Article dispensing mechanism

Claim 1

IN DISPENSING APPARATUS, THE COMBINATION OF A PLURALITY OF COLUMNS OF ARTICLES TO BE DISPENSED, RESPECTIVE RELEASING MEANS ENGAGING THE LOWERMOST ARTICLE IN EACH OF SAID COLUMNS FOR SUPPORTING EACH COLUMN, EACH OF SAID RELEASING MEANS BEING ACTUATABLE FROM A FIRST CONDITION IN WHICH IT PREVENTS DELIVERY OF AN ARTICLE FROM ITS COLUMN TO A SECOND CONDITION IN WHICH IT PERMITS THE DELIVERY OF AN ARTICLE FROM ITS COLUMN, A SINGLE LOWERING MEMBER HAVING AT LEAST SOME PORTION THEREOF DISPOSED BENEATH EACH OF SAID ARTICLE COLUMNS, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID LOWERING MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT FROM A POSITION OF REPOSE SPACED BENEATH THE LOWERMOST ARTICLES IN SAID COLUMNS TO A RAISED POSITION ADJACENT SAID LOWERMOST ARTICLES AND IN SUCH RELATION TO EACH OF SAID RELEASING MEANS AS TO RECEIVE AN ARTICLE RELEASED BY SAID RELEASING MEANS, MOTIVE MEANS FOR EFFECTING MOVEMENT OF SAID MEMBER FROM ITS POSITION OF REPOSE TO ITS RAISED POSITION AND BACK TO ITS REPOSE POSITION, AND MEANS SELECTIVELY COUPLING SAID MOTIVE MEANS TO ONE OF SAID RELEASING MEANS FOR ACTUATING THE SELECTED RELEASING MEANS FROM ITS FIRST CONDITION TO ITS SECOND CONDITION AS SAID LOWERING MEMBER APPROACHES ITS RAISED POSITION AND FOR ACTUATING SAID RELEASING MEANS FROM ITS SECOND CONDITION TO ITS FIRST CONDITION AS SAID LOWERING MEMBER IS MOVED AWAY FROM ITS RAISED POSITION.