Article dispensing apparatus for selectively dispensing articles

An apparatus for discharging articles into a receiver comprising:

• a. a housing structure having a chamber arranged to removably receive a plurality of dispenser magazines inserted horizontally therein;
• each magazine having a vertically aligned upper and lower opening therein, the openings of the dispenser magazines being in vertical alignment when the magazines are disposed in the housing structure chamber;
• b. a magazine wheel rotatable in each magazine, and including a ring of compartments open at their axial ends for sequential alignment with the openings in its corresponding magazine;
• c. means for advancing selected magazine wheels to discharge the contents of corresponding compartments into a receiver;
• d. and a locking means for each magazine to prevent rotation of the corresponding magazine wheel when removed from the housing structure.

An apparatus for discharging articles into a receiver comprising:

• a. a housing structure having a chamber arranged to removably receive a plurality of dispenser magazines inserted horizontally therein;
• each magazine having a vertically aligned upper and lower opening therein, the openings of the dispenser magazines being in vertical alignment when the magazines are disposed in the housing structure chamber;
• b. a magazine wheel rotatable in each magazine, and including a ring of compartments open at their axial ends for sequential alignment with the openings in its corresponding magazine;
• c. means for advancing selected magazine wheels to discharge the contents of corresponding compartments into a receiver;
• d. each magazine including a removable cover to expose the corresponding magazine wheel for reloading articles therein;
• e. and a concealed lock means for each magazine to prevent unauthorized removal of its cover.

An apparatus for discharging articles into a receiver comprising:

• a. a housing structure having a chamber arranged to removably receive a plurality of dispenser magazines inserted horizontally therein, each magazine having a vertically aligned upper and lower opening therein, the openings of the dispenser magazines being in vertical alignment when the magazines are disposed in the housing structure chamber;
• b. a magazine wheel rotatable in each magazine, and including a ring of compartments open at their axial ends for sequential alignment with the openings in its corresponding magazine;
• c. and means for advancing selected magazine wheels to discharge the contents of corresponding compartments into a receiver;
• advancing means including a drive member carried by the housing structure and extending into a corresponding magazine for engagement with its magazine wheel;
• and a pawl to prevent reverse movement of the magazine wheel.

An article dispensing apparatus suitable for selectively dispensing a plurality of dissimilar articles comprising at least two magazines along a substantially vertical axis;

• a. said magazines comprising a plurality of compartments, said compartments being separated by radially extending sidewalls and being rotatable around a center portion from which the sidewalls extend;
• b. said magazines having a bottom portion containing an opening approximately the size of one of the compartments, the openings between the magazines being in substantially vertical alignment such that when a compartment of a magazine containing an article is rotated into vertical alignment with the openings, the article is dispersed out of the magazine and through the openings of all of the magazines beneath it;
• c. each of said magazines having a top portion for sealing and locking the articles in the compartments which may be opened for filling the magazines;
• d. said magazine having a locking means which contacts said rotatable compartments to prevent manual rotation of said compartments upon removal of the magazines from the dispensing apparatus;
• e. said magazines having a switching means electrically connected to a control means;
• f. a control means for selectively activating a drive means;
• g. and drive means comprising a plurality of drive wheels corresponding to the number of magazines which rotate the compartments of each magazine and which may be selectively activated by the control means and which upon rotation of a compartment into alignment with the openings is deactivated by the switch means.

A pharmaceutical dosage dispensing magazine for use in conjunction with a dispensing drive means, the magazine comprising:

• a. a wheel member having a ring of dosage receiving compartments;
• b. an enclosure for the rotatable member having an outlet for dispensing dosages from the wheel member;
• c. means carried by the wheel member engageable by the drive means for turning the wheel member in increments to effect discharge of dosages in sequence;
• d. means operable when the enclosure is removed from the drive means for locking the wheel member against rotation to return the dosages in their respective pockets.

An apparatus for discharging articles into a receiver comprising:

• a. a housing structure having a chamber arranged to removably receive a plurality of dispenser magazines inserted horizontally therein;
• each magazine having a vertically aligned upper and lower opening therein, the openings of the dispenser magazines being in vertical alignment when the magazines are disposed in the housing structure chamber;
• b. a magazine wheel rotatable in each magazine, and including a ring of compartments open at their axial ends for sequential alignment with the openings in its corresponding magazine;
• c. means for advancing selected magazine wheels to discharge the contents of corresponding compartments into a receiver;
• d. each magazine including a slidable cover on one side thereof, the cover having a locking boss;
• a locking pawl within the magazine engagable with the locking boss to secure the cover;
• and magnetic means engagable with the magazine, when free of the housing structure, for disengaging the locking pawl and boss to permit removal of the cover.

An apparatus for discharging articles into a receiver comprising:

• a. a housing structure having a chamber arranged to removably receive a plurality of dispenser magazines inserted horizontally therein;
• each magazine having a vertically aligned upper and lower opening therein, the openings of the dispenser magazines being in vertical alignment when the magazines are disposed in the housing structure chamber;
• b. a magazine wheel rotatable in each magazine, and including a ring of compartments open at their axial ends for sequential alignment with the openings in its corresponding magazine;
• c. means for advancing selected magazine wheels to discharge the contents of corresponding compartments into a receiver;
• said means including a plurality of drive wheels corresponding to the neumber of magazines, an activating means to cause selected drive wheels to engage and advance corresponding magazine wheels;
• and deactivating means to cause disengagement of the drive wheels from the magazine wheels on predetermined rotation.