US3543812A

US3543812A - Hygienically enclosed machine and cup-dispensing structure therefor

Info

Publication number: US3543812A
Application number: US702855A
Authority: US
Inventors: Sidney L Friedman
Original assignee: Lanex Importing Co
Current assignee: Lanex Importing Co
Priority date: 1968-02-05
Filing date: 1968-02-05
Publication date: 1970-12-01
Anticipated expiration: 1987-12-01

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Sidney L. Friedman New York, New York [21] Appl. No. 702,855 [22] Filed Feb. 5, 1968 [45 Patented Dec. 1, 1970 [73] Assignee Lanex Importing Company v Lodi, New Jersey [54] IIYGIENICALLY ENCLOSED MACHINE AND CUP- DISPENSING STRUCTURE THEREFOR 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] us. (I r 141 103, 1411165, 141/174, 141/175, 141/373 [51] Int. Cl B65b l/04, B65b 3/04 [50] Field ol'Search......

222/(1nquired); 53/(1nquired); 141/88, 103,104,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,896,210 2/1933 Vogt l4l/175X 2,827,927 141/174X 3/1958 Findlay Primary Examiner-Houston S. Bell, Jr. AttorneySteinberg & Blake ABSTRACT: A dispensing apparatus particularly of the' type which is designed to dispense an edible product. The product is dispensed into a container which is moved by a moving means from a given starting position along a predetermined path to a receiving station where the dispensed product is received and then to a removal station where the container with the product therein is removed. A control means coacts with the moving means to actuate the latter first to move the container from the starting position to thereceiving station, then to stop the operation of the moving means while the container remains for a given dwell period at the receiving station to receive the dispensed product, and then to operate the moving means for continuing the travel of the container from the receiving station to the removal station. The container is slidably supported on a suitable elongated support means from which a pair of end walls extend upwardly with the receiving and removal stations situated between these .end walls, a dispensing means being situated over the support means between the end walls and a door being situated at the removal station, so that in this way for hygienic purposes when dealing with an edible product the space where the product is dispensed is maintained away from the individual who removes the container from the removal station.

Patented Dec. 1,1970 3,543,812

Sheet 3 of 4 INVENTOR. SIDNEY L. FRIEDMAN BY MM ATTORNEYS FIG.6

Patented Dec. 1,197.0 3,543,812

Sheet 4; of4

I t U2 Z54 W l. 2Q O INVENTOR. f O SQ SIDNEY L.FRIEDMAN BY ATTORNEYS HYGIENICALLY ENCLOSED MACHINE AND CUP- DISPENSING STRUCTURE THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to dispensers.

In particular, the present'invention relates to that type of dispenser which is designed to dispense a product, which may be edible, into a container. For example, the type of dispenser to which the present invention relates may be coin operated or manually operated to cause a given amount of an edible product to be dispensedinto a container which after receiving the product is removed from the dispenser.

Many different types of v problems are encountered in dispensers of this general type. For example, the container with the product therein should be removed from a part of the dispenser apparatus which is spaced from the location where the actual dispensing of the product takes place, when dealing with an edible product, so that'in this way the area to which an individual has access for removing a container with the edible product therein is spaced from the area where the edible product is actually dispensed, thus enabling this latter area to be maintained hygienically separated from individuals who use the apparatus. Requirements of this type create the problems of providing, particularly for automatically operated dispensing apparatus, for movement of a container automatically first to agiven receiving station where the product is received in the container and then to a given removal station where the container with the product therein can be removed. Thus, not only is it necessary toprovide for movement of a container to a given receiving station where it will remain while receiving the product, in addition it is then necessary to continue the movement of the container after it has received the product from the receiving station to a removal station which is situated sufficiently beyond the receiving station to prevent access of an individual to the receiving station. These latter problems are of course compounded by the requirement that the structure be designed in such a way that all except the removal station be hygienically enclosed'so that the operator can only remove a container with the product therein from the removal station but will not have any possible access to the receiving station. Of course, it is quite often desired to provide dispensers which are capable of dispensing a plurality of different products, such as products of'differentflavors, and of course this requires a multiplicity of receivingstations with the problem of-making it possible for the operator to bring about stopping of the container at a selected station to receive the product therefrom, and'then thereafter the container with the product therein is displaced from the selected receiving station to the removal station.

