Abstract: A vending machine includes a hopper, a container storage carousel, a dispensing mechanism, an actuation mechanism, a central platform locking mechanism, a container stack retention-and-release mechanism, and an integrated indexing and clamping mechanism.

Abstract: A sanitized vending machine includes product and cup dispensing mechanisms, a cup separation mechanism, and an actuation mechanism. The product dispensing mechanism, holding product items, rotates through a product dispensing cycle to dispense them. The cup dispensing mechanism, holding a stack of cups, rotates through a cup dispensing cycle to dispense an empty cup to an intermediate location in a drop chute spaced above a final discharge location. Dispensing cycles occur in a predetermined sequence enabling the dispensed product items to be received in a dispensed empty cup and the cup dropped to the discharge location. The cup separation mechanism coordinated with operation of a cup stack holder device of the cup dispensing mechanism such that outer and inner cup separator devices of the cup separation mechanism function to separate a lowermost cup from a stack thereof rotated by the cup stack holder over a cup dispensing opening.

Abstract: A sanitized vending machine includes product and cup dispensing mechanisms and an actuation mechanism. The product dispensing mechanism, holding product items, rotates through a product dispensing cycle to dispense them. The cup dispensing mechanism, holding a stack of cups, rotates through a cup dispensing cycle to dispense an empty cup to an intermediate location in a drop chute spaced above a final discharge location. Dispensing cycles occur in a predetermined sequence enabling the dispensed product items to be received in a dispensed empty cup and the cup dropped to the discharge location. An access door locking mechanism is coupled to the actuation mechanism so as to maintain the access door in a locked condition and closed position from start of an actuation cycle to completion thereof whereupon the access door is converted to an unlocked condition permitting a user to open the access door and remove a cup with product items.

Abstract: A sanitized vending machine includes product and cup dispensing mechanisms and an actuation mechanism. The product dispensing mechanism, holding product items, rotates through a product dispensing cycle to dispense them. The cup dispensing mechanism, holding a stack of cups, rotates through a cup dispensing cycle to dispense an empty cup to an intermediate location in a drop chute spaced above a final discharge location. Dispensing cycles occur in predetermined sequence enabling dispensed product items to be received in a previously dispensed cup. A cup retention-and-release mechanism disposed about and adjacent to the drop chute at the intermediate location converts between a cup hold position, wherein the empty cup is caught and retained at the intermediate location awaiting receipt of dispensed product items into the cup, and a cup release position, wherein the cup now having dispensed product items received therein is released and enabled to drop to the discharge location.

Abstract: A vending machine includes a dispensing head, stationary shelf, and integrated mechanism. By turning an actuation mechanism handle the dispensing head rotates through a dispensing cycle delivering a lowermost container of one of a plurality of container stacks of a rotatable carousel off the dispensing head to a temporary position on the shelf below a dispensing opening of a hopper and therefrom to a discharge location accessible at the machine exterior. The integrated mechanism is disposed on a top cover, coupled both to an assembly rod and the carousel, and operable through an oscillatory rotational motion to tighten or loosen a clamping force applied to both secure the top cover on an open top of an outer enclosure while enabling rotation of the carousel to place a selected one of the container stacks at a dispensing position overlying the dispensing opening of the hopper and the dispensing head.

Abstract: A sanitized vending machine includes product and cup dispensing mechanisms and actuation mechanism. Product dispensing mechanism, holding one or more product items, rotates through a product dispensing cycle to dispense them. Cup dispensing mechanism, holding a stack of cups, rotates through a cup dispensing cycle to dispense a cup. Dispensing cycles occur in a predetermined sequence so as to enable dispensed product items to be received in a previously dispensed cup. Dispensing mechanisms are respectively disposed in a concentric relationship to one another on a single rotatable wheel so as to rotate together during respective dispensing cycles. Actuation mechanism includes a handle and rotatable drive gear drivingly interfaced with a driven gear on product dispensing mechanism such that when handle is turned by a user through an actuation cycle the drive gear rotates driven gear which concurrently rotates therewith the respective mechanisms through respective product and cup dispensing cycles.

