Bag storing and dispensing apparatus

Apparatus for storing and dispensing paper bags, wherein the bags are stored in collapsed condition and are automatically opened upon successive removal of the bags from the apparatus. The apparatus includes a frame for slidably supporting a container having a bag storing chamber and a front opening, an opening bar at the front opening of the container engaging the folded bottom panel of the front-most bag, restraining means for engaging the opposite sides and top of the front-most bag and a resiliently biased pusher member for applying pressure to the rear of a stack of bags in the container and forcing them to the front opening.

This invention relates in general to a bag storing and opening apparatus, 
wherein bags may be successively dispensed and automatically opened, and 
more particularly to an apparatus especially useful for handling paper 
bags normally used for the bagging of retail goods. 
Heretofore, there have been many bag storing and dispensing devices for 
handling collapsed paper bags which are opened during removal from the 
devices. It should be appreciated that paper bags are normally stored in 
flat collapsed condition and thereafter unfolded or opened when ready for 
use. Some of the prior known bag storing and opening devices have arranged 
the bags in a horizontal direction, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,073, while 
others have arranged the bags in substantially vertical position, as in 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,673,134 and 3,679,096. The apparatus of the present 
invention arranges the bags in substantially vertical position like the 
latter two mentioned patents. Problems heretofore encountered in bag 
storing and dispensing devices include inconsistency in opening of bags 
during removal from the apparatus, difficulty in reloading the apparatus 
with a supply of folded bags, and complexity of construction which is 
costly. 
The present invention overcomes the problems of heretofore known bag 
storing and opening devices in providing a relatively simply constructed 
unit which is extremely easy to load with folded bags and which produces 
the necessary consistency in opening of bags desired by retail 
establishments. The bag storing and dispensing apparatus of the invention 
may be used by itself on any counter or may be built into a counter or 
checkout stand. 
The apparatus of the invention includes a frame, a container slidably 
mounted on the frame in the fashion of a drawer so that the container can 
be substantially removed from the frame for purposes of loading bags. The 
container is box-like in shape and includes a front opening through which 
the bags are dispensed. Restraining means is mounted at the sides and top 
of the front opening and a bag opening bar is mounted at the lower end of 
the front opening which extends transverse the opening. The bag opening 
bar is spaced inwardly of the restraining means so that the upper ends of 
the bags lean slightly forward to facilitate engagement thereof for 
removal. A pusher member is mounted in the container and resiliently 
biased to continually urge the bags forwardly to the opening and against 
the opening bar and restraining means. The bags are in a folded or 
collapsed form in the container and open automatically upon removal from 
the container by virtue of the opening bar engaging and holding the lower 
half of the bottom panel of the bag which is folded up against one of the 
sides until the bag is generally open. The pusher member and biasing means 
are constructed so that upon movement of the container to the position for 
loading of bags the biasing means automatically releases the pusher member 
and also allows the pusher to be in a retracted position in the container, 
thereby facilitating the loading of bags. 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved bag storing and dispensing apparatus which is simply constructed 
and which is capable of consistently providing bags in automatically open 
position upon removal from the apparatus. 
Another object of this invention is in the provision of a new and improved 
bag storing and dispensing apparatus which may be quickly and easily 
loaded with a supply of bags, and which is easy to operate to 
automatically provide opened bags, thereby saving time of those bagging 
goods.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, the bag storing 
and dispensing apparatus embodiment of the present invention illustrated 
here, generally designated by the numeral 10, is illustrated as a built-in 
for a checkout stand 11. However, it will be appreciated the apparatus of 
the invention may be utilized in any suitable environment, and it need not 
be built into a checkout stand or the like. 
The checkout stand 11 includes a generally waist-high counter 15 below 
which the apparatus of the invention is positioned. It can be appreciated 
that this checkout stand is especially useful for supermarkets although it 
may be used in any desired retail establishment. Goods are emptied onto a 
belt conveyor 16 which, upon being activated, delivers the goods to the 
waist-high counter 15. A checker standing adjacent to the conveyer and 
counter enters the price of the goods into a cash register 17 supported on 
a table 18 as they are deposited on the conveyer and then operates the 
conveyer to drive the goods to the bagging counter 15. In the event the 
checker is not able to bag the goods, a bagger standing at the bagging 
counter 15 would remove a sack from the apparatus 10 which would 
automatically open upon removal and place the sack onto an adjacent 
knee-high counter 19 so that the goods could be conveniently transferred 
from the waist-high counter 15 into the open bag. Additional storage space 
provided by shelves 20 below the counter 15 may be used for storage of 
bags or other items needed to carry on the functions at the checkout 
stand. Additionally, a shelf 21 is provided in the table 18 for storage. 
