Appeal No. 2004-0193 Page 4
Application No. 09/165,272
a guide member extending along a conveying path and supporting each
article,
said guide member decreasing in cross-section at a selected location
along said conveying path such that selected articles fall off said guide member
at said selected location.
Joschko's invention relates generally to vending apparatus and is more
particularly directed to vending apparatus and control apparatus therefor which
is adapted to selectively vend one of a plurality of articles to be vended, one at a time, in
such a manner whereby like articles are vended, or dispensed, in the same order in
which they are stored. Figure 5 illustrates an embodiment in which a motor means
126 is mounted on a mounting member 128 which is held rigidly in a position with
respect to further mounting member 124 which may be suitably mounted inside of an
enclosure member 11. Motor means 126 is connected to a flexible shaft portion 123,
having a diameter T, through suitable connecting means 125. A further shaft portion
122 is comprised of a helical screw element which is nonrotatably connected to
flexible portion 123 and to shaft portion 121 which is of substantially the same minor
diameter as portion 122. A further portion 127 at the right-hand end is adapted to be
loosely journaled in an opening therefor in member 124 so that the shaft is free to rotate
in accordance with the output of motor means 126. A plurality of articles 40A to 40Z are
shown suspended in position on the shaft by tabs 50 (see Figure 7). Article 40A is
shown in position as it is about to be dispensed into a delivery chute 133. Flexible
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