Abstract: A gravity-feed flow rack apparatus for multiple articles with rack modules arranged vertically.The rack apparatus include main module, front and rear auxiliary modules having article conveyance skid rails, insert joint for joining said modules, tiltable stopper means for serially advancing articles on said module, and control means performing control of desired operation condition of the rack apparatus.The rack apparatus may be a constructionally changeable in desired number and spaces of the rack modules in which flexible change is desired.

Abstract: A package dispenser that can be used in an automated system for filling orders, such as prescriptions for patients. The dispenser includes a magazine for holding a plurality of packages. The magazine includes a loading end and a dispensing end which has a releasable retainer to keep the loaded packages in the magazine until they are released. Several dispensers may be combined with an automated storage system in which a robot selects packages from storage racks. Then, packages can be simultaneously delivered by the dispensers and the robot. The dispensers may be filled by the robot. The robot and releasable retainer in the dispenser are computer controlled.

Abstract: A glove dispenser including a glove dispensing housing. Further provided is a plurality of rods extending between side faces of the housing. A pair of gloves are releasably coupled adjacent an opening thereof between each rod. Finally, a dispensing mechanism is situated within the housing for allowing the dispensing of the gloves.

Abstract: A modular merchandising device for bottles is disclosed. The merchandising device comprises a plurality of parallel elongate tracks, and support means for supporting the tracks so that each track is inclined downwardly toward its front end. Each track is designed to support a row of bottles such that the bottles in the row are suspended by their neck flanges for movement along the respective track and are removable from the respective track through its front end. Because of the inclined position of the tracks, the bottles when supported by each track are allowed to gravity feed one after another to the track front end as the leading bottles in the respective row successively are removed from the respective track. The support means comprises a pair of front and rear transverse support members disposed generally perpendicularly to the tracks. Each track comprises means for removably mounting the respective track on at least one of the front and rear transverse members.

Abstract: A terminal insertion machine (10) includes a feed unit (14) for feeding a strip (16) of terminals into a workstation (12) for inserting a terminal into a housing. The feed unit (14) includes a feed finger (56) for intermittently feeding the strip and an anti-backup finger (84) for preventing movement of the strip while the feed finger (56) is retracted preparatory to feeding the next terminal. A single release member (100) is arranged to pivot into first, second, and third positions (140, 142, 144) for moving the feed and anti-backup fingers into and out of engagement with the strip of terminals when loading the strip, when operating the insertion machine, and when removing the strip from the insertion machine, respectively.

Abstract: An installation head is mounted on a vehicle and moves along and adjacent to a roadway as the vehicle moves along the roadway. The head has a loading station at the bottom of a vertical loading chamber and a slide that slides along a floor to move markers out of the loading station into a setting station. A setting ram forces markers down onto adhesive prepositioned on the roadway. A plurality of heads may be positioned on the vehicle and may form opposite rows for simultaneously installing markers on opposite sides of a traffic lane. An indexed marker that interlocks with adjacent markers to prevent tilting may be used to maximize the reliability of the system. Various types of delivery devices may be used to deliver markers to the loading station. These include a delivery platform or carrousel positioned above the loading chamber to deliver markers down into the loading chamber. They also include a collating tape that delivers markers into the loading chamber through a side opening.

Abstract: A conveying apparatus for conveying objects under the influence of gravity from a first location where the orientations of said objects are random to a second location where the objects assume a predetermined orientation. The apparatus includes a main body member and a substantially vertical passageway provided in at least a portion of the main body member and through which objects to be conveyed by the conveying apparatus are conveyed. The passageway is preferably constructed to have a first portion including an inlet for receiving the objects, wherein the first portion defines a first cross-sectional configuration. The passageway also includes a second portion having an outlet for discharging the objects, the second portion defining a second cross-sectional configuration different from the first cross-sectional configuration, the second cross-sectional configuration being operable to position objects discharged from the outlet into a predetermined orientation.

