This invention has particular but not exclusive application to dispensing apparatus that may be used to dispense tobacco products, and for illustrative purposes reference will be made to such application. However it will be appreciated that this invention could be used in other applications including apparatus for dispensing a variety of packaged articles including foodstuffs and such like.

Many retail outlets include dispensing apparatus for dispensing tobacco products, such as cigarettes, which are contained in box like packages. The cigarette packets are usually arranged in rows and wherein each row typically includes cigarettes manufactured by the same manufacturer and which have the same characteristics, i. e. strength, flavour or number of cigarettes in each packet.

When a packet of cigarettes is removed from the dispensing apparatus, its position within the dispensing apparatus will generally be replace by the packet of cigarettes previously located immediately behind the packet of cigarettes that has been removed. The method of advancing packets of cigarettes may depend upon gravitational forces or forces applied to the packets of cigarettes by a rearwardly located, often spring loaded, ram assembly.

In many instances the gap between packets located in adjacent rows is little more than the width of any divider used to separate same. It has also been noted that the top wall of the foremost packet often lies in the same plane that contains the top wall of the packet located immediately behind same. As a consequence retailers often experience difficulties removing the foremost packet from the dispensing apparatus.

It has also been noted that replacing stock often can only be undertaken by inserting individual packets from the front and by pushing against the forces applied

to the foremost packet by the ram assembly. As a consequence the process of restocking cigarette dispensing apparatus is usually both laborious and time consuming.

The present invention aims to alleviate at least one of the disadvantages referred to above and to provide a dispensing apparatus which will be reliable and efficient in use. Other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter become apparent.

With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in a dispensing apparatus including: a drawer mounting; a drawer for receiving a plurality of articles in a row said drawer locatable within said drawer mounting and capable of movement relative to said drawer mounting between loading and dispensing positions; and a ram supported by said drawer mounting for engaging with and promoting the articles contained in the drawer toward the front of the drawer when the drawer is in the dispensing position and wherein the drawer in the loading position disengages the ram from the articles contained in the drawer.

The drawer mounting may consist of a box like frame assembly which may be open or at least partially closed. For example, the drawer mounting may be intended to enclose the contents of the drawer, such as for the purpose of security.

Accordingly, the drawer mountings may include opposing side walls of a housing that is adapted to receive one or more drawers.

In other embodiments, the drawer mounting may include a mounting bracket that is adapted to support the drawer. The mounting bracket may be mountable on a wall such that it extends outwardly therefrom. In desired, cladding may be secured to

the mounting brackets so as to enclose the drawer and/or prevent access to the drawer from the side.

The drawer preferably includes an access opening through which articles may pass and a handle which user's may grasp when opening and/or closing the drawer.

In one embodiment, the handle may include a front wall of the drawer or a portion of same.

The drawer itself may receive and store the articles therein. However, in other embodiments, a storage means may be included within or integral with the drawer and include a plurality of dividers and wherein opposing dividers may be interconnected by an intermediate wall portion or base. In use, units comprising one or more bays may be locatable within the draw and possibly retrieved therefrom for the purposes of replacing stock or such like. However, it is preferred that such storage means includes dividers that are used to divide the confines of the drawer into a plurality of bays and wherein the transverse location of each divider within the drawer may be selectively varied. It is also preferred that the drawer includes mounting means enabling the dividers to be fixed to the drawer.

The drawer and/or the storage means may include a forwardly located ramp over which the foremost article shall move and wherein the effect of the ramp shall be to raise the foremost article such that an upper portion of same extends above the upper portion of those articles located immediately behind said article.

The ram may include an assembly for engaging with one or more of the articles within the drawer and include a means for urging the assembly towards the front of the drawer. The ram may be a spring biased ram assembly. However other automatic and manually operable promotion means may be used.

In use, the drawer may be positioned within the drawer mounting in a dispensing position. In the dispensing position, the ram is primed to urge articles located with the drawer towards the front of the drawer. The drawer may be moved forward towards a loading position whereby the ram disengages from articles contained in the drawer. Once the ram has disengaged from the articles, further articles can be added to the drawer without having to restrain the ram. Once the drawer is filled, the drawer may be returned to the dispensing position whereby the ram engages the articles for promoting them once positioned in the dispensing position.

