US2198168A - Automatic delivery machine - Google Patents

Description

S. HARRIS AuTouATIb DELIVERY" MACHINE #Filed Oct.

Apu 23, 1940.

' 23, 1940. s. HARRls AUTOMATIC DELIVERY MACHINE Filed Oct. l, 1937 23, 1940. s HARRls 2,198,168

AUTOMATI C DELIVERY MACHINE Affi/l S. HARRIS AUTOMATIC DELIVERY MACHINE `Filed oen 1, 1937 '4 snemfs-snegt 4 oo o Patented pr. 23A, 1940,

.UNITED-STATES anales Pari-:Nr orsi-ca AUTOMATIC DELIVERY MACHINE Sydney Harris,

Wallner, England, assigner to Walkers (Liverpool) Limited, Liverpool, England Application october 1) 1931, serial No. 16am monat mmm July so, 1931 l 9 Claims. (Ci. B12-36) This invention is for improvements in or relat-v comes into alignment with the' delivery station, `into a position for engagementby an ejector device by whichit is delivered from the machine.' In one machine `of this kind the stacks are arranged so that the packages considered circum ferentially` of the rotor lie on a helix having pitch approximately equal to the thickness of one'` article, and the screws are arranged so that as each stack is brought into alignment with a delivery aperture by the .step-by-step rotation of the rotor, the uppermost article of said stackv will be in a position for` engagement by an ejector` device by which it is pushed `off the stack and through the delivery aperture. Machines of thisV kind 'are particularly suitable for the automatic delivery of cartons containing ice cream in which case a container for a refrigerant such as solid carbon dioxide may be located within the rotor and the machine provided with a heatinsulating casing. l Generally machines 'of this kind are provided with a coin-freed mechanism which pre-` vents the delivery of an articleluntil the required coins have been inserted.

In apparatus of the above kind difficulties are liable to occur due to lack of uniformity in the thickness of the various articles `so that the uppermost article of a stack isnot always brought into correct alignment with the ejector device for delivery from the machine. This may result in jamming of the machineor in extreme cases to the delivery of two articles instead of one. l

One object of the present invention is therefore to provide means for ensuring 4that each article will be incorrect alignment with the ejecting device irrespectiveof inequalities in the thicknesses of the articles. Afurther obiectof the invention is to provide improvements in the ejecting device and in the means for rotating the rotor.

A still further object of the invention is to provide the delivery chute or aperture with means -for preventing una'uthorised access to `the interior of the machine therethrough. The invention also provides an improved coin-freed mechanism for p machines of theabove kind. .i

Accordingly the present invention provides `a machine of the kind herein set forth and com--` prising a step by step vtraversing `mechanism adapted to apply a resilient feeding movement to one end of the stack (e. g. adapted to move 4a. traversing block which is resiliently supported in the feeding direction) and a limiting gauge for the outer end of the stackvto limit the outward t said article may be usedseparately or in combination with a fixed gauging plate.

movement of thestack and centre the first package thereof withrespect to theejecting mecha.- nism. In applying the invention to a machine having a rotor adapted to receive a plurality of `stacks of articles a `resilient support is provided for each stack and the gauging member may comprisean arcuate platelocated above the stacks and adjacent the delivery aperture. .Conveniently a detent is'provided adapted to engage abutments on the rotor and to limit each step by step movement thereof to bring a stack of packages into alignment with' the delivery aperture, an operative connection being provided between said detent and the means for operating the rotor whereby the detent is released prior to the rotor makinga further movement and is re- -turned to its operative position before said fur-` ther movement is completed.` Preferably the delivery aperture orchute` is` provided with a primary ing mechanism of the machine for the delivery of an article and a secondary door operatively associated with theA primary` door so that when lthe primary door is opened the secondary door is closed. The purposeoi!` this arrangement is to prevent access to the linterior of the machine l through the delivery aperture. The rotor operat ing mechanism and the ejector device may be operated from a hand wheel through a common main shaft geared to said hand wheel through a l gear train arranged toprovide a substantial mechanical advaxi'tage to enable the machine to be operated by a relatively small effort applied to the hand wheeL Conveniently a movable gauging member is secured to the ejector device for movement thereof and is adapted to ensure correct vertical alignment of thetarticle` to be ejected relatively to the ejector device duringl ejection of and this movable gauging' member The invention will be further Vdescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings which show by way of example `one embodiment of a coin-treed automatic delivery machine constructed according to the invention and adapted `for the deliveryof cartons containing ice cream..l

