To accurately and surely throw a container in and to effectively use the upper part of an automatic vending machine as a space for storing containers by moving up and down and rotating a maintenance part by a maintenance part moving means, and throwing a container maintained by the maintenance part in the storage part at the upper part of the automatic vending machine.

The container throw-in and collection device 1 is provided at the upper part of the automatic vending machine B and an empty container A loaded in the holder 7 of a swivel arm 4 is thrown in the storage part 16 provided at the upper part of the automatic vending machine B and collected by rotating the swivel arm 4 pivoted on the left upper part (or right side) of a vending machine main body. The swivel arm 4 is fitted to a bracket 2 fixed to the left wall part of the storage part 16 and the bearing member 5 constituting the swivel arm 4 is pivoted on a support shaft 3 projecting from the center part on a nearly front side of the bracket 2 and allowed to rotate between the horizontal attitude at which the member 5 is rotated to above the opening-side upper edge part of the storage part 16 by drawing an operation cord 13 down and the vertical attitude at which the member is almost parallel to the left wall part of the automatic vending machine B.