Abstract:
An improved can/bottle vending mechanism made from self-lubricating thermoplastic resin, that includes a positionable wall and ramp that aligns bottles and cans for reliable dispensing during a vend, regardless of can or bottle dimensions within a rage is disclosed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the invention 
         [0002]    The present field of the invention relates to an improved positionable mechanism that aligns various sizes of bottles and cans for dispensing from a vending machine. The mechanism is installed within the vending machine and is used to align variable sized bottles and cans against a single unit dispensing mechanism. The improved positionable mechanism is sized to occupy the excess space difference between the bottles or cans being vended and the opening space of the supply magazine from which the bottle or can is vended. The improved mechanism is made of materials that have a natural lubricity, which aids in preventing jams and smoothes the mechanical action of the vend cycle. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the prior art 
         [0004]    Product vending machines have been present in the marketplace since the Nineteenth Century. Each vending machine has the ability to store a quantity of pre-packaged products in a secure environment, then, in response to the input of a quantity of cash, one or more of the stored product packages is brought forward from the stock of stored products and dispensed to a location such as a protected shelf for the vending customer to take physical possession of their purchase. 
         [0005]    Among the earliest popular vended products sold are bottled and canned beverages. At the onset of commercial vending, the variety of beverage container shapes and sizes presented a dilemma to machine manufacturers. The goal of the modern vending machine manufacturer is to provide a lowest cost, highest reliability, highest security dispensing mechanism with the ability to accept and dispense a variety of container sizes and shapes without having to reinvent the dispensing mechanism whenever a new bottle or can variety comes to market. 
         [0006]    The result is that there are two commonly accepted gravity fed bottle and can dispensing mechanisms generally used in today&#39;s modern packaged beverage vending machines. One mechanism is a vertical column magazine made up of four vertical walls, (left, right, front and rear) which align the beverage containers over a single unit releasing mechanism at the magazine&#39;s bottom level. The other favored mechanism, and the one of interest in this present invention, is one consisting of two parallel vertical walls supporting shelves that are slanted such that generally cylindrical cans and bottles may drop from upper to lower shelves by rolling down slope aided by gravity. 
         [0007]    This second favored mechanism, generally called a “rolling can lane” by the vending industry, is typically made up of two or more storage layers consisting of sloping shelves that store the beverage containers horizontally on their generally cylindrical side surfaces, allowing the containers to roll down the slope via gravity to the down slope end, where they may then drop off to the next shelf below. In practical use, this mechanism appears as multiple upper shelves that tilt down from front to rear between parallel supporting vertical walls positioned on left and right extremes, and a lower sloped shelf that has a tilt down from rear to front, where the single unit dispense mechanism is positioned. The bottommost shelf allows the beverage cans or bottles to roll against the exit point of the single unit dispense mechanism for final delivery to the customer. To ensure reliable dispensing cans and bottles must be accurately aligned with the dispensing mechanism, and to prevent jamming the supply of bottles and cans must also be in horizontal alignment with each other. The simplest method for accomplishing this alignment using this storage and vend mechanism is to position the two parallel vertical walls such that the distance between them is equal to the container&#39;s horizontal length plus a fraction of an inch. As cans and bottles are typically cylindrical in shape, and their ends are generally parallel, this method is sufficient to ensure a proper alignment of the containers as they roll along in-line down each sloped shelf. 
         [0008]    This rolling can lane sloped shelf storage and vending mechanism may jam inoperably, should the cans or bottles misalign or if they twist off-axis on the various sloped shelves while on their way to the single unit release mechanism that follows. Further, the favored single unit release mechanism for this application is frequently a screw auger, sized to the general diameter of the vended bottle or can. A screw mechanism like this will jam if the can or bottle is not completely aligned such that the screw auger may reliably separate that can or bottle from the remainder of the gravity fed stock of beverage containers, and feed this segregated unit to the customer pick-up location. At first, this approach resulted in sloped shelf storage and single unit dispense mechanisms that were specific to only a narrowly defined size and shape of can or bottle, and any change made by the can or bottle manufacturer could naturally cause such a mechanism to be unreliable or entirely unusable. 