On the drawings: r

Figure "1 is a iront elevation of the complete' machine,

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure 1, l Figure 3 is an elevation partly in section on the line III- III of Figure 4,

Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 3 with the upper part of the machine removed,

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation on the line V-V of Figure 8 of the upper part of the machine to a larger scale than Figures 1 to 4,

Figure 6 is an underneath plan view of Figure 5,

Figune is a top plan. view of Figure 5,

door adapted to be opened by the operat-` Figure 8 isa fragmentary sectional elevation on the line VIII, VIII of Figure 6,

Figure 9 is a semi-diagrammatic view of the mechanism for effecting step-by-step rotation of vthe rotor,

Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line X-X of Figure '7,

Figure 11 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line XI-XI of Figure 7,

Figure 12 is a diagram of the coin-freed mechanism, v

Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line XIII-XIII of -Figure 14 of the coin receptacle of the coin-freed mechanism, and

Figure 14 is a fragmentarysectional view on the line XIV-XIV of Figure 13.- l Figure 15 is a detail view in section and Figure 16 a detail view in plan of the guiding member.

Fig. 17 is a cross section on the line XVII- XVII 'i of Fig. 10.

Referring to the drawings the machine comprises an octagonal casing 20 having a lower or body part 2| and an upper or lid part 22 which is hinged to the body part at 23.

The body part 2| has sheet metal walls 24 lined with a substantial thickness of heat insulating rmaterial 25. A rotor is revolvably supported within the body part and comprises a lowerplate 26 and an upper plate 21 connected together by vertical members 28. The lower plate 26 is provided with a central axle 29 which is journalled in a footstepbearing 30 and the upper part of the rotor is rotatably supported by a stub spindle 3| mounted on a cross-bar 32 carried from a division plate 33 in the lid 2'2 and arranged when the lid is closed to seat in a spring bearing 34 tted in the lid 35 of a refrigerant container 3G,l the lid' 35 fittingV into the upper kplate 21 of the rotor. The refrigerant; container 36 is supported within the rotor for rotation therewith and is adapted to receive a solid refrigerant such as carbon dioxide. A spur wheel 31 is iixed to the footstep bearing 30 and meshes with planet wheels 38 xed on traversing screws 39 the ends of which are Journalled in bearings 39a in the upper and lower plates 26 and 21 of the rotor, the traversing screws being held against vertical movement. The traversing screws 39 are threaded through a traversing'member 40 in the form of a ring hav- Ving radial lugs'4l which project through the open front faces 42 of containers 43 arranged around the periphery of and supported by the rotor for rotation therewith. The containersg which are removable from the rotor, arev each adapted to receive a stack of cartons 44 containing ice cream 4and each stack is supported by a radial lug 4| of the traversingmember through a resilient sup port 45 comprising a block 46 having a stem 41 slidable in the lug 4| and a spring 481 which permits the block 46 and thereby the stack of cartons to be depressed to a limited extent relatively to the traversing member 40. The relative vertical heights of the blocks 46 of the respective stacks of containers are such that the stacks are arranged in the form of a helical curve, the top carton 44a in Figure 3 which is in register with the delivery chute 49 being in position for delivery into the chute bythe ejector mechanism. The .uppermost carton 4417 (see Figure 4) of the stack immediately behind that in register with the delivery chute will be below the level of the carton 44a by an amount approximately equal to M2 the thickness of a carton, the carton 44e being similarly'` at a lower level than the carton 44h by a-corresponding amount and so on to the last carton 441 which will be 1%2 the thickness of carton below the carton 44a, each vmovement 1 the rotor through 30 degrees ybringing a.v stack 1 cartons into alignment with the delivery apertui and raising each stack 52 the thickness of carton so that when the stack 44'l has bee rotated to the position occupied by the stack 44 the uppermost carton of the stack'44l will be i the correct position for engagement -by .the ejec tor and discharged into the delivery chute. I will be appreciated thatinequality in the thick ness of the cartons may result in a carton bein raised more than is required so that the ejectc .will not engage correctly therewith and migh for example,r engage two cartons and jam c eject the two cartons from the machine ins'tea of one. This.is particularly the case with carton containing ice cream which may change the! shape after they have been stacked in the ma chine.u To overcome this liefect a gauging mem ber comprising an arcuate plate 5| is located ad jacent the delivery aperture and above the for the traversing member 40 to accommodate an;

