US2577271A - Digging machine - Google Patents

Description

Dec..4, 1951 G. E. RUSSELL I 2,577,271

DIGGING MACHINE Filed Nov. 18, 1947 wllalllllllnllll'iz Illlllliii7i 7/IIIIA G. E. RUSSELL 2,577,271

DIGGING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 80 61 aim Dec. 4, 1951 Filed Nov. 18, 1947 Dec. 4, 1951 e. E. RUSSELL 2,577,271

DIGGING MACHINE Filed Nov. 18, 1947' 4 sheets-sheet 4 SJ WM GwY/v RUSSELL Patented Dec. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to coin controlled dispensing apparatus of the crane type including a manually positionable bucket or claw in which the amount or character of the merchandise vended depends to some extent upon the skill of the operator.

An important object of the present invention is to provide improved dispensing apparatus of the type specified characterized by its simplicity of construction with a reduced number of elements arranged in a foolproof manner to require a minimum amount of maintenance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide improved apparatus of the type specifled which may be simple and easily manufactured in large quantities with present day mass production methods and operations.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide improved operating mechanism in apparatus of the type specified, said apparatus being effective in a novel manner to move the bucket or claw from a, normal, at rest, suspended position to a position above a desirable article after which the mechanism automatically a lows the bucket to drop over such article with the bucket in open position and to thereafter cause the upward and horizontal movement of the bucket to a position above a dispensing chute after which the bucket is automatically opened and maintained in stationary position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved mechanism of the type specified in which the operating mechanism is simple and of a minimum number of parts.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. This invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further obects and advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the fol owing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a portion of the apparatus embodying the present invention showing the crane bucket or claw in its normal at rest suspended pos tion and corresponds substantially to a sectional view on the line l-I of Figure 4.

Figure 2 is a detail view similar to Figure 1 while it is being lowered from its raised position shown in Figure 1. i

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 and shows the bucket in the closed position which it assumes when it is being raised upwardly.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the machine embodying the present invention taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 5 taken substantially on the line 66 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a sectional view through the clutch arrangement taken substantially on the line 88 in Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 99 of Figure 1 and shows a part of the coin operating mechanism.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 show pro ressively in that order the relative positions of the release mechanism when the manually operatable member shown in Figure 9 is moved inwardly and then outwardly after the deposit of the proper coin in the slot.

Figure 13 is a view taken substantially in the direction indicated by the arrows l3-l3 in Figure 4 and shows the manner in which one of the electrical switches is maintained in open position.

Figure 14 is a view similar to the view shown in Figure 13 but with the operating mechanism in a, different position to allow closure of the switch.

Figure 15 is a'view taken substantially in the direction indicated by the arrows |5-l5 in Fi ure 17.

Figure 16 is a view similar to the view shown in Fi ure 15 but with the o erating mechani m in difierent pos tion to allow closure of the switch shown both in Figures 15 and 16,.it being noted that Figures 13 and 15 correspond to positions of the switches shown therein while the apparatus is norma ly at rest and Figures 14 and 16 correspond to corresponding pos tions of the operating mechanism during a cycle of operation.

Figure 17 is a sectional view similar to the view shown in Figure 1 but with parts of the ap aratus removed to more clearly show the release mechanism.

Fgure 18 shows further constructional details of the clutch assembly shown in Figure 8 taken substantia ly on the line I8- 8 of Figure 8.

Figure 19 shows the electrical circuit connections for energizing the driving motor.

Figure 20 is a view in side elevation of an improved buck t, in'open position, embodying the present invention.

Figure 21 is a view looking up from the bottom of the bucket shown in Figure 20 when the bucket is closed.

Figure 22 is a sectional view taken in the direction indicated by line 22-22 in Figure 21 when the bucket is open.

Figure 23 is a View taken substantially in the direction indicated by the arrows 23-23 in Figure 20.

Figure 24 is an enlarged view of a portion of the bucket shown in Figure 20.