         [0009]    A perfectly aligned sloped shelf storage and feed magazine positions the top and bottom surfaces of the supply of cans or bottles such that the cans or bottles remain horizontally aligned as they roll down the sloped shelf and are not allowed to twist off their rolling axis during their travel. This continual dynamic positioning also brings the now aligned containers to the dispensing screw auger. Over time, advancements in design allowed the introduction of customized spacers to take up any difference in opening space between the vertical walls of the sloped shelf storage and feed magazine and the overall horizontal length of the vended bottle or can dimensions, effectively repositioning one or both parallel vertical side walls. The spacer on the bottommost shelf, (the shelf having the dispense mechanism at its end) may also be designed such that it provides an extra final alignment via an entry end ramp to funnel and thus shift the bottles or cans horizontally toward one side wall or the other for beverage container alignment with the dispense mechanism. 
         [0010]    This is the condition of today&#39;s vending machine development that, to accommodate a variety of sizes and lengths of bottles and cans, several application specific spacers and guides are required to perform the function of reducing the available feed space to a perfectly dimensioned feed space for a variety of bottles or cans. Each spacer generally becomes dedicated to a specific bottle or can dimension. Selection, installation and use of such spacers can be difficult, as they are usually installed at locations within the vending machine where there is limited access or space to undertake manually manipulating the spacer into its mounting position. Further, almost all such spacers are manufactured from galvanized sheet steel, which has the negative aspects of associated fabrication costs and significantly limited design choices that may be made in creating a specific spacer. Another factor of galvanized steel is its high surface friction coefficient, which can contribute to bottles or cans twisting off-axis during gravitational down slope transport and then jamming the dispense screw auger. Additionally, sheet metal construction may typically result in sharp edges and corners, and snagging burrs that may pose an injury hazard to anyone servicing or installing such assemblies. 
         [0011]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to produce a reliable spacer of complex three dimensional form not obtainable using sheet metal fabrication techniques. A second object of the invention is to improve the rolling and alignment characteristics of the spacer mechanism by reducing or eliminating interfacial friction between the mechanism and the beverage containers being stored and dispensed by it. A third object of the invention is to incorporate improved fabrication methods that result in improved design characteristics and reduced manufacturing cost over traditional sheet metal fabrication methods. It is also an object of this present invention to eliminate the likelihood of human injury caused by sharp edged or pointed sheet metal protrusions frequently produced by sheet metal fabrication methods. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The present invention improved method of vending bottles and cans is directed to provide an improved thermoformed plastic spacer mechanism to adjust the storage, feed and dispense openings of a vending machine&#39;s rolling can lane so that the machine may accommodate a wider variety of beverage container types, styles and sizes, reliably vending them from a secure storage environment. Applying this invention to a vending machine increases its utility as the machine may be more easily and reliably adjusted to sell many different sized and shaped packaged beverage choices. As new beverage products become available to the vending industry, a machine using this improved spacer mechanism is less likely to become obsolete or unusable. 
         [0013]    In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a flat sheet of thermoformable plastic resin that also has low coefficient of friction properties, such as certain nylon, acetal, polyolefin and fluoropolymer plastic resins and resin blends, is vacuum-formed to create a vertically positioned wall essentially spaced parallel from the permanent vertical wall supporting a sloped horizontal shelf. Further, the vertical wall of the spacer transitions into a blended ramp cam that forces the rolling bottle or can away from the permanent wall surface toward the spacer wall surface, and thus aligns the to be vended container with the dispensing mechanism. This form has a vertical view cross-section that approximates a slope beginning at the upslope intersection of the sloped horizontal shelf and stationary vertical wall surface, which slope then angles away from the permanent vertical wall to a point where the slope line now turns essentially parallel with the permanent wall surface and offset from that surface by a desired distance. The thermoforming process used also creates all the support walls and mounting flanges necessary to produce a finished mechanism that is reliable and robust for the application. 
