Heated dispensing unit for cans of viscous substances

Claim 1

A dispenser for cylindrical containers of products to be heated and dispensed while heated comprising a vertical stacking chute for containing a vertically disposed stack of such containers, said chute being of substantially rectangular transverse cross section and comprising parallel front and rear walls spaced apart a distance greater than the diameter of the individual containers being dispensed by parallel side walls spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the overall height of the individual containers being dispensed, said front wall being cut away at the bottom portion thereof to form an opening in the chute for permitting discharge of the containers adjacent the bottom of said chute, said rear wall of the chute opposite said opening to form a forwardly inclined ramp for guiding said containers into said opening; a closure for the bottom of said chute, said closure including a struck-up portion extending across the bottom of the opening in said front wall of said chute and defining a stop to prevent discharge of said containers by gravity from said opening; an outer wall joined to said bottom closure and extending upwardly therefrom and completely surrounding said chute but spaced outwardly from the walls defining said chute to define therewith and therebetween a chimney, said outer wall having an opening in the bottom portion thereof registering with the opening in the front wall of said chute to permit removal of the lowermost container in said chute through said registering openings; and a heat source disposed near the bottom of said chute and beneath said forwardly inclined ramp whereby said inclined ramp, the walls defining said chute define a heat sink within said outer surrounding wall for transferring heat from said source of heat to said containers, said chimney conveying heated air upwardly toward and for discharge through the open top of said chute.