Abstract:
A card dispensing apparatus having a compact configuration has a housing to support a stack of cards on a fixed base. Openings in the base member can permit surfaces from a conveying member to extend into the housing and contact a surface of the lowest card. The conveyer member can move horizontal to a release point and retract beneath the base member to return to an initial position. A movement unit provides a cyclic looping movement of the conveyer member into and out of the housing for transporting cards. A feed unit positioned at the dispensing point of the cards can grasp and release the cards from the card dispensing apparatus.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a small-card dispensing apparatus with increased capacity. In particular, the present invention relates to a card dispensing apparatus that dispenses stacked cards in a predetermined direction without damaging cards from extremely-thin to thick ones irrespectively of card material. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Here, “card” for use in the present specification is a generic name of a member in a thin plate shape, such as prepaid cards, character cards, IC cards, and others. 
     As a first conventional technology, a card dispensing apparatus is known in which a perimeter surface of a rotating roller is made to contact with the surface of a bottom card of a plurality of stacked cards and the card is dispensed by frictional contact (for example, refer to Japanese Utility-Model Publication No. 7-26272 (pp. 3-5, FIGS. 1-5)). 
     As a second conventional technology, a card dispensing apparatus is known in which a step portion of a reciprocating member that linearly reciprocates is engaged with a rear end of the bottom of stacked cards and the card is pushed out by the step portion (for example, refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 10-293816 (Paragraph Nos. 0009-0115, FIGS. 20-25)). 
     As a third conventional technology, a card dispensing apparatus is known in which the perimeter surface of a flat belt that is moved in forward and reversed directions and can contact with an underside of one of the stacked cards at the bottom and the card is dispensed with a frictional contact by the flat belt (for example, refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 9-132335 (Paragraph Nos. 0009-0046, FIGS. 1-4)). 
     As a fourth conventional technology, a card dispensing apparatus is known in which the surface of one of the stacked cards at the top is placed in frictional contact with a feeding pad that makes an arc movement and the card is dispensed by the arc movement of the feeding pad (for example, refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2000-76389 (Paragraph Nos. 0012-0044, FIGS. 3-4)). 
     There is still a need in this industry to provide a high speed and compact card dispensing apparatus that can selectively dispense cards in an efficient manner without damaging the cards. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In the first conventional technology, the perimeter surface of the roller has a frictional contact with the underside of the card, and the card is dispensed in a predetermined direction with the frictional contact between the perimeter surface of the roller and the underside of the card. If the roller has a small diameter, the underside of the card and the perimeter surface of the roller have a linear contact in a microscopic sense. Therefore, the contact pressure between the roller and the card surface is large. If the contact pressure of the roller with respect to the card surface is large, when a card made of soft material, for example, when a card made of paper is to be dispensed, the card can be rubbed by the roller and may be damaged. 
     To solve this problem, it may be contemplated that a roller made of a soft material is used to increase the amount of deformation of the roller and to increase the contact area between the card and the roller. However, since the abrasion speed of the roller is increased, this can cause a problem. 
     Furthermore, in another possible solution, the roller can be formed to have a large diameter to increase the contact area with the card. However, since the apparatus is upsized according to an increase in the diameter of the roller, this can cause other problems. 
     Still further, the card dispensed by the roller is nipped between a dispensing roller and supplemental dispensing roller pulling at a higher speed than that of the dispensing speed of the roller for card dispensing. 
     When the amount of stacked cards is increased, the weight applied to the card at the bottom is also increased. Since the dispensing speed of the dispensing roller is slower than the pulling speed, a drawing resistance of the card at the bottom is significantly increased due to an increase in contact pressure between the dispensing roller and the card at the bottom. This may not allow drawing of the card between the dispensing roller and the supplemental dispensing roller. 
     To solve this issue, a diameter of the dispensing roller can be increased to further increase the contact area. As described above, however, the overall size of the dispensing apparatus is also increased. As a result, the area for stacking cards is restricted. 
     In the second conventional technology, the rear end of the card at the bottom is pressed by the step portion of the reciprocating member. Therefore, the ejection force is concentrated on an end portion of the card pressed by the step portion. For example, when cards made of paper are used, the end portion of the card may be plastically deformed. 
     Also, when the amount of stacked cards is increased, since the weight applied to the card at the bottom is increased, a movement resistance of the card at the bottom is increased to further plastically deform the end portion of the card by the step portion, then the amount of stacking cards is restricted. 
     In the third conventional technology, friction between the flat belt that is moved selectively in a forward or reversed direction and the card surface produces a driving force on the card. 
     In this configuration, at a pulley portion around which the flat belt is wound, the flat belt and the card surface make contact with each other with a predetermined contact pressure, but the contact pressure between the flat belt and the card surface at a portion where a pulley is not present is decreased. For this reason, a force in a dispensing direction is applied to the card due to the friction between the flat belt and the card surface mainly at the pulley portion, a problem similar to that in the first conventional technology arises. Also, when the amount of stacked cards is increased, the weight applied to the card at the bottom is increased. Therefore, as with the first conventional technology, the amount of stacking cards is restricted. 
     In the fourth conventional technology, after the surface of the card at the top is made to contact with a dome-shaped feeding pad, the feeding pad is swung in the dispensing direction to linearly dispense the card. 
     After the card is dispensed, the feeding pad is separated from the surface of the card surface and is then swung in a direction reverse to the dispensing direction to be returned to the contact position in preparation for the next dispensing of a card. In this configuration, since the feeding pad has a dome shape but is not a roller, the curvature can be increased within a limited range, thereby suppressing an increase in contact pressure with respect to the card surface. However, since the feeding pad makes a fan-shaped movement, sliding necessarily occurs with the card surface, thereby possibly damaging the card surface. 
     Also, when the amount of stacking cards is increased, the weight applied to the card at the bottom is increased. Therefore, as with the first conventional technology, the amount of stacking cards is restricted. 
     A first object of the present invention is to provide a card dispensing apparatus that does not damage cards, even if the cards are made of a potential vulnerable material. 
     A second object of the present invention is to provide a card dispensing apparatus that can achieve the first object without upsizing the apparatus. 
     A third object of the present invention is to provide a card dispensing apparatus that can achieve the first object at a relatively low cost. 
     A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a card dispensing apparatus that can dispense cards even if the total amount of stacking cards is increased. 
     To achieve these objects, the card dispensing apparatus according to the present invention is configured as follows. A card dispensing apparatus in which a surface of one of cards is pressed toward a base which is disposed in a fixed state to hold the cards in a columnar shape and a conveying member in contact with the card surface via an opening in the base, is moved in a predetermined direction, thereby dispensing the cards one by one in the predetermined direction. Wherein the conveying member has a flat contact surface, and is moved by a flat loop movement unit to advance into an opening from a predetermined advancing position to make surface contact with the card surface. The card is linearly moved in a predetermined direction while maintaining a contact state, then retracted from the opening to a retract position, and then moved to the advancing position. 
     The flat loop movement unit includes a reciprocating member that linearly reciprocates in the card dispensing direction and moves in a direction forming a right angle with the dispensing direction. 
     The reciprocating member includes a first reciprocating member that linearly reciprocates in the card dispensing direction and a second reciprocating member that reciprocates in a direction forming a right angle with a moving direction of the first reciprocating member. 
     The second reciprocating member has an L shape, the second reciprocating member has elongated holes extending in a direction forming a right angle with a moving direction of the first reciprocating member and is pivotally supported by the first reciprocating member. The elongated holes have crank pins inserted therein, the crank pins can make contact with a cam that moves, in the course of rotation, integrally with the first reciprocating member from an area near a most retract position of the first reciprocating member to an area near a most advancing position thereof. The crank pins make contact with the cam so that the second reciprocating member makes a pivot movement to cause the conveying member to move in a direction away from the first reciprocating member. 
     A plurality of the second reciprocating member are disposed so as to be shifted in the card dispensing direction. 
     The crank pins protrude from cranks each mounted at both ends of a relevant one of rotating shafts disposed so as to form a right angle with a card advancing direction, and the rotating shafts are disposed among the cranks and are gear-connected with an output shaft of an electric motor with a rotating axis line being orthogonal to the rotating shafts. 
     The apparatus further includes card drawing device adjacent to the conveying member, and a stroke of the conveying member in the dispensing direction is within a range facing a last end card when a tip of the card is near a drawing unit. 
     The base has a pressing inclined surface that faces a rear end of the card and is inclined in a front downward direction toward the drawing unit, and the card mounted on the base is pressed toward the drawing unit. 
     As a result of the present invention, the cards are held in a columnar shape and the card at the bottom portion is supported by a base having an opening that faces the surface of the card and is held at a predetermined position. When a dispensing signal is output, the conveying member advances into the opening of the base at the most retractable position, and its contact surface makes a surface contact with the surface of the card. 
     The conveying member is caused to make a flat loop movement by the flat loop movement unit. That is, the conveying member is linearly moved in the card dispensing direction by the flat loop movement unit, and therefore the card is moved in the dispensing direction together with the conveying member with frictional contact with the conveying member. 
     Since the conveying member makes a surface contact with the card surface, the contact pressure is evenly distributed over the contact surface, and the contact pressure is not concentrated on a limited part of the card surface. When the conveying member reaches an advancing position, the conveying member is retracted from the opening to release the surface contact with the card surface. Next, the conveying member is moved to the advancing position while the state away from the card is kept. Thus, since the conveying member slides less over the card surface, there is an advantage of not damaging the card even if the card is made of a material with a low hardness. 
     The flat loop movement unit includes a reciprocating member that linearly reciprocates in the card dispensing direction and moves in a direction forming a right angle with the dispensing direction, and the conveying member makes a flat loop movement by the flat loop movement unit. The conveying member makes contact with the surface of the card as a part of the flat loop movement, and moves in the card dispensing direction while the surface contact moves the card in the same direction. 
     After interlocked, the conveying member is retracted from the opening of the base to release the surface contact with the card. Then, the conveying member is moved in a direction reverse to the dispensing direction to return to the advancing position. Thus, the conveying member does not make a frictional contact with the card surface when returning from the dispensing position to the advancing position, and therefore does not damage the card. 
     Also, the flat loop movement of the conveying member is achieved by the reciprocating member that linearly reciprocates in the card dispensing direction and also moves in a direction forming a right angle with the dispensing direction. Therefore, the configuration is simple, and low-cost manufacturing can be achieved. 
     The reciprocating member includes a first reciprocating member that linearly reciprocates in the card dispensing direction and a second reciprocating member that reciprocates in a direction forming a right angle with a moving direction of the first reciprocating member, thereby achieving a flat loop movement. In this configuration the movement of the conveying member can be achieved by the first reciprocating member and the second reciprocating member each making a linear reciprocating movement. Therefore, the configuration is also simple, and low-cost manufacturing can be achieved. 
     When the crank pins are rotated, the crank pins each move along the elongated holes of the second reciprocating member, and provide the second reciprocating member with a reciprocating movement in the card dispensing direction and also its reverse direction. With this movement of the second reciprocating member, the first reciprocating member, with the second reciprocating member being pivotally supported, is linearly reciprocated in the card dispensing direction and its reverse direction. 
     Near the furthest retract position of the first reciprocating member, the crank pins make contact with the cam moving integrally with the first reciprocating member to move the first moving member backward. The second reciprocating member is caused to make a pivot movement with respect to the first conveying member to be moved in a direction away from the first reciprocating member. With this movement, the conveying member makes a surface contact with the card at the furthest end of the card line via the opening of the base. 
     With a further rotation of the crank pins, the second reciprocating member is moved in the dispensing direction. Therefore, the first reciprocating member is also integrally moved in the dispensing direction to reach the most advancing position. In the course of this operation, the second reciprocating member continues to make a frictional contact with the card surface of the conveying member in cooperation with the cam and the crank pins. Thus, the card at the furthest end position is conveyed in the dispensing direction with the surface contact with the conveying member. 
