US896405A - Liquid and cup dispensing apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

BATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

, A. MAOLEOD- LIQUID'AND 0UP DISPENSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED YMAYS 1907.

- s SHEETS-SHEET 1 n. 7 I parts.

v This invention-relates to a coin-controlleddispensing apparatus adapted for '25. which is so arranged that individual cups or drinking receptacles are used'so that each PGI'SOIYWill have ,his own cup and will not be TED srA Esf r-ATEs- OFFICE, 1

"ALEXANDER MAcLEOD, or WAVERLEY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSiGNoR To I UIn VENDING mourns COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF'MAINE m'oumm our msrnN'sms-srrmsrvss I Specification'of Letters Patent. Patented. sag-1s,- 1908.

. a subject of'the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Waverley, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Liquid and Cup Dispensing Apparatus, of which the following description, inconnetion with the acpensing- Water inmeasured quantities.

most places where water is dispensed to the companymgdrawing, is a specification, like letters -.on"thedrawing representing like pe s 1i uids in measured quantities. a

he device is especially designed for dispublic generally the same cup or glass is used by all persons who draw water from the apparatus. Where this is the. case the cup s veryapt to become unsanitary, and in many instances becomes a means of scattermg contaglous diseases. a

. One of the obi'iects of. my'inventionis to.

provide a novel quid-dispensing apparatus obliged to use acup' or drinking receptacle which has been used b In the preferredembo ent of my invention I arrange these individual d wsothat when the machine isactuated t e drinkingcup is firstdelivered and after it is 1.35

delivered the predetermined quantity of wa- ,ter-o'r' other liquid-can bedrawn into'it and drunk-from it. The drinking cup remainsin the possession ofthe; person using the mae chine and need not be-used by any other pe'rsonJ 'In the preferred embodiment of my invention also the actuation of the machine operates to connect 'a manually'controlled,

delive fau'cet with a measuring chamber i which as-been previously filled withthe liq-1- '4 5 uid and atthe same time said machineop crates to deliver the individual drinkingfcup :as. above described; The final-[drawing of the water is accomplished-by the manual operation of the delivery faucet, and the operation of this faucet is not, in anyway con-.-

t'rolled by the othermechanisme By means of m invention I am enabled to f provide a public iquid-dispensing apparatus features. of

which has none of thennsanitalll-i d y use I such apparatus as now commo any other person.

rmkingcu s].

chamber is Application filed m s, 1907. sealant. erasso'.

.Inthejdrawings wherein I have shown one embodiment of my invention-Fi re' 1 is a side view part1 in section of a device having .the features, a ove referred to Fig.- 2 is a .rear' view of-the coin-controlled mechanism; Fig. 3 is a section on theline x-ar, Fig. 2; Fig.4 is a section throu h the valve-herein shown; Fig. 5 is a detailvlew of the manuallycontrolled delivery faucet; Fig. 6. is-a sectional detail of the coin-controlled mechan ism; Fi 7 is a detail of the coin-receiving plate; .ig. 8' showsan individual drinking cup in its folded condition; and Fig-Q-shows the same cup opened'out ready for'use. While my invention may he arpplied to dispensing apparatus of various orms I have erein shown it as used connection-with an apparatus commonly used for dis ensing spring water. I Such apparatus usual y comprises a receptacle 3 havin -a neck 4 within which is adapted to be received the neck 5 of the carboy 6 containing the spring water,'

said carboy beingrin inverted resting onthe top which the receptacle 3fis received. The water is prevent d from escaping from the carboy 6 by the 'water in the receptacle 3 position and which seals the mouth of the 'carboyf; These partsare or may be of any suitable orusual construction and form nop'art'of my present invention. v Connected to the receptacle or main reser- .-voir I3 is a pi e 9 which leads to a cook or .valve '10, and eading from said cock or'valve is a pi e 11 leadingto a measuring chamber 12. nthepresent form of my invention 1- re gas own inFig. 2, each being connected to the valve 1 by a pipe 11, and-where two such measuring cham ers-are employed the as shown in Fig. 4. This valve has the inlet port 13 communicating with the pipe 9, the ports 14 communicatingwith the pi es 11 and the delivery port. 15 with which t e delivery faucet 16 is connected.

