Patent ID: 6820754
Filing Date: 2004-11-23
Classification: A47F

Abstract:
A product feed apparatus for feeding products or items arranged in rows on a shelf to the front edge of the shelf, comprising:an elongate track adapted to be mounted on a rectangular shelf unit so as to extend from a rear edge to a front edge of the shelf unit, the track having opposite sides, a forward end, and a rear end; a pusher member slidably mounted in the track for movement from the rear edge to the front edge of the track, the pusher member having a front end, a pusher plate on the pusher member for engaging a rear surface of the rearmost product of a row of products supported on the track; and a biasing assembly for biasing the pusher member towards the front edge of the track, the biasing assembly comprising a plurality of identical elongate resilient biasing elements for releasably securing between the front end of the pusher member and the track so as to advance the pusher member along the track, whereby an installer may select a predetermined number of biasing elements to secure between the pusher member and track dependent on the size and weight of the products to be advanced; the biasing assembly further comprising a plurality of first anchors at the front end of the pusher member, a plurality of second anchors spaced from the front end of the track, including at least one second anchor on each side of the track, and a pair of rollers mounted side by side adjacent the front edge of the track, each roller having at least two circumferential grooves, the selected biasing elements each having a first end releasably secured to a first anchor, the biasing element extending from the pusher member around a respective one of the rollers and then rearwardly along a respective side of the track back towards the rear end of the track, and having a second end releasably secured to a respective second anchor, whereby an operator can adjust the spring force applied to the pusher member by varying the number of biasing elements in the biasing assembly by selectively extending a greater or lesser number of biasing elements from the pusher member, around a respective roller, and up to a respective second anchor.