Article delivery systems for vending machines having sequentially actuated dispensers

Claim 2

An article delivery system comprising: a vending mechanism having a front portion and a rear portion, and a plurality of vending columns, two opposing sides of each column being formed by an upper and a lower rotatable shaft which extends from and is rotatably affixed to said front portion and said rear portion, a retaining gate affixed to each end of each of said shafts and which extends into each of said columns, each of said gates being moveably affixed with respect to a side of said column, each of said gates having a surface facing said side the article contacting portion of which, with respect to distance across the articles to be vended between said gate and said side, is less distant from said side when said gate is in the closed position, and is entirely more distant from said side when said gate is in the open position, each gate being disposed out of phase a predetermined amount with one other of said gates; means for causing said shafts periodically selectively to rotate said gates to open and to closed positions, such that when said mechanism is primed the gates affixed to said lower shafts support a number of articles equal to half the number of vending columns, each gates remain out of phase said predetermined amount and said columns are sequentially emptied such that the first articles positioned in each column are the first articles vended; and, a plurality of storage columns being in vending alignment with said vending columns.

Claim 3

The article described in claim 1 wherein said predetermined amount is 90*.

Claim 4

The article described in claim 1 wherein said predetermined determined amount is determined by the equation theta 360*/N where theta represents the angular displacement and N equals the number of individual vending columns.

Claim 5

The article described in claim 1 wherein said storage columns are removeably affixed with respect to said vending columns.

Claim 6

The article described in claim 4 wherein each of said storage columns has an opening at either end thereof for loading and vending articles, respectively, and a retaining member extends into each of said storage columns, each of said members being moveably affixed with respect to a side of said storage column opposite said members, each of said members having a surface facing said opposite side the article contacting portion of which, with respect to distance across the article to be vended between said member and said opposing side, is less distant from said opposing side when said member is in the locked position, and is entirely most distant from said opposing side when said member is in the vending position.

Claim 7

An article delivery system comprising: a plurality of vending columns, one side of each of said columns being formed by a first plurality of retaining gates, an opposing side of each of said columns being formed by a second plurality of retaining gates, portions of said gates extending into said columns, each of said gates being moveably rotatably affixed with respect to said columns, each of said first gates having a surface facing said opposing side the article contacting portion of which, with respect to distance across the article to be vended between said first and second plurality of gates, is less distant from said opposing side when said gates are in the closed position, and is entirely more distant from said opposing side when said gates are in the open position, said gates of said first side being disposed out of phase a predetermined number of degrees with adjacent of said gates of said opposing side; means for causing said gates periodically selectively to rotate to open and to closed positions such that said gates remain out of Phase said predetermined number of degrees and said columns are sequentially emptied such that the first articles positioned in each column are the first articles vended; a plurality of storage columns, each of said source columns having an opening in both ends thereof, said openings at one end collectively forming an ingress, and said openings at the other end collectively forming an egress; a channel member connected to and extending about the periphery of said ingress and egress, each of said channel members having elongated apertures therein, each of which extend through said channel members into one of said columns; a sliding member moveably affixed with respect to each of said channel members having retaining members connected thereto each of which extends through one of said elongated apertures into said column, each of said members being moveably affixed with respect to a side of said column opposite said member, each of said members having a surface facing said opposite side the article contacting portion of which, with respect to distance across the article to be vended between said member and said opposing side, is less distant from said opposing side when said member is in the locked position, and is entirely more distant from said opposing side when said member is in the vending position.

Claim 8

An article delivery system comprising: a plurality of vending columns, one side of each of said columns being formed by a first plurality of retaining gates, an opposing side of each of said columns being formed by a second plurality of retaining gates, portions of said gates extending into said columns, each of said gates being moveably rotatably affixed with respect to said columns, each of said first gates having a surface facing said opposing side the article contacting portion of which, with respect to distance across the article to be vended between said first and second plurality of gates, is less distant from said opposing side when said gates are in the closed position, and is entirely more distant from said opposing side when said gates are in the open position, said gates of said first side being disposed out of phase a predetermined number of degrees with adjacent of said gates of said opposing side; means for causing said gates periodically selectively to rotate to open and to closed positions such that said gates remain out of Phase said predetermined number of degrees and said columns are sequentially emptied such that the first articles positioned in each column are the first articles vended; a plurality of storage columns, each of said source columns having an opening in both ends thereof, said openings at one end collectively forming an ingress, and said openings at the other end collectively forming an egress; a channel member connected to and extending about the periphery of said ingress and egress, each of said channel members having elongated apertures therein, each of which extend through said channel members into one of said columns; a sliding member moveably affixed with respect to each of said channel members having retaining members connected thereto each of which extends through one of said elongated apertures into said column, each of said members being moveably affixed with respect to a side of said column opposite said member, each of said members having a surface facing said opposite side the article contacting portion of which, with respect to distance across the article to be vended between said member and said opposing side, is less distant from said opposing side when said member is in the locked position, and is entirely more distant from said opposing side when said member is in the vending position.