Abstract: A vending machine for valved cylinders of propane gas is provided which includes a cabinet, a U-shaped roller conveyor and a support rail. The cabinet has return and dispensing openings sized to allow empty cylinders to be returned to the cabinet in an upright orientation and to allow full cylinders to be dispensed from the cabinet in an upright orientation. The return and dispensing openings are vertically offset and horizontally spaced apart. The roller conveyor is within the cabinet and extends from the return opening to the dispensing opening. The roller conveyor is downwardly inclined so that the valved cylinders move along the conveyor by gravity. The support rail extends along both sides of the roller conveyor and maintains the valved cylinders in an upright position while moving from the return opening to the dispensing opening. The vending machine also includes an anti-theft system to prevent unauthorized withdrawals of the valved cylinders from the cabinet.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing disposable lids from a coaxial stack of nested lids. The dispenser has a v-shaped tray with an open dispensing end for holding the stack, a resilient member biasing the lids towards the open dispensing end and a pair of spaced apart friction surfaces opposing the tray at the open dispensing end. The friction surfaces are inclined at a low angle to the stack and overhang the tray forming a throat through which the lids pass. As the lids are pushed into the throat by the resilient member biasing the lids, the friction surfaces stop movement of the stack through the throat and an endmost of the lids is unlatched from a next-to-endmost lid opposite the friction surfaces. A curved finger followed by a stop is reciprocated between the friction surfaces. When the finger is reciprocated towards the stack of lids, it makes contact with the endmost flange, overriding and hooking under its flange.

Abstract: A reciprocating rotor and ratchet assembly wherein the rotor is indexed a certain angle of rotation with each reciprocation of the ratchet member. The assembly includes a housing, the rotor and the ratchet member. The rotor and ratchet member are rotatably located within the housing. The ratchet member includes at least one locking lug and is rotatable between first and second positions relative to housing. The locking lug engages the rotor when the locking lug is rotated in a first direction from the first position to the second position, and causes the rotor to rotate with the locking lug. The locking lug engages the housing when the ratchet member is in the second position and, in this position, the housing maintains the ratchet member in engagement with the rotor in a manner to stop rotation of the rotor.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of deterring or reducing breakage or deformation when dispensing a vertical stack of containers. A blocking member used to restrict dispension of vertical stack containers above a container being dispensed, can have a biasing member associated with it to allow it to vertically move to cause the stack to drop in a controlled fashion so that the block is not forced into the side walls of the containers, and so the dropping of the containers is controlled in a manner to reduce or deter the likelihood of breakage or deformation of the containers. An alternative feature of the invention is the use of a biasing member to return the blocking member to an original member to an original position once the weight of any vertical stack above it is removed.

Abstract: A device for releasing the products in a vending machine includes a structure for containing the stack of products consisting in a front plate (1) and a rear plate (2) to which two flanks (3a, 3b) and two walls (4a, 4b) are secured, a pair of rocker levers (5a, 5b) and a revolving basket (6) being rotatably mounted inside structure for alternately supporting the two staggered columns forming the stack of products and for releasing the products. The driving components, which impart a unidirectional revolving motion to the basket (6), and the controlling components of the rockers (5a, 5b), which consist in a pair of cams (14) which rotate at half the revolving speed of the basket (6), are positioned outside said structure.

Abstract: A bread dispensing apparatus has a rigid hollow body (10) in which bread slices can be placed, an upper inlet (11), a lower outlet (14) which is associated with a pull down dispenser. When the dispenser is pulled down, bread can be removed from the body. Hold back blades are provided to allow only the desired number of pieces of bread to be dispensed, the hold back blades being connected to the dispenser such that pulling down of the dispenser operates the hold back blades.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing rod-like members that are stored in a parallelepipedal housing. The housing includes a base for carrying the rod-like members, with the base being movable against the force of one or more return springs. The base has a narrow side that extends at least partially through a discharge opening of the housing.

Abstract: An adjustable mechanism for vending products includes left and right column walls defining a column divided into front and rear sections for retaining the products in front and rear corded stacks. A rear spacer provided at the back side of the column is laterally adjustable relative to the front side of the column to accommodate products of different lengths in the rear section. Front and rear product funnels are positioned respectively in the front and rear sections above the bottom end of the column, with front and rear adjustable product ramps interposed between the outlets of the front and rear product funnels, respectively, and the open bottom end of the column. The front and rear adjustable product ramps are independently pivotable about their pivot axes in response to movement of front and rear adjustment rods to change the width of the open bottom of the column at the front and back sections to accommodate products of different diameters.

