US1978899A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 30, 1934. H. GILES 1,978,899

VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 15. 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. GILES VENDING MACHINE Oct. 30, 1934.

Original Filed Dec. 15. 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 WNW M r m w ATTORNEY Oct. 30, 1934- GlLEs 1,978,899

VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 15, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Oct. 30, 1934. H, GILES 1,978,899

VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 15. 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 0 /zi W93 92 ATTORN EY Oct. 30, 1934. H. GILES 1,978,399

VENDING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 15. 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 fihm/fy 6/155 I v 1 I Y Arra/PA/EY a 99 M W mwza axwfi LM i I03; 5 w W 4 F. 3% 9 V a w M a i I hum-L. VLF: .EEI i. AAAAAAMIU k W w MW W a Z 0. Wm w I i I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I llllllllll/II/a/IA [III/{I1 VIA ll .IIIIIIIIII VENDl-[NG MACHINE Harvey Giles, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Collier Advertising Service, Inc., New York, N.- Y., a corporation of Delaware Original application December 15, 1931, Serial No. 581,089. Divided and this application May 8, 1933, Serial N0. (359,884

4 Claims. (01. 1941) nomination held in a predetermined position to secure a more positive and reliable operation of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide vending means so arranged and inter-related that the possibility of inserting spurious coins or other articles into the machine for the purpose of surreptitiously obtaining the vended articles is prevented.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simplified coin-operated means so arranged that the dispensing device is operated on the insertion of a bone. fide coin, and which prevents the retention of a coin when the machine is empty of merchandise, and which possesses numerous features of operation so desired in machines of this character.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation, partly in section, of my improved machine with the cover plate of the casing removed to disclose the operating mechanism;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, locking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line S--3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Figure 4 is a sectional View on the line 4-4 of Figure 1, locking in the direction of the arrows; Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the coin operating mechanism on the line 5-5 of Figure 6, looking in the direction of the arrows; Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6 6 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; Figure '7 is a sectional View on the line 77 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of arrows; Figures 8 and 9 are views similar to that of Figure 7 illustrating the manner in which the plunger is freed for manual operation by the insertion of a suitable coin in the coin chute;

Figure 10 is a sectional view on the line 10-10 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the ar rows; and

11 is a sectional view on the line 11-11 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The mechanism forming the subject matter of this invention is contained within a suitable metal casing provided with a bottom fi l, side walls 64, a top 85a, and a removable front plate or cover 76. At its lower end, the front end 76 is provided with a tongue 76a which enters an aperture provided in an inturned flange 7711, which is formed on the lower portion 78a, of the casing. The cover is locked in position on the casing in any of the ways common to vending machines.

The article delivery mechanism and the other devices associated therewith are particularly adapted for use in connection with the vending of flat articles or packages such as chocolate bars, peanut bars or other flat boxed or packaged merchandise, the stacked merchandise to be vended being shown at in the drawings. These articles are supported in a horizontal position in stacked relationship and are delivered to purchasers successively from the top of the stack. The lowermost article in the stack rests upon a supporting plate 26 of a hopper, said plate having downwardly bent ends 27, from each of which projects a stud 28. Each of these studs attaches to a spring 29, the two springs acting to normally elevate the supporting plate 26 and the stack carried thereby, as fast as articles areremoved from the top of the stack by the delivery mechanism.

The fixed portion of the hopper comprises a frame mainly composed of four upright angle bars, three of which are shown at 30, 31 and 32, the four bars serving to vertically guide the articles in the stack as is common in hoppers of this character. The lower ends of the two bars 30 and 31 are connected by a transverse plate 34 which has its end 35 bent at right angles and attached to a lower wall plate 36 that is secured to the rear wall 38 of the casing, said plate 36 being held spaced from said wall by spacers 38a (Fig. l). At their upper ends, the two bars 30 and 31 are connected by a transverse plate 39, which is attached to a plate 41 secured to the face of the rear wall 38. Thus, the two bars 30 and 31, connected together at their opposite ends by the plates 34 and 39, form a side for the hopper. The other two upright bars of the hopper are connected at their lower ends by a plate 42 which has a laterally bent end 43 adjustably held on the lower wall plate 36 by bolts 44, which bolts extend through elongated slots 45 provided in the plate 36 to permit the two bars connected by said plate to be shifted as a unit relative to the cooperating bars 30 and 31 to adjust the hopper for holding articles of merchandise of different lengths. The upper ends of the bars whose lower ends are connected by the plate 42, are joined by a plate 46 provided with a laterally bent end through which bolts pass to adjustably secure it to the upper wall plate 41. Through the arrangement of the hopper frame described, it will be clear that the two sides of the hopper may be shifted on their respective supports to enable the hopper to hold differently sized articles.

