Abstract: A container denester apparatus which overcomes, among other problems, the problems identified above. The denester apparatus positively controls the flanges of the container so as to individually denest a lowermost container from a stack of containers. The apparatus protects the container by spreading the force required to denest the container along much of the flange structure. In addition, the stack of containers above the lowermost container are retained, again along much of the flange structure of the immediately adjacent container.

Abstract: A merchandise display hook for displaying items of merchandise includes a support rod and a helix disposed about the support rod and extending along at least a lengthwise portion of the support rod. The support rod includes mounting structure for mounting the display hook to a display fixture and has a first end adjacent the mounting structure and a second end opposite the first end adjacent the helix for loading the items of merchandise onto the support rod and for dispensing the items of merchandise from the support rod. The merchandise display hook further includes a time delay mechanism attached to the helix adjacent the second end of the support rod so as to define a space therebetween for loading and dispensing the items of merchandise. The time delay mechanism includes a gear assembly configured for permitting the items of merchandise to be loaded onto the support rod at a rate that is faster than the rate at which the items of merchandise can be dispensed from the support rod.

Abstract: A dispensing assembly for a vending machine includes a rigid coil carrying goods, a motor and shaft, and an adjusting member. The adjusting member is mounted on the rotating shaft of the motor and carries the rigid coil. With the motor stopped, the adjusting member is rotatable by hand in the normal direction of rotation by virtue of a pair of spring-crushed and opposing teeth sets. The release of the adjusting member allows the teeth sets to mesh together again at a new desired starting position, to take up wear and accumulated errors in the starting position of the rigid coil. A dispensing device is further disclosed with the dispensing assembly.

Abstract: An agricultural metering device with a variable geometry meter roller is provided. The agricultural metering device includes a meter roller having a plurality of flutes. An aggregate cross sectional area of the flutes increases along a longitudinal axis of the meter roller.

Abstract: An automatic vending machine includes a base, a support rail, and a locking member. The base defines a mounting hole. The support rail includes a support plate, a positioning piece and a mounting assembly extending from two opposite ends of the support plate. The locking member is secured to the base. The support plate is adapted for placing merchandise. The positioning piece defines a positioning slot. The mounting assembly is supported by the base and includes an elastically deformable resilient piece and a protrusion protruding from the elastically deformable resilient piece. The protrusion is engaged in the mounting hole. The locking member is engaged in the positioning slot.

Abstract: A vending machine includes a frame and a dispensing assembly. The frame includes a first rigid coil and a second rigid coil which rotate to dispense goods. The dispensing assembly includes a dispensing, a first mounting member, and a second mounting member. Each of the first and second mounting members is rotatably secured to the frame and each supports a rigid coil of opposite helical twist. The dispensing member can rotate clockwise and anticlockwise. When the dispensing member is rotated clockwise, a pawl and ratchet arrangement on the first mounting member engages to rotate dispensing the first rigid coil, whilst an opposing pawl and ratchet arrangement on the second mounting member simply rides over the teeth of the second mounting member and causes no rotation. When the dispensing member is rotated anticlockwise, the roles are reversed dispensing.

Abstract: A goods delivery assembly for a vending machine includes a rotatable shaft, a shell movably mounted on the shaft, and a transmitting member mounted in the shell. A hard coil is mounted on the shell. The transmitting member is engaged with the rotatable shaft. The shaft rotates in a first direction to rotate the shell for the delivery of goods and, to allow for wear and the accumulation of errors in the starting position, configured to rotate in a second direction with respect to the shell to cancel the effects of wear and any accumulated positioning errors.

Abstract: A goods driving mechanism for a vending machine includes a driver, an angle adjuster, and a release member. The angle adjuster is detachably secured to the driver and defines a plurality of diametrically-opposed through holes. A tip end of the release member extends through any diametrically-opposed pair of though holes thereby mounting the tip end of the release member to the angle adjuster. The release member is rotatable about its central axis to move goods in a direction along the central axis of the release member driven by the driver, and the starting angle of the release member can be adjusted very easily, to ensure effective delivery of any goods selected by a customer.

Abstract: A vending machine has a base, a helical pushing member secured to the first side panel, and a loading member. The loading member is installed within the coils of the helical pushing member and includes a strip on which goods are supported. A positioning tab and a resilient securing structure extend from the loading member. The resilient securing structure includes an engaging portion which engages in a lower opening. A handle portion is operable to disengage the engaging tab from the lower opening enabling easy and fast mounting and dismounting of the loading member of the vending machine.

