It is now commonplace in self-service establishments such as supermarkets to stack items such as bottles or cans of beer vertically or items such as newspapers horizontally, enabling customers to remove the outermost or uppermost item or items from the outermost or uppermost layer. Drawbacks of this arrangement are that, where the articles are stacked vertically, as the stack becomes lower customers have to stoop to remove an item and that lower items of the stack can become displaced, presenting a hazard to passers-by and threatening to topple the stack. The latter problem could be remedied by locating the vertical or horizontal stack in a housing with an access opening, but in this event it would become progressively more difficult to remove an item as the stack diminished within the housing.

The loading of such a housing would present even greater difficulties because it would be difficult not to drop the first items introduced.

A principal object of the present invention is to obtain the benefit of locating a stack of articles within a tubular housing with an access opening in its outer or upper region without the consequent drawbacks.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a storage and dispensing device for similar, discrete articles of predetermined shape and weight, comprising a tubular housing having an access opening in an outer or upper region thereof, a support platform movable within the housing between first and second stop positions and spring means biassing the platform toward said first stop position, wherein the rate or constant of said spring means is so calculated in relation to the anticipated load on the platform that when said articles are stacked within the housing in a superimposed relationship an outermost or uppermost article, or an outermost or uppermost layer of the articles, will be supported by the platform in an

outer or upper region of the housing where it will be accessible at or beyond said opening and such that when said outermost or uppermost article, or outermost or uppermost layer of articles, is removed the platform will be moved by the spring means until the next article, or next layer of articles, occupies generally the same position as was formerly occupied by the article or layer thereof removed.

In accordance with the invention there is further provided a storage and dispensing device for similar, discrete articles of predetermined shape and weight, comprising an upright tubular housing having an access opening in an upper region thereof, a support platform movable vertically within the housing between upper and lower stop positions and spring means biassing the platform toward said upper stop position, wherein the rate or constant of said spring means is so calculated in relation to the anticipated load on the platform that when said articles are stacked within the housing in a superimposed relationship an uppermost article, or an uppermost layer of the articles, will be supported by the platform in an upper region of the housing where it will be accessible at or above said opening and such that when said uppermost article, or uppermost layer of articles, is removed the platform will be raised by the spring means until the next-beneath article, or next-beneath layer of articles, occupies generally the same vertical position as was formerly occupied by the article or layer thereof removed.

The expression"discrete articles"as used in the two immediately preceding paragraphs is intended to include individual packages of articles, such as a number of similar bottles or cans held together e. g. by shrink-wrapping.

With the specified rate or constant of the spring means the converse advantage will be obtained that articles can be loaded onto the platform always generally at the same position.

When the housing is empty the platform will be at its first stop position ready to receive a first article or layer thereof. Once this, or these, are in place the platform will move to a position where a second article, or layer thereof, can be superimposed on the first at generally the same position and without having to reach into the housing. Similarly for each

subsequent article or layer thereof until the housing is full. The final article or layer thereof is now generally in this same position ready to be removed.

In preferred constructions the access opening will simply be an open top or side of the housing.

Preferably the periphery of the platform makes with the interior of the housing a seal which is not air-tight but which restricts the flow of air past the housing periphery as the platform moves within the housing. This restriction is sufficient to dampen rapid movement of the platform if it is rapidly relieved of a heavy load or if a heavy load is suddenly placed or dropped onto it and it is therefore effective to dampen oscillations of the spring means. In a preferred construction there is a gap at approximately 0.5 mm around the platform periphery.

The spring means may be constituted by a single helical compression spring located between the underside of the platform and a closed bottom of the housing. Alternatively a plurality of helical compression springs may be used generally in coaxial alignment and with a plate spanning the interior of the housing between each two vertically adjacent springs.

