US3018869A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 30, 1962 cozAR 3,018,869

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Jan. 30, 1962 R. T. COZART 3,018,869

VENDING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTOR Zaieri]? Jazari ATTORNEY5' Jan. 30, 1962 R. T. cozART 3,018,869

VENDING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 E I F F5715.

INVENTOR fiafier'ifbzarzf ATTORNEYS Jan. 30, 1962 R. T. cozART VENDING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 4/ 1 [vii j7 AQIQ E H A62 4% @5 INVENTOR ZMW'ZZZ' am 5 5 ATTORNEYS R. T. COZART VENDING MACHINE Jan. 30, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed July 25, 1957 Q INVENTOR fiafierifbzari) ATTORNEY5 United States Patent This invention relates to a vending machine and more particularly to a machine which dispenses an article from an article containing magazine when coins of the proper denomination have been inserted in the machine and a selector button or the like has been actuated. The present invention is especially useful for the vending of packs of cigarettes but has broader applicability. It is an improvement upon the invention described and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 597,548, filed July 12, 1956, for Vending Machine.

In the cigarette vending field, with which the present application is principally concerned, cigarettes are sold over the counter in cartons or packs, or by vending machines in packs. In recent years vending machines have assumed increasing importance in this field. Cigarettes sold over the counter are readily susceptible to theft or pilfering, and such losses often make the sale of cigarettes unprofitable. Cigarettes sold by vending machines are much less susceptible to such unlawful practices, for while a vending machine can be broken into and the cigarettes stolen, such activity requires a more forceful approach than the mere lifting of packs or cartons of cigarettes from behind a counter. Moreover, the use of vending machines eliminates the taking of cigarettes by employees of the vendor establishment.

Another reason for utilizing cigarette vending machines is that they do not require the attention of a salesman. When normal business activities must be interrupted to satisfy a request for the sale of one or two packs of cigarettes, the small profit made on the sale does not justify the interruption and annoyance. Vending machines are substantially automatic in their operation and are usually serviced and maintained by independent organizations which assume the burden and responsibility of the cigarette vending operations. Moreover, cigarette vending machines have considerably more consumer appeal than counter displays and often increase the sale of cigarettes.

Vending machines presently in use fall into two general categories, those which are entirely mechanical, and those which are electro-mechanical. The cigarette vending machines originally placed into operation were of the mechanical type, and many of such machines are still being utilized. These machines are quite bulky and are subject to the usual failings of fairly complex mechanical mechanisms. Furthermore, the mechanical machines have an unduly long vending cycle (the time which expires between the insertion of the coins and the receipt of the cigarette pack) and require a substantial physical force for their actuation. In recent years electro-mechanical machines have been placed into operation. The machines of this category used heretofore employ an electric motor to perform the physical work that is performed by the buyer in the mechanical machines. In essence, the power of the motor is substituted for the muscle power of the buyer. Generally, the motor driven machines, while having a faster vending cycle, are almost as bulky as the older mechanical machines and are considerably more complex.

The cigarette vending machines employed heretofore have not been as free of service breakdowns as might be expected. In fact, a large portion of the operating budget of the organizations which install and maintain such machines is devoted to repairs. Such repairs may require only the replacement of a relatively inexpensive part, but a great deal of time must be spent by the Serviceman in locating the defect, in making the necessary repair, and especially in going to and from the site of the job. With the high wages of even relatively unskilled labor, the high cost of repairs made by skilled servicemen becomes selfevident. The original cost of acquiring the machines is also quite high. Most of the machines presently available are priced at several hundred dollars.

In the past decade, the cigarette vending field has been complicated by the appearance on the market of many new popular brands. Moreover, the regular cigarettes have been supplemented and in many instances surpassed by king size and filter tip cigarettes which of late have appeared in crush proof boxes in addition to the usual packages. Cigarette puchasers are prone to insist upon their special brand and type of cigarette and often will pass by a cigarette vending machine which does not olfer their particular choice. Accordingly, the manufacturers of cigarette vending machines have found it necessary to increase the number of brands and types of cigarettes which are offered for sale. In the machines used heretofore, the cigarettes are stacked in vertical magazines and are dispensed sequentially from the tops or bottoms of the magazines. Augmenting the range of brands and types available requires the provision of additional magazines to accommodate such brands and types. Where formerly 1 5 to. 20 magazines were sufficient, at present 22, 25 or even 28 magazines are being provided. This trend appears to be increasing, rather than abating, and has caused numerous design changes in cigarette vending machines and accompanying increases in the purchase price of the machines.

An additional complication in the machine vending of cigarettes is the difference in sales price which exists between different brands and types of cigarettes. Some machines utilize a device known as an accumulator for totaling the monetary value of coins which are inserted in the machine. However, accumulators add a substantial factor to the cost of the machine and are another source of possible breakdown. A need has thus arisen for a simple means for accommodating the sale of cigarettes at different prices.

Another problem which exists in the cigarette vending field and in the venting machine field generally is cheating. Most of the machines presently in use have been subjected to rigorous testing to reduce the possibility of cheating to the maximum degree, but because of the long vending cycle of many of the machines and other inherent deficiencies, cheating has not been reduced to the extent expected.

From the foregoing, it is evident why cigarette vending machines are usually installed only in locations which ensure fairly continuous profitable operation, such locations being those which are frequented by many cigarette buyers. The number of such locations, while substantial, is far smaller than the number of potential locations which could be provided with cigarette vending machines if presently considered marginal operation were made more assuredly profitable.

