US2685956A - Weight-responsive switch control - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 10, 1954 F. w. HOBAN 2,685,956

WEIGHT-RESPONSIVE SWITCH CONTROL FOR CONVEYER-ACTUATING MECHANISMS Original Filed May 11, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTO R N EY Aug. 10, 1954 w, HOBAN 2,685,956

WEIGHT-RESPONSIVE SWITCH CONTROL FOR CONVEYER-ACTUATING MECHANISMS v Original Filed May 11, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 HOV Tia-'7- IN VEN TOR. /2/PF/E4 Q fl/A aaAM A Tram/ix Patented Aug. 10, 1954 WEIGHT-RESPONSIVE SWITCH CONTROL FOR CONVEYER ACTUATING MECH- ANISMS Fairfield W. Hoban, Babylon, N. Y., assignor to Norman Cogliati, Newark, N. J John F. Hoban, New York, and J. Russell Callahan, Plandome Manor, N. Y., as trustees Original application May 11, 1951, Serial No.

Divided and this application March 19, 1952, Serial No. 277,431

3 Claims. (Cl. 19837) This invention relates generally to control devices for a moving mechanism, and particularly pertains to a control for article conveyers employed in vending machines similar to that disclosed in my co-pending application Serial Number 225,737, filed May 11, 1951, for Vending Machine, and forms a divisional case thereof and especially concerns a weight-responsive control switch adapted to either facilitate or prevent the operation of a conveyer when the device is either subjected to the weight of an article or when freed thereof, respectively.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a simple, relatively inexpensive and highly effective weight-responsive switch having an actuating member which is placed in the path of articles propelled or carried by a conveyer, so that when an article becomes positioned over the actuating member, the weight of the article will cause the latter to close the switch, thus closing an electric control circuit, whereby the conveyeractuating means are released into operative position.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a weight-responsive control switch composed of a switch unit and of an actuating member for the latter, and wherein the switch unit comprises at least two superimposed resilient blade carrying contacts and which blades are normally separated, said switch-actuating member comprising a pivotally supported frame having projecting ribs or flanges intended to be engaged by and depressed by an article, and an extension forming a part of the frame, said extension being adapted to be normally supported by one of the blades of the switch, thereby elevating the frame so that its ribs or flanges project into the path of moving articles, and which extension is designed to depress the switch blade supporting it when an article assumes a position above the ribs or flanges extending from the frame.

The foregoing and numerous other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the ensuing description of the accompanying drawings, which latter form a part of the present disclosure and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of an article-supporting platform equipped with an endless conveyer for propelling articles, and which platform operatively supports a weight-responsive switch in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through two superimposed platforms equipped with weightresponsive control switches, said section being taken approximately along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately along lines 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental top view of the frame structure of the switch actuating member.

Fig. 5 is a section taken along lines 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the switch-actuating member, and

Fig. 7 is a wiring diagram denoting the major electric elements employed in the operation of article conveyers for vending machines, including the weight-responsive switch, the subject of the present disclosure.

In Figures 1 to 5 numeral l denotes a platform such as may be employed in a vending machine and in which platform is provided a guide channel H (see Fig. 1) in which operates an endless conveyer l 2 having a plurality of article retainers 53 supported by and extending from the exterior edges of interconnected chain links l4. At the interior edge of the links are provided recesses I which are adapted to be successively engaged by a conveyer-actuating lever It which is operated by means of lever l1 and shaft I 8, the latter being swung in an are by means of a linkage l9 driven by motor 2!). Driven also by the motor is a cam 2| which is adapted to operate a switch-closing lever 22 hinged at 23' (see Fig. 7), the purpose of which will be explained presently.

Controlling the operation of motor is a three-blade switch 2 composed of a central long blade 25 and an upper short blade 26 and a lower short blade 21. The middle blade 25 has two adjacent contacts, whereas the outer blades 26 and 27 carry one contact each. The upper contact of blade 25 and the contact of blade 26 are normally closed as shown in Figs. 1 and 7.

