Article vending apparatus

Claim 1

ARTICLE VENDING APPARATUS, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION; A SHAFT COMPRISED OF FIRST AND SECOND SECTIONS, AND SECOND SECTION BEING OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN SAID FIRST SECTION AND SAID SHAFT HAVING A HELIX OF GREATER DIAMETER THAN SAID FIRST SECTION DISPOSED ON SAID FIRST SECTION ADJACENT SAID SECOND SECTION; MOUNTING MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTING EACH END OF SAID SHAFT; AT LEAST ONE ARTICLE SUPPORTING MEANS HAVING AN APERTURE AT LEAST THE SIZE OF THE FIRST SECTION OF SAID SHAFT AND A SLOT EXTENDING TO ITS TOP END FROM SAID APERTURE, SAID SLOT HAVING A LATERAL DIMENSION LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE FIRST SECTION OF SAID SHAFT AND AT LEAST THE DIAMETER OF SAID SECOND SECTION OF SAID SHAFT, SAID ARTICLE SUPPORTING MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO PENDULOUSLY SUPPORT AN ARTICLE TO BE VENDED AND TO BE SLIDABLY DISPOSED ON THE FIRST SECTION OF SAID SHAFT; AND DRIVING MEANS OPERABLY CONNECTED TO SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATING THE SAME WHEREBY AN ARTICLE SUPPORTING MEANS AND AN ARTICLE CARRIED THEREBY, MAY BE PROGRESSIVELY MOVED FROM AN ARTICLE SUPPORTING POSITION ON THE FIRST SECTION OF SAID SHAFT TOWARD THE SECOND SECTION OF SAID SHAFT SO THAT SAID ARTICLE SUPPORTING MEANS AND AN ARTICLE SUPPORTED THEREBY WILL BE RELEASED FROM SAID SHAFT.