The present invention is shown embodied in a well known type of crane coin controlied machine from which the quality and quantity of articles dispensed depends to some'degree 'on 'the skill of the operator. Such machines are usually coin operated. Upon proper insertion of a coin the mechanism is free to be operated by'an individual who may move the bucket to a seemingly advantageous poistion. Upon manual movement of the bucket, an electrically driven mechanism is automatically energized to initially render the manual control inoperative and then .to move the bucket through acycle ofoperations.

'lSuch :cycle of "operations includes lowering and rangementuponplacing'a coin in a conventional coin chute I and then moving the manually .operable slide H of conventional structure first inwardly and then 'outwardly to cause suchzcoin todrop into -a coin box (not shown"). 'Thiscoin operated mechanism may be of conventional structure with the reciprocal slide 'member I?! thereof attached to an actuating member "M 'arran ed to o erate a mechanism to allow 'the bucket l to be positioned upon subsequent turn- "ing of the manually rotatable knob l6. While the knob l 6 is being turned. a switch I Tis caused to close to thereby energize the bucket moving mechanism which is driven by the electrical .motor l8.

The mechanism driven by motor I8 includes a pair of eccentr cally mounted arms 29, 2| which are attached throu h flexible bead cables 22, 23 res ective y to the bucket 1'5 a ter'passing over pullevs 24, 25 on the cab structure 26 and boom structur 2'1, respectively. The b'oomstructure 27 nivota ly mounted on the cab structure 26 at 2'8 is held in a'diusted position by theflexib'le bead cable 30 having one of its end-s anchored onto the cab structure 26 and the other one of its ends anchored to the free end of the boom 21.

The bucket l5 may be of conventional construction. The bucket l-5 may, for example, and not as a limitation, be of the ty e shown and described in the Bartlett Patent 2,166.854, and as shown therein, the cables 22, 23 may be attached thereto for producing opening and tclosing'move ment of the bucket jaws. This bucket may likewise be of the construction show'n'in Figures 24, inclusive.

The cab 26 with the bucket 15 mounted thereon is mounted 'on the rotatable shaft 35 about a vertical axis for positioning and moving the bucket mounted thereon. This shaft 3'5 projects through a partition 35 and through a stationary frame-work 36A. and is journa'led at vertically spaced points 31. 38. The 'cab is initially moved outwardly from its normaL at rest, position shown in Figure 1 by turning the manual QOILUQl,

4 knob l6 which is initially coupled to the shaft 35 through the clutch 60, the shaft 3 l, the universal joint 42, shaft 43, and the releasable friction clutch element 44 arranged to frictionally engage the underside of the disc 45 which is keyed on the shaft 35. After a predetermined amount of movement of the control knob Hi, the projection 46 '(Figures 15" and 16) on the upper face of the disc 45 causes the switch ll to close to thereby energize the motor 18 and a short time there- "after the cab shaft, 35 is driven by the electrical motor-l8 through the mutilated gear 28 keyed to the shaft 35, the coupling between the mutilated gea'r-EB and the motor !8 comprises in order, as .shown in Figures 5 and 13: motor shaft 511, flexible coupl'ing'lil, shaft 52, worm gear 53, shaft 54, coupling 55, shaft 55, worm gear 5?, shaft 58 and mutilated gear 59 keyed on shaft '58 for cooperation with the mutilated gear 43 on the cab shaft 35. It is noted at this point .thatthe manual control knobv lfiserves to move .the bucket i5 to-its most extreme position'away fromits normal, at :rest, position shown in Figure 1 while the motor l8 which isautomatically :energized byoperation of knob it serves to move the bucket-back to normal poistion.

Uponenergizationof the motor it! produced by manual operation of knob t6, the shaft 58 is driven to allow closure of switch which is normally maintained in open position by the projection Bl on the mutilated'gear 59 engaging the arm 6-2 of switch 59 andthereafter theteeth on the mutilated gear 59 which are normally out of engagement with the teeth on mutilated gear 48, engage the teeth on the other cooperating mutilated gear 48 to rotate the cab structure '26 in a direction of rotation opposite thatproduced by the knob l6.

