Patent ID: 6117391
Filing Date: 2000-09-12
Classification: B65G,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
An apparatus for holding and dispensing one at a time a plurality of cups, comprising:a supply tube having a lower end and an interior suitable for holding said cups in a stack, each of said cups having a conical lower portion and a cylindrical upper portion having a top flange, a bottom flange, and a groove formed therebetween said stack having at least a bottom-most cup and a next-bottom-most cup located above said bottom-most cup; andan escapement located adjacent the lower end of said supply tube, said escapement including a disk having a top side, a bottom side and an aperture formed therein, a first leaf attached to the top side of said disk and a second leaf attached to the bottom side of said disk;wherein said escapement is moveable between a first position in which said second leaf engages the bottom flange of said bottom-most cup and a second position in which said second leaf no longer engages the bottom flange of said bottom-most cup such that said bottom-most cup falls through said aperture formed in said disk and in which said first leaf is inserted into the groove of said next-bottom-most cup and engages the top flange of said next-bottom-most cup before said second leaf no longer engages the bottom flange of said bottom most cup.