There is preferably attached to the platform one end of a strip the other end of which is rolled up and rotatably mounted at a fixed position on the housing above said access opening, the arrangement being such that as the platform descends the strip is unrolled and as the platform ascends the strip is wound up. The strip carries on the side thereof which will be visible to the user markings which inform the latter as to the state of loading of the housing at any given time. For example the strip may carry at a suitable position a marking which warns the shopkeeper that the stock is about to be exhausted and that the housing should be re-loaded.

Alternatively or in addition the strip may be marked with indicia such as numbers indicating the number of articles or layers thereof remaining in the housing at any given time. The strip may be displayed in a window in a frame fixed to extend above the housing, the frame concealing the rolled portion of the strip.

In a further alternative embodiment, an indicating strip which may be marked with indicia such as numbers indicating the number of articles or layers thereof remaining in the housing at any given time may simply be mounted on the inside the housing. In order to determine the number of articles or layers thereof remaining in the housing, the operator simply applies pressure to the outermost or uppermost article to compress the compression spring. when the spring is compressed, the operator can then read off the level of the remaining products against the indicating strip.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of non- limitative examples with reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded view of a device in accordance with the present invention; Figures 2A and 2B are respectively a perspective view and a side sectional elevation of a device similar to that of Figure 1 but having an additional feature; Figure 3 is an exploded view of a third embodiment of a device according to the invention; Figures 4A and 4B are respectively side sectional elevations of the device of Figure 3 but showing the device empty in Figure 4A and containing stock in Figure 4B and Figure 5 is a perspective view of a housing with an indicating strip mounted therein.

The device illustrated in Figure 1 comprises an upright tubular housing 4 open at its top and the closed bottom of which is supported on feet 9. Slidable up and down within housing 4 is a platform 1 a lower part 2 of which is in the form of an inverted dish having a central, circular indentation. This serves to locate the upper end of a helical compression spring 7 when this is inserted into the housing 4 to act between the platform and the closed base of the housing. Grommets 3 serve to anchor opposite ends of a safety chain 6 to platform 1/2 and to the base of the housing 4 to provide an upper limit stop position for the platform at or near the top opening of the housing and to prevent the platform rising out of the housing under the influence of spring 7. A graphic wrap panel 8 may optionally be provided to surround housing 4 and display promotional or other information relating to the contents of the housing.

The peripheries of the two elements 1 and 2 making up the platform are so shaped that they do not make an air-tight seal with the interior of the housing 4 but restrict movement of air past the platform, as it moves up and down within the housing, so as to dampen the movements of the platform and consequently oscillations of the spring 7 which might otherwise be set up if the platform is suddenly relieved of a heavy load or if a heavy load is suddenly imposed upon it. There is a gap of approximately 0.5 mm between the periphery of each platform component 1/2 and the interior of the housing 4.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 2A and 2B a frame 10 is fixed to the housing 4 to upstand from one of its longer sides above its open top. Frame 10 has a central, rectangular window 11 behind which is a curved surface 12. Slits 13', 13"above and below the window allow one end of a strip 14 of sheet material to pass from a roll 15 thereof above the window and behind the frame through the slits 13'and 13"and then to be secured to the platform 1/2. The rolled part 15 of the strip may be held on a spring-loaded spindle (not shown) having a fixed horizontal axis behind frame 10. The effect of this arrangement is that as the platform 1/2 descends within the housing 4 the strip 14 is unwound and as the platform rises it is wound up again, consequently displaying different portions of the length of the strip in the window 11. The strip 14 has markings along its length, on the side which will be visible in the window, which will give a visual indication of the state of loading of the housing 4 at any given time, for example a sequence of numbers corresponding with the number of superimposed articles or layers thereof remaining in the housing. Instead, or in addition, the strip may have a marking such as a colour flash which, when present in the window, warns the shop keeper that the stock is about to be exhausted.