Animportant feature of the present invention 'is'the manner in which the bucket is raisedand lowered and openedand closed. This mechanism includes a'pair of eccentrically mounted arms :20, 21 aifixed to the outer ring is of aball-bcar ing member H, the inner ring member it? of which has its plane at an acute angle with re-- spect to the axis of. the vertical shaft 58 and has 'adisc member M press-fitted therein. This disc member 14 has a circular'aperture therethrough angularly related to the axis of the member M for receiving the shaft 58 to which it is keyed by set screw 75. The arms 2e, 28 extend in parallel "directions and are affixed at adjacent ends, on the one hand, to diametrically opposite points on the outer ring member 1B and, on the other hand, to corresponding ends of the flexible bead-type cable '22, 23.

It is apparent that upon rotation-of the shaft-58 produced by the motor l8, the outer bearing ring "10 undergoes a nutating motion, 1. e., the ring not only has a rotational component but a'rectilinear component as well. The arms 2e, ll :attached at diametrically opposite points on the ring-10 are-atsuch length that the-desired bucket opening, closing, raising and lowering motions are produced.

The plane of the bearing member it may be at an angle of approximately thirty-five degrees. (35) with respect to the axis of shaft 58.

Cable 22 serves essentially to open and to maintain bucket l5 open while cable 23 serves essentially to close and to maintain bucket l5 closed. When cables 22 and 23 are moved simultaneously in the same direction, the bucket is raised or lowered as the case may be; but when cable 22 moves relative to cable '23 or vice versa there is a bucket opening" or closing operation as the case may be. When the bucket is initially moved by knob 6, it remains open since the shaft 58 isnot rotated, but upon subsequent rotation of shaft 58, the arms 29, 2| are both moved upwardly at substantially the same rate until the bucket |5 reaches its lowermost position. Then upon further rotation of shaft 58, cable 23, attached to arm 2|, is moved relative to cable 22 to cause the bucket to close after which both cables 22, 23 or arms 20, 2| are moved downwardly at substantially the same rate of speed to raise the bucket in its closed position. In other words, when the bucket is being swung from its normal position and then lowered, the cable 22 supports the greater weight of the bucket to maintain it open; and upon the subsequent upward movement of the bucket and its return pivotal movement'to a point near its at rest position above the discharge chute (not shown), the cable 23 supports thegreater weight 1 of the bucket to maintain it closed.

In order to assure suchmotion of the arms 29, 2| and attached cables '22, 23, the arm 29 is confined to move only in a vertical direction between the two-spaced vertical stationary guide members 89, 8|.

It is noted that the shaft 58 makes one revolution per cycle to return the arms 2'9, 2| to their original position and for that reason the shaft is termed a one revolution shaft.

The friction clutch element 44 is normally maintained out of driving engagement with the disc 45 by the catch mechanism 85 (Figures 10-12, 17) arranged to cooperate with the pivoted arm 86. In the absence of the catch 95, the arm 86 which is pivoted on the frame 95A presses the clutch element 44 into engagement with the disc 45 due to the action of the tension spring 8'! having one end aflixed to frame 95A and the other one of its ends affixed to arm 36. Normally, as shown in Figure 10, the catch 85 maintains the free end of the lever member 86 in depressed position. Upon depositing a coin and the subsequent manual inward and outward movement of the slide member l with the actuating member l4 attached thereto, the catch member 85 is unlatched as indicated in the series of Figures 10- through 12, inclusive. It is noted that the catch member 85 is pivoted on the'frame A and is provided with an arm 88 which is attached to an end of a tension spring 89, the other end of which is attached to the frame 35A. The catch member is normally biased into engagement with the lever member 85 by the tension spring 89. Upon inward movement of the slide actuated member H, M and push rod 99 attached thereto, the catch member 88, as shown in Figure 11, is deflected out of catch engaging position by the rod 99 and blocks upward movement of the lever member 95. Therefore, it is necessary that the reciprocal slide actuating member ll be moved to its normal position to allow the spring biased lever member 86 to raise, which event occurs as indicated in Figure 12 when the slide actuating member is withdrawn. Thus, in Figure 12 the lever member 95 is allowed to raise to establish the driving connection between knob l6 and the disc 45.