inequality in thickness of the cartons. The gaug` 'plate 5| is supportedfrom the division plate 31 in the lid 22 by screws 53 and spacing sleeves 54 The lid 22 carries the entire operating mech anism of` the machine which comprises a ham wheel of relatively large diameter journalles lat 56 in one of the walls of the lid and havinl xed on its spindle a small sprocket wheel 5' which is geared by a chain 53. to a sprocket whee 58 loosely journalled on a shaft 66, the sprocke.l wheel 59 having a diameter about twice that o; the sprocket wheel 51. The spindle 60 is journalled i bearings 6| and 62 and has fixed on ii a.clutch plate 63 which is forced into drivin; engagement with a corresponding clutch plan 64 fixed on' the sprocket wheel 59, by a spring 5l one end of which bears against the bearing 5| and the opposite end of which engages a collai 66 on the spindle 60. This friction drive betweer the hand wheel 55 and the spindle 60 prevent: damage to the machine if any part thereof i: locked or becomes jammed and an effort'is made to turn the hand wheel in which case slip will occur between the clutch plates B3, 64. A toothec pinion 61having a cut-away part 68 is fixed or the spindle 60 and meshes with a toothed quadrant 69, the teeth of which are formed by spaced pins 10. The toothed pinion 61 is adapted to be rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 10 and to impart angular movement (in thev direction of the arrow shown in Figure 7) to the quadrant 69 against the action of a spring 1| anchored to the quadrant at 12 and attached to the wall of the lid at 13. Reverse movement of the spindle is prevented by a ratchet wheel 14 and a hinged pawl 15 which is pressed into underneath the last pin 10a whereupon the quadrant is permitted to fly back into the position shown in Figure 7, under the action of the spring 1|, this reverse movement of the quadrant being cushioned by a rubber buffer 18 against which a rubber buffer 19 carried on an arm 80 flxedto the quadrant 69 abuts. The driving gear above described provides a substantial mechanical advantage to enable the machine to be operated by a relatively small effort applied to the hand wheel. `In the arrangement shown on the drawings operation of the quadrant through the hand Wheel as above described is onlypermitted after the insertion of two coins into a coin-freed mechanism which will be described hereafter.

A roller 69e bears on the upper edge of the quadrant 69 and the quadrant is fixed on` the main operating shaft 8| of the machine which is journalled in an insulated bush `82 located between the division plate 33 and an upper division plate 83 which supports the mechanism above described by which angular movementia imparted to the shaft 8|. The space between the plates 33 and 83` is packed with heatI insulating materialto provide a heat insulating partition between the refrigerant portion of the machine and the upper part of the lid. .Preferably 4 the" shaft 8| is of heat insulating material such as Bakelite to prevent the transfer of heat between the lid part of the apparatus and the interior of the body part, thus conserving the refrigerant in the container 36.

The means for rotating the rotor step by step to bring each stack of articles successively into line with the delivery aperture and the ejector device by which the cartons are ejected from the respective stacks and into the delivery chute are both operated from the shaft 8|. The means for effecting step by step rotation of the rotor comprises a radial arm 85 secured to a plate 86 by bolts 81, the plate 88 being fixed on the lower end of the shaft 8| and slotted at 98 and 89 to receive guide pins 90 secured in the division plate 33. A pawl 90a is hinged to the arm 85 at 9| and is pulled towards the top plate 21 of the rotor by a spring 93 so as to engage a series of circumfcrentially spaced abutments 92 provided thereon.

The arm 85 also has hinged to it at 94 (see Figure i 9) an arcuate cam` plate 95 which projects through a bearing bracket 96 in which is journalled a detentv 91 normally pulled clear of the abutments 92 by a spring 98. When the arm 851s moved angularly in the direction of the arrow 99 to rotate the rotor, the detent 91 remains clear of the abutments 92 to permit the abutment in register with it to move on after which the cam portion of the cam plate 95 engages the detent s1 and moves it into the position shown in dotted nes in Figure 9 thereby limiting movement of 4the rotor and centering the stack of articles correctly with respect to the delivery chute. To prevent return movement of the rotor a springcontrolled pawl |0| hinged to a bracket |02 is adapted to engage one ofthe abutments in advance of the detent 91, the return movement of the lever 85 causing the pawl 90a to sna'p into engagement with a succeeding abutment ready to effect further rotation of the rotor after the insertion of the necessary coins. The abutments 92 are shaped to facilitate engagement of the l pawls therewith.

