Abstract: A coin-operated vending machine for bottles or cans of a moderate capacity, including a plurality of side-by-side storage chutes for feeding bottles or cans to openings in the front wall of the vending machine and a cradle in each of the openings forming a row of adjacent cradles for receiving the bottles or cans from the chutes. A refrigeration system directs chilled air by convection toward the next-to-be-vended cans in each of the cradles. The chilled air is directed by an air foil toward the cradles and the cradles have stand-off ribs therein to permit the free flow of chilled air under and around the next-to-be-vended cans.

Abstract: A coin-operated vending machine for bottles or cans of a moderate capacity, including a plurality of side-by-side storage chutes for feeding bottles or cans to openings in the front wall of the vending machine, a cradle in each of the openings forming a row of adjacent cradles for receiving the bottles or cans from the chutes, and a mechanical interlock between the respective cradles for precluding the dispensing of more than one product for any vend cycle. The mechanical interlock also includes a spring-detent assembly for indexing the cradles between closed, intermediate, and fully-open positions in a step-by-step manner. The mechanical interlock is designed to be substantially tamper-proof. A vend chute structure is also provided which permits flexibility of product loading, the free flow of cooling air throughout the vending machine cabinet, and easy cleaning of the vend chute and associated components. The vending machine is adaptable for use on a counter top or mounting to the wall of a building.

Abstract: A display panel is provided for the major obverse face of a vending machine in which contrasting panels provide the suggestion of a container of primary product in combination with a vending control array presenting that primary product in dominance of a plurality of secondary products to be vended so as to induce predominate selection of the primary product. The contrasting panels further provide a superimposed alphanumeric or other display configuration on the display panel to further enhance the dominant presence of the primary product.

Abstract: A vending machine includes a switching device for establishing a first price for a first item sold during a sales transaction and for establishing at least a second price for additional items sold in the same transaction. The machine determines the amount of currency deposited during a transaction and the maximum number of items which may be purchased during the transaction based upon the amount deposited. The purchaser may freely select the number of items to be purchased at any time.

Abstract: A control circuit for cycling the evaporator fans on and off independently of the operation of the compressor of the refrigeration system is described. The evaporator fan is cycled on with the compressor and continues to run during the entire compressor ON cycle. A first timer causes the evaporator fan to run for an additional delay period following the cycling OFF of the compressor and the fans continue to blow air over the evaporator coil until the temperature of the evaporator coil is sufficiently above the freezing point of water (32.degree. F., 0.degree. C.). The fans are then cycled OFF. A second cycling timer is provided to intermittently cycle the evaporator fans on and off for predetermined short intervals following the above-described delay period, and during the time when the compressor is OFF. A third timer is provided to preclude freezing of the vended products and/or the evaporator coil when a vending machine is disposed in a below-freezing environment.