Abstract: A front loading dispenser for dispensing medication pouches in a roll/strip form. The dispenser preferably includes a top door pivotally hinged to the top of the dispenser and a bottom door pivotally hinged to the bottom of the dispenser. Medication pouches in roll/strip form are inserted into the dispenser, and the top and bottom doors are then closed to define a dispensing channel for dispensing of the medication pouches. One of the doors includes a pouch engaging member which extends into the dispensing channel to engage the roll/strip of medication pouches and prevent them from retracting into the dispenser.

Abstract: An existing product vending machine, such as a refrigerated vending machine provided by a bottled soft drink manufacturer or distributer, is adapted to serve as a storage and loading device for use in a pneumatic vending and delivery system by installing an interface unit in place of the vending machine door. The interface unit may be configured to mount on hinges or other pre-existing panel supporting structure of the vending machine and to lock to pre-existing latching structure on the vending machine. Alternatively, the dispensing mechanism and product storage supply from one or more product vending machines may be installed in a vault and equipped with one or more of the interfaces. The interface is provided with a loading tube that connects to the upstream end of the tube of a pneumatic conveyor of the vending and delivery system.

Abstract: Container dispensing system sequentially dispense containers from a nested stack. The systems have a support frame for accepting multiple stack of nested containers aligned in a cross-machine direction having upper and lower opposed pairs of gates. The gates are coupled to the support frame and extend in the cross-machine direction. Each upper and lower opposed pairs of gates defines gate openings sized so as to capture and support a lowermost and a next lowermost container in the stack respectively. A controller (e.g.

Abstract: A device that can be loaded with appropriate pills and programmed to automatically dispense the proper amount(s) and proper type(s) of pill(s) at the proper time(s) each day. The device also includes a system for alerting the pill taker that pills have been dispensed and need to be taken, a system for providing voice messages to coach the pill taker to use the device and consume the pills, a system for alerting an off-site caregiver when the pill taker has not responded as required or when there is a problem with the operation of the device, and a system for the efficient and accurate loading of pills into the device.

Abstract: A lottery ticket dispensing system is for improved pull-tab lottery tickets of a type that include a plurality of normally closed windows that can be opened to reveal play symbols thereunder with some of the play symbols being winning symbols. Each of the improved lottery tickets is also provided a normally closed bar code window with bar code markings hidden thereunder which includes ticket information for indicating each of the play symbols as aligned with its respective window. When the ticket is being dispensed, the bar code window is opened and the bar code revealed thereunder is aligned with a bar code reading device to read and store the ticket information. The front panel of the machine includes a plurality of display areas and associated switches that correspond to the windows of the ticket to generate a display symbol in the corresponding display area which indicates the play symbol that is under the selected window of the ticket.

Abstract: The lifting apparatus can be used to lift various types of vehicles. In one embodiment, the apparatus has two posts that are spaced apart from each other. Each post has a lifting member that is capable of traversing up and down along the post. Each lifting member has two lifting arms that extend therefrom. Each lifting arm includes an inner end portion and an outer end portion. The lifting arm is pivotally coupled to the lifting member. The inner end portion and outer end portion of each lifting arm are telescopically coupled so that the lifting arm length can be extended or shortened as necessary. One version of the lifting arm has a pad at the outer end thereof, which pad contacts the vehicle chassis. Another version of the lifting arm has a tire fork adapter coupled to the outer end thereof. The tire fork adapter engages the tires of a nonroadworthy vehicle, such as turf equipment. The tire fork is provided with prongs that are located underneath the vehicle tire.

Abstract: A candy holding and dispensing device which combines a lollipop with loose candy or gum pieces in one convenient holder. The device comprises a main housing of clear plastic which contains loose candy or gum pieces. The upper end of the main housing is provided with an aperture to which a lollipop is secured. The upper end or lower end of the housing can be made with threads so it can be separated. The main housing can also be made with threads so the main housing can be refilled with candy or gum pieces or it can be made as a self-contained non-refillable main housing. The lower end of the main housing contains a spring and a dispensing shaft which has slots for dispensing candy or gum pieces near the top of the shaft. The end of the dispensing shaft extends out of the lower end cap of the main housing.