     With the first reciprocating member being near the most advancing position and with a further rotation of the crank pins, the crank pins are released from the contact with the cam. With this, the second reciprocating member faces the position of the crank pins and can move. In other words, the second reciprocating member can make a pivot movement in a direction of approaching the first reciprocating member. Therefore, the second reciprocating member is retracted from the opening with the pressure by the card, thereby releasing the frictional contact with the card surface. 
     With the subsequent rotation of the crank pins, the second reciprocating member is moved in a direction reverse to the dispensing direction. Therefore, the first reciprocating member is also moved in the same direction in an interlocked manner to be moved to the furthest retract position. 
     The plurality of the second reciprocating members is disposed so as to be shifted in the card dispensing direction. Therefore, the conveying member can be moved in a parallel manner with a simple device and the apparatus can be downsized and configured at low cost. 
     The crank pins protrude from cranks, each mounted at both ends of a relevant one of rotating shafts, and disposed so as to form a right angle with a card advancing direction. Rotating shafts are disposed among the cranks and are gear-connected with an output shaft of an electric motor with a rotating axis line being orthogonal to the rotating shafts. In other words, the axial line of the electric motor is disposed in parallel to the same direction as the card dispensing direction. Therefore, the width of the card dispensing apparatus is not affected by the shaft length of the electric motor. Since the width of the card dispensing apparatus is not restricted by the size of the electric motor, the width of the card dispensing apparatus can be made narrow, thereby advantageously making a small card dispensing apparatus. 
     A card drawing device is further provided adjacently to the conveying member, and a stroke of the conveying member in the dispensing direction is within a range facing a last end card when a tip of the card is near the drawing device. In this configuration, a slip occurs between the card and the conveying member. If a card has not been passed to the card drawing device with one dispensing movement of the conveying member, a card is again conveyed by the conveying member. In this case, the stroke of the conveying member faces the last-end card when the tip of the card is near the drawing device. 
     In other words, when the conveying member again makes contact with the card once dispensed, the conveying member makes a surface contact with only the same card, and does not make contact with the card second from the last end. Thus, a conveyance force is transmitted only to the last-end card even if the conveying member again provides a dispensing movement to the same card, thereby advantageously preventing two cards from being dispensed. 
     The base has an inclined pressing surface that faces a rear end of the card and is inclined in a front downward direction toward the drawing unit. In this configuration, the rear end of the card, at the lower portion, is pressed by the inclined pressing surface toward the drawing unit. A card at the bottom can pass through the two-sheet dispensing preventing unit, while the upper-mounted card is inhibited by the two-sheet dispensing preventing unit. With this configuration, normally, the cards on the lower portion are in a stepwise shape. 
     When cards are newly stacked, the rear ends of the cards are pressed out by the inclined pressing surface for stacking in a stepwise shape. In other words, at the time of initial setting, the card stacking state is automatically set to a state similar to a normal dispensing state. Therefore, the card stacking state can be initially set so as to be close to a normal state before dispensing, thereby advantageously allowing support with a normal dispensing setting. 
     The card dispensing apparatus has a surface of one of cards pressed toward a base disposed in a fixed state to hold the cards in a columnar shape. A conveying member in contact with the card surface via an opening of the base is caused, by a flat loop movement unit, to make a dispensing motion with a flat loop movement based on a dispensing instruction, thereby dispensing the cards one by one in the predetermined direction and then actively drawing the dispensed card by card feeding unit that can actively draw a card for dispensing. A card-dispensing detecting unit is disposed downstream from the card feeding unit and, based on a card dispensing signal from the card-dispensing detecting unit, the flat loop movement unit and the card feeding unit are stopped. 
     In this configuration, when it is detected by the card-dispensing detecting unit that the card has been drawn from the card feeding unit, the flat loop movement unit and the card feeding unit are stopped. In other words, card delivering is completely stopped, and two cards are not dispensed. 
     The cards stacked and held on the base, in a columnar shape, make a surface contact with the conveying member that has passed through the opening of the base and advances, and one of the cards is then dispensed with a linear movement of the conveying member in the card dispensing direction. The conveying member is provided with a linear movement in the card dispensing direction by the flat loop movement unit. With friction occurring due to a surface contact with the lower surface of the card, the card at the bottom is dispensed to the dispensing direction. The tip of the dispensed card at the bottom is drawn by the feeding unit from the holding unit. 
     When the card is drawn in the dispensing direction by the feeding unit, the conveying member can move in a direction of retracting from the opening. In other words, the conveying member moves in a direction away from the card at the bottom, thereby reducing the friction between the conveying member and the card. The drawing resistance of the card becomes close to a drawing resistance occurring due to a frictional contact with the base on which cards are mounted. With this, the card can be easily drawn by the feeding unit. Thus, drawing can be performed without upsizing the apparatus even if the amount of stacking cards is increased. 
     A second reciprocating member is moved in the card dispensing direction with a linear movement of the first reciprocating member. The second reciprocating member is moved at a predetermined timing in a direction forming a right angle with respect to the moving direction of the first reciprocating member. 
     Since the conveying member is mounted to the second reciprocating member, after the second reciprocating member moves from a most retracted position of the first retracting position toward the holding unit in the right-angle direction, the first reciprocating member moves in the card dispensing direction, and the second reciprocating member moves in a right-angle direction in which the second reciprocating member moves away from the holding unit. Next, the first reciprocating member moves in a direction reverse to the card dispensing direction, thereby performing a flat loop movement. 
     At the time of movement of the conveying member toward the holding unit, the conveying member passes through the opening of the base to advance into the holding unit. With this, the conveying member can make contact with the lower surface of a bottom card. Then, with the subsequent movement of the first reciprocating member in the card dispensing direction, the cards stacked and held in a columnar shape on the base are dispensed with a linear movement of the conveying member in the card dispensing direction. With this dispensing, when the tip of the card is drawn by the drawing means, the conveying member moves in the same direction by following the movement of the card. 
     With this movement, the conveying member is moved by the retracting unit from the opening to a retract direction. In other words, the conveying member is moved by the retracting member in a direction of retracting from the holding unit, thereby reducing the contact pressure between the conveying member and the card. With this, the drawing resistance of the card becomes close to the drawing resistance occurring due to a frictional contact with the base on which the cards are mounted. Thus, a card can be drawn without upsizing the apparatus even when the amount of stacking cards is increased. 
     The second reciprocating member is moved in the card dispensing direction with a linear movement of the first reciprocating member. The second reciprocating member is moved at a predetermined timing in a right-angle direction with respect to the moving direction of the first reciprocating member. 
     Since the conveying member is mounted on the second reciprocating member, after the second reciprocating member moves in the right-angle direction toward the holding unit from a most retracted position of the first reciprocating member, the first reciprocating member moves in the card dispensing direction, and the second reciprocating member moves in the right-angle direction away from the holding unit. Then the first reciprocating member moves in a card anti-dispensing direction, thereby allowing a flat loop movement. 
     At the time of movement of the conveying member toward the holding unit, the conveying member passes through the opening of the base to advance into the holding unit, thereby causing the conveying member to make a surface contact with the lower surface of a card at the bottom. Then, with the subsequent movement of the first reciprocating member in the card dispensing direction, the card at the bottom, among the cards stacked and held in a columnar shape on the base, is dispensed with a linear movement of the conveying member in the card dispensing direction. With this dispensing, when the tip of the card is drawn by the feeding unit, the conveying member is moved according to the movement of the card in the same direction against a tension of the pressing unit. 
     With this movement, the conveying member is guided from the opening to a retracting direction by an interlocked shaft guided by a guide hole inclined in a direction away from the dispensing direction. In other words, the conveying member is guided by the guide hole and the interlocked shaft in a direction of retraction from the holding unit, thereby reducing a contact pressure between the conveying member and the card. The drawing resistance of the card becomes close to the drawing resistance occurring due to a frictional contact with the base on which the cards are mounted. Thus, a card can be drawn without upsizing the apparatus even when the amount of stacking cards is increased. Also, since a retracting movement of the conveying member is performed with the guide hole and the interlocked shaft, so that the apparatus can be downsized and configured at low cost. 
     The second reciprocating member is moved in the card dispensing direction with a linear movement of the first reciprocating member. The second reciprocating member is moved at a predetermined timing in a right-angle direction with respect to the moving direction of the first reciprocating member. 
     The conveying member, which can make a pivoting movement with respect to the first reciprocating member that reciprocates in a horizontal direction, is mounted on the L-shaped second reciprocating member extending in a almost perpendicularly-standing direction with respect to a horizontal lever extending in a horizontal direction, and reciprocates in a direction forming a right angle with a moving direction of the first reciprocating member. Therefore, after the second reciprocating member is caused to make a pivot movement in one direction from the most retracted position of the first reciprocating member to move toward the holding unit, the first reciprocating member moves in the card dispensing direction. The second reciprocating member is then caused to make a pivot movement in a direction that is reverse to the above direction from the most advancing position of the first reciprocating member to move in a direction away from the holding unit. Next, the first reciprocating member moves in a card anti-dispensing direction, thereby allowing a flat loop movement. 
     At the time of movement of the conveying member toward the holding unit, the conveying member passes through the opening of the base to advance into the holding unit, thereby causing the conveying member to make a surface contact with the lower surface of a card at the bottom. Then, with the subsequent movement of the first reciprocating member in the card dispensing direction, the card at the bottom among the cards stacked and held in a columnar shape on the base is dispensed with a linear movement of the conveying member in the card dispensing direction. 
     When the tip of the card is drawn by the feeding unit, the conveying member is moved according to the movement of the card in the same direction. With this movement, since the guide hole extending in a direction away from the dispensing direction is relatively moved with respect to the interlocked shaft, the conveying member is guided by the interlocked shaft from the opening to a retracting direction. In other words, the conveying member is guided by the guide hole and the interlocked shaft in a direction of retracting from the holding unit, thereby a contact pressure between the conveying member and the card are reduced. Thus, the drawing resistance of the card becomes close to the drawing resistance occurring due to a frictional contact with the base on which the cards are mounted. Thus, a card can be drawn without upsizing the apparatus even when the amount of stacking cards is increased. 
     Also, since a retracting movement of the conveying member is performed with the first reciprocating member, the second reciprocating member, the guide hole, and the interlocked shaft, the apparatus can be downsized and configured at low cost. 
     The second reciprocating member is moved in the card dispensing direction with a linear movement of the first reciprocating member. The second reciprocating member is moved at a predetermined timing in a right-angle direction with respect to the moving direction of the first reciprocating member. 
     The conveying member can make a pivot movement with respect to the first reciprocating member that reciprocates in a horizontal direction, is mounted on the L-shaped second reciprocating member extending in an almost perpendicularly-standing direction with respect to a horizontal lever extending in a horizontal direction, and reciprocates in a direction forming a right angle with a moving direction of the first reciprocating member. Therefore, after the second reciprocating member is caused to make a pivoting movement in one direction from a most retracted position of the first reciprocating member to push a passive hole of a guide hole higher by an interlocked shaft to move toward the holding unit, the first reciprocating member moves in the card dispensing direction. The second reciprocating member is then caused to make a pivoting movement in a direction reverse to the above direction from the most advancing position of the first reciprocating member to move in a direction away from the holding unit via the guide hole by the interlocked shaft. Next, the first reciprocating member moves in a card anti-dispensing direction, thereby allowing a flat loop movement. 
     Since the conveying member is pressed in the anti-dispensing direction, the interlocked shaft stays in the passive hole unless the conveying member is drawn by the card. When the conveying member moves toward the holding unit, the interlocked shaft engages with the passive hole for pushing higher. With this, the interlocked shaft pushes the edge of the passive hole higher approximately from the right-angle direction. Therefore, the multilayered cards can be pushed higher. 
     At the time of movement of the conveying member toward the holding unit, the conveying member passes through the opening of the base to advance into the holding unit, thereby causing the conveying member to make a surface contact with the lower surface of the card at the bottom. Then, with the subsequent movement of the first reciprocating member in the card dispensing direction, the cards stacked and held in a columnar shape on the base are dispensed with a linear movement of the conveying member in the card dispensing direction. 
