Patent ID: 8584714

Claim:
A system for dispensing a granular product, comprising: means for controlling the system; means for containing at least two granular materials in a separate arrangement; means for dispensing each granular material from the containing means in electrical communication with the control means and capable of holding and releasing the granular material; means for directing the granular material comprising a housing, a rotatable structure having an opening therein and means for rotating the structure; means for receiving the granular material in axial alignment with the opening in the rotatable structure; means for transferring the granular material from the containing means to the receiving means, said transferring means comprising a tube having two open ends, one open end attached to the dispensing means and the opposite open end capable of close alignment with the opening in the rotatable structure; means for holding the receiving means; and means for weighing the receiving means in contact with the holding means and in electrical communication with the control means; whereby the granular product to be prepared is selected by supplying information to the control means, granular material is dispensed from the containing means by the dispensing means as directed by the control means according to a formula for the selected product, the granular material flows through the transferring means, the rotating means moves the rotatable structure to align the opening in the rotatable structure with the open end of the tube capable of close alignment with the opening in the rotatable structure thereby allowing a discharge of the granular material into the receiving means through the opening in the rotatable structure, the weighing means weighs the amount of granular material dispensed into the receiving means and feeds the weight data to the control means and the control means directs the dispensing means to dispense additional granular material when required; the above being repeated for each granular material in the containing means required by the formula for the selected product.