Abstract: A pill dispenser including a pill carrier having multiple through-holes forming pill chambers. Each of these pill chambers holds, at least initially, a pill which is sealed from the outside environment and completely contained within the pill chamber. The dispenser also has a housing with a pill carrier slot into which the pill carrier resides. There is a pill dispensing channel forming a pathway from the slot to the exterior of the dispenser housing. The pill carrier is displaceable within the slot which allows each pill chamber to be sequentially aligned with the channel. A plunger apparatus is positioned adjacent the slot and opposite the channel and is extended into a pill chamber, then in alignment with the channel, so as to push a pill contained within the pill chamber into the channel for dispensing. In an alternate embodiment, the pill dispenser includes a pill carrier similar to the first embodiment.

Abstract: A vending machine having an anti-pilferage door mechanism with a delivery door interconnected through linkage to an anti-pilferage door and a rear door which come together to close off the opening for the product storage area to the product dispensing chamber when the delivery door is opened by a customer thus preventing any opening which would allow a pilferage device such as a wire to be inserted through the delivery door opening up into the product storage area. The linkage which connects the delivery door to the anti-pilferage door and rear door is on one side of the dispensing chamber and a spring biasing mechanism is mounted on an opposite side of the chamber and assists in biasing the delivery door closed while providing a force reduction exerted by the spring as the door is opened.

Abstract: A medication delivery cartridge for dispensing consumable medical supplies is provided, comprising a base; a hollow guide member, preferably in the shape of a tube, removably connectable to the base by a guide sleeve, wherein the guide member is shaped and dimensioned to contain a plurality of medical supply containers; and attachment means on the base for allowing the cartridge to be installed within a medication delivery system. The hollow guide member preferably includes an indexing device for aligning the guide member with the base. Each of the medical supply containers may include a lifting device attached thereto for allowing temporary attachment to the probe of the delivery system. Where a magnetic probe is employed, each of the lifting devices includes a ferrous material sufficient to allow magnetic attachment of the probe to the lifting device. The medical supply containers are stacked end to end within a medication tube, and the medication tube is inserted into the guide member.

Abstract: The dispenser supplies pieces of paper, pulled out from a reel of paper (2) contained therein, without any contact between a user and not pulled out paper. If the paper reel has transversal pre-cut lines, the length of each piece is equal to one or more distances between the two following pre-cut lines. If the paper reel has not transversal pre-cut lines, the length of each piece is determined by the user.

Abstract: A tandem driving device (1) of a stair lift to bring the stair lift (10, 11) along a guiding system (2, 3), consists of an upper calibrated guiding rail (2) and a lower guiding rail (3), enabling the stair lift to pass sharp corners during inclination of the lift. Two driving roller units (M1, M2) with on pair of rollers (4, 6; 5, 7) in each, are interconnected by a broken hinge (8a, 8b), the longitudinal axis of which intersects the longitudinal axis of the guiding system. The contacting surfaces of at least the driving roller (rollers) (4; 5) engage the upper rail (2) and have a friction-increasing resilient layer. The rollers are biased toward the upper guiding rail (2) by a spring.

Abstract: An improved dispensing lid for a container is disclosed. The dispensing lid having a generally planar top surface and a side wall depending therefrom and forming a cavity for operatively receiving a mouth of a container. The top surface having a recess and a reservoir of a predetermined depth extending downwardly from the recess and having an opening in the reservoir floor for access to the contents of the container.