Abstract: A vending machine has a base, a securing member, and a rail for supporting merchandise as a motor-driven coil rotates to push out merchandise. The rail is supported at the motor-driven end of the coil by a single screw from which the rail can be simply lifted and pulled away, and supported at the other end of the coil by a spring-loaded clip, enabling rapid assembly and disassembly of the rail without demounting any other component of the vending machine.

Abstract: An automatic vending machine includes a chassis and a moving mechanism attached to the chassis. The chassis defines a channel configured for receiving products. The moving mechanism includes a moving member received in the channel, a driving assembly, and a mounting member attached to the driving assembly. The driving assembly is configured to rotate the moving member and includes a claw member. The claw member includes a plurality of clawers. The moving member moves the products when rotated by the driving assembly. The mounting member is moveable relative to the claw member between a first position to a second position. When the mounting member is located in the first position, and the moving member is located among the plurality of clawers. When the mounting member is located in a second position, the plurality of clawers are resiliently deformed by the mounting member to clamp the moving member.

Abstract: A vending machine includes a chassis and an adjusting apparatus mounted in the chassis. The adjusting apparatus includes a casing, a driving implement attached to the casing, and a driving shaft attached to the driving implement. The driving implement is capable of driving the splined driving shaft to rotate and the starting angle of the helical element which pushes out a product is capable of adjustment by virtue of the splines on the driving shaft.

Abstract: A ball feeding arrangement (101) comprising: a rotor element (123) for pushing a ball (145); a transmission element (127) connected to the rotor element; and a drive element (130) for driving a rotational movement of the rotor element (123) via the transmission element (127), which drive element (130) is intended to be driven by a drive motor (122), wherein one of the drive element (130) and the transmission element (127) has at least one protrusion (140; 140a-b), and the other of the drive element and the transmission element (127) has a guiding surface (133) adapted to guide the at least one protrusion (140;140a-b) during relative rotation between the drive element (130) and the transmission element (127), wherein the at least one protrusion (140;140a-b) is yieldingly biased against the guiding surface (133), wherein the biasing force, a shape of the guiding surface (133) and a shape of the at least one protrusion are adapted to enable transfer of a rotational force of a given magnitude from the drive eleme

Abstract: A hand protection barrier dispenser for dispensing disposable sanitary barriers for temporarily covering the hand and providing complete hand protection is disclosed which dispenses the hand protection barriers in a manner so that they may easily be donned by a user thereof. The hand protection barrier operates to open each of the hand protection barriers into a position to be readily donned and dispensed. The hand protection barrier dispenser dispenses only a single hand protection barrier at a time.

Abstract: A hand protection barrier dispenser for dispensing disposable sanitary barriers for temporarily covering the hand and providing complete hand protection is disclosed which dispenses the hand protection barriers in a manner so that they may easily be donned by a user thereof. The hand protection barrier operates to open each of the hand protection barriers into a position to be readily donned and dispensed. The hand protection barrier dispenser dispenses only a single hand protection barrier at a time.

Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting the starting position of circular movement includes a driver, a connected slave shaft, a system command returning module, a touching block, and an adjusting member. A release member is secured to the slave shaft, and the slave shaft is rotatable. The touching block surrounds the slave shaft and includes a cam with a touching surface, and abuts the system command returning module. The driver stops rotating the slave shaft and the release member when the touching surface abuts the system command returning module. The adjusting member relative to the touching block has a fixed position and an unfixed position. In the fixed position, the touching block is engaged with the slave shaft. In the unfixed position, the touching block is rotatable relative to the slave shaft for adjustment purposes.

Abstract: A card extracting device for use with a plurality of cards may include a card storage, a gate through which the cards pass toward an outside of the card storage, an extracting tab to engage with and extract one of the cards, a tab-moving mechanism to move the extracting tab, an extracting roller outside the card storage to further forward the extracted card, a motor to drive the tab-moving mechanism and the extracting roller, a card-extraction detecting section to detect that card extraction is completed, and a control section to control the motor. An engaging section may be formed in the extracting tab to abut a rear end portion of the card and extract the card. The control section may drive the motor forward to extract the card or drive the motor in reverse based on a detection result from the card extraction detecting section.

