Beverage dispensing machine and method of operation thereof
AssigneeNature-Pac Inc.
InventorsEdward Frederick Bauman, Barry B. Bauman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dispensing machine is used to disperse plastic water bottles and the like, preferably of a size ranging from approximately one liter to approximately two liters or even larger. The machine can be used to dispense other products in containers as long as the containers are shaped to roll along a shelf. The machine has a vertical channel containing paddles where each paddle supports only some of the containers in the channel when the channel is filled with containers. The paddles move simultaneously to gently lower the containers one space at a time when the machine is activated.
Claims23
A dispensing machine for dispensing generally cylindrical flexible containers of liquid and the like, said machine comprising:
- (a) a housing with an outlet for said containers, said housing containing a plurality of shelves that are sloped toward a vertical channel;
- (b) said channel extending from below a lowermost shelf past an upper most shelf, said channel providing an exit passage for containers from said shelves to said outlet;
- (c) said channel containing a plurality of paddles spaced vertically apart from one another, each paddle being capable of supporting a limited number of containers within said channel;
- (d) said paddles being arranged to move simultaneously to lower one container, for each paddle, at a time from a space in said channel immediately above each paddle to a space in said channel immediately below each paddle;
- (e) with activation means, accessible from outside said housing, to cause said paddles to move simultaneously, thereby moving all containers within the channel downward one space at a time and moving a lowermost container to said outlet;
- and
- (f) said housing being openable to allow access to an interior of said housing for replenishing said housing with containers.
A method of dispensing generally cylindrical, flexible containers of liquid and the like, said containers being of a size ranging from approximately one liter to approximately two liters, using a dispensing machine having a vertical channel with a plurality of shelves sloped toward said channel, said method comprising using two or more movable paddles in said vertical channel so that when said channel is filled with containers, each paddle supports part of the containers within the channel, the paddles together supporting all of the containers in the channel, said paddles being connected to drive means so that said paddles can be simultaneously moved to gently lower each container in the channel to the next lower position by a distance of one container for each activation of the drive means, one container exiting the vertical channel and exiting the housing through an appropriate opening during each activation of the paddles.
A method of dispensing generally cylindrical, flexible containers of liquid and the like from a dispensing machine having a housing with an outlet for said containers, said housing containing a plurality of shelves that are sloped toward a vertical channel, said channel extending from a lowermost shelf past an uppermost shelf with activation means to activate said machine to dispense a container from outside said housing, past an uppermost shelf, said method comprising locating a plurality of supports within said channel, said supports each supporting the containers in said channel above a particular support up to a support immediately above the particular support, moving each support simultaneously as money is inserted into said machine to release one container from each support, a lowermost container being released to said outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.