In the cigarette vending machines presently employed, the cigarette packs are stacked in the magazines with the larger dimensions of the pack arranged horizontally. This allows each magazine to accommodate a relatively large number of packs in a single vertical stack and increases the purported total capacity of the machines. However, it has been found that in practice some of the brands and types of cigarettes will sell at a much slower rate than others, and often if an entire magazine is filled with a slow-selling brand, the cigarettes dispensed when the magazine approaches its empty condition will not have the desired freshness. It has accordingly been the practice to fill the magazines of the slower-selling cigarettes only partially, and the purported total capacity of the machines has become a rather fictional figure.

With the foregoing facts in view, it is accordingly a principal object of the invention to provide a unique and improved vending machine.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide a vending machine which overcomes the problems heretofore existing in vending machines and in cigarette pack vending machines in particular.

Specifically, it is a further object of the invention to provide a vending machine that is substantially cheatproof, that is lower in manufacturing cost, that has fewer moving parts, that is much faster to load, that is much lighter in weight, and which utilizes interchangeable parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved machine for vending cigarette packs or the like in which the packs are stacked in magazines on edge with their width dimensions upright.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a vending machine of the aforesaid type that is extremely compact, that utilizes a self-contained power supply, and that is readily employed in locations formerly deemed marginal.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a vending machine which readily accommodates the sale of merchandise at dififerent prices.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a vending machine of the aforesaid type that is positively locked against unauthorized operation.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a vending machine of the aforesaid type which utilizes electromagnetic devices for performing substantially all of the vending and coin handling operations.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a vending machine of the aforesaid type in which the coin itself controls the closing of a vending circuit and in which the release of the coin from a predetermined position within a coin chute immediately breaks the vending circuit.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a unique vending machine circuit.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a circuit of the aforesaid type which eliminates any possibility of completing the vending circuit when a coin is returned to the operator.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a circuit of the aforesaid type which gives a positive indication when a selected magazine is empty.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a unique and improved vending machine of the gravity feed type.

A further object of the invention is to provide an im proved method of loading cigarettes in a vending machine.

These and other objects of the invention and the manner in which such objects are accomplished will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate exemplary embodiments and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a typical physical embodiment of the machine of the invention shown enclosed in its cabinet;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation view of the machine of the invention with the cabinet removed;

FIGURE 3 is a similar rear elevation view;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a similar sectional view indicating another operative position of the apparatus of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a flipper plate which forms an element of the apparatus of FIGURES 4 and 5;

FIGURE 7 is a partial end elevation view as seen from the right in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of FIGURE 7 illustrating the manner of operation;

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of a component of FIGURES 7, 8 and 9;

FIGURE 11 is a schematic diagram of the circuit employed in the machine of the invention;

FIGURE 12 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a preferred manner of loading the machine of the invention; and

FIGURE 13 is a sectional view of a modified form of a portion of the machine of the invention.

Briefly stated, the machine of the invention comprises a plurality of vertical magazines arranged side by side and adapted to receive articles such as packs of cigarettes, with the width dimensions of the packs arranged vertically so that the packs are stacked on edge in the magazines. Each magazine has an associated dispensing electromagnet which controls a mechanism for releasing the lowermost pack of that magazine and holding the nextto-the-lowermost pack when the electromagnet is energized. Energization of these electromagnets require that corresponding selecting pushbuttons be pressed, and the push buttons are wired so that depressing one push button renders the succeeding push buttons incapable of affecting operation of the circuit. A coin-controlled switch, which in the preferred form of the invention is controlled by a quarter, serves as the master switch for the vending circuit. The vending circuit can be completed by pressing one of the push buttons only after the coin-controlled switch has been closed and only for as long as the coin-controlled switch remains closed. The construction of the invention is such that the coin is held at a predetermined position within a coin chute to maintain the coin-controlled switch closed and is immediately released from such position when the vending circuit is completed, so as to open the coin-controlled switch and prevent subsequent energization of the vending circuit. Return of the coin to the user may be had but only after the vending circuit is positively broken so as to eliminate the possibility that a pack of cigarettes might be dispensed and the coin returned concurrently. To eliminate the possibility of manual unauthorized release of cigarettes, an electrically actuated lock is employed to prevent release of cigarettes except when the vending circuit is properly completed. Furthermore, provision is made for completing the circuit through certain of the dispensing electromagnets only when a second coin-controlled switch is closed, and the construction is such that the pricing schedule of the magazines may be readily switched as desired. Each magazine has an associated switch which operates to give an empty indication when the supply of cigarettes in that magazine is exhausted. By virtue of the physical arrangement of the magazines, much faster loading from conventional cigarette cartons is possible.