Up to the present time there has been no satisfactory solution to these problems. Any known structures which have attempted to solve these problems have been extremely complex resulting in exceedingly high costs and also-creating difficulty with respe'ctto adjustments, maintenance, and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a-primary object of the present inventionto provide aconstruction which will'solve problems of the above type.

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide. a relatively simple structure which can be manufactured and assembled at' relatively low cost and which at the same time will operate vary reliably to achieve the desired dispensing of aproduct which may be edible while at the same time guaranteeingthe highest'standards of hygiene.

Thus, it is a more specific objectofthe present invention to provide a constructionwhich at a commandlfrom an operator will operate automatically to displace a container first to a receiving station to receive aproduct while the container remains at the receivingstation and then to a removal station where the container with the product therein is removed,

while at the same time'maintaining all except the removal staof cleanliness withv respect to theedibleaproduct while.

eliminating any possible inconvenience to the operator with a construction which operates in a fully automatic manner once the dispensing apparatus is set into operation.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to prowhere the containerwill'receive a dispensed product and forthen moving the container with a product therein from the receiving station along this given. path to a removalstation. A control means coacts with the moving means to actuate the latter first to move the container'from the starting position tothe receiving station, to then stop operating for a given dwell periodwhile the product is dispensed into the container which at this time remains stationary at the receiving station, and to then operate for continuing the movement of the container, which now has the dispensed product therein, from the receivin g station to the removal station, The structure includes a support means which slidably supports the container during itsmovement along this'given path, and a pair of end wallsextend upwardly from the support means while there is situated. over the support means a dispensing means which is situated between the end walls to define with the latter and the support means a space in which the removal and receiving stations are situated. At the front of this space is a door which is located at the removal station so that access may be had thereto for removing the container from the removal station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 Ba simplified schematic front elevation of one possible dispensing apparatus which includes the structure of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken along line 2-2.of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows and showing at an enlarged scale as compared to FIG. 1 part of the structure for moving a container and details of the hygienic enclosure of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 3 3 of FIG; I in the direction of the arrows and showing at an enlarged scale ascompared to FIG. I not only part of the hygienic enclosing structure but also details of the structure for movinga container'and for controlling-themovement thereof;

FIG. 4 is a front sectional elevation taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows and showing further details of the: container-moving structure and the hygienic enclosingstructure;

FIG. 5 is a. fragmentary sectional. plan view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4 in thedire'ction of thearrows and showing, at an enlarged scale as compared to FIG. 4', details of the connection between av rotary crank and a swing lever of the moving means which moves the container;

FIG. 6 is a wiring diagram of the electrical control structure; and

FIG. 7' is a view similar to FIG. 5' but showing another embodiment of a structure for connectinga rotary crank to the swing lever.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring nowto the drawings, there isshown in- FIG. 1: a

dispensing apparatus 10' in the form of an upstanding cabinetthe front of which isvisible in FIG. 1. Various panels" at the front of the dispensing'apparatus 10 include units suchas. the

coin receiving unit 12 which may be provided with coin return controls, for example, to return a coin to the receptacle 14 from which the returned coin can be removed. There is also at a central panel controls 16 which may be actuated for selecting one of the pair of different flavors of an edible product which is to be dispensed, this product being, for example, a chilled product in flowable condition such as soft ice cream, sherbert, and the like. One of these selected products is dispensed from a dispensing nozzle 18 while the other of the dispensed products is dispensed from a nozzle 20, these nozzles being situated behind a transparent door 22 provided with a forwardly projecting rib- 24 to enable the operator to grasp and operate the door 22 in a manner described in greater detail below. There is also a panel 26 releasably held on the cabinet by a lock 28 and behind which is located a conven tional magazinefor containers which may be in the form of cups which are delivered one by one from the magazine to be operated upon in a manner described below so as to receive the product.