In a preferred embodiment, the dispensing apparatus may be provided with a support which will hold the drawer in the loading position.

In order that this invention may be more easily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:- FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a dispensing apparatus that is constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 2 is a pictorial view from the front of the internal side of a drawer mounting bracket that is constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 3 is a pictorial view from the front of the external side of the drawer mounting bracket illustrated in figure 2; FIG. 4 is a pictorial view from the rear of the internal side of the drawer mounting bracket illustrated in figure 2; FIG. 5 is a pictorial view from the rear of the external side of the drawer mounting bracket illustrated in figure 2;

FIG. 6 is a pictorial view from the rear of the external side of a drawer frame member that is constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 7 is a pictorial view from the front of the internal side of the drawer frame member illustrated in figure 6; FIG. 8 is an end view of a first bracing member that is constructed in accordance with the invention; FIG. 9 is an end view of a second bracing member that is constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 10 is a pictorial view of a track that is constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 11 is a pictorial view showing the track, illustrated in figure 10, located within a recess of the bracing member that is illustrated in figure 8; FIG. 12 is a pictorial view showing a drawer constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 13 is a pictorial view from the front of a divider that is constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 14 is a pictorial view from the rear of the divider illustrated in figure 13; FIG. 15 is a pictorial view from above of a paddle mounting member that is constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 16 is a pictorial view from below of the paddle mounting member illustrated in figure 15; FIG. 17 is a pictorial view from the front of a paddle member that is constructed in accordance with the present invention; FIG. 18 is a pictorial view from the rear of the paddle member illustrated in figure 17, and

FIGS 19 and 20 show pictorial views of a counter.

FIGS 21,22,23,24 and 25 show the assembly of a dispensing apparatus having a plurality of draw assemblies in accordance with the invention.

Figure 1 shows a dispensing apparatus 10 that includes four drawers 11 that are each used to store packets of cigarettes 12 in rows one behind the other. The drawers 11 are each supported by opposing drawer mounting brackets 13 that are releasably mounted on a rear mounting assembly 14. The dispensing apparatus 10 also includes a ram assembly 15 for promoting stored cigarette packets 12 contained in a row toward a void formed by the dispensing of the foremost cigarette packet 12 a contained in the row.

Each drawer mounting bracket 13 includes two, substantially parallel, longitudinal extending slots 16 and 17 respectively. Both slots 16 and 17 include an upwardly directed, rearwardly located notch 18 and 19 respectively. The lower slot 17 also includes a downwardly directed, forwardly located notch 20.

The internal side 21 of each drawer mounting bracket 13 is provided with a ramp like support 22 that is located directly below the notch 20. The support 22 protrudes outwardly from the side wall 21 and extends downwardly towards the front of the mounting bracket.

The internal side 21 also includes two recesses 23 that are each adapted to receive a complementary end portion of a respective bracing member 24. The recesses 23 each include two mounting apertures 25 through which a respective threaded fastener may extend.

The external side wall 26 of the drawer mounting bracket 13 includes a generally rectangularly shaped recess 27 that is adapted to receive a metal mounting bracket 28 that includes two rearwardly located, downwardly pointing, hook like

projections 29. The mounting bracket 28 also includes a"U"shaped projection that is frictionally located within a complementary"U"shaped slot 30 formed in the recess 27.

The projections 29 are adapted to engage respective slots formed in a rear mounting wall or mounting member 29a.

Each drawer includes a pair of opposing inner brackets 31. The external face 32 of each inner bracket 31 includes an upper projection 33 and a lower projection 34. The upper projection 33 and the lower projection 34 are adapted to slideably move within respective slots 16 and 17 of the drawer mounting bracket 13.

The inner bracket 31 also includes a return flange 35 that in use shall slideably receive the upper edge 35 of the drawer mounting bracket 13.

The inner bracket 31 also includes a pair of rearwardly located mounting apertures 37 and a pair of forwardly located mounting apertures 38.