Referring to the drawings, the vending machine of the invention may have the general exterior form indicated in FIGURE 1 in which the cabinet 10 has a top 12, a bottom 14, a rear wall 16 and side walls 18 and 20. The front of the cabinet may include a lower portion 22 and an upper portion 24. The upper portion may be formed as a panel having a metal frame surrounding one or more panes of glass or plastic, and the bottom edge of the upper portion may be mounted in a channel 26 on the lower portion. The top edge of the upper portion '24 may have pins (not shown) or other projections which enter complementary recesses in the underside of the top 12. If the lower portion 22 is hinged at its junction with the bottom 14 of the cabinet and if the side edges of the frontal portions 22 and 24 are maintained free of any direct connection to the side walls 18 and 20 of the cabinet, the machine proper behind the front wall of the cabinet may be exposed by pivoting the lower portion 22 about its connection to the bottom 14, thereby folding the front wall of the cabinet at the channel 26 so as to draw the lower edge of the upper portion 24 forward and free the upper portion from its connection to the top 12. Panel 24 may then be removed and the lower frontal portion 22 simply suspended from its hinge. The side wall may be hinged at its junction with the rear wall 16 and may have a frontal extension 23 overlapped by portion 22. Once the front wall of the cabinet has been opened, side wall 20 may be pivoted so as to expose the corresponding side of the machine proper. The cabinet may be provided with a key lock which controls the insertion of lock plungers (not shown) into complementary recesses, one in the side wall I8 and one into a bracket 2? (FIGURE 7) secured to the frame of the machine proper. Bracket 29 may have a projection 31 for cooperation with a latch (not shown) to hold the machine detachably within its cabinet.

A push button assembly 32 comprising two rows of cigarette selecting push buttons 34 may be conveniently located on the frontal extension 23 of the side wall 26 adjacent the upper front wall portion 24. Below the push button assembly may be located a slot 36 which serves as the entrance to a coin chute to be described. Below the coin chute and on the right hand side of the lower frontal portion 22 may be located a coin return button 38 and a coin return outlet 40. The main discharge outlet for the cigarette packs dispensed by the machine may be located at 42 at the lower extremity of the Wall 22, and an upstanding lip 43 is provided to retain the cigarettes for manual removal.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the machine proper comprises a generally U-shaped metal frame 44 having a bottom 46 and sides 48 and 50. This frame supports a plurality of vertical magazines 52 which are formed by a plurality of wide vertical channels 54 arranged in spaced succession with their flanges 56 at the front and rear of the machine. The spacing of the webs 58 is made slightly greater than the thickness of a pack of cigarettes P (where cigarettes are to be dispensed) and the flanges 56, all of which extend in the same direction, serve to maintain the cigarette packs in the respective magazines. The magazines are formed into a unitary construction by a plurality of transverse framing channels, one of which is shown at 60, which may be riveted to the flanges of the magazine channels. The upper extremities 62 (see FIGURE 12) of the magazines terminate slightly below the top 12 of the cabinet of FIGURE 1. The lower extremities of the magazines terminate at the level 64 (see FIGURES 2 and 4) and are spaced above a forwardly and downwardly sloping false bottom 66. The corrugations 68 shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 serve to turn flat the cigarette packs which, as will appear more fully hereinafter are dispensed on edge.

Referring to FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, each magazine is provided with a flipper plate 70 which may have the general configuration shown in FIGURE 6, the several plates being pivoted horizontally intermediate their longitudinal ends on a common pivot rod 72 better seen in FIGURE 2. The pivot rod passes through openings 74 formed in forwardly extending flanges 76 of the flipper plates and is supported on an angle brace 84. As will be seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, the flipper plates are pivoted adjacent the lower frontal extremities of the corresponding magazines 52 and have flange shelves 78. The shelves are preferably integral with the flipper plates, and the holes in the flipper plates resulting from formation of the shelves may be blocked by a strip (not shown) placed across the front of the magazines above shelves 78. This will prevent any possibility of faulty dispensing operation due to projection of the cigarette packs into the holes under the pack-distorting pressure of the superposed packs.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the shelves normally extend into the respective magazines in the path of the cigarette packs P, which are stacked on edge in the magazines with their width dimensions vertical. The packs have suflicient clearance with the surfaces of the magazine channels to allow them to drop freely but not to tilt appreciably. The magazines are preferably made deep enough front-to-back to accommodate the largest packs, and loose-leaf filler strip channels may be hung inside the rear of the magazines (as set forth in the aforemen tioned copending application) to take up the excess space when smaller packs are used. Shelves 78 engage one side of the lowermost cigarette pack in the associated magazines and support the same as well as the superposed packs. The shelves are biased to the position indicated in FIGURE 4 by tension springs 80 which have one end held in an aperture '82 at the upper end of each flipper plate (FIGURE 6) and the other end attached to brace 84 which runs across the front of the machine as shown in FIGURE 2.

The upper end of each flipper plate is provided with a pad of friction material 86 which may, for example, be formed of sponge rubber. Coacting friction material 88 is provided on the forward side of a cross-plate 90 which joins the rear of the magazine channels 54 near their lower extremities as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. The lower extremity of eachflipper plate is provided with a forwardly directed flange 92 having a vertical slot 94 which receives a horizontal pin 96 attached to the end of core type armature 98 of a dispensing electromagnet 100. A dispensing electromagnet is provided for each of the vertical magazines,

and the electromagnets are arranged side by side on ahorizontal plate 192 in turn mounted on the bottom of a U-shaped sur-frarne 103 at the front of the machine as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. Sur-frame 103 is supported on a cross-brace I04 fixed to the frame sides 48 and 50.

