Front-loading display and dispensing apparatus

An improvement in an apparatus for displaying and dispensing merchandise at a point-of-purchase, the merchandise being comprised of packages arranged serially along a path of travel extending longitudinally toward a forward dispensing location placed at the point-of-purchase, the improvement comprising:

• a track extending longitudinally adjacent the path of travel for juxtaposition with the serially arranged packages;
• a pusher coupled with the track for movement in forward and rearward directions along the track adjacent the path of travel so as to engage the serially arranged packages for moving the packages forward toward the dispensing location;
• a biasing member coupled with the pusher for establishing a forward-directed biasing force exerted on the pusher to bias the pusher in the forward direction;
• a gate at the dispensing location;
• a pivotal connection mounting the gate for movement relative to the track between a stop position, wherein the gate extends into the path of travel to intercept a forward-most package of the serially arranged packages to preclude forward movement of the forward-most package forward beyond the dispensing location, and a retracted position, wherein the gate is canted rearwardly to enable selective insertion of packages in a rearward direction through the dispensing location and along the path of travel to replenish serially arranged packages;
• and
• a coupling arrangement coupling the biasing member with the pivotal connection at a location outside the path of travel, the coupling arrangement enabling the biasing member to establish a rearward-directed biasing force essentially opposite to the aforesaid forward-directed biasing force exerted on the pusher for pivotally biasing the gate into the stop position.