The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 09, 1994
Filed:
Jun. 03, 1993
Algert J Maldanis, Heath, TX (US);
Robert I Courts, Caledonia, MI (US);
Dennis Dutkevitch, Clifton, NJ (US);
David J Mooney, Flanders, NJ (US);
C-Power Companies, Inc., Rockwell, TX (US);
Abstract
A vending mechanism for a cylindrical article dispenser of a type having a column of stacked cylindrical articles moved along a dispensing pathway by a force, such as by the force of gravity, is disclosed, which has an escapement mechanism which is attachable in operative alignment with a vending pathway of a column of stacked cylindrical articles. An upstream arm is pivotably attached in the escapement mechanism, having a first position blocking a portion of the vending pathway and having a second position retracted from the vending pathway to allow cylindrical articles to move past the upstream arm. A downstream arm is pivotably attached in the escapement mechanism, having a first position blocking a portion of the vending pathway and having a second position retracted from the vending pathway to allow cylindrical articles to move past the downstream arm. A first rotary cam is rotatably attached in the escapement mechanism and has a profile shape for moving the upstream arm between its first and second positions. A second rotary cam is coaxially rotatable with the first cam and has a profile shape for moving the downstream arm between its second position and its first position. The first and second rotatable cams have their profile shapes offset with respect to each other so that the upstream arm is moved into its blocking position only when the downstream arm is also in its blocking position, and so that the downstream arm is moved into or out of its blocking position only when the upstream arm is in its blocking position, such that co-rotation of the cams does not act to raise either the upstream or the downstream arm against the force which causes the column to move along the dispensing pathway.