As previously explained, the base plate 26 of the hopper is normally drawn upward by means of springs 29, which extend from the studs 28 and pass over rollers 53 and 54, provided on the plates 39 and 46 respectively, and thence extend to studs and 56, projecting from the lower plates 34 and 42 respectively. Upward movement of the stack of articles under the impulse of the springs 29 is restricted by the impingement of the uppermost article 25 in the stack against angular stop plates .57 and 56 (Fig. 1) which are secured to the faces of the plates 46 and 39 respectively, and which overlie the articles in the stack adjacent their opposite ends. As fast as articles are removed from the stack, the stack is elevated under the impulse of the springs to always maintain the uppermost article in the stack against the stop plates 57 and 58.

The delivery mechanism consists generally of a swinging or reciprocating frame having a pair of parallel arms which carry an ejector plate that acts to sweep the uppermost article in the stack from the top of the stack and direct it into a delivery chute 78 carried by the cover plate 76. The two parallel arms just referred to are indicated at 60 and 61. These two arms are so spaced that the hopper is located between them. The lower ends of these two arms are connected by a shaft 62, which is mounted to oscillate in bearings 63 secured to and extending upwardly from the bottom 64 of the casing. To permit the delivery frame to be easily removed, the shaft 62 is removably held in each of the bearings 63 by means of locking plates 65, one of which is provided on each of the bearings, said locking plates being pivotally attached to the bearings to enable them to be swung across the shaft 62 and then looked in said closed position by the thumb screws 67. By loosening the thumb nuts 67 and,

throwing back the locking plates 65, the shaft 62 carrying the arms 60 and 61 and their associated parts can be readily removed.

The upper ends of the arms 60 and 61 are connected by a cross rod or brace 66, and also by an oscillating rod 69 held in slots 70 provided in each of the arms as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Loosely ".mounted on the rod 69 is an ejector plate 71,

which is adapted, when the delivery frame is swung to the rear of the casing, to engage behind the uppermost article in the stack and, upon forward swinging movement of the frame, slide the .engaged article from the top of the stack and into the delivery chute 78. The rocking move ment of the ejector plate 71 and its shaft 69 is restricted within certain limits by pins 72 which extend radially from the rod 69 and pass through islots provided in that part of the plate 71 which surrounds the rod. The connecting arms 69 and 61 and associated parts comprising the delivery frame are normally held in their retracted position, shown in Figure 2, by means of a spring 74 i having one of its ends attached to a stud 75 projecting from the arm 66 and its other end attached to the other wall plate 36. The delivery frame is drawn or rocked forward about its axis 62 by a manually pulled plunger that is freed lfor manual operation by the insertion of a coin if in the stack and on forward movement of the arms 60 and 61 the ejector plate slides the article toward the front cover plate 76 of the casing, where it is brought into contact with an inclined face formed on a deflector plate 77 attached to the inner face of the cover, which directs the ejected article downward into the delivery chute 78 carried on the inner face of the cover plate 76. The lower end of the chute 78 terminates in a tray 79 located on the outside of the cover plate, the ejected article passing through an opening in the cover plate in the usual way to reach the tray 79 where it rests until picked up by the purchaser. A bodily rotative movement of the rod 69 on which the ejector plate 71 is mounted, is prevented by the fact that said rod is provided with a bent-down end 81 which, when the ejector plate 71 is in its operative position, as shown in Figure 2, abuts against a pin 82 projecting from the outer face of the arm 60. On its rearward movement, the plate 71 slides smoothly across the upper face of the next topmost article in the stack until it finally positions itself in back of said article and is ready for the next ejecting movement.