The checkout stand 11 is merely illustrated here to show one way in which 
the apparatus of the invention may be used. 
The bag storing and dispensing apparatus embodiment 10 of the invention 
includes generally a frame 25 and a container 26 which is slidably mounted 
in the frame in the fashion of a drawer, which may be moved to an open 
position for loading bags, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, and to a closed 
position for dispensing and opening bags, as seen in FIG. 6. Accordingly, 
the container may be in a bag dispensing position or a bag loading 
position. 
The frame 25 is a rectangular box-like structure including top and bottom 
opposed walls 30 and 31, upstanding opposed side walls 32 and 33, an 
upstanding rear wall 34, an opening defined opposite the rear wall 34, and 
a rectangular reenforcing rim 35 at the open front side. A mounting plate 
36 having a tubular sleeve 37 attached thereto defines a socket for a coil 
spring 38. Channel-shaped tracks 39 and 40 and rotatably mounted rollers 
41 and 42 are mounted on the opposed side walls 32 and 33 respectively for 
slidably mounting the container 26 in a manner that will be more clearly 
hereinafter explained. The tracks are horizontally extending in opposed 
alignment adjacent the lower ends of the side walls. Similarly, the 
rollers 41 and 42 are in opposed alignment just above the tracks 39 and 40 
and positioned closely adjacent to the front opening of the frame. While 
the top, bottom, rear and side walls are closed, it should be appreciated 
they could be of an open framework type so long as the frame 25 can act as 
a supporting structure for the container 26. 
The container 26 includes opposed upstanding side walls 50 and 51, an 
upstanding back wall 52 and upper and lower crossbars 53 and 54 at the 
forward ends of the side walls. Further, to strengthen the side walls and 
the back wall, the upper and lower edges of these walls, as well as the 
forward ends of the side walls, are flanged. Further, corner braces 55 and 
56 are provided between the side walls and the back wall at the upper 
ends, as seen in FIG. 3, to further rigidify the structure. The upper, 
lower and forward ends of the container 26 are open. Accordingly, a front 
is provided in the container through which bags may be dispensed, while 
the opening in the upper side of the container permits loading 
therethrough of a supply of folded bags when the container is in the bag 
loading position, such as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. 
The paper bags, when arranged in stock form within the container, are 
supported in vertical position by resting on a pair of horizontally 
extending parallel spaced guide rods 61 and 62. These guide rods extend 
from front to back in the container and at the lower end thereof and are 
supported at their forward ends in sockets 62 and 63 formed in the rear 
face of the lower crossbar 54. The guide rods are supported at their rear 
ends in holes 64 and 65 formed in the back wall 52, as seen in FIG. 4. The 
rear ends of the rods are threaded at 66 and 67 to receive lock washers 68 
and nuts 69, which, when properly tightened along threaded portions, lock 
the guide rods in position, as seen in FIG. 5. 
Supported within the container and slidably along the guide rods 60 and 61 
is a pusher member 74 which functions to coact with the coil spring 38 and 
continually urge the bags forward toward the front opening of the 
container when the container is in dispensing position, as seen in FIG. 6. 
The pusher member includes an upstanding plate having a lower 
substantially vertical section 75 and an upper somewhat forwardly inclined 
section 76, the latter of which urges the upper portions of the bags 
forwardly ahead of the lower portions, as seen in FIG. 6, to facilitate 
gripping of a bag in the dispensing and bag opening operation. Guide 
sleeves 77 and 78 are mounted at the lower end of the lower vertical 
portions 75 of the pusher member and which freely receive and move on the 
guide rods 60 and 61. A tubular sleeve 79 is mounted on the rear side of 
the lower vertical portion 75 to define with the vertical portion a socket 
in which the forward end of the coil spring 38 is guidably received. 
Accordingly, the pusher member 74 is guidably movable within the container 
along the guide rods 60 and 61, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Further as seen 
in FIG. 6, the tubular member 79 is larger than the tubular member 37 so 
that when the pusher member 74 is in the rear-most position, as seen in 
FIG. 6, the tubular sleeves will not interfere with one another. Moreover, 
as seen in FIG. 6, an opening 81 is provided in the rear wall 52 of the 
container through which the tubular sleeve 37 may project when the 
container is in the dispensing position. 
