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A merchandise display hook for displaying items of merchandise includes a support rod and a helix disposed about the support rod and extending along at least a lengthwise portion of the support rod. The support rod includes mounting structure for mounting the display hook to a display fixture and ha

A merchandise display hook for displaying items of merchandise includes a support rod and a helix disposed about the support rod and extending along at least a lengthwise portion of the support rod. The support rod includes mounting structure for mounting the display hook to a display fixture and has a first end adjacent the mounting structure and a second end opposite the first end adjacent the helix for loading the items of merchandise onto the support rod and for dispensing the items of merchandise from the support rod. The merchandise display hook further includes a time delay mechanism attached to the helix adjacent the second end of the support rod so as to define a space therebetween for loading and dispensing the items of merchandise. The time delay mechanism includes a gear assembly configured for permitting the items of merchandise to be loaded onto the support rod at a rate that is faster than the rate at which the items of merchandise can be dispensed from the support rod.

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1. A merchandise display hook comprising: a support rod including mounting structure for mounting the display hook to a display fixture, the support rod having a first rear end adjacent the mounting structure and a second front end opposite the first rear end for loading items of merchandise onto th

1. A merchandise display hook comprising: a support rod including mounting structure for mounting the display hook to a display fixture, the support rod having a first rear end adjacent the mounting structure and a second front end opposite the first rear end for loading items of merchandise onto the support rod and for dispensing the items of merchandise from the support rod;a helix disposed about the support rod and extending along at least a lengthwise portion of the support rod;a handle; and a time delay mechanism attached to the helix adjacent the second front end of the support rod, wherein a space is defined between the time delay mechanism and a portion of the second front end for loading and dispensing the items of merchandise, the time delay mechanism comprising a gear assembly operatively coupled to the handle, wherein, when in use, the handle rotates the helix in a first direction to load the items of merchandise onto the support rod and rotates the helix in a second opposite direction to dispense the items of merchandise from the support rod, wherein the time delay mechanism produces a ratio of a rate of rotation of the handle to a rate of rotation of the helix that is greater in the second direction to dispense the items of merchandise than in the first direction to load the items of merchandise such that the items of merchandise are loaded at a rate that is faster than the rate at which the items of merchandise are dispensed from the support rod. 2. The merchandise display hook of claim 1, wherein the handle is coupled to the gear assembly by a drive shaft that has a first end attached to the gear assembly and a second end attached to the handle. 3. The merchandise display hook of claim 1, wherein the gear assembly comprises an outermost drive gear, an intermediate drive gear, an innermost drive gear and a helix gear. 4. The merchandise display hook of claim 3, wherein the helix gear is configured to rotate the helix in a loading configuration at a rate that is substantially greater than the rate at which the helix gear rotates the helix in a dispensing configuration. 5. The merchandise display hook of claim 4, wherein the outermost drive gear has a larger diameter portion and a smaller diameter portion, the larger diameter portion of the outermost drive gear being configured to engage a smaller diameter portion of the innermost drive gear and the smaller diameter portion of the outermost drive gear being configured to engage a larger diameter portion of the intermediate drive gear. 6. The merchandise display hook of claim 5, wherein the innermost drive gear further has a larger diameter portion that is configured to engage the helix gear and the intermediate drive gear further has a smaller diameter portion that is configured to engage the helix gear. 7. The merchandise display hook of claim 6, wherein the smaller diameter portion of the outermost drive gear engages the larger diameter portion of the intermediate drive gear and the smaller diameter portion of the intermediate drive gear engages the helix gear in a dispensing configuration. 8. The merchandise display hook of claim 6, wherein the larger diameter portion of the outermost drive gear engages the smaller diameter portion of the innermost drive gear and the larger diameter portion of the innermost drive gear engages the helix gear in a loading configuration. 9. The merchandise display hook of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the rate of rotation of the handle to the rate of rotation of the helix to dispense the items of merchandise from the support rod is 6:1. 