Crane Merchandising Systems, Inc.

Dixie-Narco, Inc.

Charles Wayne Percy

Bryan Alan Collins

Kevin A Poyck

Dan Bowen

Paul Miller

Gregory Scott Sullivan

Aron Phillip Lewis

William E Roe

Denise Schmidt

John P Ardern

Rainer Bernhard Teufel

Jeffrey T DeBord

Jay F Perkins

Michael T Kopczewski

Paul Hayward Kelly

Douglas G Schaefer

Joshua Robert Powell

Alvin V Russell

Richard T Albert

John Robinson

Russell Watts

John Ardern

Denise A Schmidt

A vending machine includes a cabinet having a product storage zone and a product delivery mechanism that transports a selected product to a consumer. The vending machine includes a door assembly pivotally mounted relative to the cabinet for selectively providing access to the product storage zone. The door assembly includes an outer, exposed surface and an inner surface that are spaced to define an inner door zone including a vertical drop zone that terminates in a delivery area. A portal is formed in the inner surface of the door assembly and leads from the product storage zone into the door zone. A discharge element is provided on the inner surface of the door assembly and cooperates with the product delivery mechanism to dispense the selected product through the portal as the product delivery mechanism moves past the portal.

Product delivery and discharge system for a vending machine

A vending machine includes a storage/display region, a dispensing chamber including a product access opening, and an anti-pilfer device that prevents unauthorized removal of products from the storage/display region through the product access opening. A delivery door is provided which can be shifted from a closed position to an open position to enable the removal of products from the dispensing chamber. The anti-pilfer device includes a plate coupled to a lower portion of the delivery door. When the delivery door is moved from the closed position, the anti-pilfer plate shifts, over a guide element, into a position that prevents products from being withdrawn from the storage/display area. Preferably, the storage/display region and dispensing chamber are separated by a product door, with the anti-pilfer plate preventing the product door from opening when the delivery door is shifted from the closed position.

Anti-pilfering device for a vending machine

A product discharge and delivery system for a vending machine includes a product delivery cup including a carriage portion and a shroud portion having an open bottom section and a discharge element. After receiving a selected product, the product delivery cup is shifted toward a dispensing chamber causing the discharge element to engage with a discharge member mounted within the vending machine. Engagement of the discharge element and discharge member causes the shroud portion to pivot relative to the carrier portion exposing the open bottom section allowing a selected product to release into a dispensing chamber. A delivery port is mounted in the dispensing chamber that rotated between a product receiving position and a product delivery position.

Product discharge and delivery system for a vending machine

A vending machine includes first and second release mechanisms mounted to front portions of adjacent shelf dividers extending along a product shelf and establishing a product queue. A product transport system is arranged in the cabinet to carry a selected product container from the product queue towards a delivery chamber. A drive mechanism, operatively connected to each of the first and second release mechanisms, is mounted to an underside of the product shelf to simultaneously shift the first and second release mechanisms in order to release a selected product to the product transport system.

Drive system for a vending machine dispensing assembly

A product delivery system for a vending machine includes first and second guide rails and a carriage rail. The guide rails are fixedly mounted in the vending machine spaced from and parallel to each other and extend along respective first and second axes. The carriage rail extends along a third axis and includes first and second ends that are slidably connected to the respective ones of the first and second guide rails. A carrier member is slidably mounted to the carriage rail for movement along the third axis. A first drive belt is coupled to the carriage rail and a first drive motor to selectively shift the carrier member along the third axis. A second drive belt, extending in multiple axes, is connected to each of the first and second ends of the carriage rail and a second drive motor. The second drive motor selectively shifts the carriage rail along the first and second axes upon driving the second drive belt.

Product transport system for a vending machine

A vending machine includes first and second integrated dispensing systems mounted at front portions of adjacent product shelf dividers establishing at least first, second and third product queues. Each of the first and second dispensing systems includes first and second release mechanisms having a plurality of hinged plates supported by a frame. The plurality of hinged plates are selectively shifted into and out of corresponding ones of the first, second and third product queues, such that each product queue has associated therewith two opposing release mechanisms. Preferably, at least one of the first and second release mechanisms for each dispensing system includes a queue spacing member which is mounted to one of the hinged plates and projects into the product queue to establish a desired spacing between the release mechanisms.

Tandem gate release mechanism for a vending machine

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.

Modular vending machine

Growing community of inventors

Aiken, SC, United States of America

Charles Wayne Percy