| 摘要 |
An article dispenser for individually dispensing a plurality of articles on a timed basis. A plurality of modules, each containing a magazine having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, open top and bottom ended article storage compartments and a rotatable disk having an aperture successively alignable with each storage compartment in the magazine, are vertically stacked in a column. A drive motor and timing dial rotates the disks through interlocking timed lugs mounted on each disk in a staggered, angular offset, timed relationship in which the apertures in each disk are angularly offset through the stack so that the articles in the storage compartments are successively transferred through the storage compartments of each successive module to the next lower module and from the lowermost module to a circular track disposed below the lowermost module. A paddle rotates about the track at a predetermined time interval to transfer the articles to an interior holding chamber from which the articles are retrieved when a door is opened or, if not timely retrieved, are transferred from the article holding chamber to a storage container. Sensors detect the presence of articles in the non-retrieved article storage container, and in an interior holding chamber between the lowermost module and the discharge chute and activate indicators and/or lights.
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