Patent ID: 10793374

Abstract:
A cartridge dispenser (1) has: a receptacle (10) delimiting a cavity (10′) for storing cartridges (2); a cartridge outlet (11) for dispensing a single cartridge at a time from said cartridges (2), the single cartridge being dispensed in a predetermined cartridge dispensing orientation; and a cartridge transfer device (12,13,14) for transferring cartridges (2) from the cavity (10′) to the cartridge outlet (11). The cavity (10′) is so dimensioned that cartridges (2) can be stored in bulk therein at random capsule orientations. The transfer device comprises a delivery conveyor that is configured to displace cartridges from the bulk of cartridges towards the outlet and to deliver the cartridges (2) to the outlet (11) via an orientation-discrimination passage (15) which ensures that the cartridges (2) are delivered one at the time to the outlet (11) and that each cartridge (2,2a) that is delivered to the outlet (11) is in the predetermined orientation at the outlet (11).