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A dispenser for dispensing flexible lids includes a housing having a lid stack holder for containing a coaxial stack of lids. Lids are supported within a substantially coaxial channel of the lid stack by a pair of opposing indexing shafts that rotate upon operation of a user operable drive device to

A dispenser for dispensing flexible lids includes a housing having a lid stack holder for containing a coaxial stack of lids. Lids are supported within a substantially coaxial channel of the lid stack by a pair of opposing indexing shafts that rotate upon operation of a user operable drive device to pass a bottom-most lid to a discharge area. The drive device may be calibrated to rotate the indexing shafts by an adjustable amount that is determined, at least in part, by the height of each lid and/or the spacing between lids in the stack. Further, the housing may be constructed from a fixed housing portion and an adjustable housing portion. The adjustable housing portion allows the spacing between the indexing shafts to be adjusted to correspond to the circumference of the lids currently being dispensed.

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What is claimed is: 1. A lid dispenser for sequentially dispensing flexible lids, the dispenser comprising: a housing having a lid stack area for storing a substantially vertical stack of flexible lids; a pair of indexing shafts positioned within said housing generally below said lid stack area, sa

What is claimed is: 1. A lid dispenser for sequentially dispensing flexible lids, the dispenser comprising: a housing having a lid stack area for storing a substantially vertical stack of flexible lids; a pair of indexing shafts positioned within said housing generally below said lid stack area, said pair of indexing shafts arranged to grip at least a bottom-most lid of said stack of flexible lids; a lid discharge area arranged to deliver a lid dispensed from said lid stack area to an operator accessible location; and a dispensing mechanism manually operable to cause said pair of indexing shafts to rotate in opposite directions a sufficient amount to pass said bottom-most lid of said stack of flexible lids into said lid discharge area; wherein: said dispensing mechanism comprises an adjustment control having a stop that allows a degree of rotation of said pair of indexing shafts to be adjusted so that for each manual operation of said dispensing mechanism, said rotation of said pair of indexing shafts is limited to an amount sufficient to pass said bottom-most lid of said stack of flexible lids into said discharge area, thus accommodating a variety of lid configurations. 2. The lid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said dispensing mechanism comprises a first drive device arranged to rotate at least one of said pair of indexing shafts, and said stop comprises an adjustable stop member that limits a degree of rotation of said first drive device. 3. The lid dispenser according to claim 2, wherein said dispensing first drive device is coupled to a first one shaft of said pair of indexing shafts by a device that allows said first one shaft to rotate in only a single direction. 4. The lid dispenser according to claim 2, wherein said stop member comprises a block having an adjustable abutment surface that is adjustable to limit said degree of rotation of said first drive device. 5. The lid dispenser according to claim 2, wherein said first drive device comprises a handle having a shaft that couples to a first one of said pair of indexing shafts so as to pivot thereabout, said handle including a terminal end spaced radially from said first one of said pair of indexing shaft that is received between first and second abutment surfaces, wherein said second abutment surface includes an adjustment that limits the rotation of said handle about said first indexing shaft by restricting the range of travel of said terminal end between said first and second abutment surfaces. 6. The lid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said first indexing shaft is coupled to said second indexing shaft by a linkage arm arranged such that rotation of said first indexing shaft in a first direction causes said second shaft to rotate a nominally equal amount, but in an opposite direction so as to pass said bottom-most lid. 7. The lid dispenser according to claim 1, further comprising a gripper provided on each of said first and second indexing shafts, wherein each gripper comprises a plurality of disks arranged such that the diameter of disks towards the end portions of said gripper are nominally larger than the diameter of disks towards the middle portion of said gripper relative to at least said bottom-most lid of said stack of flexible lids. 8. The lid dispenser according to claim 7, wherein a circumference of each of said disks of said grippers is sized to generally conform to the circumference of the lids in said stack of lids. 9. The lid dispenser according to claim 7, wherein said grippers each further comprise a plurality of spacers between each of said disks, said spacers arranged to allow said disks to spread out axially along said indexing shaft so as to adjust varying circumferences of stacks of lids placed in said dispensing device. 10. The lid dispenser according to claim 7, wherein each of said grippers follows generally a contour of said bottom-most lid so as to grip said bottom-most lid in a plurality of positions. 11. The lid dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said adjustable control comprises a block having a recessed portion arranged to receive a lower portion of a handle which is coupled to a first one of said pair of indexing shafts. 12. A lid dispenser for sequentially dispensing flexible lids, the dispenser comprising: a housing; a lid stack holder from a top portion of said housing, said lid stack holder having a first support member that is adjustably spaced from a second support member so as to accommodate stacks of flexible lids having varying diameters, said first and second support members cooperating to support a loaded substantially vertical stack of flexible lids, first and a second indexing shafts positioned generally below said lid stack holder, said first and second indexing shafts arranged to grip at least a bottom-most lid of said stack of flexible lids, a lid discharge area arranged to deliver a dispensed lid to an operator accessible location; a dispensing mechanism arranged such that for each manual operation of said dispensing mechanism, said pair of indexing shafts rotate a limited amount that is sufficient to pass said bottom-most lid of said stack of flexible lids into said lid discharge area, and an adjustment control that is adjusted to set a position of said second indexing shaft relative to said first indexing shaft. 