US2378284A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Description

June 12, F C BURGE 2,378,284

I VENDING MACHINE Filed May e, 1941 A l u j@ Figure 1.

Patented June 12, 1945 VENDING n y Frank Burge, Dallas',""1le:r.

Application Mey 6, 1941, serial No.4 392,037 6 claims; (ci. :i12-c6).

Thisinvention relates to merchandise vending machinesfand it has particular reference to coin operated machines for vending packaged merchandise or fresh fruits such as apples, oranges and the like. 4 The principal object of the invention is to pro-v vide a vending machinein which the merchandise is compactly stored in grouped, vertically disposed magazines preparatory to being discharged singlyv from ya rselected magazine.- Moreover, the merchandise storage magazines being relatively independent, articles of merchandise of different brands cr specie may be stored in the magazines according to their particular brand or specief and so dispensed. v

lAnother object of the invention is to provide for individual mounting ofthe merchandise mag-y azines in the machine in order that-when one or more .of such magazines are depleted gof merchan-y dise, the. empty magazine or magazines may be removed -from the group and relled Withoutintertering with'the companionunits. i

Another object of the invention is to-provide a common cooperating means `for suspending the column of merchandise'in a magazine-whilethe lowermostartcle rin Ithe column is being simultaneously ejected from .the machine.. Furthermore,r the yoperating, mechanism .of the .machine includingmeans actuated by an adjacent maga-I 'zine when one; magazine has been manually vmanipulated ,to the discharging station, for re-l leasing rthe ejector mechanism forv operation..-

Still another object ofthe invention .resides in the provision of'means `for prohibiting .the insertion of a,-coin or token into the machine. until aselected magazine hasbeenkziisposedop-r y erativelyiat. the discharging station. ,f n

`With the foregoing objects as paramount, theA invention consists of other objectsV and structural. fealuires-4 ,of;accomp1ishment,' illustrated, in the accompanying drawing, wherein; n n

Figure 1 isan elevational view` of an embo-diment of theinvfention partlyin section and partly brokerl'rfavv'ay,;1`

transverse section online 22` on' Figure A1. f

Figure 3 is a transverse section on line 3-43 on "4 is 'avertical' sectional view of the base per'r se, taken ron` line f4- l Aof Figure 3 showing .theopr'ating mechanism of the machine.

Figure 54 is a detail 'view of theccin actuated` means* for' releasing the ejector mechanism for operatien. yf-s j Figure Sis a fra/gm'entaryview of theunc1er`A Figureside ofthe base,taken on line 6-@6 on-Figure4 to show the ejector control ratchet and pawl.

Figure 7 .is aH fragmentary detail view Lof the base showing thec'oin resisting slide, and

; "Figure `8 is a fragmentary detail view of the means for operatively connecting the dome ofthe machine kwith the magazine assembly for common rotation.. f

Continuingfwith a more detailed description ofy:the drawing, reference is primarily madeto Figure` lwherein is'shown vthe base I0 of the ma- Disposed on 'top of the base I0 is an annular.A -iiangey I2 for retaining a 'cylindrical shell or case' th'ority.V n

chine', provided withbosses Il (Figure Ll) vby which it .may be ysecured kto a stand or counter.

ingl I3 of glass or other transparent material.

Extending v erticallylthrough the center of the base I0 and upwardly'throughv the casing. I3 is a shaft I4. 'This shaft is anchored at its lower end' by a cross-member l5 (Figureel) and its through an opening in the upper end extends the shaft dome `I6fwhich latter rotates around which .is `stationa'ry.` A circular plate I'I isl mountedabove the dome andk rests on a shoulder II! on the. shaft. An aperture is made diemetricallyy through the shaft near its upper end to receive the bow of a lock I 9, thelatter resting on the plate lI'I` which, in View of its free mounting, does not'revolve with thedome.' Thus, thevv domefis held in operative relationship with'the casing ,I3 and cannot be displaced without auv-v Grouped about the shaft I4 are aiplurality of 351verticallydisposed merchandise vmagazines 20,

heldin radiallyspaced relationship 'and in suspendedrelationto thebase I0 by means of spiders 2|.. The spiders have central openings to receive the shaftr Ill and are spaced apart'by rods 22.

,. A collarv 23 surrounds vthe shaft I4` and is disposed below the lowermost spider to support' the assembly. 'A set .screw 24 holds `the collar securely` on the shaft.

