Vending machine with improved flexibility of product distribution

Abstract

A vending machine designed to increase the flexibility of product storage and distribution therein, allowing specific product capacities to be increased or decreased in small increments without a loss of product selection. In the vending machine, a plurality of substantially vertical partitions define a plurality of vertical adjacent columns for product storage, wherein adjacent product storage columns are separated by a vertical partition. A removable product transfer shelf is placed at a selected vertical position in at least one particular product storage column, such that products below the transfer shelf are vended by actuation of the vending mechanism for that particular product column, while products above the transfer shelf are transferred thereby to an adjacent product column to be vended by the vending machine for the adjacent product column. A transfer gate is positioned adjacent to the product transfer shelf in the vertical partition between the particular product column and the adjacent product column. The transfer gate pivotally opens into the adjacent product column after the level of products therein falls below the gate to allow it to open. Thereafter, the product transfer shelf transfers products through the open transfer gate from the particular product column to the adjacent product column.