         [0014]    In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thermoformed resin spacer consists of a first essentially flat planar surface that corresponds to the vertical surface to which the spacer will be attached. This first planar surface is fabricated post-thermoforming to create application specific positioning tabs and mounting flanges and holes necessary to install and successfully use the spacer in a specific vending machine application. The thermoforming process creates an essentially trapezoidal top view cross-section “pan” shape having an outline that comprises a first essentially straight line that corresponds to the mounting surface, this line then makes an essentially right angle turn perpendicular away from the first essentially straight line for approximately the length of the desired offset distance less thermoformed material thickness, the line then makes a second essentially right angle turn that places the third essentially straight line essentially parallel to the first line and the three lines now forming three sides of a rectangle. The third essentially straight line has a length approximately greater than the diameter of bottle or can to be positioned for dispensing, and at its terminal end the line then makes an oblique angle turn toward the first essentially straight line where the two lines then intersect at an acute angle, thus forming an essentially trapezoidal outline. Perpendicular to this view, the cross-sectional outline of the form is that of a vertically oriented flanged rectangular channel comprised of a first vertical essentially straight line intersected by a second essentially perpendicular straight line essentially the length of the desired offset less thermoformed material thickness, the terminus of which ends at a third essentially vertical perpendicular line moving away from and essentially paralleling the first line for a distance sufficient to effectively guide the alignment of a vended bottle or can, then a fourth essentially perpendicular line intersects the end of the third line returning the fourth line toward and terminating at the intersection with the first line&#39;s plane, where a fifth line angles perpendicular to the fourth line in a continuation of the plane of the first line. This preferred embodiment improved spacer is ideally produced from a thermoformable sheet of low friction coefficient plastic resin having a pebbled or uneven outer surface that further reduces interfadal contact resistance and friction between the finished spacer&#39;s surface and the bottle or can being vended. This preferred embodiment of the present invention has multiple advantages over earlier sheet metal constructed spacers; which advantages are reduced fabrication cost, improved mechanical performance and reliability, corrosion immunity, improved installation process and improved safety. 
         [0015]    Further features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated by a review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the following drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    The present invention may be best understood by referring to the following description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals denote like elements and in which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of the first exemplary embodiment of the invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a dedicated size vending machine “rolling can lane” mechanism&#39;s bottom dispense level, illustrating beverage containers lined up upon a sloped dispensing shelf in relation to a single unit dispense mechanism. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a top view of a vending machine&#39;s variable sized “rolling can lane” bottom dispense layer, illustrating beverage containers being accurately guided by the invention spacer device as they are lined up upon the sloped shelf in relation to a single unit dispense mechanism. 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a vending machine&#39;s “rolling can lane” assembly illustrating the relationship of stored and vended beverage containers to the dynamic aligning characteristics of the invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    The following exemplary discussion focuses upon the improved characteristics of an adjustable size range packaged beverage vending mechanism. Such mechanisms are a benefit to vending machine owners, as they allow a given vending machine greater flexibility of offering products that are newer and more popular than those the vending machine was originally used for. Their purpose is to allow secure storage of a variety of packaged beverage container sizes, feed and align the beverage containers to a reliable single unit dispensing mechanism and thus allow the beverage containers to be dispensed one at a time to the vending customer. The present invention is an improvement over existing vending mechanisms, in that it allows the vending machine manufacturer to produce more effective adjustment devices at lower cost, improved performance and higher reliability. The present invention improvement is appropriate for use in packaged beverage vending machines that incorporate what is commonly known as a “rolling can lane,” to store and dispense essentially cylindrical beverage containers of various sizes and lengths. 
         [0022]    First referring to  FIG. 1 , an isometric view diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of the invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100  made in accordance with the present invention is shown. The device  100  is a first essentially flat vertical plane  101  that is bounded by a bottom edge  102 , a top edge  103 , a rear edge  104  and a front edge  105 . A second essentially flat vertical plane  106  essentially parallels first vertical plane at an offset equal to the thickness of plastic resin sheet material the spacer device  100  is thermoformably fabricated from, and shares the bottom  102 , top  103  and front  105  boundaries of first vertical surface  101 . A third essentially flat vertical plane  107  that is also essentially parallel with first vertical plane  101  is offset from first vertical plane  101  by the desired repositioning distance of the spacer device  100 . Vertical plane  107  is bounded on three edges, bottom edge  108 , top edge  109  and front edge  111 , by thermoformed material drawn between first vertical plane  101  and third vertical plane  107  thus forming essentially perpendicular walls therebetween. The rear edge  110  of third vertical plane  107  transitionally connects to a fourth essentially vertical plane  112 , which vertical plane  112  then angles rearward to transitionally intersect  115  second vertical plane  106  at a desirable distance from intersecting rear edge  110 . Angled fourth vertical plane  112  is further bounded by bottom edge  113  and top edge  114 . Bottom edge  113  of angled fourth vertical plane  112 , is also thermoformed material drawn between first vertical plane  101  and third vertical plane  107  thus forming an essentially perpendicular triangle wall (not visible here). 