door operating lever |09 (the purpose of which pin |08 fixed on a combined movable gauge and` ||0 an ejector lever on the forward end oi' which is journalled a roller I2. The forward end of the ejector lever is supported in a guide ||3 shown in detail in Figuresv 15 and 16 xed to the door operating lever |09 by a`bo1t ||4 and a coiled spring arranged around the pivot ||0 tends normally to press the ejector lever to one end of the `guide and'int'o line lwith the door operating lever andthe guide bar |03. Longitudinal movement of the door operating lever and thereby of the ejector lever in the slot |01 of`the guide bar is effected by a lever ||`6 pivoted atl |I1 to a. pin secured to the division plate 33 one end of the lever ||6 being pivoted to the door operating lever at I I8 andthe opposite end vof the lever coupled at I I9 to a link |20 anchored by a bracket |2| to the radial arm 85. Whenthe guide bar is moved angularly by operation of the shaft 8| the door operating lever and the ejector lever will also move angularly, the forward end 22 of the door operating lever remaining over the stack of packages being brought into register with the'delivery chute and forming in effect a continuation of the gauging plate 5| to maintain the uppermost package in register vertically with the ejector lever which. tbgether with .the door operating lever is slid forwardly, 4the roller 2 engaging the package and ejecting it into the delivery chute after the chute has been opened by the door operating `lever as hereinafter described. When spring ||5 prevents the ejector lever, which vpasses between the abutments 92 on the rotor, from interfering with the movement of said rotor. 'l

The delivery aperture 49a in the wall of the lid through which the cartons are delivered into the `chute 49 is provided with a hinged primary door lshown in chain lines. It`will be `seen therefore that both doors cannot be opened at the same time and this arrangement eliminates all possibility oi' access to the machine through the chute, the carton being first delivered into an antechamber between `the two doors and then after the ,door |23 has closed allowed to fall into the lower part of the chute for removal therefrom` through the aperture |28. j

The coin-feed mechanism which eration ofthe machine `for the delivery of a package .til two coins have been inserted, comprisesan extension |29 on the quadrant 69 which prevents Aopisl adapted to be engaged byla tooth. |30 "(see Figure 12) on a detent lever |"3| whereby movement of the quadrant to an extent sufficient to operate the machineis prevented. A coil receptacle or slot |32 having a wedge-shaped crosssection `is provided in the extension |29 and is adapted to receive two coins the formation of the slot being such thatone of the coins stands proud of the other by an amount such that when the correct coins have been inserted and the hand wheel 55 is turned the` upstandlngcoin will engage an abutment in the form of a cam plate |33 and will raise the detent 4lever to. permit the extension |29 to pass under the tooth |30`whereby the quadrant can complete its stroke. The rear wall of the receptacle |32 is slotted at |34 and al spring pawl |35 located in the path of travel of the slot projects therethrough but on the forward movement of the receptacle gives and permits the coins to move forward. On the return movement of the receptacle, however, the detent |35 engages the coins and sweeps them out ofthe slot through theopen side |36 thereof and into a cash box |31a. If ra coin smaller than that required is inserted* in the receptacle it will be` ejected through the open side |31 thereof, for which purpose the bottom of the slot may be given a slight inclination, and into a return coin 'chute |38 and if a coinwhich is too thin is used the upstanding coin will not be high enough to raise. the detent lever sufficient to permit the extension |29 to pass thereunder and when the extension is permitted to return to its normal position a spring paw] |39 which projects through the slot |34 will sweep the' coins out of the coin slot and into the returned coin chute |38, the

pawl |39 flexing to permit coins to pass iton the forward movement of the receptacle |32. The part 11 of the ratchet 14 permits this limited forward and return movement. A chute |40 will be provided to convey the coins from the exterior the stack adjacent the delivery chute being given y its final upward movement and engaged by the l'ns ejector lever, the carton being gauged vertically first by the gauge plate and finally during its ejection through the door |23, by the forwardv end of the door operating lever the door |23 having been opened by said lever. After this action has v,been completed the cut-away portion 68 of the toothed pinion 61 is in approximately the position shown in Figure whereupon the quadrant 69 fliesl back to its'normal position ready for further operation of the machine.

