Abstract:
A communion cup dispenser made in accordance with the present disclosure includes a number of tubes that hold the cups prior to the dispensing operation. A dispensing mechanism releases one layer of forty cups into an empty communion tray per one cycle of the handle. The dispenser has a feature named a shaker. This shaker is used in the event that one or more cups do not fall using the force of gravity alone. The inside diameter surface of shaker exit holes bump the cup or cups and cause them to fall. The shaker is used occasionally. The cup dispenser has a cup prelocator which is placed on top of the communion tray to assist the cups during their fall into the tray. The tube assembly dispensing mechanisms plus plates that provide a passage for the falling cups are held together by a frame.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a prior invention, U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,484. This invention dispenses the liquid used for communion into the empty cups that are assembled by hand into the communion trays. This method is very slow and unsanitary as fingers and thumbs touch areas of all communion cups. The invention covered by the above patent number is super fast in filling the cups after the cups are assembled into the trays. The assembly of the cups into the trays being much slower than the patented liquid dispenser causes a bottleneck during the communion preparation time. The above problems will be eliminated with the cup dispenser covered by this application. The cycle times of both dispensers are similar taking only seconds of time for each dispenser to perform its function. 
     Communion is a commonly practiced ritual of Christian churches. During the communion time at some church services, church members are given a small drink of juice or wine in commemoration of the last supper of Jesus Christ. In distributing the juice or wine, many churches use communion trays that have an insert holding a plurality of small drinking cups. These trays speed and facilitate distribution of the juice or wine. The time required preparing communion, inserting cups into the trays and filling them with juice or wine is very time consuming and labor intensive. This problem is especially severe in churches with large congregations. For example, Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky. has a present membership of approximately 22,000 members. Without the cup and juice dispensers filling the cups with juice for a weekend service would require approximately 46 hours of labor. By using both the juice and cup dispensers the time is reduced to less than two hours. Communion is served in every weekly service, four services per week. It is therefore a primary object of the present cup dispenser invention to provide a fast, easy and sanitary way to simultaneously fill a plurality of drinking cups into the trays. A typical tray holds up to forty drinking cups. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser that assures that every cup will dispense into the tray. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser that requires little maintenance or cleaning. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser that greatly enhances sanitation. Using the present method of inserting the cups into the trays by hand, fingers and thumbs touch every cup during the process. With the cup and juice dispensers communion can be prepared without touching the cups. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading of the following invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The dispenser of the present invention includes an assembly of tubes, a cup dispensing mechanism and other plates that guide the cups as they fall to the tray. All the above are mounted to a frame. This frame also supports a lower plate that not only has a plurality of holes for cups to exit but also has three stops attached that centralize the tray with the system and in a registry with the exit holes. The cups exit freely under the force of gravity through the exit holes in a series of plates and out the exit holes in the lower plate to the holes in a cup prelocator and into the tray. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of a preferred embodiment of the cup dispenser of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the dispenser of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a view of two lower cups and lip-to-lip distance; 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of the dispenser of FIG. 1; 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 are partial top views of the dispenser of FIG. 1 with the tube assembly that houses the cups not shown. The purpose of these views is to show how the lower portion of the dispenser divides and releases the cups and how the trap door causes the cups to exit toward the tray. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The items holding the dispenser together are four identical vertical assemblies each consisting of: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 1 
                 crutch tip 
                 16 
               
               
                 1 
                 sleeve stainless steel 
                 15 
               
               
                 2 
                 hex nuts stainless steel 
                 13 
               
               
                 3 
                 washers stainless 
                 12 
               
               
                 1 
                 sleeve stainless steel 
                 107 
               
               
                 1 
                 hex crowned nut stainless steel 
                 83 
               
               
                 1 
                 threaded rod 
                 108 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Tube assembly  145  stores cups prior to and during the dispensing operation. Tube assembly is supported by the above four vertical assemblies consisting of: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 1 
                 upper plate 
                 136 
               
               
                 40 
                 tubes that hold and store the cups 
                 116 
               
               
                 1 
                 lower plate 
                 132 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     An adhesive holds the tubes to the upper and lower plates. The four pins  98 , washers  5  and clevis pin  9  secure and align the tube assembly  145  with other items later described in the system. 
     Item  133  is named a floater. The four pins  98  assemble through the four corner holes. Floater  133  has an exit hole for each cup. The four corner holes in the floater  133  are slightly larger than the pins  98 . This floater  133  permits the lowest level of cups to align themselves with the next plate  129 . Accumulation of tolerances of mating parts makes it necessary to incorporate the floater  133 . 
     Plate  126  is a weight support plate for plate  127  and dividing plate  129 . Plate  127  is static and the dividing plate  129  moves back and forth from the power provided by a common shaft  88  including the following linkage: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 2 
                 supports for ball joints 
                 131 
               
