Serpentine magazine for can venders

Abstract

A multiple column magazine for storing cylindrical articles, such as canned beverages, useful in coin controlled vending machines, employing one or more of such magazines. Each magazine is made up of parallel side wall members having integrally related track portions extending into the space between adjacent wall members and forming a pair of non-overlapping serpentine columns separated in front to back relationship within the magazine. The track portions define continuous rails along which the canned articles gravitationally roll. Each serpentine column is loaded with articles from the front of the magazine and has an electrically operated vend mechanism at its lower end for the selected release of articles therefrom. The columns are characterized by substantially horizontal flights which merge with curvelinear flights to define serpentine rails for the movement of the cans and which are arranged to avoid jamming of articles in the columns, to maximize storage capacity therein, to accommodate different diameter canned articles and to minimize the effective load on the vend mechanism whereby the latter is readily removable for replacement or repair.