Abstract: A bottle dispenser has a gate mechanism to maintain the foremost one of the track-supported bottles substantially vertical. The dispenser includes an elongate track defining a longitudinally extending pathway, a support structure, and a stopper provided at the front end of the track. The track supports a row of flanged bottles such that the bottles are suspended by their neck flanges for movement along the pathway and removable from the pathway through the front end of the track. The support structure supports the track such that the track is inclined toward its front end whereby the suspended bottles are allowed to gravity feed toward the front end when the leading bottle in the row is removed from the track. The stopper engages with the leading bottle to prevent its accidental removal through the front end.

Abstract: A rack for storing and presenting, for serial dispensing, a plurality of bottles suspended from a suspension location at an elevation in the rack in a line essentially parallel to the rack and through a dispensing station, the rack being inclined upwardly away from the dispensing station for biasing the bottles into the dispensing station by the force of gravity, a gate at the dispensing station having gate members including engagement surfaces for engaging the forwardmost bottle, placed in the dispensing station, at stabilizing locations below the elevation of the suspension location and spaced downwardly a vertical distance from the elevation of the suspension location, and above the elevation of the suspension location and spaced upwardly a vertical distance from the elevation of the suspension location sufficient to maintain the forwardmost bottle in an essentially vertical orientation, stabilized against the force of gravity, including the forward force of the remaining bottles suspended along the line b

Abstract: A dispenser for candy or other objects that is formed in the shape of an animal. Any large animal body can be used. The body of the animal is hollow and acts as a storage bin for the candy or other dispensing material. A hole is formed in the rear, lower portion of the body. A sliding gate that covers the hole to prevent the dispensing items from being dispensed is used to operate the dispenser. The head is attached to the body at a pivot point. The sliding gate is attached to the head. When the head is lifted, the sliding gate is pulled forward, which opens the hole that allows a number of candy pieces or other items to be dispensed. Pushing down on the head slides the gate back, covering the hole, and preventing further dispensing. A spring can be installed between the head and the body to pull the head down, ensuring that the gate returns to its closed position, ready for the next operation.

Abstract: A modular vending machine for dispensing a variety of different sized products with at least one array received within a cabinet, wherein the array is made up of a plurality of storage chambers with a dispensing mechanism disposed at the bottom of each chamber. The cabinet can receive any number of arrays which in turn can receive any number of storage chambers. The modular vending machine further includes a sensing device received within a receiving trough for confirming that a product has actually been dispensed. The dispensing mechanism includes a solenoid actuated plunger wherein the plunger controls the movement of a toggle member which is movable between a blocking position and a dispensing position so that only a single product is dispensed.

Abstract: A bottle dispenser has a gate mechanism to maintain the foremost one of the track-supported bottles substantially vertical. The dispenser includes an elongate track which defines a longitudinally extending pathway, a support assembly for the track, and a stopper provided at the front end of the track. The track supports a row of flanged bottles such that the bottles are suspended by their neck flanges for movement along the pathway and removable from the pathway through the front end of the track. The support assembly supports the track such that the track is inclined toward its front end whereby the suspended bottles are allowed to gravity feed toward the front end when the leading bottle in the row is removed from the track. The stopper engages with the leading bottle to prevent its accidental removal through the front end. The gate mechanism blocks the pathway at a position between the front and rear ends of the track.

Abstract: An inertial parts feeding apparatus and method for dispensing parts, such as microchips, onto a moving belt. The feeding apparatus has a housing supporting an elongated tube accommodating the microchips. A guide mounted on the housing aligns the tube with an arm having an impact shoulder and a microchip stop finger. A roller, engageable with the tube, driven by a stepping motor, moves the tube longitudinally into engagement with the shoulder causing a microchip to move out of the end of the tube and into engagement with the stop finger. The arm is released from the microchip during the time that the tube moves back to its initial position to allow the microchip to move with the belt.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a modular bottle dispenser apparatus used for dispensing bottles. Each dispenser includes a receiver opening, a dispenser opening, a continuous guide channel which restricts the side to side and up and down motion of a bottle as it moves from the receiver opening to the dispenser opening, a friction reducing member and a door that covers the receiver opening. Several dispensers can be interlocked to each other through interlocking members provided by the dispenser. The interlocking of several dispenser allows the display of various products in one contiguous setting.

