Patent ID: 8317038

Claim:
A modular apparatus for displaying and dispensing merchandise at plural dispensing tiers at a point-of-purchase adjacent a display shelf extending in lateral directions, the merchandise being in the form of packages arranged serially along each of at least first and second paths of travel spaced apart altitudinally and extending along a longitudinal direction which is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the modular apparatus toward corresponding first and second forward dispensing locations spaced apart altitudinally and placed at the point-of -purchase, the apparatus comprising: a first pusher-track assembly for extending in the longitudinal direction along the first path of travel in juxtaposition with first serially arranged packages, the first pusher-track assembly including a first pusher movable along the first path of travel toward a first stop adjacent the first forward dispensing location, and a first biasing spring biasing the first pusher toward the first stop; a first securing arrangement for securing the first pusher-track assembly at a selected lateral location along the display shelf; at least two dividers for extending each in the longitudinal direction, spaced apart in a lateral direction, to straddle the first path of travel, in juxtaposition with the first serially arranged packages, each divider including a lower edge for juxtaposition with the display shelf and an upper edge for being spaced altitudinally above the display shelf when the lower edge is juxtaposed with the display shelf; a divider-securing arrangement for securing each divider at a selected divider lateral location along the display shelf; a second pusher-track assembly for extending in the longitudinal direction along the second path of travel in juxtaposition with second serially arranged packages, the second pusher-track assembly including a second pusher movable along the second path of travel toward a second stop adjacent the second forward dispensing location, and a second biasing spring biasing the second pusher toward the second stop; and a second securing arrangement for selectively securing the second pusher-track assembly to each of the dividers, elevated altitudinally above the first pusher-track assembly, and placed altitudinally between the lower edge and the upper edge of each divider to extend along the second path of travel, such that upon securing the dividers in place, each along the longitudinal direction, straddling the first path of travel, and securing the second pusher-track assembly between the dividers, the divider-securing arrangement and the second securing arrangement will integrate the second pusher-track assembly with the dividers within the apparatus, with the first and second forward dispensing locations spaced apart altitudinally to establish the plural dispensing tiers at the point-of-purchase.