Sectional serpentine dispensing column having means preventing article jamming

Claim 1

In an article dispensing machine: a sectional column assembly of selectively predeterminable capacity for supporting a stack of generally cylindrical articles for gravitational movement in unison downwardly through the assembly along a continuous serpentine path, said assembly having a selectable plurality of vertically stackable sections including at least an uppermost section provided with a loading opening for receiving articles, and a lowermost section provided with an article delivery outlet opening, each of said sections including a pair of spaced, upright walls, and inwardly projecting, inclined rail structures on said walls for supporting opposed end portions of articles received between the walls and for defining and guiding said articles along the portion of said path presented by that section, each of said sections other than said uppermost section having an article entrance disposed in predetermined position along the upper extremity thereof, each of said sections other than said lowermost section having an article exit disposed in predetermined position along the lower extremity thereof, said positions of said exits and entrances all being located in vertical alignment with each other, when said sections are in vertically stacked relationship, for registration of said exits and said entrances of vertically adjacent sections to continue said path; and means for supporting a selected plurality of said sections in said vertically stacked relationship thereof.