The hand wheel 55, the sprocket wheels 51', 59

and the chain 58 are enciosed in acasing |4| andy the lid portion of the machine` is closed by a cover |42. Locks will be provided for locking the lid portionv of the casing after the machine has been charged with cartons, to prevent unauthorised access thereto. To provide a'substantially gastight seal between the abutting faces of the lid and body part of the casing a rubber gasket |43 may be provided on the body partY and adapted to fit in a recess |44 in the lid part. Whilst the invention has been described more particularlyas applied to a coin-freed apparatus it is to be understood that in some circumstances the coin-freed mechanism will be omitted, for example where the machine is used in a shop as a convenient means for deliveringy cartons of ice cream from aA refrigerant chamber.' Furthermore any suitable form of coin-freed mechanism may be used instead of that above described. The stack-supporting blocks may in some cases be of rubber to provide the required resilience.

'Ilo limit rotation of the pinion 61 at the end of the operating stroke of the hand wheel a pin 69h is fixed on the pinion and is adapted` to'engage the underside of the sector 69 adjacent the last pin 10a when the stroke of the sector is completed thus` preventing the teeth'of the pinion interfering with the return movement of the 5 sector under the action of the spring 1|. When the sectoris in its normal position the pin 69h lies in the cut-away part 69a thereof so that rotation of the pinion to effect the next operation of the machine can take place. The radial lugs supporting the stacks .of cartons may extend inwardly from a ringadapted to surround the containers for thestacks in which case the outer instead of the inner faces of thevcontainers are slotted to receive the lugs. Means may be provided on the rotor for locating the containers for the cartons and preventing the dislodgment thereof due to centrifugal force.

l. An automatic delivery machine of the kind specified comprising a `casing having a delivery aperture,l a rotor having an elevator platform, bearings in the casing for said rotor, resilient supports on the elevator platform for a series of stacks of the articles to be` delivered, means for maintaining the articles in stacked formation, an ejector mechanism for ejecting the articles through the delivery aperture, means for effectingA a step by step angular movement of the rotor y and a step by step vertical movement of the $0 elevator platform vtobring each stack successively into alignment with the delivery aperture and the uppermost article of each stack, as it is brought into alignment with the delivery aperture, into register with the ejector mechanism and a limiting gauge adjacent'the delivery aperture for centering the article to be ejected with respect to the ejector mechanism.

2. An automatic delivery machine of the kind specified comprising a. casing,`a delivery aperture in said casing, a rotor, bearings in the casing/for said rotor, means for imparting'a step by step movement tov the rotor, an elevator, threaded members operative to effect movement of the elevator, Bearings on the rotor for said threaded 4,5 members, a resilient support on the elevator.v for each` stack of the articles to be delivered, means for maintainingthe articles of each stack in stack-forming relation, an ejector mechanism for ejecting the uppermost article of a stack at the delivery aperture through said aperture, a gear train operating the threaded members 'in 'synchronism with the rotor whereby as each stack is brought to the delivery aperture by movement 'of 'the rotor the stack is raised to 55 bring the uppermostarticle into alignment with yrotor for said threaded members, means for rotating the rotor, gear mechanism operatively connecting the threaded membersto the rotor whereby said threaded members are rotated relatively to therotor when thel rotor isk ro# tated, an elevator, an operative connection between the threaded members and said elevator whereby rotation of the threaded members raises the elevator, resilient supports on the elevator n for the stacks of articles within the containers,

an ejector mechanism for ejecting the uppermost` article of each stack as it is brought into register with the delivery aperture and a gauge plate located above the containers and adjacent the delivery aperture for limiting upward `Inovem-ent of the stacks and aligning the uppermost article thereof with respect to the ejector mechanism.

4. An automatic `delivery machine of the kind specified comprising a casing having a delivery aperture, a `rotor having an elevator platform,`

bearings in. the casing for said rotor, 4resilient supports on the elevator platform for a series of stacks `of vthe articles to be delivered, guiding means for each stack to maintain the articles of that stack in stackfforming relation, an ejecl tor mechanism for ejecting the articles through the delivery aperture and having a gauging member, movable'with the ejector and operative to ensure correct vertical alignment of theiarticle to be ejected relatively to the lejector `during ejection of said article,A means for 'effecting a step by step angular movement of the rotor and a step by step vertical movement of the elevator to bring each stack successively into alignment rwith the delivery aperture Aand the uppermost `article o! each stack as it is brought into alignment with "the delivery aperture, into register with the` ejector mechanism and a limiting gaugeadjacent 4the delivery aperture for centering the articlev to be ejected with respect to the ejector mechanism.