A bumper of rubber or other similar substance is provided at 8 1 on the arm 60 to absorb the shock of the return movement of the delivery frame, said bumper contacting with the face of the rear wall 38 of the casing, and serving also to limit the extent of the return movement of the shelf or base plate 85 which has a downwardly 1 at a slight downward incline, as clearly disclosed I in Fig. 4. The chute is divided, within the casing, into two channels or branches 92 and 93, the branch 93 forming a direct passage leading ta a coin receptacle 94 supported upon a shelf 95, said coin receptacle being located directly be neath the outlet end 96 of the passage 93 so that coins passing therethrough will fall into the receptacle 94 in the conventional way. The branch or passage 92 of the coin chute is intended. the

the return of a coin that is inserted when machine is empty of merchandise, or for the return of defective or spurious coins or slugs which are sometimes inserted in these machines.

This return passage 92 leads to an opening or slot 97 provided in the cover of the casing through which the returned coin passes to he received upon a holder 98 from which it may be retrieved by the operator of the machine. A. magnet 99 is provided at the junction of the coin chute branches so that it will attract iron slugs or the L like and direct them into the return branch 92 from whence they will pass out of the casing in the manner just explained.

At its rear end, the chute 89 is provided with an opening 100 through which the projecting end rec 101 of a coin deflector 107 enters into the chute. This deflector is pivoted at 102 and it is normally adapted'to be swung about this pivot by the weight of a .coin passing through the chute 89 and moving toward the branch 93 of said chute. Such a coin, striking the extended end 101 on the deflector 107 will swing the deflector about its axis 102 so that the end 101 located in the chute will be shifted out of the pathway of the descending coin and the coin will fall into the branch 93 and descend toward the lower end of the same, where it will be temporarily held as 103 bythe plunger-operated mechanism to be hereafter described.

The coin deflector 107 is provided with a weight 104 to restore it to its normal position, which is illustrated in Fig. 4 after the passage of the coin. Under certain conditions, and particularly when the machine is empty of merchandise, or when the operation of vending an article is not fully completed, it is desirous of preventing the entry of a second coin into the operating mechanism of the machine. That is to say, when the machine is empty or when the operating plunger has not completed its full action in causing the delivery of a vended article, coins then inserted will be deflected through the return branch 92 of the coin chute and returned to the operator. This action is attained by means of a locking plate 105 pivotally mounted at 106 above the coin-deflector 107 and adapted under the conditions mentioned above to have its laterally extended lower end 108 held against the edge of the coin-deflector 107 to overcome the weight of a falling coin and to prevent said deflector from being swung out of the path of a coin entering through the chute, whereby said coin is shunted to the return branch 92 of the chute by the extended end 101 of the deflector. This locked position of the locking member 105 is indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4.

Under normal conditions, that is, when the delivery frame is in its retracted position and ready for the next vending operation, the locking plate 185 is held in its elevated position, as shown in full lines Figure 4, so that the deflector 107 is free to permit the passage of a coin through the branch 93 of the coin chute. The locking plate is held in such elevated position by means of a cam 109 provided on the face of the arm 60. The edge of this cam is brought into contact with a pin 110 projecting from the locking plate 105, so that while the arm is in its retracted position and ready for its next article-ejecting action, the

' cam 109 prevents the locking plate 105 from acting on the deflector 107, said deflector being then inoperative for the purpose of deflecting an inserted coin into the return branch 92 of the coin chute. On the other hand, when the arm 60 is moved forwardto eject the vended article, it frees the locking plate which then acts upon the deflector, causing the same to deflect a coin into the return branch 92 of the coin chute, so that a coin will not be retained by the machine until the vending operation then taking place is completed.

