US2370230A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Description

Feb.27,1945. A, A EECHOO 2,370,230

VENDING MACHINE Feb. 27, 1945. A QHEECHQQ 2,370,230

VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 12, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3. INVENTOR ALBERTA. 6395 -01100 4 rrae/wrrs.

Patented Feb. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENDING MACHINE Albert A. Cheechoo, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada Application February 12, 1943, Serial No. 475,64'l

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a vending machine. More particularly the invention relates to a cigarette lighting and vending machine.

Machines of this type have been used for vending such articles as candies, chewing gum, chocolate bars, etc. More recently they have been used for vending packages of cigarettes. Some of the machines are coin operated while others are operated by suitable push buttons or levers.

The machine covered by the present invention is adapted particularly for vending individual cigarettes and for lighting each cigarette before it is ejected from the machine. The machine may be coin operated or it may be operated by a push button. It is run by electricity and is automatic from the time the coin is inserted until the lighted cigarette is ejected into a tray on the front of the machine. A supply of cigarettes is contained in a hopper from where they are fed by gravity into the path of a reciprocating carriage. A main switch is closed by inserting a coin in the machine or by actuating the push button. This starts an electric motor, a gearv reduction box, a small compressor and an elec tric lighting element. The drive shaft from the gear reduction box begins to rotate thus drawing the carriage forward and pushing "one cigarette to the lighting position between the lighting element and the open end of a suction line which is attached to the compressor. During the second half of the drive shaft rotation the carriage is returned towards its original position. On its return it operates a rod mechanism which ejects the lighted cigarette from the lighting position through an aperture in the front of the machine into a tray where it can be easily picked up by the operator. When the carriage arrives at its original position it opens the switch and the machine is ready for the next operation. During the lighting of the cigarette the smoke is discharged by the compressor through a suitable tube.

The cigarette lighting and vending machine will now be described in more detail by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a part sectional side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a partial section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view with the cover plate removed.

The machine casing may be of any desired form and is shown in the drawings as consisting of a base plate l8, side walls I I, and a cover plate l2. A supply of cigarettes i3 is contained in a suitable hopper M which is shaped in such a manner that the cigarettes are fed by gravity one above the other. The hopper may be wholly encased within the machine or may consist of a channel as shown in the drawings which may be connected with a suitable container.holding a supply of cigarettes. The cigarettes are fed by gravity into the path of a reciprocating carriage l5, which consists of the base portion and the cigarette ejecting abutment 46 secured to its upper surface. The longitudinal edges of the base portion 45 are folded downwardly and inwardly to form channels (see Fig. 2) which slidably engage guide rails 48 constituting the edges of a platform 49. This platform extends from the rear toward the front wall ll of the casing and has a depressed mid-portion connected to the rails 48 by sloping portions 5.0a. It is secured to the front and rear walls H of the casing in any suitable manner such as by brazing, soldering or riveting.

A suitable coin slot or push button is provided in a convenient position. By inserting a coin or actuating the push button the switch I6 is closed. This switch is connected by suitable wiring with an electric motor I! and a lighting element IS. The shaft IQ of the electric motor is connected with a reduction gearing in box 20 which in turn is provided with an upright drive shaft 2|. In this way the rotative speed of the drive shaft 2! is greatly reduced. An eccentric plate 22 is mounted on the upper end of the drive shaft 2i and the pivotally mounted arm 23 connects the eccentric with the carriage I5.

Accordingly, as the drive shaft 2| and eccentric 22 rotate the carriage l5 will reciprocate back and forth thus feeding the cigarettes from the hopper M to the lighting element 18.

A rotary vane compressor 24 is mounted on the opposite end of the motor shaft IS. A suitable coupling or universal joint 25 is provided between the compressor and the electric motor. A sue; tion line 26 is connected to the intake of the compressor and this suction line is connected with a collar 21 directly opposite the lighting element l8. With this construction a suction is provided at the end of the cigarette remote from the lighting element and the lighting of the cigarette is facilitated. The smoke created by the lighting action is discharged by the compressor through the tube 28.