The operation of the conveyer is predicated upon the closing of an electric circuit controlled by the closing of four independent switches, one of them being located in coin mechanism 28 (see Fig. 7), but i not illustrated. That switch is closed when a coin of the required denomination passes through that mechanism. Triple blade switch 2 2. represents another of the four switches and is operated by means of arm 29 extending from a vertical shaft 30 from which latter also projects a lever 3| engaged by pin 32 (Fig. 1) extending from a spring-loaded lever 33. The latter bears against the top of hook-shaped end 3 of chain-actuating lever 16, and from that hook-shaped end extends a pin 35 adapted to move chain detent 36 out of engagement with the recess is of one of the links engaged by the detent, as will be explained presently.

Spring 33' force lever 33 to tensionally engage Fig. 1. When the solenoid i's'energi'zed, its armature 38 is elevated and clears lever f6, and releases it to move into engagement with the chain for eventually engaging oneaofthe-linli recesses I5, that movement of lever lilibeingz effected by the spring-loaded lever 33. At the same time switch-arm operating lever 3|, engagedby pin.

32 of lever 33, is swung: in downward or anticlockwise direction, whereby switch-operating arm 29 is also caused" to move in that"dircction and opens the contacts of. blades 26' and 25 and closes the contacts. of blades-25 and- 21'; By the closing. of these latter'contacts, motor becomes energizedi Solenoid 31 becomes energized by closing'push button switch 39 (see Fig; 7), representingthe third switch controlling the. circuit, but the closing of. the solenoid circuitby push button switch 39, can be effected only: when the switch of the coin; mechanism, the" switch: blades 25- and 26 and the fourth switch", a weight-responsive switch 40 are. all closed, otherwisethe closingjof switch 39 will not energize: solenoid 3T. weighteresponsi've' switch 40" is composed" of tW0.dBVlQS, a: switch proper 4| and an operating member 42 for'thati switch" proper. The latter comprises two normally separated resilient contactbl'ad'es:ofwhichblade 43is longerthan blade 44". Operating-member-42 consists of a frame 45 and a switchsenga'ging arm 45 extending from the frame and. forming an integral" part thereof-i Atithe end ofthe arm is provided'a pin 4-iad'apted to rest upon longer blade 43 of switch 4!, blade 43 being intended to resiliently support pin 41. Frame 45'is' pivotailysupportedat 45" fromplatform llf by any suitable means such as anin"- verted= channel 48, shown in Fig; 5, which is rivetedor otherwise-secured as at 48-" to the'pl'atform, and a" pivot pin 45-. The outeredges or fiangesbflof'fthe frame as wellas' ribs 50' formed from the frame material project through suitable slots. above the platform, as seen in- Figs; 2 .to15, the frame" being held in that position by pin 4''! of extension 46- resting upon and being resiliently supported by' upper blade 43 of switch 4|.

When now an article A held in oneof the-retainers I3 is" brought into position above the frame, its" flanges 50 and" ribs 50" are depressed by the weight of the article; asseen in Figs. 2 and 3,, and" frame 45- swings downwardly about pivot pin 49; thereby causingpin 41-" of frame extension 46 to exert" sufiicient pressure upon blade 43 tobring it into contact with blade 44, thus" closing weight-responsive switch 45. With switch closed by the-weightof an article, pushbutt'orrswitch-3'9 can be operated; and when thus operated, solenoid 31 becomes energized, elevates its armature 3 8 and releases chain-actuating lever l-6- to i-ts'operative position and into engagement with chain l2.

Asr'stated -before, therel'ease of lever l5 intoi'ts operative position" is accompanied by the release.

of switch arm 29-which opens the 'normally closed contactsof" blades 26 and 25 and closes the normally open contacts of blades 25 and 21 whereby motor 23 becomesienergizeds the motor starts to rotate, its cam: 2| will engage; switch-closing lever 22 and cause it to close a quadruple blade i switch 5| (see Fig. 7) composed of a pair of upper blades52 and-53 andlower blades 54 and 55. The latter.- blades constitute a holding switch for the motor by means of which current is supplied to the motor when blades 25 and 21 of switch 24 1 become separated' as actuating lever 16 reassumes its initial; inoperative position shown in full lines in Fig; 13.. switchiblades 52 and 53 are intended to introduce into the field winding of the motor a .resistancediii whereby the motor speed is slowed down'before it comes to a stop.

