In retail outlets, such as supermarkets, it is conventional to display at a point of sale articles such as packets of cigarettes which may be dispensed from a cassette to a customer. A plurality of such cassettes may be received in a housing suspended from a framework. However, on the one hand, there is a need for preventing unwarranted removal of articles from the cassettes and the housing from the framework and, on the other hand, there is the need to remove the cassettes from the point of sale and store them securely during closing hours so they are no longer visible and available to would-be thieves.

According to the present invention, there is provided storage apparatus comprising a plurality of cassettes for receiving articles, a housing for receiving the cassettes and locking means which, on the one hand, is operable to lock the cassettes in the housing and, on the other hand, is operable to lock the housing on to support means for the housing.

Preferably, the locking means is such that it is operable to prevent articles being removed from the cassettes.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 shows in a cut-away manner part of one example of storage apparatus according to the present invention; and Figure 2 shows how a housing of the apparatus is held in position in use.

Referring to Figure 1, a housing 1 of storage apparatus according to the example of the present invention has at each end a side moulding 2 between which is an acrylic shroud 3, there being at each end of the housing a hook arrangement 4 whereby the housing 1 can be suspended from a rail 5 of a framework, the latter having a support arm 6 at each end of rail 5 and on which the housing 1 rests via a flange 7 on each side moulding 2.

Inside the housing 1 is a plurality of polyvinyl chloride cassettes 8, of which only one is shown. Each cassette 8 is adapted for receiving packets of cigarettes one on top of another and at the bottom of each cassette is a dispensing outlet.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a locking bar, reference numeral 10 designates a key-operated lock, reference numeral 11 designates a sliding bar and reference numeral 12 designates a wire loop inside the housing 1 and welded to the locking bar 9 at each end.

With the locking bar 9 in a down position, it shuts off the dispensing outlets of the cassettes and the wire loop 12 bears on to a cassette tab at each end to lock the cassettes in position. Operation of the lock 10 moves the sliding bar 11 through an opening 13 in the support arm 6 shown to lock the housing 1 to that support arm 6. In this condition, the housing 1 with its cassettes 8 in it cannot be removed from the rail 5 and support arms 6 and packets of cigarettes cannot be dispensed from the cassettes 8.

With the locking bar 9 in its up position, packets of cigarettes can be dispensed from the dispensing outlets of the cassettes 8.

It will be appreciated that there are two locking actions- the first being locking of the cassettes 8 into the housing 1 and the second being the locking of the housing 1 on to the support framework comprising rail 5 and arms 6. The first locking action prevents individual packets of cigarettes being removed from the cassettes 8 and the second locking action prevents the removal of the housing 1 from the support framework.