Patent ID: 8763302

Claim:
An apparatus for automatically dispensing separated plant growth media articles, comprising: a media guide defining a continuous channel through which separated plant growth media articles are separately introducible, movable and dispensable; a media accelerator comprising a follower positionable within the channel, wherein the media accelerator is operable to move the follower through the channel and a media regulator comprising a media penetrating member positionable within the channel at a first location and a media stopping member positionable within the channel at a second location spaced-apart from the first location, wherein the media regulator is operable to alternate between a media stopping position in which the media stopping member is positioned within the channel to restrict a first media article and a following second media article from movement in at least a dispensing direction along the channel by abutting against an end surface of the first media article and a media penetrating position in which the media penetrating member is positioned within the channel to penetrate the second media article by piercing its side surface at a point between its first and second ends without severing the second media article.