- The flow of liquid is controlled by'ia-yalv'e 7 of the cas ng 8 within Se to use two such measunng'chambers,

,valve 1 0' is in the nature of a-four-way cock,v

plug; 17"which" ca'n be turned toflput either 'ort'14 intof communication with either the' nlet port 13 or delivery port 15; .When the "-valve is in 'the-positionshown in Fig. 4 one of the measuring chambers 12 isin .communication' with the receptacle 3. and will thus besome filled-with'liquidwhile thenther measirr'commu g ijgation with the through which the air may .delivery faucet 16. When the valve is substantially'the waterlevel in the neck of the receptacle 3, and each is rovided with a vent port or pipe 18 throng which the air may escape asthereceptacle is fillin and enter as t re re-- ce table is being emptied. I

he plug 17 is ada ted to be turned by an actuating shaft 19, w 'ch is mounted in a casin 20 that is preferably arranged just outsi e of the main casing 8, and this shaft 19 by its rotation operates to deliver the individual drinking cups from the device. r i

Any suitable means for connectin the shaft/19 with the plug 17 may be emp oyed without departing from my invention, and I have herein shown said plug as provided with the head21 having pins or teeth=22 risin v therefrom which are adapted to be engage by'other pins or teeth 23extending from a wheel or gear 24 fast on the shaft 19. The means for operating the shaft 19 vwill be presently described. Said shaft has also vidual cups of my mounted thereonarms 25 that cause the delivery of'the individual cups as the shaft is rotated.

'It is within myinvention to employ indisuitable construction, but

for convenience prefer to use cups 26, such as shown in Fig. 9, which may be made .of

flexible, waterproof material suchaswaxed paper. Cu s made of flexible material can e readilyolded into a compact space as shown in Fig. 8, and if desired, each may be heldin its folded condition by an elasticor band 27. These individual cups thus folded are contained within a hopper 28, and the hopper is so arrangedthat one cup at a time may be delivered therefrom by the arms 25.

In the present embodiment of my invention, I have shown two such ho pers, one at each side'of the casing 20, an the shaft 23 has thereon two pair of arms or blades 25, the blades of one pair bein arranged at right angles to those of the ot er pair. tom of each hopper is providedwith' an opening 30 throu h"which the end of the correspondingbla es 25 pass, and communicating. with the bottom of each hopper is a delivery chute 31 ,,through which the individualcups are delivered. I I I Y As shown in Fig. 3, the bottom cup inleaeh hopper is in position to be engaged by the end of one of the blades 25, and as the shaft 19 rotates, said blade ushes thisbott'om'cup outwardly into the c ute 31, from which it is delivered to-the operator. In' this embodiment of my invention, I have s'oarrange'd the blades 25 that at each quarter revolution of the front of the casing.

The botseaeoo s 1 cups being delivered first from one hopper 28.

and then from the other. The gearing between the shaft 19 and the valve plug 17 is so arranged that the plu turns synchronously with the shaft, and t erefore each quarter revolution of the shaft 19 turns the plug 17" through'a quarter of a revolution.

The means for operating the shaft 19 comof'the casing 20 and by which the slide is o erated. Each time that the slide 37 and't e actuating member 33 are moved downwardly, the hooked end 34 of the member 33 engages a pin 35, and turns the wheel 24 and shaft 19 one stepforward There arefour pins 35 in the wheel 19, so that each time the slide 37 is operated the shaft 19 is 'turnedthrough a quarter of a revolution. The slide and ac tuating member are returned to their normal position by means of a suitable sprin 39.