Behind the flanges 92 of the flipper plates is located an angular locking bar 106 mounted on a horizontal pivot rod MS as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. The vertical web of the rocking bar is engaged at its rear surface by a' depending pin 110 secured to the clapper type armature When electromagnet 114 is de-energized, the locking bar 1% assumes the position shown in FIGURE 4, and the horizontal web of the locking bar lies in the path of the forward motion of the flanges 92 of the flipper plates. The horizontal web of the locking bar is thus interposed between its pivot pin 108 and the flanges 92 and prevents sufiicient forward movement of the flipper plates to withdraw the shelves 78 from the magazines and release the lowermost pack of cigarettes. However, when electromagnet 114 is energized, it draws in its armature to the position illustrated in FIGURE 5, causing pin 110 to exert a forward force on the vertical web of the locking bar and rotate the horizontal web upward to the position shown, in which the vertical web engages a frame-mount ed stop pin 109. In this position the locking bar is withdrawn from the path of the flanges 92 of the flipper plates, allowing the flipper plates to pivot to the position illustrated in FIGURE 5 when the corresponding electromagnets are energized. In the position of FIGURE 5, the flipper plate has withdrawn its shelf 78 from the associated magazine, thereby allowing the lowermost pack, of cigarettes P to drop from the magazine as indicated. The forward movement of the shelf 78 is accompanied by a rearward movement of the pad of friction material 86 in an arc about the pivot rod 72, and the pad enters the magazine and engages the adjacent end of the next-to-the-lowest pack of cigarettes, forcing the pack rearwardly against the friction material 88. The pack is thus securely wedged between the two areas of friction material and is prevented from dropping from the magazine. Upon de-energization of the electromagnet 100, the flipper plate 70 will return to the position illustrated in FIGURE 4 under the bias of spring 80, re-inserting the shelf 78 and withdrawing the friction pad 86. This will allow the newly designated lowermost pack to drop onto the shelf, accompanied by a similar downward movement of the superposed packs. De-energization of electromagnet 114 will return the locking bar 166 to its locking position of FIGURE 4 by virtue of the weight of the horizontal web. When the dispensed pack strikes the corrugations 68 of the false bottom 66 it will be turned flat and will slide downwardly to lip 43 adjacent discharge opening 42, through which it may be withdrawn manually.

FIGURE 13 illustrates a modification of the mechanism for holding and releasing the cigarette packs. In this form, a plate 78a is inserted between the shelf 78 and the lowermost cigarette pack P. This plate is pivoted about a horizontal pin 72a located at the front of the associated cigarette magazine. Plate 78a is held horizontal by the shelf 78 when the latter is inserted in the magazine. When shelf 78 is withdrawn in the manner previously described, plate 78a drops by its own weight to the dash line position shown and releases the lowermost cigarette pack. The function of the plate 78a is to distribute more evenly the load of the stack of cigarette packs on its supporting shelf, but yet to maintain the stroke of the flipper plate Within desired limits. The shelf 78 may have a roller 78b at its edge, which engages the under surface of the plate 78a and reduces the friction when the plate 78a is forced back to its horizontal position upon return of the flipper plate to its normal position.

One end of the machine (the right-hand end in FIG- URE 2) is provided with a coin handling mechanism generally designated 130. This mechanism is conveniently supported by braces 132 on the side of the frame of the machine. Above the coin mechanism is located the terminal end of a coin chute 134, which extends from the slot 36 in the front of the cambinet of FIGURE 1 to a small hopper 136, which leads into a coin rejector mechanism 138 of conventional form (such as a National or an ABT rejector). The coin rejector may be retained in a U-shaped side-frame 140 by side projections 142 on the rejector which are received within corresponding slots 144 in the side-frame. Notched links 146 pivoted on the side-frame may be utilized to retain the rejector in place. The rejector has a conventional scavenger bar 148 (FIGURE 7) which may be connected by a link 150 to a lever 152 pivoted by a pin 154 on the sideframe immediately below the end of an arm 156 attached to the coin return button 38 previously described in connection with FIGURE 1. The scavenger bar 148 is pivoted on a pin in the rejector and is normally retained in an upper position by a return spring in the rejector mechanism, but the coin return button may also have an individual spring, if desired, to bias the button to an upward postiion on the cabinet front. As shown in FIGURE 7, the upper surface of the scavenger bar engages the insulating operator 158 of a multi-contact coin return switch 160 mounted on a side-frame and described in more detail hereinafter. At the rear of the coin mechanism may be located a multiple terminal jack 162 which receives a corresponding plug connector (not shown) attached to the wiring harness of the push button assembly previously described.

In the form shown, the vending machine of the invention is constructed to accept quarters and nickels, some of the cigarettes being dispensed for a quarter and others for thirty cents. The coins pass from the hopper 136 of FIGURE 2 through the rejector mechanism 138, where they are separated in the conventional manner, and then drop into individual chutes 164 and 166 shown in FIGURES 7 and 9. In the exemplary form the quarter passes into the chute 166 and the nickel into the chute 164. At the bottom of each chute is located an arm 168 which extends away from the side of the machine. These arms form the extremities of a yoke 170 better seen in FIGURE 10. The yoke is attached to the clapper type armature 172 of an electromagnet 174 better seen in FIGURE 8. The armature is pivoted at 175 on a bracket 178 which extends from the side-frame 140. It has a return spring 18% attached to its upper extremity and to the side-frame and has a slot 173 through which a tongue 176 extends from the electromagnet to limit the movement of the armature. The yoke 170 is normally held in the full line position of FIGURE 8 under the tension of spring 186 and has its arms 168 located beneath the coin chutes 164 and 166, respectively, so as to intercept and hold any coins in the chutes. In this position, the coins held on the arms engage the ends of actuator wires 182 which extend through arcuate slots 184 into the coin chutes. The actuator wires are connected to microswitches 186 and 188 mounted on the side of the coin chutes.

