Patent ID: 6041962
Filing Date: 2000-03-28
Classification: G07F,G09F

Abstract:
A product-tipping device for a vending machine in which operation of a motorized product-advancing mechanism causes successively leading packages arranged in a column, to successively reach the forward extent of a support surface, lose support, and begin to fall through a vend space to a place where the respective product becomes accessible to a customer, the vending machine having a channel strip having an upper extent disposed at no higher elevation than level with said support surface,said product-tipping device comprising:a chip or card having a body portion sized to be resiliently and or frictionally held in said channel wherever manually placed therein; anda tab portion which extends upwardly above said body for engagement with a lower edge portion with each said package as said package loses support from said surface, for nudging that package to have a predetermined orientation upon initiating falling of the package through the vend space.