Abstract: A dispensing machine particularly for dispensing bottles or cans. The machine has a storage area formed by a plurality of parallel vertically spaced inclined shelves and at the lower end of each shelf is a pick-up station. A carrier mounted on a carriage moves vertically past the pick-up stations and can receive a bottle from any selected one by operating a release mechanism when it is adjacent the required pick-up station. The carriage takes the selected bottle to a dispensing station at the top of the machine where the carriage tips and rolls the bottle into a fixed position from which it can be removed by a customer.

Abstract: A vend control system for vending machines which accept credit, have an established vend price, include customer actuatable selection capability, apparatus for producing a selected vend, and an empty product device operable to prevent energizing of the associated vend producing apparatus when the supply of articles to be vended thereby is exhausted, the improvement including a circuit for establishing a power connection when an amount deposited at least equals the established vend price, circuit elements constructed to respond to the power connection to establish a credit condition and to enable selecting a product for vending including generating a vend signal in response thereto, a circuit responsive to the generation of a vend signal to enable energizing of selected vend producing apparatus, and a switch device under control of each respective vend producing apparatus to establish a circuit condition in association with the respective empty product device to assure that an energized vend producing apparatu

Abstract: A recording medium feeding device for use in an image formation instrument such as a printer, a copying apparatus or a recording apparatus. The feeding device has a recording medium supporting table, feed apparatus for feeding the recording mediums on the supporting table, and a drive system for vertically driving the supporting table. During supply of recording mediums, the supporting table is gradually lowered from a predetermined upper position as the recording mediums are supplied.

Abstract: A vending machine control circuit having a plurality of capacitively coupled switches for enabling a customer to indicate his choice of a product to be vended. A logic circuit is responsive thereto for controlling the vending of products by the generation of vend signals directed to a plurality of vend solenoids. Out-of-product switches are wired in series with the vend solenoids such that if a solenoid is activated, but no current flows therethrough, a current sensing circuit is utilized to detect that the product is out-of-stock. This is a significant improvement over prior art control circuits, particularly from the standpoint of decreased wiring requirements in the vending machine. The control circuit has an early power failure detecting circuit which allows critical tasks within the machine to be finished prior to removal of the power. This feature allows the machine to shut down in an orderly manner, and enables the totalizer to maintain track of sales even in the event of a power failure.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for grouping flat items in stacks, particularly cookies which are advanced to a grouping device in at least three mutually parallel channels. The grouping device forms mixed groups of the items such that each group contains at least one item taken from each channel. For the purpose of compensating for an undersupply of items in at least one channel, the quantity of items which is normally taken from such an undersupplied channel is decreased by a first quantity and the quantity of items which is normally taken from the other, normally supplied channels is increased by a second quantity such that as the cadenced removal of items from the channels progresses, the number of items in the obtained mixed groups remains constant.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically placing large plastic lids onto containers. Lids 24 are dispensed individually from magazine 11 onto slide 33. Each dispensed lid is individually retained at the bottom of the slide 33 for pickup by a container 41. The lid is urged onto the container by a pivoted roller 47 and further leveled by a roller 58 which is extended twice by a pneumatic piston to first contact a leading edge of the lid and to secondly contact a trailing edge of the lid. Thereafter a pneumatically operated lid securement means 61 comprising a convex plate 70' burps the air from beneath the lid and fully seats the lid on the container. The apparatus has various sensing means for sensing the depletion of lids from magazine 11, for sensing that a lid has been dispensed onto slide 33 and for sensing a container at the capping station. The sensing means control the various operations of the machine in proper sequence.

Abstract: In a vending machine, where the items are stored in separate, vertical compartments from the lower ends of which items are removable, one by one, by a selector mechanism comprising a displaceable frame, which embraces three sides of the battery. A front member of the frame carries a sensor, which reacts if a selected compartment should be emptied down to a predetermined level, and a rear member includes a feeding-out finger connected to an actuating mechanism. This is operated by an electric motor, and a governing circuit comprising two switches, which are operated by the position of the frame in relation to the battery, and by the reaction of the sensor at the selected compartment, respectively.

Abstract: A portable cartridge and mounting apparatus includes, within the cartridge, a document separator, a stack follower, a double document restraint, and a three position lock and latch mechanism for selectively locking the cartridge cover and the issue slot. The mounting includes first and second drives for operating the separator and restraint mechanisms to issue individual documents through the issue slot. The mounting and cartridge are keyed to detect that a cartridge containing a predetermined denomination is properly mounted with the issue slot open to enable the drive mechanisms. A sensor is provided to detect a cash out condition to inhibit operation of the drives.

Abstract: A magazine vending machine which is operable solely by manually activated lever mechanisms and without any electric devices. The machine is further characterized in that sample magazines displayed at a show-window are utilizable for sale by lever mechanisms which are automatically operable when the corresponding magazines other than the samples which are stocked for sale in the machine are exhausted.

Abstract: A vending apparatus which includes a rotatable dispensing member having a plurality of separate storage compartments for storing a plurality of items to be dispensed in a predetermined manner is disclosed. A stop member is provided to disable the operation of the vending apparatus upon depletion of all of the items in any of the storage compartments from which an item is selected.

Abstract: Disclosed is apparatus for vending sealed water filled bags of live bait by way of a plurality of helical conveyors coupled with support shafts rotatably driven by selectively actuated motors. The apparatus includes a spring loaded platform assembly having a dispensing chute aligned with the opening in the housing; transparent windows for viewing the bags prior to vending; and a switch assembly responsive to the weight of the bags for preventing initiation of the vending cycle when the supply of bags is exhausted.