Patent ID: 8608024

Claim:
A dispenser for dispensing a single object at a time from a supply of objects, the dispenser comprising: A. a reservoir sized to contain a supply of objects; B. an opening in the reservoir, through which objects can be dispensed; C. a chute defined by a wall adjacent to the opening in the reservoir, the chute defining a dispensing path comprising a first object position adjacent to the opening and a second object position that is adjacent to the first object position and is more distant from the opening than the first object position; D. a movable dispensing guide having: a retracted position that does not prevent the advance of objects along the dispensing path, and an advanced position that intersects the dispensing path between the opening of the reservoir and the second object position to prevent an object in the second object position from being further advanced along the dispensing path without interfering with dispensing an object from the first object position; and E. a dispensing guide actuator for moving the movable dispensing guide between its retracted and advanced positions, wherein the dispensing guide actuator comprises a guide link mounted for rotation about a guide pivot, the guide link has a guide attachment point spaced radially with respect to the guide pivot, and the movable dispensing guide is connected to the guide attachment point, such that rotation of the guide link about the guide pivot moves the guide attachment point circumferentially between its retracted and advanced positions.