     With this dispensing, when the tip of the card is drawn by the feeding unit, the conveying member is moved according to the movement of the card in the same direction against a tension of the pressing unit. With this movement, since the guide hole extending in a direction away from the dispensing direction is relatively moved with respect to the interlocked shaft, the conveying member is guided by the interlocked shaft from the opening to a retracting direction. In other words, the conveying member is guided by the guide hole and the interlocked shaft in a direction of retracting from the holding unit, thereby reducing a contact pressure between the conveying member and the card. The drawing resistance of the card becomes close to the drawing resistance occurring due to a frictional contact with the base on which the cards are mounted. 
     Thus, a card can be drawn without upsizing the apparatus even when the amount of stacking cards is increased. Also, since a retracting movement of the conveying member is performed with the first reciprocating member, the second reciprocating member, the guide hole, the interlocked shaft, and the elastic member, the apparatus can be downsized and configured at low cost. In particular, the cards can be pushed higher with the passive hole. Therefore, pushing can be ensured even if the amount of stacking cards is increased. 
     In a card dispensing apparatus in which a surface of one of the stacked cards is pressed toward a base disposed in a fixed state to hold the cards in a columnar shape and a conveying member in contact with the card surface via an opening of the base is moved in a predetermined direction, thereby dispensing the cards one by one in the predetermined direction, wherein the conveying member has a flat contact surface and is moved by flat loop movement units. 
     The flat loop movement unit advances into the opening from a predetermined advancing position to make surface contact with s card surface and includes a reciprocating member that linearly reciprocates in the card dispensing direction and moves in a direction orthogonal to the dispensing direction. The reciprocating member includes a first reciprocating member that linearly reciprocates in the card dispensing direction and a second reciprocating member that reciprocates in a direction forming a right angle with a moving direction of the first reciprocating member. 
     The second reciprocating member has an L shape with elongated holes extending in a direction from top to bottom, the second reciprocating member is pivotally supported by the first reciprocating member and guided so as to move in linearly manner. The elongated holes have crank pins inserted therein. The crank pins can make contact with a cam that moves, in the course of rotation, integrally with the first reciprocating member from an area near a most retracted position of the first reciprocating member to an area near a most advancing position thereof, with the crank pins making contact with the cam. 
     The second reciprocating member is caused to make a pivotal movement to cause the conveying member to move in a direction away from the first reciprocating member, a plurality of the second reciprocating members are disposed so as to be shifted in the card dispensing direction, the crank pins protrude from cranks each mounted at both ends of a relevant one of rotating shafts disposed so as to form a right angle with a card advancing direction, and the rotating shafts are disposed among the cranks and are gear-connected with an output shaft of an electric motor with a rotating axis line being orthogonal to the rotating shafts. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a card dispensing apparatus according to a first embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the card dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a left-side view of the card dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of dispensing means of the card dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view taken along an A-A line in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view of a conveying-member driving device taken along a B-B line in  FIG. 7  near the most retracted position; 
         FIG. 7  is a plan view of the card dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment in a state where a card cassette is removed; 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the card dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment in a state where a left side plate is removed; 
         FIG. 9  is a side view of the card dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment in a state where a right side plate is removed; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded perspective view of the conveying-member driving device of the card dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 11  depict a plan view and a side view of a crank device of the conveying-member driving device of the card dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 12  depict a prime motor device of the conveying-member driving device of the card dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 13  is an exploded perspective view of a drawing device of the card dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 14  is a block diagram of a control mean of the card dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 15  is a flowchart for describing the operation of the card dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment; 
         FIGS. 16-20  are drawings for describing the operation of the card dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 21  is a cross sectional view at the same position as that in  FIG. 5  in a second embodiment; 
         FIG. 22  is an explanatory drawing the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 23  is an explanatory drawings in the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 24  is a plan view of card dispensing means  104  in a state where card holding means  102  is removed according to a third embodiment; 
         FIG. 25  is a cross sectional view along a C-C line in  FIG. 24 ; 
         FIG. 26  is a back-surface perspective view of a holding member in the third embodiment, 
         FIG. 27  depicts cross sectional views along the C-C line in  FIG. 24  and an explanatory drawing of the operation in a state immediately before a conveying member dispenses a card in the card holding means in the third embodiment; and 
         FIG. 28  depicts cross sectional views along the C-C line in  FIG. 24  and an explanatory drawing of the operation in a state where feeding means starts drawing cards in the third embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention which set forth the best modes contemplated to carry out the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention. 
     A card dispensing apparatus  100  has a function of separating and dispensing cards one by one from end of a stack line of cards lined up in a columnar shape with their surfaces being closely contacted with each other. The card dispensing apparatus  100  broadly includes a card holding unit  102  and a card dispensing unit  104 . 
     First, the card holding unit  102  is described. The card holding unit  102  has a function of lining up and holding cards in a columnar shape with their surfaces being closely contacted with each other. In the present embodiment, the card holding unit  102  includes an opening  108  on one side surface of a holding member  106  in a channel shape when viewed in a plane, it is closed with a vertically-elongated rectangular removable lid  112  to form a vertically-oriented holding room or container  114  that is rectangular in cross section. The card holding unit  102  has a bottom surface being closed with a base  116 . 
     Cards C, as depicted in  FIG. 5 , are mounted on the base  116 , piled up in a vertical direction inside the holding barrel  114 , and held with their surfaces being closely contacted with each other. An exit  118  is formed in a horizontally-elongated rectangular slit shape between a lower end of the lid  112  disposed at the opening  108  of the card holding unit  102  and the base  116 . The exit  118  has a height approximately three times longer than the thickness of the card C. The base  116  has formed thereon an opening  124  into which a conveying member, which will be described further below advances. 
     In the present embodiment, the opening  124  is formed by a combination of three openings  124 A,  124 B, and  124 C. Here, the holding member  106  has formed thereon a vertically-elongated peephole  115 , whilst the lid  112  has formed thereon a vertically-elongated peephole  122 . 
     The card holding unit  102  is mounted so as not to be dropped by engaging protrusions  126 LF and  126 LR horizontally protruding laterally from a lower portion of a left side wall of the holding member  106  and protrusions  128 RF and  128 LF horizontally protruding laterally from a lower portion of a right side wall thereof with horizontally-elongated engaging grooves  134 LF and  134 LR of a left side wall  132 L of the card dispensing unit  104  and horizontally-elongated engaging groves  136 RF and  136 RR of a right side wall  132 R thereof, respectively, and by being locked with a lock strip  138 . 
     Here, when the friction of the cards C with respect to the conveying member described further below is small, the friction is increased preferably by putting a weight on the card at the top or pressuring with a spring force or the like. 
     Next, the card dispensing means  104  is described. The card dispensing unit  104  has a function of dispensing a card stacked on the card holding unit  102  one by one from a bottom end in a predetermined direction. In the present embodiment, the card dispensing unit  104  includes frame unit  142 , a conveying member  144 , loop movement unit  146 , drawing unit  148 , and prime motor unit  150 . 
     First, the frame unit  142  is described as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The frame unit  142  is a cabinet having mounted thereon flat loop movement unit  146 , the drawing unit  148 , and the prime motor unit  150 , and is formed in a channel shape in cross section with a bottom plate  152 , a left side plate  132 L, and a right side plate  132 R that are each in a portrait-oriented rectangular shape. 
     In detail, the bottom plate  152  and the left side plate  132 L and right side plate  132 R are decomposably connected together via connecting unit  154 . The connecting unit  154  includes hooks  156  formed at right and end faces at the front and rear of the bottom plate  152 , rectangular engaging holes  158  formed at bottom portions of the left side plate  132 L and the right side plate  132 R so as to face the hooks  156 , protrusions  162  formed at the center of the respective side surfaces of the bottom plate  152 , and elastic engaging strips  164  each capable of engaging with the relevant one of the protrusions  162 . 
     After inserting each hook  156  in the relevant engaging hole  158 , sliding is performed in a rear direction (right direction in  FIG. 3 ), thereby causing the outer surfaces of the left side plate  132 L and the right side plate  132 R to engage with the hooks  156 . With the protrusion  162  engaged with the tip of the elastic engaging strip  164 , the left side plate  132 L and the right side plate  132 R are prevented from sliding in a reverse direction, thereby being integrated with the bottom plate  152 . 
     In this case, with a width regulating plate  166  perpendicularly standing upward from the bottom plate  152 , the spacing between the left side plate  132 L and the right side plate  132 R is set to have a predetermined spacing. The bottom plate  152  can be fixed to a metal-made slide base  168  so as to be integrated together. 
     Next, the conveying member  144  is described as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 . The conveying member  144  makes a surface contact with the surface of the card C at an end portion of the card stack, and has a function of providing a driving force to the card with friction for dispensing in the dispensing direction. In the present embodiment, the conveying member  144  is formed of four rectangular stick-like members that are portrait-oriented with a predetermined width, are formed of soft rubber, which is a high-friction element, and are disposed in parallel. 
     In other words, the conveying member  144  has a flat contact surface  172  at its top end, the surface making a surface contact with the surface of the card. The conveying member  144  preferably has a hardness lower than the material of the cards so as not to damage the cards at the time of occurrence of sliding with respect to the cards. However, when the cards are made of paper, since such cards have an extremely low hardness, soft rubber having a hardness close to that of paper is preferably selected. 
     The conveying member  144  is fixed, in parallel, onto the upper surface of the holding member  145 , which is a flat plate, with adhesion or the like, and is configured so as to be able to integrally move. The conveying member  144  can be made as one member through molding with a wide width or, conversely, the number of members of the conveying member  144  can be increased. The conveying member  144  can advance to the holding room  114  by passing through the opening  124  formed so as to face the base  116  of the card holding unit  102 . 
     Next, the flat loop movement unit  146  is described. The flat loop movement unit  146  has a function of causing the conveying member  144  to make a flat loop movement. In detail, the flat loop movement unit  146  has a function of causing the conveying member  144  to advance into the opening  124  from a predetermined advancing position to make a surface contact with the surface of the card C, then linearly move in a predetermined direction, e.g. forward and horizontal while maintaining the card contact state, then retract from the elongated opening  124  to a lower retract position, and then move back to the initial advancing position while maintaining its retracted state. 
     The flat loop movement unit  146  includes a reciprocating member  182  that linearly reciprocates in the card dispensing direction and moves in a direction orthogonal to the dispensing direction. The reciprocating member  182  of  FIG. 6  includes a first reciprocating member  184  that linearly reciprocates in the card dispensing direction, a second reciprocating member  186  that reciprocates in a direction forming a right angle with a moving direction of the first reciprocating member  184 , relative-position holding unit  187  that holds the position of the second reciprocating member, and driving unit  189 . 
     First, the first reciprocating member  184  is described. The first reciprocating member  184  has a function of providing the conveying member  144  with movements in the card dispensing direction and a return direction in reverse thereto. 
     In other words, the first reciprocating member  184  has a function of providing to the conveying member  144  linear movements in an upper dispensing direction and a lower reverse-dispensing direction of a flat loop movement. 
     The first reciprocating member  184  is formed so as to have an inverted U shape in cross section with a top table  188 , a left side wall  192 L hanging downward from the left side end of the top table  188 , and a right side wall  192 R hanging downward from the right side end thereof. The first reciprocating member  184  is guided by left guiding unit  194 L and right guiding unit  194 R so as to make linear movements in the card dispensing direction and its reverse direction. 
