An article dispensing apparatus includes: one article discharging apparatus; and another article discharging apparatus, the one article discharging apparatus and the other article discharging apparatus being capable of being combined in a back-to-back manner. The one article discharging apparatus includes: a driving source; an output gear configured to rotate by a driving force from the driving source when a discharging instruction has been given to the one article discharging apparatus; link levers where each link lever is provided rotatably about an axis of the link lever; and a controller configured to, when the output gear is rotated from the standby position by the discharging instruction, prohibit stopping of drive of the driving source to allow the rotation of the output gear until a preset prohibited time elapses from starting of the rotation of the output gear even when supply of electric power to the driving source is interrupted.

An article dispensing apparatus includes: one article discharging apparatus; and another article discharging apparatus, the one article discharging apparatus and the other article discharging apparatus being capable of being combined in a back-to-back manner. The one article discharging apparatus includes: a driving source; an output gear configured to rotate by a driving force from the driving source when a discharging instruction has been given to the one article discharging apparatus; link levers where each link lever is provided rotatably about an axis of the link lever; and a controller configured to, when the output gear is rotated from the standby position by the discharging instruction, prohibit stopping of drive of the driving source to allow the rotation of the output gear until a preset prohibited time elapses from starting of the rotation of the output gear even when supply of electric power to the driving source is interrupted.

A system and method of vending product items may include storing product items within a product storage area. A product item may be released from the product storage area. The product item may be hoisted over at least a portion of the product storage area. The hoisted product item may be presented to a user. In one embodiment, the product storage area may be positioned within a vending machine, and the vending machine may be mobile. The vending machine may also be self-propelled. In an embodiment, the vending machine may be moved via a controller being used by an operator. Alternatively, the vending machine may be moved autonomously.

A system and method of vending product items may include storing product items within a product storage area. A product item may be released from the product storage area. The product item may be hoisted over at least a portion of the product storage area. The hoisted product item may be presented to a user. In one embodiment, the product storage area may be positioned within a vending machine, and the vending machine may be mobile. The vending machine may also be self-propelled. In an embodiment, the vending machine may be moved via a controller being used by an operator. Alternatively, the vending machine may be moved autonomously.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing, a lid assembly, a base, a dispenser assembly, and embedded signage. The housing includes a number of walls forming an internal volume, a top opening, and a bottom opening. At least one wall is composed of a translucent material. The lid assembly is operable to facilitate loading of an item into the housing, and the dispenser assembly is operable to dispense the item from the housing. The embedded signage is positioned at an internal surface of the at least one wall and/or integrated into the at least one wall, such that information displayed by the embedded signage is visible from a point external to the housing.

A disk transferring device transferring disks delivered one by one from an disk reception opening to an disk ejection opening includes: a disk guide path having left and right guide surfaces that guide a peripheral surface of each of the disks and front and back guide surfaces that guide an front surface and a back surface of the disk, the disk guide path extending from the disk reception opening toward the disk ejection opening; and a plurality of disk pushers protruding into the disk guide path and pushing the disks by making a rotational movement about a plurality of rotational axis lines approximately at a right angle with respect to the front and back guide surfaces.

A disk transferring device transferring disks delivered one by one from an disk reception opening to an disk ejection opening includes: a disk guide path having left and right guide surfaces that guide a peripheral surface of each of the disks and front and back guide surfaces that guide an front surface and a back surface of the disk, the disk guide path extending from the disk reception opening toward the disk ejection opening; and a plurality of disk pushers protruding into the disk guide path and pushing the disks by making a rotational movement about a plurality of rotational axis lines approximately at a right angle with respect to the front and back guide surfaces.

A cooler for storing beverage containers. The cooler includes a housing defining an interior volume for storing a first beverage container at a first predetermined temperature and a compartment within the interior volume of the housing for storing a second beverage container at a second predetermined temperature that is at or below a freezing point of the beverage. The cooler further includes a user interface for receiving a user input to dispense the second beverage container, and a delivery portal for providing access to the second beverage container. A chute is configured to communicate the second beverage container from the compartment to the delivery portal and to cause nucleation of the beverage and form a slush beverage. A cooling unit is configured to maintain the interior volume of the housing at the first predetermined temperature and the compartment at the second predetermined temperature.

A cooler for storing beverage containers. The cooler includes a housing defining an interior volume for storing a first beverage container at a first predetermined temperature and a compartment within the interior volume of the housing for storing a second beverage container at a second predetermined temperature that is at or below a freezing point of the beverage. The cooler further includes a user interface for receiving a user input to dispense the second beverage container, and a delivery portal for providing access to the second beverage container. A chute is configured to communicate the second beverage container from the compartment to the delivery portal and to cause nucleation of the beverage and form a slush beverage. A cooling unit is configured to maintain the interior volume of the housing at the first predetermined temperature and the compartment at the second predetermined temperature.

An automated system (100) for compounding pharmaceutical agents for injection treatment of a patient includes a housing (110) enclosing an interior space; an inventory structure (130) having a plurality of chambers (131) for individually holding one or more pharmaceutical agentcontaining single use capsules (102), wherein each capsule has a volume capacity of from about 0.1 to about 10.0 mL liquid; means (140) for selecting capsules in accordance with predetermined pharmaceutical agents contained in said capsules; means (150) for moving the selected capsules to a processing area; means (165,166) for sequentially transferring a controlled quantity of the predetermined pharmaceutical agent with direct fluid communication from each selected capsule to a product container under positive or negative pressure; and means (151) for automatically discarding spent capsules from which the pharmaceutical agents have been removed after a single use.