As may be seen from FIG. 3, the front wall 30 of the dispensing. apparatus is provided with a frame 32- along the opening which is closed by the door 22, and this front wall 30 carries an upper guide 34 and alower guide 36 which support the door 22 for sliding movement to the right and left, as viewed inFIGS. l and 2. As may be seen from FIG. 2, an end stop 38 is carried by the'front wall 30 to determine the closed position of the door 22. As is apparent from FIGS. 2 and 3, a horizontal elongated supportingwall 40 is supported at its underside by an unillustrated supporting structure and extends horizontally at an elevation slightly higher than the bottom guide 36 for the door 22. This horizontal supporting'wall 40 has a front flange 42 and a rear flange 44 which extends downwardly. to a lesser distance than the front flange 42. This wall 40 forms part of a support means which includes an upwardly directed elongated channel member 46 having a lower wall directly engaging the wall 40, and forming a surface on which a container is adapted to slide, so that the support means 40, 46 supports the container C for sliding movement along a given path as will'be apparent from the description which follows. The channel 46 has a front upwardly directed flange 48 and arear upwardly directed flange 50 and it is fixed in any suitable way to the wall 40. In addition the channel 46 is formed with at least one drainage outlet 52 extending through an opening ofthe wall 40 so that any suitable receptacle situated beneath the drainage outlet 52 can receive spillage which melts and flows out through the outlet 52.

At its right end as viewed in FIG. 2, the wall 40 is fixed with a right end wall 54 which extends not only upwardly from the wall 40 but also in a vertical plane between the front wall and a rear wall 56 behind which various mechanisms which do not form partof the invention are located. These mechanisms may include, for example, structure for receiving the product in liquid condition and for beating and refrigerating the productto place it"in a pasty condition in which it is dispensed.

Adjacent the left end of the opening which is closed by the door 22, as'viewed in FIG. 2, there is a second upstanding end wall 58 parallel to the opposed end wall 54 and also extending not only upwardly from the horizontal wall but also between the front wall 30 and the rear wall 56. As may be seen from FIG. 3, the end wall 56 is formed at its lower portion with an opening 60 through which the container C is free to pass,

the container C being deposited from a magazinewhich is behind the panel 26 onto a portion of the channel 46 which is situated to the left of the wall 58, as viewed in FIG. 2. As may I be seen from FIG. 2, the channel 46 is widened at its left end dicated in dot-dashlines in FIG. 2, although FIG. 4 shows a lower portion 64 and a part 66 of this magazine which is actuated in a known manner to deliver the containers C successively to the starting position to the left of the end wall 58 where a container is shown in FIG. 2. I

The rear wall 56 carries at its front surface between the end walls 54 and 58 a discharge unit 68 of a structure" for dispensing the product, this unit 68 communicating through suitable conduits which pass through the wall 56 with the unillustrated structure for supplying the edible product to the discharge nozzles 18 and .20 of the unit 68. Thus, this unit 68 is located over the support means 40, 46, between the

end walls

54 and 58 and defines with thesupport means and the end walls as well as the door 22 an enclosed space in which the product is dispensed. The discharge nozzles 18 and 28 of the dispensing means respectively communicate with cylindrical barrels in which rotaryaugers agitate products of different flavors, respectively, for respective issue through the

nozzles walls

54 and 58, and this backsplash; has at its lower region a' forwardly and downwardly inclined portion 72 also fixed to the

end walls

54 and 58 and having a lower lip which will 4 cause any product which runs down the backsplash 70 and its lower portion 72 to fall onto the support means 40, 46 to be drained therefrom and received in any suitable receptacle.

The door 22 fixedly carries a pair of horizontal rearwardly directed rods of pins 74 and 76. These pins 74 and 76 respectively fixedly carry at their inner endswhich are distant from the door 22 covers 78 and 80 of cubicle configuration which are open only at their left ends, as viewed in FIG. 2, and at their top ends. The positions of these

covers

78 and 80 is such that when the operator engages the projection 24 to displace the door 22 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 2, to its open position, these

covers

78 and 80 will assume positions covering the

discharge nozzles

18 and 20, respectively. The front walls of the

covers

78 and 80 may form portions of a single metal component 82 so as to lend rigidity to the assembly of the covers and pins. The elevation of the covers with respect to the nozzles is apparent from FIG. 3. Although the cover 78 is situated in the plane of FIG. 3 tothe rear of the nozzle 20, it is shown in section in FIG. 3 for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the structure. l

A return spring 84 is connected to the right vertical wall of the cover 80, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 4', and to the right end wall 54, for the purpose of returning the door 22 to its closed position shown in FIG. 2 when the door is released by the operator. a