     The left guiding unit  194 L includes a horizontally-extending left guiding groove  196 L formed on an inner surface of the left side plate  132 L and guide rollers  198 LF and  198 LR rotatably mounted at the front end and the rear end of the left side wall  192 L and having the same diameter. These rollers  198 LF and  198 LR are inserted into the left guiding groove  196 L, thereby being able to make a linear movement while being guided by this guiding groove  196 L. The right guiding unit  194 R includes a horizontally-extending right guiding groove  196 R formed on an inner surface of the right side plate  132 R and guide rollers  198 RF and  198 RR rotatably mounted at the front end and the rear end of the right side wall  192 R and having the same diameter. These rollers  198 RF and  198 RR are inserted into the right guiding groove  196 R, thereby being able to make a linear movement while being guided by this guiding groove  196 R. 
     Next, the second reciprocating member  186  is described. The second reciprocating member  186  has a function of providing the conveying member  144  with movements in a direction of making contact with the surface of the card C and in a direction away therefrom. In other words, the second reciprocating member  186  has a function of giving to the conveying member  144  linear movements in an approaching direction to the card C and an anti-approaching direction in a flat loop movement. The second reciprocating member  186  is a lever  206  in an inverted-L shape mounted on a pivot shaft  204  so as to pivotally move. 
     In the present embodiment, the lever  206  includes L-shaped levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR supported by pivot shafts  204 F and  204 R mounted at front ends of the left side wall  192 L and the right side wall  192 R of the first reciprocating member  184  so as to make a pivot movement, see  FIG. 5 . However, one lever  206  or a pair of left and right levers  206 RF and  206 RR can alternatively be configured as the lever  206 . 
     The levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR have first levers  208 RF,  208 RR,  208 LF, and  208 LR, respectively that approximately vertically stand and have formed thereon elongated holes  212 RF,  212 RR,  212 LF, and  212 LR, respectively. At the tips of second levers  214 RF and  214 RR ( 214 LF and  214 LR are not shown) of the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR, the second levers extending approximately in parallel to the top table  188 , leg members  216 RF,  216 RR,  216 LF, and  216 LR extending downward from the holding member  145  through the opening of the top table  188  of the first reciprocating member  184  are supported by shafts  218 RF,  218 RR,  218 LF, and  218 LR so as to make a pivot movement. 
     With the second levers  214 RF,  214 RR,  214 LF, and  214 LR and the leg members  216 RF,  216 RR,  216 LF, and  216 LR, a four-joint parallel link mechanism  219  is formed as shown in  FIG. 6 . With this, the conveying member  144  is linearly reciprocated in a direction forming a right angle with respect to the dispensing direction of the first reciprocating member  184 . 
     Next, the relative-position holding member  187  is described as shown in  FIG. 8 . The relative-position holding member  187  has a function of holding a relative position of the second reciprocating member  186  with respect to the first reciprocating member  184  at a predetermined positional relation while the first reciprocating member  184  makes a linear movement. 
     In the present embodiment, the relative-position holding member  187  is a cam  222  formed integrally with the first reciprocating member  184 . The cam  222  is represented by plate cams  224 RF,  224 RR,  224 LF, and  224 LR formed on one side surface of cam protrusions  222 RF,  222 RR,  222 LF, and  222 LR extending downward external to and along the first levers  208 RF,  208 RR,  208 LF, and  208 LR from the left side wall  192 L and the right side wall  192 R. 
     Since the plate cams  224 RF,  224 RR,  224 LF, and  224 LR have the same configuration, the plate cam  224 LR is described as a representative. The plate cam  224 LR has formed thereon a first cam portion  226  formed at a lower end portion so as to be oriented rear-downward and a second cam portion  228  formed above a portion following the first cam portion so as to be oriented rear-upward. These first cam portion  226  and second cam portion  228  can make contact with crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR, which will be described further below. 
     Specifically, when the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR make contact with the first cam portion  226 , according to the rotation of the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR, the lever  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR are rotated with respect to the first reciprocating member  184 . Therefore, the conveying member  144  is moved in a direction of approaching or going away from the first reciprocating member  184 . 
     When the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR make contact with the second cam portion  228 , even if the positions of the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR are changed, the phase of the second reciprocating member  186  with respect to the first reciprocating member  184  is kept constant. In other words, even when the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR are rotated, the relative position of the conveying member  144  with respect to the first reciprocating member  184  is set so as not to be changed. 
     With the above configuration, the stroke in a flat lateral direction of the conveying member  144 , in other words, in a dispensing direction and an anti-dispensing direction of the cards C, is determined by a rotation diameter of the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR. This stroke is set so that, even if the tip of the card C of the bottom end reaches immediately near the sides of the rollers  382  and  384  of feeding unit  334 , which will be described further below, the conveying member  144  advances into the opening  124  again to make contact with only the card C at the bottom. This is because only the card C is to be dispensed. 
     Next, the driving unit  189  is described as shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 . The driving unit  189  has a function of driving the flat loop movement unit  146 . The driving unit  189  includes a crank  232  and a crank pin  230  mounted at a predetermined diameter position of the crank  232 . 
     In the present embodiment, as the crank  232 , cranks  232 RF,  232 RR,  232 LF, and  232 LR are provided that face the L-shape levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR and have the same radius. The cranks  232 RF and  232 LF are gears  236 RF and  236 LF formed at end faces of rotating shafts  234 RF and  234 LF. Engaged and connected with the end faces of the rotating shafts  234 RF and  234 LF, the cranks  232 RF and  232 LF are integrated together. 
     With such a configuration, the cranks  232 RF and  232 LF can be configured with the same resin molded product and manufactured at a low cost. Similarly, the crank  232 RR and  232 LR are gears  236 RR and  236 LR formed at end faces of rotating shafts  234 RR and  234 LR and, engaged and connected with the end faces of the rotating shafts  234 RR and  234 LR, the cranks  232 RR and  232 LR are integrated together. 
     The crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR are mounted on externally-oriented end surfaces of the gears  236 RF,  236 LF,  236 RR, and  236 LR. In the present embodiment, the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR are rollers. This is to reduce a driving force and improve durability. 
     The rotating shafts  234 RF,  234 LF,  234 RR, and  234 LR are inserted into semicircular bearing grooves  244 RF,  244 LF,  244 RR, and  244 LR, respectively, formed at an upper end of a box-shaped driving-member frame  242 , and are covered with semicircular bearing grooves  248 RF ( 248 LF is not shown) and  248 RR ( 248 LR is not shown) of a holding member  246  from above so as to be rotatably held. The driving-member frame  242  is resin-molded integrally with the bottom plate  152 . 
     Thus, the driving-member frame  242 , in other words, the driving unit  189 , is disposed between the left cranks  232 LF and  232 LR and the right cranks  232 RF and  232 RR. Between the bearing grooves  244 RF and  244 LF and between the bearing grooves  244 RR and  244 LR of the driving-member frame  242 , a rotating shaft  252  is rotatably supported that has both ends to which pinion gears  254 L and  254 R engaged with the gears  236 LF and  236 LR and the gears  236 RF and  236 RR, respectively, are fixed. The crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR are set at the same phase. 
     Therefore, at the time of a forward rotation, the gears  236 LF and  236 LR are rotated by the pinion gear  254 L and the gears  236 RF and  236 RR are rotated by the pinion gear  254 R in the same direction (in  FIG. 5 , a counter-clockwise direction). The crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR are rotated in a clockwise direction in  FIG. 5  with the same phase. 
     The crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR are slidably inserted in the corresponding elongated holes  212 RF,  212 RR,  212 LF, and  212 LR, see  FIG. 8 . Thus, the second reciprocating member  186  is moved in the card dispensing direction and the anti-dispensing direction mainly with the movements of the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR in a right-left direction in  FIG. 5 . Via the pivot shafts  204 F and  204 R, the first reciprocating member  184  is provided with a linear reciprocating movement in the card dispensing direction and the anti-dispensing direction. 
     Also, the second reciprocating member  186  meets the first cam portion  226  at a predetermined timing in the course of rotation at the time of upward and downward rotation in  FIG. 5  of the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR, and is rotated so that the relative position with respect to the first reciprocating member  184  is not changed. Furthermore, a contact is made with the second cam portion  228  at the time of moving in the dispensing direction of the first reciprocating member  184 , and a rotation is made so as to go away and approach in a right-angle direction. 
     Thus, to the conveying member  144 , a flat loop movement is given via the holding member  145  with the rotation movement of the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR. A first bevel gear  256  is fixed to an intermediate portion of the rotating shaft  252 , see  FIGS. 10 and 11(A) ,  11  (B). A second bevel gear  258  engaging with this first bevel gear  256  and a gear  264  fixed to a rotating shaft  265 , which is the same rotating shaft as that of the second bevel gear  258 , are incorporated in the driving-member frame  242 . Thus, the rotating shaft  265  rotates about an axial line orthogonal to the rotating shaft  252 . 
     To the driving-member frame  242 , a rotating shaft  266  is mounted in parallel to the rotating shaft  265 . To the rotating shaft  266 , a pinion gear  268  engaging with the gear  264  is fixed. To an end face of the rotating shaft  266 , one of clutch strips  272 , that is, a clutch strip  272 A, is integrally provided. Thus, since the driving unit  189  is disposed in a so-called dead space between the left crank pins  230 LF and  230 LF and the right crank pins  230 RF and  230 RR, the apparatus can be advantageously downsized. 
     Next, the prime motor unit  150  is described mainly with reference to  FIG. 12 . 
       FIG. 12  (A) is a plan view of the driving unit  150 , (B) is a rear view thereof, (C) is a left side view thereof, and (D) is a C-C cross sectional view. The prime motor unit  150  has a function of driving the driving unit  189  and the drawing unit  148 . The prime motor unit  150  includes a casing  282  in an L shape when viewed in plane, an electric motor  284 , a decelerating mechanism  286 , and a driving device  288  of the drawing unit  148 . The prime motor unit  150  is unitized by the casing  282 , and is removably mounted by engaging with an engaging portion  291  of a casing  252  by using hooks  290 L and  290 R protruding from the end portions of the driving-member frame  242 . 
     A driving pinion gear  294  is fixed to an output shaft  292  of the electric motor  284  fixed to the casing  282  with a screw  283 . The driving pinion gear  294  engages with a gear  298  fixed to a rotating shaft straight above. An adjacent gear  302  fixed to the rotating shaft  296  engages with a gear  306  fixed to a rotating shaft  304  disposed in parallel to the rotating shaft  296 . A gear  308  fixed adjacently to the gear  306  engages with a gear  314  fixed to a rotating shaft  312  disposed below the rotating shaft  304  and on a side of the gear  294 . To an end face of the rotating shaft  312 , the other one of clutch strips  272 , that is, a clutch strip  272 B, is fixed. 
     When the prime motor unit  150  is fixed to the driving-member frame  242 , the clutches  272 A and  272 B are engaged with each other. Therefore, the rotation of the electric motor  284  is transferred to the gear  268  via the output shaft  292 , the driving pinion gear  294 , the gear  298 , the rotating shaft  296 , the gears  302  and  306 , the gears  304 , the gears  308  and  314 , the rotating shaft  312 , and the clutches  272 . 
     Next, the driving device  288  is described. The driving device  288  has a function of driving the drawing unit  148  that draws the card C dispensed by the flat loop movement unit  146 . The driving device  288  is a gear mechanism  313 . In the gear mechanism  313 , a bevel gear  316  fixed to the rotating shaft  304  is fixed to a bevel gear  318 . The bevel gear  318  is engaged with a rotating shaft  322 . A gear  324  is fixed to the tip protruding from the casing  282  of the rotating shaft  322 . 
     Next, the drawing unit  148  is described. The drawing unit  148  has a function of drawing one of the cards C dispensed by the flat loop movement unit  146 . In the present embodiment, the drawing unit  148  includes two-sheet drawing preventing unit  332  and feeding unit  334 . 
     First, the two-sheet drawing preventing unit  332  is described, see  FIGS. 4 and 13 . The two-sheet drawing preventing unit  332  has a function of allowing only one card at the end to pass when cards are dispensed by the conveying member  144  as being stacked. Thus, this unit can be changed to another device having a similar function. 
