US2777605A - Coin-controlled bottle dispenser - Google Patents

Description

Filed June 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 15, 1957 s. WATLINGTON COIN-CONTROLLED BOTTLE DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Shaw?I 2 Filed June 29', 1953 INVENTOR. n Ef 5. Mar/verm United States Patent() COIN-CONTROLLER) BOTTLE DlSPENSER Lee S. Watlington, Bloomington, lll.

Application lune 29, 1953, Serial No. 364,598

4 Claims. (CI. 221-133) My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a coin-controlled bottle dispenser from which one of a plurality of bottles stored in the dispenser Amay be selected and manually removed therefrom upon the deposit of a required coin, while the removal of the remaining stored bottles is prevented.

An Vobject of the invention is to provide a mechanism for accomplishing the foregoing, which is more effective in preventing unauthorized or felonious removal of a bottle, than mechanisms now in commercial use.

Another and equally important object of the invention is the provision of a simplified form of construction of such mechanism which results in more economical manufacture and less likelihood of becoming inoperative.

Yet another and equally important `object of the invention is to provide a simplified combination of elements which permits the manual positioning of a selected bottle in a delivery area while preventing movement of other bottles to such area until the selected bottle is manually removed from the delivery area.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective View of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same viewed in the direction of the arrow in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts thereof in dilerent positions with respect to each other; v

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view showing a modied form of construction of a bottle support which may be incorporated in the form shown in Fig. l.

ln the structure illustrated l have shown only so much of the cabinet as is deemed necessary for a clear understanding of the invention, it being understood that any approved dispensing cabinet, insulated and equipped with refrigeration or capable of holding a quantity of ice packed about bottles stored in the cabinet, may have my invention incorporated therein.

In this connection there is provided a wall on which a plurality of bottles 11 containing the same or different flavored beverages are supported.

Suitably spaced above the wall 10 is a partition 12 preferably comprising 'a plurality of elongated bars '13 horizontally arranged in spaced relation with respect to each other and beneath which the bottles are positioned within linger reach through the space between such bars or with the bottle necks 14 slightly projecting above such bars. In this latter connection the space between the ice bars 13 is of such distance as to permit the insertion of the ngers of the hand to grasp the neck or other portion of the bottle and individually move the same into a common runway or guideway 15 located at one side of a wall 16.

The runway 15 has communication with each of the spaces between the bars 13 and in turn has communication with a delivery area 17 provided by an enclosure consisting of oppositely disposed side walls 18 and a joining wall 19.

The front side of the enclosure opens into the runway 15 to provide a passage for a selected bottle from the runway 15 into the delivery area 17 As previously pointed out, it is an object of my invention to provide a simplified and effective arrangement for permitting the manual movement of a selected bottle from the guideway 15 to the delivery area 17 and its removal from such area, while preventing a second bottle to be moved from the runway 1 5' into the delivery 4area 17 until the selected bottle has been removed from the delivery area.

I accomplish this object by providing a pair of relatively hat rectangularly shaped platesV 19. These plates 19 are hingedly secured, by means of suitable hinges 26, to the adjacent top edges of the walls 1S. Such plates 19 are adapted to be pivoted about their hinged connection from and into a substantially horizontal position. When Vin a horizontal position the confronting edges 21 of the plates 19 'are suitably spaced apart a distance suicient to permit the fingers to. be inserted into the upper portion of the enclosure into grasping relation with respect to a selected bottle 14. Such space, h owever, is not of a sucient width to permit the body 2 2 of the bottle to pass between the plates 19.

Depending from the plates 19 are angularly shaped lugs 22. These lugs are connected as at 23 to an operating link 24 on opposite sides of la pintle 25 Bivotally connecting the link 24 to the wall 19. To one end portion 26 of this link 24 is connected an operating rod 27 which is controlled in its operation by a suitable coin selector (not shown). Such selector may be of any standard construction now on the market, and has not been shown in the drawings nor described herein because the same constitutes no part of the present invention.

The wall 16 yalong its upper and lower edges provides confronting guide grooves 28. Engaging in these guide grooves 28 are the top and lower edge portions of oppositely disposed plates 29. It is intended that these plates 29 be normally disposed apart from eac-h other when the plates 19 are in bottle blocking position. This permits a selected bottle to be manually moved from one of the spaces between the bars 13 into the runway 15 andthence into the delivery area 17. 1t is intended that when the plates 19 are disposed from `bottle blocking position that the plates 29 be moved into bottle blocking position.

This I accomplish by providing in each of the plates 29 a substantially arcuate slot 3G. In each of these slots 38 operates a roller element 31. This roller element 31 is carried by a flange 32 of an arm 33, the latter'secured by spot welding or the like to the plates 19.

The plates 29 are supported in the grooves 2S by bars 34 having their corresponding upper end portions pivotally connected as at 35 to the Wall 16 and their lower end portions as at V36 to the plates 29.

It will be noted that the curvature of the upper run 37 of each of the slots 30 is not so sharp as the curvature of the lower run 38 of such slots. The reason for this will be found in the fact that as the roller 31 of each of the arms 33 acts upon the plates 29, such plates will move into bottle obstructing position prior to the movement of the plates 19 from bottle obstructing position. Such an arrangement prevents and discourages a purchaser from attempting to move a second bottle from the runway into the delivery area until thev selected bottle has been removed from such area. Y

Upon unlatching of the operating rod 27 by the action of a coin, in a manner well known in the art, and upon manual movement of such rod 27 in a direction of its length or to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, the operating link 24 will be pivoted in an anti-clockwise direction. This movement of the operating link 24 will in turn move theplates 29 toward each other and pivot the plates 19 away from each other about a horizontal axis. However, as previously pointed out, prior to the time that the plates Y19 are disposed apart from each other a sufficient distance to permit the selected bottle to betremoved, the plates 29 will be moved toward each other a sutiicient distance to prevent a second bottle from being moved into Vfrom the delivery area until the plates 19 have been pivoted a suiiicient distance to permit the selected bottle to be lifted upwardly between the plates 19 from the delivery area.