As is apparent from FIGS. 2-4, when the operator displaces the door to the left from its closed toward its open position, the

covers

78 and 80 will be. displaced to positions respectively covering the

discharge nozzles

18 and 20, and the coverswill additionally engage the right end surfaces of the nozzles, as viewed in FIG. 4, to form therewith a limiting means for limiting the extent to which the door'is opened.'ln

this way the operator can have access only to the region of the support means 49, 46 which is adjacent to the right end wall 54, and this region forms the removal station and being large enough to permit the operator to insert his hand and conveniently remove a container C with the edible product therein. Not only are the

nozzles

18 and 20 covered by the

covers

78 and 80 when the door is opened, but in addition the limitation of the extent to which the door is opened will contribute to preventinganypossible access to the

nozzles

18 and 20, so that with this structure the highest hygienic standards are maintained. After a container with the product therein has been removed from the removal station which is in the region of the end wall 54, the operator simply releases the door and the spring 84 will automatically return to its closed position displacing the

covers

78 and 80 to the positions illustrated in FIG. 4 where the

nozzles

18 and 20 are uncovered so that the product can be dispensed therefrom into containers in a manner described below. Thus, with the structure of the invention the area where the dispensing nozzles are located is hygienically enclosed and in addition whenever the door is opened the nozzles are covered while when they are uncovered the door is necessarily closed.

A moving means is provided for moving each container C from the left solid-line position thereof shown FIG. 4, which is the starting position, along a horizontal, straight-line path to the right to a selected one of the pair'of receiving stations which are respectively situated beneath the

nozzles

18 and 20, and after the product is received in a container at the selected receiving station the moving means is operated to continue the displacement of the container with the product therein to the v removal station where the container is removed in the manner described above. This moving means includes an elongated pusher member 86 of substantially L-shaped configuration having a relatively long horizontal leg which extends over the extension 62 of the

flanges

48 and 50 in the starting position which is shown in FIG. 2, this pusher 86 having at its longer leg a front recess which receives a trailing portion of the container C while at its inner end the pusher 86 has a downwardly extending relatively short leg 88 (FIG. 3) which is fixed in any suitable way to a slider 90 of the moving means. This slider 90 has a front wall of substantially square configuration (FIG. 4) connected at its upper and lower edges to rearwardly directed flanges which extend inwardly beyond the upper and lower edges of an elongated guide track 92 which is fixed to the rear wall 56 in the manner shown in'FIG. 3. At their inner portions the upper and lower flanges of the slider 90 fixedly carry angle members 94 which slidably engage the rear surfaces of the upper and lower guide edges of the track 92, the front surfaces of these edges being engaged by the front wall of the slider 90 in the manner shown in FIG. 3.

As is most clearly shown in FIG. 4 the front surface of the slider 90 fixedly carries a pair of forwardly extending plates 96 which are spaced from each other but converge in a downward direction towards each other, and between these inclined plates 96 is received the upper free end of an elongated swing lever 98 of the moving means. This swing lever 98 is pivotally supported for swinging movement about a horizontal axis by a lower pivot assembly 100 the details of which are most clearly apparent from the lower portion of FIG. 3. When the lever 98 is in the starting position shown in FIG. 4 its left edge lies flat against the left inclined plate 96, while when the lever 98 is in the position 102 indicated by a dot-dash line in FIG. 4, the right edge of the lever 98 extends flush against the right inclined plate 96 of FIG. 4, and at this time the container has been displaced to the removal station from it can be removed upon opening of the door 22.

Thus, it will be seen that while the swing lever 98 swings between the starting position shown in' solid lines in FIG. 4 and the end position 102 shown in a dot-dash line in FIG. 4, the top end portion of the lever 98 is free to displace itself up and down with respect to the slider 90 which itself is constrained to move only horizontally along the track 92 while the horizontal leg of the pusher 86 extends over and is located adjacent to the flanges 48 and to move the container C. The configuration of the end wall 58 at its'opening is such that the pusher together with the container can freely move through and beyond the end wall 58, as is clearly apparent from FIG. 3.

The moving means for moving the container C further includes a rotary crank in the form of a circular disc 104 which is fixed at its center to the shaft of a drive means 106 which is schematically indicated in FIG. 3 and which includes a motor and gear reduction unit for rotating the crank disc 104 at a uniform rotary speed. The drive shaft of the unit 106 extends through an opening of the wall 56 to the front side thereof where the drive shaft is centrally fixed to the crank disc 104.