     The two-sheet drawing preventing unit  332  is disposed near the side of the exit  122  and includes a roller  335 , a reverse-rotation roller  336 , and spacing adjusting unit  338 . 
     Next, the roller  335  is described. The roller  335  is disposed on a lower side of a card passage  342 , which is an extension line of the exit  122 , and loosely fits to a rotating shaft  344 . In the present embodiment, the roller  335  includes two rollers  335 L and  335 R disposed so as to be spaced in a card width direction, and these rollers are molded from resin. The rollers  335  are rotatable with respect to the rotating shaft  344 . A rotating shaft  344  has fixed at its end a gear  345  engaging with an intermediate gear  348  rotatably supported from the gear  324  to a shaft  326 , thereby being driven for rotation. 
     Next, the reverse-rotation roller  336  is described. The reverse-rotation roller  336  is disposed on an upper side of the card passage  342  so as to face the roller  335 , and is rotated so that a facing perimeter surface moves to an opposite side to the dispensing direction of the cards C. Furthermore, the spacing between the roller  335  and the reverse-rotation roller  336  is set so as to be longer than the thickness of the card and shorter than the thickness of two cards, thereby preventing the reverse-rotation roller  336  from dispensing two cards in stack. 
     In more detailed description, when two cards C advance as being stacked, the reverse-rotation roller  336  acts so as to press back the end face of the card on the upper side, and only the card in contact with the roller  335  passes between the roller  335  and the reverse-rotation roller  336 . The reverse-rotation roller  336  is fixed to a rotating shaft  352 , is excellent in resistance to abrasion, and is molded from soft rubber having a predetermined coefficient of friction. In the embodiment, the reverse-rotation roller  336  has a gear  353  fixed to the roller  335  engaging with a gear  345  fixed to a shaft  344  via a gear  357  rotatably supported from a gear  356 , thereby being driven for rotation. 
     Next, the spacing adjusting unit  338  is described, see  FIG. 5 . The spacing adjusting unit  338  has a function of adjusting the spacing between an upper end of the perimeter surface of the roller  335  and a lower end of the perimeter surface of the reverse-rotation roller  336  so that the spacing is longer than the thickness of one card and is shorter than the thickness of two cards. 
     In the present embodiment, the spacing adjusting unit  338  includes a rocking member  362  that supports the rotating shaft  352  of the reverse-rotation roller  336 , screws  364 L and  364 R as adjusting unit, and screw-hole plate  366  having screw holes  374 L and  374 R for screwing screws  364 L and  364 R, see  FIG. 7 . The rocking member  362  has a gate shape in an inverted L shape when viewed from the side, and has shafts  368 L and  368 R protruding from both ends to the sides, the shaft  368 L being rotatably inserted into a shaft hole  372 L of the left side plate  132 L and the shaft  368 R being rotatably inserted into a shaft hole  372 R of the right side plate  132 R, see  FIG. 4 . 
     The screw-hole plate  366  fixes the right end to the left side plate  132 L and the left end to the right side plate  132 R, and is disposed with a predetermined spacing above the rocking member  362 . The screw holes  374 L and  374 R extending in an upward and downward direction are formed at left and right end portions of the screw-hole plate  366 , respectively, and have inserted therein the screws  364 L and  364 R, respectively. The tips of the screws  364 L and  364 R are struck on an upper end face of the rocking member  362 . The rocking member  362  is pressed by a spring  376  hung in a space formed with the screw-hole plate  366 , in a direction in which the reverse-rotation roller  336  goes away from the roller  335 . 
     When the screws  364 L and  364 R are screwed tight, the rocking member  362  can be rotated by a subtle amount, thereby causing the reverse-rotation roller  336  to come close to the roller  335  by a subtle amount. Therefore, with the screws  364 L and  364 R being screwed or loosened, the distance between the lower end of the perimeter surface of the reverse-rotation roller  336  and the upper end of the perimeter surface of the roller  335  can be adjusted so as to be longer than the thickness of one card and shorter than the thickness of two cards. With this, only one card C can pass through the gap between the roller  335  and the reverse-rotation roller  336 . 
     Next, the feeding unit  334  is described. The feeding unit  334  has a function of further advancing the card that has passed through the two-sheet drawing preventing unit  332  in the dispensing direction. Thus, the feeding unit  334  can be changed to another unit having a similar function. 
     In the present embodiment, the feeding unit  334  includes a pair of rollers  382  and  384  disposed on an upside and a downside. The roller  382  is disposed on a lower side of the card passage  342 , and is fixed to a rotating shaft  386 , see  FIG. 5 . The roller  384  is disposed on an upper side of the card passage  342  so as to face the roller  382 , and is fixed to a rotating shaft  388 . The rollers  382  and  384  are molded from soft rubber, and are set so that the perimeter surfaces of the rollers  382  and  384  normally make a light contact with each other. 
     A gear  392  fixed to an end portion of the rotating shaft  386  engages with an intermediate gear  348 . The gear  392  engages with a gear  394  fixed to an end portion of the shaft  388 . Thus, the roller  382  is rotated by the gear  348  in a forward rotating direction, which is the card dispensing direction. 
     The roller  384  is rotated from the gear  392  via the gear  394  and the shaft  388  in the forward rotating direction, which is the card dispensing direction, see  FIG. 13 . When a card is dispensed, the rollers  382  and  384  are elastically deformed to nip the card from upper and lower sides, thereby dispensing the card. In the present embodiment, the roller  384  includes rollers  384 L and  384 R disposed with a predetermined spacing. 
     The shaft  346 , the rotating shaft  344  of the roller  335 , and the shaft  386  of the roller  382  are preferably mounted on a first bearing member  396  in one box shape for unitization, thereby facilitating assembly and roller replacement. 
     In the present embodiment, lower-side guide edges  388 L and  388 R and upper-side guide edges  392 L and  392 R horizontally extending from the side end portions of the front surface are formed on inner surfaces of the left side plate  132 L and the right side plate  132 R of the frame unit  142  facing each other, and are connected together by a vertically-standing stop edge  394 . A bottom surface and an upper surface of each of right and left end portions of the first bearing member  396  are pressed into along the lower-side guide edges  388 L and  388 R and the upper-side guide edges  392 L and  392 R to be pressed onto the stop edge  394 . 
     In this state, since stoppers  396 L and  396 R formed integrally with the left side plate  132 L and the right side plate  132 R in a cantilevered state face each other, the first bearing member  396  is fixed to the frame unit  142  by being hung on a protrusion  398  on a side surface of the first bearing member  396 . The rollers  382  and  384  are set to have the same circumferential velocity, which is set at a velocity twice to six times faster than a moving velocity of the dispensing direction of the conveying member  144 . 
     The rotating shaft  388  of the roller  384  is mounted on a box-shaped second bearing member  402 , see  FIG. 13 . The second bearing member  402  has a length that is set so as to allow a closely-contacted insertion between the left side plate  132 L and the right side plate  132 R. Also, a lower-side guiding thread  404  that guides a lower surface of the second bearing member  402  and an upper-side guiding thread  406  that guides an upper surface thereof are formed on the inner surfaces of the left side plate  132 L and the right side plate  132 R. 
     The second bearing member  402  is inserted between these lower-side guiding thread  404  and the upper-side guiding thread  406  to be slid so that the bottom of a portrait-oriented groove  408  at an end portion of the second bearing member  402  is struck onto end faces of the left side plate  132 L and the right side plate  132 R, thereby being positioned at a predetermined position. At this time, protrusions  410 L and  410 R formed at left and right end faces of a stopper  409  mounted integrally on the second bearing member  402  are engaged with end portions of engaging holes  412 L and  412 R of the left side plate  132 L and the right side plate  132 R, respectively, to be fixed thereto. 
     The stopper  409  has a rectangular ring shape made of resin, and only the portion on the front surface side is fixed to the second bearing member  402 . Thus, side frames  414 L and  414 R can be elastically deformed. These side frames  414 L and  414 R are jointed together by a joint member  416 . The joint member  416  is preferably curved so as to be easy to be hold by the tip of a finger. 
     When the second bearing member  402  is removed from the frame unit  142 , a thumb is pressed onto the front end face of the second bearing member  402  and the index finger or another finger catches the joint member  416  for pulling to a front-end-face side. With this, the side frames  414 L and  414 R are elastically deformed to be moved inward, thereby causing the protrusions  408 L and  408 R to be removed from the engaging holes  412 L and  412 R. In this removed state, the second bearing member  402  can be removed from the frame unit  142  by drawing the second bearing member  402 . 
     Next, control unit  422  is described with regards to  FIG. 14 . The control unit  422  includes held-card detecting unit  424 , card-dispensing detecting unit  426 , most-retract-position detecting unit  432 , arithmetic-operation processing unit  434 , such as a microcomputer, and an electric motor  284 . 
     First, the held-card detecting unit  424  is described. The held-card detecting unit  424  has a function of detecting the presence or absence of a card in the card holding unit  102 . Thus, the held-card detecting unit  424  can be changed to another device having a similar function. 
     In the present embodiment, the held-card detecting unit  424  includes a first detecting member  436  mounted on the first reciprocating member  184 , a spring  438  as pressing unit, and a first detection-target member  442  interlocked with the first detecting member  436 , see  FIG. 6 . The first detecting member  436  is rotatably mounted on a shaft  444  of the first reciprocating member  184 , has its upper end portion positioned on a side of the conveying member  144 , and is provided by a spring  438  with a rotation force so as to be positioned above the conveying member  144 . 
     The first detection-target member  442  is mounted at the tip of a lever  446  continued from the first detecting member  436  by a shaft  448  so as to be able to make a pivot movement. The lever  446  and the first detection-target member  442  form a part of a four-joint parallel link mechanism  444 . Thus, the first detection-target member  442  is caused to approach and separated in a state parallel to the first reciprocating member according to a rocking movement of the first detecting member  436 . 
     By a holding sensor  450  fixed to the holding member  246 , this first detection-target member  442  is detected by the holding sensor  450  when the first detecting member  436  protrudes upward from the conveying member  144 . With this detection, the holding sensor  450  outputs a no-card signal. In other words, when the first detection-target member  442  is not detected by the holding sensor  450 , a holding signal FS is output. 
     Next, the card-dispensing detecting unit  426  is described. The card-dispensing detecting unit  426  has a function of detecting the presence of the card in the drawing unit  148 . Thus, the card-dispensing detecting unit  426  can be changed to another device having a similar function. The card-dispensing detecting unit  426  includes a second detecting member  452  and a dispensing sensor  454 . 
     The second detecting member  452  is pressed so that its upper end portion protrudes into the card passage  342  between the rollers  382 L and  382 R in the first bearing member  396 . The dispensing sensor  454  is incorporated in the first bearing member  396 , and outputs a card dispensing signal DS when the second detecting member  452  is pressed by a card into the first bearing member  396 . 
     Next, the most-retracted-position detecting unit  432  is described. The most-retracted-position detecting unit  432  has a function of detecting the most retracted position of the conveying member  144 . Thus, the most-retracted-position detecting unit  432  can be changed to another device having a similar function. 
     The most-retracted-position detecting unit  432  includes a second detection-target member  456  protruding downward from the first reciprocating member  184 , and a most-retract-position sensor  432 . The second detection-target strip  456  is detected by the most-retract-position sensor  432  fixed to the holding member  246  when the first reciprocating member  184  is positioned near the most retract position. At this time, the most-retract-position sensor  432  outputs a most-retract-position signal RS. 
     Next, the arithmetic-operation processing unit  434  is described. The arithmetic-operation processing unit  434  is, for example, a microcomputer, receiving a detection signal from the holding sensor  450 , the dispensing sensor  454 , and the most-retract-position sensor  432  based on a program stored in a ROM, performing a predetermined process to turn the electric motor  284  ON/OFF, and outputting a predetermined signal, such as a display signal, to an external processing device. 
