Apparatus and methods for vending an item. The apparatus may include an insulated enclosure. The insulated enclosure may include a first elongated member supporting a first coupling mechanism. The insulated enclosure may include a second elongated member, opposite the first elongated member, supporting a second coupling mechanism. The apparatus may include a storage frame positioned within the insulated enclosure. A top face of the storage frame may include a ridge. The ridge may be slidingly and removably coupled to the first coupling mechanism and the second coupling mechanism.

A beverage dispenser for dispensing beverage containers includes an outer shell with an internal track that dispenses rolling beverage containers from the track and one or more internal ice liners that retain ice to keep the beverage containers chilled.

A drive system for a vending or other dispensing machine includes an electronic switch and an electric motor configured to actuate dispensing coils or other dispensing technologies to dispense instances of products. The drive system minimizes the risk of sparking and igniting propane or other volatile refrigerants or other volatile chemicals or materials used in or near the machine. The electronic switch may be a Hall effect switch, and the electric motor may be a brushless DC electric motor. A homing circuit is connected to the drive system to control/monitor actuation of the dispensing mechanism. A wiring harness connects the electronic switch to the electric motor, and may include a connector which can be set to allow the electric motor to operate in a clockwise direction or in a counterclockwise direction.

A beverage dispenser for dispensing beverage containers includes an outer shell with an internal track that dispenses rolling beverage containers from the track and one or more internal ice liners that retain ice to keep the beverage containers chilled.

An ice-cream vending machine with an insulated and refrigerated bottom half housing containing stacks of pre-portioned ice-cream supported by a plurality of circular platforms and a top half housing containing radially deposed topping storage bins, a topping retrieval mechanism, a centrally located stacked cup storage tube and a centrally located cup holding platform. The topping retrieval mechanism with a topping receiving cup is attached to a horizontally disposed telescoping arm The telescoping arm engages a radially disposed drive mechanism that allows the topping receiving cup to access a selected bin and deliver the topping to a portion of ice-cream. The ice-cream portions are retrieved one at a time from the refrigerated bottom half housing and delivered via an ice-cream delivery mechanism to a centrally located ice-cream cup.

Provided is a process, including: engaging, with a first subset of end effectors of a robot, a first open-top vessel; engaging, while the first subset of end effectors are engaged with the first open-top vessel, with a second subset of end effectors of the robot, a second open-top vessel; concurrently transporting the first open-top vessel and the second open-top vessel with two or more actuators; disengaging the first open-top vessel at a first workstation of the robot, the first workstation being configured to dispense a first alimentary product into the first open-top vessel; and disengaging the second open-top vessel at a second workstation of the robot, the second workstation being configured to dispense a second alimentary product into the second open-top vessel.

A beverage dispenser for dispensing beverage containers includes an outer shell with an internal track that dispenses rolling beverage containers from the track and one or more internal ice liners that retain ice to keep the beverage containers chilled.

A beverage supplying device comprising: a touch panel for receiving an operation for selecting a main syrup constituting a main beverage, and a topping syrup added as flavoring to the main beverage; a second syrup solenoid valve for opening and closing a passage for supplying the topping syrup that is stored under pressure in a syrup tank; a second syrup pump for intermittently supplying the topping syrup while the second syrup solenoid valve is open, the second syrup pump being provided to the passage for supplying the topping syrup between the syrup tank and the second syrup solenoid valve; and a nozzle for producing the main beverage by mixing the main syrup with water or carbonated water at a prescribed ratio, and producing a beverage by mixing the topping syrup with the main beverage without diluting the topping syrup.

The present disclosure relates to a flowable edible product dispensing apparatus, comprising: a programmable controller; a touchscreen interface including an indicator of at least one edible item for selection, the operator interface in communication with the programmable controller a dispensing system in communication the operator interface; the programmable controller, being wirelessly connected to the internee, and being operable to associate the at least one edible item with the least one flowable edible and/or inedible product; and the dispensing system dispenses an amount of the at least one flowable edible and/or inedible product associated with the selected edible item when the at least one edible and/or inedible item is selected.

A system and method for managing the distribution of ice is provided. Generally, the system and method of the present disclosure are designed to easily and conveniently produce and distribute ice to users who pay a fee. The system generally comprises an ice maker, a processor operably connected to at least one of a weight measuring device and a motor, a distributor operably connected to the motor, a power supply, a nozzle, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the processor and having instructions stored thereon. In another preferred embodiment, a Point-of-Sale interface may be operably connected to the processor. A user may operate the system by compressing the trigger mechanism of the nozzle and pointing the nozzle at the container in which the user desires to fill with ice. The user may decompress the trigger when the desired amount of ice has been distributed.