The internal face 39 of the inner bracket 31 includes a rearwardly located recess 40 and a forwardly located recess 41. Both recesses 40 and 41 are each adapted to receive a generally complementary shaped end portion of a bracing member 42 of the type shown in figure 9.

The bracing members 24 and 42 each include a generally"T"shaped channel 43 and 44 respectively. The channels 43 and 44 are each adapted to receive a track 45 of the type illustrated in figure 10. The track 45 includes a plurality of upstanding teeth 46. Every fifth tooth 46a includes a cut out portion 47. The cut out portions 47 may be used as a means of counting the number of teeth 46.

Figures 15 and 16 show a paddle mounting member 48 of the ram assembly 15. The upper face 49 of the paddle mounting member includes a pair of opposing,

upstanding guides 50 which flank a rectangularly shaped recess 51 that is adapted to house a spring unit, not shown.

The underside 52 of the paddle mounting member 48 includes a pair of opposing, forwardly located, pegs 53 and a pair of opposing, rearwardly located, pegs 54. The pegs 53 and 54 are each adapted to frictionally locate between two adjacent teeth 46.

The underside 52 of the paddle mounting member 48 also includes a depending, forwardly located, flange 55 having a catch 56 associated with a free edge portion thereof. The underside 52 also includes a depending, rearwardly located, flange 57 having a catch 58. The two catches 56 and 58 are each adapted to frictionally engage an adjacent side edge portion of a bracing member 44.

The paddle mounting member also includes a depending projection 64 that is adjacent an aperture 65 that cooperates with the recess 51. One end of the spring unit is secured to the projection 64 while the other end of the spring unit is secured to the paddle member.

The ram assembly 15 also includes a paddle member 59 that includes a substantially flat paddle 60 having a generally rectangularly shaped recess 61 that is adapted to releasably receive cards, not shown, on which there may be printed literary material relating to the cigarettes stored in that row. The paddle member 59 also includes a channel shaped mounting portion 62 that is adapted to receive and side relative to an upper portion 63 of the paddle mounting member 48.

Individual rows are preferably defined by opposing dividers 66 that include a base wall 67 that is divided in two by an upstanding side wall 68. The two portions of the base wall 67 each provide a ledge on which packets of cigarettes can rest. The base wall includes a forwardly located, upwardly inclined ramp 67a and wherein the

ramp is designed to raise the foremost cigarette packet above those cigarette packets located behind same. Each divider also includes a rear wall 69 that includes two opposing, rearwardly directed, pegs 70 that are adapted to engage with the walls of the recess 44 of the bracing member 42.

The underside of the divider 66 includes two opposing, forwardly located, pegs 71 and an adjacent, rearwardly displaced, catch 72. The pegs 71 are adapted to engage with the walls of the recess 44 of the bracing member 42 while the catch 42 shall engage an external side wall of said bracing member.

Figure 12 shows an assembled drawer and wherein it will be appreciated that the construction allows users to positively locate the ram assemblies 15 and the dividers within the drawer and wherein the spacing of these elements is dependent upon the width of the cigarette packets. Furthermore, because of the manner of construction, the dividers are not maintained in place by the cigarette packets and therefore do not loose there desired place within the assembly when one or more rows have been exhausted of cigarette packets.

In use, each drawer is typically supported by a pair of opposing drawer mounting brackets 13 and is free to slide relative to same, guidance being provided by the location of projections 33 and 34 within slots 16 and 17 respectively. When the drawer is in its fully opened and inclined position, the lower projection 34 is seated in the notch 20 and the inner brackets 31 rest on the respective ramps 22.

The inclined drawer it is believed makes it easier for persons to restock the drawer with cigarette packets. Furthermore, the counters 80 that are inserted in the slots 81 formed in the dividers 66 enable persons at a glance to count the number of packets in a particular row.

When the drawer is fully opened, the paddle member 59 rests against the forwardly located abutment 84 of the paddle mounting member 48. Consequently there is no pressure being exerted on the cigarette packets by the ram assembly 15 during the restocking process.

It will of course be realised that the above has been given only by way of illustrative example of the present invention and that all such modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of this invention as is herein described in the appended claim.