Claim 9

The article described in claim 6 wherein said predetermined amount is determined by the equation theta 360*/N where theta represents the angular displacement and N equals the number of individual vending columns.

Claim 10

A vending mchanism for vending articles comprising: a front portion and a rear portion, and a plurality of vending columns, two opposing sides of each column being formed by an upper and a lower rotatable shaft which extends from and is rotatably affixed to said front portion and said rear portion, a retaining gate affixed to each end of each of said shafts and which extends into each of said columns, each of said gates being moveably affixed with respect to a side of said column, each of said gates having a surface facing said side the article contacting portion of which, with respect to distance across the article to be vended between said gate and said side, is less distant from said side when said gate is in the closed position, and is entirely more distant from said side when said gate is in the open position, each gate being disposed out of phase a predetermined amount with one other of said gates; and, means for causing said shafts periodically selectively to rotate said gates to open and to closed positions such that when said mechanism is primed the gates affixed to said lower shafts support a number of articles equal to half the number of vending columns, said gates remain out of phase said predetermined amount and said columns are sequentially emptied such that the first articles positioned in each column are the first articles vended.

Claim 11

A vending mchanism for vending articles comprising: a front portion and a rear portion, and a plurality of vending columns, two opposing sides of each column being formed by an upper and a lower rotatable shaft which extends from and is rotatably affixed to said front portion and said rear portion, a retaining gate affixed to each end of each of said shafts and which extends into each of said columns, each of said gates being moveably affixed with respect to a side of said column, each of said gates having a surface facing said side the article contacting portion of which, with respect to distance across the article to be vended between said gate and said side, is less distant from said side when said gate is in the closed position, and is entirely more distant from said side when said gate is in the open position, each gate being disposed out of phase a predetermined amount with one other of said gates; and, means for causing said shafts periodically selectively to rotate said gates to open and to closed positions such that when said mechanism is primed the gates affixed to said lower shafts support a number of articles equal to half the number of vending columns, said gates remain out of phase said predetermined amount and said columns are sequentially emptied such that the first articles positioned in each column are the first articles vended.

Claim 12

The article described in claim 8 wherein said predetermined amount is determined by the equation theta 360*/N where theta represents the angular displacement and N equals the number of individual vending columns.

Claim 13

An article delivery system comprising: a plurality of vending columns; a retaining gate which extends in each of said columns, each of said gates being moveably affixed with respect to a side of said column, each of said gates facing said side the article contacting portion of which, with respect to distance across the articles to be vended between said gate and said side is less distant from said side when said gate is in the closed position, and is entirely more distant from said side when said gate is in the open position, each gate being disposed out of phase a predetermined amount with one other of said gates; means for causing said gates periodically selectively to move to open and to closed positions such that said gates remain out of phase said predetermined amount and said columns aRe sequentially emptied such that the first articles positioned in each column, are the first articles vended; and, a plurality of storage columns being in vending alignment with said vending columns, said storage columns being moveably affixed with respect to said vending columns, each of said storage columns having an opening at either end thereof for loading and vending articles, respectively, and a retaining member extending into each of said storage columns, each of said members being moveably affixed with respect to a side of said storage column opposite said members, each of said members having a surface facing said opposite side the article contacting portion of which, with respect to distance across the article to be vended between said member and said opposing side, is less distant from said opposing side when said member is in the locked position, and is entirely more distant from said opposing side when said member is in the vending position.

Claim 14

An article delivery system comprising: a plurality of vending columns; a retaining gate which extends in each of said columns, each of said gates being moveably affixed with respect to a side of said column, each of said gates facing said side the article contacting portion of which, with respect to distance across the articles to be vended between said gate and said side is less distant from said side when said gate is in the closed position, and is entirely more distant from said side when said gate is in the open position, each gate being disposed out of phase a predetermined amount with one other of said gates; means for causing said gates periodically selectively to move to open and to closed positions such that said gates remain out of phase said predetermined amount and said columns aRe sequentially emptied such that the first articles positioned in each column, are the first articles vended; and, a plurality of storage columns being in vending alignment with said vending columns, said storage columns being moveably affixed with respect to said vending columns, each of said storage columns having an opening at either end thereof for loading and vending articles, respectively, and a retaining member extending into each of said storage columns, each of said members being moveably affixed with respect to a side of said storage column opposite said members, each of said members having a surface facing said opposite side the article contacting portion of which, with respect to distance across the article to be vended between said member and said opposing side, is less distant from said opposing side when said member is in the locked position, and is entirely more distant from said opposing side when said member is in the vending position.