The plunger for swinging the delivery frame forward is shown at 111. It consists of a bar having an end terminating'in a handle portion 112 that projects through the cover plate 76 of the casing where it may be grasped and manually drawn outward to operate the delivery apparatus. Said plunger 111 moves along the upper face of the shelf or base plate 85, its longitudinal movement relative thereto being restricted by means of a stud 113 located and movable within the limits of a slot 114 formed in the base plate 85. A spring 115 holds the plunger normally retracted within the casing, said spring having one of its ends attached to a stud 116 which projects from a lug 117 formed on and projecting upwardly from the upper edge of the plunger. This lug 117 also serves to swing the delivery carriage forward by being brought into contact with a projecting lug 167 attached to the arm 60. The plunger-retracting spring 115 extends over a roller 118 rotatably mounted upon the vertical wall 88 of the base plate 85, and has its second end at tached to a stud 119 also attached to the wall 88. To prevent the plunger from returning to its rearward normal position before completing its full forward movement, the lower edge of the same is provided with the usual rack 120 located in a slot 121 provided in the base plate 85, said rack being engaged by the dog 122 held in its normal position by a spring 123, the lower end of which is connected to a pin 124 fixed in a bracket 125 extending downwardly from the base plate 85.

When the parts of the machine are in their normal position, as shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, and ready for the vending operation, a coin dropped into the chute 89 will swing the end 101 of the deflector 107 aside and will drop down into the branch 93 of the chute to a point adjacent the lowcr end 96 thereof where its descent will he stayed by the nose 126 of a plate 127, which projects into the branch coin chute 93 through a slot 128 where it is held with sufiicient resilient pressure to cause it to engage the coin 103 and hold it against further descent.

Said plate 127 is adjustably fixed to a lever 129 by a screw 130, the lever 129 being pivoted at 131 to a plate 133 attached to the base plate 85. At its end the lever 129 is provided with a vertical stud 132 which is operated upon a cam surface 134 provided on the face of the plunger 111. Adjacent its inner end, the plunger is provided with a notch 135 adapted to be engaged by the nose 136 of a stop-lever 137 that is pivoted at 138 to the base plate 85. At its opposite end the lever 137 is provided with a laterally extending lug 139 which is directed toward the coin chute branch 93 and is adapted to bear against the face of the coin 103 lodged therein and held by the nose 126 of the plate 127. The stop-lever 137 is provided with a vertically extending stud 140 which enters into a slot 141 provided in the plate 127. A spring 142 bears against the stop-lever 137 adjacent its nose 136 and serves to direct the nose of the stop-lever 137 toward the notch 135 provided in the plunger. This spring 142 also supplies the resilient pressure necessary to normally hold the nose 126 of the plate 127 directed into the coin chute branch 93.

In Figure 7 the position of the parts just described is shown when no coin is in the chute. It will be there seen that any effort to draw the plunger outwardly or toward the right of said figure, will result in the nose 136 of the stop-lever 137 becoming engaged with the notch 135 of the plunger 111 so that outward movement of the plunger is pr vented. When a coin is located in the chute portion 93 and is retained therein by engagement with the nose 126 of the plate 127, the plunger 111 can then be readily drawn out since the abutment of the lug 139 on the stoplever 137 with. the face of the coin, as shown in Figure 8, prevents pivotal movement of the stoplever 137 under the impulse of its spring 142, which movement is necessary to cause the nose 136 thereon to engage with the plunger notch 135.

As the plunger 111 'is drawn out, its cam 134 is brought into contact with the stud 132 which causes the lever 129 to swing about its pivot 131 withdrawing tne nose 126 of the plate 12'? out of the pathway of the coin 103 held thereby. The plate 127 on such movement, also pivots the stop lever 137 through its pin-and-slot engagement therewith, so that the lateral lug 139 on said stoplever 137 is moved from its contact with the face of the coin 103, whereupon the coin falls downwardly out of the coin chute branch 93 and into the coin receptacle 94.

The operation of the coin-controlled mechanism, forming the subject matter of this invention is briefly as follows:

A coin dropped into the chute 89 is directed into the branch 93 as heretofore explained and descends to the position indicated at 103 in Figures 4 and 8, where it is held by the nose 126. After depositing the coin, the plunger 111 is then pulled. The plunger moves outwardly under the pull since the stop-lever 137 is rendered inoperative by the coin 103 located in the chute. As the plunger is drawn outwardly the lug 11'? provided on the plunger, is brought into contact with the lug 16? on the arm 60 causing the delivery frame, consisting of the connected arms 60 and 61 and associated parts, to be swung forwardly on its axis 62 toward the front of the casing. As the frame is swung forwardly, the ejector-plate 71 bearing aga nst the rear edge of the uppermost article 25 in the stack, slides it from the top of the stack toward the merchandise chute '78 into which it is directed by the deflecting plate 77 whereupon it terminates its travel on the tray '19 from which it is picked up by the purchaser. When the pull is released on the plunger, it is retracted by the spring 115, while the delivery carriage is similarly retracted by its spring '74, and the machine is ready for the next operation. The vending operation just described is repeated until the contents of the hopper are exhausted. When this occurs, a stop member 150 carried on the under face of stack-supporting plate 26 operates to lock the delivery carriage in a forward position. The stop member 150 is pivoted at 151 in an ear 152 provided on the under face of the stack-supporting plat-e 26, and said member 150 is formed with an upwardly projecting finger 153 which a spring 154 tends to draw through an opening provided in the plate 26. When one or more of the articles 25 is resting on the plate 26, the weight of such article or articles is sufiicient to maintain the stop member in its depressed position shown in Figure 1. When there is no merchandise supported on the plate 26, the finger 153 on the member 150 is drawn upwardly by the spring 154 through the opening in the plate 25, so that the ejector-plate 71 on its return movement after having delivered the last article in the stack, impinges against the raised finger 153 and is prevent-ed from returning to its fully retracted position, the delivery frame being thus held in a forward position. Consequently, since the arm 60 cannot return to its retracted position, the cam 109 thereon being out of contact with the locking plate 105, enabling said locking plate to function to prevent pivotal movement of the coin-deflector 107 so that the same. acts to deflect coins thereafter inserted, to the return chute 92. This is continued until the machine is filled in the manner herein explained whereupon it is ready to fulfill its vending operations.

What I claim is:

1. In a vending machine of the character described comprising a hopper open at its upper end, an article delivery means having a part movable across the upper end of the hopper to eject successive articles therefrom, said delivery means being normally disposed at the rear of the hopper, a coin-controlled plunger for drawing said delivery means in one direction, a coin-chute having a main branch communicating with a coin receptacle and a branch constituting a return channel, a pivoted coin-deflector having a part located in the coin-chute, means for locking said coin-deflector against pivotal movement whereby it will cause a coin inserted in the coin-chute to be deflected into the return branch thereof, means carried by the delivery means for rendering the locking means inoperative when the delivery means is rearwardly disposed.

2. In a vending machine, a hopper, reciprocating means for ejecting articles from the upper end of the hopper, said reciprocating means being normally held at the rear of the hopper in article-engaging position, a coin-controlled plunger for drawing said reciprocating means in one direction to cause the same to eject the uppermost article in the hopper, means for preventing a return movement of the reciprocatingmeans when the contents of the hopper are depleted, coin-holding means, and means for deflecting coins therefrom, means on the reciprocating means for rendering said coin-deflecting means inoperative when the reciprocating means is located at the rear of the hopper.

3. In a vending machine of the character described comprising, a hopper, an article delivery means having a part movable across the upper end of the hopper to eject successive articles therefrom, said delivery means being normally disposed at the rear of the hopper, a coin-controlled plunger for drawing said delivery means toward the front of the hopper, a coin-chute having a main branch communicating with a coin receptacle and a branch constituting a return channel, a pivotedcoin deflector having a part normally projected into the coin chute, means for locking the coin-deflector against swinging movement whereby it will cause a coin inserted in the coin-chute to be deflected into the return branch thereof, and an element on the delivery means for engaging the locking means to render it inoperative when said delivery means is swung rearwardly.

- 4. In a vending machine, a hopper, reciprocating means for ejecting articles therefrom, said reciprocating means being normally held at the rear of the hopper in article-engaging position, a coin-controlled plunger for drawing said reciprocating means in one direction, coin-holding means, coin-deflecting means comprising a pivoted member having a part normally projected into a position in which it deflects a coin, looking means for holding the pivoted member in coin-deflecting position, means on the reciprocating ejecting means for swinging the locking means to cause it' to free the coin-deflecting means to enable said coin-deflecting means to move out of the path of a coin when the reciprocating ejecting means moves-to the rear of the hopper.

HARVEY GILES.

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