After a cycle of operation is approximately half completed, the lever member 95 is depressed by means described presently to allow the catch 85 to automatically lock it as indicated in Figure 10. The particular means for depressing the lever member 86 comprises an extension 2 IA from the eccentrically mounted bearing ring member 79. This event occurs as indicated in Figure 3 when the bucket is being raised to its raised position.

The one-way clutch 40 shown in detail in Figures 8 and 18 is of conventional structure and serves to couple the manual control knob Hi to the shaft 4| in such a manner that the shaft 4| may be rotated only in that direction indicated by the arrow M9 in Figure 16.

The shaft 4| is connected to the cylindrical housing 49A by the set screw |9| while the shaft I02, upon which the control knob I6 is keyed, is connected to the inner cylindrical member 493 of the clutch 40 by the set screw I04. In conventional manner, the three rollers |95 disposed in the triangular shaped peripheral openings in the cylindrical member 49B are moved into locking engagement with the internal wall of the cylindrical housing 49A only when the shaft I92 is moved in the direction indicated'by the arrow l9! in Figure 8. Thus, the control knob IS with the interposed clutch 49 serves to move the boom structure 21 in one direction only; namely, to the left as indicated by the arrow I09 in Figure 4.

The amount of movement of the boom structure 21 in a circular orbit produced by rotation of the knob It depends upon the speed at which the knob I6 is rotated for the reason that the mechanical drive incorporating the control .knob I5 is automatically made inoperative as that the operator has manual control of the bucket |5 until the arm extension 2|A moves downwardly to engage the lever member 86 as indicated in Figure 3.

Another important feature of the present invention is the provision of the two mutilated gears 48 and 59 keyed respectively on shafts 35 and 58. It is noted that in the normal, at rest, position of the bucket l5, these two mutilated gears are out of engagement as shown in Figure 13. It is further noted that the teeth on gear 48 extend substantially an arcuate distance of 180 while the correspondin cooperating teeth on gear 59 extend only an arcuate distance of 90. The gear 59, of course, makes but one complete revolution per cycle and travels an arcuate distance less than 2'70 before engaging the teeth on gear 48, the exact angular distance depending upon the amount the gear 48 is originally displaced from its normal, at rest, position by operation of the manual control knob l 6.

The two switches 60 and I! are both of the same type in that each has a spring contact member normally held out of circuit closing position by a correspondin pin or projection 5| and 46 respectively on gear 59 and disc 45. These two switches, as indicated in Figure 19, are connected in parallel or shunt to one another and in series with the windings of motor l8 so that closure of either one'of the switches I! or 69 re- "sultsin current :flow to the motor I8 from the "supply'terminals I,I2.and I I3. H e

The operation of, the-machine is briefly as follows: An operator deposits a suitable coin in the conventional type :of "coin chute I and :then

'moves the coin slide IJ first inwardly and then outwardly. Such inward and outward movement of the coinslide I I with the member 9B attached thereto results in unlatching the lever member 86 in the series of operations indicated in Figures 1'7, 10, 11 and 12. When the lever member 86 is thus unlatched a driving connection incorporating the movable clutch element 44 is :provided between the control knob I6 and I the disc '45 so *thatthe operator, upon rotation allowed to close to thereby energize the drivin "motor I8. Upon such energization of the motor I8. the shaft 59 coupled thereto is rotated together with the mutilated gear 59. Upon movement of such gear 59 the switch 60 is allowed to close, thereby assuring energization of the motor I8 during the remainder of the cycle. Also, when the shaft 58 is thus rotated by the motor I8 the arms 20 and 2| are moved in such a manner, that the bucket I is, in turn, lowered, closed and then raised while closed in accordance with forces im-parted to the flexible cables 22 and 23 on the ends of the arms 29 and 2|, respectively, When the arm 2! is thus moved to its uppermost pQ sition shown in Figure 3, the

. extension 21A thereon engages and presses the lever member 86 to restoreit to its latched position indicated in Figure 10, to condition the apparatus for another subsequent cycle of operations initiated by depositing another coin.

