Method and apparatus for storing articles for use with an article handling device
First Claim
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1. A method for stocking a vending machine with columnar-shaped bins having positioned therein articles to be vended, comprising:
- providing a longitudinal segment of a bin, said segment having a plurality of articles stored in a stacked manner therein;
assembling multiple ones of said bin segments together so as to form one or more continuous stacks of articles to be dispensed; and
placing said assembled multiple bin segments in a storage area of said vending machine.
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Abstract
An article storage container, comprising a bin for storing in an a columnar manner, articles to be dispensed from a dispensing end of the bin. A plurality of article supporting intrusions positioned in a spaced manner along at least a portion of the length of the bin function to provide load bearing support for articles stored in the bin. Sectional bins, bin sleeves and macro bins are also disclosed for facilitating rapid, accurate and efficient loading of articles into an article dispenser.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for stocking a vending machine with columnar-shaped bins having positioned therein articles to be vended, comprising:
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providing a longitudinal segment of a bin, said segment having a plurality of articles stored in a stacked manner therein;
assembling multiple ones of said bin segments together so as to form one or more continuous stacks of articles to be dispensed; and
placing said assembled multiple bin segments in a storage area of said vending machine. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An automated article retrieving apparatus including an article storage area adapted to have selectively positioned therein a removable article storage structure which stores a plurality of the articles to be retrieved, the removable article storage structure comprising;
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a support (219 and 1200 or 1300) adapted for being selectively positioned into and out of an article storage area of the article retrieving apparatus, wherein;
at least a portion of the support (219) includes wall portions for facilitating the formation of a plurality of adjacently aligned article storage columns, the columns store therein a plurality of pre-packaged groups of the articles to be retrieved (1202 or 1302), and the columns providing guidance for movement of the articles stored therein in a direction toward an article grasping portion of the article retrieving apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of stocking an article retrieving apparatus with articles to be retrieved, comprising the following steps:
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providing a support (219) which holds a plurality of pre-packaged groups of articles to be retrieved (bins segments 1202 or sleeves 1302) so that the articles are arranged in a plurality of adjacently positioned, paraxially aligned, article storage columns, which columns provide guidance for movement of the articles stored therein in a direction toward an article grasping portion of the article retrieving apparatus, and positioning the support (219, 1202 or 1300/1302) into and out of the article storage area of the article handling apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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Specification