Abstract: A gumball machine has a gumball container that holds a plurality of gumballs, a neck portion coupled to the gumball container and having an actuator and a gumball dispensing assembly that is coupled to the actuator for simultaneously releasing a plurality of gumballs from the gumball container when the actuator is actuated. The gumball machine also has a plurality of cylindrical supports, each having an upper end coupled to the neck portion, and a lower end having a side opening. A base is coupled to the lower end of each cylindrical support and has a bottom portion that is seated on a surface. Each side opening of each cylindrical support is positioned adjacent a ramp such that a gumball travelling through the cylindrical support is dispensed via the side opening to the ramp.

Abstract: A magazine for mounting twist locks includes a rotatably mounted drum having a plurality of axially oriented elongated guide elements, which are arranged at a distance from each other on the circumference of the drum and the longitudinal axes of which are oriented parallel to each other. The distance between the guide elements is larger than the diameter of a concave section of a respective twist lock and the guide elements form the support for the terminal sections of the twist lock. Closing elements are arranged at each end of the drum and delimit the intermediate spaces formed by the guide elements in the radial direction. One closing element is arranged in a non-rotatable manner and has a radially oriented recess for inserting twist locks between two guide elements in the axial direction.

Abstract: A tablet cassette is provided that can easily adjust the width and depth etc. of a guide groove of a rotor depending on the size of a tablet to be dispensed. The tablet cassette includes a plurality of movable pieces that are disposed movably in a radial direction of the rotor in the plurality of tablet guide grooves and form surfaces in the radial direction of the rotor in the tablet guide grooves, and a movable piece moving mechanism that moves the movable pieces in the radial direction of the rotor. The tablet cassette also includes groove width adjustment mechanisms that relatively move both sides of each of the tablet guide grooves in the circumferential direction of the rotor.

Abstract: A device for singulating open-ended objects includes: a housing configured to retain a plurality of open-ended objects, the housing having an open lower end; an outer ring positioned below the housing; a drum positioned within the outer ring to form a drum assembly, the drum including a hub having a substantially circular wall and a plurality of wings that extend radially outwardly from the wall to contact the outer ring, the hub, wings and outer ring forming a plurality of gaps; a mounting structure with an exit aperture fixed relative to the housing; and a rotary drive unit mounted to the drum that rotates the drum about an axis of rotation. The presence of the wings can enable the device to singulated caps more consistently.

Abstract: The apparatus and process of the present invention provides for the automated, singulated dispensing of articles, particularly solid oral medication in predetermined quantities. The apparatus of the invention is a canister which houses a screw having a channel of a certain width and depth that corresponds to the dimensions of a particular pill type. The screw is removably mounted within a canister, such that screws having channels of various dimensions, corresponding to a particular pill to be dispensed, can be substituted into the canister. Upon rotation of the screw, the articles to be dispensed travel along a sidewall, pass under a singulation ramp, and exit from an aperture on the proximal end of the canister. A rotational driver-coupling is mounted to the proximal end of the screw, allowing for activation of the canister by engaging the screw. The present invention further describes methods of dispensing articles.

Abstract: A dispenser for food or medicine is provided to store contents such as food or medicine inside and discharging one or a certain amount of food or medicine at a time and improves productivity of components and convenience for assembly by improving a cover which has an elastic piece and a button and a rod formed in one body and improving a coupling structure of a blocking member, a base plate, and a cylindrical main body to a protrusion and a groove type coupling.

Abstract: A medicine feeding device is configured by providing a first rotor that rotates around a first shaft, a second rotor that rotates around a second shaft, a partition wall extending from the second rotor towards the first rotor, a medicine discharge port provided on the outside of the second rotor, a medicine guide section located in the downstream of a movement section in the medicine transport direction, and a height regulator disposed between the movement section and medicine guide section. In addition, the width regulator that is disposed between the medicine guide section and the height regulator is further provided. Also, a medicine counting device is further provided with a medicine detection means for detecting the medicine that is supplied from the medicine discharge port, and a counting means (central control unit) for counting the medicines based on the detection performed by the medicine detection means.

