Cosmetic sample dispenser with replaceable magazines

A cosmetic sample dispenser having plural replaceable magazines supported on a common base. Each of the magazines is positioned within a recess in the base and maintained in operative position by a latch against an ejector spring. The individual magazines each include an elongated main housing enclosing a follower plate and follower spring for urging stacked rectangular planar samples upwardly to a point of dispensing. A tubular sleeve element surrounds the main housing for relative axial manually imparted movement to actuate an ejector means for projecting one end of an upwardmost sample in a stack outwardly through an exit opening where it may be manually grasped for removal by a user. Upon release of an end wall of the housing the ejector spring returns the main housing to its original position within its respective recess and relative to the sleeve element for reactivation. Aligned openings are provided in both the housing and the sleeve element to permit inspection and reloading of samples by depressing the follower plate below the opening.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to the field of serial dispensers for 
relatively small objects, and more particularly to an improved dispenser 
particularly adapted for the dispensing of coated cosmetic samples of a 
product such as lipstick or nail polish in which the product is available 
in a relatively large variety of tints and hues of several basic colors. 
Devices of this general type are known in the art, and the invention lies 
in specific constructional details which permit improved ease of operation 
on the part of the user and the facilitating of replacement of an empty 
supply of samples of a particular tint or hue when required. In recent 
years, for hygienic reasons, it has become mandatory for stores to provide 
single use samples of products of this type for selection by a customer 
who may place the sample adjacent a fingernail or the lips and view the 
effect directly or with the aid of a mirror. Once a selection is made, the 
sample is discarded. Since the first sample chosen is not always 
ultimately selected, it is necessary for the store to provide a relatively 
large number of samples of each variation of the product for ready 
accessibility to the customer. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Briefly stated, the invention contemplates the provision of an improved 
sample dispensing device of the class described including a base element 
defining a large number of elongated recesses, each capable of engaging 
and supporting a replaceable magazine containing a plurality of planar 
rectangular sample cards displaying a particular color or variation of a 
single product such as lipstick or nail polish on an upper surface 
thereof. Each magazine is activated by a customer by pressing downwardly 
upon an upper wall of the magazine, an outer surface of which displays the 
selected color, to result in the magazine partially ejecting an end of a 
product sample so that it may be manually grasped for removal and use. 
Upon release of the upper wall, the magazine returns to its original 
condition with an ejecting means repositioning itself for reactivation 
upon a subsequent use. When the magazine is exhausted, a latch 
interconnecting the magazine within the recess is manually released to 
permit removal of the magazine for reloading and replacement. The magazine 
includes a main housing or shell containing a follower plate and follower 
spring which advances the samples upwardly to a point of transversely 
oriented ejection. The housing is surrounded by a rectangular shell 
capable of relative movement. An ejector means includes a plurality of 
internal links pivotally moved by such relative movement. During such 
movement, the sleeve element is maintained in latched relation relative to 
the recess against axial movement, and the housing moves downwardly 
against a spring means at the bottom of the recess which returns the 
magazine to its original condition after a dispensing action. The magazine 
is removed by unlatching the sleeve element, permitting the same spring 
means to partially extract the magazine from the recess.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENT 
In accordance with the invention, the device, generally indicated by 
reference character 10, comprises broadly: a base element 11, a plurality 
of detachable magazines, one of which is indicated by reference character 
12, and individual planar samples 13. 
The base element 11 is preferably of molded construction, to include one or 
more horizontal walls, one of which is indicated by reference character 
20, from which depend vertical magazine receiving recesses, one of which 
is indicated by reference character 21. Each recess 21 is of rectangular 
configuration, and bounded by a pair of side walls 22, a pair of end walls 
23, and a bottom wall 24, the walls 22 and 23 defining a rectangular upper 
opening 25. Mounted on one of the end walls 23 is pivotally mounted latch 
member 26 including a latching terminal 27 and a manually engagable lever 
28. Resilient means (not shown) normally urges the latch member 26 to the 
position shown in FIG. 1, so that engagement of the lever 28 is only 
necessary to withdraw the terminal 27 from engagement with a magazine 12. 
Mounted on an upper surface of the bottom wall 24 are plurality of 
compression springs 30 and 31 which, as will more fully appear, serve to 
provide a resilient force for operation of the magazine, and also as a 
means for resiliently extracting the magazine when replacement is desired. 