' 5. A machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein the elevator platform comprises a ring having radial `lugs projecting under the stacks of articles and spring mounted blocks iltted to said radial lugs and constituting resilient supports for the stacks.

i housing stacks oi' the articles to be delivered, atV

8. AnI automatic delivery machine of the'kind specified comprising a casing having a delivery aperture, bearings in the casing, a rotor journalled in said bearings, and having a series of containers mounted around its periphery for least one screw, bearings on the `rotor for said screw, means for rotating the rotor, a stack-feedi` ing member adapted to move axially on the rotor,

an operative connection between the screw and said stack-feeding member whereby rotation of the rotor causes axial movement oi the stackfeeding member, resilient means on the stack- !eeding member adapted to action the stacks of articles within the containers to feedsaid stacks endwise towards the delivery aperture, an ejector `mechanism for electing the article at the end of the stack. remote from the resilient me ans `as each stack is brought into register with the delivery aperture, and a gauge plate located adjacent"` the delivery aperture for limiting endwise movement of' the stacks and aligning the uppermost articlev thereof with respect to the ejector mechanism.

'7. An automatic delivery machine ci the kind speciiled comprising a casing having a delivery aperture, bearings in the casing, a rotor journalled in said bearings and having a series of containers mounted vertically around its periphery for housing stacks of the articles to be delivered, vertically mounted screws, bearings on the rotor for said screws, means for rotating the rotor, gear mechanism operatively connecting the screws to the rotor, whereby said screws arerotated relatively to the rotor when the rotor is rotated.4 an

elevator, an operative connection between the screws and said elevator whereby rotation of the screws raises the elevator, resilient supports on the elevator for the stacks of articles within the containers, an ejector mechanism for ejecting the uppermost article of each stack as it is brought into register with the delivery aperture; a, gauge plate located above the containers and adjacent the delivery aperture for limiting upward movement of the stacks and aligning the y uppermost article thereof with respect to the ejector mechanism, a door, and a door operating member movable with the ejector mechanism and having a part operative to insure correct vertical `alignment of the article to be ejected relatively to the ejector during ejection of the article, and after it has been ejected beyond the gauge plate.

8. An automatic delivery machine of the'kind specified comprising a casing having a'delive'ry aperture, bearings in the casing. a rotor jour- ,nalled in said bearings and havingI a series of ccntainersi mounted vertically around its periphery for housing stacks of the articles to be delivered, each container having a vertically extending aperture, vertically mounted screws, bearings on the rotor for said screws, means for rotating the rotor, gearmechanism operatively connecting the screws to the rotor whereby said screws are rotated relatively to the rotor when the rotor is rotated, an elevator comprising a.y ring having radial lugs projecting through the `vertically extending apertures in the containers, spring mounted blockstted to said radial lugs and constituting resilient supports for the stacks of articles; an' operative connection between the screws and said elevator whereby rotation of the screws raises the elevator, an ejector mechanism for ejecting the uppermost article of each stack as it is brought into register with the delivery aperture and a gauge plate located above the con- 'taiizers and adjacent the delivery aperture or limiting upward movement 4of the stacks and aligning the uppermost article thereof with respect to the ejector mechanism. l

9. An automatic delivery machine oi the kind speciiiedcomprising a casing having a delivery aperture, bearings inthe casing, a rotor journalled in said bearingsand having a series of containers mounted vertically around its periphery for housing stacks of the articles to be dep livered, vertically mounted screws, bearings Vonthe rotor for said` screws, means for rotating the rotor, gear mechanism operatively connecting the l screws to the rotor whereby said screws are rotated relatively to the rotor when the rotor is rotated, an elevator, an operative connection be- Y f i' tween the screws and said elevator whereby rotation of the screws raises the elevator, resilient supports on the elevator for the stacks of articles Within the containers, an ejector mechanism lior electing the uppermost article of each stack as it is brought into register with the delivery aper' ture, and an arcuate gauge plate located above ythe containers and having one of its ends adjacent the delivery aperture for limiting upward movement of the stacks and aligning the 11ppermost article thereof with respect to the ejector mechanism.

S. HARRIS.

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