US1767684A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1930. D. LAZAR VENDING- MACHINE s Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 21. 1927 INVENTOR 02m? ATTORNEY BYM June 24, 1930. D. LAZAR' 1,757,584

vrmnme MACHINE- Filed Dec. 21, 192'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 '1 r I r 1 I 1 I I I a r 4 I INViEN'fOR 2A 1 102A ATTORNEY Patented June 24, 1939 PATENT OFFICE DAVE LAZAR, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK VENDING MACHINE Application filed December 21,1 1927. Serial No; 241,534.

This invention relates to improvements in vending machines and has reference partic ularly to means incorporated in the coin receiving and operating mechanisms of such .5 devices for detecting and rejecting slugs, washers and other illegal means of exchange used by unscrupulouspersons to operate'a machine of this character.

The object of this invention is to provide a vending machine of special design with devices which will detect and refuse to per mit the vending mechanism to operate unless the proper coin is inserted in exchange for the article being offered for sale. This object is accomplished by means of the mechanism hereinafter described and set forth in the claim and illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings in which, Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of a vending machine showing two units, one thereof in discharge position and the other in position ready to receive a coin 5 Figure 2 is a substantially longitudinal sectional view taken through one unit on lines 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the vending machine looking from the rear with parts removed and others broken away to disclose otherwise hidden parts; Figure 4 is a sectional view of a section of the coin slot illustrating the means used to stop passa e of a washer towards the releasing mec' anism; Figure 5 is a sectional view of another section of the coin slot which shows the means used to dis charge coins or slugs having a smaller diameter than that of the proper coin intended to be used; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a device introduced into the coin slot to prevent coins or slugs which are thinner than ordinary coins from passing on the releasing mechanism. Figure 7 is a plan view of a'section of a'vending machine showing further devices for preventing unlawful operation thereof and a modified arrangement of package ejector; Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on line 88 of Figure 7 and Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line ,9?9 of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings, 10 denotes a cabinet for a vending machine which comprises a horizontal shelf 11 for the coin operating mechanism and an upright rear magazine 12 for the articles being dispensed. The cabinet is constructed preferably of metal and may contain any number of vending units arranged side by side and of exactly the sameconstruction so that in describing this invention in detail it will suffice to refer to but one such unit.

The cabinet proper comprises a base member 10 which extends under both the shelf 11 and magazine 12, as illustrated clearly in Figure 2, and which supports a pair of spaced partitions 13 between each two sections of the magazine. Disposed between each pair of partitions 13 are two upright guide'bars 14L, one being arranged adjacent the rear wall 15 of the magazine 12 and the other directly in front of the first and, substantially midway the length of the partitions. A pair of bars thus disposed act as a guide for one side of a stack of packages or boxes 16 containing the merchandise bei ing offered for sale. Therefore it will be clear that each unit in the magazine is merely separated from the adjacent unit by the partitions 13 and rods or bars 14:. The lowermost package 16 rests upon the upper edge of one partition 13 ofadjacent pairs, as illustratively exemplified in dotted lines in Figure 1. The lower end of the rear wall 15 of the magazine projects to an elevation corresponding with a point within the space occupied by the rear end of the second box 16 of the stack, so that as the lowermost box is pushed rearwardly from under the stack the boxes resting thereon will be compelled to remain behind. In order that the boxes 16 may be visibleto the purchaser a window 17 is installed in the front wall 18 before each stack of boxes.

Referring now to the shelf 11, the latter comprises an upright front wall 19 which parallels the front wall 18 of the magazine and projects to a height corresponding with the height of the partition walls 13, end walls 20, and a fiat counterplate 21 which -extends from the wall 19 to the wall 18 and chine. Disposed below the plate 21 and spaced therefrom, the thickness of the com 22 intended to operate the machine, is a second plate 23 of similar dimensions, the plate 23 serving as top for the underlying chamber 24 in which the coins 22 collect. A passageway 22 for the coin 22 and its operating mechanism is established for each unit by disposing a strip of metal 25 between the plates 21 and 23, the edges of adjacent strips 25 being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the coin 22.

Slidable in the passageway 22 is a coin slide 26 comprising a straight metal band of a length equal to that of the passageway and provided at its inner end with a turned down portion 27. The width of the band 26 is such that the latter may be projected freely between the adjacent walls of the partitions 13. Carried at the angle of the band 26 and portion 27 is an ejecting plate 28, which is hinged to the angle and yieldably held in upright position by a spring 29, and which is capable of swinging rearwardly against the spring 29 from an upright position to a position level with the plane of the slide 26. The outer or uppermost edge of the plate 28 is just below the top face of the lowermost box 16 resting on the partitions 13, so that as the plate 28 moves rearwardly only the lowermost box will be pushed from under the stack. The plate 28 returning to its initial position is forced to swing rearwardly about its hinge and against the spring 29, as the stack of boxes 16 drops and the next lowermost box takes the place of the one just discharged. The front ends of the boxes in the stack are spaced from the front wall 18 a distance which enables the plate to swing to its upright position, as shown in Figure 2.

The coin slide 26 is provided at a point well forward of the turned down end with a coin slot or opening 30, as illustratively exemplified, particularly in Figure 6. The opening 30 is virtually round and is disposed in the coin plate so that by reducing the width thereof toward the turned down portion an arc of the opening is open. This latter opening is designated 31 and is dis posed, when the coin slide 26 is advanced to the first stage of its projected position, to admit the end of a spring operated dog lever 32, the same being pivoted about a pin 33. The end or nose 34: of this lever is cut away at its under face so that it is only substantially one half the thickness of the coin slide 26. If a slug or washer having a gauge much thinner than that of the coin intended for the opening, the slug or washer will merely slide under the nose 34 without moving it out of the way of the ejector and as a consequence the mechanism will be blocked against further movement.

The coin is inserted in the machine through a coin slot or opening 35 in the plate 21, which is disposed well back from the rearward end thereof, and when the slide 26 is completely retracted the two openings 30 and 35 are in perfect register, thus admitting a coin by simply dropping the same therein, which of course will rest on the under plate '23. The under plate 23 is provided with a round slot or opening 36 in the line of movement rearwardly of the coin slide 26 and at a point corresponding with the entrance of the nose 3d into the opening 31. The slot 36 is intended to be of a diameter slightly smaller than that of the proper coin to be used so as to enable a small coin or slug to drop through before reaching the nose 3%.

It will be clear that thus far means have been included in the present invention to prevent operation thereof by means of coins or slugs which are not of the regulation gauge and diameter, but it is still possible to obtain washers, i. e. metal blanks which are of the correct diameter and gauge and which are provided with the usual center opening. The present invention comprehends means for arresting the passage of such a device through the machine. The means is illustrated particularly in Figure 5 and comprises a small square opening 37 cut in the under plate 23 between the opening 36 and rear end, the opening 37 being adapted to accommodate a square pin 38 carried by the upper end of an upright spindle 39. The spindle 39 is slidably mounted adjacent its lower end in the cross piece of an inverted stirrup strap 40, the parallel arms of which are secured to the under side of the under plate 23, as illustratively exemplified in Figure 4. If an annular metal piece is placed in the coin slot 35 and is carried along in the coin slide past the opening 36 and nose 34, the beveled end of the pin 38, which is normally held depressed by the under surface of the coin slide 26, will be forced upwardly into the opening in the washer by means of a spring 41 coiled about the spindle 39 and bearing at one end against the cross piece of the stirrup 40 and at the other end against a collar 42 fixed to the spindle adjacent the upper end thereof.

The coin slide 26 is manipulated from one position to another by means of a thumb button 13 screwed into the plate and extending through a slot 44, which is cut in the top plate 21, and which extends from front to rear thereof between the front plate 19 and coin slot 35.

Referring again to the construction and design of the coin slide 26 and dog lever 32, it is to be noted that the latter is utilized as a stop for the former when no coin is carried in the opening 30. The lever itself is a straight piece of metal pivoted, as described, at the rear edge of the plates 21 and 22 and closely adjacent the side of the slide having the opening 31. The nose portion 34 projects towards the coin plate 26 at right angles to the axis of the lever and when the slide is in normal position the point of the nose 34 rests against the longitudinal side of the slide at the portion which has been cut away to reduce the width of the slide beyond the opening 30. The lever 32 is yieldably held b a spring so as to constantly contact wit and ride along the side of the coin plate 26. It will be clear then that if no coin is in the opening 30 and the plate 26 is pushed rearwardly, the nose will be brought into contact with the toe 46 formed by the cutaway portion or arc-shaped opening 31 and prevent further movement to release a package 16. On the other hand if the proper coin is in the slot 30 when the coin plate 26 is proin a position to be held against the side of the plate 26 forward of the opening 31, in which case the rearward movement of the plate 26 may continue until the package 16 is rejected and the coin has been carried beyond the inner end of the under plate 23 and has dropped into the compartment between the partitions 13.

Referring to Figures 7 8 and 9, the cabinet 10 comprises an upright magazine 12 in which the packages 16 are disposed transversely instead of longitudinally of the magazine 12 as shown in Figure 2. The shelf 11 consists of the bottom wall 10, front wall 19, plates 21 and 23, and coin slide 26, the latter being provided at its delivery end with a rectangularly shaped band 48 which in normal position is directly beneath the magazine 12 to receive a package 16. The forward wall of the band 48 is provided with a portion which projects towards the front of the machine and into a slot 49 in the top wall 21. This portion forms a support 50 which moves under the stack of packages 16 when the slide 26 is being projected to deliver the package disposed within the walls of the band 48. As the band 48 returns the projection 50 reenters the slot 49 and the lowermost package 16 which rested directly on the support 50, drops into the rectangular opening made by the band 48. In order that the package 16 does not drop below the band 48, a pair of rollers 51' are arranged directly below the path of movement of the band and beneath the stack of packages.

In Figures 7 and 9, I have shown a means for forcing the coin 22 out of the opening 30 in the slide 26. It has been found that coins are sometimes coated with a paste which causes them to stick in the opening and fail to drop after being once moved past the releasing member 32. Of course if this is done the slide may be withdrawn and a new package delivered and so 011 until the magazine is empty. To overcome this means of defrauding machines of this character, I mount a spring 51 on the plate 21 and bend its free end to project over and into the gap 31 in the slide so that when the coin in the slide is moved under the spring 51 it will be forced out of the opening 30 and into the compartment 24.

It has also been found that the slide 26 is often provided with a coin and then projected just far enough to release a package. By withdrawing the slide to its normal position again the coin will still be in the opening and may be projected again to release the next package and so on. I have overcome such an operation by providing one side of the slide 26 with teeth 52 and a rounded nose 53 at its end. A pawl 54 is mounted to rotate on a spindle 55 depending from the plate 21, the pawl being disposed to allow the slide to move rearwardly but prevents the same from being returned until it has reached its full rearward position, i. e. to a position where the coin has dropped and is no longer effective. The pawl is held against the side of the slide 26 by a spring 56 which is wound about the spindle 55 and which causes'the pawl to swing forward in an anti-clock wise direction as it passes beyond the nose 53, thus enabling the teeth 52 to ass the pawl 54 in the reverse direction wit out interference. A wide notch 57 is cut in the side of slide rearwardly of the teeth 52 to allow the pawl 54 to right itself under the influence of its spring 56 and agaip take the position illustrated in Figure The operation of the present invention is very simple, it being merely necessary to insert the proper coin into the coin slot 35 whereupon it will drop into the opening 30 in the coin plate 26. The button .43 is then pushed rearwardly carrying with it the coin plate 26 and coin 22, which first encounters the slot 36 and then the nose 34 of the lever, which is rocked out of the path of the advancing toe 46. The square pin 38 is then approached and held down by the coin during passage thereof until it falls out of the coin plate beyond the under plate 23. Simultaneously with the rearward movement of the coin plate the ejector plate 28 has engaged against the end of the lowermost box. but this contact of the plate 28 and end of boX 16 does not take place until the coin has passed all of the testing and detecting devices. Continued movement of the knob or button 43 will cause the ejector plate 28 to finally push the package from under the stack to fall into a chute or any suitable arrangement for delivery to the customer, not

shown. The operation of each individual device effected by a slug or unauthorized medium has already been described in detail and it is not believed to be necessary to repeat the description. Having successfully ejected a package, the coin plate is returned to its initial position ready to receive the next coin. As usual the stack of packages in the magazine 12 is weighted down by a weight 47 comprising a block of metal substantially the same dimensions as those of a package With the exception of the height and length which are considerably greater than the corresponding dimensions of a package. The added height. is utilized to prevent movement of the block 47 past the rear wall of the magazine 12 and the added length is to prevent the ejector plate 28 from having sufiicient space in which to return to its upright position after the last package has been ejected.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In a coin operated vending machine, a coin carrier comprising a bar having a coin slot opening out on one side of the carrier, a pivoted lever projecting into said slot and having a stepped end to embrace the edge of the coin and prevent movement of the carrier unless a coin of the proper gauge is being carried, an underplate upon which the carrier and coin are supported, said underplate having two openings disposed in the overlying path of movement of the coin one opening being disposed short of the said 7 means to engage the carrier and of a diameter slightly smaller than that of the proper coin to allow small devices to drop through the coin slot and opening, a strap spaced from the under plate and provided with an opening registering with the second opening in the said under plate, an upright shoul dered spindle arranged in said alined openings and having an end projecting through the second opening in the underplate and a spring supporting the spindle and abutting the shoulder thereof at one end and the strap at. the other, said spring being arranged to project the end of said spindle into an annular device disposed in the coin slot to prevent further movement of the carrier.

In testimony whereof he has affixed his signature.

DAVE LAZAR.

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