The embodiments of the invention illustrated are designed to accept 500 ml cans of beer arranged side-by-side in shrink-wrapped packs of four. When placed on the platform 1 each pack substantially spans the interior of the housing and the packs are superimposed until the housing is filled and the spring is fully compressed. In this situation the final, uppermost pack is almost fully exposed above the opening of the housing 4. By tearing the shrink-wrap the cans of this uppermost layer can be individually removed or the uppermost pack can be

bodily removed by a customer. In the first case the platform 1 will rise incrementally and in the second case in one movement until the pack next-below the uppermost one occupies generally the same vertical position. As this second layer is exhausted the one below it rises and so on until the final, bottom layer of cans is exposed above the opening of the housing.

Conversely as packs are loaded one at a time the platform 1 sinks so that the loading position remains at the same elevation throughout the loading procedure.

For these criteria to be fulfilled the rate or constant of the spring 7 must be appropriate to the known weight of four 500 ml cans of beer. It is found that a suitable spring means is a single helical compression spring of 23 coils made from spring steel 4.7 mm in diameter to have an unstressed height of 10 1 6 mm and a diameter of 127 mm In alternative embodiments intended to receive larger quantities of cans it is found preferable to use two compression springs rather than one, the two springs being superimposed in coaxial alignment with a plate (not shown) interposed between them. This plate is slidable within the housing 4 analogously to the platform 1/2. In an embodiment intended to receive layers each of 6 packs of 500 ml cans, two helical compression springs were utilised each made from 5 mm diameter spring steel wound into 11.5 coils 127 mm in diameter to have an unstressed height of 495 mm. In an embodiment intended to receive layers each of 8 packs of 500 ml cans, two helical compression springs were utilised each made from 5 mm diameter spring steel wound into 7.25 coils 127 mm in diameter to have an unstressed height of 495 mm.

In yet another embodiment intended to receive packs or layers each of 24 500 ml cans of beer, on the other hand, a single helical compression spring 7 was utilised made from 10 mm diameter spring steel to have 14.25 coils 228 mm in diameter and an unstressed height of 1016 mm..

Beer cans may have a weight of 440 rather than 500 but in practice springs of the same characteristics may be used for either weight.

It will be understood that if the goods to be dispensed are of different weight, for example 2 litre bottles or cigarette packets, a spring or springs of appropriate characteristics would be employed.

The device illustrated in Figure 3 comprises a substantially horizontal tubular housing 34 open at its front face and with a closed rear face. Slidable within housing 34 is a platform 31 of similar design to the platform 1 of the device of Figure 1. A helical compression spring 37 is inserted into the housing 34 to act between the platform and the closed rear face of the housing. An outer limit stop 36 is provided for the platform 31 at or near the front opening of the housing, to prevent the platform moving out of the housing under the influence of spring 37.

The peripheries of the two elements making up the platform 31 are so shaped that they do not make an air-tight seal with the interior of the housing 34 but restrict movement of air past the platform, as it moves up and down within the housing, so as to dampen the movements of the platform and consequently oscillations of the spring 37 which might otherwise be set up if the platform is suddenly relieved of a heavy load or if a heavy load is suddenly imposed upon it. There is a gap of approximately 0.5 mm between the periphery of the platform 31 and the interior of the housing 34.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 3,4A and 4B is designed to accept newspapers standing vertically on the base 38 of the housing 34. When placed on the platform 31 each newspaper substantially spans the interior of the housing and the newspapers are superimposed horizontally until the housing is filled and the spring is fully compressed. In this situation the final, outermost pack is almost fully exposed at the opening of the housing 34, as shown in Figure 4B. The newspaper of this outermost layer can be individually removed by a customer. The platform 31 will move until the newspaper adjacent the outermost one occupies generally the same horizontal position. As this second newspaper is removed the one behind it is exposed and so on until the final, rear newspaper is exposed at the opening of the housing. Conversely as newspapers are loaded one at a time or in batches, the platform 31 moves so that the loading position remains at the same horizontal location throughout the loading procedure.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, a strip 51 is mounted on the interior of the housing to provide a visible indication of the level of stock when the stack is pressed against the spring.