Patent ID: 8360273

Claim:
A cutlery utensil dispenser for dispensing cutlery utensils, comprising: a plurality of utensil compartments, each compartment being so dimensioned and configured to house a stack of utensils, each compartment having a dispensing opening through which a dispensed utensil passes; a dispensing mechanism comprising a drive member in operable communication with a plurality of driven members, each driven member being associated with a respective one of the compartments, each driven member in operable communication with a shaft having at least one cam surface disposed thereon, each cam surface comprising at least one dispensing arm that facilitates the dispensing of a utensil from its associated compartment; and a plurality of trays, each tray being associated with a respective one of the compartments, each tray having a receiving end disposed to receive a dispensed utensil from only the associated compartment, and a dispensing end; each tray having an angled dispensing surface such that a dispensed utensil slides under the influence of gravity from the receiving end being wider than the dispensing end with side walls that engage the dispensed utensil to cause the dispensed utensil to rotate from a first orientation to a second orientation as the dispensed utensil slides under the influence of gravity; wherein actuation of the drive member causes actuation of the driven members, which causes at least one utensil to be dispensed from at least one compartment.