Patent ID: 8789723

Claim:
A lid dispenser comprising: a housing having an interior which receives a stack of a plurality of lids, the stack defining an axial direction, the housing having a lower outlet; a carriage mounted to the housing for axial motion thereon; a traveler mounted to the carriage for axial motion thereon, wherein the traveler is biased towards an upper position on the carriage, and wherein the traveler has a platform which receives and supports lids thereon; a plurality of keys arranged with respect to the traveler such that each key is actuatable to depress the traveler a different amount with respect to the upper position on the carriage and corresponding to a different quantity of lids it is desired to dispense; at least one side separator mounted to the carriage above the traveler platform, and movable perpendicular to the axial direction; at least one pager mounted to the housing to project into the housing interior beneath portions of the stack of lids, the at least one pager being positioned beneath the traveler platform in its upper position on the carriage; and elements mounted to the housing to cooperate with the at least one side separator to displace the at least one side separator towards the interior of the housing when the carriage is moved towards the housing outlet, to thereby engage and separate an upper remainder stack of lids from a lower substack of one or more lids supported on the platform for dispensing at the housing outlet, the at least one side separator urging the lower substack past the at least one pager as the carriage is moved towards the housing outlet, while the remainder stack is supported on the at least one pager.