Cigarette display dispenser

Claim 1

A cigarette package display dispenser, formed from modular partitions, in which a plurality of vertical stacks of cigarette packages of varying dimensions are to be gravity fed in an upright fashion through chutes defined by the modular partitions to bottom stops which support the lowermost cigarette packages in a display position in which substantially the entire face of the cigarette package is visible and in which individual cigarette packages are to be dispensed from the display position by manually removing them forwardly from the front of the display dispenser out of the chutes and out of engagement with the bottom stops, the display dispenser being characterized by fixed bottom stops; and elongate flat leaf spring elements cantilevered from their upper ends, the elongate flat leaf spring elements being carried by the modular partitions and extending along at the front sides of each chute and terminating above the bottom stops and below the tops of cigarette packages in display position for slidingly engaging the front edge surfaces of the cigarette packages as they descend into the display position and for urging the cigarette packages rearwardly as they descend to maintain them confined in the chutes and to bring them into engagement with the fixed bottom stops, said elongate leaf spring elements being arranged to hold the packages within the chutes and to flex forwardly through a small angle as a cigarette package is dispensed by removing it forwardly from the front of the display dispenser out of engagement with a fixed bottom stop, thereby providing reliable cigarette package feeding, and enabling packages of different lengths and widths to be accommodated without adjustment and to be conveniently dispensed.