Abstract: A coin-controlled, manually operably golf ball vending machine capable of dispensing a selected number of balls for each coin deposited in the machine. The vending machine includes a ball hopper, a ramp below the hopper defining a ball dispensing opening between them, and a gate rotatably mounted at the opening which extends partially thereacross in a closed position to cause the balls to bridge the opening. An actuating lever is pulled forward to dispense balls held in a rotatable ball receptacle, and is then returned to its initial position. This action of the lever also swings the gate into the mass of balls in the hopper to break up the bridging of balls, and release a number of balls down the ramp to fill the rotatable ball receptacle which extends across the bottom of the ramp.

Abstract: A coin-controlled, manually operable machine for vending several dozen golf balls at a time. The vending machine has a ball hopper and a ramp below the hopper defining a ball dispensing opening between them. A gate rotatably mounted at the opening, extends partially there across in its closed position to cause the balls to bridge the opening. When the double-stroke actuating lever is pulled forward and returned, the gate is swung or kicked into the mass of balls twice to break up the bridging of balls to release a sufficient excess of balls down the ramp to assure filling of a rotatable ball receiver-dumper cylinder extending across the bottom of the ramp. The actuating lever is maintained inoperative by a coin-releasable locking mechanism. The receiver-dumper cylinder has a keeper slot receiving a limiting lug.

Abstract: A coin-controlled, manually operable golf ball vending machine. The vending machine has a ball hopper and a ramp below the hopper defining a ball dispensing opening between them. A gate rotatably mounted at the opening, extends partially thereacross in its closed position to cause the balls to bridge the opening and is swung into the mass of balls to break up the bridging of balls for releasing them down the ramp when the actuating lever is pulled. The balls on the ramp are received in descending ballways for introduction into ball tubes formed in a rotatable cylinder extending across the bottom of the ballways. The actuating lever is operatively linked to both the gate and the cylindrical ball receiver for simultaneously rotating the gate to release balls down the ramp and the ball receiver for dumping balls therefrom. The actuating lever is maintained inoperative by a coin-releasable locking mechanism.