               
                 4 
                 hex head cap screws 
                 104 
               
               
                 4 
                 hex nuts 
                 105 
               
               
                 2 
                 ball joints 
                 96 
               
               
                 2 
                 jam nuts 
                 95 
               
               
                 2 
                 push and pull threaded rods 
                 113 
               
               
                 2 
                 ball joint swivels 
                 93 
               
               
                 2 
                 washers 
                 5 
               
               
                 2 
                 hex nuts 
                 97 
               
               
                 2 
                 levers with elongated slot 
                 92 
               
               
                 2 
                 rubber bumpers 
                 94 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Plate  126  also supports the following: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 2 
                 pillow blocks for shaft 88 
                 90 
               
               
                   
                 stop assembly for handle 114 consisting of: 
               
               
                 1 
                 vertical stop supported threaded rod 
                 109 
               
               
                 4 
                 washers stainless steel 
                 5 
               
               
                 1 
                 stop support stainless steel 
                 31.5 
               
               
                 1 
                 hex nut stainless steel 
                 26 
               
               
                 1 
                 sleeve stainless steel 
                 106 
               
               
                 1 
                 Allen screw 
                 56 
               
               
                 1 
                 hex nut 
                 51 
               
               
                 1 
                 washer 
                 52 
               
               
                 1 
                 plastic bumper for handle stop 
                 57 
               
               
                 1 
                 crowned nut 
                 11 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Plate  126  slides back and forth and is secured by two side rails  128 , two shims  119  and two side rails  120 . 
     Plate  126  and Plate  127  cup dividers work together separating the lowest and next to lowest layer of forty cups of each column of cups. When all the exit holes in plates  126  and  127  are concentric, the cups can exit. If they are concentric by the amount of travel that the linkage permits, the cups cannot exit through the exit holes. See FIG. 4 items  143  and  144 . 
     Item  122  is the shaker and is secured by the four pins  98  washers  5  and clevis pin  99 . The forty exit holes in the shaker are held concentric with other holes in the cup exit route by anchor pin  137  and washer  5  that are assembled to plate  126 . The shaker handle can be pushed downward and the hole in the shaker will free itself from the anchor pin  137 . While in this position, the elongated holes in the shaker permit a back and forth motion causing the inside diameter of all forty holes to bump any cup that tends to slightly hang onto its mating cup. (A cup hanging onto its mating part happens occasionally.) 
     Washers  121 ,  123  and  124  separate plates  124  and two side rails  120 . This space provides the correct spacing for the height of the cups. Side rails  120 , two shims  119 , two side rails  118  and lower plate  117  secure plate  120 . 5  named the trap door permit it to slide back and forth The trap door plate  120 . 5  is powered by the linkage identified as follows: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 2 
                 lower slide supports 
                 125 
               
               
                 4 
                 hex bolts stainless steel 
                 73 
               
               
                 4 
                 spacers 
                 115 
               
               
                 4 
                 hex nuts 
                 7 
               
               
                 2 
                 ball joints 
                 96 
               
               
                 2 
                 washers 
                 5 
               
               
                 2 
                 nuts 
                 95 
               
               
                 2 
                 push and pull threaded rods 
                 120.7 
               
               
                 2 
                 ball joint swivels 
                 93 
               
               
                 2 
                 washers 
                 5 
               
               
                 2 
                 nuts 
                 97 
               
               
                 2 
                 levers with elongated slots 
                 92 
               
               
                 1 
                 handle 
                 114 
               
               
                 1 
                 shaft 
                 88 
               
               
                 2 
                 set collars 
                 91 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The above linkage works in combination with linkage that operates the plate  129 . Plate  129  slides back and forth and divides the last and next to last layer of forty cups. 
     When the travel of dividing plate  129  is at its maximum  143 , between the lip-to-lip dimension of cups  144 , the trap door is open with it holes concentric with the exit holes in plate  117 . This permits the cups to dispense. When the travel of dividing plate  129  causes its exit holes to be concentric with plate  127 , the travel of the trap door  120 . 5  is at its maximum travel. This action blocks the exiting of the forty cups. See FIG. 3,  144 . At this point all columns of cups drop and rest on the web sections of the trap door  120 . 5 . 
     When the handle  114  is moved downward, the forty cups will drop toward the tray holes. 
     Plate  117  supports three tray stops  3 . Those stops  3  are secured to plate  117  with the following: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 3 
                 tray stops, plastic 
                 3 
               