     Here, a card holding member  462  is preferably mounted on the second bearing member  402 , see  FIG. 7 . The card holding member  462  has a function of holding the card C dispensed by the feeding unit  334  in the dispensing unit  104 . Thus, when the card C falls down from the card dispensing unit  104 , the card holding member  462  is not mounted. 
     The card holding member  462  is a protruding strip made of a elastic member, with its one end fixed to the second bearing member  402  and its tip making contact with the first bearing member  396  with a predetermined force. In the present embodiment, the card holding member  462  is disposed so that the second detecting member  452  is interposed from right and left, thereby also ensuring card detection. 
     Next, also with reference to the flowchart of  FIG. 15 , the operation of the card dispensing apparatus according to the present embodiment is described. 
     First, prior to the operation of the card dispensing apparatus  100 , the card holding unit  102  is removed from the card dispensing unit  104 , and then the cards C are stacked in the holding room  114  of the holding member  106 . In detail, by pressing the tip of the lock strip  138  downward, the engagement of protrusions  126 LR and  126 RR is released. Thus, the card holding unit  102  is shifted rearward (rightward in  FIG. 3 ) to pull the protrusions  126 RF,  126 RR,  126 LF, and  126 LR from the corresponding engaging grooves  134 RF,  134 RR,  134 LF, and  134 RF, respectively. With this, the card holding unit  102  can be removed from the card dispensing unit  104 . 
     Next, the lid  112  is opened, and then the cards C are stacked in the holding room  114  from the opening  108 . In detail, the card at the bottom is supported by the base  116  and has stacked thereon the cards C in a columnar shape with their surfaces being closely contacted each other. 
     Next, after the opening  108  is closed with the lid  112 , conversely to the above, the protrusions  126 LF,  126 LR,  126 RF, and  126 RR are placed on upper ends of the left side plate  132 L and the right side plate  132 R, and are then slid in a lateral direction, thereby being inserted into the engaging grooves  134 RF,  134 RR,  134 LF, and  134 LR. When the protrusions  126 LF,  126 LR,  126 RF, and  126 RR are struck on back walls of the engaging grooves  134 RF,  134 RR,  134 LF, and  134 LR, the lock strips  138 L and  138 R return upward by elasticity, thereby engaging with rear ends of the protrusions  126 LR and  126 RR and fixing the card holding unit  102  to the card dispensing unit  104 . 
     Normally, the conveying member  144  is stopped near the most retract position (position depicted in  FIG. 16 ). Therefore, the second detection-target member  456  is at a position where it is detected by the most-retract-position sensor  432 . 
     When the card holding unit  102  is set, the first detecting member  436  passes through the opening  124 B of the base  116  to advance into the holding room  114 . Therefore, the first detecting member  436  is pressed toward the surface of the card C at the bottom end to be positioned slightly above the contact surface  172  of the conveying member  144 . With this, in  FIG. 6 , the first detecting member  436  is rotated in a counterclockwise direction. Therefore, the first detection-target member  442  is raised upward, and is not detected by the holding sensor  450 . The holding sensor  450  then outputs a holding signal FS. 
     First, at step S 1 , it is determined whether a most-retract-position signal RS has been output from the most-retract-position sensor  432 . In other words, if the second detection-target member  456  has been detected by the most-retract-position sensor  432  and a most-retract signal RS has not been output, the procedure goes to step S 2 . If the most-retracted-position sensor  432  has output a most-retracted signal RS, the procedure goes to step S 7 . 
     At step S 2 , the electric motor  284  is rotated in reverse at low speed or in an inching manner, thereby providing a reversely-rotating movement to the crank pins  230 LF,  230 LR,  230 RF, and  230 RR and moving the conveying member  144  to an initial position (position depicted in  FIG. 16 ). The procedure then goes to step S 3 . With this, the conveying member  144  is moved backward as protruding into the holding room  114  from the opening of the base  116 , and the second detection-target member  456  is detected by the most-retracted-position sensor  432 . The most-retract-position sensor  432  then outputs a most-retracted position signal RS. 
     At this time, the conveying member  144  rubs over the surface of the card C. However, since sliding is at low speed, the card C is not damaged. 
     At step S 3 , if a most-retracted-position signal RS has been detected, the procedure goes to step S 4 . If not detected, the procedure goes to step S 5 . 
     At step S 4 , the electric motor  284  is stopped, an initial position process for the conveying member  144  is completed, and then the procedure goes to step S 7 . With the initial position process, the conveying member  144  is stopped at a position approximately as depicted in  FIG. 16 . 
     Thus, in the conveying member  144 , the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR are positioned near the most retract positions (most rightward in  FIG. 16 ) of the cranks  232 RF,  232 RR,  232 LF, and  232 LR. With this, the first reciprocating member  184  are moved approximately to the most retract position by the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR via the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR. Also, the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR are rotated to positions where they do not make contact with the cam  22 . Thus, the second reciprocating member  186  is held at a position near the first reciprocating member  184 . 
     In other words, the conveying member  144  is pressed downward by the weight of the card C, and is retracted from the opening  124  of the base  116  to the outside of the holding room  114 . 
     Here, the initial position process can be performed by rotating the electric motor  284  forward. In this case, the card C at the bottom may be dispensed. In that case, the dispensed card C can be returned to the holding room  114 . 
     At step S 3 , if a most-retracted-position signal RS is not detected, the procedure goes to step S 5 . At step S 5 , it is determined whether a predetermined time has passed. If the predetermined time has not passed, the procedure returns to step S 3 . If the predetermined time has passed, the procedure goes to step S 6 . 
     At step S 6 , it is assumed that an abnormality has occurs such that the conveying member  144  is not moved even if the electric motor  284  rotates. After an error signal is output to an external processing device to cause a display device to perform error display, the procedure ends. 
     At step S 7 , the presence or absence of a hold signal FS for the card C from the holding sensor  450  is determined. If the hold signal FS is detected, the procedure goes to step S 8 . If not detected, the procedure goes to step S 9 . 
     At step S 9 , a no-card signal is output to the external processing device and, after a display prompting for card supply or the like, the procedure ends. 
     At step S 8 , it is determined whether a card dispensing signal PS has come from an external control device. If a card dispensing signal PS is detected, the procedure goes to step S 10 . If not detected, the procedure returns to step S 7 . 
     At step S 10 , the electric motor  284  is rotated forward, and then the procedure goes to step S 11 . When the electric motor  284  is rotated forward, the clutch strip  272 B is rotated via the decelerating mechanism  286 , and the clutch strip  272 A engaging therewith is rotated. With this, the pinion gears  254 L and  254 R are rotated in a clockwise direction in  FIG. 11  via the rotating shaft  266 , the gears  268  and  264 , the rotating shaft  265 , the bevel gears  258  and  256 , and the rotating shaft  252 . 
     With the rotation of the pinion gears  254 L and  254 R, the gears  236 RF,  236 RR,  236 LF, and  236 LR are rotated in a counterclockwise direction in  FIG. 10 . Therefore, the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR follow an arc path to move approximately upward. With this, the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR make contact with the first cam  226 , respectively. Thus, the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR are rotated in a clockwise direction in  FIG. 17  at a predetermined angle with respect to the first reciprocating member  184 . 
     Thus, the second reciprocating member  186  is pressed upward in a parallel manner by the four-joint parallel link  219  to go away from the first reciprocating member  184  by a predetermined amount. With this movement of the second reciprocating member  186 , the conveying member  144  passes through the opening  124  of the base  116  via the holding member  145  to advance into the holding room  114 , thereby slightly pushing the card line higher. In other words, the card C at the bottom makes a surface contact with the contact surface  172  of the conveying member  144  to be separated from the base  116 . 
     Furthermore, the cranks  232 RF,  232 RR,  232 LF, and  232 LR are rotated in a counterclockwise direction, and the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR are moved in a lateral direction (leftward in  FIG. 18 ) while drawing an arc path. With this, the first reciprocating member  184  is moved leftward in the drawing. With the rollers  198 RF,  198 RR,  198 LF, and  198 LR being guided by the right guiding groove  196 R and the left guiding groove  196 L, the first reciprocating member  184  is linearly moved leftward in  FIG. 18 . 
     Thus, the second reciprocating member  186  is moved in a lateral direction (leftward in the drawing) via the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR together with the movement of the first reciprocating member  184 . In other words, the conveying member  144  is moved in the dispensing direction. 
     Interlocked with the movement of the second reciprocating member  186  in the dispensing direction, the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR make contact with the second cam portion  228 . With the second cam  228 , the movement is made so that a positional relation of the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR with respect to the first reciprocating member  184  is not changed even if the positions of the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR are fluctuated. 
     Thus, the conveying member  144  is linearly moved leftward in  FIG. 18  while the state where the contact surface  172  makes a surface contact with the surface of the card is continued, and then reaches the most advancing position ( FIG. 19 ). With this, the card C at the bottom is conveyed in the dispensing direction with the friction with the contact surface  172  of the conveying member  144 . The stroke of the conveying member  144  is a stroke sufficient for the tip of the card C to reach the feeding unit  334 . 
     With a further rotation of the cranks  232 RF,  232 RR,  232 LF, and  232 LR, when the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR reach the left end, the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR move approximately downward while drawing an arc ( FIG. 20 ). Thus, the first reciprocating member  184  continues to be at the most advancing position. 
     On the other hand, since the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR make contact with the first cam portion  226 , the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR are rotated in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the first reciprocating member  184 . The second reciprocating member  186  is moved downward in a parallel manner by the parallel link mechanism  219  to approach the first reciprocating member  184 . 
     With this, the conveying member  144  is pressed downward by the weight of the card C for retraction from the opening  124  of the base  116 . Therefore, the card C at the bottom is supported by the base  116 , thereby releasing the surface contact with the conveying member  144 . 
     With a further rotation of the cranks  232 RF,  232 RR,  232 LF, and  232 LR, the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR are moved rightward in  FIG. 20  while drawing an arc. Thus, the first reciprocating member  184  is linearly moved to an anti-dispensing direction via the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR. In the course of this, other regulations are not applied to the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR. Therefore, a relative positional relation between the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR and the first reciprocating member  184  is not changed. 
     Thus, the second reciprocating member  186  is moved rightward in  FIG. 20  while the position below the opening  124  is continued, and then reaches a position near the most retracted position ( FIG. 16 ). Near the most retracted position, the second detection-target member  456  is detected by the most-retracted-position sensor  432 , which then outputs a most-retracted-position signal RS. 
     On the other hand, with the rotation of the electric motor  282 , the gear  324  is rotated in a clockwise direction in  FIG. 8  via the driving device  288 . With this, the reverse-rotation roller  336  is rotated in a counterclockwise direction in  FIG. 5  via the gears  348 ,  345 ,  353 , and  357 , and the shaft  352 . 
     In other words, the lower surface of the reverse-rotation roller  336  advances in a direction reverse to the dispensing direction of the card C. Furthermore, the rollers  382  and  384  are rotated in the same circumferential velocity in the dispensing direction via the gears  392  and  394 . 
     When the card C at the bottom is dispensed in the dispensing direction with the linear movement of the conveying member  144  in the dispensing direction, the card C passes through the exit  118  of the card holding unit  102  to the card passage  342 . Then, the card C is dispensed into the gap between the roller  335  and the reverse-rotation roller  336 . 
     When the number of cards C is one, the spacing between the roller  335  and the reverse-rotation roller  336  is longer than the thickness of one card C and shorter than the thickness of two cards. Therefore, the card C passes without receiving an advancing resistance. The card C that passed is then nipped between the rollers  382  and  384  for dispensing. 
     The rear end of the dispensed card C is pressed by the card holding member  462  onto the first bearing member  396  for holding. When the card C is nipped between the rollers  382  and  384 , the card is forcefully drawn from the card holding unit  102  and the first detecting strip  452  is rotated by the card in a counterclockwise direction in  FIG. 4 . With this rotation, the first detecting strip  452  is detected by the dispensing sensor  454 . The dispensing sensor  454  then outputs a dispensing signal DS. 
