The Vendo Company

William C Hoppe

Theodore L Hanson

A product dispensing machine of the type having conveyor means for moving successive product carriers, each divided into a plurality of separate product carrying compartments, into registry with a product dispensing zone, including separately shiftable access doors or closures for the paths to the various compartments, is provided and employs reliable, predominantly mechanical, control means for normally maintaining the access closures in closed and locked condition denying access to the products, for automatically both unlocking and opening the access closures in a predetermined sequence in response to successive actuation of a dispense cycle actuating means (such as a coinage deposit unit) permitting removal of the product from each of the compartments of the registered carrier in turn, and for automatically moving the next product carrier into registry with the dispensing zone, after all of the products have been sequentially dispensed from the preceding carrier, permitting the sequential dispensing of all products from all of the compartments of each successive carrier to be continued by successive actuation of the cycle actuating means until all products have been dispensed from the machine.

Dispensing apparatus having product access door sequential control

Improved liquid ingredient temperature control apparatus is provided for use with post-mix beverage vending machines which ensures that the beverage ingredients dispensed are maintained at desirable cool temperatures notwithstanding continual or intermittent supply replenishment of the ingredients with quantities thereof initially at ambient temperature. Removable, apertured tank partitions are employed for dividing the ingredient tanks into separate upper and lower zones in restricted partial communication so that any warm ingredients added to the upper zones thereof are prevented from freely admixing with the cool ingredients within the lower zones and thus raising the temperature of the latter. Liquid removal conduits in communication with the lower tank zones are operable to selectively draw volumes of cooled ingredients therefrom as required, thus permitting like volumes of the warm ingredients thereabove to migrate to the lower zones through the apertured tank partitions. In the preferred form, an open-top, water receiving overflow cup is provided for initially receiving water introduced into the upper zone of the water tank.

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Kansas City, MO, United States of America

William C Hoppe