Dispensing machine
AssigneeIshida Co., Ltd.
InventorRobert Bennett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dispensing machine has a passageway for product with an upper inlet for receiving product and a lower outlet for dispensing product, the outlet is provided with a closing means which serves to retain the product within the passageway. The closing means has three blades pivotally mounted for movement in a substantially horizontal plane between a closed position in which the blades engage one another generally centrally of the passageway and an open position in which the blades are separated to allow product to drop out of the outlet, movement of the blades being controlled by a common drive crank with links connecting the blades to the common drive crank.
Claims14
A dispensing machine comprising a passageway for product having an upper inlet for receiving product and a lower outlet for dispensing product, said outlet being provided with a closing means which serves to retain the product within the passageway, said closing means having at least two blades pivotally mounted for movement in a substantially horizontal plane between a closed position in which the blades engage one another generally centrally of the passageway and an open position in which the blades are separated to allow product to drop out of the outlet, movement of the blades being controlled by a common actuator, the blades being interconnected so that they are driven in unison between open and closed positions, characterized in that the actuator is a rotary actuator coupled to the blades so that their motion approximates to simple harmonic motion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.