Abstract: A golf tee dispensing device capable of individually releasing one of a number of standard sized golf tees from a plurality of tees stored and retained within the dispensing device. The device includes a tube for the ordered retention of the golf tees and a means for forcing the golf tees upward to an open end of the tube for release. The dispensing device incorporates a pivoting mechanism on the open end of the dispensing tube that is structured so as to singularly release a golf tee from the dispensing device and simultaneously preventing the release of a subsequent golf tee next in line within the tube. A spring within the tube forces the golf tees up through the dispensing tube and appropriately positioned stop tabs on the dispensing mechanism prevent and control the release of the golf tees one at a time from the device.

Abstract: A receptacle having a floor with parallel slots to receive and collate screws in a collating section and to queue them in a queuing section of the slots which has an intersecting escapement for depositing screw individually into receivers. The receptacle reciprocates to tip the slots downwardly in one slot direction and then the other. A retainer overlying the queuing section excludes loose screws and retains the queued screws in the slots during tipping. The retainer moves away from the slots when the receptacle is tipped downward toward the collating section to permit displaced screws to clear to the collating section. A gate at the leading edge of the retainer closes off the margin between the retainer and the floor to entry under the retainer of loose screws outside the slots. Screw conduits leading from the escapement reciprocate with the receptacle and connect with stationary receivers through articulations.

Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing tablets one at a time from an unarranged stock of tablets in the dispenser. The dispenser comprises a first reservoir part axially displaceable in a second reservoir part against the force of a spring (4). A trough shaped part (5,6) at the inner end of the first part forms with a partition (13) at the bottom of the second part a downward closed channel accommodating at least two tablets when the dispenser is in its neutral position. When the dispenser is operated by forcing the first part further into the second part, a bottom (7) closing the channel is passed free of the partition (13) and the lowermost tablet is dispensed. At the same time two fingers (9) are passed into the space left at the sides of the channel between the lowermost tablet and the adjacent tablet above it to ensure that only the lowermost tablet is dispensed.

Abstract: A stick dispenser for containing sticks, such as spare leads for mechanical pencils or toothsticks comprises an outer case member (1) having an open rear end, and a front wall provided with a first outlet hole (3) through which the sticks are fed out one at a time, and an inner case member (2) slidably inserted in the outer case member (1) through the open rear end of the latter, provided with a cavity (6) for containing the sticks, and having a front wall provided with a second outlet hole (7). Normally, the inner case member (2) is biased toward one side wall of the outer case member (1) so that the second outlet hole (7) is out of alignment with the first outlet hole (3) to prevent the sticks from slipping out of the stick dispenser.

Abstract: A commodity delivering device for automatic vending machines in which both thick commodities and thin commodities are sorted out automatically without manually adjusting the commodity passage width. The automatic vending apparatus includes: a commodity feed mechanism in which the commodity mechnism is equipped with: first stopper for freely switching between an activation position and a no-activation position, the activation position thereof being projected into a commodity passage so as to support the thick commodity and the no-activation position being retreated from the commodity passage; second stopper, disposed right under the first stopper, for freely switching between an activation position and a no-activation position; and feed stopper for switching between an activation position interlocked with the first or second stopper so as to thereon support the commodity, and a feed position for transferring the commodity downward.

Abstract: A control apparatus is provided for use in an article handling system having a conduit through which articles such as can ends in a facewise nested condition are conveyed from a first location to a second location. The control apparatus comprises a housing operatively interposed in the conduit and an elastomeric tubular sleeve member mounted in the housing and defining a through passage of a shape generally complementary to the shape of the articles. The tubular sleeve member is responsive to the level of pressure in a pressure chamber for applying a corresponding force about the periphery of the articles.

Abstract: A nut feeding apparatus which can surely and easily feed nuts and the like, temporarily supported in a conductor cylinder, to an underlying support member one by one, without scratching them by the downward stress or the like of a plunger. A feeder opening 2 through which nuts and the like are continuously fed from a feeding chute, support bar guide holes 3 and ball recesses 4 are provided at a lower side wall of a conductor cylinder 1 in which a plunger 21 having guide grooves 22 formed in the opposite sides of its lower portion is inserted slidably up and down. Balls 5 having a diameter slightly larger than the thickness of the wall of the conductor cylinder 1 and fitted in the respective ball recesses 4. A pair of support bars 11 are inserted slidably in the support bar guide holes 3, and have their outer ends detachably attached to associated leaf springs attached to the outer surface of the conductor cylinder 1.

