Stylus dispensing apparatus and method
AssigneeRCA Corporation
InventorDavid W. Fairbanks
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for individually dispensing a plurality of styli, juxtaposed in a row lying along a first path within a guide slot having a dispensing section thereof terminating at a reference surface of a housing, has an arm shaped to slide within the guide slot whereby the lead stylus in the row is held against the reference surface. The apparatus comprises a curved spring plate and piston disposed adjacent the guide slot for moving the reference surface along the first path toward the arm in a manner whereby the arm, along with the row of styli, is pushed backward a predetermined distance along the first path to a holdback position, and a second piston disposed adjacent the housing for holding the arm stationary at the holdback position while a dispensing member removes the lead stylus from the row of styli.
Claims11
In an apparatus for individually dispensing a plurality of styli comprising a housing including a guide slot having a dispensing section thereof terminating at a reference surface of said housing, said guide slot adapted to hold a plurality of said styli juxtaposed in a row lying along a first path within said guide slot, said apparatus also including an arm shaped to slide within said guide slot along said first path and connected to said housing by means for pushing said arm forward against said row of styli along said first path toward said reference surface whereby the lead stylus in said row is held against said reference surface, said apparatus further including a dispensing member supported by said housing adjacent a side of said dispensing section and adapted to slide along a second path parallel to said reference surface in order to contact and remove said lead stylus from said row of styli, the improvement in said apparatus comprising:
- means disposed adjacent said guide slot for moving said reference surface along said first path toward said arm in a manner whereby said arm, along with said row of styli, is pushed backward a predetermined distance along said first path to a holdback position, and
- means disposed adjacent said housing for holding said arm stationary at said holdback position while said dispensing member removes said lead stylus from said row of styli.
In a method of individually dispensing a plurality of styli juxtaposed in a row lying along a first path within a guide slot having a dispensing section thereof terminating at a reference surface of a housing, said row of styli being pushed forward along said first path by an arm shaped to slide within said guide slot whereby the lead stylus in said row is held against said reference surface, wherein a dispensing member supported by said housing adjacent a side of said dispensing section slides along a second path parallel to said reference surface and contacts and removes said lead stylus from said row of styli, the improvement in said method comprising the steps of:
- moving said reference surface along said first path toward said arm in a manner whereby said arm, along with said row of styli, is pushed backward a predetermined distance along said first path to a holdback position, and
- holding said arm stationary at said holdback position while said dispensing member removes said lead stylus from said row of styli.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.