               
                 3 
                 hex head cap screws stainless steel 
                 111 
               
               
                 3 
                 hex head nuts 
                 26 
               
               
                 3 
                 washers 
                 5 
               
               
                 3 
                 lock washers 
                 6 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Tray stop  3  has a mounting hole that is eccentric with the outside diameter. With the aid of a radius gauge, the three tray stops can be set to locate the holes in the tray to be in a proper position to receive the dispensed cups. The tray is in registry with the lower plate  117 . 
     A cup prelocator  134  is provided that has a diameter that equals the diameter of the tray. This prelocator  134  lies on top of the tray and is in registry with plate  117  and locates against the three tray stops  3 . Further clarification of the purpose of all dispensing mechanisms will become clear upon reading the following entitled: “How the Cup Dispenser Works.” 
     How the Cup Dispenser Works 
     1. The cups come from the manufacturer or broker in clear plastic sleeves nested together, 50 cups per sleeve. The end of each sleeve is cut off with scissors. The cut end of the sleeve is held with one hand and the opposite end held with the other hand vertically above each tube  116 . The hand releases the cups downward into each tube. Each of the tubes holds a number of cups. At refilling time, eight cups are to be left in each tube to act as a support group to enable the dispensing mechanism to operate properly. Fifty trays or more can be filled prior to filing again. The above procedure is performed with the handle  114  in an upward position. All the plates in the dispensing mechanism have cup exit holes concentric with each other except the trap door  120 . 5 . At this point in the dispensing cycle, the trap door is in an eccentric position causing the webbing around the exit holes of the trap door  120 . 5  to block all the exit holes in plate  117 . At this point the 40 columns of cups are resting on the trap door webbing. 
     2. An empty tray  140  holds 40 cups and is positioned beneath the cup dispenser stopping against three locating stops  3  and oriented to a registration mark previously placed on the tray. This registration mark is aligned with a mark on the lower dispensing plate  117 . At present, all 40 columns of cups are in alignment and concentric with the empty holes in the communion serving tray  140 . 
     3. Due to the distance the cups must fall to the holes in the tray  140 , some cups will fall correctly into the tray holes, and some will not. Some cups will be out of correct position, partly in and partly out of the intended hole. To correct this problem, a prelocator also with forty exit holes, item  134 , slightly larger than the cup&#39;s largest diameter is provided with an outside diameter equal to the outside diameter of the communion tray  140 . This prelocator  134  is positioned on top of the tray  140  during the dispensing cycle. The prelocator  134  and the tray  140  locate against three locators  3  and use the same registration mark as the tray  140 . Some churches use a small bread tray and locator (not shown) that assembles to the communion tray with the locator inserted into the center cup receptacle hole. This bread tray blocks out the center eight receptacle holes in the communion tray; therefore, it is necessary to provide a modified prelocator equipped with a center hole large enough to clear the bread tray. This prelocator  134  provides an encasement for each of the forty cups. After the cups fall, moving the prelocator  134  to the right to a red dot (not shown) then to the left to a red dot (not shown) will cause all cups to fall into the tray holes, the above dispensing occurs when the trap door  120 . 5  travels a distance until all holes become concentric with the exit holes in lower plate  117 . This operation is complete when the handle  114  stops in a downward position. 
     4. While the trap door  120 . 5  was traveling to the point of dropping the cups, simultaneously, the cup dividing plate  129  was traveling to produce the eccentric condition with dividing plate  127 . This eccentric condition occurs between the last two lower cups lip-to-lip dimension  144 . On completion of these two travels the lowest level of forty cups can fall; however, the second level of forty cups including all the cups in forty columns cannot fall through the holes in dividing plates  127  and  129 . The above eccentric condition occurs prior to the trap door freeing itself from the bottom of the lowest level of forty cups. Therefore, all forty columns of cups are held static while the lowest level of forty cups is dispensed into the tray. 
     5. When the handle is moved upward to a stop, the trap door  120 . 5  travels to the same location as when the cups were loaded. After the trap door  120 . 5  travels to this point the cups cannot be dispensed, simultaneously, the cup dividing plate  129  travels until all of its forty exit holes are concentric with mating part  127 . This condition permits the lowest level of forty cups to be released through the concentric holes in plates  127  and  129 . The forty cups drop and land on the web sections of trap door  120 . 5 . The distance of the fall equals the lip-to-lip dimensions of the cups when nested together, and this completes the dispensing of forty cups into the forty empty holes in the communion tray  140 . 
     How the Shaker Works 
     6. After the forty cups are dispensed into the tray, the prelocator  134  and the tray of cups are pulled out from beneath the dispenser, one may find occasionally one or more cups missing in the tray, when this occurs, reload the prelocator and tray as described previously. Grasp the shaker handle  122  pushing it downward and it will release from an anchor pin  137 . While holding the handle in a downward position, move the handle briskly back and forth and the missing cup or cups will fall into the tray, move the prelocator  134  to the right then to the left. Remove the prelocator  134  and tray and it will be full of cups. The shaker  122  is to be repositioned until the hole in the shaker handle relocated on the anchor pin  137 . 
     7. The two red dots on the lower portion of the two front tubes not shown, are warning indicators that it is time to reload the dispenser, failure to reload the dispenser at this point will cause the cups not to dispense properly. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the preferred embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.