Abstract: A reagent feeder which can to be used in both a finger-push system and a slide system by only attaching and detaching a simple auxiliary component to and from a case body depending on the state of operation or a preference of the operator. The feeder includes a case body, a sphere discharge port and a discharge device, so as to discharge a sphere one by one by pushing down the discharge device. The discharge device is provided with an operation lever which extends out of the case body and can be pushed down by a finger. A slide cover surrounding an outer periphery of the case body is attached to the case body in such a way that it can be moved freely in a vertical direction and can be detached from the case body. The slide cover is engaged with the operation lever of the discharge device so that it can be moved integrally with the discharge device.

Abstract: A sub-assembly for use in a medication dispenser station for controller actuated dispensing of pharmaceutical items in single quantities from locked storage and allowing rapid reloading of more items all under extreme security and heightened accountability, comprising a chassis for insertion into the cabinet for secure mounting therein, including an unlockable front reloading access door, pharmaceutical retrieval tray depending therebelow and a discharge chute opening from interior the access door down into the tray, at least one narrow stock-supporting magazine slidably mounted in the chassis extending rearward from inside the front access door for retaining a stock of pharmaceutical items in vertically oriented, front-to-rear alignment therein, an ejector interconnected the magazine for moving the forward-most pharmaceutical item in the magazine into position over the discharge chute for dispensing into the retrieval tray upon command while retaining the other items in locked storage in the magazine, a bi-s

Abstract: Dispensing machines are described which are suitable for use in a cold environment. The machines have a plurality of storage locations for supporting articles to be dispensed, each of which includes an electrical heating element. The heating elements can be energized individually and the heat generated by an energized heating element causes an article supported at the respective storage location to be released.

Abstract: The present device is a magazine (10) which includes housing defining a medication storage area. An access door (22) is provided in the housing to gain access to stock the storage area with unit dose medication containers (34). The housing defines an open lower periphery which is covered by at least one locking mechanism having a release door (156). The locking mechanism includes a plurality of cams (166, 174, 186) cooperatively contained such that upon sequential operation, the release door (156) opens the lower periphery which allows the unit dose medication containers (34) to fall.

Abstract: A can lid feeder, for use with a can seamer, has a separator for can lids which projects into a drop hole provided in a cylindrical body at the bottom of a hopper and which separates dropped and stacked can lids one by one from the bottom of the stack. A rotary shaft of the separator extends in a gear box which is supported in the feeder in a freely swingable manner. The gear box is swingable so that the separator can move in the radial direction with respect to the cylindrical body having the drop hole. After a side surface of the swinging gear box has been brought into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body, the gear box is fixed in position by a clamp lever.

Abstract: An automatic electronic component mounting apparatus for automatically mounting electronic components on the printed circuit board includes an electronic component supply mechanism for supplying an electronic component to a predetermined position, at least one mounting head movable in a Y direction, a first controlling mechanism for moving the mounting head in the Y direction, a movable frame movable in an X direction, a second controlling mechanism for moving the movable frame in the X direction and controlling the position of the movable frame in the X direction, a support base supported to the movable frame, and a table carrying a printed circuit board and turnable in a .theta. direction. The table is rotatably supported on the support base so that when the X directional position of the movable frame is controlled by the second controlling mechanism, the X directional position of the table is also controlled. A third controlling mechanism is provided for controlling a .theta.

Abstract: Apparatus for feeding logs into a feed chute comprising a dead deck extending laterally outwardly and sloping upwardly at least from a feed chute first side top edge; the sloping dead deck being capable of supporting a grapple load pile of side-by-side logs substantially parallel to the chute opening; the sloping dead deck having a lower portion with a front edge from which logs can roll off and fall into the chute; and the sloping dead deck lower front portion having a plurality of stops movable from a first position, which retains a complete pile of logs on the dead deck, to different positions suitable for metering the long logs by gravity into the chute.