The magazines 12 are essentially similar, and accordingly, a description of 
one such magazine will serve to describe all. The magazine is also 
preferably of molded synthetic resinous construction, and includes an 
inner housing element 35, an outer sleeve element 36 and a pivotally 
actuated ejector element 37 positioned between the elements 35 and 36. 
The inner housing element 35 includes first and second side walls 40 and 
41, a first end wall 42, and an orificed end wall 43, as well as a lower 
wall 44 and an upper wall 45. The upper wall 45 is also orificed (not 
shown) and mounts a hollow dispensing member 46 forming an ejection recess 
47 for the uppermost sample 13 in a stack of such samples. Communicating 
with the recess 47 is an ejection slot 48. It will be observed that the 
upper wall 45 is slightly larger than the lower wall 47, and a lower 
surface thereof rests upon the base element 11 in flush relationship when 
the magazine is engaged within a respective recess. 
Disposed within the housing element 35 is a rectangular follower plate 50 
urged upwardly by a follower spring 51 to move a stack 52 of samples 13 
serially to the recess 47 for ejection. Most conveniently, the upper 
surface 54 of each sample 13 is coated or otherwise treated to display a 
desired tint or shade. 
The outer sleeve element 36 surrounds the housing element 35, and is also 
preferably of molded construction. It includes first and second side walls 
60 and 61, a first end wall 62 and a second end wall 63 having an opening 
64 therein to permit reloading of the magazine when the sleeve is aligned 
such that the opening 64 is congruent with a corresponding opening in the 
wall 43. Each of the walls 61 and 62 defines an angularly oriented slot 66 
as well as a continuous lower edge 67 and continuous upper edge 68. The 
end wall 63 also defines a recess 69 selectively engaged by the latching 
terminal 27 in known manner. 
The ejector element 37 is positioned between the elements 35 and 36 and 
includes an intermediate sleeve 70 (FIG. 4) having a pair of oppositely 
disposed elongated recesses, one of which is indicated by reference 
character 71 which terminates in a lower circular terminal 72 on each of 
two oppositely disposed walls 73. Supported within the recess 71 is a 
U-shaped linkage including a pair of lower circular terminals 75 at the 
bottom of integrally formed first and second elongated links 76 and 77. A 
cam follower 78 is positioned at the apex 79 of each of the legs of the 
linkage 74. At the upper end 80 of each of the links 76 is a pintle 81 
engaging a pivotally mounted ejection member 82 including a transversely 
extending portion 83 and a pair of legs 84. 
Operation of the device 10 will be apparent from a consideration of FIG. 3. 
When the magazine 12 is positioned within the recess 21, the latch member 
26 engages the recess 69 to secure the sam in position. The sleeve element 
36 does not move during operation. When the upper wall 45 is depressed by 
a user, the housing element 35 moves downwardly within the recess 21 and 
relative to the sleeve element 36, this movement serving to pivotally move 
the links 76-77 in a clockwise direction as seen in that FIG. This results 
in leftward movement of the transverse member 83 which engages an end edge 
of a sample 13 and moves it out through the ejection slot 48 where it may 
be grasped by a user. Once the upper wall 45 is released by the user, the 
springs 30 and 31 bear against the lower wall 44 and return the device to 
its initial condition, during which time the ejector element 37 moves the 
transverse member 83 rightwardly as seen in FIG. 3 where it may engage the 
next sample 13 at an end edge thereof. This action may be repeated as long 
as there are samples 13 present in the magazine. When the magazine is 
exhausted, the latch member 26 is manually released, at which time the 
springs 30-31 either eject the magazine, or at least partially extract it 
so that it may be manually grasped for complete removal. The magazine is 
simply reloaded by depressing the follower plate 50 against the follower 
spring 51 and inserting a stack of samples 13 through the aligned openings 
in the elements 35 and 36. 
It may thus be seen that I have invented novel and highly useful 
improvements in cosmetic sample dispensing devices in which a common base 
element supports a plurality of selectively replaceable magazine elements, 
each magazine element containing a plurality of like samples of an 
individual tint or hue for a convenient selection by a customer. Each of 
the magazines is individually replaceable when exhausted, or periodically 
by service personnel to prevent the magazine from becoming exhausted. By 
the use of synthetic resinous molding of most of the components, the cost 
of manufacture may be maintained at a reasonable level, and should an 
individual magazine become damaged, it can be replaced without the 
necessity of replacing the entire device. 
I wish it to be understood that I do not consider the invention to be 
limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in the 
specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in 
the art to which the invention pertains.