When coins are inserted in the machine, they come to rest on the arms 168. Wires 182 are held in their downward position by the coins in the chutes, and the associated switch contacts are held closed. Energization of electromagnet 174 withdraws the arms 168 from beneath the coin chutes (as shown by the dash lines in FIGURE 8) and allows the coins to drop from the chutes This releases the actuator wires instantaneously and they are moved upwardly under the bias of return springs which form a part of the switches, opening the switch contacts.

In dropping from the coin chutes, the coins are routed either to a cash receptacle 190 (FIGURES 2 and 8) or to a coin return chute 192 which leads to the coin discharge opening 40 of FIGURE 1. The routing of the coins is controlled by a deflector plate 194 located beneath the coin chutes and fixed to a horizontal pivot pin 196. Pin 196 is pivotable on bearings (not shown) at the front and rear of the side-frame and has an extension 198 one end of which is looped over a horizontal pin 200 at the end of core type armature 202 of an electromagnet 204 mounted on the side-frame as shown in FIGURES 3 and 7.

When electromagnet 204 is energized, it draws in its armature, and rotates deflector plate 194 to the dash line position illustrated in FIGURE 8, the loop of extension 198 riding upwardly on the pin 200. The deflector plate is normally held in the full line position of FIGURE 8 by a torsion spring 206 wound about the end of the pivot rod 196 as shown in FIGURE 7. If a coin is released from its chute when the deflector plate 194 is in the full line position, it is routed into the coin receptacle 190. If, on the other hand, the coin is dropped when the defiector is in the dash line position, it is routed to the coin return chute 192. The deflector plate may have notches to ensure clearance of the arms 168.

Referring now to the circuit diagram of FIGURE 11, the electrical connections of parts previously described and other parts to be described will now be set forth. The operating circuit of the invention is energized from a source of voltage 268, which may conveniently be a series of dry cells. These cells may conveniently be housed beneath the false bottom 66 as shown in FIG- URES 3 and 4. A circuit may be traced from one terminal of battery 208 through a conventional fuse 210, through the coin release electromagnet 174, then through the quarter switch 188, to a pair of normally closed contacts 212 of the coin return switch 160. The circuit then continues through the locking bar electromagnet 114 to the blade 214 of a single pole double throw switch 216 associated with a first push button 34. The push buttons are arranged sequentially, and each push button has a similar switch (although as will appear hereinafter, the last push button in the series may have a single throw switch), and the push buttons are biased by springs (not shown) to maintain the blades 214 in engagement with a first stationary contact 218 and out of engagement with a second stationary contact 220. Each switch thus has a pair of normally closed and a pair of normally open contacts, the contacts being closed alternatively. The blades of the switches are wired in series through the normally closed contacts as shown, and the last switch in the series need not have normally closed contacts. Each of the statationary normally open contacts 220 is connected to one end of an electromagnet 100 associated with a cigarette magazine as previously described. The other end of each electromagnet is connected to the blade 222 of a single pole double throw switch 224. These switches are located behind the corresponding cigarette magazines as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. They are preferably of the leaf spring type illustrated, having a first stationary contact 226 normally closed with the switch blade and a second stationary contact 228 normally open, when cigarettes are present in the associated magazine. The switches are actuated by pivoting plates 238 which rotate about a horizontal pivot rod 232 on the back of the magazine channels (see FIG- URE 3). The plates are looped about the pivot rod and have a short extension 234 which engages the blades 222 of the associated switches. Each plate is forced out of the magazine by the cigarettes therein to the full line position illustrated in FIGURE 4. When no cigarettes are present in the magazines, the inherent resiliency of the leaf spring switch blades and contact carriers exerts a force against theh extensions 234 and rotates the plates 2% to the dash line position illustrated in FIGURE 4. This opens the circuit at contact 226 and closes the circuit at contact 228. As shown in FIGURE 11 the contacts 228 are all connected to one side of an indicator lamp 236, the other side of which is connected through a resistor 238 to ground, which may be constituted by the frame of the machine, and to one terminal of the battery 208. Lamp 236 may be mounted on a transverse framing member 60, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4, so as to be visible through the front panel 24 of the cabinet.

The normally closed contacts 226 are connected to elements of detachable connectors 240, which have mating elements on a pair of bus bars 242 and 244. The physical configuration of the bars is shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. These bars control the pricing of the cigarettes in the respective magazines, and it is the connection of electromagnets 100 to these bars which determines whether cigarettes will be dispensed for a quarter or thirty cents. Bus bar 242 may be connected directly to the frame ground, while the bus bar 244 is insulated from the frame. Bus bar 244 is connected through the nickel switch 186 to another pair of normally closed contacts 246 on the coin return switch 160 and then to ground as shown. It will thus be apparent that a circuit to ground is completed for some of the electromagnets through bus bar 242 and for other of the electromagnets 100 through bus bar 244 and the nickel switch 186.

A circuit may also be tracted from the nickel switch 186 through a pair of normally open contacts 248 back to the junction of quarter switch 188 and coin release electromagnet 174. Another circuit may be traced from ground through the coin deflector plate electromagnet 204, through another pair of normally open contacts 250 to the quarter switch 188, and also from electromagnet 204 through still another pair of normally open contacts 252 back to the nickel switch 186.

