US1789300A - Dispensing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W.'E- BIHL ETAL DISPENSING APPKRATUS Original Filed Aug- 5, 1926 Jan. 20, 1931.

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hmy M Q v. Q v w. m v 7 7:3; ..2 L w/} Q Patented Jan. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT oFF cE WILLIAM: E. BIHL AID AXEL RAIOLAU, OF OHICAGO, IIiLINOIS, ASSIG-NORS TO IRON IOUNTAm 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 01 ILIQINOIS,

msrnnsnve arraaarus Original application fled August 28, 1986, Serial No. 181,684. Divided and this 1927. Serial No. 190,711.

. With these and various other objects in r view, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the device and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts- Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along a vertical plane showing part of the interior of the construction shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along a :0 horizontal plane, indicated by the arrows.

" 3-3 of Figure 1, showing part of the interior construction of the structure shown in Fig ure 1' F ig ure 4 is a sectional view taken along a :5 plane (indicated by the arrows 44 of\F1gure 3' an Figures 5 and 6 illustrate details of construction. Referring first to Figure 1, the numeral 10 4 indicates a. casing, which may be made of sheet metal. Said casing may be provided with doors for permitting access to the mterior thereof for inspection, repairs, and for the insertion of articles to be dispenwd. One of the doors referred to is indicated by the numeral 11 and is the door through which articles are charged into the apparatus.

The illustrated embodiment-of the present invention constitutes means for refrigerating and dispensing bottles, as for example bottles application filed Kay-12,

containing. soft drinks. The door 11 is there- .fore of a size and shape freely to admit soft drink bottles. Near the bottom of the casin 10 is apanel 12, which is removably secured to said casing 10 to permit access to the refrigerating means (not shown), which means may be a refrigerating machine.

Referring to Figure 3, it will be noted that the casing 10 is provided with heat insulating packing 13. A portion of one end wall of said casing, indicated by the numeral 14, is removable, to permit ready access to the interiorof said casing 10. symmetrically disposed within the casing 10 is the brine tank 15, which brine tank contains cooling fluid. Surrounding the brine tank 15 is the ramp 16, which provides a sloping surface from a region near the top of the casing- 10 to a lower region disposed at a level above the floor at which aperson of ordinary height may conveniently remove articles from said casing 10. Said ramp 16 may be described as having helical conformation, though it is intended in this specification that the term 7 helical shall have a broader meaning than its true mathematical meaning and shall include structures having an elliptical or other geometric shape in horizontal section.

eferring again to Figure 1, bottles may be inserted through the door 11 and placed upon the ramp 16. The window. 17 may be provided through which bottles within the casing 10 may be observed. As bottles pass down the ramp 16 they are discharged in succession through the outlet opening 18 onto the base 19. The base 19 may be provided with airack (not shown) for supporting the bottles as they are deposited from said base 19. Located at a convenient pointis the bottle cap remover 20,. which cap remover may be of the ordinary conformation. Said cap remover-20 is preferably disposed directly above the base 19, whereby'caps removed by said cap remover may drop through the rack in the base 19 into the chute 21, whence they may drop into the drawer 22." Said drawer 22 may beopened at any time by an attendant,- and the caps removed. The numeral 23 indicates a receptacle for straws, which ie- 100 ceptacle may be positioned at a convenient height.

The present invention contemplates positive means for moving the bottles down the ramp 16, which positive means is responsive to coin controlled apparatus which will be described in detail hereinafter. The ramp 16, as illustrated, comprises the straps 24, which are shaped to provide a chuteway to hold bottles,'indicated by the numeral 25, in a vertical position or in a position which is nearly vertical. Said ramp may be supported by any preferred supporting means. Said straps 24 are held in proper relation to one another by means of the holding means 26,

which may be spaced at intervals along the ramp 16. The lowermost of said straps 24 is disposed symmetrically of the bottles carried 'thereby and offers very little friction to resist movement of said bottles. Also carried by the supporting members 26 are a plurality of pulleys disposed at intervals along the ramp 16, which pulleys form guiding means for a cable 27 to cause said cable to follow more or less generally the contour of the ramp 16. Said cable 27 is preferably an endless cable and has secured thereto the pusher 28. As indicated in Figures 3 and 5, the pusher 28 includes the member 29, having mounted thereon the roller bearings 30-'30 adapted to have rolling engagement with one of the straps 24. Said member 29 is also provided with the upstanding member 31, adapted to engage the side of a bottle for pushing said bottle down the ramp 16. It will be understood that a line of bottles will be disposed upon the ramp 16, and that by pushing against the uppermost of said bottles the whole line will be pushed downwardly toward the discharge outlet 18. The cable 27 is adapted to be moved by the sheave 32,

placed intermediate of the length of the endless cable 27. I Said sheai e 32 is adapted to. be operated by the handle 33, which is connected through the shaft 34 to the clutch element 35, which clutch element *is adapted tohave clutching engagement with the clutch element 36.- Said clutch element36 is provided with the pinion 37 adapted to mesh with the gear 38, which gear 38 is rigidly connected to the sheave 32'. After a person has deposited the necessary coin, he may, by turnmg thecrank 33, connect the clutch elements and= 36, whereby :by continuing toturn' said crank 33 he will operate the sheave 32 to communicate motion to the endless cable 27 to, cause movement of the pusher 28 and effect the dischargeof a bottle from the outlet openin 18. Discharge of a bottle will automaticadly cause the disengagement of the clutch elements 35 and,36, whereby further rotation of the crank 33 will not effect the discharge of another bottle until anothe coin has been inserted.

The mechanism for performing the functions immediately above referred to will now be described. Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the numeral 39 indicates a coin slot which coin slot is adapted to deliver the coin to the wheel 40. Said wheel 40 comprises a pair of spaced plates 41-41, which plates are spaced that the coin, which is indicated in Figure 4 by the numeral 43, projects radially a sufficient distance to engage the lever 44, which lever is pivoted upon the pin 45 and is springpressed in a counterclockwise direction by means which will be, described presently. It will be obvious that as the handle 33 is turned to rotate the shaft 34 in a clockwise direction as the parts are viewed in Figure 4,

the coin 43 will engage the upper extremity of the lever 44 to move said lever in a clockwise direction. Disposed to the left of the coin slot 39 as the partsare viewed in Figure 4 is the stop plate 44a adapted to abut the coin 43 if a person, after inserting-a coin,

should turn the shaft 34 in a counterclock wise direction. By reason of the provision of said stop plate 44a, the danger is averted that a person might, by turning-the handle 33 in the wrong direction, have the coin drop out of operative osition without operating the lever 44. ounted near the lower extremity of the lever 44 is the stud 47' adapted to cooperate with thelever 48, which lever 48 is pivotedabout the pin 49 and is urged in a'counterclockwise direction by-the spring 50, a stop 51 being provided for limiting the counterclockwise movement of the lever 48. When-the lever 44 is moved in a clockwise direction by reason of the engagement therewith of the coin 43, the stud 47 carried by said lever 44 will be moved out of engagement with the adjacent extremity of the lever 48, permitting the spring 50 to move said lever 48 up against the stop 51, in which position theextremity of lever 48 will abut illustrated in Figure 4.

The numeral 52 indicatesa bell crank lever pivotally mounted upon the pin 53. One

arm of said bell crank lever 52 is resiliently connected to the lever 44 by means of the spring 54, said lever 44 being provided with a pin 54a extending through an aperture in the adjacent extremity of the bell crank lever 52; said spring 54 being disposed between said lever 54 and said adjacent end of the bell crank lever 52. Nuts 54?) are disposed on the extremity ofthe pin 54a. The other arm of said bell crank lever 52 is provided with a yoke- 55, by means of which rotation of the up'permost position to the right of the door bell crank lever 52 will communicate axial movement to the clutch element 35. The

clutch elements 35 and-36 are urged apartby the coil spring56, which coil spring, in a manner which will be obvious, insures the disengagement of said clutch elements 35 and 36, exceptwhen it is intended that they shall be engaged, and insures the smooth engagement of said clutch elements 35 and 36 in case said clutch elements are presented in nonmeshing relationship with one another.

ing the turning of the starwheel 56, except.

.The numeral 56 represents a star wheel having three vanes 5757, which vanes are successively disposed in obstructing relationship to the bottles 25 upon the ramp 16. The numeral 58 indicates' a stop for preventnectedby means of rod 61 to the lever 44.,

When said lever 44 has been moved in a clockwise direction following the insertion of a coin, the rod 61 will be moved to the left as the parts are viewed in Figure 4, whereby the upper extremity of the lever 59 will be disposed out of obstructing relationship with the star. wheel 56.

As each bottle 25 is moved in succession to the lower extremity of the ramp 16,. it is adapted to drop upon a trap door 62. Said .trap door 62 is provided with the crank 63,

which crank is connected to the lever 48 by means of the link 64. The dropping of the trap door 63 will cause a downward movement of the link 64, resulting in clockwise movement of the lever 48 in opposition to thespring '50. 'This movement will disengage the left-hand extremity of the lever 48 from stud 47- (Figure 4), whereby the lever 44 may move into the ositionshown in Figure 4, therebycompletlng the cycle of operation.-.

- -When the attendant of the illustrated dispensing apparatus desires to charge bottles into said apparatus, he may, by mserting a coin, connect the clutch elements 35 and 36 in the manner above referred to by turning the. shaft 34 in a clockwise direction; thereafter,

by turning handle 33 in a direction to move the shaft 34 in a counterclockwise direction,

he may move thepu'sher 28 up to the upper region of the ramp 16. He may then charge bottles into said dispensing apparatus one after another. 4

Attention'is now directed to the structure 3 illustratedin Figure. 6. Before charging bottles into the apparatus, the attendant should, of course, move thepusher 28' to its 11 as the parts are viewed in Figure 1 ,otherwise the bottles charged into the apparatus will be in rear of said pusher 28 and will not be pushed downwardly by said pusher when said pusher is moved downwardly by the coin controlled mechanism. Accordingly, the present invention contemplates the provision of a shutter 65, spring-pressed to closed position across the opening controlled by the doorway 11. Said shutter is provided with -a finger 66 adapted to be engaged by the member 31 or other part of the pusher 28.

-When said pusher 28' is moved to the upper.

limit of its travel, said pusher will,-by reason of its engagement with the finger 66, positively move the shutter into the diagonal or guiding position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 6, in which the swinging edge of said shutter abuts against the inner strap 24. Said shutter 66 is curved about a vertical axis, and when said shutter is in guiding position it serves as guide means for directing the bottles in the pro er direction onto the ramp 16. When sai shutter 65 is in closed position, as indicated in full lines in Figure 6, it will indicate to the attendant that the pusher '28 is not in its uppermost position and that. said pusher should be moved tosaid u permost position before bottles are charge into the apparatus. If desired, a suitable warning may be placed upon said shutter 65.

. After having charged the apparatus, the. attendant will then turn the handle 33 in a to closed position, it will close automatically when the pusher 28 is moved downwardly-.- Inasmuch as the clutch elements 35 and 36 are in engagement, motion will be communicated from said handlethrough clutch elements 35 and 36 to pinion 37 and gear 38 to turn the sheave 32. This action will move the cable 27, whereby the pusher 28 will move the line of bottles downwardly. At this time the lever 44 will be held in its clockwise position, whereby the rod 61'will hold the lever 59 out of obstructing relationship with the star wheel 56. Movement of the pusher 29 will therefore result in the moving of thebottle 25 to the trap door 62, whence said bottle will drop through the outlet opening 18 onto the base 19, fromwhich said bottle may be removed. Asnoted' above, movement of the 44to move to the'position indicated in Figure 4. Suehmovement of the lever 44 will cause the clockwise movement 'of the bell crank lever 52, resulting in disengagement of clutch lio elements 35 and 36. The operator may then insertthe bottle which he has discharged back v a convenient coinreceptacle, such a receptacle into the machine through the door 11 forstorage purposes and may lock said door 11.

.When any person desiring to secure a bottle inserts a coin within the slot 39 and communicates a turning movement to the handle 33 in a direction to move the shaft 34 in a clockwise direction, the coin, indicated by the numeral 43 in Figure 4,will cause the lever 44 to swing in a clockwise direction, resulting in the engagement of the clutch elements 35 and 36 as above described, whereby turning of the handle 33 will push the bottle onto the trap door 62, from which said bottle will drop through the outlet opening 18 'onto the base 19 in a manner described above. As also described above, the operation of the trap door, by reason of its connection with the lever 48, will interruptthe driving connection between the clutch elements 35 and 36. After each coin 43 has passed the upper extremity of the lever 44 it will drop out into being indicated in Figure 1 by the numeral bodying the rinciples of the present invention permits ry, regulated refrigeration, delivering dry bottles.

It has been found in practice that ordinary soft drink bottles will slide with suflicient case on the ramp 16, particularly with the speed reduction gears 37 and 38, sothat no antifriction bearin s are-required. for said bottles. Any such earings may be used, of course, if preferred" Though a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in de tail, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended to cover all such modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

ing said inlet opening except when said push-- or is in position to coo erate upon articles disposed adjacent to sai inlet opemng ing biased to guidin position.

spensing apparatus, in v sive to the position of said pusher for (guarding said inlet opening except when sai pusher is in position to cooperate upon articles disposed adjacent to ,said inlet opening, said combined shutter and guiding member be- 3. In cooling and combination, a casing, a ramp for carrymg articles to be dispensed, said casing being provided with an inlet-opening for said artlcles and an outlet opening for said articles, a combined shutter and article guiding member for normallyw closing said inlet, a pusher member movable along the 'ram' toward the discharge opening for dischargmg the articles therethrough, and cooperating means carried by the pusher member and the shut ter member for opening the latter when said pusher member is moved into position at the side of the inlet opening more remote from the outlet opening.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a ramp, inlet and. outlet means for said ramp, means whereby articles to be dispensed are dischar ed from said ramp,a member associatedwit said ramp for operating said last named means, said member having means for operating said inlet means to open position whereb ingress is bad tosaid ramp, to charge sai ramp with articles to be dispensed.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a substantially helically disposed ramp, a track' associated with said ramp, means on said track operable to move articles along said ramp, an endless operatmgmember operable to move said means, inlet and outlet means for said ramp, means'whereby articles to be dis ensed are discharged from said ramp, said rst named means having means for operating said inlet means to open position whereby ingress is had to said ramp to charge said ramp with articles to be di ensed. Q

S igned at Chicago, Illinois, this 7th day of May, 1927.

' 1 WILLIAM E. BHEIL.

AXEL RAMCLAU.

2. In dispensing apparatus, a casing, a

ramp for carrying articles to be dispensed,-

said casing being provided with an inlet opening for said articles and an outlet opening for said articles, a pusher for pushing .said articles down saidramp, and a combined shutter and article guiding member respon--

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