As is most clearly shown in FIG. 5, the crank disc 1-04 fixedly carries distant from its center a swivel pin 106 which has a shank extending through anopening in a C-shap ed connecting member 108, while a suitable spacer v1101s located between the member 108 and the disc 104. The mounting of the member 108 is such that it is free to turn about the swivel pin 106, and the swing lever 98 extends freely through the C- shaped member 108 which thus provides a connection between the rotary crank 104 and the swing lever 98. The rotary crank disc 104 is turned at all times in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 4, when the disc 104 rotates, and thus the member 108 will coact with the swing lever to displace the latter between the end positions thereof shown in FIG. 4 and described above during a single revolution of the disc 104.

As is shown in FIG. 7, the swivel pin 106 may insteadextend through a U-shaped member 112 which carries a transversely extending pin 114 which supports a roller 116 between the forwardly extending legs of the member 112, and swing lever 98 extends between the roller 116 and the swivel pin 106 in the manner shown in FIG 7 so that with this'construction also an operative connection is made between the rotary crank and the swing lever of the moving means.

A control means is provided to coact with the abovedescribed-moving means to control the latter to move a container C first to a selected one of the pairof receiving stations whereupon the operation of the moving means stops while the container dwells for a given time at the selected receivingstation, and then the control means actuates the moving means to operate the latter to continue the movement of the container from the selected receiving station to the removal station. This control means includes the outer periphery of the crank disc 104 which is formed with a V-noteh 118 which actsas a cani of the control means. Distributed around the periphery of the disc 104 are

microswitches

120, 122, and 124, which are carried by the wall 56 and which have springy actuating portions engaged by the periphery of the disc 104 for opening and closing the switches. In the starting position shown in FIG. 4 the microswitch 120 is in an open position with its springy actuating portion received in the cam notch 118, the switch 120 being a normally open switch. The

switches

122 and 124 on the other hand, are normally closed switches which are maintained in their open positions by the periphery of the disc 104 in the starting position of theparts shown in FIG. 4. When the camming notch 118 reaches the switch 122', the V- shaped free end of the actuating portion thereof will be received in the notch 118 to 'close the switch 122 and in the same way when the notch 116 reaches the switch 124 the V-shaped free end part of the actuating member thereof will be received in the notch 118 to close the switch 124.

Further details of the control means are illustrated in the wiring diagram of FIG. 6. As maybe seen from FIG. 6, the electrical energy is derived from a pair of lines 126 and 128. The coin-operated unit 12 is shown schematically at the upper left of FIG. 6 and includes a'switch 130 which is closed when a coin 132 is introduced intothe unit 12, as schematically indicated in FIG. 6. It is to be understood, however, that instead of or in addition to the coin operation it is possible to provide a purely manual operation for closing a switch similar to the switch 130. The unit 16 includes the schematically illustrated pair of selecting buttons 132 and 134 which are selectively depressed for selecting one of the flavors of the product, arid when the button 132 is depressed it'will energize a lamp 136 of the unit 16 and will close a switch 138 so as to energize a relay RA. This will result in the closing of the normally open relay switches RAl and RA2. On the other hand, ifthe operator depresses the button 134' the lamp 140 of the unit 16 will be illuminated and the switch 142 thereof will be closed to energize a relay RB which in turncloses the relay switches RBI 146. However, the momentary closing of the switch 146 is sufficient to start the operation of the motor unit 106 so that the microswitch 120 becomes closed, and as is apparent from,

FIG. 4 and the above description this switch will remain closed until the disc 104 completes a full revolution. Thus, even though the switch 146 opens after momentary closing thereof, the circuit through the selected one of the relays RA or RB is maintained closed through the switch 120 and the conductor 148 which bypasses the timer 144.

The

microswitches

122 and 124 are indicated at the upper right portion of FIG. 6. It will be seen that in the position of these switches indicated in FIG. 6 if the relay RA has been energized, then through the switch RA2 and the illustrated position of the switch 122, where the right side thereof is closed, the motor 106 is maintained energized. On the other hand, if it is the relay RB which has been energized, then through the switch RB2 and the left side of the switch 124 which is closed the motor 106 will also be maintained energized. If the button 132 has been selected, then when the camrning notch 1 18 reaches the switch 122, this switch will be displaced to the left, as viewed in FIG. 6, opening the motor circuit so that the motor stops operating and at the same. time closing a circuit through the unit 150 which schematically represents the structure for dispensing the product through the selected nozzle. In this case it is the nozzle 18 which has been selected for operation, and the closing of the switch 122 will result not only in energizing the structure 150 but also in energizing a timer 152. This timer differs from the timer 144 in that it is designed to close

switches

154 and 156 after the unit 150 has operated for a given length of time. This time may be on the order of between 1 and 2 seconds, for example, during which product is dispensed from the nozzle 18 into a container situated at a receiving station beneath the nozzle 118, and after this length of time the timer 152 closes the

switches

154 and 156. At the end of this time the unit 150 has stopped operating so that no more product is dispensed and the closing of switch 154 will again energize the motor 106 so that the crank continues to turn and the switch 122 returns to the position shown in FIG. 6. Now the structure continues to operate to displace the swing lever 98 to the position 102 and then to reverse themovement of the swing lever 102 back to thestarting position, whereupon the next container is deposited in advance of the pusher member as soon as the next coin is introduced. p