In the operation of the circuit of FIGURE 11, let it be assumed that a quarter is placed in the machine as previously described. When the quater comes to rest in the coin chute 166 of FIGURES 7 and 9, it will close switch 188, thus completing a circuit from the battery 208 to the series chain of push button switches 216. If a push button corresponding to a quarter brand of cigarettes is pressed, it will open its normally closed contacts and close its normally open contacts. The opening of its normally closed contacts will break the series push button chain and will positively prevent the transmission of power from the battery to any of the push button switches more remote than the operated switch. The closing of the normally open contacts of the push button switch will extend the circuit from the battery to the associated electromagnet 1%.

If the magazine switch 224 associated with the electromagnet is in the dash line position of FIGURE 4, so that its blade 222 engages its contact 228, the magazine cor responding to the brand chosen is empty, and the circuit is completed from the battery 208 through the lamp 236 and the resistor 238 and back to the battery. This circuit will cause the lamp to light, but because of the insertion of the resistor 238, the current flowing through the circuit will be insuificient to operate any of the electromagnets in the circuit and nothing further will happen. The operator will thus be notified that the brand chosen is sold out. If, on the other hand, the magazine switch 224 associated with the brand chosen is in the full line position of FIGURE 4, with its blade 222 engaging its contact 226, a circuit will then be extended to the bus bar 242 associated with that magazine by virtue of the position of the connector 240, and current will flow from the battery through coin release electromagnet 174, through the quarter switch 188, through the closed contacts 212 of the coin return switch 160, through the locking bar electromagnet 114, and then through the electromagnet chosen, to the bus bar and back to the battery. Since there is no resistor 238 in this circuit, sufiicient current will flow to operate each of the electromagnets connected in this series circuit. When this current flows, the locking bar electromagnet 114- Will be energized simultaneously with the dispensing electromagnet 100, but the stroke of the locking bar electromagnet required to move the locking bar 106 of FIGURE 4 from the path of the flipper plates is made much shorter than the movement of the flipper plates to meet the locking bar, and the locking bar will be withdrawn from the path of the flipper plate associated with the brand chosen before the flipper plate has reached the point where it would normally engage the locking bar. The flipper plate will accordingly move its full stroke, and the lowermost pack of cigarettes will be dispensed in the manner previously described. At the same time, the coin release electromagnet 174 will be energized to remove the arms 168 from under the coin chutes as shown in FIGURE 8, thereby allowing the quarter to drop. When the quarter is dropped, the deflector plate 194 is in the full line position illustrated in FIGURE 8, and the coin is directed to the receptacle 190.

As shown in FIGURE 9, the quarter will pull the actuator wire 182 of switch 188 down along with it for a predetermined length of its travel in dropping and will then release the wire. The timing of the operation of 'switch 188 is chosen so that the vending operation is completed just prior to the instant that the switch 188 opens. It is thus apparent that the coin itself determines the length of time that the vending circuit is closed, and

the vending cycle may be precisely controlled by adjusting the position of the switch actuating wire 182 with respect to the coin chute or by changing the angle of the wire.

If a thiry cent brand of cigarettes had been chosen, the circuit to ground would have been completed through bus bar 244 and nickel switch 186 (held closed by the nickel as shown in FIGURE 9), and through the closed contacts 246 of switch to ground. The nickel would be released from its coin chute simultaneously with the release of the quarter.

Return of the coin or coins to the operator in the event that the desired brand of cigarettes is exhausted or the operator changes his mind is obtained by pressing the coin return 'button 38 of FIGURE 1. This draws down the scavenger bar 148 of FIGURE 7 (to the left in FIGURE 11) opening the normally closed contacts of switch 160 and closing the normally open contacts. The contacts move under the resilient bias of their leaf spring blades, which are released for movement when scavenger bar 148 is drawn away from insulator 158." The spacing of the contacts is such that all of the normally closed contacts are fully open before any of the normally open contacts are closed. Thus, contacts 212 are opened at the initial movement of the scavenger bar, breaking the circuit to the locking bar electromagnet 114 and the dispensing electromagnets 100, and preventing any possibility of completing a dispensing circuit concurrently with the return of the coin.

Assuming that only a quarter has been placed in the machine, when the scavenger bar has moved sutficiently to close contacts 250, a circuit will be completed from the battery 208 through the coin release electromagnet 174, through the quarter switch 188, through the contacts 250, through the deflector plate electromagnet 204 back to the battery. This will energize electromagnets 174 and 204. Electromagnet 174 will withdraw the arms 168 from beneath the coin chutes, and electromagnet 204 will move the deflector plate 194 to route the coin to the coin return chute 192. The stroke of the electromagnet 204 to move the deflector plate between its alternate positions is made short enough with respect to the stroke of the electromagnet 174 in withdrawing the arms 168 (taking into consideration the drop time of the coins) so that the deflector plate 194 will have moved to its dashed line position of FIGURE 8 just as the coin strikes the deflector plate, and return of the coin to the operator is thus ensured.

If only a nickel has been placed in the machine, and the coin return button 38 pressed, normally closed contacts 212 and 246 will first be broken and then contacts 248 and 252 will be closed. A circuit will then be completed from battery 208, through the coin release electromagnet 174, through contacts 248, through the nickel switch 186, through contacts 252, and through the deflector plate electromagnet 204 back to the battery. The nickel will then be returned in the same manner as the quarter.

