Importance

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Abstract

A dispensing mechanism is provided for flat faced products. The products are supported in a storage chute between a first upright wall and a second upright wall, stacked one on top of another. The products are supported in the chute by a support surface and a first tongue. Products are dispensed by retracting the first tongue allowing a lowermost product to fall onto a second tongue. The first tongue is advanced to be under the next highermost product in the chute. The second tongue is then retracted allowing the lowermost product to fall onto the support surface and pass through a discharge opening. In a further embodiment, flat faced products are stacked vertically side-by-side on a slightly inclined floor. The products move horizontally to one side to be dispensed. A tongue and a moveable stop are mounted at that side. The spacing between the tongue and the stop is generally equal the thickness of the product. The product can be dispensed by retracting the tongue allowing all of the products to move to that side and making the mechanism ready to dispense the next product. The mechanism includes a sensor to detect when a dispensed product is removed from a delivery bin, and a process to credit a customer's account for a product not removed from the delivery bin.

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First Claim