A vending machine for dispensing heated peanuts, comprising:
- a substantially enclosed housing having an upper, a lower and a front portion thereof;
- an upper reservoir within the upper portion of said housing for containing a quantity of peanuts, and including a bottom thereof having a small planer outlet for permitting peanuts to fall from said upper reservoir when the outlet is not covered;
- said upper portion of said housing having a transparent wall for displaying a quantity of peanuts within said upper reservoir;
- said housing further including a generally planer support member fixed generally horizontally within said housing and closely spaced below the outlet of said upper reservoir and having an aperture therein which is offset laterally in relationship to the outlet of said upper reservoir;
- an actuator including a proximal portion thereof extending outside of the front of said housing and adapted to receive coinage, and a distal portion thereof extending within said housing and including a laterally slidable member having a planer upper surface adapted to slidably engage the outlet of said upper reservoir and a planer lower surface adapted to slidably engage said fixed support member and having a through compartment formed therein between the upper surface and the lower surface defining a volume corresponding to a desired small quantity of peanuts and having an upper surface compartment opening and a lower surface compartment opening whereby said slidable member is in a first lateral position having the upper surface compartment opening aligned with said outlet and having the lower surface compartment opening enclosed by said fixed support member for filling the compartment with peanuts, and whereby said slidable member is translatable into a second lateral position having the upper planer surface closing said outlet and having the lower surface compartment opening aligned with the aperture in said fixed member for emptying the peanuts from the compartment;
- a lower reservoir for receiving the small quantity of peanuts;
- a first chute means inclined downwardly from the aperture in said fixed support member to said lower reservoir for facilitating the transfer of peanuts to said lower reservoir;
- said lower reservoir including a generally semi-cylindrically shaped container positioned generally horizontally and parallel within and closely spaced from the front of said housing, and biased into a receiving position having the open portion thereof oriented upwardly for receiving peanuts and is pivotable into an emptying position having the open portion thereof oriented downwardly for dispensing peanuts from said lower reservoir;
- a stirring means including a plurality of rotatable blades arranged generally cylindrically and coaxially within said lower reservoir;
- a set of radiant heat lamps directed toward said lower reservoir for heating the peanuts in said lower reservoir;
- circuitry means including a switch means actuatable by the distal portion of said actuator, a timer means triggered by said switch means for energizing said heat lamps for a designated duration, and motor means for rotating said stirring means;
- and
- means for pivoting said lower reservoir for dispensing the heated peanuts from said housing.