When either a quarter or a nickel has been placed in the machine, the contacts of switch 160 which do not form a part of the respective coin return circuits described have no effect. When both a quarter and a nickel have been inserted, either of the circuits described is effective, to return both coins. It will be noted that by virtue of the vending circuit previously described, a nickel alone is never effective to complete the vending circuit.

By using magazines which hold the packs of cigarettes on edge, less cigarettes are required to fill a magazine of a given height, but the magazines take up less space along the width of the machine. Accordingly, brands which sell more slowly may be allocated a single full magazine, and even the lastly sold packs will remain fresh, while faster selling brands may be allocated a pair of magazines or more. In this manner, the total potential capacity of the machine becomes the total actual capacity, contrary to the machines in operation heretofore. Moreover, if additional capacity is desired, the magazines may be made higher; other magazines may be added to the existing row of magazines; or an additional row of magazines (and dispensing apparatus) may be placed behind the existing row.

The use of the column configuration described also has other advantages. Conventional cigarette cartons contain two rows of cigarette packs, with the packs in each row arranged edge-to-edge. If both ends of a carton 254 are opened, and the carton placed with its longitudinal axis upwardly directed above the magazines, as shown in FIGURE 12, one of the rows of cigarette packs may be aligned with a magazine to be filled, and the other row held back by the upper edge of a magazine channel 58. A simple plunger type ejector 256 consisting of a flat plate with a rod handle attached perpendicularly thereto may then be placed against the uppermost pack in the row to be inserted in the machine, and when the plunger is forced downwardly, the entire row will be loaded in the magazine. The adjacent row may be inserted in the same or another magazine in the identical manner. In loading the machine, the cabinet is simply opened in the manner previously described, and the top of the machine tilted forward to be held by an unfolding arm (not shown) with the magazine tops exposed.

To reduce the weight of the machine to a minimum, the frame, magazine channels, cross braces, false bottom, etc. are preferably formed of an aluminum alloy. Plate 102 on which the dispensing electromagnets are mounted is preferably formed of steel, however. It has been found that use of a steel plate in this location greatly increases the efliciency of the electromagnets 100 by decreasing the reluctance of the path between the ends of the windings. An increase of approximately 33% has been noted in practice. The locking bar 106 is preferably made of an aluminum alloy so that there is no mag netic attraction between the locking bar and the dispensing electromagnets 100. The flipper plates may be formed of stainless steel so that they will retain their desired shape and operating efficiency indefinitely. The flipper plates, locking bar, locking bar operating electromagnet, and dispensing electromagnets preferably form a unitary assembly supported on the U-shaped sur-frame 103, so that the entire assembly may be removed from the machine as a unit by simply removing a few mounting screws. All of the flipper plates are identical, and all of the dispensing electromagnets are identical, so that special individual parts are not required, and manufacturing costs are greatly reduced. Moreover, the total number of moving parts is reduced to a minimum by virtue of the construction of the invention. It has been found that the machine of the invention is far more economical to build and to maintain than comparable prior machines, and it may be used profitably in locations which for conventional machines would be deemed marginal or unprofitable.

The use of a self-contained battery type power supply is practical in the present invention, because the extremely fast vending cycle reduces the power drain on the battery to a minimum. Such a power supply makes the machine ideal for locations in which conventional external power outlets are unavailable or inconvenient. However, it has been found that the machine will operate satisfactorily from conventional external outlets through the use of a simple step-down transformer.

Extremely fast and eflicient electromagnet operation is obtained by applying an over-voltage to the dispensing electromagnets. Such over-voltage is not detrimental to the electromagnets, because of the fact that it is applied for an extremely short length of time. In a practical embodiment of the machine, four 6 volt cells are utilized in series to constitute a 24 volt battery 208. The dispensing electromagnets 100 are normally rated at 12 volts. The IR drop through the coin release electromagnet 174 and the locking bar electromagnet 114 is kept to a minimum by using large gauge wire, and in practice a drop of about 3 /2 volts across each of electromagnets 114 and 174 is obtained. The voltage is thus dropped to about 17 volts across the dispensing solenoids and their operation is thus highly eflicient, even when the battery voltage has reduced considerably over a period of time.

In a practical form of the invention, electromagnets 174 and 114 were each constructed from 125 turns of No. 20 enameled wire wound on a form inch by inch. The dispensing electromagnets 100 were comprised of 490 turns of No. 22 enameled wire wound on a form /2 inch by 1% inches. The indicator lamp 236 was a #47 Mazda bulb and resistor 238 was a ohm 2 watt resistor.

The locking bar mechanism, series push button assembly, and the extremely fast dispensing time of the machine of the invention make cheating of the machine almost impossible.

While the preferred form of the invention utilizes the 13 bus bar pricing system described, it is possible to incorporate many of the teachings of the invention in a system which utilizes an accumulator. With such a device, contacts on a disc are effective to complete the circuit to associated dispensing electromagnets when the respective contacts are engaged by a wiper. The wiper is stepped along the increasingly priced contacts in sequence as coins are inserted in the machine, thereby completing the circuit for cigarettes of different price. The wiper returns to its zero position when the cigarettes are dispsened or the coin is returned. Although such a mechanism increases the cost of the machine, it allows the machine to accommodate coins of a wider range of denominations.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, changes may be made in such embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, the foregoing embodiments are to be taken as exemplary of the invention, rather than restrictive, and those modifications which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are included therein.

