Dispensing rack with movably positionable hangers

A merchandise storing and dispensing rack means comprising a frame, shroud means, and an endless merchandise display supporting belt trained about toothed drive and idler rollers, each of which is journaled for rotation about generally parallelly arranged spaced-apart axes. Drive means are provided for powering the drive roller along with the merchandise loading and carrying means coupled to the endless merchandise display supporting belt. The endless belt is slotted as is the shroud means so as to permit passage of a support roller therethrough. The endless merchandise display supporting belt is further provided with bores for receiving the distal end of a drive bracket therein. Merchandise loading and carrying means are provided with an elongated generally "U"-shaped roller supported channel means with an outer rod receiving plate and a pair of laterally disposed roller supported legs extending from the rod receiving plate. A pair of spaced-apart channel supporting rollers are journably supported within the channels legs and are disposed to contact the surface of the shroud laterally of the belt receiving channel. A drive bracket is slidably secured to the shank of the merchandise loading and carrying means at its proximal end, and has its distal end received in one of the drive bracket receiving bores of the endless belt. An additional roller is journably secured to the distal end of the centrally disposed rod of the loading and carrying means, and is adapted to be positioned with its axis generally parallel to the axes of the channel supporting rollers. A biasing means is provided to normally bias the additional roller into contact with the inner surface of the shroud means in a position opposed to the belt receiving channel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates generally to an improved merchandise 
dispensing rack, and more particularly to a merchandise dispensing rack 
having means for movably positioning by either raising or lowering display 
racks within a vertically positioned display system. The apparatus of the 
present invention finds particular utility in point-of-purchase display 
systems arranged at or along the upper surfaces of conventional 
merchandise display racks and stands. 
Convenience stores are a rapidly growing segment of retail merchandising in 
the United States. Convenience stores are more commonly and more typically 
associated with retail gasoline outlets, or other facilities, and are 
arranged to accommodate purchasers on a convenience outlet basis. 
Convenience stores typically occupy relatively small areas, and hence it 
has become more and more desirable to utilize as much space as is 
possible, including that space which is above the level of the typical 
and/or normal retail display rack and/or stand. Utilization of this space 
permits a wider variety of merchandise to be stocked, displayed, and sold, 
thereby improving the efficiency of a retail convenience outlet store. 
In order to achieve a proper balance between point-of-purchase display 
stands and the availability of such stands to the purchaser it has been 
found desirable to stack merchandise vertically, and arrange the 
merchandise on spaced-apart display racks. These racks may be movably 
positioned from time to time in order to replace merchandise that has been 
purchased by the customers, thereby permitting a relatively constant 
supply of material to be present, without requiring immediate and 
continuous stocking. The display racks of the present invention provide a 
means for adjustably positioning, by moving the display racks upwardly 
and/or downwardly in order to present the material to the customer at or 
approximately at eye level. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, a merchandise dispensing 
rack is provided which comprises a frame supporting means, shroud means, 
and an endless merchandise display supporting belt trained about spaced 
toothed drive and idler rollers. The drive roller is arranged to be 
powered by either manual or motor means, depending upon the application. 
The arrangement of the merchandise dispensing rack means of the present 
invention provides for ease of accessibility, both to the purchaser, as 
well as to the store personnel charged with the duty of stocking such 
displays. The arrangement provides for ease of stocking as well as ease of 
access to the customer. More importantly, the arrangement further provides 
for use of otherwise wasted space, particularly at a point elevated from 
the zone conveniently accessible to the normal customer. 
Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an 
improved merchandise dispensing rack means which is provided with means 
for movably positioning merchandise, and furthermore with quick access to 
both stocking and removal by the customer. 
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved 
merchandise dispensing rack means which permits a merchandise on display 
to be raised and/or lowered as required for ease of access of the 
merchandise to the customer. 
It is yet further object of the present invention to provide an improved 
merchandise display rack which utilizes a endless belt for raising and/or 
lowering display racks, and furthermore for ease of removal of the racks 
to permit the endless belt to traverse its entire orbit. 
Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent to 
those skilled in the art upon a study of the following specification, 
appended claims, and accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and 
with particular attention being directed to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, 
the merchandise storing and dispensing rack means generally designated 10 
comprises frame supporting means as at 11--11, along with shroud means 
shown generally at 12. An endless merchandise display supporting belt 13 
is shown, with the display belt being trained about toothed drive and 
idler rollers shown in FIG. 3 at 15 and 16 respectively. Rollers 15 and 16 
may also be referred to conveniently as film-type sprockets, with each 
being journaled for rotation about generally parallel spaced-apart axes as 
at 17 and 18 respectively. Drive means are provided for powering the drive 
roller 17, such as illustrated in the hand crank 19. 
Merchandise loading and carrying means such as shown at 21A, 21B, and 21C 
are provided, with the term "rack" being used in a comprehensive sense, 
and being intended to refer to the single hook element of 21A, the 
multiple hook or rack style of 21B, or the basket arrangement as 
illustrated at 21C. 
The shroud means 12 has an outwardly facing panel as shown at 25, with a 
belt receiving channel being formed therein, as being shown at 26 in FIGS. 