The cigarette ejection apparatus is operated by the movement of the carriage l5. It consists of a rod 29 which is shaped as shown in Fig. 1. The inner end of this rod is bent upwards as at 30 to engage a lug 3| projecting from the carriage IS. The opposite end of the rod is pivotally attached to a crank rod 32 which extends across the front of the machine to a point underneath the collar 21 where it is mounted in a suitable bearing 33. This bearing is held in place by the bracket 34 which fits over the suction line 26. A suitable tray 35 is provided on the front of the machine into which the cigarettes are ejected. This tray extends inwardly underneath the hopper l4 providing a floor 36 on which the cigarettes may be moved forward by the reciprocating carriage I 5. A small spring or the like 31. is attached to the bottom of the hopper as shown in Fig. 1 to prevent the cigarettes from rolling out of the hopper when the carriage is idle. The floor 36 is interrupted by two parallel apertures 38 through which ejecting fingers 39 project and operate. These fingers are mounted on the crank rod 32 and move with it.

As the carriage I moves forward the rod 29 is pulled forward byacoil spring 40 which is attached to the front wall II and an extension 4| of the rod 29. This causes the crank rod 32 and the ejecting fingers 39 to take up the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1. A stop rod 42 mounted between the sloping portions 50 of the platform 49 is provided against which the fingers 33 rest. The fingers remain in this position while the cigarette is delivered to the lighting element by the carriage. On the return stroke of the carriage the projecting lug 3|, formed on the end of plate 3la secured to the base portion 45 of carriage I 5, engages the member and pulls the rod 29 toward the rear of the machine. rod in turn actuates the crank rod 32 causing the fingers 33 to swing upward and forward thereby ejecting the cigarette from the lighting position through an opening 43 in the front of the machine into the tray 35. A guide member 44 secured to the platform 49 is provided for the rod 29.

The operation of the machine is entirely automatic from the time the coin is inserted or the button pushed until the lighted cigarette is ejected into the tray and the switch 5 is opened. The insertion of a coin orv the actuating of a push button closes the switch l8 which starts the electric motor II, the reduction gearing in box 20, the compressor 24, and the lighting element l8. The rotation of the eccentric 22 causes the carriage 15 to move forward thereby engaging the bottom cigarette in the hopper l4 and feeding it to a point between the lighting element l8 and the collar 21 of the suction line 26. As the carriage moves forward the coil spring pulls the rod 29 toward the front of the machine The 5 causing the fingers 39 to take up the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1. The cigarette is lit while it rests adjacent to the lighting element and the smoke is discharged by the compressor 24 through the tube 28.

As the eccentric 22 continues to rotate the carriage l5 returns toward its original position and the lug 31 engages the end of the rod 29 causing the lighted cigarette to be ejected by the fingers 39 into the tray 35 where it can be easily picked up by the operator. When the carriage arrives at its original position the plate 3l engages and opens the switch 16 by engaging the arm Hi thereof, thus shutting off the electric motor I! and the lighting element l8. The machine is then ready for the next operation.

I claim:-

1. A cigarette lighting and vending machine comprising a hopper adapted to contain a supply of cigarettes, a. lighting element, a carriage member adapted to reciprocate beneath said hopper to feed the cigarettes individually from said hopper to said lighting element, ejecting fingers mounted adjacent to said lighting element and adapted to eject the lighted cigarettes from the machine, said ejecting fingers being actuated by the reciprocating carriage.

2. A cigarette lighting and vending machine comprising a hopper adapted to contain a supply of cigarettes, a motor, a lighting element, a switch adapted to control said motor and said lighting element, a reciprocatable carriage member mounted beneath said hopper, the forward stroke of said carriage member being adapted to feed individual cigarettes from said hopper to said lighting element, ejecting fingers mounted adjacent to said lighting element, said ejecting fingers being actuated by the return stroke of said carriage member to eject the lighted cigarettes from the machine.

3. A machine as defined in claim 2, comprising means for opening the switch upon the return stroke of the carriage and thus shutting oil the motor and the lighting element.

4. A cigarette lighting and vending machine comprising a. hopper adapted to contain a supply of cigarettes, a motor, a lighting element, a switch adapted to control said motor and lighting element, means .for feeding the cigarettes from the hopper to the lighting element, and ejecting fingers mounted adjacent to the lighting element and adapted to eject the lighted cigarettes individually into a suitable tray provided on the front of the machine, said carriage member and said ejecting fingers being operated by said motor.

ALBERT A. CHEECHOO.

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