Storage magazine and feed system for vending cylindrical articles

In an automatic coin-operated vending machine having a magazine for storing a plurality of like cylindrical articles, such as cans or bottles, the combination comprising:

• a pair of vertically oriented track means for carrying a plurality of said articles;
• said track means gravitationally feeding articles to the lower ends thereof whereat said articles are released for falling gravitational movement along two laterally separated, generally vertical movement paths;
• generally horizontal, inclined, planar ramp means extending transversely beneath and laterally across the lower ends of both said track means;
• said ramp means being spaced vertically below the lower ends of said track means in intersection relation with said vertical movement paths whereby to receive articles falling from both said track means;
• first articles from a first of said track means being deposited directly onto the upper elevated end of said ramp means for rolling gravitational movement laterally therealong;
• second articles from the other of said track means being deposited intermediate the ends of said ramp means directly onto the upper surfaces of adjacent first articles on said ramp means in such a manner and location as to be superposed on said adjacent first articles at and along an upper V-shaped spacing therebetween, and
• generally planar, elongated wedge means mounted in generally horizontal, overlying convergent relationship with said ramp means, the upper elevated end of said wedge means being located laterally to one side of and immediately downstream from the area of interengagement between said first and second articles for cooperation with said ramp means to effectively integrate said first and second articles into a single column movable along said ramp means such that said first and second articles are alternately disposed in said single column.