Patent ID: 8651322

Claim:
An article dispensing apparatus, comprising: a housing defining a first chamber and a second chamber that are divided by a dividing wall, a lid covering the second chamber and a cover covering the first chamber, the first chamber holding a plurality of articles, wherein the dividing wall has an opening; a figure retained inside the second chamber, the figure having a pair of arms that are normally positioned adjacent the opening in the dividing wall to receive an article that is transferred from the first chamber via the opening in the dividing wall; and an actuator coupled to the figure to push the figure upwardly through the lid so that the figure, and the article held in the arms of the figure, are delivered outside the housing; wherein the housing has a base, and further including a sliding lock positioned below the figure and adjacent the base, the sliding lock coupled to the actuator and removably engaging the figure, wherein actuation of the actuator disengages the sliding lock from the figure so that the figure is biased upwardly through the lid; and wherein the actuator includes a handle, and a gear set that is coupled to the handle, with the gear set including a gear that engages a portion of the sliding lock, wherein rotation of the gear set causes the gear to disengage the sliding lock, thereby causing the sliding lock to disengage the figure.