As the mutilated gear 59 on the one revolving shaft 58 continues to rotate, it engages the teeth on the gear 48 to return the bucket I5 to its at rest position wherein the bucket is automatically opened by the forces imparted to cables 22 and 23 to discharge the contents of the bucket into a discharge chute. At the end of travel of the gear 59, projection 6| causes the switch 69 to open to thereby completely deenergize the motor I8.

The bucket I5 may be constructed as shown in Figures through 24, inclusive, wherein the bucket has a pair of jaws H5 and II 6 with side walls III and,II'8, respectively. The upper ends of the said side walls extend inwardly and terminate in ears I20. The ears on one jaw are offset inwardly with respect to one another and overlap the ears of the other jaw to provide uni- .pl'anar external faces or walls on both jaws. The ears I29 are provided with openings through which a pivotal bolt or pin I25 extends. Bucket jaw II'B is slotted at I26 within which a spring member I'2'I is deposited to press the bolt or pin I25 in one of a series of curved sections I29 of the slot I26, to thereby maintain the jaws H5 and H6 in adjusted position for a purpose described later. For this purpose it is noted that the spring I21 is of the leaf or cantilever type and has one of its ends afiixed to the jaw H6 and the other one of its ends arranged to engage the body of the pin I25 to press it into one of the curved sections I29 of the slot I25.

The lower ends of the bucket jaws H5 and H6 terminatein perforate extensions I and I36, respectively, between which a digit I31 is adjustably mounted in position by frictional forces. As the digits. [31, consist, of atooth bar having teeth thereon arranged to 'intermesh with corresponding teethfon'the other bar, these digits I31 are'frictionally held'onthe bucket jaws II 5 and H6 by pins I38 passing through such jaws and through such digits. Each'of the digits I3! is susceptible to adjustment to any degree of angularity, thereby providingbucket jaws of adjustable grasping power. These digits I31, may be convenientlyadjusted to decrease their'grasping power by squeezing the two bucket jaws H5 and H6 together. Upon such squeezing of the two bucket jaws H5 and H5, the digits I31 revolve to adjusted "position about the pivot pins J38 upon which they, are maintained in position by frictional forces between the pin I88 and the digits. Further, each, bucket jaw has a weighted member MB held in adjusted position thereon by the set screw I41 engaging the walls defining the slotted portions I45. The position of these weights I40, which may be of lead, also influences the grippingPOWer of the bucket jaws.

The bucket I5 is attached to the apparatus shown in the previous figures by, attaching a 1ink.23A to the pin I25 and cable 23 and by connecting the cables v22 to the bucket jaws H5 and H6 by means of links 22A. The cables 22 serve tosupport the bucket and to maintain .the bucket. laws in bucket opening position while the cab1e23. when stressed serves to move the pin 425 upwardly to close the bucket. 7

It isevident that the gripping power ofthe bucket shown in Figures 20 throughz i inclusive may be adjusted intnree diiferent ways; namely: 1. By, 'adjustingthe angular position of the digits I3Ton their supporting pins I33; ,h 2. 'By adjustment of the position of the weight rand v 3. By adjustment of the pin I25in the slotted portion I26 of the bucket jaw I15.