Abstract: An elevator escape device comprises a pressure increasing apparatus and a pressure decreasing apparatus, which are located in the emergency window of an elevator cab and can be operated manually to activate an oil pressure cylinder of the oil pressure mechanism to drive an oil pressure cylinder of the oil pressure mechanism to drive the elevator cab to a desired floor at such time when the elevator cab is diabled by an incident, such as a fire, a power outage, and so forth.

Abstract: Traction sheave elevator in which the drive machinery together with the traction sheave is placed in the elevator shaft. The hoisting ropes go upward from the traction sheave. In the cross-section of the elevator shaft, the vertical projections of the elevator car, counterweight and the traction sheave of the drive machinery are separate from each other.

Abstract: In a vertical lift for use in exterior locations to raise and lower a person, the lift comprising a support frame, a tower frame mounted on the support frame, a carriage secured to the tower frame so as to be vertically movable with respect thereto, a drive system associated with the tower frame to raise and lower the carriage between an upper and a lower position, and control means to enable a person using the lift to activate and deactivate the drive system as required, the improvement characterized in that the tower frame comprises a plurality of vertically extending guides secured to the tower frame and a carriage guide frame secured to the carriage and movably associated with the guides, and the drive system comprises a vertically oriented drive screw which, when activated, rotates in one direction to raise or in the opposite direction to lower a nut seated thereon so as not to rotate therewith, the guide frame supported by the nut for raising or lowering therewith.

Abstract: A physiotherapeutic device for ascent and decent of stairs to be used by professional physiotherapists, and a preferred embodiment to be used at home, in order to rehabilitate patients or maintain health and physical fitness, the device also being useful as a safe ladder for the elderly and those who suffer from physical handicaps, including a plurality of substantially longitudinal step members arranged adjacent to each other, a body pivotally attached to each of the step members and an elevator coupled to the axis. Additionally, the device may be used as an elevator or stair lift assisting handicapped and wheelchair ridden individuals to ascend or descend to or from one level to another. Alternatively, the device may be used to raise or lower heavy or bulky items from one level to another, especially in the home where such tasks are very tasking if done unaided.

Abstract: An automatic vending machine has a housing containing a plurality of vertical commodity storage chamber sections in a side-by-side arrangement. A thermally-insulating divider panel is fixedly disposed between each pair of adjacent chamber sections in a manner that the adjacent chamber sections are communicated with each other through an air channel therebetween. A removable thermally-insulating divider panel is placed between a selected pair of adjacent chamber sections to block the air channel, thereby forming fist and second groups of chamber sections that are not communicated with each other. The first and the second chamber section groups can individually be refrigerated and heated, respectively. A top edge of the removable divider panel is adapted to abut a part of the corresponding fixed divider panel, and both the edges, when abutting to each other, are upwardly inclined toward the front of the vending machine so as to facilitate replacement of the removable divider panel.

Abstract: A separator (1) is used in packets of papers. The separator comprises a folded resilient sheet with folds (2,3,4,5 and 6) substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal side edge of the sheet. The folds form a center apex (4) and at least two side apexes (2,6). The center apex (4) is adapted to fit in the center of a packet between windows (7 and 8) in a side wall of the packet (9). The two apexes are adapted to fit beneath the windows (7,8) and force paper in the packet against the windows.

Abstract: An elevator door interlock includes a position indicator mounted at each landing, an elongate vane pivotally mounted in a fixed position with respect to the car door for movement between a first position, preferably several degrees rotated from perpendicular, and a second position, preferably generally perpendicular to the door surface, a swing latch including a latch arm secured at one end to the vane, preferably extending generally perpendicular to the vane, a contact plate secured to the end of the swing latch opposite the vane end, and a stop plate mounted in a fixed position with respect to the elevator car. The vane is preferably mounted on a spring-biased hinge, and is normally biased towards the first position such that the contact plate extends into the plane of the stop plate and contacts the stop plate to prevent further opening of the elevator door more than a limited distance when the door is opened unless the elevator car door is moved into a safe landing position within the hoistway.