Abstract: A medicine feeding device is configured by providing a first rotor 23 that rotates around a first shaft 24, a second rotor 35 that rotates around a second shaft, a partition wall 18 extending from the second rotor 35 towards the first rotor 23, a medicine discharge port 73 provided on the outside of the second rotor 35, a medicine guide section 65 located in the downstream of a movement section 37 in the medicine transport direction, and a height regulator 41 disposed between the movement section 37 and medicine guide section 65. In addition, the width regulator 52 that is disposed between the medicine guide section 65 and the height regulator 41 is further provided. Also, the medicine counting device is further provided with a medicine detection means 70 for detecting a medicine that is supplied from the medicine discharge port 73, and a counting means (central control unit 83) for counting the medicines based on the detection by the medicine detection means 70.

Abstract: A material dispenser includes a base, a platen, a spring, a casing, a material pick-up mechanism, and a cap. The spring is connected in between the platen and the base, and the casing encloses the spring and the platen and removably attaches with the base. The material pick-up mechanism is rotatably connected with the casing opposite from the base. The cap attaches with the casing opposite from the base and positions adjacent with the material pick-up mechanism. The material dispenser includes stored materials in between the platen and the material pick-up mechanism. The casing provides a parameter wall for the stored materials. The users of the material dispenser can dispense an exact amount of the stored materials through a top opening of the casing by rotating the material pick-up mechanism.

Abstract: A system for dispensing medicament units is provided. The system for dispensing medicament units comprises a dispensing apparatus, a medicament container and control logic. The dispensing apparatus has a set of slots, and a slot of the set of slots is configured to receive a medicament container. The medicament container is configured to be inserted into the slot and comprises a housing, a chamber, an outlet, a memory, a motorless rotatable disk structure, and a drive mechanism. The control logic is coupled to the memory of the medicament container and the dispensing apparatus, and is configured to transmit the data to the dispensing apparatus. The dispensing apparatus receives the data transmitted from the control logic and determines the slot of the set of slots and selects the medicament container to actuate the drive mechanism to dispense the set of medicament units.

Abstract: A tablet dispenser for dispensing randomly stored tablets from a bottle is disclosed. The dispenser includes offset inlet and outlet paths, a helical dispensing screw, and a rotation drive. The inlet path can be positioned for receiving a tablet to be dispensed from a bottle or other supply of tablets. The outlet path can be positioned for dispensing a tablet. The helical dispensing screw can be configured to rotate, driven by the rotation drive, to transport a tablet from the inlet path to the outlet path. The rotation drive can be operable by pushing the structure defining the inlet path and the outlet portion toward each other. The dispenser can be equipped with a dispensing sensor and memory that records data regarding each pill dispensed, such as the time of dispensing and the number of pills remaining, and optionally transmits the data to a device on or off the patient's premises.

Abstract: A container denester apparatus which overcomes, among other problems, the problems identified above. The denester apparatus positively controls the flanges of the container so as to individually denest a lowermost container from a stack of containers. The apparatus protects the container by spreading the force required to denest the container along much of the flange structure. In addition, the stack of containers above the lowermost container are retained, again along much of the flange structure of the immediately adjacent container.

Abstract: A merchandise display hook has a time delay mechanism for increasing the amount of time required to dispense items of merchandise from a display arm, while permitting bulk loading of the items of merchandise onto the display arm. The time delay mechanism includes a housing, a helix extending from the housing in a rearward direction, and a rotatable handle extending from the housing in a forward direction. Rotation of the handle causes the helix to rotate about the display arm to thereby dispense the items of merchandise from the display arm in the forward direction. The time delay mechanism further includes a lock mechanism having a secured position for attaching the time delay mechanism to the display arm and an unsecured position for allowing the time delay mechanism to be detached from the display arm to permit bulk loading.

Abstract: A gumball machine has a gumball container that holds a plurality of gumballs, a neck portion coupled to the gumball container and having an actuator and a gumball dispensing assembly that is coupled to the actuator for simultaneously releasing a plurality of gumballs from the gumball container when the actuator is actuated. The gumball machine also has a plurality of cylindrical supports, each having an upper end coupled to the neck portion, and a lower end having a side opening. A base is coupled to the lower end of each cylindrical support and has a bottom portion that is seated on a surface. Each side opening of each cylindrical support is positioned adjacent a ramp such that a gumball travelling through the cylindrical support is dispensed via the side opening to the ramp.