As hasbeen* explained in the aforementioned application Serial Number 225,737, chain conveyer I2 is actuated by lever l6 successively in that the hook-shaped end 34 of that lever. first is: released by solenoid armature 38'" into a contacting" position with the chain, whereupon the lever is-caused to move towards" detent" 3 6: so that pin 35" at the hook-shaped end of lever-1'6" lifts detent 36 out of engagement from the. chain, whereupon hook" 3'4 engages'therecess of"the. link next to that formerly engaged by detent 36. Whenthisinterengagement between lever I6 and the recess in the chainlink is'effected the lever is caused to move in left handdirection" and past its starting position, a positiondefined by the full-line position of connecting lever I1 shown in Fig; 1. As' lever l6 commences its" movement, solenoid 31 becomes de-energized' and releases armature 38'. When now lever I'Smoves towards its starting position it will be caused by dropped armature 3-8 to assume its inoperative, full-line position shown in Fig; 1", that is, the position at which the lever clears link chain l2.

From the foregoing it will be clear-that unless weight-responsiveswitch 40* is closedby the weight of an article propelled by the conveyer; solenoid 31 cannot be energized by closing pushbutton switch 3-9. If; on theother-hand, switch 40 is-closed by the weight of an-article and a coin inserted inthe coin mechanism 28 has caused the closing of the-circuit controlled by-blades 25 and 25 of switch 24, then the closing of switch- 39 will produce the following effect: Solenoid 31 will becomeenergized; whereby detent 38 will release lever [B to assume a contacting positionwith chain conveyer I2, this movement being induced by spring loaded lever 33. At the same time switch arm 29 will open the contacts of blades 26 and 25 and close the contacts of blades 25' and 21, whereby the motor is energized, As the motor revolves; cam 2| will. compress quadruple switch 5 I "for the purpose stated above.

The importance of weight-responsive switch 40 becomesreadily evident when it is considered that the. conveyer cannot operate unless it holds at leastone article of merchandise, and unless that article is broughtover the switch-actuating member to effect closing of the. switchv by, its weight.

While only one embodiment of that: switch structure is illustrated and described, its. con.- struction may be changed to adapt the-same. for use in connection withdifferent conveyer or other mechanisms, for' which" reason any obvious changes and modifications of. the switch structure. are deemed to reside within the: scope of the" present inventionas defined: in the annexed claims;

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a Weight-responsive switch device for the control of an actuating mechanism of an article conveyer, said device comprising a normally open switch and a Weight-responsive member for closing th switch; said actuating mechanism being adapted to successively first engage the conveyer at a certain point and to move it for a predetermined distance and then to release the conveyer and to revert to that engaging point; electrical- 1y operable means in cooperation with said mechanism and controlled by said switch device and being adapted, when de-energized, to prevent said mechanism from engaging and moving the conveyer, and, when energized, to release said mechanism into a conveyer-engaging and conveyer-operating state; said weight-respon sive member of the switch device being disposed in the moving path of articles propelled by the conveyer and being adapted, when subjected to the weight of an article, to close the switch, whereby said electrically operated means become energized, and wherein an endless platform having a plurality of slots is provided for supporting articles propelled by the conveyer.

2. In a weight-responsive switch device as in claim 1, said weight-responsiv member comprising a depressible frame structure pivotally suspended from said platform and being provided with a plurality of ribs adapted to normally project through said platform slots, said frame structure having an extension operatively engaging said switch and being movable with said frame structure when the latter is depressed by the weight of an article brought above said ribs, thereby causing the extension to close the switch.

3. In a weight-responsive switch device as in claim 1, said weight responsive member comprising a pivotally suspended frame having upwardly projecting, spaced rib formations, normally extending through said slots above the platform, and a switch-operating lever extending from the frame and operatively engaging said switch; said frame being adapted to swing about its pivot when any one of said rib formations is subjected to the weight of an article, whereby said lever is caused to close said switch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 868,348 Kramer Oct. 15, 1907 968,520 Bailey Aug. 30, 1910 1,355,488 McKenney Oct. 12, 1920 2,330,186 Jetseck Sept. 21, 1943

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