Popcorn vending machine

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC POPPING OF POPCORN INCLUDING A HOUSING, A BASKET SUPPORTED FOR ROTATION IN SAID HOUSING HAVING AN INLET FOR UNPOPPED CORN AND A DISCHARGE OPENING FOR POPPED CORN, A SUPPLY BIN FOR UNPOPPED CORN, A TRANSFER MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING UNPOPPED CORN FROM SAID SUPPLY BIN TO SAID BASKET AND METERING MEANS FOR DISCHARGING A MEASURED QUANTITY OF UNPOPPED CORN TO SAID TRANSFER MEANS, THAT IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A PRODUCT HOPPER LOCATED REALTIVE TO SAID BASKET SO THAT POPPED CORN CAN MOVE INTO THE HOPPER BY THE ACTION OF GRAVITY, AND MEANS BELOW SAID PRODUCT HOPPER FOR DISCHARGING A METERED QUANTITY OF PRODUCT COMPRISING: (A) MEANS FORMING A PASSAGE HAVING A PRODUCT RECEIVING OPENING ON ONE SIDE AND A PRODUCT DISCHARGING OPENING ON ANOTHER SIDE SPACED LONGITUDINALLY, (B) A PLUNGER IN SAID PASSAGE MOVABLE TO CLOSE THE PRODUCT RECEIVING OPENING IN SAID HOPPER, (C) A GATE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED AT A FIXED POINT IN SAID PASSAGE BETWEEN SAID OPENINGS MOVABLE FROM A FIRST POSITION TO A SECOND POSITION IN SAID PASSAGE AND, IN THE FIRST POSITION, SPACED FROM SAID PLUNGER IN ITS RETRACTED POSITION TO DEFINE A RECEIVING CHAMBER FOR A PRODUCT, AND (D) POWER MEANS ADAPTED TO MOVE SAID PLUNGER AND A METERED QUANTITY OF PRODUCT AGAINST SAID GATE TO SHIFT SAID GATE TO THE SECOND POSITION TO ALLOW SAID PRODUCT TO PASS SAID GATE AND THROUGH THE PRODUCT DISCHARGE OPENING IN SAID PASSAGE TO A DISPENSING STATION.