Packaging of surgical gauze sponges and the like

Claim 1

A PACKAGE FOR THE SELECTIVE DEPENSING OF A PLURALITY OF GROUPS OF DISCRETE PRECOUNTED ARTICLES COMPRISING AN ENCLOSURE, A PLURALITY OF GROUPS OF SAID ARTICLES CONTAINED IN SAID ENCLOSURE, SAID ENCLOSURE HAVING MEANS AT ONE END OPERABLE TO EXPOSE THE GROUP OF SAID ARTICLES CLOSEST TO SAID ONE END FOR SUCCESSIVE REMOVAL THERETHROUGH OF SAID GROUPS, SAID GROUPS BEING ARRANGED IN LAYERS IN SAID PACKAGE TRANSVERSELY TO THE DIRECTION OF REMOVAL OF SAID GROUPS FROM THE PACKAGE VIA SAID ONE END, AND A FLEXIBLE LENGTH OF MATERIAL EXTENDING IN A ZIGZAG FASHION WITHIN SAID PACKAGE FROM ADJACENT SAID OPENABLE MEANS ALTERNATELY IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS BETWEEN SAID GROUPS AND HAVING A TERMINAL PORTION EXTENDING BETWEEN THE ONE OF SAID GROUPS FURTHEST REMOTE FROM SAID ONE END AND THE ADJACENT WALL OF THE REMOTE END OF SAID PACKAGE AND THENCE BETWEEN AND IN CONTACT WITH THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF ONE SIDE OF THE PACKAGE AND THE ADJACENT EDGES OF THE ARTICLES IN SAID REMOTE GROUP.