5 and 6. A slot is formed in the recessed or channel as at 27, with the 
slot 27 being designed to permit a roller member to be inserted 
therethrough, as will be described hereinafter. In this arrangement, as is 
indicated, the endless display supporting belt 13 is disposed for running 
movemen within the shroud channel, thereby permitting orbital movement of 
the belt over the toothed drive and idler rollers 17 and 18 respectively. 
Endless display supporting belt 13 has a plurality of axially spaced-apart 
roller receiving slots 30--30 formed therein. These slots 30--30 are 
arranged in axial alignment with slot 27 formed in panel 25. Additionally, 
a plurality of drive bracket receiving bores 31--31 are formed in belt 13, 
the purpose of the bores 31--31 being to receive a supporting bracket 
therewithin, as will be described hereinafter. 
Merchandise loading and carrying means such as illustrated at either of 
21A, 21B, or 21C are provided, each of which has a load receiving rod 
means such as at 35A, 35B, and 35C respectively. Rod means 35A, 35B and/or 
35C each comprise a centrally disposed support rod extending rearwardly of 
the merchandise loading and carrying means, and are arranged to be 
releasably coupled to the endless belt 13. Each such support rod is 
coupled to an elongated generally "U"-shaped roller supported channel 
means 36--36, with the channel means further comprising and including an 
outer rod receiving plate such as at 38-38. A rod receiving guide bore is 
formed within each plate 38, such as is shown at 39 in FIG. 10. A pair of 
laterally disposed roller supported legs 40 and 41 complete the "U"-shaped 
roller supported channel means. Rollers such as are shown at 42 and 43 
(FIG. 8) are provided for the roller support, with rollers 42 and 43 being 
journably supported within the oppositely disposed legs 40 and 41. 
The rollers 42 and 43 are designed to contact the surface of the shroud 
laterally of the belt receiving channel 26 formed within the shroud. 
With attention now being directed to the embodiments of merchandise loading 
and carrying means 21B and 21C, it will be noted that a pair of lateral 
guide brackets are secured to the loading and carrying means adjacent the 
opposed lateral ends thereof, such as at 47 and 48. These brackets provide 
a suitable mount for stabilizing wheels or rollers 49 and 50, which are 
arranged to make stabilizing contact with the surface of shroud member 25 
and provide lateral stability to the merchandise loading and carrying 
means 21A--21C respectively. As indicated in the drawings, stabilizing 
wheels 49 and 50 are journaled for rotation along the distal ends of 
members 47 and 48 respectively, thereby providing for rotational contact 
between wheels or rollers 49 and 50 on the surface of shroud 25. These 
stabilizing wheels are arranged laterally outwardly of the roller 
supported "U"-shaped channel means 36. A drive bracket is slidably secured 
to the shank of the rod 35A, or alternatively to rods 35B and/or 35C, with 
this drive bracket including sleeve 52 being coupled to its proximal end. 
At the distal end of each of the rods 35, including 35A, 35B and 35C, 
there is provided a distal end which is received within one of the drive 
bracket receiving bores such as shown at 31--31. In this fashion, the 
drive bracket provides stability and support for the merchandise loading 
and carrying means. 
An additional roller, such as illustrated at 55 in FIGS. 7, 8, 10 and 11 is 
journably secured to the distal end of each of the rods 35, including rods 
35A, 35B, and 35C. Each of the rollers 55--55 is adapted to be operably 
disposed parallel to the channel supporting rollers 42 and 43, and is 
preferably positioned midway between the bores or rollers 42 and 43. 
Ideally, the journals for each of the rollers 42, 43, and 55 form three 
points of an equilateral or isosceles triangle, with the distance between 
journals for roller 55 being equally distant from the rollers 42 and 43 
respectively. Furthermore, the roller 55 has a length and diameter which 
is less than the length and diameter of the roller receiving slot formed 
in belt 13, as well as the width of the slot 27 formed within shroud 25. 
This enables passage of the roller 55 through the slot for supporting 
"U"-shaped channel means appropriately. 
Resilient biasing means such as spring and collar 60 and 61 respectively 
are provided to normally bias the roller 55 into contact with the inner 
surface of shroud panel 25. This arrangement is illustrated in detail in 
FIGS. 7 and 8, as well as in FIGS. 10 and 11. 
It will be appreciated, therefore, that in operation, the store personnel 
stocking the display apparatus with merchandise will load the individual 
members 21, including 21A, 21B and/or 21C, as appropriate, with 
merchandise. As the merchandise becomes exhausted from the lowermost 
member, the store personnel may simply actuate the power means shown at 19 
to raise and/or lower the endless belt, and thus achieve positioning of 
the merchandise at or about the customer's eye level. During slack periods 
of time, the stocking personnel may reload the apparatus as needed in 
order to appropriately match product supply with product demand. 
While the apparatus illustrated in the drawings suggests three superimposed 
accessible and visible stations, structure 10 may be elongated to any 
appropriate length so as to provide a substantially greater number of 
stations, as may be accommodated and/or required.