Thus, for example, thegrippingpower of the bucket may be, increased by pivoting the digits I31 inwardly in thefdirection indicate-:1 by the arrows I50, by,moving theyveights its downwardly in thedirection indicated by "the arrows I5i, and the gripping power of the bucket jaws may be decreased by moving the pin in the slot I26 in the direction indicated by the fin-0 v I52. As explained-previously, the gripping power of the bucket may be conveniently decreased by squeezing the two bucket jaws 'I I5 and I 55 to-- gether. Depending upon where the squeezing pressure is applied, the digits]?! may be moved outwardly orthe pin I25 may be moved in the direction indicated by the arrow I52 in the slot I26. It is apparent that these two adjustments may be made simultaneous;namely, adjustment of the digits I31 and adjustment of the pin I25.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious tovv those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therforathe aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope ,of this invention.

I claim: p

1. In a machine of the character specified, a bucket havingtvvo relative movable parts whereby the bucket may be opened or closed; a bucket hoisting chain therefor and a bucket closing chain therefor; a boom member supporting said bucket; a rotatable cabsupporting said boom; a rotatable drive shaft; a roller bearing member having an inner race and an outer race, the outer race being mounted eccentrically on said shaft, the outer race of said bearing member having a pair of projections thereon, one of said projections being attached to said bucket hoisting chain and the other one of said projections being attached to said bucket closing chain.

2. A vending machine of the character described, including an upstanding rotatably mounted shaft; a roller bearing member having an inner race and an outer race, the inner race being mounted eccentrically on said shaft; a cabin fixed on the top of said shaft with a crane mounted thereon; cables trained through said crane, one end of each of which passes through the cabin and is attached to the outer race of said roller bearing member; a shovel carried by the opposite ends of the cables; and a motor operatively connected to said shaft.

3. A Vending machine of the character described embodying a motor-operated digging and hoisting mechanism which includes a crane with a pair of cables trained therethrough; a rotatable shaft; a roller bearing member having an inner race and an outer race, the inner race being mounted eccentrically on said shaft; one end of each cable engaging the digging part of said mechanism; and arms mounted on the outer race of said roller bearing member, each of said arms being engaged with one of the cables and movable by the motor through a vertical arc to exert a stress on its cable as the arm is moved by said mechanism.

4. A vending machine of the type specified including a digging and hoisting mechanism; means arranged to engage the digging and hoisting mechanism to raise and lower the digger of the latter; a motor in operative connection with the digging and hoisting mechanism to raise and lower the same; an electric circuit including said motor and digging and hoisting mechanism; a normally open switch in said circuit; and manually operated means engaged with said mechanism for moving the latter in a horizontal arc and to simultaneously close said switch.

5. A vending machine of the character described including a digging and hoisting mechanism with a rotatable shaft; manually operated means in operative connection with said mechanism to urge the latter into a predetermined position preparatory to beginning the digging operation; a disc mounted on said means and movable therewith; a ball bearing member eccentrically mounted on said shaft with the outer member thereof having a pair of arms attached thereto; motive means including said arms in operative connection with the digging and hoisting mechanism for raising and lowering the bucket thereof; and means operated upon movement of said disc by said manually operated means to rotate the digging and hoisting mechanism independently of the manually operated means for urging said mechanism into position for dispensing the materials intercepted in the digging operation.

6. In a vending machine of the character described, a one revolution shaft; a ball bearing member on said shaft having an inner and an outer member with the plane thereof at an acute angle with respect to the axis of said shaft; a pair of arms on said outer member; means guiding one of said arms in a vertical line upon rotation of said shaft; a bucket member; and flexible cable means connected between said arms and said bucket to raise, lower, open and close the same in one revolution of said shaft.

7. In a vending machine of the character described including a supporting structure for a bucket, a first rotatable shaft arranged to move said supporting structure; a second rotatable shaft; flexible cable means movable with said second shaft arranged to hoist, lower, open and close said bucket; and an intermittent drive between said first and second shafts comprising at least one mutilated gear.

GWYN E. RUSSELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,369,963 Carlson Mar. 1, 1921 1,888,050 Rabkin et a1. Nov. 15, 1932 1,927,877 Meyer Sept. 26, 1933 2,166,854 Bartlett July 18, 1939

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