Abstract: Computationally implemented methods and systems include acquiring user preference information of a user that indicates one or more customized food preferences of the user including at least one or more preferences related to integrity of one or more ingredients for use in generating one or more customized food items; identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user; and presenting, in response at least in part to the identification, one or more indicators that direct the user to at least one automated customized food generation machine. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.

Abstract: A medicine feeding unit configured to feed solid medicines, the unit including: a medicine feeder having a driven shaft and a support having a driving shaft that is connected with the driven shaft. The driven shaft has a driven shaft body and a driven engagement member. The driving shaft has a driving shaft body and a driving engagement member. The driven engagement member is biased in a direction approaching the driving engagement member. The unit further includes a rotation preventing part configured to allow the driven engagement member to rotate in a mounted state in which the medicine feeder is mounted on the support and to prevent the driven engagement member from rotating in a detached state in which the medicine feeder is detached from the support.

Abstract: Dispensers for packaging solid unit dosage forms, e.g., tablets, are described herein, the dispensers employing a deformable elastomeric wiper seal between a cover and a base. The cover is linearly or rotatably slidable relative to the base to seal and/or expose the compartments of the base.

Abstract: A storage device is designed to keep retrievably the turning parts of a hand tool. The device comprises a base, and a rotating seat mounted rotatably on the base. The base is provided with a plurality of urging blocks, each having at least one inclined face. The rotating seat is provided with a series of retaining slots and insertion slots in communication with the retaining slots. The insertion slots are corresponding in location to the urging blocks. The retaining slots are used for keeping the turning parts of the hand tool. The turning parts are caused to move upward along the inclined faces of the urging blocks so as to jut out of the retaining slots at the time when the rotating seat is turned in relation to the base.

Abstract: The vending machine disclosed automatically assembles and delivers a made-to-order food item such as a submarine sandwich, salad, taco, or sandwich wrap in response to a customer order. The machine includes a conveyer that produces relative motion between a food item and ingredient dispensing stations that dispense customer-selected ingredients, including condiments, dressings, seasonings, sliced meats and cheeses, vegetables, and soft sandwich spreads. The machine may include an oven that bakes a portion of the food item, and may include a computer with a network interface.

Abstract: A product dispenser comprising a cover, a slidable push element, a base and a landing is provided. The cover and the base are rotatable with respect to each other about a common axis. The cover comprises a roof opening in which the push element slides in opposing directions, advancing product from the interior of the cover onto the landing. In a preferred embodiment, the dispenser houses miniature zinc air batteries, secured to the base using an adhesive platform. When a cell is advanced from the interior of the cover onto the landing, the cell is separated from the adhesive platform, allowing air to pass into the cell and the cell to be activated. The landing preferably comprises a magnet for releasably securing product. The dispenser is then used as an inserter for orienting and placing the product in position in a device. The product is not directly handled during its removal from the dispenser or during its insertion into a device.

Abstract: Automated vending machine that can hold a large number of items while occupying only a small footprint. The main elements of the device are a hollow housing comprised of item loading and dispensing openings. Mounted within the housing is a motor-driven conveyor to which are affixed a plurality of item mounts, each mount associated with one of plurality of item identifiers. A sensor keeps track of the items on the conveyor. Inputs to an interface mounted on the device signal a processor controllably coupled to the motor, item mounts, sensor and loading and dispensing opening.

Abstract: An improved card feeding apparatus and associated method for feeding plastic cards to a printer. The apparatus can be used in any system where plastic cards are fed into a printer, but has particular use in a self-service, automated card issuance kiosk. The apparatus includes a support structure, and a card cassette is mounted on the support structure for holding a plurality of cards. The card cassette is moveable relative to the support structure, with the card cassette defining a discrete position for each card. A card picker is mounted on the support structure, with the card picker being capable of picking any one of the plurality of cards from the card cassette. Since each card has a discrete position within the card cassette, the card cassette can be moved past the card picker and any one of the cards within the card cassette can be picked by the card picker, and subsequently fed to a printer to personalize the card.

Abstract: An improved cable tie dispensing apparatus includes a cutting and feeding apparatus which advances and severs a cable tie from an elongate strip of cables ties for delivery to an automatic cable tie installation tool. The cutting and feeding apparatus provides an elongate platform for supporting a cable tie strip therealong and a severing location adjacent one end of the platform which is defined to support one cable tie. An alignment pilot is supported adjacent the severing location and is movable towards the severing location so as to separate the supported cable tie from the strip to which it is connected. The alignment pilot includes a punch for severing the web between adjacent cable ties upon movement of the pilot toward the severing location. A firing chamber is included which has an open face for insertion of a single cable tie therein. The open face is sealably closed by movement of the pilot toward the severing location.

Abstract: A tube magazine component feeder is disclosed. The component feeder is reconfigurable to accommodate different tube magazine sizes and different component configurations. The component feeder includes a pair of upright masts for supporting loaded tube magazines in a stacked upright manner. The spatial separation of the two masts is adjustable to accommodate different tube magazine lengths. Other elements of the component feeder are adjustable or replaceable so as to quickly and easily adapt the device to a different tube magazine size or different component configuration.

Abstract: A coin-operable automatic packaged diaper dispenser has a plurality of endless conveyors mounted rotatably within a housing. Each of the conveyors has a plurality of diaper storage shelves mounted thereon in pivotal manner. The conveyors are rotatable incrementally by an electric motor controlled by a coin-operable switch. A deflector stud is mounted within the housing at a location where it is engageable serially with each of the shelves as they approach a diaper discharge station to thereby effect pivotal movement of the shelf to discharge the packaged diaper to a delivery opening in a wall of the housing. When the shelf reaches the discharge station the stud disengages from the shelf and a return spring restores the shelf to its original position.