Apparatus for securing a cup dispensing collar to a cup dispenser

A cup dispenser comprising

• an elongated tubular housing for storing a plurality of cups nested in a stack and having an exterior surface, an interior and a discharge end through which cups are dispensed and including an outer edge;
• an annular collar surrounding the exterior surface of said housing and having an inner surface;
• locking means on said collar and said housing cooperating to provide a removable connection between said collar and said housing at a location adjacent the discharge end of said housing and further cooperating to afford relative movement of said collar and said housing between a locked position wherein relative longitudinal and rotational movement of said collar and said housing are restrained and an unlocked position wherein relative movement of said collar and said housing is permitted to separate one from the other, said locking means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs extending radially inwardly from the inner surface of said collar, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced generally J-shaped slots in said housing and extending from the outer edge of said housing for receiving said lugs, portions of the inner surface of said collar and said locking means exposed to the interior surface of said housing in the vicinity of the discharge end, said collar and said locking means being connected together to eliminate the presence of crevices or cavities which can trap bacteria;
• and
• an annular retaining ring carrying a cup holding member and removably mounted on said collar whereby said cup holding member is disposed over the discharge end of said housing to control removal of cups from the stack.