13. The lid dispenser according to claim 12, wherein said housing comprises a first housing portion and a second housing portion, said second housing portion being repositionable with respect to said first housing portion, and said second portion including said second support member of said lid stack, and said second indexing shaft. 14. The lid dispenser according to claim 12, wherein said first indexing shaft is coupled to said second indexing shaft by a linkage arm arranged such that rotation of said first indexing shaft in a first direction causes said second shaft to rotate a nominally equal amount, but in an opposite direction so as to pass said bottom-most lid from said grippers. 15. The lid dispenser according to claim 14, wherein said linkage arm includes at least one adjustment that allows the length of said linkage arm to be selectively lengthened or shortened by an amount appropriate to the relative adjusted position of said second indexing shaft with respect to said first indexing shaft. 16. The lid dispenser according to claim 12, further comprising a gripper provided on each of said first and second indexing shafts, wherein each gripper comprises a plurality of generally cylindrical disks arranged such that the diameter of ones of said plurality of disks at the end portions of said gripper are nominally larger than the ones of said plurality of disks at the middle portion of said gripper. 17. The lid dispenser according to claim 16, wherein a circumference of each of said disks is sized to generally conform to the circumference of the lids in said stack of lids. 18. The lid dispenser according to claim 16, wherein said grippers each further comprise a plurality of spacers between each of said disks, said spacers arranged to allow said disks to spread out axially along said indexing shaft so as to adjust varying circumferences of stacks of lids placed in said dispensing device. 19. The lid dispenser according to claim 16, wherein each of said grippers follows generally a contour of said bottom-most lid so as to grip said bottom-most lid in a plurality of positions. 20. A lid dispenser for sequentially dispensing flexible lids, the dispenser comprising: a lid stack holder having a first support member and a second support member, said first and second support members cooperating to support a substantially vertical stack of flexible lids, wherein said second support member is repositionable with respect to said first support member to accommodate lids of varying diameter; first and a second indexing shafts positioned generally below said lid stack holder, said first and second indexing shafts arranged to grip at least a bottom-most lid of said stack of flexible lids, an adjustment control that is adjusted to set a position of said second indexing shaft relative to said first indexing shaft to accommodate lids of varying diameters, a lid discharge area arranged to deliver a dispensed lid to a location accessible to a user; a dispensing mechanism manually operable to cause said pair of indexing shafts to rotate in opposite directions a sufficient amount to pass said bottom-most lid of said stack of flexible lids into said lid discharge area; wherein: said dispensing mechanism comprises an adjustment control having a stop that allows a degree of rotation of said pair of indexing shafts to be adjusted so that for each manual operation of said dispensing mechanism, said rotation of said pair of indexing shafts is limited to an amount sufficient to pass said bottom-most lid of said stack of flexible lids into said discharge area, thus accommodating a variety of lid configurations. 21. A dispensing device for dispensing flexible lids comprising: a generally enclosed housing having at least one access door; at least two dispensing devices arranged within said housing, each dispensing device having: a pair of indexing shafts positioned generally below a corresponding lid stack area, said pair of indexing shafts arranged to grip at least a bottom-most lid of a stack of flexible lids: a gripper having a plurality of disks on each of said pair of indexing shafts wherein said disks are arranged such that the diameter of disks towards the end portions of said gripper are nominally larger than the diameter of disks towards the middle portion of said gripper relative to at least said bottom-most lid of said stack of flexible lids; a lid discharge area common to said at least two dispensing devices; a first manually operable control for discharging a bottom-most lid from a said stack of lids corresponding to a first one of said at least two devices upon operation of said first manually operable control; and a second manually operable control for discharging a bottom-most lid from said stack of lids corresponding to a second one of said at least two devices upon operation of said second manually operable control. 22. A lid dispenser for sequentially dispensing flexible lids, the dispenser comprising: a housing having a lid stack area for storing a substantially vertical stack of flexible lids; a pair of indexing shafts positioned within said housing generally below said lid stack area, said pair of indexing shafts arranged to grip at least a bottom-most lid of said stack of flexible lids; a gripper having a plurality of disks on each of said pair of indexing shafts wherein said disks are arranged such that the diameter of disks towards the end portions of said gripper are nominally larger than the diameter of disks towards the middle portion of said gripper relative to at least said bottom-most lid of said stack of flexible lids; a lid discharge area arranged to deliver a lid dispensed from said lid stack area to an operator accessible location; and a dispensing mechanism manually operable to cause said pair of indexing shafts to rotate in opposite directions a sufficient amount to pass said bottom-most lid of said stack of flexible lids into said lid discharge area. 23. The lid dispenser according to claim 22, wherein a circumference of each of said disks is sized to generally conform to the circumference of the lids in said stack of lids. 24. The lid dispenser according to claim 22, wherein said grippers each further comprise a plurality of spacers between each of said disks, said spacers arranged to allow said disks to spread out axially along said indexing shaft so as to adjust varying circumferences of stacks of lids placed in said dispensing device. 25. The lid dispenser according to claim 22, wherein each of said grippers follows generally a contour of said bottom-most lid so as to grip said bottom-most lid in a plurality of positions. 26. The lid dispenser according to claim 22, wherein said disks comprise a pliable material. 27. The lid dispenser according to claim 22, further comprising at least one of a biasing spring or a spacer on each of said pair of indexing shafts to bias the position the disks with respect to said vertical stack of lids.