Abstract: A tapered roller supply system, a tapered roller bearing fabricating system and a tapered roller supply method are provided which enable tapered rollers to be loaded properly in pockets of a cage. The tapered roller supply system has a tube 20 which stocks a plurality of tapered rollers 1 loaded from above in a stacked-up state in an inside thereof and a tapered roller supply portion 30 which separates a lowermost tapered roller 1 from a tapered roller 1 situated above the lowermost tapered roller 1 in the plurality of tapered rollers to be discharged from the tube 20 in upstream and downstream directions so as to allow the tapered rollers to drop sequentially one by one when they reach a lowermost position.

Abstract: The disclosed device increases the accommodation amount of blister packages and enables smooth dispensing even if a blister package is bent or similar. The device is provided with: a device body (1), a storage container (2) which accommodates blister packages (4) in a stacked state, and a dispensing member (3) which can dispense the accommodated blister package (4). The storage container (2) is provided with an outlet (13), which is formed on the base at one end side thereof, and which is for ejecting the blister package (4), and a biasing means (12) for biasing the accommodated blister packages (4) toward one end side. The dispensing member (3) is provided with a guide part (36) for guiding a side edge part of the blister packages (4), and biases the blister packages (4) toward one end side of the storage container (2).

Abstract: A dispenser of containers. A carousel is rotatably mounted to a main frame about a vertical axis of rotation and has a plurality of container compartments arranged around the axis and along the length of the axis. A driver mounted to the main frame rotates the carousel around the axis in a single direction and a lock limits rotation of the carousel in any direction when engaged.

Abstract: A food dispensing device having a frame with first and second sidewalls in spaced parallel relation that house a heating board and a slant board. The slant board is positioned below the heating board and both slope downwardly. Specifically, the heating board has a plurality of slots therein such that juice from a food product flows through the slots and onto the slant board. Adjacent and below the heating board and slant board is a flange that is positioned such that when a food product is placed on the heating board the food product rolls toward the flange and simultaneously juice flows from off the slant board into a juice tray disposed below the flange.

Abstract: A pill dispensing assembly for dispensing a pill from a pill bottle includes a first layer having a pill exit passage. A second layer is operatively connected to the first layer, and includes a pill entry passage horizontally offset from the exit passage. A pill dispensing layer is positioned between the first and second layers, is movable with respect to the first and second layers, and includes a holding chamber sized to receive the pill. The holding chamber is horizontally movable from a first loading position in which the holding chamber is aligned with the entry passage and is horizontally offset from the exit passage to receive the pill, to a second dispensing position in which the holding chamber is aligned with the exit passage and is horizontally offset from the entry passage to dispense the pill through the exit passage. Pill dispensing may be timed or time monitored.

Abstract: A dispenser is provided that includes a base and a container. The container is positioned above the base for holding articles to dispensed, such as candy. The base includes a channel in communication with the container to dispense the articles. The channel has, near a first end, an internal opening for receiving the articles held in the container and an external opening near the opposing end for dispensing the articles. An advancement mechanism, such as an auger, for example, is located within the channel for moving the articles from the internal opening of the channel to the external opening of the channel. At least one gear, driven by a motor, is connected to the advancement mechanism for moving the advancement mechanism in response to the activation of the motor. A stir stick is attached to at least one side of the at least one gear and extends upward from the base and into the container at a position adjacent the internal opening of the channel.

Abstract: Hand-held placement dispenser element (6) and automated dispenser elements (18) are provided for placement of items such as metal domes or the like onto a placement position (21), such as right-side-up or upside-down, perhaps by allowing only a single item or predetermined number of items to eject from a dispenser element at a time. A dispenser element may include a trigger (7) allowing for non-complication in use. A dispenser element could accept a cartridge (1), such as a slotted cartridge (3). A dispenser element and cartridge may be interchangeable. Once a cartridge is empty, it may be desirable to remove the empty cartridge and replace it with a full one.

Abstract: A method is provided for feeding small items, for example pills, that does not require tooling changes or position adjustment regardless of the size or shape of the pills. A first hopper supplies small items to a second hopper that separates the small items. The method incorporates sensors to detect the presence, size and travel time of the pills in the separating bowl hopper. The method uses the sensed values for setting vibration amplitude and the duration of an air flow to discharge pills from the apparatus.

Abstract: A product retrieval system for vending machines that permits collection of varying size products at a first level yet presents such products for collection at a raised height to make retrieval more convenient. The retrieval system utilizes a rotary hopper that includes an actual bottom as well as a technical or false bottom that does not lower the depth of the rotary hopper in its ability to receive dispensed product on the actual bottom, with the technical bottom presenting the product to a higher retrieval point relative to the floor upon rotation of the rotary hopper to an open condition.