I claim:

1. Coin-control for controlling an intermittently electrically actuated device including a normally open operating circuit, including in series the actuated device, a source of voltage, a manually actuated switch and a coin-controlled switch; a coin chute, means for holding a coin at a predetermined point in said chute, means for closing said coin controlled switch when a coin is held at said position, means for releasing said coin from said position to open said coin-controlled switch immediately after said manually actuated switch has been closed, a coin receptacle, a coin return chute, electromagnetically operated coin guiding means for routing said coin to said receptacle or said return chute alternatively, means including a coin return switch for positively breaking said circuit to said actuated device and then operating said coin release means to release said coin while concurrently operating said coin guiding means to route said coin to said coin return chute, said coin return switch including a blade connected to said source, and a pair of alternatively engaged contacts connected to said dispensing and coin guiding electromagnets, respectively, said coin guiding means routing coins to said receptacle when its electromagnet is de-energized.

2. The machine of claim 1, said coin release means having an actuating electromagnet connected in series with said source and said switch blade.

3. The machine of claim 2, said coin-controlled switch being in series with said coin release electromagnet and switch blade.

4. In a vending machine of the type having a plurality of magazines containing articles to be dispensed sequentially, means including a plurality of electromagnets associated with said magazines for dispensing said articles when said electromagnets are energized, respectively, a plurality of branch circuits each including one of said electromagnets and a selector switch in series, a first coin chute on said machine, a first coin-controlled switch on said machine, means for closing said coin-controlled switch in response to a coin in said chute, a second coin chute on said machine, a second coin-controlled switch on said machine, means for closing said second coin-controlled switch in response to a coin in said second chute, means for holding said coins in said chutes, electromagnet means for actuating the holding means to release said coins from said chutes, a coin receptacle on said machine, a coin return chute on said machine, electromagnet actuated means for guiding released coins to said coin receptacle or said coin return chute alternatively, a source of voltage, means connecting one end of some of said branch circuits to one terminal of said source, a coin return switch having plural contacts, means connecting one end of other branch circuits to said one terminal through said second coin-controlled switch and a first pair of normally closed contacts of said coin return switch, means connecting the other terminal of said source to the other end of said branch circuits through said coin release electromagnet, through said first coin-controlled switch, and through a second pair of normally closed contacts of said coin return switch, and means connecting said other source terminal in a series circuit with said coin release electromagnet and said coin guiding electromagnet: (a) through said first coin-controlled switch and a first pair of normally open contacts of said coin return switch, and (b) through a second pair of normally open contacts of said coin return switch, through said second coin-controlled switch, and through a third pair of normally open contacts of said coin return switch, said pairs of normally open contacts being closed after said pairs of normally closed contacts are opened.

5. In a vending machine, a vertical magazine for containing a stack of articles to be dispensed sequentially, a flipper plate adjacent said magazine and having a shelf for supporting the lowermost article of said stack, said plate having an article hold-back spaced above said shelf to engage the neXt-to-the-lowest article, said plate being pivoted horizontally intermediate said shelf and said holdback, means to move said plate about its pivot to withdraw said shelf from beneath said lowermost article so as to release the same for gravity dispensing and for concurrently engaging said hold-back with the next-to-thelowest article to prevent the same from dropping, and locking means for normally preventing suflicient pivotal movement of said plate to release said lowermost article.

6. The machine of claim 5, said locking means comprising a bar normally in the path of said pivotal movement.

7. The machine of claim 6, said plate moving means comprising an electromagnet, said locking means comprising an actuating electromagnet for moving said bar from said path, and said electromagnets being connected to a source of voltage for concurrent energization.

8. The machine of claim 7, said bar being mounted for movement about a horizontal pivot and into and out of the path of said plate.

9. The machine of claim 7, comprising a plurality of said magazines, flipper plates, and dispensing electromagnets, arranged respectively side-by-side, each dispensing electromagnet being in a branch circuit with a selecting switch, each of said branch circuits being arranged for series connection with said locking electromagnet and said source when the corresponding selecting switch is closed, said bar being mounted to move into and out of the path of all said flipper plates simultaneously.

10. The machine of claim 9, said flipper plates, dispensing electromagnets, locking bar and locking electromagnet being mounted unitarily on said machine.

11. The machine of claim 5, said hold-back comprising friction material, and said magazine having friction matcri.:l on its wall opposite said hold-back.

12. The machine of claim 5, further comprising an auxiliary shelf interposed between said flipper plate shelf and the lowermost article, said auxiliary shelf being pivoted horizontally and being normally held by said flipper plate shelf and being released for movement from beneath said lowermost article when said flipper plate shelf is moved from beneath it.

13. The machine of claim 5, said articles being packs of cigarettes mounted with their width dimensions vertical in said magazine.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS (Other references on following page) 16 Caruso Apr. 15, 1952 Riise Sept. 23, 1952 Gabrielsen May 12, 1953 Stoner May 3, 1955 Hansen Mar. 20, 1956 Cheskin Aug. 28, 1956 Burt July 7, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 10, 1888 Great Britain of 1908 Great Britain Feb. 23., 1931 Great Britain Aug. 31, 1933 Great Britain Dec. 30, 1942

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