         [0023]    Referring again to  FIG. 1 , second vertical plane  106  is bounded at the rear edge  117  by transitioning to fifth essentially vertical plane  116  which itself angles toward first vertical plane  101  to intersection at rear edge  104 . The invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100  creates a cam form outline  120 , beginning at rear vertical edge  104 , angling outward from first essentially vertical surface  101  to intersect rear boundary edge  117  of second essentially vertical surface  106 , then intersecting rear boundary edge  115  of fourth essentially vertical surface  112  and angling away from first essentially vertical surface  101  until intersecting with rear boundary edge  110  of third vertical plane  107 , then continues forward to intersect the front boundary edge  111  of third vertical plane  107  and makes a turn toward first vertical plane  101  until intersecting with second vertical plane  106 , the cam form outline  120  then continues forward to intersect with second vertical plane front boundary edge  105  where the cam form outline  120  turns again toward first vertical plane  101  where the cam form outline  120  terminates at intersection of first vertical surface  101  and boundary edge  105 . 
         [0024]    The invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100  may also be trimmed after thermoforming to include convenient features such as interference avoiding cut-away sections, such as represented by cutout  118 , and also include mounting features such as are represented by tab with hole  119 . These features aren&#39;t a requirement of the invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100 , but may be included as convenience features in making invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100  more useful in its application. 
         [0025]    Completing this discussion of  FIG. 1 , the three dimensional geometric shapes of vertical planes  101 ,  106 ,  107 ,  112  and  116  are illustrated herein as isometric view generally planar rectangular outlines comprising sharp corners and edges, which are the most common form for these desired features to take, and the only form economically possible when fabricating such spacer devices from sheet metal material. Using thermoforming methods for fabricating plastic sheet into complex curves and compound multi-dimensional geometric shapes allows design flexibility in improving the performance of cam form outline  120 , thus creating a wide variety of invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer devices  100  that cannot be economically produced by any other method. Further, by incorporating low coefficient of friction properties, (for example—certain thermoformable nylon, acetal, polyolefin and fluoropolymer plastic resins and resin blends) in the manufacture of invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer devices  100  the installed performance of the device is improved dramatically as occurrences of miss-feeding and jamming of packaged beverage containers are reduced, or even eliminated. By varying the surface texture of vertical surfaces  106 ,  107 ,  112  and  104 , even lower surface friction characteristics may be obtained. Such modifications may include ribs, ridges, bumps or other protrusions, or various combinations of such features as may additionally improve the operating dynamics or installation characteristics of invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer devices  100 . 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a top view of a known dedicated size packaged beverage container vending machine “rolling can lane” mechanism&#39;s bottom dispense level  200 , illustrates beverage containers lined up upon a sloped dispensing shelf in relation to a single unit dispense mechanism. The rolling can lane mechanism is generally constructed as a box form, herein illustrated as a rectangle enclosed by a first vertical planar surface wall  201  at the left of this view, a second vertical planar surface wall  202  paralleling and offset to the right from first vertical planar surface wall  201  by a distance equal to the container length capacity of the packaged beverage container vending machine “rolling can lane” mechanism&#39;s bottom dispense level  200 . Both first vertical planar surface wall  201  and second vertical planar surface wall  202  are joined together at the rear of the mechanism  200 , by a third vertical planar surface wall  203 , these three vertical planar surfaces describing a rectangle having three surfaces and terminating at front opening edge  204  of the mechanism bottom dispense level  200 . A generally rectangular sloped shelf  205  is located interior of and supported by vertical planar surface walls  201 ,  202  and  203 , beginning at an elevated position where sloped shelf  205  intersects vertical surface wall  203  and declining until terminating at sloped shelf&#39;s  205  front edge  206 . Sloped shelf front edge  206  is offset toward the rear away from front opening edge  204  by a distance sufficient to position generally rectangular delivery shelf  207  between first and second vertical planar surface walls  201  and  202 . Front edge  208  of generally rectangular delivery shelf  207  may extend beyond front opening edge  204 . 