It is intended that the magazines 20 be inde` f pendently 4removable from ythe machine for refilling or for other purposes, such as substitution of magazines of differentcross-sectionai shape. To

accomplish this, each magazine has a dovetailed,`

elongated protuberance or rib 25 extending longi- 'tudinally" along its rear surface. These. ribs arey receivable in correspondingly,v shaped recessesradially spaced about the perimeters of eachof thev spiders .21| as exemplified particularlyin l,figure v2.

In. order to remove a magazine, it is necessaryonly`r` to remove :thelock I'9,plate I1 and the dome I6.

and lift the magazine upward to withdraw the rib 25 from the retaining recesses of the spiders 2 I The dome I6 is Welded, as shown, or otherwise suitably affixed to and is therefore supported through the medium of a tubular sleeve 26 on the uppermost of the spacing spiders upon which it rests, the sleeve being disposed around the shaft |4. The lower end of the tubular sleeve 26 is diametrically slotted to straddle a pair of upstanding lugs 21 (Figure 8) cast integral or xed to the upper face of the top spider. Thus, when the dome I6 is rotated, this motion is imparted to the magazine assembly and by grasping one of the several knobs 28, each in alinement with a magazine 20, an operator may manipulate the assembly to bring a selected magazine to a stop at the discharge station or in register with the discharge opening 29 preparatory' to vending an article of merchandise.

Until a magazine is in position to vend, the coin receiving slot 30 (Figures 4 and 7) is covered by a slide 3|.

Movement of this slide to uncover the coin slot is effected by means of the arrangement shown in Figure '1, and which consists of a plunger or detent 32 which extends through the base and lies in the path of the magazines 20 as they are rotated. A spring 33 holds the detent 32 in raised position and is collapsed when the detent is depressed by contact therewith of a shoe 34 (Figures 1 and '7) carried by the underside of each magazine 29. When the detent is thus depressed, a bell crank 35 is moved on its pivot a by a pin 36 carried by the stem of the detent A32 and the bell crank, being pivoted at b to the slide 3|, causes the latter to move from its position over the coin slot 3l). A spring 31 returns the slide to its operative position over the slot when the detent is released by further movement of the magazine assembly.

The merchandise discharging or ejecting mechanism consists of a slide 38 held by channels 39 for sliding movement diametrically across the floor of the base and an upturned portion 4D on its outer end serves as a door or closure for the discharge opening 29. A handle 4| is mounted on the closure for operating the slide.

Disposed intermediate the ends of the slide 38 is a pair of uprights 42 and adjustably mounted in each is a horizontally disposed pin 43, the pair of pins being directed toward the merchandise discharge station or opening 29.

Immediately below these pins` and mounted on a threaded pin 42a, is an eiector 44` The pin 42a, by virtue of its threaded connection to a U-shaped support 42D, is axially adjustable, the latter being in turn, supported by 'pins 42. The ejector 44 consists 0f a concave rubber disc adapted to engage and thrust outward the lowermost article of merchandise in the column disposed in a magazine when the slide 3B is pulled outward. At the same time, the pins 43 engage between the lowermost and the next succeeding article of merchandise to therebyV support the column while the bottom article is being discharged. To facilitate discharge, la plate 45 is disposed next adjacent to and secured to the closure 40 of the slide and inclined transversely thereto and as the latter is withdrawn, the ejected article will, due to the incline, be propelled into a receiving receptacle 45 attached to the base I to one side of the opening 29.

The control means for the slide 38 consists of a depending rod 41 extending through a slot 48 in the base parallel with and offset with respect to a longitudinal slot 49 (Figure 4) in the slide 38 through which the central shaft I4 passes. Axed to the underside of the base is a rack bar or ratchet 5E! and cooperating with the teeth of this bar is a pawl 5| which being mounted in a spring controlled collar 52, is capable of oscillation with respect to the rod 41 on which the collar is rotatably mounted. A spring 53 connects the rod 41 with the base in order that the slide 38 to which the rod 41 is attached, will be returned to its original position after each vending operation.

Further reference to the rack and pawl will be made in the course of the description of operation.

, ln Figure 5 is illustrated the coin controlled means which places the mechanism in vending position. This means consists of a coin receiver 54 shown with its cover plate removed and whose coin recess 55 communicates with the coin chute 56. A plunger 51 is vertically and slidably disposed in a groove in the receiver 54 with one end 58 passing through the base and entering a slot 59 in the slide 38 (Figure 4), thereby locking the slide against movement. A leaf spring 59 bears against the lower end of the plunger to hold the same in locking position.

