Cutlery dispenser

Supports: racks – Special article – Article includes elongated portion

Patent

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

312 42, 211 491, D7637, 229122, 206553, 206497, A47F 500

Patent

active

059214082

ABSTRACT:
A flatware dispensing unit for dispensing flatware is disclosed including a primary housing having at least one compartment for receiving flatware therein with the compartment having an elongated slot for exposing at least a portion of the flatware. In a first embodiment, a cartridge having a complimentary elongated slot substantially aligned with the elongated slot in the compartment when the cartridge is positioned within the compartment. The flatware cartridge includes a widened portion which when inserted into the compartment aligns with a widened portion of the elongated slot of the compartment. In doing so, the cartridge may be easily dropped into the compartment such that the flatware need not be individually handled by the person stocking the dispenser unit and limits the number of utensils which can be removed from the dispenser at one time. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flatware dispensing unit for dispensing flatware includes at least one flatware cartridge containing a plurality of flatware pieces temporarily receivable in the compartment. The cartridge itself includes a plurality of flatware oriented in the same manner forming a bulk oriented stack of flatware and a flexible enclosure enclosing the bulk oriented stack of flatware and maintaining an orientation of the bulk oriented stack of flatware with the bulk oriented stack of flatware in the flexible enclosure being positioned in the flatware dispenser, with the flexible enclosure being removable from the bulk oriented stack of flatware. A tearaway portion is preferably included to aid in removal of the flexible enclosure.

REFERENCES:
patent: 2037576 (1936-04-01), Handel
patent: 2325604 (1943-08-01), Gibbs et al.
patent: 2340561 (1944-02-01), Renflo
patent: 2421782 (1947-06-01), Gibbs et al.
patent: 2871079 (1959-01-01), Barrett
patent: 3115968 (1963-12-01), Peterson
patent: 3132765 (1964-05-01), Florendo
patent: 3740238 (1973-06-01), Graham
patent: 3744866 (1973-07-01), Cook
patent: 4365709 (1982-12-01), Lester
patent: 4767022 (1988-08-01), Oldorf
patent: 4801045 (1989-01-01), Barnhart
patent: 5190168 (1993-03-01), French et al.
patent: 5332106 (1994-07-01), Schlotte et al.
The Country Gourmet, Lucite Buffet Stackers, p. 191, Oct. 1974, House and Garden.
The Country Gourmet, Buffet Stackers, p. 105, Jan. 1974, House Beautiful.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Cutlery dispenser does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Cutlery dispenser, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Cutlery dispenser will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2268292

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.