Claims
- 1. A dispensing system for a package of a continuous severable sheet material comprised of a plurality of individual severable plastic bags, said plastic bags being defined by transverse pre-weakened regions, said system comprising a substantially closed box containing at least one opening in one of the walls thereof, said box holding said package, and a dispensing means, said dispensing mean being fixedly attached to a surface located above said box and being physically separated from and placed at a location physically remote from said box, said dispensing means being capable of guiding said severable sheet material, said dispensing means having a sufficient rigidity to facilitate the separation of a first plastic bag and retain a second plastic bag, adjacent to the first plastic bag, within said dispensing means.
- 2. A dispensing system of claim 1 wherein said dispensing means is comprised of a base member, attached to said surface, and a dispensing member attached substantially perpendicularly to said base member.
- 3. A dispensing system of claim 2 wherein said dispensing member comprises an elongated support member having two ends, the first end being attached to said base member, and the second end being formed into a spiral.
- 4. A dispensing system of claim 3 wherein said base member and said support member are fabricated from aluminum, steel or copper wire rod.
- 5. A dispensing system of claim 4 wherein said base member has a circular shape 1 to 3 inches in diameter.
- 6. A dispensing system of claim 5 wherein said support member is a substantially elongated member 2 to 6 inches in length.
- 7. A dispensing system of claim 6 wherein said plastic bags are thermoplastic bags.
- 8. A dispensing system of claim 7 wherein said bags are connected in a top of one-to-bottom of consecutive bag relationship and they are severable at transverse perforations at the top of each bag.
- 9. A dispensing system of claim 1 wherein said dispensing means comprises a conically-shaped elongated member substantially spirally-wound throughout its length.
- 10. A dispensing system of claim 9 wherein the base of said conically-shaped elongated member has the diameter of about 1 to about 3 inches.
- 11. A dispensing system of claim 10 wherein said conically-shaped member has the height of about 21/2 to about 51/2 inches.
- 12. A dispensing system of claim 11 wherein said bags are connected in a top of one-to-bottom of consecutive bag relationship and they are severable at transverse perforations at the top of each bag.
- 13. A dispensing system of claim 12 wherein said surface is a supertmarket check-out counter and said thermoplastic bags are "wet bags".
- 14. A dispensing system of claim 12 wherein said surface is a rack system for supporting grocery sacks and said thermoplastic bags are "wet bags".
- 15. A dispensing system of claim 1 wherein said dispensing means comprises a relatively wide opening for guiding said severable sheet material and at least one relatively narrow region for retaining said severable sheet material.
- 16. A dispensing system of claim 15 wherein said dispensing means is manufactured from 3/8 inch thick polyurethane sheet.
- 17. A dispensing system of claim 16 wherein said relatively wide opening is located substantially in the center of said dispensing means.
- 18. A dispensing system of claim 17 wherein said at least one relatively narrow region comprises a plurality of slits extending radially from said wide opening towards the periphery of said dispensing means.
- 19. A dispensing system of claim 18 wherein said plastic bags are thermoplastic bags.
- 20. A dispensing system of claim 19 wherein said surface is a supermaket check-out counter and said thermoplastic bags are "wet bags".
- 21. A dispensing system claim 18 wherein said surface is a rack system for supporting grocery sacks and said thermoplastic bags are "wet bags".
- 22. A method of dispensing a continuous severable sheet material comprised of a plurality of individual severable plastic bags, said plastic bags defined by transverse pre-wealened regions, comprising
- storing a package of said continuous severable sheet material in a storage container containing at least one opening;
- conducting said continuous severable sheet material through said opening;
- engaging said continuous severable sheet material with a dispensing means, said dispensing means being located physically separately from and at a location physically remote from said storage container means;
- passing said continuous severable sheet material into the entrance of said dispensing means at least until one of said transverse pre-weakened regions passes substantially completely through said dispensing means and passes the exit thereof; and
- applying a sufficient force to said continuous severable sheet material, in direction substantially transverse to the direction of the passage of said continuous severable sheet material, to separate at least one of said plastic bags from the consecutive plastic bag at the point of said transverse pre-weakened regions.
- 23. A method of claim 22 wherein said individual severable plastic bags are thermoplastic bags.
- 24. A method of claim 23 wherein said bags are connected in a top of one-to-bottom of consecutive bag relationship and they are severable at transverse peforations at the top of each bag.
- 25. A method of claim 24 wherein said dispensing means has a sufficient rigidity to facilitate the separation of a first plastic bag and retain a second plastic bag, adjacent to the first plastic bag, within said dispensing means. .Iadd.
- 26. A dispensing system for a package of severable sheet material comprising a plurality of individually severable plastic bags, said plastic bags being defined by transverse pre-weakened regions, said system comprising a check-out counter, storage means holding said package below the bottom of said counter, a dispensing unit mounted to said counter at a location remote from said storage means, said unit comprising a unitary structure having at least one relatively wide opening in communication with at least one relatively narrow region, said wide opening being capable of guiding said bags therethrough and said narrow region being capable of providing sufficient resistance to a force applied to any one of said severable bags to facilitate the separation of a first bag and to retain therein a next adjacent bag. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. The system of claim 26 wherein said dispensing means is mounted into said counter. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. In a plastic bag dispensing system at a check-out counter the improvement comprising, locating a storage means below the bottom of said counter, said storage means holding a package of a plurality of individually severable plastic bags, each bag defined by transverse pre-weakened regions, and locating a dispensing unit mounted to said counter remote from said storage means, said dispensing unit comprising a unitary structure having at least one relatively wide opening in communication with at least one relatively narrow region, said wide opening being capable of guiding said bags therethrough and said narrow region being capable of providing sufficient resistance to a force applied to any one of said severable bags to facilitate the separation of a first bag and to retain therein a next adjacent bag. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29. A method of dispensing plastic bags at a counter comprising: guiding, from below the bottom of said counter, plastic bags, from a package of a plurality of individually severable plastic bags, said package being held by a storage means, each bag defined by transverse pre-weakened regions, to a unitary dispensing unit mounted to said counter and locate remote from said storage means, said dispensing unit being capable of guiding said severable bags through at least one relatively wide opening therein and, by means of at least one relatively narrow region in communication with said wide opening, providing sufficient resistance to a force applied to any one of the severable bags, to facilitate separation of a first bag from said severable bags while retaining a next adjacent bag within said
- narrow region. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. The method of claim 29 wherein said dispensing means is mounted into said counter. .Iaddend.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
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498711 |
Dec 1985 |
CAX |
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Parent Case Info
.[.This is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of application Ser. No. 687,697, filed on Dec. 31, 1984, now abandoned the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference..].
.Iadd.This is a reissue application of U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,617, issued Dec. 25, 1990 from application Ser. No. 351,756, filed May 15, 1989 as a continuation-in-part of abandoned application Ser. No. 687,697, filed Dec. 31, 1984. .Iaddend.
US Referenced Citations (28)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
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1325923 |
Aug 1973 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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687697 |
Dec 1984 |
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Reissues (1)
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Number |
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351756 |
May 1989 |
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