Channel-shaped tracks 85 and 86 and rotatably mounted rollers 87 and 88 are 
provided on the opposite side walls 50 and 51 of the container 26 to 
respectively coact with the rollers 41 and 42 and the tracks 39 and 40 
that are mounted on the frame 25, as can be seen in FIGS. 5 and 7. 
Accordingly, the track and roller assemblies mount the container for 
drawer-like movement relative to the frame which is necessary for the 
loading of the container with a supply of folded paper bags. As seen in 
FIG. 5, the lower end of the pusher member 74 coacts with the rim 35 of 
the frame 25 when the pusher member is in its full rearward position 
within the container to prevent the container from being pulled completely 
free of the frame. Accordingly, the outward position of the container 
relative to the frame is limited by the pusher and the rim. Further, the 
rim coacts with a pair of lugs 90, as seen in FIG. 6, to retain the 
container in the closed or bag dispensing position when the spring 38 has 
been energized to apply a force against the pusher member 74. The 
clearance formed between the upper end of the container 26 and the frame 
25, as seen in FIG. 6, allows the necessary up-and-down movement of the 
container to permit the lugs to clear the rim 35 during movement of the 
container between bag loading and bag dispensing positions. 
Restraining members are provided at the front opening of the container for 
holding the front-most bag in the container but also allowing the 
front-most bag to be removed and thereafter functioning to assist in 
opening up the bag by retaining the back wall of the bag as the bag is 
moved upwardly and outwardly of the container. These restraining members 
include a pair of tabs 92 and 93 mounted in opposed relation along the 
flanged forward vertical edges of the container side walls 50 and 51 and 
about midway between the top and bottom edges of these walls. The tabs are 
inclined outwardly from the flanged ends of the side walls to allow the 
upper portions of the bags to be moved outwardly of the lower portions, as 
seen in FIG. 6. Additionally, restraining members in the form of a pair of 
fingers 94 and 95 are mounted at the upper end of the front opening of the 
container to engage over the upper ends of the bags. These fingers are 
secured to the side walls 50 and 51 of the container in slots to not only 
allow some vertical movement for adjustment of position and also to allow 
some rotational movement so that the fingers can be properly positioned to 
give the proper restraining action at the upper corners of the bags. 
Accordingly, the upper portions of the bags are restrained by tabs 92 and 
93 and fingers 94 and 95. 
Outward movement of the lower portions of the bags is prevented by a 
transversely extending cylindrical in cross section opening bar 98 
arranged adjacent the lower end of the front opening of the container and 
extending horizontally to engage the lower half of the folded bottom panel 
of the bags, as seen in FIG. 6. The bag opening bar 98 is supported at 
opposite ends in suitable sockets formed in the opposed side walls 50 and 
51 of the container. The bar may be rotatably mounted or fixed against 
rotation. Further, it may be noted that the bar is spaced inwardly from 
the restraining members 92 to 95, as seen particularly in FIGS. 5 and 6, 
whereby the lower portions of the bag are behind the upper portions and 
whereby a much greater frictional force is generated between the opening 
bar and the bags than between the restraining members and the bags. 
The manner of removing and opening a paper bag is illustrated in FIGS. 8a, 
8b and 8c, and for purposes of understanding this operation and the 
overall operation of the apparatus in the invention, it may be appreciated 
that each paper bag, generally designated by the numeral 100, includes a 
front wall or panel 101, a back wall or panel 102, opposed side walls or 
panels 103 and 104, and a bottom wall or panel 105. The paper bags may be 
of any size but normally of a size for a supermarket for holding 
groceries. The side panels 103 and 104 are folded inwardly and the bottom 
panel 105 is folded upwardly against the front panel 101 in a conventional 
fashion, as seen in FIGS. 6 and 8a. Placement of the bags in the container 
will be as shown in the drawings wherein the bottom wall 105 of the bags 
is forward and will engage the opening bar 98. The positioning of the 
opening bar, as above stated, is such as to engage the lower half of the 
bottom wall of the front-most bag where a necessary restraining force is 
applied to the bag during an opening operation. 
The loading operation of the apparatus of the invention is very simple in 
that it merely requires the operator to apply a slight lifting force to 
the crossbar 53 of the container 26 until the lugs 90 are free of the rim 
35 and then apply an outward force on the container to bring it to the 
load position shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 when the container is pulled as far 
as it can go as dictated by the stop action effected between the pusher 
member 74 and the rim 35. It will be noted that the force of the spring 38 
is released and the pusher member 74 is automatically positioned in a 
retracted position relative the container 26, leaving the upper open end 
of the container free and into which a stack of collapsed bags may be 
easily inserted until they rest on the guide rods 60 and 61. Thereafter, 
the container is pushed back into the frame 25 until the lugs catch on the 
rim 35 and which will automatically bring the pusher member 74 into 
operation as the spring 38 will be automatically energized to push the 
bags toward the front opening of the container, as seen in FIG. 6. 
