Vending gate for slant shelf vending machines

Claim 1

A vending gate for dispensing a first article from a line of successively positioned gravitationally movable articles comprising, a first movable vending gate having a normal position in the path of the first article to prevent movement of the first article to a dispensing position, a second movable vending gate adjacent said first gate and having a normal position out of the path of the second article next behind said first article and movable into the path of movement of the second article to prevent movement of the second article to the dispensing position, a linearly reciprocable drive element having a normal position and an operated position with resilient means to maintain the drive element in the normal position, electric solenoid means to be energized to move said drive element to the operated position against the tension of said resilient means, first cam means interengaging said drive element and said second gate to move said second gate from the normal position to the position in the path of movement of said second article during a first part of the reciprocable movement of said drive element from its normal position to its operated position, second cam means interengaging said drive element and said first gate to move said first gate from the normal position in the path of the first article to an operated position out of the path of the first article to allow movement of the first article to the dispensing position during the remainder of the movement of the drive element to its operated position after said second gate member has moved into the path of movement of said second article, said second cam means having a cam slot shaped to provide a lost motion to enable said drive element to first move from the normal position and move said second gate from its normal position before moving said first gate from its normal position, a source of electric power, means to connect said source to said solenoid means at the beginning of a vend operation, and cycle means to maintain the connection of said source to said solenoid as said drive element is moved from the normal position and to disconnect said source after said drive element reaches the operated position and an article has moved towards the dispensing position to thereby allow said drive means to return to its normal position at the end of the vend operation.