Article storing and dispensing unit

Claim 1

An apparatus adapted to receive, orient, and store a plurality of visible markers and to dispense said markers individually in a predetermined location under the control of a user, said apparatus comprising, in combination, an upper portion having an enlarged, marker-receiving open end and sidewalls extending downwardly therefrom, a body portion joined to said sidewalls of said upper portion, said body portion including means defining a marker inlet opening, a marker dispensing opening and a main body portion intermediate said openings, said body portion being adapted to store therein a plurality of said markers in stacked formation, means of reduced diameter disposed within said intermediate body portion, said reduced diameter means being adapted to engage and support the lowermost marker in said formation, said support means being adapted to deflect radially outwardly in response to an axial force to permit passage of a marker past said support means and through said discharge opening, said main body portion including wall surfaces having therein a pair of axially extending, finger receiving slots, said slots being sized to expose edge portions of said markers, whereby the fingers of a user may exert said axial force on said marker support means by applying force to said marker formation and an individual marker may be dispensed each time axial force is applied to said support means.

Claim 2

An apparatus adapted to receive, orient, and store a plurality of visible markers and to dispense said markers individually in a predetermined location under the control of a user, said apparatus comprising, in combination, an upper portion having an enlarged, marker-receiving open end and sidewalls extending downwardly therefrom, a body portion joined to said sidewalls of said upper portion, said body portion including means defining a marker inlet opening, a marker dispensing opening and a main body portion intermediate said openings, said body portion being adapted to store therein a plurality of said markers in stacked formation, means of reduced diameter disposed within said intermediate body portion, said reduced diameter means being adapted to engage and support the lowermost marker in said formation, said support means being adapted to deflect radially outwardly in response to an axial force to permit passage of a marker past said support means and through said discharge opening, said main body portion including wall surfaces having therein a pair of axially extending, finger receiving slots, said slots being sized to expose edge portions of said markers, whereby the fingers of a user may exert said axial force on said marker support means by applying force to said marker formation and an individual marker may be dispensed each time axial force is applied to said support means.

Claim 7

An apparatus adapted to receive, orient, and store a plurality of visible markers and to dispense said markers individually in a predetermined location under the control of a user, said apparatus comprising, in combination, an upper portion having an enlarged, marker-receiving open end and sidewalls extending downwardly therefrom, a body portion joined to said sidewalls of said upper portion, said body portion including means defining a marker inlet opening, a marker dispensing opening and a main body portion intermediate said openings, said body portion being adapted to store therein a plurality of said markers in stacked formation, means of reduced diameter disposed within said intermediate body portion, said reduced diameter means being adapted to engage and support the lowermost marker in said formation, said support means being adapted to deflect radially outwardly in response to an axial force to permit passage of a marker past said support means and through said discharge opening, said body portion including at least one slot extending axially from said dispensing opening into said main body portion and above said marker support means, thereby facilitating said radially outward deflection of said support means, said body portion further including wall surfaces having a pair of axially extending, finger-receiving slots, said slots being sized to expose the edge portions of said markers, whereby the fingers of a user may exert said axial force on said support means by applying said force to said marker formation and an individual marker may be dispensed each time said axial force is applied to said support means.

Claim 8

An apparatus adapted to receive, orient, and store a plurality of visible markers and to dispense said markers individually in a predetermined location under the control of a user, said apparatus comprising, in combination, an upper portion having an enlarged, marker-receiving open end and sidewalls extending downwardly therefrom, a body portion joined to said sidewalls of said upper portion, said body portion including means defining a marker inlet opening, a marker dispensing opening and a main body portion intermediate said openings, said body portion being adapted to store therein a plurality of said markers in stacked formation, means of reduced diameter disposed within said intermediate body portion, said reduced diameter means being adapted to engage and support the lowermost marker in said formation, said support means being adapted to deflect radially outwardly in response to an axial force to permit passage of a marker past said support means and through said discharge opening, said body portion including at least one slot extending axially from said dispensing opening into said main body portion and above said marker support means, thereby facilitating said radially outward deflection of said support means, said body portion further including wall surfaces having a pair of axially extending, finger-receiving slots, said slots being sized to expose the edge portions of said markers, whereby the fingers of a user may exert said axial force on said support means by applying said force to said marker formation and an individual marker may be dispensed each time said axial force is applied to said support means.

Claim 11

An apparatus adapted to receive, orient, and store a plurality of visible markers and to dispense said markers individually in a predetermined location under the control of a user, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a loading cone portion having an upper margin defining a marker-receiving opening, and a lower margin of reduced diameter, frusto-conical sidewall portions extending downwardly and inwardly from said upper margin to said lower margin, a cylindrical body portion with its upper end joined to the lower margin of said sidewall and its lower end terminating in a bottom edge portion defining a marker-dispensing opening, at least one axial slot cut through said body and extending upwardly from said bottom edge portion, a pair of finger-receiving openings extending generally axially of said body and terminating respectively at points spaced apart from said upper and lower ends of said body, said finger openings providing exposure of the edge portions of a plurality of markers received within said body in stacked formation, a generally annular formation disposed on the inner surfaces of said body and spaced apart from said bottom edge of said body, said annular formation including a downwardly and inwardly extending surface having a reduced diameter portion adapted to support the lowermost marker in a stack of markers, said lower end portion of said body adjacent said slot being adapted to flex radially outwardly in response to an axial force applied to said supporting surface of said body portion through said markers, whereby an individual marker may be dispensed from said apparatus by applying an axial force to said marker stack, thereby deflecting said body portion adjacent said slot outwardly to an extent sufficient to permit passage of said marker past said reduced diameter portion of said body axially outwardly from said dispensing opening.

Claim 12

An apparatus adapted to receive, orient, and store a plurality of visible markers and to dispense said markers individually in a predetermined location under the control of a user, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a loading cone portion having an upper margin defining a marker-receiving opening, and a lower margin of reduced diameter, frusto-conical sidewall portions extending downwardly and inwardly from said upper margin to said lower margin, a cylindrical body portion with its upper end joined to the lower margin of said sidewall and its lower end terminating in a bottom edge portion defining a marker-dispensing opening, at least one axial slot cut through said body and extending upwardly from said bottom edge portion, a pair of finger-receiving openings extending generally axially of said body and terminating respectively at points spaced apart from said upper and lower ends of said body, said finger openings providing exposure of the edge portions of a plurality of markers received within said body in stacked formation, a generally annular formation disposed on the inner surfaces of said body and spaced apart from said bottom edge of said body, said annular formation including a downwardly and inwardly extending surface having a reduced diameter portion adapted to support the lowermost marker in a stack of markers, said lower end portion of said body adjacent said slot being adapted to flex radially outwardly in response to an axial force applied to said supporting surface of said body portion through said markers, whereby an individual marker may be dispensed from said apparatus by applying an axial force to said marker stack, thereby deflecting said body portion adjacent said slot outwardly to an extent sufficient to permit passage of said marker past said reduced diameter portion of said body axially outwardly from said dispensing opening.