Patent US3754630A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3754630A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Shopping cart receiving means
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1972-03-13
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Granted: 1973-08-28
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Expires: 1992-03-13
Abstract
Abstract A unitary shopping cart receiver to be arranged in predetermined proximity to a store or the like providing a plurality of carts for shoppers and adapted to induce shoppers to deposit shopping carts in the receiver when their use thereof is terminated. The receiver involves an elongate chute with parallel sides, open front and rear ends and into which shopping carts can be manually engaged for longitudinal movement and storage therein. The receiver has a gate means at its rear end to releasably return carts deposited therein. The receiver next has a dispenser operable to dispense a prize or reward each time a cart is advanced into engagement in the receiver at the front end thereof. Finally, the receiver has receiving means at its front end to permit the advance of a cart into engagement in and to prevent the withdrawal of a cart or carts from the front end of the receiver and related to the dispenser to operate the dispenser each time a cart is advanced into engagement in the receiver.
Inventors
- 👤 D Gilker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 13:23
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F7/00; G07F7/06; G07F7/0618; G07F7/0636; G07F7/0627
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
194 words
A shopping cart receiver of the character referred to comprising an elongate, cart-receiving chute with open front and rear ends, a cart-supporting bottom and laterally spaced, vertical sides between which a plurality of metal shopping carts with pairs of narrow gauge front wheels, wide gauge rear wheels and forwardly convergent tapered frames and baskets are deposited and releasably retained, said receiver having an elongate forwardly extending receiving means at the forward end of the chute into and through which each cart is rollably entered and advanced rearwardly into the receiver, said receiving means including a reward dispenser and having sensing and operating means to sense the engagement and rearward movement of a cart through the receiving means and to operate the dispenser each time the engagement and rearward movement of a cart into and through the receiving means is sensed, stop means carried by the receiving means and engageable with carts to allow rearward movement and to stop forward movement of carts through said receiving means, a retaining gate pivotally mounted at and normally closing the rear end of the chute and releasable latch means normally securing the gate in its normal closed position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
194 words
A shopping cart receiver of the character referred to comprising an elongate, cart-receiving chute with open front and rear ends, a cart-supporting bottom and laterally spaced, vertical sides between which a plurality of metal shopping carts with pairs of narrow gauge front wheels, wide gauge rear wheels and forwardly convergent tapered frames and baskets are deposited and releasably retained, said receiver having an elongate forwardly extending receiving means at the forward end of the chute into and through which each cart is rollably entered and advanced rearwardly into the receiver, said receiving means including a reward dispenser and having sensing and operating means to sense the engagement and rearward movement of a cart through the receiving means and to operate the dispenser each time the engagement and rearward movement of a cart into and through the receiving means is sensed, stop means carried by the receiving means and engageable with carts to allow rearward movement and to stop forward movement of carts through said receiving means, a retaining gate pivotally mounted at and normally closing the rear end of the chute and releasable latch means normally securing the gate in its normal closed position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
78 words
A shopping cart receiver as set forth in claim 1 wherein said stop means includes pivoted members at opposite sides of the receiving means normally projecting laterally inwardly from said opposite sides and into the space through which carts deposited in the receiver are directed and moved, said members being movably laterally outwardly when engaged by a cart moved rearwardly into the said space and being laterally immovable when engaged by a cart moved forwardly in said space.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
62 words
A shopping cart receiver as set forth within claim 1 wherein the receiving means includes guide means to orient and direct a cart moved rearwardly relative to and into engagement with the receiving means, said guide means including a pair of laterally spaced, vertical side walls with substantially flat laterally inwardly disposed, opposing guide surfaces engageable with opposite sides of a cart.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
89 words
A shopping cart receiver as set forth in claim 1 wherein said receiving means includes a substantially horizontal bottom surface between the lower edges of a pair of laterally spaced opposing vertical side walls and elongate, Laterally spaced, longitudinally extending guide rails projecting upwardly from the bottom surface, said guide rails having laterally inwardly disposed sides to oppose and engage the outer sides of the front wheels of a cart and laterally outwardly disposed sides to oppose and engage the inner sides of the rear wheels of a cart.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
93 words
A shopping cart receiver as set forth in claim 1 wherein the receiving means includes a pair of elongate, horizontal, laterally spaced, normally laterally inwardly and rearwardly convergent guide members with forward ends pivoted to elongate, fixed, laterally spaced vertical side walls of the receiving means and spring means yieldingly resisting lateral outward shifting of the rear ends of the members, said members being arranged within openings at the forward ends of the side walls to be slidably engaged and yieldingly urged laterally outwardly by a cart moved rearwardly between the side walls.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
84 words
A shopping cart receiver as set forth in claim 5 wherein said receiving means further includes a substantially horizontal bottom surface between the lower edges of the side walls and elongate, laterally spaced, longitudinally extending guide rails projecting upwardly from the bottom surface, said guide rails having laterally inwardly disposed sides to oppose and engage the outer sides of the front wheels of a cart and laterally outwardly disposed sides to oppose and engage the inner sides of the rear wheels of a cart.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
95 words
A shopping cart receiver as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sensing and operating means includes a plurality of metal detector devices arranged in spaced relationship in the receiving means, each operable to detect a predetermined proximate positioning of a part of a cart relative thereto and to emit a predetermined electric signal when said part of the cart is in said proximate position, and an electric control circuit receiving the predetermined electric signals from the devices and operable to actuate the dispenser when the signals from all of said devices are received thereby.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
100 words
A shopping cart receiver as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sensing and operating means includes a plurality of electric switches in predetermined spaced relationship in the receiving means and each having movable operating parts related thereto and engageable with a predetermined related portion of a cart when a cart is in predetermined longitudinal position in the receiving means, said switches being connected in an electric control circuit, said circuit operable to actuate the dispenser when the plurality of switches have been sequentially operated in predetermined order by a cart engaged in and moved rearwardly through the receiving means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
88 words
A shopping cart receiver as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sensing and operating means includes a plurality of light emitters in spaced relationship in the receiving means, and a light sensor related to each emitter in spaced relationship therewith, said emitters and sensors being spaced whereby light passing from the emitters to the sensors is interrupted by movement of a cart through the receiving means and predetermined electric signals are sequentially transmitted by the sensors, and a control circuit related to the sensors and the dispenser.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2818955A
Cited
US3283868A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-08-27 | 1977-02-26 | 1977-08-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-27 | 1981-02-26 | 1981-08-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-27 | 1985-02-26 | 1985-08-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |