GB634194A - Improvements in and relating to coin-freed vending apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

634,194. Coin-freed article-delivery apparatus. PHILLIPSON, P., and PURLE, V. O. March 21, 1947, No. 7822. [Class 27] Newspapers or similar articles are delivered one at a time from the top of a vertical pile which is raised, periodically, whenever its upper level falls below a predetermined point. In the embodiment shown diagrammatically, a pile of newspapers is supported on a platform 52, Fig. 3, which is suspended on cables 53-56 attached to winch drums 61, 62 on a shaft 63 fitted with a ratchet 64 engaged by a driving pawl 68 on a rocking arm 66. At each operation of the apparatus, a cross-bar 32 (see also Fig. 2) connecting a pair of reciprocable slide-bars 31 forming part of the delivery mechanism, engages and rocks the arm 66 to rotate the ratchet 64 and lift the pile. If, however, the top of the pile is already at a sufficient height to be within range of the delivery mechanism, a pivoted feeler 69, bearing on the top of the pile by means of a roller 70, engages a detent 71 behind the arm 66 to retain it in its forward position so that it is not rocked. The detent 71 releases the arm 66 when the top of the pile has fallen below a predetermined level so that the ratchet 64 is stepped up to bring the pile up to the required level. The delivery mechanism comprises a pair of suction nozzles 40, 41 connected to a motor-driven suction fan 49 and pivotally mounted on the cross-bar 32. The slide-bars 31, which thus carry the nozzles, work on fixed pins 37, have their forward ends resting on cams 27, 28 and are connected to crankpins on the cams by links 39. The cams are secured to a motor-driven operating shaft 26 which turns once at each actuation, the slide bars first dropping down steps in the cams to engage the suction nozzles with the uppermost paper, then rising as they are drawn forward by the crank pins to pass the paper to delivery rollers 29, 51 which project it from a delivery opening. The motor 16 drives the shaft 26 through a clutch 20 normally disengaged by the armature of a magnet 23. In operation, insertion of a coin closes contacts 72 to energise magnet 23 which closes a holding circuit for itself at contacts 78 and the circuits of the motors 16 and 49. The armature of magnet 23 also releases the clutch 20 so that the drive of the motor 16 is conveyed to the operating shaft 26 to effect delivery. During the delivery operation, a bell-crank 75 connected with the slide-bar 72, breaks the circuit of magnet 23 at contacts 76, having previously closed a holding circuit for the motors at contacts 77. Finally, as the revolution of shaft 26 is completed, the now restored armature of magnet 23 disengages the clutch 20 and the motor cir-- cuits are broken at contacts 77. Means are provided to release the ratchet mechanism of the winch drums 61, 62 to enable the platform 32 to be lowered when refilling- the apparatus. A valve may cut off the suction to release the paper from the nozzles 40, 41 as it passes to the deliveryrollers 29, 51. Modifications are referred' to in which a sticky pad device or a pin roller replaces the suction nozzles for removing the papers from the pile.