end of said sleeve is received within a downwardly facing groove in said housing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
The cup dispenser of claim 4 wherein said sleeve includes integrally formed cam means mountably and carryably engageable with said fingers to positively flex the same radially inwardly and to allow the same to move radially outwardly, thereby to effect radial size adjustment of said fingers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The cup dispenser of claim 7 wherein said cam means comprises an inwardly facing cam ring on the interior of said sleeve for engaging said fingers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
63 words
The cup dispenser of claim 8 wherein said cam ring is received within outwardly facing slots on said fingers, thereby to mount said sleeve on said housing, said cam ring including a plurality of series of varying radius cam faces on the inner periphery of said cam ring, all faces of any selected series being respectively alignable with said fingers upon sleeve rotation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
The cup dispenser of claim 9 wherein the outermost series of said cam faces is dimensioned to permit loading and unloading of a cup stack past said fingers without obstruction.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
The cup dispenser of claim 9 wherein said housing and said sleeve are provided with cooperative means to indicate the selected series of cam faces aligned with said fingers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-05-31 | 1974-11-30 | 1975-06-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-05-31 | 1978-11-30 | 1979-06-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-05-31 | 1982-11-30 | 1983-06-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |