Importance

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Abstract

An improvement in a gravity-feed display and dispensing apparatus and method in which rolling articles are advanced by gravity along an upper chute from a loading location to a transition chute where the rolling articles are transferred to a lower chute located vertically below the upper chute, with a concomitant reversal of the direction of travel of the rolling articles, and then along the lower chute to a dispensing location. A plurality of retarding members are placed in position serially along the transition chute to engage a rolling article and bump the rolling article so as to gradually retard the speed of movement of the rolling article as the article traverses the transition chute, thereby limiting the magnitude of forces generated by the reversal of the direction of movement of the rolling article as the rolling article traverses the transition chute and avoiding excessive speed of movement of the rolling article upon arrival of the rolling article adjacent the dispensing location.

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First Claim