Patent ID: 7870973

Claim:
An apparatus for dispensing solid articles, the apparatus comprising: a dispensing channel having an inlet and an outlet and defining a dispensing path therebetween; a housing defining a hopper chamber to hold the articles, wherein the hopper chamber is in fluid communication with the inlet of the dispensing channel, the housing including a floor; and an article supply regulation system including a first divider wall, a second divider wall, a third divider wall and a fourth divider wall configured and positioned in the hopper chamber to define, in combination with the housing: a front region between the inlet and the first divider wall; a first rear region between the first divider wall and the second divider wall; a second rear region between the second divider wall and the third divider wall; and a third rear region on a side of the third divider wall opposite the second rear region; wherein: the first divider wall forms a front choke passage between the front region and the first rear region and between the first divider wall and the floor; the second divider wall forms a first rear choke passage between the first rear region and the second rear region and between the second divider wall and the floor; the third divider wall forms a second rear choke passage between the second rear region and the third rear region and between the third divider wall and the floor and/or a side wall of the housing; the fourth divider wall is positioned in the hopper chamber above the second and third divider walls and is configured to direct articles onto the second and third divider walls; and the fourth divider wall includes first and second legs collectively arranged in an inverted V-shape or an inverted U-shape, the first leg being disposed at an angle with respect to horizontal to direct some of the articles onto the second divider wall and the second leg being disposed at an angle with respect to horizontal to direct some of the articles onto the third divider wall.