Of course, if the operator has depressed the button 134 so as to energize the relay RB, then the circuit is throughthe relay switch RB2, so that at'this time the operation of the switch 122 will have no influence. The relay switch RAZ remains open at this time and all of the controls take place only through the microswitch 124 which when actuated by the notch l 18 acts to open the motor circuit so as to stop the turning of the motor and thus the turning of the disc 104 while the unit 150 is energized to dispense the product in this case through the nozzle 20. After the predetermined dispensing interval the timer 152 is actuated to close the switch 156 for again starting the motor so that the parts return to the position shown at the upper right of FIG. 6 and the motor drives the disc 104 through the rest of its revolution until the notch 118 reaches the switch 120.

As is apparent from FIG. 4, after the disc 104 has turned through slightly more than 90, the swing lever 98 will be located in the position 158 indicated by a dot-dash line, and

when the spring lever is in this position the notch 118 will have received the springy switch-actuating member of the switch 122, so that if the operator has pushed the button 132 the disc 104 will stop turning at this point and thus the container C will be located at the receiving station beneath the nozzle 18. On

p the other hand, if the operator has depressed the button 134,

then the disc 104 will turn through approximately 135 to locate the swing lever 98 at the position 160 shown in a dotdash line in FIG. 4, and at this position the container C is located at the other receiving station which is beneath the nozzle 20. Now when the notch 118 receives the springy-actuating member of switch 124 the disc 104 will stop turning and the container will remain for the predetermined dwell period .beneath the nozzle 20, after which the drive will again start, in

a manner described above, so as to continue the turning of the disc 104. 7

During its continued rotary movement, after having stopped either in the

position

158 or 160, the drive to the swing lever' 98 is not interrupted until the disc 104 has completed a revolution. When it is turned through 180 the swing lever becomes located at the position 102 and has its direction of swing reversed during the continued uninterrupted rotation of the disc 104 so that it returns to the starting position whereupon the notch 118 reaches the switch 120 so as to open the latter and terminate all of the operations, as is apparent from FIG. 6. v

It is therefore apparent that with the structure of the invention in accordance with the particular flavor of the product which is selected the container will be automatically stopped only at the selected receiving station to receive the selected product and except for the dwell at the selected receiving station the container is continuously moved from its starting position to the removal station and also the swing lever 98 is continuously moved except for this dwell period during the single revolution of the disc 104.

I claim:

I. In a dispenser, moving means for moving a container along a given path from a given starting position to a receiving station where the container receives a product which is dispensed and from the receiving station along said path to a removal station where the container with the product therein' is removed, and control means coacting with said moving means for controlling the latter first to move said container from said starting position to said receiving station, then to stop operating for a given dwell period while said container remains at said receiving station to receive the dispensed products, and after said dwell period to operate for moving the container from said receiving station to said removal station, a support means supporting a container for slidable movement along said path during movement of the container by said moving means, a pair of end walls extending upwardly from said support means and between which said receiving and removal stations are located, a rear wall extending between said end walls, dispensing means situated over said support meansat said receiving station between said end walls, and a door situated in front of said rear wall between said end walls at said removal station to be opened for removing a container at said removal station, whereby said support means, end walls, dispensing means, and door define a substantially closed space to which access may be had only through said door at said removal station to prevent access to said receiving station for hygienic purposes in the case where the dispensed product is edible.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein a limiting means coacts with said door for limiting the opening thereof to an extent which renders only said removal station accessible.

product into the next container.

5. The combination of claim 1 and wherein that one of said end walls which is distant from said removal station is formed with an opening through which a container passes and through which said moving means passes, said starting position being situated at that side of said one end wall which is directed away from said removal station.

6. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said door is slidable and movable in the general direction of movement of a container by said moving means.