The dispensing operation of the bags and the opening of the bags is 
illustrated in FIGS. 8a, 8b and 8c. The operator will grasp the exposed 
front wall 101 of the front-most bag, pull it outwardly slightly to free 
the front wall from the restraining members 92, 93, 94 and 95, as seen in 
FIG. 8b. Thereafter, the operator pulls upwardly and outwardly on the 
front wall wherein the restraining means holds the rear wall 102 to allow 
the front wall to move away from the rear wall. Further, inasmuch as the 
opening bar 98 is applying a frictional force against the lower end of the 
bottom wall 105, the upward force applied to the front wall 101 unfolds 
the bottom wall to an open position and thereafter further upward and 
outward movement of the bag ultimately releases the bottom wall and 
opposing rear wall from the grip between the next-most bag and the opening 
bar to free the bag in opened position. Accordingly, successive dispensing 
of the bags from the container will automatically open the bags for 
immediate use by the operator and bagging operations can immediately be 
effected. This eliminates a time-consuming job of the bagger to manually 
open the bags for the bagging operations. 
Another form of the invention is illustrated in the embodiment shown in 
FIGS. 9 to 12 and where the bag opening device is generally designated by 
the numeral 11A. This embodiment differs primarily in that the container 
is supported relative the frame in a different manner. The frame is 
generally designated by the numeral 110, while the container is generally 
designated by the numeral 111, and as can readily be seen, both the frame 
and the container are formed of a combination of bars and braces 
interconnected together. 
The frame includes an upper rectangular support 112 having front and back 
bars 113 and 114 and opposed side bars 115. A lower rectangular support 
116 is in opposed relation to the upper support and includes front and 
back bars 117 and 118 and opposed side bars 119. The upper and lower 
supports are interconnected by upstanding corner posts 120, 121, 122 and 
123. 
The container 111 includes a lower rectangular support 124 sized to move 
between the upper front corner posts 120 and 121 of the frame and 
including front and back bars 125 and 126 and opposed side bars 127. 
Upstanding from the front bar 125 are opposed side bars 128 which are 
connected together at their upper ends by a top bar 129, all of which 
coact with the lower bar 125 to define the front opening of the container. 
Mounted near the lower bar 125 and in parallel to it and between the 
opposed upstanding bars 128 is the opening bar 130 which functions 
identical to the opening bar 98 of the first embodiment. Also mounted 
along the opposed side bars 128 are opposed tabs 131 and opposed fingers 
132, which function as the restraining means for the bags at the upper 
portions of the bags in the same manner as the tabs 92 and 93 and the 
fingers 94 and 95 of the first embodiment. 
The container 111 is supported relative the frame 112 by the engagement of 
the lower rectangular support 124 along the frame bar 117 together with 
cantileverly supported rods 133 extending from a cross brace 134 on the 
frame which telescopically receive tubular guides 135 connected to the 
container. The guides extend rearward from the upstanding side bars 128 of 
the container and are further supported in relation to the lower 
rectangular support 124 by means of a plurality of upstanding reenforcing 
bars 136. 
Like the first embodiment, the pusher member 137 is slidably supported 
along the guide rods 138 carried by the container and specifically mounted 
between the front and rear bars 125 and 126 of the lower rectangular 
support 124. A pusher spring 139 is supported between a socket 140 secured 
to the backside of the pusher member 137 and a socket 141 secured to a 
cross plate 142 that is connected to the rear upstanding corner posts 122 
and 123 of the frame. Stops 143 are provided on the container for coacting 
with the front bar 117 of the lower rectangular support 116 of the frame 
to hold the container in position when it is loaded and maintain the 
pusher member in energized relation relative the bags. It will be 
understood that the bag opener 11a operates essentially the same as the 
bag opener 11 of the first embodiment, and it can be appreciated that the 
structure differs mainly in the manner in which the container is supported 
relative the frame. 
From the foregoing, it can be appreciated the apparatus of the present 
invention not only enables the automatic dispensing of opened bags but 
also provides for ease in quickly loading the apparatus with a supply of 
folded bags. 
It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected 
without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present 
invention, but it is understood that this application is to be limited 
only by the scope of the appended claims.