     At step S 11 , if a most-retracted-position signal RS has been detected and the procedure goes to step S 12 . If not detected, the procedure goes to step S 14 . 
     At step S 12 , if a dispensing signal DS from the card-dispensing detecting unit  426  has been detected, the procedure goes to step S 13 . If the dispensing signal DS not detected, the procedure goes to step S 16 . 
     At step S 13 , after stopping power supply to the electric motor  284 , the procedure ends, and the conveying member  144  is held at the initial position ( FIG. 16 ). 
     At step S 11 , if a most-retracted-position signal RS has not been detected, the procedure goes to step S 14 , where it is determined whether a predetermined time has passed. If not passed, the procedure returns to step S 11 , continuing the issuing process. 
     At step S 14 , if it is determined that a predetermined time has passed, the procedure goes to step S 15 . After output an error signal to the external processing device, the issuing process ceases. In other words, it is determined that a flat loop movement did not occur even if a card dispensing operation was performed for a predetermined time, and then the dispensing process of the dispensing apparatus  100  stops. 
     At step S 12 , if a card dispensing signal DS has not been detected, the procedure goes to step S 16 . At step S 16 , it is determined whether the number of times of the most-retracted-position signal is 2. If it is not 2, the procedure returns to step S 11 , continuing the dispensing process. In other words, the conveying member  144  again performs a flat loop movement to retry the dispensing of the card C. 
     In this case, the conveying member  144  provides a dispensing movement to the card C at the bottom. That is, the stroke of the conveying member  144  in the dispensing direction is set in a manner such that, even if the tip of the card at the bottom end reaches a side immediately near the rollers  382  and  384  of the feeding unit  334 , the conveying member  144  again advances into the opening  124  to make contact with only the card at the bottom when the conveying member  144  advances to the opening  124  to make contact with the card C. 
     Here, the stroke of the conveying member  144  is determined by the radius of the cranks  232 RF,  232 RR,  232 LF, and  232 LR. The number of times defines the number of times of retry of a flat loop movement by the conveying member  144 , and the number can be set as appropriate. 
     At step S 16 , if it is determined that the number of times of the most-retracted-position signal is 2, the procedure goes to step S 17 . At step S 17 , an error signal is output to the external processing device and, after an error display or the like, the procedure goes to step S 13 . 
     At step S 13 , the electric motor  284  is stopped, and the apparatus stops at the initial position. 
     In the present invention, the card dispensing unit  104  can be disposed so as to face the card at the top end of the line of stacked cards. In this case, pushing by a pressing unit, such as an elastic member, or weight higher is required so that a card is positioned at the top-end position. Furthermore, in the present invention, dispensing can be made in a state where the card line lays down. 
     Also in this case, pressing by pressing unit to a lateral direction is required so that the card on a card dispensing unit  104  side is positioned at a predetermined position. Furthermore, the base  116  can be provided separately from the holding member  106  to be disposed on a card dispensing unit  104  side. Here, the initial position can be set in a manner such that the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR make contact with the first cam  226  and the conveying member  144  pushed the card C higher. 
     In a second embodiment, any dispensing of duplicate cards at a first dispensing of the card C after the initial setting in the first embodiment can be prevented with a further simplified configuration. 
     First, concerns in the card dispensing apparatus in the first embodiment are described with reference to  FIG. 23 . 
     In this card dispensing apparatus, at the time of initial setting, the card C at the bottom is positioned inside the holding room  114  (refer to  FIG. 23  (A)). When the card C at the bottom is dispensed to a drawing unit  148  side with a dispensing movement of the dispensing unit  104 , the card C at the bottom passes through a gap between the roller  335  and the reverse-rotation roller  336  to advance to a feeding unit  334  side. A card C 2  thereon is drawn together with a frictional contact, but is prevented from advancing by the reverse-rotation roller  336  constituting a two-sheet dispensing preventing unit  332 , and therefore is not moved to a feeding unit  334  side (refer to  FIG. 23  (B)). 
     Also, a card C 3 , which is mounted on the card C 2  and which could potentially pass through the exit opening  122 , is prevented from advancing by the reverse-rotation roller  336 , thereby causing a running state in which cards are stacked stepwise (refer to  FIG. 23  (B)). 
     The stroke of the conveying member  144  has to be set so that the card C is positioned at a initial setting and the tip of the card C reaches the feeding unit  334  even if a certain sliding occurs. However, since the number of cards C in a running state is overwhelmingly larger than the number of times of dispensing the card C from the initial setting, the stroke of the conveying member  144  is set so that dispensing of two cards C in a running state is prevented. 
     In other words, the stroke of the conveying member  144  is set so that a margin for slipping in drawing from the initial setting state is smaller. Therefore, in dispensing at the time of initial setting, the tip of the card C may reach only immediately before the feeding unit  334  with one stroke of the conveying member  144  (refer to  FIG. 23  (B)). 
     In this case, after step S 16  in the first embodiment, the conveying member  144  performs a second dispensing movement. With this, the card C at the bottom is fed to the feeding unit  334  immediately after the start of a dispensing movement of the conveying member  144 , and the card C 2  thereon is caused by the conveying member  144  to pass through the two-sheet preventing unit  332  for dispensing to a feeding unit  334  side (refer to  FIG. 23  (C)). This card C 2  has a relatively short distance with the feeding unit  334  because the tip of the card is prevented by the reverse-rotation roller  336 , and therefore the card C 2  may possibly reach the feeding unit  334  with the second dispensing movement for dispensing. 
     The second embodiment can prevent such an over-dispensing. 
     The second embodiment is described with reference to  FIG. 21 , where portions identical to those in the first embodiment are provided with the same reference numerals, and only the different portion is described. An inclined surface for pushing  462  is formed at a rear end of the base  116  of the holding member  106  constituting the card holding unit  102 . The inclined surface for pushing  462  is inclined downward toward the front at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. 
     In other words, the inclined surface for pushing  462  is inclined downward toward the front to the drawing unit  148 , and its lower end approaches the exit  122  by approximately five millimeters. With this configuration, several lower ones of the cards C stacked inside the holding room  114  have their rear ends (end portions on a side opposing to the exit  122 ) make contact with the inclined surface for pushing  462 . Then, with the weight of the cards C mounted thereon, the cards C with their rear ends being pushed onto the inclined surface for pushing  462  are relatively pushed to an exit  122  side. With this, in the initial setting of holding inside the holding room  114 , the cards C at the lower portion are stacked stepwise at the exit  122 . 
     Next, the operation of the second embodiment is described also with reference to  FIG. 22 . 
     When the holding member  106  newly filled with cards C is mounted on the frame unit  142 , as depicted in  FIG. 21 , the card C at the bottom is pushed by pushing out the inclined surface for pushing  462  at the exit  122  to be pushed in a stepwise manner to a drawing unit  148  side for initial setting. This initial setting state resides at a position where the tip of the card C at the bottom is not in contact with the reverse-rotation roller  336  but is close thereto. 
     Dispensing after two cards C 2  . . . is performed from the above-mentioned running state. 
     In comparison between the initial setting state and the running state, they are similar to each other in that cards are stacked in a stepwise manner, but are different in that the stacking position is slightly away from the drawing unit  148 . In this initial setting state, when the conveying member  144  performs an initial dispensing movement, the card C at the bottom passes through the two-sheet dispensing unit  332  to reach the feeding unit  334  for dispensing. 
     In the second embodiment, the card C at the bottom is moved due to the inclined surface for pushing  462  so as to be close to the feeding unit  334 . Therefore, even when the amount of slipping between the conveying member  144  and the card C is larger than what would be assumed, the card C can still be caused to reach the feeding unit  334  due to the closeness in position. 
     In other words, even if the settings of the conveying member  144  and the like are suitable for dispensing the card C in the running state, the margin for dispensing the card C at the initial setting is increased, and therefore an error in dispensing can be prevented. 
     The tip of the card C at the bottom in the running state is at the position where the tip makes or substantially makes contact with the reverse-rotation roller  336 , and is therefore closer to the feeding unit  334  than the initial setting position. Therefore, the card C at the bottom can be passed with one dispensing movement of the conveying member  144 , and therefore an error in dispensing can be prevented. 
     A third embodiment of the present invention is an embodiment where, since the card is drawn by the feeing unit at a higher speed than the card dispensing unit, even when the amount of stacking cards is increased, difficulty in drawing by the feeding unit can be prevented, as a result, allowing an increase in the amount of stacking cards. 
     Specifically, in the card dispensing apparatus according to the first and second embodiments, in the state where the dispensed card is fed by the feeding unit, the conveying member makes contact with the lower surface of the card at the bottom for a predetermined time and the card at the bottom will have approximately the entire weight of the stacked cards applied. 
     The conveying member is formed of a material with a high coefficient of friction so as not to cause any sliding with the card as much as possible. With this, when the amount of stacking cards is increased, the contact pressure between the conveying member and the lower surface of the card is increased. As a result, the drawing resistance of the cards by the feeding unit is significantly increased, thereby making it difficult to draw cards by the drawing unit. 
     To solve this problem, the feeding unit can be improved in a manner such that, for example, the diameter of the roller is increased to increase the contact area. However, when the roller diameter is increased, the apparatus is unpreferably upsized in proportion to the amount of increase. 
     To get around this problem, the third embodiment is suggested in which the amount of stacking cards can be increased without upsizing the apparatus. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 24 to 28 , the third embodiment of the present invention is described below. 
     In the description of the third embodiment, the same reference numerals are provided to portions identical to those in the first embodiment or the second embodiment, and a different configuration is described therein. In the third embodiment, a retracting unit  472  is interposed between the second conveying member  186  and the conveying member  144  (refer to  FIG. 25 ). The retracting unit  472  has a function of allowing the conveying member  144  to retracted from the opening  124  of the card holding unit  102  when a drawing force is applied to the conveying member  144  by the card C to be drawn by the feeding unit  334 . 
     In the third embodiment, the retracting unit  472  includes a guide hole  474  and an interlocked shaft  476 . 
     First, the guide hole  474  is described with reference to  FIG. 26 . 
     In the third embodiment, the guide hole  474  is formed on a cam plate  478  protruding from the holding member  145 , to which the conveying member  144  is fixed, in a downward direction on an opposite side of the holding room  114 . The cam plate  478  is constituted so as to correspond to a relevant one of the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR. Therefore, as depicted in  FIG. 26 , the cam plate  478  is formed of cam plates  478 RF,  478 RR,  478 LF, and  478 LR protruding from the front, back, right, and left of the lower surface of the holding member  145  to a downward direction. 
     The guide hole  474  is constituted of guide holes  474 RF,  474 RR,  474 LF, and  474 LR having the same shape and formed on the cam plates  478 RF,  478 RR,  478 LF, and  478 LR, respectively. Since all of the guide holes  474 RF,  474 RR,  474 LF, and  474 LR are formed in the same shape, the only guide hole  474 RF is described as a representative. 
     The guide hole  474 RF includes an inclined hole  482 RF and a passive hole  484 RF. The inclined hole  482 RF is inclined downward to the front to the dispensing direction of the card C, and the inclination angle is preferably approximately 45 degrees with respect to the dispensing direction of the card C. 
     The passive hole  484 RF is continuously formed on a front side of the inclined hole  482 RF in the advancing direction of the card C. The passive hole  484 RF is formed approximately in parallel to the stacked cards C, and has a length approximately equal to the diameter of an interlocked shaft  476 F. 
     The guide holes  484 RF,  484 RR,  484 LF, and  484 LR can be disposed so as to receive a force from a first interlocked shaft  476 F or a second interlocked shaft  476 R, which will be described further below, at an approximately right angle. 
     With this configuration, the holding member  145  can be pushed higher without the provision of any means for preventing the movement of the first interlocked shaft  476 F with respect to the guide hole  474 RF. With such a simple configuration, a small-sized apparatus can be configured at low cost. 
     Here, with the angle of inclination of the guide hole  474 RF being set at 30-45 degrees, preferably 30-35 degrees with respect to the stacked cards C, the conveying member  144  can be pushed higher even without providing the passive hole  484 RF. 
