Snack dispenser

2 The method as defined in claim 1 further comprising;

• e) procuring a box containing replenished tiered segment assemblies and an empty coin box,
• f) unlocking a shell over the depleted tiered segment assemblies,
• g) removing the shell,
• h) performing steps a), b), c) and d) above, thus exchanging the deplenished tiered segment assemblies with the replenished tiered segment assemblies,
• i) exchanging a coin box in the vendor with the empty coin box,
• j) placing all removed components in the box,
• k) replacing the shell,
• l) locking the shell.

3 The method of replenishing a snack vendor comprising the steps of:

• a) removing a depleted tiered tray assembly from the snack vendor,
• b) collapsing the depleted tray assembly to substantially uniform level height conformation,
• c) telescoping a replenished tray assembly from uniform level height conformation to a tiered conformation,
• d) placing the replenished tiered tray assembly in the snack vendor.

4 The method as defined in claim 3 further comprising;

• e) procuring a box containing replenished collapsed tiered tray assemblies and an empty coin box,
• f) unlocking a shell over the depleted tiered tray assembly,
• g) removing the shell, then
• h) performing the steps a), b), c) and d) above, thus exchanging the depleted tiered tray assembly with the replenished tiered tray assembly,
• i) exchanging a coin box in the vendor with the empty coin box,
• j) placing all removed components in the box,
• k) replacing the shell,
• l) locking the shell.

5 The method of displaying multiple articles for purchase comprising:

• a) placing some of the articles in slots formed by segmenting a lower transparent circular trough,
• b) placing some of the articles in the slots formed by segmenting an upper transparent circular trough whose outer diameter is slightly smaller than an inner diameter of the lower circular trough,
• c) placing the upper trough within the lower trough,
• d) stepping the height of the upper and lower troughs such that a top of the upper trough is of higher elevation than a top of the lower trough, thereby
• e) forming a tiered stack.

8 The method of securing sale articles in full width slots in a carousel in a vending unit comprising the following steps;

• a) covering the articles with a shell having at least two doors,
• b) rotating the carousel so that a selected slot is under one of the doors,
• c) opening a first door in the shell over the selected slot thus making the sale article therein available,
• d) mechanically blocking opening of other doors over other slots mechanically responsive to the first door opening.

23 The method as defined in claim 22 further comprising;

• o) unblocking opening of additional doors, responsive to movement of additional pins, thereafter
• p) opening a first door, thereby
• q) rotating the cam,
• r) translating an arm by rotation of first cam, therewith
• s) blocking rotation of other cams, thus
• t) blocking the opening of any other door.

26 The method of vending from a structure having

• a) a plurality of moveable troughs,
• b) a blocked door over each trough, and
• c) each trough having a plurality of slots therein
• wherein said method comprises the following steps;
• d) manually moving the troughs such that a desired slot is under one of said doors,
• e) mechanically producing a credit by insertion of money in a coin box,
• f) mechanically unblocking the door over the desired slot mechanically responsive to the credit produced in step e),
• g) manually opening the door over the desired slot,
• h) mechanically blocking all other doors mechanically responsive to the opening of the door over the desired slot,
• i) mechanically locking the movement of the troughs mechanically responsive to the opening of the door, and
• j) mechanically clearing the credit responsive to manually opening the door.

27 The structure of a snack vending system comprising;

• a) a plurality of stacked circular display levels,
• b) at least a portion of said stacked circular display levels being made of transparent material,
• c) each of said stacked circular levels of smaller diameter than the level below, therefore
• d) said stacked display levels when telescoped forming a tiered tray assembly.

33 The structure as defined in claim 27 further comprising:

• e) a shell covering said tiered tray assembly,
• f) said shell locked in place to secure articles thereunder,
• g) said shell shaped with levels to substantially conform to said tiered trays assemblies in the telescoped configuration,
• h) at least a portion of said shell being transparent,
• i) a door hole in each level of said shell to allow access to articles in slots of a level of the tiered tray assembly,
• j) a door slidably mounted one each in the door hole of the shell.

39 The structure as defined in claim 27 further comprising:

• e) said tiered tray assembly comprising a plurality of arcuate segments,
• f) each of said arcuate segments having a portion of each stacked display level,
• g) said stacked display levels of said tiered tray assembly collapsible to substantially uniform height conformation,
• h) a rotatable race,
• i) radial tray supports on said race, each radial tray support having a support surface for each level,
• j) said tiered tray assembly being placed on said tray supports,
• k) a shell covering said tiered tray assembly,
• l) said shell locked in place to secure articles thereunder,
• m) said shell shaped with levels to substantially conform to said tiered trays assemblies in the telescoped configuration,
• n) at least a portion of said shell being transparent,
• o) a door hole in each level of said shell to allow access to the articles in the slots of a level of the tiered tray assembly,
• p) a door slidably mounted one each in the door holes of the shell,
• q) each tray of said tiered tray assembly having permanent dividers forming full width slots between them,
• r) each of said full width slots being capable of division into two single width slots by placing a removable divider in said full width slots,
• s) a pin system to block opening of doors beyond the single slot width when a removable divider is present,
• t) ninety six possible slots with all removable dividers in place,
• u) said tiered tray assembly consisting of four stacked circular display levels.

43 The structure as defined in claim 40 further comprising:

• d) a price block arm,
• e) said price block arm attached to the cam such that rotation of the cam produces linear translation of the price block arm,
• f) a notch on an end of said price block arm,
• g) a removable pin at an extreme end within said notch such that when the removable pin is present said price block arm is blocked from linear translation in one direction which prevents rotation of the cam in one direction which prevents opening of a door.

46 A vending machine as defined in claim 45 having four levels, each having a door, said levels mounted on a rotatable carousel, and further comprising;

• g) a first portion of said cam positioned such that when the cam is rotated in the first direction, said first portion blocks the opening of said second door, and
• h) a second portion of said cam positioned such that when the cam is rotated opposite said first direction, said second portion blocks the opening of said first door,
• i) an interlock arm interlocking a second cam related to doors as the first cam is related to doors such that rotation of any cam blocks rotation of other cams thereby blocking opening of doors,
• j) a price block arm,
• k) said price block arm attached to the cams such that rotation of any of the cams produces linear translation of the price block arm,
• l) a notch on an end of said price block arm,
• m) a removable pin at an extreme end within said notch such that when the removable pin is present said price block arm is blocked from linear translation in one direction which prevents rotation of one of the cams in one direction which prevents opening of the door;
• n) a carousel stop arm which is a portion of means for locking rotation of the carousel,
• o) said carousel stop arm connected to the cams such that rotation of one of the cams, responsive to door opening, translates said carousel stop arm thereby locking rotation of a carousel.