Patent ID: 7152756

Claim:
A system for dispensing items comprises: one or more dispensing stations; and one or more conveyors for transporting containers to the one or more dispensing station, wherein each of the one or more dispensing stations comprise: a dispenser; one or more dispensing heads, wherein each of the one or more dispensing heads receives items from the dispenser and comprises: a dispensing chute for directing a first plurality of the received items toward the dispenser, wherein at least one physical characteristic of each of the first plurality of the received items is within a predetermined range of physical characteristics; and a diversion chute for directing a second plurality of the received items away from the dispenser; a mechanism for spacing the containers to a predetermined pitch; a transfer wheel for removing the containers from the first conveyor; a star wheel for receiving the containers from the transfer wheel and for positioning each of the containers in alignment with a corresponding one of the one or more dispensing heads, whereby the corresponding one of the one or more dispensing heads delivers the first plurality of the received items to the container; and a turret for removing the containers from the star wheel.