     The reason is as follows: If the angle of inclination of the guide hole  474 RF is larger than a predetermined angle, pushing higher cannot be made due to the weight of the stacked cards C or the like. If the angle of inclination is smaller than the predetermined angle, when the conveying member  144  is drawing by the card C, it cannot move together with the card C. 
     Next, the interlocked shaft  476  is described. 
     The interlocked shaft  476  has a function of moving, the holding member  145  portions, and therefore, the conveying member  144 , along the guide hole  474 . The interlocked shaft  476  includes a first interlocked shaft  476 F whose right and left ends are inserted into insertion holes at the tip of horizontal portions of the corresponding levers  206 RF and  206 LF at the front side and a second interlocked shaft  476 R whose right and left end portions are inserted into insertion holes at the tip of horizontal portions of the corresponding levers  206 RR and  206 LR at the rear side. 
     The first interlocked shaft  476 F connects the levers  206 RF and  206 LF together so that they integrally rock, whilst the second interlocked shaft  476 R connects the levers  206 RR and  206 LR together so that they integrally rock. The first interlocked shaft  476 F penetrates through the guide holes  474 RF and  474 LF. The second interlocked shaft  476 R penetrates through the guide holes  474 RR and  474 LR. 
     In other words, the first interlocked shaft  476 F is a round-bar shaft provided correspondingly to the shafts  218 RF and  218 LF in the first and second embodiments, so is the second interlocked shaft  476 R correspondingly to the shafts  218 RR and  218 LR. 
     Here, if the conveying member  144  can be pushed higher by the levers  206 RF and  206 LF on one side and the first interlocked shaft  476 F, and the second interlocked shaft  476 R, symmetrical provision as in the third embodiment is not required. However, in the case of symmetrical provision as in the third embodiment, the conveying member  144  can be pushed higher without being inclined even if the load amount of the cards C is increased. Therefore, such a case is preferable. 
     Next, the pressing unit  486  is described. 
     The pressing unit  486  has a function of elastically pressing the holding member  145  and, by extension, the conveying member  144 , toward the first reciprocating member  184  in the anti-dispensing direction of the cards C. In other words, the pressing unit  486  has a function of, with the holding member  145  being pressed rightward in  FIG. 25 , positioning the first interlocked shaft  476 F at the passive holes  484 RF and  484 LF and the second interlocked shaft  476 R at the passive holes  484 RR and  484 LR. 
     The pressing unit  486  includes first pressing unit  486 L and second pressing unit  486 R (refer to  FIG. 24 ). The first pressing unit  486 L is a first spring  494 L hung between a first engaging strip  488 L protruding downward from the lower surface of the holding member  145  and a first engaging hole  492 L formed on the first reciprocating member  184 . The second pressing unit  486 R is a second spring  494 R hung between a second engaging strip  488 R protruding downward from the lower surface of the holding member  145  and a second engaging hole  492 R formed on the first reciprocating member  184 . 
     The first spring  494 L and the second spring  494 R can be replaced by other elastic pressing unit, such as rubber strings, and either one of them will suffice if the function described above can be achieved. However, by using the first spring  494 L and the second spring  494 R, the holding member  145  can be moved in a parallel manner without being inclined. Therefore, such use is preferable. 
     With this configuration, normally, the holding member  145  is pulled leftward in  FIG. 27  (B) by the first spring  494 L and the second spring  494 R, the first interlocked shaft  486 F is engaged at end portions of the passive holes  484 RF and  484 LF, and the second interlocked shaft  486 R is engaged at end portions of the passive holes  484 RR and  484 LR. 
     With this, when the levers  206 RF,  206 LF,  206 RR, and  206 LF are rotated in a clockwise direction in  FIG. 25 , the first interlocked shaft  476 F pushes higher in a direction forming an approximately right angle with respect to upper edges of the passive holes  484 RF and  484 LF and the second interlocked shaft  476 R pushes higher in a direction forming an approximately right angle with respect to upper edges of the passive holes  484 RR and  484 LR. Therefore, the conveying member  144 , resultantly, the stacked cards C, can be pushed higher without provision of other holding means. Also, in this state, when the conveying member  144  is moved leftward in  FIG. 27  (B), the first connecting shaft  476 F and the second connecting shaft  476 R are in a stationary state with respect to the holding member  145 . 
     Thus, the holding member  145  moves leftward in  FIG. 27  (B) with respect to the first reciprocating member  184 . The first interlocked shaft  476 F and the second interlocked shaft  476 R relatively move from the passive holes  484 LF,  484 RF,  484 LR, and  484 RR to the inclined holes  482 RF,  482 LF,  482 RR, and  482 LR. With this, the holding member  145  is guided to the inclined holes  482 RF,  482 LF,  482 RR, and  482 LR to move downward and diagonally forward with respect to the first reciprocating member  184 . In other words, the conveying member  144  moves in a direction of retracting from the openings  124 A,  124 B, and  124 C of the holding member  106 . Furthermore, in other words, the conveying member  144  moves from the holding room  114  in a retracting direction. 
     Next, the operation of the third embodiment is described also with reference to  FIGS. 27 and 28 . 
     With a dispensing signal, the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR move approximately upward along an arc path. With this, when the cranks  232 RF,  232 RR,  232 LF, and  232 LR rotate in a counterclockwise direction from the initial state in  FIG. 25 , as with the first embodiment, the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR make contact with the first cam  226 , respectively. Therefore, the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR are rotated at a predetermined angle in a clockwise direction with respect to the first reciprocating member  184  to be in the state shown in  FIG. 27 . 
     According to the rotation of the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR, the first interlocked shaft  476 F and the second interlocked shaft  476 R rotate in the same direction about the pivot shaft  204 F and  204 R. With this, the first interlocked shaft  476 F pushes higher in a direction forming an approximately right angle with respect to upper edges of the passive holes  484 RF and  484 LF and the second interlocked shaft  476 R pushes higher in a direction forming an approximately right angle with respect to upper edges of the passive holes  484 RR and  484 LR. 
     Thus, the second reciprocating member  186  is pushed in a parallel manner to go away from the first reciprocating member  184  by a predetermined amount. With this movement of the second reciprocating member  186 , the conveying member  144  passes through the opening  124  of the base  116  via the holding member  145  to advance into the holding room  114 , thereby slightly pushing the card line higher. 
     In other words, the card C at the bottom makes a surface contact with the contact surface  172  to be separated from the base  116  (refer to  FIGS. 27(A) and 27(B) ). Furthermore, the cranks  232 RF,  232 RR,  232 LF, and  232 LR are rotated in a counterclockwise direction, and the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR move in a lateral direction (leftward in  FIG. 27  (A)) while drawing an arc path. With this, the first reciprocating member  184  is moved leftward in  FIG. 27  (A). 
     The first reciprocating member  184  linearly moves leftward while the rollers  198 RF,  198 RR,  198 LF, and  198 LR are guided by the right guiding groove  196 R and the left guiding groove  196 L. Thus, the second reciprocating member  186  is moved in a lateral direction (leftward in  FIG. 27 ) together with the movement of the first reciprocating member  184  via the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR. 
     At this time, the first interlocked shaft  476 F and the second interlocked shaft  476 R push and move the front edges of the passive holes  484 RF,  484 LF,  484 RR, and  484 LR. Therefore, the holding member  145 , resultantly, the conveying member  144 , is moved in the dispensing direction of the card C. Thus, even if the guide holes  474 LF,  474 RF,  474 LF, and  474 RR are long holes, the conveying member  144  can be moved in the dispensing direction of the card C. 
     Interlocked with the movement of the second reciprocating member  186  in the dispensing direction, the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR make contact with the second cam portion  228 . With the second cam  228 , the movement is made so that a positional relation of the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR with respect to the first reciprocating member  184  is not changed even if the positions of the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR are fluctuated. 
     Thus, the conveying member  144  is linearly moved leftward from the position in  FIG. 25  while the state where the contact surface  172  makes a surface contact with the lower surface of the card C is continued, and then reaches the most advancing position ( FIG. 28  (A)). With this, the card at the bottom is conveyed in the dispensing direction with the friction with the contact surface  172  of the conveying member  144 . The stroke of the conveying member  144  is a stroke sufficient for the tip of the card C to reach the feeding unit  334 . 
     When the tip of the card C is nipped between the roller  384 R and the roller  382 R, the card C is pulled at the circumferential velocity of the rollers  382 R and  384 R. In other words, the card C is pulled at a speed twice to six times faster than the dispensing speed of the conveying member  144 . 
     With this, the card C is drawn between the conveying member  144  and the stacked cards C. Since the conveying member  144  is formed of a high-frictional material, when pulled in the card dispensing direction together with the movement of the card C, the holding member  145  as the second reciprocating member  186  is relatively moved with respect to the first reciprocating member  184  in the dispensing direction of the card C. 
     With this, the first interlocked shaft  476 F and the second interlocked shaft  476 R relatively move from the passive holes  484 LF,  484 RF,  484 LR, and  484 RR to the inclined holes  482 LF,  482 RF,  482 LR, and  482  RR. As a result, the holding member  145 , therefore the conveying member  144 , moves in a direction of retracting from the holding room  114  (as shown chain line in  FIG. 28 ). The card C is now supported by the base  116  and, as a result, the contact pressure between the conveying member  144  and the lower surface of the card C is significantly reduced. 
     A drawing resistance at the time of drawing the card C with the rollers  384 R and  382 R is determined broadly by the coefficient of friction between the base  116  and the card C and the weight of the stacked cards C. Thus, the influence of the conveying member  144 , which is a high-frictional material, onto the drawing of the card C can be reduced as much as possible. Therefore, even if the amount of stacking the cards C is significantly increased (for example, doubled), the card C can be drawn without changing the diameter of the rollers  384 R and  382 R. 
     With a further rotation of the cranks  232 RF,  232 RR,  232 LF, and  232 LR, when the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR reach the left end portion, the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR move approximately downward while drawing an arc (refer to  FIG. 20 ). Thus, the first reciprocating member  184  continues to be at the most advancing position. 
     On the other hand, since the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR make contact with the first cam portion  226 , the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR are rotated in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the first reciprocating member  184 . With the rotation in the counterclockwise direction of the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR in  FIG. 28  (A), the first interlocked shaft  476 F and the second interlocked shaft  476 R move downward, and therefore the second reciprocating member  186  is moved downward in a parallel manner by the weight of the cards C or the like to approach the first reciprocating member  184 . 
     As a result, the conveying member  144  is retracted from the opening  124  of the base  116 . Therefore, the card C at the bottom is supported by the base  116 , thereby releasing the surface contact with the conveying member  144 . When the frictional contact force between the conveying member  144  and the lower surface of the card C is lower than the pressing force of the first spring  494 L and the second spring  494 R, the conveying member  144  is drawn by the pressing force of these springs until the first interlocked shaft  476 F and the second interlocked shaft  476 R are engaged with the tip portions of the passive holes  484 LF,  484 RF,  484 LR, and  484 RR. 
     With a further rotation of the cranks  232 RF,  232 RR,  232 LF, and  232 LR, the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR are moved rightward in  FIG. 20  while drawing an arc (refer to  FIG. 21 ). Thus, the first reciprocating member  184  is linearly moved to an anti-dispensing direction via the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR. 
     In the course of this, other regulations are not applied to the crank pins  230 RF,  230 RR,  230 LF, and  230 LR. Therefore, a relative positional relation between the levers  206 RF,  206 RR,  206 LF, and  206 LR and the first reciprocating member  184  is not changed. Thus, the second reciprocating member  186  is moved rightward while the position below the opening  124  is continued, and then reaches a position near the most retracted position (refer to  FIG. 25 ). 
     Near the most retracted position, the second detection-target member  456  is detected by the most-retracted-position sensor  432 . The apparatus is stopped at this state in preparation for the next feeding. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the amended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.