A lockable skewer for loading stacks of plastic cutlery into dispensers is described. The skewer comprises a vertical shaft that passes through holes in the cutlery. The vertical shaft includes a flange located below the bottom of the stack. The vertical shaft is configured to rotate between an unlocked position in which the flange is configured to pass through the holes in the cutlery pieces and a locked position in which the flange is not configured to pass through the holes in the cutlery pieces.

A utensil dispenser that selectively dispenses a lowermost utensil from a stack of utensils. A main housing retains plural dispensing chambers. A selectively operable dispensing mechanism has a movable support structure, an actuated support structure, and an actuation structure retained by a manual actuator. First and second arms form the movable support structure with distal portions that are in proximity to support the lowermost utensil when in a first condition and that are separated when in a second condition. A shelf member retained by the actuator forms the actuated support structure to be selectively interposed between the lowermost and second lowermost utensil. An actuation structure, such as opposed ramp surfaces, is retained by the actuator to separate the first and second arms on actuation of the actuator. When the actuator is actuated, the stack of utensils, except for the lowermost utensil, is supported so that the lowermost utensil is dispensed.

A skewer for loading stacks of plastic cutlery into dispensers. The skewer includes a vertical shaft that protrudes through holes in the stacked cutlery pieces and a front tab that may be removably attached to the vertical shaft. In some embodiments, the front tab is rotatable relative to the vertical shaft. The front tab may have a locked position in which the front tab is fixed to the vertical shaft and extends along the height of the stack and an unlocked position in which the front tab is disengaged from the vertical shaft and rotates forwardly relative to the stack and the vertical shaft to allow the user to remove the skewer after loading the stack into a dispenser.

Utensil dispensers and methods for making and using same are provided herein. In some examples, the utensil dispensers can include a housing. At least two dispense chassis can be disposed within the housing. Each dispense chassis can be configured to move between a first position in which the dispense chassis is configured to dispense utensils from the housing and a second position in which the dispense chassis is configured to be loaded with utensils. A chassis interlock can be configured to prevent at least one of the dispense chassis that is in the first position from moving toward the second position when one other of the dispense chassis is in the second position.

Utensil dispensers and methods for making and using same. In some examples, the utensil dispensers can include a housing. A dispense chassis can be configured to fit within the housing. At least one post can be disposed on an outer surface of the dispense chassis, and at least one glide mechanism can be disposed within the housing. The glide mechanism is configured to engage the dispense chassis post. The glide mechanism can include a slot configured to guide the dispense chassis between a dispensing position in which the dispense chassis is configured to dispense utensils from the housing and a loading position in which the dispense chassis is configured to be loaded with utensils.

Utensil dispensers and methods for making and using same. In some examples, the utensil dispensers can include a housing configured to contain a stack of utensils. A stack gauge comprising a gauge arm can be configured to indicate a quantity of utensils in the stack of the utensils in the housing and is visible from outside the housing and the dispenser.

Cutlery dispensing assemblies and methods for making and using same. In some examples, the cutlery dispensing assembly can include a chassis comprising a backbone, an upper support frame located at an upper end of the backbone, and a base located at a lower end of the backbone. A skewer mechanism can be at least partially disposed within the chassis and configured to contain a stack of the cutlery. The stack of the cutlery can include a bottom piece of cutlery and at least one other piece of cutlery. Each piece of cutlery can have an opening through which the skewer mechanism is configured to pass. The skewer mechanism can include an elongated body that is configured to pass through the opening of each piece of cutlery, and a lever extending from elongated the body. The lever can be configured to move between a first position in which the lever retains a separated piece of cutlery, and a second position in which the lever releases the separated piece of cutlery from the lever, wherein the bottom piece of cutlery becomes the separated piece of cutlery after it has been separated from the stack of the cutlery.

Utensil dispensers and methods for making and using same. The utensil dispensers can include a housing configured to contain a stack of utensils. The stack of utensils can include a next utensil. A drive mechanism can be configured to contact the next utensil. An access port can provide an opening to the housing. An actuator can be operably connected to the drive mechanism and configured to move the drive mechanism into a release position such that the drive mechanism contacts the next utensil in the stack of the utensils to push the next utensil causing the next utensil to release from the stack of the utensils and become a released utensil. The released utensil can fall to a dispense position and be accessible via the access port for removing from the dispenser. A prime mechanism can be configured to move the drive mechanism to the release position without removing any released utensil from the dispense position.