Abstract: A slant-shelf magazine for an automatic, coin controlled, vending machine adapted to dispense cylindrical articles, such as canned or bottled beverages, which are stored and gravitationally fed from plural, parallel, horizontally inclined superposed storage racks into a vertical drop chute located opposite the lower ends of such racks. The drop chute communicates with a horizontally inclined delivery chute having a vend mechanism at its lowermost end for releasing articles one-by-one to a discharge hopper upon customer selection. The delivery chute is oppositely inclined from the storage racks and is joined to the drop chute by an intervening curvilinear guideway formed to reverse the gravitational movement direction of the articles prior to entry into the delivery chute for purposes of reducing article load forces on the vend mechanism.

Abstract: A dispenser device for removing planar panels from a hopper is provided with a panel engagement drum located at the discharge of the hopper which includes friction surfaces at spaced apart locations around the perimeter for sequentially engaging subsequent bottom-most panels in the hopper and extracting them from the hopper as the drum continuously rotates. A positioner is engagable with disengagable from the bottom-most panel at the hopper discharge end to position the bottom-most spacer at a location to be engaged by the friction surfaces of the drum. A stop is operatively responsive with the positioner for engagement with the penultimate one of the panels for preventing the penultimate one of the panels from moving to the location of the positioner during the time period the positioner is in its panel disengaged position.

Abstract: An apparatus for oriented application of a raised pavement marker to a roadway surface includes a reservoir of liquid adhesive; means for discharging a portion of liquid adhesive to form a deposit on the roadway, means for dispensing a raised pavement marker onto the top of the adhesive deposit; and means for aligning the marker at a desired orientation. The apparatus may also include a magazine for storing and sequentially delivering a plurality of raised pavement markers to the means for dispensing. The magazine has inclined walls which accommodate markers with rounded tops and prevent twisting or jamming of the markers.

Abstract: A ramp apparatus for causing a plurality of containers disposed in a staggered stack column to converge into a single stack column for subsequent dispensing by a single column dispensing mechanism, the ramp apparatus having an upper edge of a configuration such as not to contact a substantial portion of a container passing thereover at any one time and a supporting surface operable to cause the containers to converge to form the single stack column in a minimum of vertical distance while simultaneously inhibiting the containers from bridging with adjoining containers.

Abstract: Apparatus for singularizing garment hangers in a plant wherein the hooks of garment hangers are slidable along a downwardly sloping ramp has a stop with a tooth extending upwardly from an intermediate portion of the ramp. The tooth has a substantially vertical arresting flank confronting the oncoming hooks, and a downwardly sloping second flank defining with the arresting flank an apex at a level above the topmost portion of the hook which is arrested by the tooth. An elevator, which is movable up and down by a fluid-operated motor, has a leg which is reciprocable adjacent the stop upstream of the arresting flank to lift the foremost arrested hook to a level above the apex so that the lifted hook can ride over the tooth and descends onto the ramp below the stop. The leg of the elevator has a top land which slopes downwardly and is flush with the second flank of the tooth in the upper position of the elevator to facilitate downward movement of the lifted hook. The effective width of the top land is between 0.

Abstract: An article dispensing machine (10) comprising a cabinet (12) containing a plurality of upstanding columns (14),(15),(16) each of which includes a first serpentine track unit (17) having an upper article receiving end (19) and a lower article dispensing end (21), the first track unit (17) having serpentine track sections overlying each other in contiguous relationship, a second track unit (22) including an upper serpentine section (23) disposed above the first track unit (17) and including also a rear substantially straight, vertically disposed track section (26) connected to the lower end of the upper section (23) and disposed behind said first track unit (17) and having a lower article dispensing end (27), and article dispensing control units (28),(29) at the lower dispensing ends of said first and second track units, each control unit selectively pushing and lifting an article (18),(18') to be dispensed for aiding the release thereof.

Abstract: An article dispenser especially advantageous for dispensing pills of the prescription drug or over-the-counter type, comprises three components including a container member, a dispenser control member and a flexible member. The container member provides a dispenser portion through which the articles are passed in a serial array whereby one article reaches an exit aperture while the remaining articles are restrained at gate apertures within the dispenser portion by the flexible member and the control member. The dispenser components are preferably made of low-cost molded plastic and when assembled provide an easy access dispenser not requiring two hands for activation.

