Patent ID: 8392020

Claim:
A small object dispenser for accurately counting and dispensing measured quantities of small objects into receptacles, the small objects having a lesser dimension and a greater dimension, the dispensing unit comprising: a cabinet having an interior a hopper disposed in the interior; a top disposed above the hopper and surrounding and defining an input port disposed above the hopper, the input port closed by an input gate; and an outfall port disposed below the hopper; an object counter disposed between the hopper and the outfall port, the object counter having cylindrical chamber walls having an interior surface surrounding and defining a chamber having a chamber diameter; plate means disposed coaxial with the chamber at one end thereof and forming a chamber floor; a step motor coupled to an axle extending through the plate means coaxial with the chamber; a chute disposed above the chamber and adapted to funnel the small objects from the hopper into the chamber; recharge means removably coupled to the cabinet for recharging the hopper with small objects; controller means adapted to operate the dispensing unit; security means for securely tracking the small objects through the dispensing unit; a canister adapted to contain a measured quantity of the small objects, the canister having a canister neck; a lock neck coupled to the canister neck and having an upper surface and a lower surface; a canister port extending through the lock neck from the upper surface to the lower surface thereof; and attachment means for attaching the lock neck to the canister; an actuator-controlled lock neck gate disposed across the canister port at the lower surface and adapted to articulate between a closed position blocking the canister port and an open position whereby the lock neck removably seals the canister when the canister neck is attached within the canister port and the lock neck gate is in the closed position.