Dispensing Mechanism for Popcorn Popper

A hot air popcorn popper comprising:

• a heating element and a blower fan,
• a cooking surface adapted to receive kernels of corn,
• a popping chamber into which popcorn enters after being popped, the popping chamber having an inlet and an outlet, the popping chamber inlet being adjacent to the cooking surface, the popping chamber outlet being spaced from the popping chamber inlet;
• a seed storage compartment configured to receive kernels of un-popped corn;
• a dispenser being configured to move between a receiving position and a dispensing position, in the receiving position, the dispenser receiving kernels of un-popped corn from the seed storage compartment, and in the dispensing position, the dispenser dispensing the received kernels of un-popped corn onto the cooking surface;
• a driver operatively engaged with the dispenser for moving the dispenser between the receiving position and the dispensing position;
• a follower operatively connected to the driver for movement with the driver as the dispenser between the dispensing and receiving positions;
• a counter having a plurality of contact surfaces arranged in a sequence;
• and
• a latch configured to engage the counter and maintain the counter in position as the counter is incrementally moved between first and second stops;
• wherein when the dispenser moves between the dispensing and receiving positions, the driver positions the follower to engage a contact surface in the sequence and move the counter to a first position between the first and second stops with latch engaging the counter to retain the counter in the first position, and when the dispenser again moves between the dispensing and receiving positions, the driver positions the follower to engage a contact surface next in the sequence and move the counter to a second position between the first and second stops with latch engaging the counter to retain the counter in the second position.