The-slide 37 is coin-controlled, that is, it is normally locked against downward movement, but can be unlocked by the insertion of a coin. This slide, as seen in Fig. 7, has a shoulder 40 which is normally engaged by a locking latch 41, see Fig. 3, which is pivoted to a support 44 carried by the casing 20. The slide is also provided with a coin-receiving aperture 45 which normally stands in line with a coin-receiving aperture 46'formed in Journaled in the supports is a shaft 49 havingagear-wheel 50. thereon 'which is adapted to mesh with ear teeth 51 formed stands in the dotted line position Fig. 3.

When a coin is inserted into thecoin-receivin aperture 45, and the handle 38 is move tate, thereby bringing the cam member 51 againstthe coin 60., as shown in Fig. 6. As.

the cam member moves against the coin, the

Fig. 6, it being-mounted in a slot. 53 in the downwardly, the downward movement'of the slide 37 causes the shaft 49 to 'ro- .115 shaft 49 is forced backwardly'or to the right bearing 44 to permit such movement and the backward. movement of the shaft into engagement with'the locking paw 41,

brin s it and throws said pawl out of the path of movement of. the shoulder 40, thereby perend of the actuator 33 into engagement with one of the pins 35, and thus rotate the shaft;

19. When the'hafidle 38 is released the spring 39 returns the (plarts to their normal p o- I s1tion,and during su movement the coin 60 is thrown out fromtheaperture 45 by means iac on the slide 37; The s aft 49 also has fast thereon a cam-member 51 that normally' seams of acoin ejector 6 1. on the other haiid; it

- is attempted to move the handle 38 downever.

wardly without having first inserted a coin, the shaft 49will not be thrown backwardly,

and therefore the locking pawl 41'will remain in the path of movement of the shoulder 40, and will prevent the full downward movement of the slide which-is necessary in-order to cause the shaft 19to be actuated. This particular device for controlling the coin is not essential to. my present invention, how- The' plug 17 of the valve 10 normally stands in osition, so that one of the measuring cham ers 12 is in communication with the main reservoir 3, and the other incommunication with the pi e 63 leading to the delivery faucet 1'6. l liis delivery faucet may have any'suitable or usual construction, and is capable of manual operation independ;

ent from the mechanism for rotating the shaft 19. i l

I have'shown in Fig. 5 one simple and com- 7 mon form of bib-cock which may conveniently be used for thedelivery faucet, it having the spring-pressed valve 64 provided with the'plunger or head 65by which it may be operated.

In the operation of the' device, a coin isinserted in. the coin-receiving aperture and the handle 38 is moved downwardly. This downward movement operates through the actuator 33 to turn the shaft 19 through-a quarter of a revolution, and during such movement one of the individual drinking.

-cups 26- is delivered from its hopper, and at the same time, the plug 17-is turned to con nect thefilled measuring chamber 12 with the delivery faucet 16. After the 0 erator has received hisindividual cup, and as unfolded it, and opened it out, as shown- .in Fig.

9, he may press the plunger 650f the delivery" faucet '16, and draw-into the cup the contents of the filled measuring chamber. As soon as the plug 17 has'been turned as above 'de-- scribed, the previously emptied measuring chamber is put in communication with the plug 17 are each given another quarter revo-' own individual cup and all main reservoir 3, so that said chamber is being filled. while the filled chamber is being em tied. The next time a coin is'inserted an the handle 38 operated, the shaft 19 and ution, thereby delivering another individual cup and at the same time placing the emptied chamber in communication with the main reservoir 3 and the filled chamber into communicationwith thejaucet 16. With this mechamsm each erson has his nger of the spread ofeontagious diseases by the use of one cup b several individuals is avoided.

. It will e noted that the apparatus is so constructed that the actuation of the handle 38 after the insertion'of-a coin does not cause the measured quantity of water to be delivmg chamber,-a valve controlling-t therefrom, and an actuator operatively conered, but connects thefilled measur ingchamber with the faucet 16., so that the operator can take water.

It is not essential to my invention that a the compact space in which a p urality of cups canbe alined.