10. The merchandise display hook of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the rate of rotation of the handle to the rate of rotation of the helix to load the items of merchandise onto the support rod is 1:1. 11. The merchandise display hook of claim 1, wherein the gear assembly comprises: an outermost drive gear having a larger diameter portion and a smaller diameter portion;an intermediate drive gear having a smaller diameter portion and a larger diameter portion;an innermost drive gear having a larger diameter portion and a smaller diameter portion; anda helix gear;wherein the larger diameter portion of the outermost drive gear is configured to engage the smaller diameter portion of the innermost drive gear and the smaller diameter portion of the outermost drive is configured to engage the larger diameter portion of the intermediate drive gear. 12. The merchandise display hook of claim 11, wherein the smaller diameter portion of the intermediate drive gear engages the helix gear in a dispensing configuration and wherein the larger diameter portion of the innermost drive gear engages the helix gear in a loading configuration. 13. The merchandise display hook of claim 12, further comprising a drive shaft having a first end attached to the outermost drive gear of the gear assembly and a second end attached to the handle. 14. The merchandise display hook of claim 13, further comprising a drive plate that is attached to the first end of the drive shaft, the intermediate drive gear, and the innermost drive gear. 15. The merchandise display hook of claim 14, wherein the drive plate is alternatively movable between the dispensing configuration when the handle is rotated in the first direction and the loading configuration when the handle is rotated in the opposite second direction. 16. A method of dispensing an item of merchandise from a merchandise display hook and for loading items of merchandise onto the display hook, comprising: providing a merchandise display hook further comprising a support rod including mounting structure for mounting the display hook to a display fixture, the support rod having a first rear end adjacent the mounting structure and a second front end opposite the first rear end for loading items of merchandise onto the support rod and for dispensing the items of merchandise from the support rod;providing a helix disposed about the support rod and extending along at least a lengthwise portion of the support rod; and providing a time delay mechanism operatively coupled to the helix adjacent the second front end of the support rod, wherein a space is defined between the time delay mechanism and a portion of the second front end for loading and dispensing the items of merchandise, the time delay mechanism including a gear assembly operatively coupled to a handle, wherein, when in use, the handle rotates the helix in a first direction to load the items of merchandise onto the support rod and rotates the helix in an opposite second direction to dispense the items of merchandise onto from the support rod, wherein the time delay mechanism produces a ratio of a rate of rotation of the handle to a rate of rotation of the helix that is greater in the second direction to dispense the items of merchandise than in the first direction to load the items of merchandise such that the items of merchandise are loaded at a rate that is faster than the rate at which the items of merchandise are dispensed from the support rod. 17. A merchandise display hook comprising: a support rod including mounting structure for mounting the display hook to a display fixture, the support rod having a first rear end adjacent the mounting structure and a second front end opposite the first rear end for loading items of merchandise onto the support rod and for dispensing the items of merchandise from the support rod;a helix disposed about the support rod and extending along at least a lengthwise portion of the support rod;a handle; anda time delay mechanism attached to the helix adjacent the second front end of the support rod, wherein a space is defined between the time delay mechanism and a portion of the second front end for loading and dispensing the items of merchandise, the time delay mechanism comprising a gear assembly operatively coupled to the handle, the gear assembly comprising a drive gear, a reducing gear, and a helix gear, the drive gear having a larger diameter than the reducing gear, the helix gear operably engaged with the helix,wherein the helix gear is configured to selectively engage the drive gear and the reducing gear in response to rotation of the handle, andwherein rotation of the handle in a first direction causes the helix gear to engage the drive gear to rotate the helix in the first direction in order to load items of merchandise onto the support rod, and wherein rotation of the handle in a second direction causes the helix gear to engage the reducing gear to rotate the helix in the second direction in order to dispense items of merchandise such that items of merchandise are loaded onto the support rod at a rate that is faster than the rate at which the items of merchandise are dispensed from the support rod.