Abstract: A sanitized vending machine includes product and cup dispensing mechanisms and an actuation mechanism. The product dispensing mechanism, holding one or more product items, rotates through a product dispensing cycle to dispense them. The cup dispensing mechanism, holding a stack of cups, rotates through a cup dispensing cycle to dispense a cup to a predetermined position. The dispensing cycles occur in a predetermined sequence so as to enable the dispensed product items to be received in a previously dispensed cup. The dispensing mechanisms respectively include rotatable first and second driven gears drivingly interfaced to rotate during respective product and cup dispensing cycles. The actuation mechanism includes a handle and a rotatable drive gear drivingly interfaced with the first driven gear. When the handle is turned by a user through an actuation cycle the driven gears rotate the respective mechanisms through respective product and cup dispensing cycles.

Abstract: A sanitized vending machine includes product and cup dispensing mechanisms, a cup separation mechanism, and an actuation mechanism. The product dispensing mechanism, holding product items, rotates through a product dispensing cycle to dispense them. The cup dispensing mechanism, holding a stack of cups, rotates through a cup dispensing cycle to dispense an empty cup to an intermediate location in a drop chute spaced above a final discharge location. Dispensing cycles occur in a predetermined sequence enabling the dispensed product items to be received in a dispensed empty cup and the cup dropped to the discharge location. The cup separation mechanism coordinated with operation of a cup stack holder device of the cup dispensing mechanism such that outer and inner cup separator devices of the cup separation mechanism function to separate a lowermost cup from a stack thereof rotated by the cup stack holder over a cup dispensing opening.

Abstract: A sanitized vending machine includes product and cup dispensing mechanisms and an actuation mechanism. The product dispensing mechanism, holding product items, rotates through a product dispensing cycle to dispense them. The cup dispensing mechanism, holding a stack of cups, rotates through a cup dispensing cycle to dispense an empty cup to an intermediate location in a drop chute spaced above a final discharge location. Dispensing cycles occur in a predetermined sequence enabling the dispensed product items to be received in a dispensed empty cup and the cup dropped to the discharge location. An access door locking mechanism is coupled to the actuation mechanism so as to maintain the access door in a locked condition and closed position from start of an actuation cycle to completion thereof whereupon the access door is converted to an unlocked condition permitting a user to open the access door and remove a cup with product items.

Abstract: A sanitized vending machine includes product and cup dispensing mechanisms and an actuation mechanism. The product dispensing mechanism, holding product items, rotates through a product dispensing cycle to dispense them. The cup dispensing mechanism, holding a stack of cups, rotates through a cup dispensing cycle to dispense an empty cup to an intermediate location in a drop chute spaced above a final discharge location. Dispensing cycles occur in a predetermined sequence enabling the dispensed product items to be received in a previously dispensed empty cup. A cup shielding mechanism is actuated, in response to an access door being pivoted from a closed to open position, to translate from a retracted to extended position wherein any person reaching past the open access door into the machine is obstructed from being able to reach the empty cup at the intermediate location where the cup will receive product items during the next actuation cycle.

Abstract: A sanitized vending machine includes product and cup dispensing mechanisms and an actuation mechanism. The product dispensing mechanism, holding product items, rotates through a product dispensing cycle to dispense them. The cup dispensing mechanism, holding a stack of cups, rotates through a cup dispensing cycle to dispense an empty cup to an intermediate location in a drop chute spaced above a final discharge location. Dispensing cycles occur in predetermined sequence enabling dispensed product items to be received in a previously dispensed cup. A cup retention-and-release mechanism disposed about and adjacent to the drop chute at the intermediate location converts between a cup hold position, wherein the empty cup is caught and retained at the intermediate location awaiting receipt of dispensed product items into the cup, and a cup release position, wherein the cup now having dispensed product items received therein is released and enabled to drop to the discharge location.

Abstract: A sanitized vending machine includes product and cup dispensing mechanisms and an actuation mechanism. The product dispensing mechanism, holding one or more product items, rotates through a product dispensing cycle to dispense them. The cup dispensing mechanism, holding a stack of cups, rotates through a cup dispensing cycle to dispense a cup to a predetermined position. The dispensing cycles occur in a predetermined sequence so as to enable the dispensed product items to be received in a previously dispensed cup. The dispensing mechanisms respectively include rotatable first and second driven gears drivingly interfaced to rotate during respective product and cup dispensing cycles. The actuation mechanism includes a handle and a rotatable drive gear drivingly interfaced with the first driven gear. When the handle is turned by a user through an actuation cycle the driven gears rotate the respective mechanisms through respective product and cup dispensing cycles.