I believe I am the first to provide a liquid dispensin ap aratus with means for deliveringan in 'v1 ual cup'each time the machine his time in drawing the folding cup be employed, although I prefer such acu because 0 is operated, and therefore I desire to claim l rality of cups, of cup-delivery mechanism having means to sesarate one cup from the remaining cups an carry said cup away from the remaining cups at each operation thereof, a liquid-measuring chamber, a valve controlling the discharge therefrom and-an actuator "ope'ra'tively connected'to both the cup-deliver mechanism and said valve.

2. Ina evice of the. class described, the

ver at each operation thereof a single cup from:

said hopper, of a liquid-measurmg chamber,

a delivery faucet, a valve operable separately from said faucet for'connecting said chamber to 'the faucet, and 'an' actuator o eratively connected to both the valve and t e cup-delivery mechanism.

3. In a device of the class described,the combination with a cup-receiving hopper, of a rotar ,member to deliver cups singly from said opper, a-liquid-rneasuring chamber, avalve controlling'thedischarge from said chamber, and o erative connections be 1- tween saidvalve-an said rota 4. In a device of the'class escribed, the combination with a cup-receiving hopper, of

-a delivery chute-communicating therewith, a

rotaryarm for delivering on s singly from combination with a cup-receiving hop'perand a movable memberarranged to d i member.

the hopper into the chute, a ifiid measurnected both to the valve and t e arm.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with means to sustain a stack of cups, of cup-delivery mechanism providedw1 h means to separate positively and deliver one cup from'the stack of cups, means for delivering a measured quantity of ii uid, and an actuator operatively connected 0th to the cup-delive mechanism and said means.

6. In a evice of the class described, 'the combination with a cup-receivinghopper, a

e discharge .85 1. In a device, of the class described, the combinationwith means to. sustain a' plurota? member to deliver cups "singly from said op er, 'a liquid-measuring chamber, a delivery. aucet, a valve operab e sepa rately from said faucet and controlling the discharge from the chamber, and 'an actuator voperatively connected both to said valve and said rotar member. 7 I

7. n a device'of the class described, cupdelivery mechanism arranged to deliver a single cup therefrom at each operation thereof, 1n combination with a measuring chamher, a valve controlling the discharge therefrom, a manually-controlled delivery-faucet to control the dischar e from the valve and means for operating t e cup-delivery mechanism and valve simultaneously.

8. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a main reservoir, of a 9. In a device of the class described, the

.combination with a main reservoir, of a measurin chamber, a manually-controlleddeliver aucet, a valve to control communication etween the main reservoir and measuring'chamber and between said measuring chamber and delivery faucet, cup delivering mechanism, and means to operatesaid delivery mechanism and valve simultaneously.

10. In-a device of the class described, the

combination with a measuring chamber, of a delivery faucet operable separately from the valve, cup-delivery mechanism, and means tooperate said-cup-delivery mechanismandw I said valve simultaneously.

11. In a device of the class described, the 1 combination with a cup receiving hopper, of

a shaft having arms to deliver cups singly from saidhopper, a liquid-measuring chamher, a valve controlling the discharge from said chamber and valve and said shaft. I

12. In a device of the class described the combination with two cup-receiving hoppers, ofa rotary shaft having a plurality of arms for delivering cups singly from each hopper, a li did-measurin chainber,,a valve controlling t e dischar e om said chamber gearing connecting sai means for operating theshaft.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination with means to sustain a plurality of cups one above the other, of cupdelivery mechanism having means to separate and deliver the bottom cup from the pile of cups at each operationthereof, means gearing connecting .said I or delivering a measured uantity of ii uid, v

and an actuator operativey connected oth to the cup-delivery mechanism and said means.

In testimony whereof, 'I have signed my name to this specification,in the presence of; two subscribing witnesses.

. ALEXANDER MAoLEOD. Witnesses: I

Lorne 0.81m BERTHA F. H USER I 55, valve and shaft, and

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