         [0027]    Continuing with  FIG. 2 , a supply of generally cylindrical beverage containers  209 , (herein illustrated as common aluminum pull-top cans, but may also be other generally cylindrical metal, glass or plastic bottles or cans) are sequentially positioned with their cylindrical axis oriented perpendicularly between first vertical planar surface wall  201  and second vertical planar surface wall  202  on sloped shelf  205 . First vertical planar surface wall  201  and second vertical planar surface wall  202  are positioned parallel to each other at a distance equal to the axial length of generally cylindrical beverage containers  209 , leaving only sufficient additional space to allow free movement of generally cylindrical beverage containers  209  in response to gravitational forces applied by sloped shelf  205 . Supply of generally cylindrical beverage containers  209  rolls down-slope of sloped shelf  205  where they engage single unit dispense device  210  for secure retention until single unit dispense device  210  is activated for a vend. When the vend cycle is activated, the leading unit beverage container  209   a  is segregated from the supply of generally cylindrical beverage containers  209  and directed forward by the actuation so the leading unit beverage container  209   a  may drop to delivery shelf  207  for convenient retrieval by the vend customer. 
         [0028]    The illustrated  FIG. 2  single unit dispense device  210 , (also commonly known as a “can or bottle auger”) approximately positioned along the centerline between vertical planar surface walls  201  and  202 , comprises a shaft  211  whose axis is generally back to front of the packaged beverage container vending machine rolling can lane mechanism&#39;s bottom dispense level  200 , a generally quarter-circular separator cam blade  212  axially positioned at the up-slope entry end of shaft  211 , and a second generally semi-circular dispense cam  213  axially positioned forward of separator cam blade  212  a distance slightly greater than the diameter of individual units of beverage containers  209 . Viewing the illustrated single unit dispense device  210  along its axis reveals that generally quarter-circular separator cam blade  212  is rotationally positioned from the 12 o&#39;clock to the 3 o&#39;clock axis angle, and the second generally semi-circular dispense cam  213  is rotationally positioned from the 3 o&#39;clock axis angle to the 9 o&#39;clock axis angle. In this start position, illustrated single unit dispense device  210  separates and captivates leading unit beverage container  209   a  from supply of generally cylindrical beverage containers  209 , securing leading unit beverage container  209   a  until the single unit dispense device  210  is actuated. As shaft  211  rotates 360° once in a clock-wise direction, separator cam blade  212  engages the gap between leading unit beverage container  209   a  separating it from the supply of generally cylindrical beverage containers  209  at the same time the second generally semi-circular dispense cam  213  is rotationally positioned to release leading unit beverage container  209   a  to freely drop via gravity to delivery shelf  207 . 
         [0029]    Referring again to  FIG. 2 , one may easily understand that, by making the distance between vertical planar surface wall  201  and vertical planar surface wall  202  variable, a packaged beverage container vending machine rolling can lane mechanism may be created that is virtually infinitely adjustable in a minimum to maximum range of vended product container sizes. Such a goal may be achieved using the invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100  made in accordance with the present invention method. 
         [0030]    Moving on to  FIG. 3 , a top view of a vending machine&#39;s variable sized rolling can lane bottom dispense layer  300 , illustrating beverage containers  209  being accurately guided by the preferred embodiment of invention spacer device  100 , as they are lined up upon the sloped dispensing shelf  305  in relation to a single unit dispense mechanism  210 . This vending machine variable sized rolling can lane bottom dispense mechanism is generally constructed as a box form, herein illustrated as a rectangle enclosed by a first vertical planar surface wall  301  at the left of this view, a second vertical planar surface wall  302  paralleling and offset to the right from first vertical planar surface wall  301  by a distance equal to the maximum container axial length capacity of the packaged beverage container vending machine rolling can lane mechanism&#39;s bottom dispense level  300 . Both first vertical planar surface wall  301  and second vertical planar surface wall  302  are joined together at the rear of the mechanism  300 , by a third vertical planar surface wall  303 , these three vertical planar surfaces describing a rectangle having three surfaces and terminating at front opening edge  304  of the mechanism bottom dispense level  300 . A generally rectangular sloped shelf  305  is located interior of and supported by vertical planar surface walls  301 ,  302  and  303 , beginning at an elevated position where sloped shelf  305  intersects rear vertical surface wall  303  and declining until terminating at sloped shelf&#39;s  305  front edge  306 . Sloped shelf front edge  306  is offset toward the rear away from front opening edge  304  by a distance sufficient to position generally rectangular delivery shelf  307  between first and second vertical planar surface walls  301  and  302 . Front edge  308  of generally rectangular delivery shelf  307  may extend beyond front opening edge  304 . 
