A beverage vending machine comprising: a cup dispensing assembly comprising: at least one cup dispensing mechanism, the cup dispensing mechanism comprising a plurality of cup splitting scrolls arranged around a cup dispensing aperture, wherein the plurality of cup splitting scrolls are configured to support a stack of cups and dispense a lowermost cup of the stack of cups through the cup dispensing aperture during a cup dispensing operation, the plurality of cup splitting scrolls comprising a first pair of adjacent scrolls and a second pair of adjacent scrolls; and a ring gear (220, 220a) configured to rotate about a rotational axis (B-B), the ring gear (220, 220a) comprising a first set of gear teeth (223, 223a) and a second set of gear teeth (224, 224a) that is circumferentially spaced apart from the first set of gear teeth (223, 223a); wherein each of the scrolls of the first pair of adjacent scrolls comprises a gear portion that is directly coupled to the first set of gear teeth (223, 223a); characterized in that: a first idler gear in direct engagement with the second set of gear teeth (224, 224a) of the ring gear (220, 220a) and with a gear portion of a first scroll of the second pair of adjacent scrolls; and a second idler gear in direct engagement with the second set of gear teeth (224, 224a) of the ring gear (220, 220a) and with a gear portion of a second scroll of the second pair of adjacent scrolls; wherein rotation of the ring gear (220, 220a) causes the first pair of adjacent scrolls to rotate in a first rotational direction and the second pair of adjacent scrolls to rotate in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction during the cup dispensing operation. a cup dispensing assembly comprising: at least one cup dispensing mechanism, the cup dispensing mechanism comprising a plurality of cup splitting scrolls arranged around a cup dispensing aperture, wherein the plurality of cup splitting scrolls are configured to support a stack of cups and dispense a lowermost cup of the stack of cups through the cup dispensing aperture during a cup dispensing operation, the plurality of cup splitting scrolls comprising a first pair of adjacent scrolls and a second pair of adjacent scrolls; and a ring gear (220, 220a) configured to rotate about a rotational axis (B-B), the ring gear (220, 220a) comprising a first set of gear teeth (223, 223a) and a second set of gear teeth (224, 224a) that is circumferentially spaced apart from the first set of gear teeth (223, 223a); at least one cup dispensing mechanism, the cup dispensing mechanism comprising a plurality of cup splitting scrolls arranged around a cup dispensing aperture, wherein the plurality of cup splitting scrolls are configured to support a stack of cups and dispense a lowermost cup of the stack of cups through the cup dispensing aperture during a cup dispensing operation, the plurality of cup splitting scrolls comprising a first pair of adjacent scrolls and a second pair of adjacent scrolls; and a ring gear (220, 220a) configured to rotate about a rotational axis (B-B), the ring gear (220, 220a) comprising a first set of gear teeth (223, 223a) and a second set of gear teeth (224, 224a) that is circumferentially spaced apart from the first set of gear teeth (223, 223a); wherein each of the scrolls of the first pair of adjacent scrolls comprises a gear portion that is directly coupled to the first set of gear teeth (223, 223a); characterized in that: a first idler gear in direct engagement with the second set of gear teeth (224, 224a) of the ring gear (220, 220a) and with a gear portion of a first scroll of the second pair of adjacent scrolls; and a second idler gear in direct engagement with the second set of gear teeth (224, 224a) of the ring gear (220, 220a) and with a gear portion of a second scroll of the second pair of adjacent scrolls; wherein rotation of the ring gear (220, 220a) causes the first pair of adjacent scrolls to rotate in a first rotational direction and the second pair of adjacent scrolls to rotate in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction during the cup dispensing operation. a first idler gear in direct engagement with the second set of gear teeth (224, 224a) of the ring gear (220, 220a) and with a gear portion of a first scroll of the second pair of adjacent scrolls; and a second idler gear in direct engagement with the second set of gear teeth (224, 224a) of the ring gear (220, 220a) and with a gear portion of a second scroll of the second pair of adjacent scrolls; wherein rotation of the ring gear (220, 220a) causes the first pair of adjacent scrolls to rotate in a first rotational direction and the second pair of adjacent scrolls to rotate in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction during the cup dispensing operation.