Automatic food storing and dispensing apparatus

Claim 1

DISPENSING APPARATUS COMPRISING A STORAGE CABINET HAVING A DOOR PROVIDING ACCESS TO THE INTERIOR THEREOF, CONVEYOR MEANS IN SAID CABINET EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY AND HAVING HINGEDLY MOUNTED SHELVES, EACH OF SAID SHELVES BEING FREELY MOVABLE BETWEEN A HORIZONTAL SUPPORTING POSITION AND A POSITION FOLDED INWARDLY AGAINST THE CONVEYOR, HORIZONTAL CONVEYOR MEANS ADJACENT THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID VERTICAL CONVEYOR MEANS, MEANS OPERABLE TO DRIVE SAID VERTICAL CONVEYOR MEANS TO BRING A SHELF THEREOF INTO A DISPENSING POSITION ADJACENT SAID HORIZONTAL CONVEYOR MEANS, SAID CABINET HAVING AN OPENING PROVIDING AN EXIT FOR ITEMS AS THEY ARE DISPENSED, AND SAID HORIZONTAL CONVEYOR MEANS BEING OPERABLE TO REMOVE ITEMS FROM SHELVES WHEN IN SAID DISPENSING POSITION AND DELIVER THEM TO SAID OPENING, AND MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID SHELVES IN SAID INWARDLY FOLDED POSITION FOLLOWING THE REMOVAL OF ITEMS THEREFROM BY SAID HORIZONTAL CONVEYOR MEANS AND UNTIL THEY ARE LOWERED TO SAID SUPPORTING POSITION IN THE COURSE OF RELOADING THE APPARATUS.