         [0031]    Now, continuing with  FIG. 3 , a supply of generally cylindrical beverage containers  209 , (herein illustrated as common aluminum pull-top cans, but may also be other generally cylindrical metal, glass or plastic bottles or cans) are sequentially positioned with their cylindrical axis oriented perpendicularly between first vertical planar surface wall  301  and second vertical planar surface wall  302  on sloped shelf  305 . First vertical planar surface wall  301  and second vertical planar surface wall  302  are positioned parallel to each other at a distance equal to the maximum axial length of generally cylindrical beverage containers  209 , leaving only sufficient additional space to allow free movement of generally maximum axial length cylindrical beverage containers  209  in response to gravitational forces applied by sloped shelf  305 . Supply of generally cylindrical beverage containers  209  rolls down-slope of sloped shelf  305  where they engage single unit dispense device  210  for secure retention until single unit dispense device  210  is activated for a vend. When the vend cycle is activated, the leading unit beverage container A is segregated from the supply of generally cylindrical beverage containers  209  and directed forward by the actuation so the leading unit beverage container A may drop to delivery shelf  307  for convenient retrieval by the vend customer. 
         [0032]    In  FIG. 3 , the supply of generally cylindrical beverage containers  209  is illustrated as common aluminum pull-top cans that are considerably shorter in their axial length than the space available between first vertical planar surface wall  301  and second vertical planar surface wall  302 . As a result, the supply of generally cylindrical beverage containers  209  is illustrated as being in various stages of lateral misalignment with each other and with a single unit dispense mechanism  210 , as they may appear in a duplicate real-life vending situation. A preferred embodiment invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100  is illustrated installed flat against the interior surface of vertical planar surface wall  302 . As the supply of generally cylindrical beverage containers  209  gravitationally advance down-slope at each actuation of the single unit dispense mechanism  210 , the end of each beverage container  209  may come in contact with the surface of preferred embodiment invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100 , which is positioned, configured and properly sized to force the supply of beverage containers to usefully align with the single unit dispense mechanism  210 . The six individual generally cylindrical beverage containers  209  illustrated herein are identified by the letters A through F, with the last container F shown perfectly aligned and engaged with the single unit dispense mechanism  210 . As cans  209  advance down-slope on shelf  305 , can A has not engaged preferred embodiment invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100 ; can B has contacted the first surface  106  of thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100 ; cans C &amp; D have engaged slope  112 ; and cans E &amp; F are aligned in final position by surface  107 . 
