Article handling system with dispenser

A compact freestanding dispensing apparatus constructed for disposition on a horizontal supporting surface which can be small relative to the overall size of the apparatus, the apparatus enabled to overhang a collection receptacle located adjacent the horizontal supporting surface to dispense articles into the collection receptacle, comprising:

• (a) a frame structure including a base portion and a supporting portion, said base portion including a lower region and an upper region, said lower region adapted to be disposed on the supporting surface;
• (b) said base portion being inclined upwardly from said lower region to said upper region such that said upper region is laterally displaced with respect to said lower region in a first direction;
• (c) said supporting portion being carried by said base portion at said upper region and extending in a second direction opposite to said first direction;
• (d) a supply hopper for storing bulk quantities of articles to be dispensed, said supply hopper being supported by said base portion at said upper region with its center of gravity being disposed over said lower region of said base portion;
• (e) a conveyor communicating with said supply hopper for transporting articles discharged from the supply hopper, said conveyor also being supported by said base portion at said upper region with its center of gravity being disposed over said lower end region of said base portion;
• (f) a vibratory feeder comprising a vibratory motor drive assembly and a recirculating bowl feeder hopper including an article discharge station, said feeder receiving articles from said conveyor and conveying them at controlled feed rates to said article discharge station, said vibratory motor drive assembly being supported by said supporting portion and in turn supporting said feeder hopper with said vibratory motor drive assembly being disposed within said feeder hopper and said feeder hopper being supported in communication with said discharge section of said conveyor to receive articles therefrom, said article discharge station being displaced in said second direction from said conveyor beyond the lower region of said base portion and directly overhanging the collection receptacle when in use;
• (g) the conveyor including an elongated trough having a bottom wall and upstanding sidewalls, the supply hopper having sidewalls which depend into the conveyor trough to channel articles from the supply hopper into the conveyor trough, the conveyor trough sidewalls and the supply hopper sidewalls having overlapping sidewall portions;
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• (h) a pair of aligned doors formed one on the supply hopper and the other on the conveyor trough in the region of the overlapping sidewall portions to selectively provide access by an operator to the region enclosed by the overlapping sidewall portions, whereby articles can be easily removed from such enclosed region without having to feed such articles to the feeder.

A compact freestanding dispensing apparatus constructed for disposition on a relatively small support as compared to the overall size of the apparatus, the apparatus being adapted to overhang a collection receptacle located adjacent the support to dispense metered amounts of articles into such collection receptacle, comprising:

• (a) a frame structure including a base portion and a supporting portion, said base portion including a lower region and an upper region, said lower region being adapted to be disposed on such support;
• (b) said base portion being inclined upwardly from said lower region to said upper region such that said upper region is laterally displaced with respect to said lower region in a first direction;
• (c) said supporting portion being attached to said upper region of said base portion and extending in a second direction opposite to said first direction;
• (d) a supply hopper for storing quantities of articles to be dispensed, said supply hopper including an opening for receiving quantities of articles and an opening for discharging those articles, said supply hopper being supported by said upper region of said base portion with the center of gravity of said supply hopper being disposed over said lower region of said base portion;
• (e) a conveyor for transporting articles discharged from the supply hopper, said conveyor having spaced receiving and discharge sections, said receiving section being disposed under said supply hopper discharge opening, said conveyor extending in said second direction from said receiving section to said discharge section, said conveyor also being supported by said upper region of said base portion, with the center of gravity of said conveyor being disposed over said lower end region of said base portion;
• (f) a vibratory feeder comprising a vibratory motor drive assembly and a recirculating bowl feeder hopper including an article discharge station, said feeder receiving articles from said conveyor and delivering them at controlled feed rates to said article discharge station, said vibratory motor drive assembly being supported by said supporting portion and in turn supporting said feeder hopper with said vibratory motor drive assembly being disposed at least in part within said feeder hopper and said feeder hopper being supported in communication with said discharge section of said conveyor to receive articles therefrom, said article discharge station being displaced in said second direction from said conveyor beyond the lower region of said base portion for directly overhanging a collection receptacle when in use;
• (g) an accumulator connected to the frame structure and including an article discharge means, the accumulator being positioned above such collection receptacle when the accumulator and receptacle are in use, the accumulator being positioned and adapted to receive and collect articles emitted through said discharge station after they have passed along a flow path from the discharge station to the accumulator, the accumulator also being adapted to discharge such articles into the collection receptacle;
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• (h) the center of gravity of said free standing dispensing apparatus being disposed over the lower region of said base portion irrespective of the number of articles supported in the apparatus, whereby said freestanding dispensing apparatus always rests stably upon said support without the need for anchoring while articles may be directly discharged from said overhanging accumulator into the underlying collection receptacle when such receptacle is in use.