Abstract: An electromechanical latch and ejector to selectively unlatch and eject an object.

Abstract: A singulating disc, carried by a housing, has a plurality of openings around its periphery. The disc rotates vertically through a pickup chamber of a hopper carried by the housing. A vacuum is pulled through the openings by a pump which is connected to the disc. Items are placed in the hopper and, via gravity, fall to the bottom of the hopper where they contact the periphery of the rotating disc. The vacuum at the openings attaches an item and holds it while the disc rotates. At the top of the discs rotation, a diverter directs the item into a path depending on the results of a fragment detection and/or counting mechanism. Items that are allowed to pass by the diverter are scraped off the disc into another path by a scraper. Negative pressure is used to singulate and count a multitude of sizes and shapes of items with no calibration. Retractable paddles, a vacuum management system, and RFID tags may be incorporated.

Abstract: A gumball machine includes a gumball container that holds a plurality of gumballs, a neck portion coupled to the gumball container, the neck portion having a coin slot for receiving a coin, and a gumball dispensing assembly that releases a gumball from the gumball container when a coin is inserted into the coin slot. The gumball machine further includes an elongated housing having an upper end coupled to the neck portion, the housing holding coins that have been inserted through the coin slot. A base is coupled to the lower end of the housing and has a bottom portion that is seated on a surface. A spiral ramp has a mouth coupled to the neck portion, the spiral ramp connected around the housing for allowing a dispensed gumball to roll downwardly.

Abstract: A cutlery dispenser comprises a storage chamber adapted to retain a plurality of cutlery therein; an ejector for sequentially ejecting the plurality of cutlery from the storage chamber; an actuator for driving the ejector; and a sensor for triggering the actuator in response to an event.

Abstract: A dispenser of containers. A carousel is rotatably mounted to a main frame about a vertical axis of rotation and has a plurality of container compartments arranged around the axis and along the length of the axis. A driver mounted to the main frame rotates the carousel around the axis in a single direction and a lock limits rotation of the carousel in any direction when engaged.

Abstract: The processes of the present invention provides for the automated, singulated dispensing of articles, particularly solid oral medication in predetermined quantities. The dispensing of an article is effected by at least activating a driver-coupling connected to a screw having a channel of a predetermined width and depth corresponding to the dimensions of said article; rotating said screw until detection of an article drop; removing a second article from said channel; and stopping the rotation of said screw upon detection of an article drop. The methods of the present invention further include embodiments in which the rotation of the screw is subsequently reversed. Furthermore, the present invention permits for the dispensing of articles to be stopped upon having a predetermined number of articles dispensed or a detection of increased torque applied to the screw. The present invention provides for accurate pill dispensing.

Abstract: A pin dispensing apparatus including a dispenser configured to present a pin to a user, a transfer member configured to convey the pin to the dispenser, and a delivery mechanism configured to provide the pin to the transfer member.

Abstract: A system for evaporating excess water from a source includes a housing having: an air inlet, the air inlet directing air in a first direction; an air outlet; a plurality of channels arranged generally perpendicular to the first direction, the channels having undulations; and a water reservoir that feeds water into the channels. In some embodiments, baffles are created with walls that depend from the ceiling of the housing and that are interdigitated with dividers that separate the channels. This configuration can remove water generated by the source (such as an external compressor unit) in a quick and efficient manner.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing paper toweling. The dispenser including a towel support that is positionable in a first dispensing position when a drive roller rotates in a first direction, and that is positionable in a second auto-loading position when the drive roller rotates in a second direction. Rotation of the drive roller in the first and second directions automatically loading the paper toweling for subsequent dispense.

Abstract: A portable, medication dispensing device which dispenses prepackaged pill strands of medication from a secure, storage compartment through a mechanism which physically limits the quantity dispensed per a pre-programmed protocol. The device has a detachable storage component which can be filled by trained clinical or pharmacy staff, which can be locked. The device has a dispensing mechanism, which employs a user-powered, hub to advance a pill strand of pre-packaged medications, when appropriate. This advancing hub is secured from advancing inappropriately by a locking mechanism where a sturdy piston is moved into and out of recesses in the rounded surface of the hub. The device also contains standard electronic components, including a power source, central processing unit (CPU), visual and auditory outputs, and communications ports.