Abstract: A wall-mountable support bracket for supporting a vending machine on a vertical wall includes a load-bearing main member and a top member coupled to the main member to be movable between engaged and disengaged positions relative to the top of the vending machine. The main member is in the form of a one-piece unitary metal plate bent into a substantially fixed angular shape in which the main member is capable of supporting the vending machine on the vertical wall. First apertures in a back portion of the main member receive first fasteners to fixedly attach the main member to the vertical wall. Second apertures in the back portion and a bottom portion of the main member and holes in a bottom and side of a base of the vending machine receive second fasteners to fixedly attached the vending machine to the main member.

Abstract: A product hold down unit has a vertical column of a carousel and a vertical row of spaced-apart engageable elements on the column. The column has a compartment open at opposite top and bottom ends and adapted to receive product items in a vertical stack. The row of engageable elements extends between the top and bottom ends of the column, enabling restriction of items in the compartment to moving from top to bottom ends of the compartment but not vice versa. The unit also has an anchor resting on top of, and supported by, the stack in the column compartment as the anchor engages adjacent ones of the engageable elements on the column so as to prevent it from moving upwardly in the compartment while allowing it to move downwardly by gravity as product items are dispensed from the stack thereof at the bottom end of the column.

Abstract: A vending machine housing assembly includes a housing body having plural sides assembled one to the next in an end-to-end angular relationship so as to provide the housing body with a polygonal cross-sectional configuration. Each side define a wall portion and a corner portion in a one-piece construction in which the corner portion is rigidly and integrally connected to the wall portion and has an arcuate cross-sectional configuration determining the angular relationship between the sides of the housing body. The housing assembly also has an upper collar and a lower base respectively disposed above and below the housing body and having polygonal cross-sectional configurations like that of the housing body, and elements interconnecting and fixedly clamping the housing body between the upper collar and lower base to provide the housing assembly as a rigid construction.

Abstract: A multi-coin operated actuation mechanism includes an interchangeable coin carrier wheel having a coin receiving recess of a width different from that of another wheel such that a different number of coins can be deposited into coin accepting regions of the recess. The wheel has an outer segment on its peripheral edge defining either an abutment surface or a camming surface at an outer trailing end of the recess correspondingly aligned with the coin accepting region or a non-accepting region of the recess defined adjacent to the accepting region. Also, coin periphery sensing dogs are pivotally mounted side-by-side and match the maximum number of the multiple coins. The dogs have outer tip surfaces substantially identical and correspondingly aligned with and adapted to engage outer segments on the peripheral edge of the wheel to prevent or allow movement of the wheel past them depending upon whether the multiple coins are present or not in the recess.

Abstract: A hold down mechanism includes a shaft, ring-shaped member, latch device fixed to the member and latchable with teeth thereon to permit unassisted movement of the member and latch device downward along the shaft due to the influence of gravity on the member but not upwardly along the shaft by manually lifting the member without unlatching the latch device from the shaft, support arms fixedly spaced apart on and extending inwardly from the member, platens independently reciprocally mounted below support arms, and a spring mounted between platens and support arms exerting a weak downward force on platens independently so as to bias platens to move downwardly away from support arms and against items in stacks aligned under platens while at the same time yieldable to permit platens to move upwardly toward support arms to accommodate differences in stack heights as items are successively dispensed therefrom. Optionally, the mechanism may be used without the shaft.

Abstract: A product transfer assembly includes separate transfer segments mounted in a vending machine such that they are disposed in spaced relationship above one another. Each transfer segment has a ramp of helical shape with an exit end and an entrance end spaced above the exit end such that the ramps of the transfer segments together define a path of travel taken by a product item down and in contact with the ramps which includes spaced apart portions helical in shape and reversing the direction of travel of the product item, relative to a generally vertical reference axis, going from one portion to the next portion of the path. Entrance and exit ends of each ramp are angularly displaced from corresponding ends of an adjacent ramp such that the object free-falls out of contact with any ramp between the exit and entrances ends of adjacent ramps.

Abstract: A vending machine has a dispensing wheel rotatably mounted on a head with an outer peripheral rim on the wheel having elements displaced angularly from one another in an endless row and radially relative to a central axis of the wheel so as to define a driven gear on the wheel and an alignment device permitting latching of the wheel at, and releasing it from, a desired orientation on the head in a dispensing cycle such that during removing the head from, and remounting it upon, a housing the wheel will be held in a desired relationship with the head in which only given items can pass through the wheel in response to the next deposit of a coin in an actuation mechanism and rotating of a drive gear of the mechanism and driven gear therewith through an actuation cycle corresponding to the dispensing cycle.