By this arrangement I have provided a simplified and efficient construction for preventing withdrawal of a bottle from the bottle dispenser without first making payment for such bottle.

Frequently the beverage or drink is vended in bottles shorter in height than other bottles containing beverages, and it frequently happens that such bottles are vended from a machine intended for the vending of taller bottles. In such case, it is often difficult for the purchaser to reach the `shorter bottle.V Anticipating such difficulties, I have provided what might be properly termed as a sub-bottom which may be arranged above the bottom wall both in the storage compartment'and in the delivery area.

In such ycases where a sub-bottom is to be employed, I provide such sub-bottom 40 with flanges 39 (Fig. 5). These flanges are connected at predetermined points to the walls 18 and to the inner walls of the dispenser apparatus by suitable nut-bearing bolts 41 or the like. The bottles are then supported on this sub-bottom 40 with their neck portions either disposed between the bars 13 or slightly therebelow Within reaching distance of the hand of the purchaser.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided a mechanism which is effective for its intended purpose, simple in construction, keasy of operation, and economical in manufacture. Y

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification Without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A dispensing apparatus having a storage chamber for bottles or cartons, one vertical wall of said chamber having formed in the horizontal edges thereof opposite guiding grooves, a partition in said chamber above the bottom wall thereof and having a plurality of parallelly extending slots, said chamber having a guideway common to said slots, said vertical wall having formed therein a bottle passage having communication with said guideway, an enclosure carried by said vertical wall providing an open top delivery area having communication through said bottle passage with said guideway, a pair of oppositely disposed plates extending in a vertical direction with respect to said vertical wall and movable in parallel relation with respect to said wall with edge portions engaging in said grooves and having arcuate slots formed therein, a pair of bottle obstructing members pivotally carried in a horizontal plane by said enclosure and movable about a horizontal axis into and from bottle obstructing position with respect to the open top, means for pivotally moving said members from and into bottle obstructing position with respect to said open top, andy arms extending from said members and having means engaging said slots for camming said plates into bottle obstructing position with respect to said bottle passage prior to movement of said members from bottle obstructing position with respect to said open top.

2. A dispensing apparatus having a storage chamber for bottles or cartons, one vertical wall of said chamber having formed in the horizontal edges thereofopposite guiding grooves, a partition in said chamberV above the bottom wall thereof and having a plurality of parallelly extending slots, said chamber having a guideway common to said slots, said vertical wall having formed therein a bottle passage having communication with said guideway, an enclosure carried by said vertical wall providing an open top delivery area having communication through said bottle passage with said guideway, a pair of oppositely disposed plates extending in a vertical `direction with respect to said vertical wall and movable in parallel relation with respect to said wall with edge portions engaging in said grooves and having arcuate slots formed therein, a pair of bottle obstructing members pivotally carried in a horizontal plane by said enclosure and movable about a horizontal axis into and from bottle obstructing position with respect to the open top, means for pivotally moving said members from and into bottle obstructing position with respect to said open top, arms extending from said members and having means engaging said slots for camming said plates into bottle obstructing position with respect to said bottle passage prior to movement of said members from bottle obstructing position With respect to said open top, and elongated bars having corresponding end portions pivotally connected to corresponding edge portions of said plates and opposite end portions pivotally connected to said vertical wall for supporting said plates for movement parallel with respect to said vertical wall. t

3. A dispensing apparatus having a wall` provided with a bottle passage, an enclosure spanning said passage and providing a delivery chamber communicating with the passage and having an open top through which a bottle manually moved into said enclosure through said passage may be manually passed, said wall on opposite sides of said passage having horizontally extending aligned guiding grooves along its top and bottom edges, aligned plates of substantially rectangular shape mounted for movement in parallel relation with respect to the wall on opposite sides of the passage, into and from obstructing position with respect to said passage and having opposite corresponding edge portions slidably engaging said grooves, oppositely disposed substantially rectangularly shaped plates hinged to the enclosure along corresponding edges thereof and movable into Aand from obstructing position with respect to the open top, and means for simultaneously moving said aligned plates and said oppositely disposed plates.

4. A dispensing apparatus having a wall provided with a bottle passage, an enclosure spanning said passage and providing a delivery chamber communicating `with the v oppositely disposed substantialiy rectangularly shaped plates hinged to the enclosure along corresponding edges thereof and movable into and from obstructing position with respect to the open top, means for simultaneously moving said aligned plates and said oppositely disposed plates, said means including a link pivoted intermediate its end portions to a wall of said enclosure, links operatively connecting said link at opposite sides of its pivotal connection to said Wall to said oppositely disposed plates, arms extending from said oppositely disposed plates, roller elements on the free end of said arms, said aligned plates having arcuate slots formed therein and said roller elements operatively engaging in said slots, and an operating rod having one end connected to one end of said link.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Goldsmith Jan. 2l, 1896 Moiet Dec. 17, 1912 Hoopes Apr. 30, 1929 Baker et al Apr. 12, 1938 Mutchler Sept. 9, 1941 Cunningham Oct. 7, 1941 Forsthoefel et al Oct. 19, 1943 Warner et al July 1l, 1950 Palmos May 6, 1952 Warner et al May 5, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Dec. 14, 1936

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