         [0033]    Referring still to  FIG. 3 , Note in this view that the preferred embodiment invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100  is designed to incorporate inside and outside radius interfaces  120   a,    120   b,    120   c  and  120   d  at intersections between the various planes and angles of cam line  120 , (not illustrated here). These radii soften the transitional forces needed to mechanically align individual packaged beverage containers  209  as they advance down-slope of shelf  305 . See how can B is positioned approaching the intersection of slope  112 . Without inside radius  120   a,  pull-top aluminum can B will engage a sharp oblique angle that may cause its lid rim to catch on the abrupt intersection with slope  112 . This action may cause pull-top aluminum can B to twist counterclockwise on its vertical axis, which twisting may also then contribute to a jamming miss-alignment of cans  209  and single unit dispense mechanism  210 . Such radii are very difficult to include in sheet metal fabricated cam acting spacers. Note also that cans C &amp; B have engaged slope  112  with tangential contact there between, and this is an engagement that benefits greatly from a very low coefficient of friction such as offered by the preferred embodiment invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a vending machine&#39;s rolling can lane assembly  400  illustrating the relationship of stored and vended beverage containers to the dynamic aligning characteristics of the invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100 . This vending machine variable sized rolling can lane bottom dispense mechanism is generally constructed as a box form, herein illustrated as a rectangle enclosed by a first vertical planar surface wall  401 , (illustrated as invisible dashed lines for clarity of view angle) at the left of this view, a second vertical planar surface wall  402  paralleling and offset to the right from first vertical planar surface wall  401  by a distance equal to the maximum container axial length capacity of the packaged beverage container vending machine rolling can lane mechanism&#39;s bottom dispense level  400 . Both first vertical planar surface wall  401  and second vertical planar surface wall  402  are joined together at the rear of the mechanism  400 , by a third vertical planar surface wall  403 , these three vertical planar surfaces describing a rectangle having three solid surfaces and terminating at front opening edge  404  of the mechanism bottom dispense level  400 . A first generally rectangular sloped shelf  405  is located interior of and supported by vertical planar surface walls  401  and  402 , beginning at an elevated position where sloped shelf  405  intersects front edge vertical surface  404  and declining until terminating at sloped shelf&#39;s  405  rear edge  406 . Sloped shelf rear edge  406  is offset away from rear third vertical planar surface wall  403  creating a gap therebetween that is greater than the cylindrical diameter of the largest packaged beverage container vended. A second generally rectangular sloped shelf  407  is located interior of and supported by vertical planar surface walls  401 ,  402  and  403 , beginning at an elevated position where sloped shelf  407  intersects rear vertical surface wall  403  and declining until terminating at vertical planar surface wall  401  approximate front edge  404 . A generally rectangular delivery shelf  408  is positioned proximately forward of edge  404  and at a lower elevation relative to the delivery end of second sloped shelf  407  thus providing a convenient location for the vend customer to retrieve their purchase. A preferred embodiment invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100  is illustrated installed flat against the interior surface of vertical planar surface wall  402  using a common nut and screw  410  to secure it in position. As the supply of generally cylindrical beverage containers  409  gravitationally advance down-slope at each actuation of the single unit dispense mechanism, (not illustrated here) the end of each beverage container  409  may come in contact with the surface of preferred embodiment invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100 , which is positioned, configured and properly sized to force the supply of beverage containers to usefully align against the interior surface of first vertical surface wall  401 . (For clarity, no single unit dispense mechanism is shown in this illustration.) 
         [0035]    Continuing with  FIG. 4 , generally cylindrical beverage containers  409  are loaded into rolling can lane assembly  400  from the top elevation of first sloped shelf  405 , allowing first and successive beverage containers  409  to roll down-slope to the open gap between edge  406  and rear vertical surface wall  403  and continue down-slope of second sloped shelf  407 , thus filling the storage area with several generally cylindrical beverage containers  409 . As the single unit dispense mechanism, (not illustrated here) releases a beverage container, said beverage container then rolls away from second sloped shelf  407  and falls onto delivery shelf  408 . Bold line  412  illustrates the path followed by generally cylindrical beverage containers  409  as they are stored and dispensed from rolling can lane assembly  400 . In practical application, rolling can lane assembly  400  will generally include additional first sloped shelf  405  elements positioned above the bottom-most sloped shelf  405  for increased product capacity. 
         [0036]    In an alternative application use of the preferred embodiment invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100 , a second, mirror image preferred embodiment invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100  may be positioned inboard of the opposite vertical planar surface wall  401 , thus providing centering alignment of packaged beverage containers  409 . In certain alternate applications where the differential in axial length between packaged beverage containers  409  and the width between opposite vertical planar surface walls  401  and  402  is great, dividing the alignment forces between two centering preferred embodiment invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer devices  100  may be preferred. In a third alternative application of preferred embodiment invention thermoformed plastic resin spacer device  100 , two such devices are used that each possess application specific forms or shapes that relate to specific physical features appearing at opposite ends of the same generally cylindrical beverage container  209 . It is not possible to economically reproduce this specific capability in another material or by another means. 
         [0037]    The forgoing description includes what are at present considered to be preferred embodiments of the invention. However, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the invention, and that the invention be limited only by the following claims.