Abstract: A machine which supports a stack of bins adapted to store small objects prior to shipment. The machine includes an elevator which acts in conjunction with the bin retainers and a programmable controller to remove one bin from the stack and lower it into a filling position. After the filling is completed the elevator lowers the filled bin onto a transport conveyor which removes the bin to a remote storage area.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for dispensing items are disclosed. A preferred dispenser (20) according to the invention includes a vend unit (24) suitable for placement in a small (e.g., four cubic feet) refrigerator (22). The vend unit (24) is preferably an all-mechanical device including a coin receiver mechanism (30) operatively coupled to four delivery doors (26) and associated levers (28). Upon insertion of the proper coinage within coin receiver mechanism (30), and movement of one of the levers (28), an associated slide member (54,56) is caused to move. This in turn enables one of the doors (26) to open, allowing access to an item from the selected group. When one of the slide members (54,56) moves, movement of the remaining slide members (54,56) is precluded by blocking pivots (90,162).

Abstract: Articles such as cans vertically stacked on a serpentine shelf (30) and on a longitudinally inclined shelf (33) at the lower end thereof are dispensed one at a time by a motor driven article release mechanism (24). A single can is dispensed for each user actuation of the release mechanism (24). A pair of longitudinally and arcuately spaced fingers (72), (73) are mounted for rotation as a unit as a part of the mechanism (24), and extend at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the cans in the section. The lowermost finger (72) is normally in can-blocking position and the upper finger (73) is normally in a non-can-blocking position. Upon actuation of the mechanism, the fingers are rotated sequentially from their normal positions to a second position, where a lowermost can (C') is released and the next adjacent can (C") held in place, to their normal positions where the next adjacent can (C") moves by gravity down against the lowermost finger (72).

Abstract: A clip dispenser for dispensing resilient, generally U-shaped plastic clips. The clips are useful in holding closed the folded over ends of a paperboard container for a foodstuff, such as a portable liquid. The dispenser is in the general form of a vertically disposed rack having a horizontal lower portion, the horizontal lower portion being twisted at about 35.degree. with respect to the horizontal. In use, a foodstuff container having a folded over and generally top portion is inserted upwardly into the endmost part of the horizontal portion to receive a clip. The container is then withdrawn, the clip pushed down upon the horizontal portions of the container, thereby concealing the container. The dispenser includes a reciprocating blocking gate for use when the rack is loaded with a new supply of clips. The end of the horizontal portion carries a recess through which the clips are dispensed, the recessed provided with a plurality of spring-urged detents which serve to maintain the clips in place.

Abstract: A container for storing and dispensing small objects, such as capsules or pills containing medicament, one at a time, consists of a receptacle containing, within itself, a delivery mechanism including a funnel-shaped exit port for capsules and a capsule or pill delivery tube at the end of said funnel-shaped exit designed to accommodate no more than one pill or capsule. This funnel divides the outer receptacle into an upper storage compartment and a lower delivery compartment. The receptacle also contains between the exit end of the receptacle and the delivery tube a resilient gate member positioned to prevent or allow escape of a capsule or pill from the delivery tube. The inner end of the receptacle is pressed into or twisted in the user's hand which moves the resiliently mounted gate members, thus opening the delivery tube and delivering a single small object to the user.

Abstract: Electrical connectors are slidably received in side-by-side serial array in elongated, hollow tubular cassettes. The cassettes are shaped to receive the connectors only in a single orientation, and protect terminals which partly extend from the connector housings in an intermediate assembly stage. Cassettes are vertically stacked in a feed system, and when the bottom cassette is emptied of connectors, it is released from the stack and replaced with a full cassette.

Abstract: A release mechanism is disclosed for releasing an object such as a ball from a body under the force of gravity. A bimetallic element obstructs or opens an opening in the body for retaining or releasing the object depending upon the temperature of the bimetallic element. The release mechanism may be incorporated into a novelty "brass monkey" for "emasculating" the monkey when the temperature decreases to a predetermined temperature at which the balls in the "brass monkey" are permitted to drop to a base which is designed to produce an audible sound when struck by the balls.