| 摘要 |
A vending apparatus comprising (1) a storage area comprising a plurality of vertical chutes for storing rectangular boxes or chutes stacked vertically therein, each chute having a fixed ledge at one side of the lower end of the chute and a pivotally mounted ledge opposite to said fixed ledge and biased toward said fixed ledge, for holding and releasing boxes stacked in said chute; (2) a box retrieval mechanism comprising a carriage mounted on a guide and movable below said vertical chutes and in operational association therewith, a motor to drive said carriage, a release member mounted on said carriage for releasing a box from a chute onto said carriage; (3) a delivery area associated with the carriage guide whereby said carriage may approach said delivery area; (4) an arm to move a box from said carriage into said delivery area, and (5) electronic control circuit comprising a detector to sense an empty chute, a circuit arrangement to price each chute individually and alterably, an input to receive currency, a comparator to compare accumulated currency with the price for said chute, a circuit arrangement to select a chute for delivery of a box therefrom and a control arrangement to direct said carriage to the selected chute, operate said release member thereon to drop a box onto said carriage, to direct said carriage to the delivery area and to deliver a box from said carriage into said delivery area.
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