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:
May. 16, 2000
Filed:
Mar. 05, 1998
James Moody Pippin, Keller, TX (US);
Jerry Dale Erwin, Dallas, TX (US);
Siemens ElectroCom, L.P., Arlington, TX (US);
Abstract
A product dispensing apparatus includes a gathering conveyor and a plurality of product dispensers for dispensing items onto the gathering conveyor, the plurality of product dispensers including a first subset of product dispensers and a second subset of product dispensers, the first subset and the second subset have at least one common product dispenser. First and second relays are coupled to the first and second subset of product dispensers, respectively; simultaneously energizing the first and second relay actuates at least one of the product dispensers. The product dispensers are arrayed in a matrix for dispensing products, the matrix of product dispensers having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, corresponding the first and second subset. At least one of the product dispensers is a cartridge dispenser including a solenoid, stop gate and a stripper, the stop gate being moveable between a first and second position for retaining cartridges in the first position and releasing a first cartridge in the second position, the stop gate and the stripper retaining a second cartridge as the first cartridge is released. The apparatus includes a programmable logic controller for engaging the solenoid to dispense products upon defined order zones, separated by buffer zones, on the conveyor and a central control computer coupled to the programmable logic controller for establishing a sequence for dispensing products from the product dispenser matrix.