To overcome the resistance of leaf spring 60 and to retract the plunger 51, an arm 6| slidably enters the coin receiver 54 and has its opposite end pivoted to the depending rod 41. The free end of the army is curved to conform to the contour of a coin 62 and when in the position shown in solid lines in Figure 5 the coin serves as a rigid connection between the arm 6| and the beveled edge B3 of a recess in the plunger 51. Thus, it will be seen that as a pull is exerted on the slide handle 4|, pressure imposed axially on the arm 6| by the depending rod 41 will be transmitted to the coin 62 and bearing on the beveled portion 63 of the plunger 51, the coin will urge the latter downward, its upper end being thereby retracted from the slot 59 in the slide 38, releasing the latter. bottom of the coin recess 55, a pair of projections 63a are aiXed tov and extend outwardly from the receiver 54 on each side of plunger 51 to lie above the line of travel of the arm 6|. These stops prevent the coin 62 from sliding upon the beveled end of arm 6| when the latter is operated.

In operation, the knobs 28 are employed to manipulate a selected magazine 20 into a position for vending and when so disposed, an adjacent magazine will be in a position so that its shoe 34 will depress the detent 32. This action will displace the coin resisting slide 3| to admit a coin into the slot 30. The coin falls into the recess 55 of the receiver 54 and a pull upon the handle 4| will urge-the coin in the direction of the arrow in Figure 5 and in being so displaced, the coin will actuate plunger 51 to release the slide, allowing it to be pulled out andiwith it the lowermost article of merchandise in the selected magazine. The article will be deposited in the receptacle 4B. As the slide is pulled out, the pawl 5| drops into successive teeth of the ratchet 50, preventing return of the slide through the action of spring 53 until the slide has been moved to its extreme outward position whereupon the pawl changes positions and will have no effect to further hold the slide.

It isunderstood of course that while the transverse cross-section of the merchandise magazines is circular for retaining spherical articles such Midway between the top and as apples, oranges and the like, limitation as to parent case having a discharge opening, a dome rotatably disposed on said'case and connected to said magazines to rotate the same, a merchandise vending slide mounted on said base and movable through said discharge opening,` parallel pins vertically mounted on said slide, fingers horizontally mounted for axial adjustment on said pins, means also carried by said pins for ejecting an article from a column of merchandise in a selected'magazine, when said slide is moved out- Wardly, said fingers supporting the column during the vending operation, means to prevent retraction of said slide during .the vending operation,` and means for returning said slide to its inoperative position subsequent to the vending operation. I

2. In a vending machine, a base, a casing disposed thereonhaving a discharge opening, a

. series of merchandise magazines rotatably disposed above'said base, each being alignable with said discharge opening, a vending slide on said base and movable through said discharge opening, a pair of pins mounted onand perpendicular to said slide, an articleejector carried thereby, a merchandise support also carried by said pins for suspending the column of merchandise during ejection of an article from a magazine, means for holding said slide against retractionfduring a, vending operation and means for retracting parent casing surrounding said magazines, having a discharge openingtherein, a merchandise vending slide movable through said opening, an

inclined plate carried by said slide for directing discharged merchandise laterally with respect thereto, a receptacle for kdischarged merchandise, parallel, upright pins ymounted on said slide `and perpendicular to said base, `means supported by said pins and adjustable axially for ejecting articles of merchandise singly from selected ones of said magazines aligned with said discharge opening, means also supported by said pins and likewise axially adjustable for supporting the column of merchandise remaining in said magazine during a vending operation and means for holding said slide against retraction during said vending operation.

5. A merchandise vending machine compris ing a base, a vertical shaft mounted on and rising above said base, spaced spiders on said shaft, a plurality of vertically disposed, radially grouped merchandise magazines mounted on said spiders and rotatable above said base, a dome connected to said magazines for rotating the same, a transparent, cylindrical shell embracing said magazines, a merchandise discharge slide, relatively spaced, vertically disposedpins mounted on said slide, means carried by said pins and adjustable axially for ejecting the lowermost article of merchandise in selected ones of said magazines, cooperating meanson said pins for projecting under and sustaining the remaining merchandise in a magazine during the vending operation," means for preventing retraction of said slide during the vending operation and means for returning said slide subsequent to the vending operation.

6. A vending machine comprising a base and a series of vertically and radially grouped merchandise magazines situated above said base for rotation, a transparent stationary casing for said magazines having a common discharge opening, means for manually rotating the group of magazines, a member slidable on said base and movable through the opening in said casing, a closure carried by said slide to cover said opening, vertically disposed pins mounted on said slidable member, an axially adjustable merchandise ejector carried by said pins for singly discharging articles from selected magazines, means also carried by said pins engageable under and Supporting the remaining merchandise in a selected magazine during a vending operation, means holding said slidable member against return during the vend

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